My July IHSW & WIPOCALYPSE Reports

Before I show pictures I have to say that I didn’t get as much stitching done and I’m going to blame it on my husband.  On Saturday when I was just sitting down to stitch DH came home from the golf course (yes in 90 degree heat) and asked I mean announced that he was taking me to the movies to see RIPD. (Which was really cute, I liked it.) Anyway after the movie we had to eat and then walk off some of the food so we stopped at B&N and I picked up a little light reading.

Long story short… not a whole lot of stitching got done that day. Then came Sunday, well after he had again gone to play golf and got back home I was obligated to cook dinner since he wasn’t forcing me to go out to eat. While the oven was already on cooking dinner, I decided to take a bag of Amish Friendship Bread batter out of the freezer and make a few loaves.  These are what I call Pina Colada because it is flavored with Coconut cream pudding, shredded coconut, and pineapple extract.

As you can see it is really good.

As a result of all the interruption by DH I was only able to stitch another row and a half on the wedding/anniversary sampler which from now on will be SO,SN (Something Old, Something New).

As for the Wipocalypse part of this post, there was no progress on any of my current wips. I stitched a design for my up-coming needle book exchange (which I can’t show), I stitched the third part of the LHN Hometown Holiday Series “Caroling Quartet” I stitched LHN “Needleworker” and you’ve already seen these pictures.

So there you have it, if it hadn’t been for DH forcing me to do other things I would have had much more to show. So while he is at work and the laundry is in the washer and dryer I’ll sit and make some more wonderful little xxs.  Thanks for stopping byJ

It's that time again... IHSW

Why not join in on the fun of the IHSW (International Hermit Stitch Weekend)?  I know if you’re like me you’ll be stitching this week end anyway. To sign up go to Random Ramblings and join the fun with everybody else.  I have been working on this design for an anniversary gift for my son and daughter-in-law. It is from a May/June 1988 issue of Cross Stitch& Country Crafts.

It’s being stitched on 28ct white evenweave with DMC#995 Dk Electric Blue and #413 Dk Pewter Gray. In place of the little pillow with their names on it I will be adding the heart from this design I stitched as a practice for me and the hubby.

 I suck at making heart shape pillows and this will fit the space perfectly.  The heart was freebie on a French blog unfortunately I can’t remember the name. So far this is what I have done.

The IHSW couldn’t have come at a better time, with the temperatures soaring into the upper 90s and the high humidity, the only thing to do is stay inside where it cool and stitch.  I hope you all join in and stay cool.  Thanks for stopping by and welcome to all my new followers. I’m off for now to make some wonderful little xxs.

Here I Am...

I was going to say that I was once again late with my blog post; however there is no deadline or specific time I have to post so here I am.  As I’ve said before I love that you all come to visit and leave great comments, questions, and compliments, but it is totally beyond me as to why? Don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t want you all to stop but it is surprising that so many of you keep coming back to read what an old woman writes and to see what she stitches next.  Awwww Haaaaa! That’s it, isn’t it? It’s the stitching J well I do like to stitch the not so usual and it doesn’t matter to me who the designer is.

Let’s see what news do I have to share… I received the latest issue of Cross Stitch & Needlework magazine and it has the most adorable design on the cover “Witchy Witch” by Ursula Michael and another inside (a spooky haunted house) “Spooktacular” by Alma Lynne Hayden. There is also a brand new 12 part series by Joan Elliott “Treasures of Christmas” these are just a few, looks like a very good mag.

I also received a copy of A Cross-Stitch Christmas Handmade Memories from Craftways, it is also chucked full of wonderful charts and Christmas card ideas.

I got a few tips from a friend on facebook about some very useful apps. Just think have you ever wished you could keep an inventory of all of your flosses and have it on your iphone or ipad, well wish no more there is an app for DMC, GAST, WDW, Crescent Colors, Anchor and even HDF. Go to your app store and search for xstitcher, all of the apps should come up. These are not free apps but for $1.99 each they are a bargain.

Ok, ok I’ll get on with what you came to see, some stitching. Here is the Needleworker ready to be ironed and framed.

And my latest projects, first one is #3 in the Little House Needleworks Hometown Holiday series “Caroling Quartet”. I am stitching it on an unidentified piece of fabric from my stash with the recommended CC and DMC threads. Of course as you can see I’ve changed a few of the colors just to put my touch on it.

 Second one is the beginning of the anniversary sampler for my DS and DIL. More of that one later.

That is about all I have for this post, I hope it was worth your time and I’ll see you all here again next time until then, thank you for stopping by and I’m off to make some more wonderful little xxs. 

My excuse...

Life happens. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. For all of my complaining earlier this year about the lack of sunshine and warmth I have been enjoying “Summer”.  I’ve been doing some walking, playing golf and stitching outside on the balcony. Last month for my birthday I spent 4 days in Las Vegas. I must have walked a hundred miles. Because I am such a big fan of CSI hubby surprised me with the CSI Experience which is an interactive tour through a crime scene to collect evidence, then analyze what you’ve found in the crime lab and at the end if you can tell what happened and who dun-it you get a diploma.  We are now both Crime Scene Investigators, at least according to Supervisor Gil Grissom. 

I loved it!  We also went to a show that was a tribute to Michael Jackson, it was awesome, and this guy looked and sounded exactly like him.  The rest of the time in Vegas was spent contributing to their local economy by way of the slot machines. Needless to say I did not win anything but I had a great time losing. 

Here is a picture of the other gifts I got for my birthday, that gorgeous chart was from my very good blogging friend Shirlee. Thank you again, I love it. 

While out exploring the new Post Exchange on Fort Belvoir here in Alexandria, VA I came across this beauty and I just had to have it. It is an apothecary cabinet with all of those lovely drawers for floss storage.

On the stitching front I have stitched a design for a needle book exchange and I can’t show you everything but here’s a sneak-peek.

 I’ve got the sewing part to do but it not due until Sept so I’ve got time.

Also I’ve been stitching on the Needleworker by Little House Needleworks and it’s coming along pretty quickly. 

Hopefully it won’t be such a long time to my next post and I have more stitching pictures to show you.  I have got to start a piece for my DS and DIL’s 10^th anniversary so until next time thank you all for stopping by and welcome to any new followers.  I’m off to make some wonderful little xxs.  

June 2013 IHSW

This weekend was a little hectic and I didn't get as much stitching done as I would have liked, there was no Stitch & Bitch on Saturday but I went to a "thirty one" party and picked up a couple of great organizers for my craft room and Sunday was Father's Day.  My DD and maybe SIL came over to help wish DH a Happy Father's Day w/ dogs and burgers on the grill, Lime-a-ritas and "The Great and Powerful OZ" in 3D.  In between I got in a few stitches here and there.

I filled in more of her dress and am about ready to finish the fruit basket and start the lidded pot sitting at her side. I also was able to put in another whole letter and part of a third on "Needleworker".

These stitch up pretty fast and I am loving the colors.
I also want to share a couple of pics of AW80S, this is the 12th part, so I am half way there. At least with the stitching, I'll have to go back and add the beads.

This I worked on last week.  Thank you, thank you all for your wonderful comments I love them and I try to respond to everyone, some I can't because they are no-reply emails but I still love them all so keep coming to visit and commenting. Got to go now so I'll have more to share, got to make those little xxs.

What This Week Has Brought

I started Monday off by playing in a golf tournament, if you remember it was rainy Monday morning and dreary all day. Anyway it was a charity tournament for MAG (Mine Advisory Group) an international organization working to free the world of land mines. There were 103 golfers including several wounded warrior from our area. In spite of the yucky weather lots of money was raised for a worthy cause and fun was had by all.  Our team scored 3 over par which for a bunch of duffers isn't bad.
 On Tuesday I played another 9 holes of golf as if I didn't get enough punishment the day before and then Wednesday I paid for my two days of thinking I can be in the WPGA...NOT!  So I stayed in and stitched. Now that's something I know a little something about.
 This weekend is again a IHSW weekend and if you don't know what that is click here or

this button on the right>>>>

and join in the fun. The rest of the week has been spent stitching on "Africa" and I couldn't help myself I started another chart.  It is "Needleworker" by Little House Needleworks. I'm stitching on 32 ct Belfast Vintage Country Mocha with the recommended threads. So far this is as far as I have gotten

only one letter with several more to go.  I've joined a needle book exchange and I'll be looking for a chart for that so I will have plenty of stitchy thing to keep me busy this weekend.  Plus I made another trip to the library and have a new batch of audio books.  I want to welcome my new followers and thank you all for your wonderful comments.  So off I go to make some of those little xxs, see you next time.

TUSAL Time 6/2013

What is a TUSAL you ask. Well to get all of the info click TUSAL and then join the fun. Here is mine and Mr. Jenkins just loves all of the black and sparkly gold threads.

The black is from my new project tote bag and the gold is from the work I'm doing on

"Africa"

Welcome to my new followers and thank you all for stopping by to check out the orts. Until next time I'll be making little xxs.

Updates

I had intended to post pictures on Monday but by the time I had taken all of the shots my hubby came home from the golf course and my daughter and her boyfriend stopped by after they got off work and Tuesay I got a late start and then went to play golf, so here I am. Last Saturday I plugged in a the audio book "New Years's Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini and finished up stitching "Shadows" from The Cricket Collection using DMC soluble canvas and DMC black floss. I was worried because I really didn't know how it was supposed to work. A friend suggested that I watch the tutorial on DMC website and it was very reassuring. So I trimmed off the excess when I finished stitching, soaked it in very warm water and like magic the canvas dissolved. It turned out perfect (to me anyway).  After I finished the tote bag I decided that I was going to finish the couple of pieces I had stitched in the Little House Needleworks  "Hometown Holiday Series". The first one is "My House" and the second is "Mainstreet Station".  I got the finishing instructions from a LHN tutorial.  Okay enough talking here are some pictures.

Welcome to my new follower and I hope you continue to visit and by all means leave comments, they brighten my day.  Right now I am working on the 12th part of Papillon Creations "Around the World in 80 Stitches". I have to do this now before I can work on anything else in my rotation or the parts will start backing up and may never get done.  I'm still enjoying the specialty stitches, it's not always fun having to start and restart a new stitch over and over but once you get it done right, there's nothing like it. I had a need for a little retail therapy the other day and I ended up with some really good finds from my LNS .

The chart in the center I got at the last stitch night and aren't the other two just so cute?  I found these two beautiful designs by Lucie Heaton online at The Making Spot.

They are a bit different from her usual stuff but I love them and they have been added to my ever growing to-do list.  Last but certainly not least is a freebie I got from the Directory of Counted Cross Stitch patterns. When you get to the website click on DMC in the top left corner and you will see this chart by look4me.

The design is called African Culture.  Thank you all for stopping by and staying with this long, I'll end my jabbering now and go make some wonderful little xxs.

May 2013 Wipocalypse

What is Wipocalypse you ask well click on the dragon button on the right sidebar and find out all about it and then join in the fun next time.  I don't have a lot more progress to report since my last post showed my update on Idelia Mae Rich and I had another new start so here is the update:

Then

Now

I have the rest of her sewing basket to stitch and there are a few places that need back stitching and then the moment of truth.   I have reviewed DMC's tutorial on the use of this soluble canvas so I think I will be okay, but I beg you all to keep your finger crossed for me.
Welcome to all of my new followers and thank you to all for stopping by and please continue to leave such wonderful comments.  Well this bag won't get finished unless I make some of those little xxs.

The Best Intentions

I  had intended to post on Monday and was a little distracted and then I intended to post this morning but I had a dentist appointment and so here I am late, very late again with my ISHW report.  Lets see I started off the past weekend still working on Idelia Mae Rich and this is as far as I got when something new and challenging called my name:

As you can see I finished the little trees and their flowers and the head is just sitting there for the picture.  There are some more birds and grass and the wording left to do before I can finish this up and glue on the head.  The new start is a chart I've had for some time now but just recently picked up this soluble canvas, I had previously purchased some waste canvas to use with it but this is working out pretty good so far.

The stitching is going a little slower because I really have to hunt for the little holes on the clear plastic like canvas, but not bad at all.  Now when the stitching is over and it's time to dissolve this canvas that will be a different story. I should have( but I didn't) tried to dissolve a small piece first but I'm old and didn't think of it, what can I say?
Before I go back to making little xxs, I want to say that my prayers are going up for everyone in Oklahoma and in the path of these tornadoes and storms. May God bless you and keep you all safe.
Thanks all for stopping by.

TUSAL for May 2013

My daytime companion and guard dog "Bud" informed me last month that he would be interested in helping me display my TUSAL along with Mr. Jenkins. There's only one thing....

 He's just a little bit camera shy:-)

Confused!

I am in a total quandary as to what I should work on next, just in the last few days I have ordered and received fabric, finished another project, set-up something new I've never tried before. Well let me explain, I saw this DMC fabric "Floral Impressions" on Facebook, a woman was stitching Joan Elliott's Victorian Lady on it and I liked it so much that I ordered it in addition to another piece called "Garden Trellis' and one called "Garden Trellis 2". This is JE Victorian Lady in issue #221 of Cross Stitch Collection

and here are the pieces of fabric I've received

The finished project I mentioned is the Little House Needleworks "Home of a Needleworker Too" 

I found this DMC Soluble Canvas at Wal-Mart the other day and I have been wanting to stitch this chart on this bag so I've sewn the canvas on to the bag but I haven't started any stitching yet.

I still have six WIPs and my next chart in the LHN Hometown Holiday series I could start or LHN "Needleworker" 

So much to do, so little time. There are still stitched pieces laying about that need finishing, I think my problem is this little thing called a computer with Facebook and all of those other wonderful blogs out there.  I guess I should shut it down and get to making some little xxs.