Queen of Hearts

I finished Queen of Hearts! It was a fun stitch.

I've been working on Charlotte Clayton and that's a fun stitch too. Two of my dear friends are working on Mary Wigham. Rita is stitching hers over one and Cheryl is stitching hers over two. They are BOTH just lovely. I'll get a pic the next time we're together and post for you to see. There isn't a Mary Wigham stitch that I don't like. What a fun fun fun project.

Tomorrow I start my first SAL with Sail Away. I'm really looking forward to this project with new friends. I'll keep you posted on the progress of all my projects!!

Happy needlework everyone!!

WOW or turned upside down...MOM

June 1969 --- Where does the time go??? When my granddaughters saw this picture they all commented.... Bramma...you were so pretty, we love your hair!! Now who isn't darling when they're only 19 years old?? Brent was 2 1/2 and Chauntel was 7 months.

I say WOW ... what a MOM!!

Hmmm What to stitch, what to stitch

I seem to be 'discombobbulated' lately. Nothing is suiting my fancy. Nothing is ringing my chimes. Nothing is calling to me to be stitched.

June Morning by The Goode Huswife? How can I resist these Belle Soie threads??? On the stretcher bars, 40 count, ready to go...

I did finish Love One Another --- over 1 on 26 count Belfast Linen. That was fun.

Then I thought... why not try a fun color of linen...so here's The Queen of Hearts by Ewe and Eye and Freinds started....

Or...Charlotte Clayton... I started her on the 32 count with one strand of silk and didn't like it. So, off to my stash of fabric and selected a nice 36 count. Here she is started...this one is fun. The design with the HUGE rose and tiny dogs. Can't wait to get to the HUGE cats on the bottom. Quite an entertaining stitch to say the least.

This one, Shepherd's Bush Remember, just about did me in and ended up the the trash...but a cooler head prevailed. See the center, see the 4 threads between the 'e' and 'm', where there should only be 2!!!! I figured, compensated, stitched, frogged, and got to the point where I had used up all the dark green for the vine backstitch and had to unpick all that and start with a new color and then.............. Well, needless to say it went back into the bag and I'll start it all over again on another day..... Lord where was my brain that day???

Maybe I'll just stick with the hexagon paper piecing. I want to make some fun pin cushions!

Or Molly by Carriage House Samplings with the HUGE cat (see a theme going on here??) ..

Or...........maybe I'll just take a nap!! Yep...that's it...I'm taking a nap!! In the words of Scarlett....tomorrow's another day!!!!!!!!!!

My Girls

My granddaughter Corinne, who is attending college in Chicago, came to Florida for a two week vacation. Her boyfriend Austin came for a week. He is a nice young man and I really like him (so does Corinne). We had some fun family parties. Here are a selection of pics of my three granddaughters Corinne, Taylor and Carly. Corinne and Carly are sisters.

Here's Taylor - 16, Me - older than the Lord and YOUNG at heart & in mind, Carly - 14, Corinne - 19. Nothing wrong with the camera here...Corinne has atomic turquoise hair. Kids these days !!

This pic is of Taylor and her boy friend Matt. They are cute kids.

This pic is Carly, Austin and Corinne.

These girls have been and will always be the light of my life!! Although they seem to push me over the top in age, they keep me young with music and sharing their lives! I am a happy gal.

Happy Birthday to Me

Cathy sent me this fun necklace and a stained glass yellow bird to hang on the way to my garden. It's on the sliding glass door to the lanai. The necklace is black glass in a silver frame with a cuter-than-ever wire flower on top of it.

Joan sent me this quilted table topper, darling pin cushion to match and necklace. The necklace is so unique. It's a glass case with a crown, a 'C', and a red jewel heart inside. After all--I am the 'Princess of Quite-A-Lot'!

In the sister scheme of things Joan is 'Miss Smarty' and Cathy is 'The Queen of Everything'!

Finch Song

Finch song for morning.. Crickets at eve.. Earth gives her blessings.. For all to receive..

It's been a while since I finished a Shepherd's Bush piece and stitching this one reminded me of why I love their work so much. Beautiful silks, lovely design, enjoyable stitch!!

The Facts Mam'....Just The Facts

Unseasonably warm weather in Florida; morning low temp 81; afternoon high 94; feels like 110; air visibly humid; A/C is a good thing when knitting; cashmere is soft; cashmere and mohair is softer; this hat will keep my granddaughter Corinne's head very warm this winter in Chicago!!

Inspire - Motivate - Enable

Are you inspired, motivated and enabled by your stitching friends?? Dang...me too! I was checking out the blog world and Alison had posted progress pics of her Finch Song from the Shepherd Bush retreat last fall. It was stunning...why didn't I stitch mine...where did I have it stashed anyway??? Found it and I'm half done. Isn't it beautiful?? Of course (not to enable anyone) it is now available for purchase from the Bush girls. So Sad..Too Bad I didn't have it already stitched and framed to win my imaginary 'Be The First to Stitch It' contest!!!

Now --- off to find and purchase the "Plantation Sampler" pattern....and thank you very much Margaret!!

Stitcher's Prayer

I love this piece and hope my prayer is answered. I stitched it on 40 count Iced Cappuccino with Needlepoint Silks.

Memories and Memory Makers

When cleaning out our Mom's sewing room my sisters Joan, Cathy and I sorted through all of Mom thimbles. Now remember, these pics are just 1/3 of them! We did a fun round robbin 'you get to pick one now'! I found this wooden box at Marshalls for $2.00, threw out the contents and added some beautiful pink wool and turned it into my Thimble Keeper.

These thimble are so much fun. The red thimble in the top pic is a 'peep hole' thimble. Looking through the end of the thimble you see Alice in Wonderland..what a riot.

The gold thimble in the purple box in the next pic is my maternal Great Grandmother Elsie Cornaby's thimble. She used it so much is has worn through on one side. This one is a TREASURE.

Some of the thimbles are for show but my favorite ones are the 'working' ones. Some smashed flatter to fit my Mom's finger. I have wonderful memories of my Mom sewing and teaching me how to sew. I am intent on making memories for my family.

Hugs and Happy Stitching