Now what?

Yes, I'm in a now what phase.  Which means that I have to show you why I'm in a now what phase.  Here's Frances all completed.

Frances Eden by Handwork Samplers

40ct Vintage Examplar linen

DMC threads called for

I forgot all about the line of over one at the bottom while I was stitching.  I was thinking "just this one motif left and I'll be done!"  And then it hit me like a rock over the head.  Agh!  That over one line!!!!  ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

But it's done.

See?  Here's the end of the line to prove it.

Why does over one have to take so much longer than anything else?  Ah well.  A&E and the angels were cheering me on.

Oh, and no, I didn't rip out the FE initials and redo them in eyelet stitch.  I suppose I still might.  But when both Laurie and Siobhan said they'd done theirs in straight cross stitch -- well, that was enough for me!

The other finish I have is that little knitting project I showed you last time.  It's a very simple 1x1 rib knit blanket -- or more of a throw actually.  Here's Mia modeling the throw very nicely.

It came out narrower than I would have liked, but I also haven't blocked it yet.  (Blocking advice anyone?)  I've never blocked anything in my life, believe it or not.  I've even finished a sweater or two.  Weird, huh?    Anyway, I used this amazing (and ridiculously expensive) yarn called Pixie Dust from Knit Collage.  I don't normally splurge on yarn like this, but for some reason I did with this.  (Sorry, father type!)   I did manage to get a bit of a discount on it, but only a bit.

Mia has a morbid fascination for this throw/yarn.  While I was knitting it, she was bent on eating some of the yarn.  (Not a good thing since that's what caused her emergency visit to the vet when she was a wee thing.)  After the throw was done, she was still attempting to nip pieces of the yarn off the blanket.  Recently, she's taken to sleeping near/on it.  And just now while I was typing this post, she did her kneading behavior on it!  I guess she loves it now.  lol!

Well, it's raining outside -- hopefully melting more of that snow that's still out there covering most of the ground.  I consider that a good excuse to stay inside and stitch.  Only problem is -- what to stitch next?  Hmmmmmmmm..........  

Well, this is what Mia is doing anyway.

Looks like a good thing to do to me!  

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi!  I always enjoy our visits.  Have a great week, everyone!  Here's hoping Spring is here and we've seen the last of that other S word.  :D

Love those funky colors.....

Thanks for all the "warm" wishes last week.  Our heat was back on by noon and we warmed up quickly.  Which is a good thing -- I was a popsicle by that point!

Frances and her funky colors are going strong here.

Just one more page to go!  Yay!

Unfortunately, I stitched the big FE letters before I realized I was supposed to do them in eyelet stitch.  Sigh.  To rip or not to rip?

Don't you love Adam and Eve?  And the serpent?

I've also gotten a bit distracted this week, by more funky color.

I've never worked with such a chunky yarn or such huge needles before.  It's a new experience for sure!

We got a fresh dose of snow this morning, nothing too horrible, and no icy stuff involved, which is great.  First snow in a couple of weeks -- amazingly.  I hope it's the last snow too!  lol!  Here's Mia enjoying the new snow from her favorite perch for outdoor viewing.

I was hoping to get her in her typical cat crouch pose -- all you cat lovers know the pose I mean -- but she wasn't cooperating.  Was sitting instead.  Ah well.  She's still doing what she usually does -- looking for interesting squirrels and birds.  lol!

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  For those in the US, have a great President's Day!

Brrrrrrr.......

I know, it's warming up.  And thank goodness it is.  Cause we woke up without heat this morning.  Brrrrr!!!  We're waiting for the service repair man to come back with a new motor for our furnace.  Going to cost a pretty penny -- it's not covered by our service contract.  Ouch!   Oh well.

Excuse my frost bitten fingers while I show off Frances Eden.  Yes, I picked her back up and started stitching away.

Her funky colors are oh so funky!  In fact, I didn't like the colors for the right hand house one bit.  But it looks fine once you step back and take in the whole thing.  Weird, huh?

I'm looking forward to getting back to the top part of the sampler where A&E are.  But for now, I'm trying to finish off the part below the grass.

I'm getting there!  (I'm using 40ct Vintage Examplar and DMC threads.)

I won a lovely prize from BeckySC and received it in the mail.  Look at the lovely Santa!

He is oh so cute and has so many wonderful little details in the finishing!  And look at the little bell too!

The fabric on the back is so pretty too!  Thank you so much, Becky!  You are a wonderful friend!

Ok, I'm too cold to post anymore.  lol!   Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!  Nothing much will happen around here to celebrate.  Just getting a furnace motor, and doing the usual chauffeuring of boy child to orchestra in the evening.  That's ok though.  Father type and I had a celebration of sorts over the weekend.  :D

Have a great week, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by and saying hi!  Stay warm!  Let's hope the groundhog is right and there's an early spring this year.  (Just ignore all the snow on the ground.  lol!)

back to routine

Well things have gotten back to normal around here.  Just the addition of having to worry about snow every few days.  Grumble grumble.

Frances Eden got a lot of attention this past week.  Here she is.

 

Her colors are so funky and fun.  I'm really loving her.  And that weird bunny with the huge feet -- pretty far out!

By Saturday, I was feeling sorry for Jane Tindall, so I worked on her over the weekend.  This is what I got done on her.

She's a pretty one for sure!

I received a lovely present in the mail from a blogging friend, Marilyn.   We were worried for a while because the package took a long time to come all the way from France.  But it finally arrived and what a treat was inside!

Such a sweet ornament!  And a little Santa too!  Thank you so much, Marilyn!  Thank you for your friendship as well!

Last post, I neglected to post any pictures of Mia.  So for her fans out there, here she is playing with some packaging that came the other day.  She's getting big!

Here she is in a typical pose with the boy child.

Another typical pose.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the boy child has a Kansas State sweatshirt, it's because my father is a professor there.  Purple pride!  :D

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi!  Here's hoping no one has really bad weather to deal with.  I have a feeling that isn't happening.  Ah well!  Be careful out there, everyone!  Have a great week!

Last of 2010, new and old starts, and some jazz

Stitchy news first.  I promised to show you my progress on Jane Tindall, so here she is. 

She's a pretty one!  I'm using the recommended WDW 40ct Confederate Gray, AVAS and Gloriana Filomel fibers.

And then on a total whim thanks to Katrina and Laurie, I started Frances Eden for a New Year's start.

I'm using 40ct Vintage Examplar and DMC threads.  The colors are so fun -- I'm loving it!  Here's a pic of what Frances Eden looks like.

The piece is by Handwork Samplers.  And yes, it's another Adam and Eve sampler.  Of course!

I've also won a couple more prizes recently.  From Melanie at Moonraker Lampwerks, I won a couple of ornaments.

Aren't they cute?  I did have them on my Christmas tree, but stupidly didn't take a pic of them there before the tree came down.  Thank you so much, Melanie!  I love them!  (Melanie makes the cutest blown glass beads too.  I have a set and I love it!)

 And from Carmen Sutton of Cardan Antiques and Needlework, I won this adorable Santa clip.  Carmen also included some walnut dye so I could dye things myself, and some wonderful smelling lovelies to make things smell so good!  Thanks so much, Carmen!  I love my prize!

I decided to join the Totally Useless SAL this year, better known as the TUSAL.  I always collect my orts anyway, and save the year's orts in a box somewhere every year.  Here's my ort jar, all ready for 2011.  It already has a few orts in it as you can see.

Please note -- I'm one of those stitchers who use the thread down to the last possible millimeter.  So don't expect long pieces of thread in my ort jar.  lol!

Finally, yes, the father type made it home on Thursday.  It's so nice to have him home!  The FIL is doing nicely and we're all very happy about that! 

The girl child had to head back to college yesterday evening.  Here she is just about ready to head out to the train.

(I know I will get asked, so.....   The quilt hanging on the wall is the baby quilt my quilt group buddies from years back made for me when I was pregnant with the girl child.  The quilt hanging on the foot of the girl child's bed is a quilt I won from a raffle from the Attic's annual breast cancer auction and fund raiser.  I don't remember which year it was I won, but I was amazed when I won!)

Finally, one of the events that the father type missed while he was helping FIL cope with everything was the boy child's school concert.  Normally this isn't a big miss.  But this year's concert was the boy child's first time playing bass for the school's jazz ensemble.  I had to tape at least a part of the concert just so the father type could hear his son.  Unfortunately the memory chip was full so I only got little bits of the concert.  Now I know some of you have asked to hear the boy child play.  Soooooo, here's a little clip of the high school jazz ensemble.  (It's hard to tell how good they are from the video.  They're really good!  It's always so enjoyable to hear them, even if your son isn't a member.)

The song is "In the Stone" by Earth, Wind and Fire.  Sorry it's only a little bit of the piece.  I wish I could have gotten the whole thing.  I hope you like it!

We first saw the high school jazz ensemble (an extra curricular, audition-to-get-in group) way back when the girl child was a freshman.  I guess the boy child must have been in 5th grade?  From the first time the boy child saw them play, he wanted to be in the ensemble.  And now he's met his goal.  :D  We're so proud of him!

Back to the ole routine this week.  The boy child went back to school this morning and has orchestra tonight as usual.  The father type is working as I type -- albeit from home, which is nice.  The girl child was probably up all night finishing an assignment that was due today from what I hear.  She has class during the prep time for exams, then  finals coming up too.  (Which is why she's back at college already.)  Poor kid.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi!  Sorry for such a long post this time.  I guess 2010 didn't want to say goodbye.  lol!  I always enjoy visiting with you all!  Have a great week!