Remember when...

Hi dear blog friends.  How are you all doing?  My life certainly has not been my own the past few month, but in between all the hustle and bustle I've managed to get a few stitches into my linen and some sewing done.  Let's see if you can remember any of these old samplers from the past.  At the moment I'm working on a sampler called, "The Weeping Tree" by the City Stitcher.  It's an oldie, but a goodie from 1995.  I know it's pathetic, but the house took me most of the summer to construct.  I was shocked that I used a whole skein of DMC floss on the brick mortar!  I'm feeling like my mojo is returning while working on this.  Probably because it's stitched on 32 count, and is really easy on the eyes. 

I have a little progress to show on Shores.  I used several colors of red silk on the fish in block 12, instead of making them all one color.  I like the variation it provided.  I'm taking this on vacation in a few weeks, and hopefully I can finish up another block or two.

I'm still working on the Toy Chest.  I took a class on how to finish this piece, and I want to get this done soon, so I can apply what I've learned.  The horse has just about done me in.  It's over one... need I say more?

I started this on one of our summer travels.  Prairie Moon's, For Thine is the Trick and the Treat.  Shepherds Bush had this fabric dyed especially for their shop, and I think it's perfect.  I know that this won't be done this Halloween, but it should be fun to work on during the Fall season.

My quilt guild has been doing a wool ornament class.  We receive several ornies a month to complete.  So far mine are cut out, and that's about as far as I've gotten.  They are really cute done in person, and if I can only keep up, I'll have a really cute feather tree filled with unique wool ornaments in the year 2014.

I am also hosting a block exchange at my quilt guild.  We are making 24 blocks per month.  Here is a stack of exchanged blocks and some I am working on.  These will be for the quilt, Idaho Farm Girl, by Kim Diehl

I was invited by a couple of friends to work on this quilt by Needl' Love.  Of course, I don't have any willpower whatsoever, and I told them to count me in.  I love the colors of this quilt, and can't wait for some time to work on it. 

 I stitched this sampler last winter, and never put it on my blog.  I think this is my favorite Fall sampler, and the frame is stunning.  I can't remember the designer, but if anyone is interested, I'll find the pattern and the name.

I stitched this sampler way back in the 90's, when large count fabrics were all the rage.  I originally  finished it into a wall hanging, but over the years I tired of it.  One day I decided to frame it and I love the way it looks now.  A new frame is a good way to freshen up an old piece.

This is a really old sampler from Oberlin Designs.  I changed quite a bit on this piece.  The fabric, the floss... I added buttons, and silk ribbon pumpkins.  It's bright, but I love this sampler still.

My table is sporting Bent Creek's Fall Snapper.  Also a darling owl that my friend made for me.  It's from the Pumpkin Patch Needl' Love book. 

Now for family happenings.  In July, my daughter celebrated her 11th birthday.  She wanted to have a gymnastics party and watch the new American Girl movie, McKenna.  All the girls brought their dolls.  Wow!  Was it ever cute.  She had a  sleep over with her cousins afterwards....which lasted 3 days, because they were having so much fun.  I'm such a pushover!

We traveled to San Diego for my cousins wedding at the end of July.  It was a gorgeous day in the bay area.  My kids look grumpy here because we were getting ready to fly home soon.   This is the San Diego Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  You can read more about temples here and here.   

My nephew got married at the South Jordan temple a few weeks later.  This is my fabulous brother (the nicest anesthesiologist in the state), his wife, their son, and new daughter in law.  Another beautiful day with the family.

After a weekend in Arizona (no pictures on that trip), we took a very quick trip that was less than 24 hours, to Colorado to visit my husbands 91 year old granddad.  He is amazing.  He still lives at home, cooks his own food, and does most everything for himself.  He taught me how to make English soft boiled eggs.  The lovely lady in the purple shirt is my husbands wonderful sister.  We love traveling with her, and she tempted us to visit the Redwoods the next weekend...

which we did, because we are crazy, and we just can't get enough adventure!  The kids and I flew to Portland, where we were met by my husband.  Then we drove down the coast to Crescent City, (took us about 9 hours), where we enjoyed the Redwoods for one day.  After wearing ourselves out hiking, and sleeping on cots, we  were up at 5:30 AM and made another 9 hour trip down to Oakland California to fly home.  That's how most of our trips have been this summer...2-3 days at most.  It's so fun but wears one out!

There has been much happening at home too.  This is the new Brigham City Temple that was just dedicated a week ago.  One early morning I took my young women group from church to see the bride room.  It's one of prettiest that I have ever been in.  What an amazing experience it has been to have this structure being built in our small town.  We are so blessed as a community.

To celebrate the temple open house, 4000 kids from the temple district practiced for months for a big pageant that they performed for their parents and church leaders.  Yes, I was involved with every one of those practices.  My son was one of the soldiers in this swing number celebrating the military hospital that was here during WWII.  My son danced with a really cute girl!  I was so impressed with his performance.

There wasn't a dry eye in the audience as we celebrated this great country we live in and the new temple in our midst.  

Enjoy a wonderful Saturday wherever you are.  May you enjoy time with your family and have many creative moments too. 

progress...

Hi to all my friends.  Thanks for all your kind comments about my chair!  Let me know if you want a quick tutorial on how to do it.  It was easy!  A quick update on my progress since my goals were posted last month.  This is the Toy Chest Etui that I am stitching with Margaret.  We are trying to stitch a page a week, and so far we are only a week behind.  LOL.  This is the needle book, and it was a really easy stitch.  I added my initials and date to the design. 

And I finished up part two.  Silly me, I thought this would be a good project for an airplane ride down to Phoenix last weekend.  Every time we hit a bump, I think I missed a stitch!  I know I'm off on the satin stitch on the girl, and I may re-stitch some of it, but for right now, I'm calling this one done.  The reason the boy is standing so far above the girl, is after stitching her, I decided I didn't need to be so frugal with the fabric, and I gave him a little more room. 

I finished up the borders on this mystery quilt, and I started the Valentine Mystery.  It's almost finished, but I need to get the borders on it, before I show you.  I like this quilt, but it's really "bright" for my home.  Hopefully I can find a place for it next year.  It has a lot of cute embellishments that I will add after it's quilted.

I had to sit through one of my daughter's ballet classes a few weeks ago, and I decided to stitch up this candle mat by Bare Roots.  I made one of these for my friend Jolene at Christmas time too.  I like projects like this for passing away "waiting" time.

I had the pleasure of attending my niece's baptism in Arizona last weekend, and my mom and I went to THE Attic Needlework store.  If this store doesn't make you want to plunk down some serious cash for stash, then I don't know what will!  It's amazing!  Katrina and Paulette, recently shared some of the eye candy there.   Among my stash purchases I bought Scarlett Houses,  Hannah Tingey and decided on getting fabric as well.   Her sampler was done on 45 count, which made it so dainty and delicate.  I loved it, but honestly didn't know if I could stitch on 45 count.  I went with the 40 count.  Hopefully I can see that!  My mom and I bought the fabric and silk for Blackbird's, Christmas Garden.  We also enabled my SIL, and bought some for her too.  The Attic ladies have changed the colors, and it was stunning.  I have the pattern on order, and I'm excited to put a few stitches in this when it comes.  I also bought Historic Stitches John Foster 1885.  They had this stitched on 29 count linen over one,   I couldn't resist the beehive.  

Here are my two growing kids in front of my Aunt and Uncle's house.  We stayed here, because of all the company at my brother's house.  They live just around the corner from each other, so the cousins kept in touch by riding their bikes back and forth.  I could have stayed here another week!  The weather was just about perfect.  I don't know why I live in a place that is dark and cold half of the year.   I love and need the sun!

This is my brother and his cute family.  Doesn't my little niece in front look like an angel?  She was just baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I usually don't share too many personal things on my "Sewing" blog, but I just have to say that these family events are things I cherish.  I believe families are forever, and happiness in life is built around forming strong bonds between family members, and following the commandments.   Thanks for letting me share that.

Well, that's it for now.  Thanks for sharing your comments with me.  I just figured out how to get my comments to go to my e-mail, so I can respond back!  Yea!  I  apologize for not commenting back to you if you have left me a comment in the past.  I will be able to respond now.  Have a wonderful day and happy sewing! 

2012 Goals

Hi to all my blog friends.  It's hard to believe that it has been so long since my last post!  A lot has happened in my life the past 6 months.  My daughter's ballet and school schedule have been responsible for most of my absence, but I also have been put in charge of the 14-15 year old girls at my church.  Teaching on Sunday and having an activity every Wednesday for10 girls, has been really fun and exhausting at the same time.  I have not done a lot of stitching in the past 6 months, which makes for one cranky mom!  The reason I started this blog in the first place, was to be able to post some stitching and sewing goals.  It was a great bonus to meet some wonderful friends and be able to be inspired by your work.  I found myself buying 2 projects to every one I finished. I even found my stitching style changing as I looked at everything out there.  I definitely started to do harder projects, and found myself buying 40 count linen!  Yikes, my eyes are regretting that!  Well, I have a closet that is pretty much out of control, and a stitching drawer that cannot handle one more project!  It's time to make some goals to finish what I have, and hopefully I can be happy with my stash and not be tempted to add to it every week!   
I have been noticing a lot of challenges going on for finishing WIP's, and am going to add my list here. If anyone is working on the same projects and wants to do a SAL, please let me know.  It's always more fun to work on something with someone else.Sorry I didn't bother to iron all my linen before pictures.  You get to see my goals, wrinkles and all.

I really, really want to get this one done soon.  I love this project, but it doesn't love me!  I have had to unpick a great deal on this, for some reason.  Despite that, it's still one of my favorite samplers, and I want to see it hanging in my living room real soon.  This is a sampler called Mary Allen.  I am doing a SAL with Deb.  What do you say Deb, are you ready for more? 

I showed incredible restraint at the Shepherd's Bush sale last Saturday, and this was the extent of my purchases.  The frames were only $7.00 for both!  Can you believe that?  I could not pass them up.  Jolene gave me the little kit in the stocking for one of my fabulous Christmas presents, and I bought the other one at the sale.  One of my goals this year is to start a collection of small pincushions to rest in a bowl.  So many of you have these, and I just love them!

I want to finish Shores this year if it kills me!  Why I put it down in the first place, I will never know, but picking it back up again has been so hard.  My goal is to get one block a month done until it is finished.  My Mom and SIL are going to start a SAL with Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, so I hope to finish this before starting that OWB  (overwhelming Beast!)

I started this on a plane ride to Philadelphia a year and a half ago.  I'd love to have it framed and displayed by July. 

This is Drawn Threads, Random Thoughts.   I realized that I stitched the center words in the wrong colors, and I haven't been real happy with it since. I don't think it would take long to finish, so it's on the list.  I'll have to get the whole thing done before I decide if I need to frog  the center. 

I started this on Thanksgiving, thinking I could get it done by Christmas (yea, right!)  It's such a cute design.  It's called Joy to the World by Heartstring Sampling, and those cleaver ladies at the  Shepherd's Bush changed the linen and thread colors.  It's wonderful in person.  I want this hanging up for Christmas next year.

I took this class from the Swan Sampler Guild several years ago.  I love this design from Ellen Chester, and I have no idea why I put this away.  I have all of the things in it to make it into a huswife, but it would be lovely framed as well.  I will have to finish the stitching and decide what to do with it. 

This is Little House Needlework's, Hillside Traveler.  This is the one that has been getting most of my attention this week.  I love working on it.  My husband took the kids out for a couple of hours on Monday, and the house was quiet for the first time in months!  I filled in most of the green hill and stitched the little people, and watched  "The African Queen" with Kathryn Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.  It recharged my stitching batteries.  I forgot how much stitching can calm the nerves!

This is a Round Robin that my local stitching group did in 2007.  I have been waiting to have one more friend stitch on it, but I think I will complete the last section so I can get it up on the wall.  This was really fun to do, and each motif was stitched by a dear friend which makes it special.

I think this is my oldest WIP.  I don't know what possessed me to buy this other than I was dazzled by the pretty colors.  This is stitching for the crazy person!  Better get it done before my eyes are completely shot.  I love this design, but it is very tedious to work on.  The Heart's Content, English Carpet.

I had the pleasure of attending the Swan's Sampler Guild retreat this summer.  I intended to post about it, but never got around to it.  It was a wonderful event, and I met new stitching friends, and got acquainted with old friends as well.  Betsy Morgan was a fabulous teacher.  I would love to finish this before next Christmas so I can display it with my antique toys. 

This is another class that I took at a retreat in Park City several years ago.  It's a lovely needle case, and a girl can't have too many of those, right?

I bought this from The Silver Needle, the minute it came out.  I love Halloween, and this Etui by Just Nan was so clever.  I stitched the first section on the way to Quilt market in Houston, and then got sidetracked by quilts, and didn't get back to it.  I want this done by Halloween this year!

I have been doing some mystery quilts with a darling, new shop near my home called"My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe".  The designer is the twin sister of the owner.  So far I have completed the Halloween, and Christmas quilts.  This is the January quilt that should be on my wall right now, but I didn't get it to the quilter's in time.  I start the Valentine one this week.  So I need to get this one completed first.

I worked on this over Christmas.  This is from American Patchwork and Quilting August 2004.   It's a beautiful table runner, and I just need to sew on the tabs and the back.  It's a Blackbird Design.

Bunny Hill's, Vintage Christmas.  I worked on this at the last quilting retreat that I attended.  I am so close to finishing it, just need to do the embroidery, and put it together for the quilter.  If I get it in soon, she should be able to get it back to me before next Christmas. 

Well, I have several other quilts and small projects that need attention, but I think this is enough for the goals this year.  A goal unwritten is just a wish, so hopefully this will propel me to complete these things this year.  If you are still with me, I thank you so much for your comments and support!  I miss all my blog friends, and hope you have a wonderful and great stitching year!  Until next time.