So I was wrong -- or the hazards of model stitching

So Paulette was kind to me and told me to send her model back even though there was a tiny bit more to stitch.  (Hopefully, Paulette thinks it's just a tiny bit too.)   And my supplies for stitching the next model hadn't arrived yet.  So I had a couple of days to play.  So I started something new.  A hazard of model stitching -- you figure you only have a bit of time till the next model comes, so you decide to stitch something new on the spur of the moment.

It's the Margaret Cottam mystery sampler by La D Da.  I think it's so pretty!  And very La D Da as well!  I haven't put in the last number on the year yet since I don't know when I'll finish it.  (I'm using the called for fabric in 40ct with the called for fibers.)

So then Saturday came and we went off to get our Christmas tree, tramping through the fields of our favorite tree farm up north, and marveling at all the enormously tall trees they had this year.  Just to show you how tall the tree is that we chose:

Tall!!  (The father type is 6 ft tall.)

So we did our usual cutting, driving home, decorating, etc.  And I figured that the model supplies would be waiting for me in the mailbox.  No supplies in the mailbox.  So what does my little mind say to myself?  Ooooh, more playtime!  And what kind of mood am I in now?  A Christmas one of course!  Time for another new start!

(I have to say that this is the first time in at least a couple of years that I've actually been in the mood for Christmas when we've put up our tree.  Yay!  It's really nice!)

So anyway, some friends were talking about those Carriage House Samplings stockings that we all want to stitch up.  And that got me to thinking.  Well, I have this one stitched up.

A Virtuous Woman Stocking

from a Hands to Work retreat kit

36ct fabric with NPI fibers

And I have this one stitched up.   (Please note: neither one is actually made into a stocking yet.  Sadly.)

Sampler Stocking by CHS

40ct Meadow Rue

NPI fibers

And I so want to stitch this one.

(I grabbed the picture from Kathy Barrick's old website.  I hope it's ok.)  

So guess what I started on Sunday?

Noah's Stocking by CHS

40ct Lentil

NPI fibers

I've had this kitted up and ready to go for years!

I'm already thinking about which other one to stitch.  lol!  I know I have the Quaker one ready to go (except maybe for fabric).  But I do love that Pennsylvania German one.  And I don't think I even have the chart.  Sigh.

Anyway, now you understand the hazards of model stitching.  Since there was another reprieve from the next model, it called for a second start.  lol!  Not good!  Poor Sarah Elizabeth Brooke.  (Remember her?)  Two starts while waiting for the model supplies.  I do know that if the supplies don't arrive today (which I think they will), I won't start another project.  I'm in the mood for Christmas stitching!

Mia has been just fine with the Christmas tree.  Unlike poor Chris, whose tribulations with her Christmas tree and her two cats can be read here.  Mia's reaction to the tree as it arrived was pretty much the same as last year, except for a bit more trepidation this time around.  She just didn't like something new to come into her house.  lol!  But she did sniff around and explore.  No real interest in the tree otherwise.

Hopefully, she'll continue to exhibit no interest in the tree.  :D

Some blogging friends have left suggestions as to what to show or what to discuss in my blog as I dive into model stitching again.  So next week, I will try to get to those suggestions.  It's so nice to talk to blogging friends and get ideas and be inspired!

I'll leave you with the picture I used for our annual Apple photo book that we send to our family members each year.  (And yes, we get a copy for ourselves as well!)   (And yes, I'm an Apple girl, through and through.)  Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

TUSAL and no updates??

First off, my TUSAL.

I'm getting in the mood for Christmas (for a change), so I used my elf as a model for the TUSAL pic.  It's by Lori Ann Corelis.  A new TUSAL is starting up for 2012.  If you're interested, go here for all the details.  It's lots of fun.

So now the reason why I have no stitching update for you.  I'm afraid I'll be doing model stitching for the foreseeable future.  I've taken over the model stitching of a model for Paulette of Plum Street Samplers from Nicole.  And I also have a model or two to stitch for Vickie of Needlework Press.  So no stitching update -- I've been working my fingers to the bone.   lol!

What I will try to do in the next few weeks is show some of my stitching from the past.  Hopefully you won't get bored with me as I do these models.

We did have a nice Thanksgiving at our house.  The girl child came home for the whole 4 day weekend, which was nice.  And the father type did his usual magic in the kitchen.  This is only part of the feast.

And my lovely peoples.

Mia got into a bit of mischief over the weekend too.  She started exploring the closet -- it's gotten a cleaning recently so she's been enjoying looking around.  Then she started climbing.

Methinks she will not be allowed access to the closet anymore.  lol!

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!  (Here are the two friends, together again.)

Margaret done, Sarah started

Here is Margaret -- so pretty!

Margaret W. Brown by Milady's Needle

40ct Vintage Palomino

AVAS 100/3

I love the colors!

And I've started something new too.  Sarah Elizabeth Brooke by my friend Tanya at The Scarlett House.

I'm using 40ct something -- I think Homespun??  Not sure.  And the called for Belle Soie silks.

If you want to see the whole thing, go to Tanya's blog here.  It's so pretty, right?

Here's Mia having fun in a box.

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  And that everyone has a great week!

Big finish, small start, and my cuties

First off, here's Ann Smith in all her glory.

Ann Smith Sampler by the Scarlet Letter

36ct Light Examplar

AVAS called for

Isn't she pretty?  (Sorry I'm a bad photographer.)

I'm so glad I stitched her!

Now I know the question is, what's next?  Here she is.

She's Margaret W. Brown by Milady's Needle.  I'm using 40ct vintage Palomino and AVAS 100/3.  It's my first time using the 100/3 -- nice stuff!

The linen color is washed out in the photos, but hopefully you get the idea.

My stitching sisters have suggested I have a Margaret sampler wall.  I may have to do that!  

I think the boy child is feeling at loose ends now that the play is over.  All this free time!  lol!  I keep telling him he needs to use that free time to do his college applications and practice for possible auditions. Hopefully he'll listen.  The boys did manage to visit another college on Friday, so that's good.  So far, the boy child has liked all the colleges we've visited.

I think Mia is very happy to have the boy child around more.

What do you think?  :D

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

A family post, and a present

I hope you all don't mind, but since my last post was on Thursday, and I want to save the big reveal of Ann Smith for when I'm actually done with her, this is just going to be a family post.  If you're just interested in the stitching, you can skip this post.  :D

First off, would you like to see the huge branch on top of my car from the nor'easter?

Please note, all those bush-like things away from the house are not bushes.  They are fallen branches and limbs.  Get the picture?  lol!  That's not all the limbs and branches that fell either.

Before I get into the family stuff, I wanted to show you a present I received from Isabelle in France.  Isabelle has started a lovely new blog about Japanese embroidery.  I'm embarrassed to say I can't find the link right now despite the fact that it should be in my reader.  Sigh.  But here is the link to Isa's other blog.  When I find the right link, I will post it.  It's so worth looking at -- Isabelle's Japanese embroidery is so exquisite!  And Isa's first blog is wonderful as well!

Edited to insert link to Isabelle's Japanese embroidery blog.  Thanks for understanding, Isabelle!

Anyway, I became the first follower of Isa's new Japanese embroidery blog, and she gave me a present just for that!  Isn't that amazing?  And here is what arrived.

Look what was inside!  A lovely note pad made by Isabelle!  Isabelle makes the most amazing things.

The inside.

Isn't it wonderful?  Thank you so much, Isabelle!  You are so sweet to give me such a beautiful gift!

Back to the family.

Now here's what the girl child did for Halloween at college.  She was Link from the Legend of Zelda.  Cute, huh?

Now for the boy child's school play.  The company did Noises Off.  It was absolutely wonderful!  The cast did a great job, as did the crew.  Look at this set!  Keep in mind, the whole set has to spin around so you see the back of the set for Act II.

And it was a massive set!  I'm going to show lots of pics now, so I hope you enjoy.  The boy child, in case you know the play, played Tim Allgood, the stage manager.

Here's the back of the set in Act II.

And the front again.  It was fun watching them spin the set around between acts!

The three burglars.  :D

The boy child taking his bow.

And the whole cast.

After the show.

And a rare smile.

Congratulations to my boy child.  I'm so proud of you!

Sunday was the memorial service for my FIL.  It was a moving, special event.  It was so nice to see the old Unitarian church again where the Father type went as a child/teen.  And the old friends too.  FIL was greatly loved, and you could tell by the tributes given at the service.

I hope you didn't mind this family post.  I will be back to stitching next time.  Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  Hope everyone has a great week!

Now I have to go find the girl child's glasses and overnight them to her.  She forgot to take them back to school with her.  Silly girl!  lol!

(Mia with a face towel from the girl child's room.  She loves to rummage through and attack any of the girl child's possessions.)

On shaky ground....

Just a quick note. If I disappear again, it's because of the internet going away again.  Lost it again for a while this morning.  And I took a look at the lines to our house -- they were definitely pulled out!  Ugh.  The cable company won't come out to fix them till next Wednesday.  But hopefully we'll stay online!  Fingers crossed!

Nor'easter -- power, check. Internet, nope! Agh!

I should say right up front -- thank God we kept our power.  All around us, including people in our neighborhood, power was out.  Probably until today.  (And it was COLD!)  We lost our phones, internet and cable (all through the cable system), but we were with power, which I was sooooo grateful for!

No school for two days.  The middle school was being used as a shelter for those without power or heat.  And the schools have been on a one hour delay since school started again -- so the bus drivers can see any problems like downed power lines and trees.  Downed tree at the top of the street finally got removed last night.  Still downed stuff down the street.  And our internet is back.  Yay!!

Anyway, pictures.

It's amazing what you can accomplish with no internet.  lol!  You've seen the couple.

But don't you love these trees?

It was such a shock to go back to over two.  And a pleasure!  So much so that I'm not going to stitch the over one words or the two creatures on the bottom corners till the last.

Back to the nor'easter.  We were lucky.  We kept our power despite tons and tons of branches down in the yard -- and one leaning on the wires to our house too!  A ginormous branch landed on top of my car, but amazingly, there are only two small dents in the roof of the car.  I tell you though, it was very scary that day and night!  Constant cracks, and thumps and thuds.  Argh!

It's going to be a busy weekend here.  Step-MIL and the girl child are both arriving tomorrow for the weekend.  The boy child is in the midst of "h***" week for his high school play, Noises Off.  (The boy child is playing Timothy Allgood.)  Performances are tomorrow night and Saturday afternoon and night.  StepMIL, the girl child, the father type and I are all set to see the show opening night tomorrow!  Sunday is the memorial service for FIL.  So it's been crazy with rehearsals, drop off and pick up, cleaning, and more cleaning.  lol!  

I am still working my way through 691 blog posts in my blog reader.  AGH!  Amazing what accumulates when you can't get to the internet.  So my apologies for not commenting on your blogs this week.  I'll be back to normal soon and back to commenting.  (I didn't even count the number of emails in my inbox.  Cringe....)

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  Thanks also for emails I received asking how we fared through the storm.  I hope the rest of the week and the weekend are good for everyone!