I'm Back

I know ... a year ... really ????

Here are some simply fabulous framed finishes.  My dear friend, Jill Rensell, does all of the frame work for me.  You may have seen these on her blog, but let me tell you something....having these beauties hanging on the walls in my home is something else.

Enjoy!!

 And All Was For An Appil - The Scarlet Letter

 Mary Roe 1808 - The Scarlett House

 Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler - With My Needle and Thread

 The Holly and The Ivy - Shepherd's Bush

 Ah Tis Spring - Notforgotten Farms

 Betsy - Sheepish Designs

Here We Go A Haunting - Shepherd's Bush

 J.M. Gardner  1888 - With Thy Needle and Thread

 Spot the Cat - La D Da

 The Gilded Cage - Carriage House Samplings

I'll try not to wait so long to post again.  I have several pieces finished waiting to wing their way to Jill's studio for framing.  I'll post some pics before I send them.

And All Was For An Appil

:-)

Stitching the time away....

Here's my progress on AAWFAA.  Girlfriends.....I'm just about there !!  I've finished all the black outlines and am working on the final fill-ins.  Then the beautiful red satin stitched words.  Too much fun.  It's always such an accomplishment to get the piece half done and then heading down the home stretch is simply the best.

 I rarely have only one piece going at a time.  For a change of pace and color, I started La-D-Da's Softly Walk on LL Pear, 40 count, using the called for threads.

 I love how the rosebud is stitched.  It reminds me of needlepoint.

 I also started Blackbird Designs, Christmas Garden, stitched on Country French Chardonnay, 28 count, 1 thread over 1, using the Attic's silk conversion.  Here's a close up pic of my progress.

 Last week I started Birds of a Feather's Joyous Christmas.  I'm stitching it on WDW Parchment, 35 count, 1 thread over 2, using the called for flosses.  I scored this pattern on E-bay.  I paid a pretty penny and it's worth every cent to me.  My favorite part is baby Jesus in the manger.  I love the simplicity of these old, out of print designs.

I'm so looking forward to some cooler weather.  I love stitching outside on my lanai.  This morning it was cooler...75 degrees...and the humidity was lower for about 5 minutes !! So...I'm stitching the time away in my stitching place...comfortable, well lit and COOL.  Have a simply fabulous week and thanks for stopping by.

Betsy

Betsy is finished.  She was such a fun stitch.  I think my color selections worked out well.

I belong to the Swan Sampler Guild in Utah.  They offer a Christmas in July piece designed specifically for guild members.  This year is the 'Beehive Christmas Ornament'  designed by Catherine C. Theron. 

But here's my favorite ....

My package included a sister smile, and hugs and kisses !!  Just simply the best !!

Practice Piece

I decided to polish up my '1 over 1' stitching skills and did this piece.  It's The Gilded Cage by Carriage House Samplings stitched on 32 count Lakeside Linen Lentil using the called for NPI fiber.

On '1 over 1' I can never tell the actual size of the piece from the picture.  I need someone to put a quarter by it so I can tell. So here it is with my quarter..blurry and all. But you get the idea.  It was a fun stitch and didn't take long at all.

And shouldn't I be starting my Christmas stitching in July?  Well, yes I should, but I started my July stitching in July.  Here's my start of Sheepish Designs 'Betsy' stitched on 35 count Weeks Dye Works Parchment.

The instructions called for DMC or NPI.  I knew with my stash of 10,692 skeins of NPI it would be no problem pulling the called for colors.  AND...you know this is coming...I only had ONE, yes...that's ONE of the called for colors!! DANG, DANG, DANG.  Not to be disgruntled, I decided to check out my enormous stash of silks, pulled out the AVS drawer and used my 'on hand' colors.  I think Betsy looks pretty darn good.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your stitching time!!

Everything's Coming Up Roses.....

Rosewood Manor's English Tapestry Sewing Box...that is !

Here's my progress so far.  I'm stitching this on Colorscapes 32 count color Herald, using 1 strand of silk floss over 1 thread.  I'm using Attic Needlework's silk thread combo conversion for this piece. YUMMY !!!

Below is a better representation of the fabric color including my cute needle minder.

My sister Cathy gave me the needle minder along with 2 painted tins a while ago.  This is the smaller tin (Velamints) showing from left to right, Belle, Casanova and Jaxon.  You must know by now that I enjoy stitching with my pet pals.

And my progress on AAWFAA.  I finished the snake and a couple of Big Bugs.

The weather here yesterday was wet and wild.  It's pretty calm this morning but we are expecting more wind and rain from Debby.  We need the water and it's too hot to play outside anyway.  So I guess I'll just stay inside with the pets in the A/C and S.T.I.T.C.H.  Lucky me !!  Have a simply fabulous week!

And All Was For An Appil

PINEAPPLE that is !!  I just harvested my very first pineapple.  How cool is that?

Here's a snap of the plant with two new starts. Amazing..just amazing.

And here's my progress on  the real...And All Was For An Appil.  That serpent just looks way too happy, doesn't he? 

Have a simply fabulous week and thanks for stopping by !!

Mary Roe

I finished Mary Roe last evening.  The fabulous colors drew me to her and I was not disappointed.  She's still a little wrinkled but I just don't like to iron my pieces.  All the wrinkles will disappear when she gets pinned and framed.  Mary Roe is by The Scarlett House.  I stitched her on Lakeside Linen, 40 count Meadow Rue with the called for Belle Soie.

Of course a post wouldn't be complete without some snaps of my companions!

Here's Cee-Lo Red.  Just returned from his recuperation in the south of France. 

 Hungry and happy as ever !!

 Belle lounging on the stitch ottoman.

 Casanova helping me out with floss selections....it's in the bag. 

Mick Jagger in one of his favorite positions, downward hanging cat.

And Jaxon rolled up in his favorite position, circle cat.  

(He's really a black cat but the flash washed out his coat.)

I'm off to Neighborhood Stitch today.  The gals, the stitching, the visiting and lunch is right next door.  Could it get any better??  Thanks for stopping by.

Cats and More

How much fun is this ......

Received it for Mother's Day from my family.  The cat looks just like my Mick Jagger who has MOVED IN.  He crawls under the covers for his afternoon snooze!

Here's a recent photo of my 'bag of chips"....er..cats!  Left to right:  Belle, Casanova, Mick Jagger and Jaxon.  The best news of all is that Cee-Lo Red returned for dinner last night after a month of recuperation in the south of France..who knows where he's been.  I'll post a pic when he settles down.  I'm so happy he has returned.

My darling sister, Cathy, made me this treasure box for Mother's Day. Isn't it lovely??  She is one very talented gal and I'm blessed to have her in my life.

Here's my progress on Mary Roe.  I'm just about finished.  I loved doing the Rice Stitches.  They are beautiful and add so much to the piece.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a Simply Fabulous week !!

Going's on .....

I trapped this sweet guy, I call him Cee-Lo Red, and had him neutered (ouch). He tested negative to feline leukemia and HIV...yea!!!  He received his distemper and rabies vaccinations and was returned to me last Wednesday.  He made a mad dash to the swamp and ... Boo Hoo... I haven't seen him since.  He was a little shy but boy could he eat.  I hope he gets hungry enough to come back to the garden!

I've had the blahs so I thought I might do some knitting.  This piece is a pattern by Cynthia Parker called Les Miserables.  It is knit with Classic Elite Yarn Silky Alpaca Lace.  I love the color and feel of this fiber.  The wrap / scarf is felted after it's knit.  Crazy cool and it's an easy pattern.  Way too much fun.  See the open raggedy parts caused by the dropped stitches.  Very different and very fun.

 Here's my  progress on a couple of stitching pieces.

My progress on Mary Roe.  I so love the colors of the silk floss.

And All Was For an Apple by The Scarlet Letter.  I love the expressions on Eve and the Cat.

And Olga the Cat by Plum Street Samplers.

So I started this post with a cat and ended with a cat!!  The eyes on Olga remind me of my sweet Jaxon. His eyes are green too.  So many times he looks at me and his eyelids are at 'half mast'.

Back to work...NOT...back to fiber fun!!  Have a simply fabulous week !!