Second post ....giving of a frog

Just wanted to post really quick about a giveaway on Debbie's blog.You can find her at http://www.threadgatherer.blogspot.com/ .She is coming up on her 1st year anniversary of her blog and is giving away a flower frog for storing scissors and is giving away a pair of scissors as well to get you started.Go check out her site and leave her a comment to enter!

Good luck!

SNAFU!

Hello all!

Well the weekend didn't go quite as planned.My son did go to my brother's for the weekend.My husband Jack didn't go fishing.Instead he spent the weekend unexpectedly on our leaking toilet.It was quite a headache for him ,but he was able to fix it as he always seems to be able to fix just about anything.All I can say about the toilet is thank God for second bathrooms! Dinner was a sinch and mostly I didn't have to mess with it.It was Vonna's E-Z chicken and dumplings in the crock pot.It was very easy and oh so very good.Thanks Vonna for posting the recipe!

We've had our dog Brittney for about 11 years now.We got her as a pup.Lately she has seemed to be very very lonely.All of a sudden, Jack decided to go look at dogs while taking a break from his manly duties as Mr. Toolman.So we checked the local Humane Society and seen lots of beautiful dogs but none we seemed to warm up to or thought would be good for Brittney.Then we ran across one that was on Craig's List and drove about 30 miles round trip to go see her. Oh we fell in love with her instantly and she with us,so... Daisy came home with us.She's a big girl.She's a 6 month old pup ,but very big for her age and VERY,VERY strong. She kept trying to climb in the front seat with us while driving down the interstate.Finally,we had to pull over so we wouldn't wreck the car.I-44 is not a place you want to pull over on ,but what's a body to do? I think she and Brittney will be best buds soon.They still have to get used to each other ,but I think it is happening pretty quickly. Brittney is a black lab/great pyranese (sp?) mix and Daisy is a great dane/ boxer mix.The lady we got Daisy from said that she is great dane and shepherd ,but the vet says she is great dane and boxer.We'll go with the vet as she doesn't resemble a shepherd other than a black muzzle.I'll get pictures up of the girls soon.

I did manage to get some stitching done with all the chaos.Not as much as I would have liked,but as you know my plans changed from what they were on Friday.All in all I think I did pretty well.I got some stitching done on an Exchange piece so I won't show progress on that.I did get some more stitching done on some WIP's and couldn't resist starting on yet another fall piece.Will I ever get them all done? I know I will the exchange piece because I made a commitment and I intend to stick to it.The others I'm not sure when they will be done.Oh well! The first one is of progress on Marjolein Bastin's "The Pecking Order".Next is "Sleep Hallow " from The Cross-Eyed Cricket.Last ,but not least is "Pumpkin Harvest" from The Trilogy which I changed the floss colors to ones I had on hand.I am stitching it on an oatmeal evenweave that I bought quite some time ago at Hobby Lobby.Like most everything else I liked there,they don't sell it anymore.Wish I had some more .Here they are in all there glory!

Hope you all have a great week!Happy Stitching!

Sharlotte

An empty nest weekend, some Fall inspiration,and our own legendary man

As I think about the weekend,I realize that I will have an empty nest for two days.My son is going to my brother's house for the weekend to be with his cousins.My husband Jack is going fishing since it will be his first weekend off in a long time.That leaves the house quite for me to get lots of stitching done! Well,I hope anyway! If you've read my profile ,then you know that cross stitch isn't the only needlework that I do.I have recently finished a quilt from Laura DeMarco called "Friendship Flowers".I have hung in my living room and I thought I would share a pic of it with you.Here it is!

I love the fall season.It's my favorite time of year.I have been thinking about some pieces that I would like to stitch really quick for the season .I thought I would post a pic of one I finished last fall that I thought might give you all some inspiration for the upcoming season.It is "Leaf" from Bent Creek .I finished it into a basket as you can see. Just purchased a basket,stained it,stitched the piece (did that part first actually) and had bought the wonderful porcelain leaves at JoAnn's last year.Finished the piece into a lidded basket...and Ta-da! A nice addition to fall decor.To be honest,I like it so much I have left it out all year! Anyway,I just thought it might inspire some of you if you were thinking of something new for fall.

Here is a quick pic of my son Alex.He is on a couple of leagues at one of our local bowling alleys.Yesterday was league practice and he only let me take a couple of pictures.Not up close either I might add.Preteen you know!

Last but not least is a somewhat recent LHN finish of "Two Red Houses". I love Diane's designs and having a somewhat Shaker style kitchen, I thought this would fit right in. Can I do a little bragging here? The miniture egg basket to the left was make many, many years ago by my grandfather.He was a local artisan of many sorts.He made baskets for many,many years for tons of people in the area and was the master basket weaver for our local theme park ,Silver Dollar City for several years.People would come from all over to get his baskets.When tourists came to town and wanted to know where they could buy local crafts,they would be pointed in the direction of my grandfather.He was also a wood carver and musician.He played the fiddle for a Saturday morning program on a local radio station,played at many,many dances and other functions,and also played for the Grand Opening of Silver Dollar City when it first opened.His apprentice at the time is now the current master basket weaver at SDC.My grandfather even had the honor of posing as a model for artist Thomas Hart Benton.It was for his last painting he did before he died,"Sources of Country Music". My grandfather has been gone for nearly 20 years now and we miss him and my grandmother dearly.

Well....that's all today.Hope you enjoyed the pictures and have a great,great weekend!

Sharlotte

A couple of finishes,a tombstone, and I think I hooked a big one!

Good Morning! Or Good Afternoon for those of you who popped by later in the day.These pictures aren't the greatest.We have a fairly new camera that takes really good pictures ,but for some reason when the pictures are uploaded to the blog,they come out fuzzy. I have no clue why.I have had a couple of requests for some pictures for my recent finishes ,but of course I had to figure out how to post pictures first .Anyway,can you believe that in 23 years of cross stitching I had never made myself a needlebook? I've made a few for other people ,but never myself .I treated myself recently and made one from Traveling Stitcher from LHN. The paisley fabric is from 3 Sisters on the MODA lable I think.I stitched an extra band for the inside using a flower from the main pattern. I like the way it turned out.If I decide to attatch another felt page later,there's room.I used the recommended 32 count lambswool linen and flosses from Crescent Colours.





The next picture is of Bent Creek's Autumn Row. I will be finishing it into a long pillow for the window sill.Sorry the picture isn't a close up.I can't fit the whole thing in when I try to get a close up of it.It is putting me in the mood for some more fall stitching.





This last one is a WIP of course.It is Sleepy Hollow from The Cross-Eyed Cricket.I dyed the fabric myself and it turned out more blue then I wanted ,but hopefully it will look ok when I get it all finished.My hopes is to get it done for this Halloween . With our schedules and trying to fit all of our school hours in ,household duties and stitching for the Halloween Exchange,the headless horseman will probably have to wait until next year for his Midnight Ride into our house.We'll be bummed ,but we will enjoy it when it's done.







Ok,now to the part where I think I hooked a big one. We're not talking about a fish.We're talking about a husband. I know you are all thinking that I am already married so what do I mean?My husband,at no nudging from me,is starting his first cross stitch! When he mentioned that he wanted to go look at the kits at Hobby Lobby and Michael's ( which is a sad selection these days and we nolonger have a needlework shop in town) I was shocked! I didn't push him at all,and gave him plenty of time to make his choice.He chose a little kit of a snowy cabin in the woods.It will fit nicely in our lodge themed bedroom.He's helped me before with a couple of quilts I've made ,but never in my wildest dreams did I think he'd ever want to try cross stitch! If he decides to do another project after this one, I hope he ditches the aida that comes in the kit,for at least evenweave if not linen!



Well that's all for now.See ya next time!

Sharlotte

My Hero and some WIP's

Hello all,

I just wanted to add a couple of pictures that I've been promising to share. My knight in shinng armour,my hero,my dear sweet husband took some time from his busy schedule to show me how to do it. He is gone a lot and works a lot of 12-16 hour days and I know he must have been totally exhausted when he came home and yet took the time to help me.Isn't he so sweet?

The first one is of La-D-Da's "Miss Mary Mack". I have a couple of ideas rolling around on how to finish this,but no decisions yet.

The second one is of Marjolein Bastin's "The Pecking Order". Because it is so long and would take a lot of money to frame ( and I'm not willing to part with that hard earned cash right now) I will be finishing it into a valance for the window of my Marjolein Bastin themed bathroom.

Well my shower is calling so that's it for now.See you all next time.

Take care,

Sharlotte

A Give away and testing to post pictures.

I am learning how to post pictures to a blog and so I will be starting with a giveaway from another blog to test so here goes nothin'!
Jan over at belfontenotes.blogspot.com has designed her first pattern titled "Rare Treasures". Go check it out at her blog for a chance to win the pattern! I can just see this stitched and hung on the wall on my families game room!Congratulations Jan on a wonderful design!

A little stitching and a whole lot of frustration

Ok, I guess I owe you all an apology. I had promised to have pictures up the other day and as you can see they are still not here. I myself do not know how to do the picture thing and have been waiting on my husband having the time to help me,but that doesn't look like it's gonna work since his work scedule has been so crazy.No one wants to look at a blog with no pictures,what fun is that?! I also tried to post to a blog that was giving something away for their bloggerversary. I have posted to the blog a couple of times before and now I can't because I keep getting that I have typed in a wrong password and I KNOW I haven't so.... I will miss the chance at winning the lovely stitched pieces in which I had so hoped to win.I did start yet another cross stitch this weekend.It's Sleepy Hollow from The Cross-Eyed Cricket.I didn't want to fork out nearly $50 including shipping for the linen so I dyed some evenweave myself. Not the color I had hoped for so I don't think I will be pleased with the finished results.You know how it is when you set your mind to a certain look but have to choose something else? Not quite the same.My,Sleepy Hollow is such a huge piece.I think I will have to plan on it being for next Halloween. I can't imagine getting it done for this year.Well folks...enough of my rambling today.

'Til next time...Happy stitching!
Sharlotte

Another WIP finish! Yeah!

Ok,if you've stumbled across my blog ,then you've probably seen my WIP list.Remember when I said that I'm sure that I had more ,I just couldn't find them? Well guess what?I had at least two that I found that wasn't on that list! One was Autumn Row ,which as you've read ,I finished night before last.The other was a needlebook that was part of LHN's Traveling Stitcher.I finished it last night and I like the way it turned out.My husband will be glad to hear that I have something else finished. He's so sweet,a few years ago he bought me those stackable drawer units to keep all my needlework stash in.Now that I am in a finishing mood ,those drawers will be getting empty and then I will be bumbed! Oh,wait! I guess I'll just fill them again! I think I will go to my local quilt shop and see what kind of fall fabric I can find to finish Autumn Row.I'm thinking of a long pillow for the gameroom window sill ,as that is where most of my needlework has taken up residence.We'll see.

'Til next time,
Sharlotte

Doing a happy dance!

I am doing a happy dance today because I am starting to make some new friends in blogland,though I don't have any followers yet.Also I am doing a happy dance because I am getting some things accomplished about the house that's needed my attention.

I finished stitching Autumn Row from Bent Creek last night.I have worked on it off and on since last fall and after seeing the new Fall look on Vonna's Twisted Stitcher's blog,it put me in the mood to dig it out and finish stitching it.Thanks for the inspiration Vonna! I couldn't believe how close I was to finishing it and imagine, it just sat in my finishing pile.Now for deciding how to do the finishing for it.

Last night I worked on The Pecking Order from Marjolein Bastin.I am determined to get this done so that I have a window covering for my small bathroom.I guess I should at least put up a towel until then to ward off the peeping Toms until I get it finished.Oh! Wait! I'll just close the blind.I do so like having something else on a window besides a plain blind though.Well, I think I am done rambling for today.

'Til next time,happy stitching!
Sharlotte

Pictures and a bathroom

Just popping in to say that I will post pictures of my WIP's as soon I as I learn how to do so.Yesterday left me with a little time to stitch ,but I had some catching up to do around the house so Ididn't get a whole lot done.One piece that I am working on is "The Pecking Order" from Marjolein Bastin. I am redecorating my smaller bathroom with her works.I thought since this was such a long piece ,and I didn't really want to fork out the dough to get it framed,I'd make it into a valance for the window.Two other pieces I have stitched from her for the bathroom are "America's Feathered Friends" and "No Vacancy".I should probably put them in glass since it will be in the bathroom.Especially since our dog digs holes right under that window.I can just see the dirt flying in when the window is open! Anyone want a dog? Just kidding! I would miss her terribly.Hopefully I'll get pictures of those up soon.This bathroom is just off of the laundry room and since I am back there so much doing the mundane chore of laundry,I wanted something cheery back there ,hoping I wouldn't mind doing laundry so much if I had something pretty to look at.By the way,if anyone knows of a cross stitch about laundry,let me know.I was thinking about using a chart from Lizzie Kate about housework.I think the saying goes something like..housework never killed anyone,but why take a chance.. but adding laundry instead.I kid you not,I do probably two loads of laundry a day so you see why I feel like I stay back there all the time. I must say that I don't have it as bad as the Duggars from 18 Kids and Counting.They must do laundry all day long!

Well that's all today folks! See you next time.
Happy Stitching!
Sharlotte

See! I already goofed!

I should have said stumble not "stubble". I'll get this thing figured out yet!

Trying to Start

Hello everyone! I am trying to learn how to blog so please forgive me while I stubble a little! I have been doing all sorts of needlework since about the age of 8.The first thing I can remember making was creating and sewing clothes for my many Barbie dolls. After that I picked up crocheting ,knitting,cross stitch,and quilting.I haven't stopped since! The two types of needlework that I do most often are quilting and cross stitch,with cross stitch being the most prominant of the two.I can't imagine not being able to do some kind of needlework.It's such a great stress relief for me.It's caused some stress too! My husband has been very patient with my many ongoing projects. I should say that he has been more than patient considering when I lose a needle ,he's the one that finds it.Just not in a good way! LOL! I can't wait to see how my little blog will grow as I learn how to get things going and figure things out.If you've stumbled upon this short little start,please come back and see how things have progressed. I look forward to meeting lots of new friends and sharing the love of needlework!

Happy Stitching!
Sharlotte