Garden Glade

Usually I stitch my pieces 'in hand'.  On colored 40 ct. fabric I sometimes put the piece in a Q-snap standing frame.  The weather here in Central Florida has  been PERFECT for the last week.  Cool mornings and warm afternoons so I enjoy stitching outside.  And Jaxon is 'holding down the fort' so to speak.  There's plenty of room for him but he's got to be right inside the frame.  He's always such a good helper.

And with the cooler weather, he's taken to napping on top of the nice warm sound system electronics.  If the camera didn't flash you wouldn't be able to see him.  He's so cute.

And now on to Garden Glade.  If you frequent this blog you know I always have many 'irons in the fire'.  I couldn't help myself and started stitching on Garden Glade.  Jean Lea of Attic Needlework does an AMAZING job of 'painting' with silk thread.  Her adaptation on this piece is

  SIMPLY FABULOUS.

I have loved putting in each and every stitch!

 Thanks for stopping by....and happy stitching !!

Been Busy Stitching and Knitting

Well it's been a while since my last post but I'm alive and well.  Here are just a few pics of 'my world'.  Life is GOOD.

 Joan's darling punchneedle heart she finished and mounted on a very unique oil can.

More Blackbird Design stockings stitched.  Let's see...12 completed, 14 more stitched and 10 to go.

Can't forget my progress on Molly.  I love this cat.

And my start on 'An All Was for an Appil'.  This one has been fun.

Stash enhancement of Boris and Olga.  I'm going to stitch these on 40 count, Vintage Magnolia from Lakeside Linens.

One of Bella's Mittens I'm knitting up for my niece.

I had to get the drool rag out when this piece arrived from Attic Needlework.  It's Jean Lea's adaptation of The Garden Glade.  The colors are to DIE for!  I've already plied some thread on this one and I can't stitch fast enough.

And last but certainly not least, my darling sisters...I miss them so.  This pic is from our Sisters Stitching Retreat in Park City.  These are the gift bags we put together for all of our new friends.  We had such a fabulous time.  I think we should get together once a month!!

Happy Needlework !

Packing...Packing...Packing

I don't have much to show but I have been busy.

I knit this cute hat for Corinne in Chicago.  Looks like the weather is getting cooler up there.  This will help to keep her noggin warm.  The pattern is #300 Berroco Borealis.  It's a unique design.

I've also been stitching on BBD stockings.  I have 12 completed and hanging, these 6 stitched and 18 more in the 'current' stash rotation.  They are such a fun quick stitch.  I like working on them when I'm with friends.  They're not difficult and they're on 30 count fabric.  I can run my mouth, laugh and eat, and not make too many mistakes... LOL

And now I'm packing up for vacation.....a Sister's Stitcher's Paradise week in Park City.  Not only am I spending a week with my fabulous sister's, I'll be meeting new friends for the first time....Loraine, Jolene, Terri, Julie, Deb, Katrina.  I should say 'seeing' new friends for the first time.  I feel like I've known them for ages but I've never met them in person.  We are going to have so much fun.  I should take some simple stamped embroidery pieces to work on while I'm there!!

We may post while we're playing around so stay tuned!!  Hugs and Happy Stitching !!

Laundry Day ?? ... I think not !!

Wash Day by Carriage House Samplings 

Isn't this design charming?  When I first saw Wash Day on Deb's blog, Thread Gatherer, I knew it was a must have for me.  Kathy Barrick designed this piece for a sampler guild that Deb belongs to.  I was happy, happy, happy to find that Kathy decided to release the piece after numerous people contacted her after also seeing it on Deb's blog....Thanks Miss Deb!!

I stitched the design on 36 count Lakeside Linen, Pearled Barley.  After stitching June Morning with the Attic's Belle Soie conversion, I decided to try my hand at choosing colors and did my own conversion from DMC to Belle Soie.  I think I did a pretty good job and I'm delighted with the result!

Thanks for stopping by !

Whatever.....

I've finished a few things....very few... and started new stitches, and worked on UFO's as well.  But the most fun is stitch enhancement!!

These are the Jeanette Douglas Winter and Summer Biscornu Stackers.  These will be a quick stitch once I get going!

And dang the internet and blogs... The Spinster Stitcher stitched this one up and I decided it was a must have for the Cari Stash.  I haven't done counted canvas work for ages so this will be fun working on 18 count mono canvas vs. 40 count dark vintage slate linen!

Another Shepherd's Bush...The Journey to go with the other gazillion SB patterns I have stashed. And Marion the Librarian by La-D-Da...such a charming piece!  A Marie Suarez piece called Tendres pensees - Sweet Pansies...and it is sweet, some cross stitch but embroidery as well.  And another Erica Michaels gauze piece called Mending....the piece says 'stitching mends my soul'...and just how true is that?

I picked up a great book on the Singer Featherweight sewing machine.  It entitled 'Featherweight 221 the Perfect Portable and Its Stitches Across History'.  It's a great resource for the Featherweight machines I have.  And of course...gotta have some fun fat quarters!!

And I have done some knitting as you can see.  I finished one sock, a cute blue ski cap for a very small head and a tiny mitten.  Then as a study in gauge, I knit the hat and mitten to the exact same pattern using a worsted weight yarn instead of a fingering weight yarn.  These were fast knits.  I did the cute pink mitten while waiting for a friend at a doctors appointment.

And last but not least...Casanova...  Whenever I get a package I always leave the box on the floor for a couple of days of fun.  Mind you Casanova is 18 pounds of loveable orange fur stashed in a 5 pound box!!

The weather is still as hot as the bejeebers....93 during the day and 89 at night.  A/C is humming along and I'm doing my part to fund Florida Power!!

I'm off to stitch with feet up and tv on...  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!

June Morning

June Morning design by The Goode Huswife

Stitched using the Attic Needlework Belle Soie thread conversion

 on Lakeside Linen 40 count Vintage Dark Green Slate

I loved putting in each and every stitch on this piece.  Thanks for sharing my journey.

One thing....leads to another....

A dear friend called the other day to ask me to hem a dress for her which I did.  I had to get out the Pfaff sewing machine for a stretch stitch and one thing lead to another...  I finished these 'tweet' birds, one for me and one for Cherie.

Then I finished this punchneedle design that will hang on a closet door. The backing is a green wool and the buttons are from my Mom's collection.

Next up these two scissor fobs from Shepherd's Bush.

There was no machine sewing on this box but I was on a roll!  I finished this necessity box from Blackbird Designs called Secret Garden.  I lined the box with fabric. I think it turned out pretty good!

And my progress on June Morning.  Do you not love, love, love the colors on this piece?  I'm telling you...if you love stitching with Belle Soie..this pattern conversion from Attic Needlework is over the top gorgeous and a 'must have'.

My darling granddaughter Corinne and her boyfriend, Austin, will be in Florida tomorrow for two weeks! We are so excited.  I've planned a 4th of July celebration at my house for family and friends!

GOD BLESSED AMERICA

Have a simply fabulous week!!

Yummy Lunch and Stitch

Oh boy....look at this pizza.  It tasted just as good as it was pretty to look at.  I took a note from Kim's blog and roasted up some grape tomatoes and garlic this morning.  Added mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, a quick 10 minutes in the oven and mmmmmmmm....

June Morning:  These pics show my progress but the camera flash is washing out the beautiful colors of Belle Soie.  I should photograph this outside, but it's too dang hot!  I've moved on from being so rigid in my color section of floss of light, medium or dark, and just kind of go with the light side....or my personal favorite....the dark side...  The Belle Soie colors are so very rich and I love the feel and look of the silk.  Enjoy!!

Move Over - PALEEZE.....

Do you think I could have some room to put my feet up and stitch?  How many cats does it take to hold down the ottoman?  Three I guess...Pretty Belle, Casanova and Jaxon!  Jaxon is my darling little black cat that you can hardly see.  I love these felines.

They are so funny.  Where ever I am...they are too!

Here's my progress on June Morning.  This has been a really fun stitch.  I kind of shake my head though...using Belle Soie, a beautiful over-dyed silk floss that I cut up into dark, medium and light pieces to stitch with?  What was the point of over-dyed if I'm only using certain shades in certain places?  It's a technique designed by Attic Needlework who did the DMC / Belle Soie conversion and it is really a joy to execute.  I guess I could have just used the called for DMC but where's the fun in that?  I'm loving this piece.  

It's been very hot and humid in Florida this past week and will be until October I suppose.  Friday night at midnight it was 85 degrees and 81% humidity.  Thank goodness for A/C and ceiling fans.  With this kind of weather I'll be sittin' in the stitch chair with needle in hand and cats at my feet!

Have a simply fabulous week and thanks for stopping by!  Hugs and Happy Stitching!!

June Starts

It's a beautiful June morning and here's my start on The Goode Huswife's June Morning. I'm using Belle Soie as 'thread paint' instead of the DMC 'paint by number process'.  I'm really having fun using this technique.  I'm stitching on 40 count Vintage Dark Green Slate by Lakeside Linens.  Kind of like 'vintage dark black' except prettier!  Sunshine and my Ott lite are of great importance here!!

Look at this new sock yarn (like I needed more sock yarn).  Lorna's Laces Ysolda Red (thanks Mel for enabling!) and Butterscotch.  And two more skeins of that Crazy Zauberball in Red/Purple and Black/Grey/White colorways.

And, the start of a new sock using TOFUtsies yarn.  This fiber is made from superwash wool, Soysilk, cotton and Chitin.  This will shock you....Chitin is fiber made from shrimp and crab shells! NO the fiber does not stink....and the label says it's naturally antibacterial!  Go figure.....  I knit socks toe up using the Magic Loop technique.

Last, but not least, my pretty Belle.  She always likes to get in the action.  As soon as I put a blanket on the table and added the yarn she was all up in my business.  Her pose says...'Quit takin' pics of me'.....wink,wink. She loves every minute of all the attention!  She's my gal. 

 Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SIMPLY FABULOUS WEEK!!