Where Has My Weekend Gone?!

I have absolutely no photos I'm ashamed to say.  I can't believe how fast my weekend has passed.  I have not picked up my stitching since Thursday evening and will have to hurry if I am going to get any stitching in tonight.  I'm so close to finishing and just couldn't find any time to work on it.  Always the way it goes.

Date night last night was quite enjoyable.  We ended up at a restaurant that we had quit going to as we could never both get a good meal on the same night along with good service.  We received 2 gift cards to this restaurant at Christmas and so decided to take a chance.  It was a night for miracles as not only did both dishes come out hot they were delicious.  We also had a waiter who knew how to take care of his tables.  Woohoo!

We then proceeded to do a bit of shopping before seeing our movie of choice for last night - Jack Ryan - Shadow Recruit.  We both enjoyed the movie so would say it is about as good as a date night can get.

I spent my afternoon giving my blog a facelift.  I've been talking about doing this for awhile and decided Super Bowl Sunday would be a good time to tackle the project.  I'm always surprised at how much time it takes as I go in with one idea of what I want to do and it never ends up in that vision.  I'm happy with it for this evening.  I need a couple of days to let it "settle" before I decide if it is a keeper or not.

Off to stitch!

A Hockey Game!

As I suspected, no stitching was accomplished at all yesterday.  Hubby had a day off from work which always means a lot of extra stops on my errand list.  Then we spent the evening at the Iowa Wild Hockey game.  Using my new app I made a picture collage of the evening.  If you look closely, I think we have an alien on the Zamboni clearing the ice during a break in play.  You will notice the photo of my guys in the upper right corner, they are on their feet clapping and have a good time!  We are so lucky to live in an area where so many fun activities are available just a short 10 to 15 minute drive away.

If you are looking for a quick to table meal, check out my One Pot Pasta recipe on my cooking blog.  I made this last night and went from start to finish in 25 minutes - and 20 minutes of that was leave it alone cooking time.

We had just enough snow last night - a couple of inches - to make the roads a challenge when Keith and I headed out to get our Saturday morning chai at Rich's.  As we go through four different suburbs (cities) to get there, some roads are better or worse than others.  Today Johnston wins the award for the best roads.  They were actually just wet pavement.

Date night is on the agenda for tonight and Super Bowl tomorrow.  GO BRONCOS!  I'm not a fan of watching football so maybe tomorrow would be a good time to give my blog that facelift I've been talking about.

This weekend so far is shaping up to be a relaxing and fun one!  Hope yours is too.

Closing in Quickly on Another Finish!

I've downloaded a new app on my computer to make photo collages and I'm having so much fun learning how to use it.  I have taken a photo each and every time I stitch on a project.  As my current project is such a small project, it seemed the perfect candidate to learn the new app using those photos.  This is Fond Hearts by Blackbird Designs.  I have used the photos from my first five stitching sessions.  I used a photo in the background of some fabrics I had purchased on a road trip.     

Today I figured out how to change the size of each photo as well as the orientation of the photo on the page.  Can't wait to see what I figure out next.

You wonder why I like to take photos after each stitching session.  Let me tell you on a project as big as this one was (Village Sous la Neige buy A Mon Ami Pierre 255W x 118H stitched on 28 count 1 over 1) it was the only way I could tell I was making any progress at all.  I would work on it a couple of hours and think I did not get much done until I looked at the previous day's photo and could really see the difference.  

I will say to date this has been my most challenging and rewarding project.  I honestly wish I could find another big project like this that would provide such satisfaction.  Never fear I'm searching!

I am quickly approaching a finish on Fond Hearts.  Unfortunately, we are attending a hockey game tonight and am thinking I won't get a minute to work on it this evening.  Unless, of course, I forego sleep tonight.   I want to be wide awake when I start stitching the words on the right.  The words on the right do not line up well with the words on the left so I am going to have to adjust their location for the quote to flow smoothly.  It is not something to attempt when you are sleep deprived!

Still reading Making Piece by Beth M. Howard.  Yesterday I started reading the third in the Veronica Roth trilogy called Allegiant.  Making Piece is just not the compelling read I was expecting so need something to break up the monotony of it.  Still determined to finish it before book club early February.

Yesterday I decided to do a major clean to the house.  It seems I was in the mood for Spring cleaning early.  Even went so far as to take down all the curtains and launder them.  It was a tremendous amount of work but I did so enjoy relaxing in my stitching chair in such a clean house last night.  Next on my list - purging out all the things in the house we no longer use.  Clothes, dishes, knick knacks.  If it isn't nailed down and we don't use it,  IT GOES!

Last Stitches - First Stitches!

 I put the finishing stitches in One Soul One Earth by The Primitive Hare on Friday night and was so excited.  It stitched up very quickly and I enjoyed every stitch of this piece.  

I was looking sorting my fabric stash last week and came across a lovely grouping of fabrics in red I had purchased on a road trip.  It is what inspired me to get One Soul stitched up so quickly as I think this has the makings of a beautiful pillow.

 On Saturday I started stitching Fond Hearts by Maggie Bonanomi for Blackbird Designs.  This is an older design that I had forgotten I owned until seeing it on the newsletter from my local stitch shop.  I am so glad I chose to change all the threads from the called for ones that were more purple and brown in color.  The red/pink/greens are just so much more ME.

Don't you just love these carrots!  Keith and I decided to stop at our local craft store after picking up our vanilla chai at Rich's Brew on Saturday.  I saw these carrots and knew they would make a great addition to my Spring/Easter display this year. 

I Can Still Find the Beauty in a Frigid Cold Morning!

It is a bitterly cold day here in Iowa as you can see by the lock on the inside of my storm door - YES I said inside the storm door.  Wind chills again put temperatures in the -25 to -30 degree range again.  Lots of schools including my son's vocational workshop were running late just to allow time to get the buses started this morning.  

After hubby and son were both gone for the day I again brought my camera out to capture some of the beauty of one of these bitterly cold mornings.  I even found a little natural rainbow coloring in the frosty ice crystals on the glass. 

I managed a trip to my local stitch shop (StitchnFrame) yesterday and spent some quality time with Vicki and Cheri.  Their last newsletter featured among other things a design by Maggie Bonanomi called Fond Hearts which motivated me to pull my copy from my stash and head to the shop to pick out threads and fabric.  Those of you who know me well will not be surprised to hear I changed every single color as well as the fabric used for this one.  These are the colors I've chosen to stitch with along with the fabric.  Photo is not giving a very good representation of the color in the fabric as there is a soft green as the overdye base.  I'll try for better pictures later.

I also walked out of there with 3 older patterns as well that I can't wait to start stitching.  I've pulled all the DMC threads and am ready to select fabrics from my stash to stitch them on.

When I find time to stitch, I am making excellent progress on One Soul One Earth by Primitive Hare.  I laugh at myself today as I had thought I could finish it up last night in the time I had to stitch.  Well you know how it goes you don't factor in things like getting son a drink of water, tucking son in for the night, putting on pajamas, getting distracted by show on tv, looking up things on iPad for hubby, and so on and so on.  Let's just say I always think I can get more done that I have time for.

I read a few blogs last night and was thrilled to see several ladies doing what I did last year which was stitching as much as possible from my stash.  I won't say that I didn't make a few purchases over the year but actually was very successful in my desire to use my stash.  I am really focusing again this year on stitching up several of my smaller stash projects and using up threads and fabrics in my stash whenever possible.  I saw on one blog where someone has actually created a group called "Stitch from Stash Challenge 2014".  I was a very small individual group last year although my dear friend, Mary decided to keep me company and it became a group of two.

Well, time for the guys to start arriving home so off I go.  I put together a manicotti for supper tonight and it is ready to pop in the oven.  YUMMY!

Final Christmas Exchange!

Yesterday was finally the day my dear friend, Harriet and I had our day of gabbing, laughing, stitching and Christmas exchange.  It was such a fun and relaxing day.  She is one of those rare friends that no matter how much time passes between visits as soon as you are together the conversation picks up just like you left off the day before.  The day ended far too quickly.

 This is the piece I stitched and finished for Harriet.  It was a free design I got on http://perelles.canalblog.com  As of today, it is the second post down on the blog.  I know how much Harriet loves designs with houses, trees, birds and this one definitely met the criteria for which I was looking.  I wanted something wintery to remind her of home when she is wintering in the warmer climates.  I knew it should have a house and this house has so much charm.  I liked that it not only had an evergreen tree but another type of tree without the leaves.  Sprinkle in a couple of birds, a snowman and a few flakes and it seemed just perfect to me.  I really enjoyed stitching this one.  I will admit to there being 1 mistake in there but don't think anyone will find it.

I decided to finish it into a cube using Vonna's (TwistedStitcher) tutorial.  Her tutorials really are wonderful as they explain every step in detail and with photos.  This was actually my second cube and I think it turned out pretty good.  It has given me the confidence to try a flat fold next.  

I received such a thoughtful gift from Harriet.  She combined my love of all things ice skating with my love of all things Prairie Schooler and stitched the 2009 Prairie Schooler Santa and finished it on top of this lovely jewelry box.  I'm not sure if I will be using as a jewelry box - I'm thinking it would be a lovely box for holding stitching supplies.    

There were also a few other little goodies tucked in my bag.  I was so pleased that she bought me a piece of pottery in Arizona for my snippets of thread.  I've given several pieces of pottery to friends from a local potter for that same purpose but have yet to buy one for myself.  I was delighted to have one of my very own.  Notice the spool of silk thread from HDF.  It is called Rubbed Quartz and was a color I had admired in her collection back in the Fall.  She tucked that little tidbit of information away and now I have one of my very own.  I have a project in mind for it already.

I'm making fast work (considering how little time I actually find to stitch) on One Soul One Earth by Primitive Hare.  I did have to change the color used for the crown, shoes, snail, etc. as the called for color would not show up on the fabric I chose.  What can I say - it happens!  I already have planned out how I want to do the finish work for this design.  It will be a new challenge for me.  Actually it will be my third challenge project for the year when I get it done.  I have two other's ahead of it to do - you see they all involve sewing.

The men in my house are very happy these days as their football team (the Denver Broncos) are going to the Super Bowl.  February 2 will either be a really good day in our house or a really bad day!

Last night I finally started February's book club selection which is Making Piece by Beth M. Howard.  I'm just barely into to it but it has my interest so am thinking it will be a quick read.  I've set myself a modest goal this year of reading 36 books during 2014.  I'm hoping I surpass this mark by the time July rolls around.  Of course, that could be just wishful thinking!

Lastly I'm thinking about updating/freshening the look of my blog.  I do love the neutral colors but some days it seems a bit dull to me so am thinking of giving it some life.  

A New Start!

Well I thought I was going to start 2 new projects yesterday but I was enjoying this one so much that I just stuck with it.  This is a Primitive Hare design called One Soul One Earth.  I have provided a link to Isabella's Etsy Shop as she has some lovely designs.  I find there is something "magical" about them that just begs them to be stitched.  At the rate I'm going on this one it too might be done in just a few days.

I am using the called for colors and am stitching it on a scrap piece (otherwise known as ornament cut) of Lakeside Linen in 36 count.  I call it a scrap piece as I usually stitch BAP so this is just a small project for me.  No idea what the color is as there were just an array of pieces in a package sold at this shop.  

I was reading comments yesterday about my little Pa and Ma (design by Nathalie) and I have to say I agree with Teresa that stitching on 32 count over 1 can be difficult.  I find my favorite over 1 stitching for a big project is 25 count but I can get through it on 28 count if I need to for the perfect fabric color.  However, on a project this small (stitch count 57H by 57W) I find that I can stitch over 1 on any count up to 45.  Truth be told I would have stitched this on 45 count had I been able to find my 45 count fabrics.  Me thinks it might be time to do a little organizing in my stitching stash.  

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with stitching 2 threads over 2 threads and on some projects I prefer it but there is something about the look of 1 over 1 that I find very appealing. I think it is the dainty feel to it not to mention my stitches have a more even tension to them over 1.  It also saves me a ton of money when it comes to framing my big projects.

I have spent the entire winter season this season looking for a new black turtleneck in a sweater version.  It has seemed like this is the year they forgot to manufacture black turtlenecks in any form let alone a sweater version.  I was walking through a store yesterday and guess what caught me eye on a clearance rack - yes the elusive black turtleneck in sweater form.  A true stroke of luck as not only was it on clearance but was in my size.  I had actually given up looking for this season.  Funny how that works!  

Housework calls.  Happy Stitching!