On Time for a Change!

We are having a major blustery, day here in SE Michigan. The neighbors leaves are falling in our yard - drats - which means more raking for the boys. Last weekend was beautiful and Matt raked leaves and Ty gave the lawn one last mowing. These pics were taken pretty close together time wise - check out the different apparel. You'd think it was a warm day by Matt's clothes and Ty looks like it's winter!


Two kids, same family, so different!

With the blustery weather, I hope it doesn't get too cool for the trick or treaters tonight. I'm ready for them with all kinds of candy I don't like! Yep, that helps eliminate the temptation. I can eat, no kidding, probably 20 of those little almond joy bars thru the course of the night. Mmmmmmmmmmm chocolate AND coconut! Delicious!

I have been stitching a little bit. I took everyone's advice and frogged what I had stitched so far on Ann and started over. She is now being stitched with one thread over two on 35 count fabric and I like it a lot better. I also decided to switch the DMC to silks because I had so much in my stash and am not sure what I'm saving them for. I did an eyeball conversion but the threads are very close to the DMC that came in the kit. I have to say - I'm not crazy about the colors; they're kind of funky but, I think when I'm done I'll dunk the whole thing in a vat of tea and see what happens.


Now, I'm all for specialty stitches in a piece; they give lots of character, but really! Look at all those algerian eyelets! I quit counting at around 350 and there are more (lots more) to go! UGH! I'M SICK OF THEM! And, as if stitching all of those weren't
enough, I've spent a lot of time frogging this piece in addition to the initial frogging I had to do to start over. As many of my friends will tell you, I am not a mathematician. Not even close. So, it may come as no surprise to all of you that as I was suffering, er, I mean stitching, all those numbered eyelets, I went from 8 to 10, skipped 9 altogether. I thought long and hard about leaving it and blaming it on Ann but in the end, I decided to take the high road and not blame a girl that stitched this at age 10 and is now dead (and hopefully stitching away happily in the ever after!). Of course, Ann apparently wasn't a math genius either since she stitched two 11's in a row. I wonder if she did the same thing I did and just thought, "Oh golly, I've made an error." I doubt seriously that a young girl in the 1700's used the same explicative's I did when I discovered my error! More likely, it was intended to be that way but I like my story better. There have been other errors too - I stitched a section of that wavy band in the wrong color and had to frog that and those first two letters -- they're in the wrong color too. Haven't decided if I'll change those or not.

I have been trying to keep up with my PS piece after I got so far behind and I finished October last night. I love how this is turning out and can't wait to finish! I'll start November tomorrow. I am ON TIME for a change! Yeah!!!

This is being stitched over one on 32 count fabric with DMC floss.

Thanks to EDGAR'S BLOG, I found an East Tennessee sampler that I really like! It's called the Swan Pond Sampler and was stitched in Knoxville, Tennessee which is not far from where I was born. I am so excited to get going on this pretty sampler. We are going to be seeing some family from East Tennessee that I haven't seen in more years than I can count at Thanksgiving and in honor of that, I'll start this sampler during that visit. The picture on the chart is not very well done. It was taken in a landscape fashion rather than a portrait setting so you can't even see the entire sampler in the photograph but I think it'll be gorgeous!



I got this chart from the Dixie Darlin' Cross Stitch Shop in Pigeon Forge, TN and spent about 45 minutes on the phone with the owner. She was as sweet as could be and was very happy that so many people were now interested in this beautiful sampler.

Remember, today is the last day of Missy's 13 Days of Halloween giveaway. She has given some awesome prizes and I've enjoyed playing along even though I haven't won. Maybe this spooktacular night will be my lucky night! Click here if you think you have a chance. I'm thinking you probably don't, so I wouldn't even bother, if I were you!

Have a great Halloween and a happy rest of the weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks even more for taking the time to leave me a note when you have the time.

Peace,
Terri

Whatcha think?

Good evening, friends!

I want to show you what I found in the thrift stores recently. Now here's the thing - I never used to be a thrift store shopper. I liked "antique" shops. That is until I started all this blog reading that I've become so addicted to. Yes, all you other thrifters out there are pretty much responsible for this new treasure hunt quest I like to go on. The first find I'm going to show you was something I found last weekend. I was out and about in the early morning and decided to check the local thrift store. This little piece was still kind of oily from where it had been wiped down so I assume it had just been put out on the floor. It didn't stay there long! I looked at the tag and it was all of $19! Whoo Hooo! Isn't it a really pretty, little piece? I just love it. I went in the same store today on the way home from work and there was nothing worthwhile but.... there was a sign that said seniors (and uh, I guess I now qualify - UGH!!!) got 50% off. I wonder if I could have gotten that last week? I'll have to try to remember that I'm old and that I now qualify for these kinds of discounts. I think I can now get a "senior" coffee at McDonalds!




On Saturday night we were at a party for Julie's DH's mother's 90th birthday party. Jane is an amazing woman and looks fabulous and is as sharp as can be - you'd never guess she was 90 years young. Anyway, we left around 7:30 and we drove past what looked like a giant Salvation Army store. Rob said that as I seemed to be on a roll with the good finds and that maybe we should go in! You think? Look at what I found:




She is in perfect condition other than a small stain on her outer petticoat. The lace is perfect, not a thread missing or ripped or anything. Now - she was pricey. The SA was asking $60 for her and I said to the gal, in my sweetest, yet somewhat incredulous voice "$60 for a pincushion? Seriously?" And she said that it was 33% off to which I replied that that was still a lot for a "pincushion". So, after a little haggling, she let me "have" it for half off ~ $30. Not exactly cheap but did I say that she's perfect? She is now happily living in my curio cabinet. I just love her - I wonder whom she might have belonged to and I think they must have loved her too because she is in such great shape. Have you ever seen a prettier one?

The last thing I have to share with you today are these little floss tag holders I've made. I love all the stitchy floss holders everyone's making but they really don't do "it" for me. I made a couple but if my rings of floss get seperated from my project, I am not always sure which project said threads belong to and a stitched tag doesn't help me. This eliminates that problem. I made a small copy of the pattern I was working on, made a back piece that has the name of the pattern, the kind of fabric used, the kind of floss used and the start date. Everything right there together at my finger tips and easy to see which project the threads belong to. Laminated, they should last as long as I need them to.


You see Paulette's pattern tag sitting there in the middle? Well.... that was going to be my next project - I love it. I got the fabric on rods, started stitching and realized something just didn't look right. My fabric was about 1/2 as wide as I needed it to be! DUH!!!! I have no Idea what I was thinking when I put it on rods. Now I have to order some new fabric so it'll have to wait to start that beauty.

I needed something to stitch so I pulled out this sampler that I picked up the last time Rob and I were in Virginia visiting Williamsburg. It's being stitched on a 35 count linen with DMC. I started it with two threads but I think I'm going to frog it and start over with one thread over two. It just looks a little heavy to me and I think antique samplers always look a little more thin. What do you think?


Have a great evening everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Peace,
Terri

Melissa's Giveaway starts today!

Even though I've posted her icon since she first announced this fun giveaway (see sidebar on the right), it actually starts today.

Check it out HERE!

Peace,
Terri

Fun, Friends and Framing!

I hope that you all are experiencing the same kind of fall day that we are here in SE Michigan! The air is crisp and cool but not cold, the leaves are falling and the colors are spectacular. I love watching leaves float to the ground - it's hypnotic.

I have a few fun things to share with you all. First, I know you know JOLENE! If you don't, go visit her blog - she's a lot of fun, very generous and talented to boot! A week or so ago she was heading to an appointment and spotted this sign and thought of me. She whipped the car around and got a picture - can you believe it? They definitely have the right idea, don't you think? Truth is, I could eat chocolate in a house, I could eat chocolate with a mouse, I could eat it here or there, I could eat it anywhere! Yeah, I know, blatant plagiarism - I hope old Doc Seuss won't mind!


Hmmmmm.... maybe they read my blog?!

I got a couple of framing pieces back the other day. I am still mourning the loss of my other frame shop; they had so much to offer in the way of mouldings. However, that being said, I did find a couple of frames that worked well with what I took in so I won't complain too much.

First up: Sail Away by Shepherd's Bush:

The frame has a kind of a driftwood look to it that I thought was appropriate.

Next up is the Birds of a Feather Friendship Sampler:

The frame kind of looks black but it's really a deep blue with a lighter blue swirl pattern. I've used this same frame in red for my CHS Noah's Stocking. Anyway, I love how it turned out.

And last, because I intentionally saved the best for last. Look at the beautiful bag I got in the mail from LORAINE!! Isn't it wonderful? As you know, she and I (truly, it was mostly her - and I'm not just being modest), led a stitch-a-long for the SB Sail Away piece I just showed you. To start the SAL I made scissor fobs and to end the SAL she made needle books for everyone. But, for me, as a birthday present, she also made a darling bag to go with it! I LOVE it! Check out the lining fabric - the sampler print it so pretty and the outer print couldn't be cuter or more appropriate. It all feels so tropical and perfect. The bag has several pockets inside and check out the darling button! Didn't she do a great job? She also included a little card that showed all our sailers and where they live. I have attached this to the back of my sampler and love the memory it will trigger whenever I see it. Loraine, all of this was so NOT necessary but I absolutely love it ~ thank you so much!! Maybe, and that's a big maybe, we'll do another SAL one of these days. Maybe!




I have a couple of really awesome GW finds to show you but they'll have to wait for another day. I was so excited to find these two things I could hardly believe my luck! Stay tuned.

I'm also getting a new project on rods tonight - I can't wait to start working on this piece and know it will be a really fun stitch. I'll show some pics on my next update.

Have a great week, friends! Thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving a comment , or email, which I so enjoy getting!

Peace,
Terri

A surprising Weekend!

DEB and I met to go to a bead show on Sunday and then to our monthly guild meeting. After the bead extravaganza, we decided to head out to lunch before heading over to guild. Now, truth be told, I can not fight my way out of a paper bag with a map and as hard as it may be to believe, even using a Garmin (navigation system), I managed to get us "lost". At one point we pulled into a parking lot and I told Deb that the Garmin (in a wonderful Australian accent) told me to "Turn around you idiot! You missed your turn!" Deb said "Really" and we both laughed like we WERE a couple of idiots. Of course, the Garmin can't tell you things like that but don't you sometimes wish it did? It would sure make the drive more interesting. "I said left you dumb ass, LEFT!" With smart ass comments, even if I were lost, I'd be laughing. Of course, it might get less and less funny each time it happened (which for me could be daily). While we were stopped I told Deb that I had planned on ordering a somewhat healthy salad but after all this, I was going for the asiago roast beef sandwich. YUMMM. Anwyay, we finally pulled into the Panera parking lot and Deb said to wait a minute. From the back of her van she pulled out this:



This summer, DAWN had posted this old tool box on her blog. I had commented that I was heading up there the next day and if it was still there, it might have to come home with me. I got up there and guess what? It was gone! Yep, Deb had beat me to it. I was shocked. I couldn't believe that she had seen it and loved it too and had run up and gotten it before me. Well - turns out she had gotten it but she got it for me! I was so surprised and delighted. Dawn had displayed it in her shop turned sideways and I thought it would look great just the same way on top of my hutch with a few baskets on it. Yep, that's where it's going just as soon as I get rid of all the fall lights, leaves and stuff I put up there. As if this weren't enough, she also gave me a bead for my Troll bracelet - this bead celebrates the fact that I have reached this surprising, fifty year milestone. Isn't it pretty?

And, hard to believe, but there's more! Look at these darling scissors!

I don't recall telling her I was the black sheep of the family but maybe I did! I love each and every gift, Deb! You really surprised me! I swear, when she pulled that red tool box out of her van, I almost fell over ~ what a wonderful and unexpected surprise.
Debbie's DD, Catie is exactly the kind of kid that I think I probably was - except she's talented, oh so cute and smart. Yep, other than those things, she's just exactly like me! Really, if I had had a daughter, I think she could have been like Catie - she is one spunky gal who is a delight to chat with and is just full of fun. When Deb was shopping for something for me, Catie asked how old I was going to be. When Deb told her, Catie said, "Isn't that when you start wearing those red hats?" Yep, 50's it. So, to celebrate, look what Catie gave me:



Wasn't that sweet of her? Thank you so much, Catie - I'm going to laugh at myself, and my age, every time I have a glass of wine with a red hat attached and I can't wait to share them with each and every gal pal that comes over for a glass of wine that meets the red hat requirement, too! The other little red hat is a cell phone charm which I'm trying to figure out how to attach!
Thank you, Deb and Catie - you really helped to make my birthday celebration last a bit longer and in such a fun and surprising way, too! Thank you!

Now that the real exciting stuff is shared, I'll show you a couple of other things and then I'll quit babbling! While Deb and I were at the bead show yesterday, I bought these two beads that I'll turn into fun necklaces - I love the moon bead and isn't the goddess bead fun? Not sure yet exactly what I'll do with them but I'll show you when I do!

I also bought these cute little Halloween beads to add to the jingly, jangly bracelet I made a couple of years ago. I love this little bracelet and wear it for most of the month of October.



Today is Columbus Day in the U.S and Rob and I both had the day off so we took the opportunity to run around a little bit, have lunch and just spend the day together. I got a few things while we were out and here are two of my favorites ~ Sophie (white) and Gracie (black) in their new little jackets:


On the way home we drove by an upscale resale shop and Rob was sweet enough to let me go in. I have wanted an old childs/doll chair for the longest time and today I found it! This little beauty is put together with wooden pegs, no nails and it looks to me like it's in it's original finish. The splats on the chair all look hand carved and the caning looks like it is the original. The lady in the shop said she'd guess it was 75 years old. I LOVE it! The best part was - it was only $25!!! I couldn't believe it when I spotted the price tag. This is, for me, a great find and why I love the thrill of the hunt!
My new, old Chair:

Finally - I promise! At our guild meeting, Sharon, our president, showed us this cute little pin cushion wrap we'll be making next month at our Blackbird Designs get together. It's a special event to show and share all things BBD and we'll be making this cute little pincushion to commemorate our day. Sharon, you may recall, is the designer behind that cute clam shell pinkeep I posted a while back (Sheila - yours is on it's way - got mailed this past Wednesday)! Everyone that attends will be brining their BBD finishes - stitching, quilting, whatever! It should be a fun day and I can't wait to see all the finishes. Barb and Alma even donated a book to be given away in a drawing! If you're in the Novi, Michigan area and would like to attend, shoot me an email!


Our guild is full of fun and talented women so I can't wait to see what everyone brings. I have four, framed pieces I'll be taking but I"m most anxious to see what everyone else brings. Wouldn't you like to come, too?

Have a great week everyone! Thanks for stopping by and if you made it to the end of this post - I thank you!

Peace!
Terri

It's cold and rainy today and I am home but the fire is going, the house is picked up (for the most part) and I can think of nothing better than being able to stay inside and do nothing but lounge around, stitch and nap. Unless of course, you'd like to come by for a visit!?



I am finally caught up with my PS piece. Well, caught up is relative - at least I am not behind at this point! I still have to stitch October but the month isn't over yet so I am not behind! This pic doesn't look very good because the flash is washing out the picture. I think this is a really pretty, little piece. It's odd though, the July and October blocks are a couple of stitches shorter than all the other blocks. In order for them to fit into the grid properly, I had to adjust a little bit - no biggie but I wonder why they did it that way? As you may remember, I'm stitching this over one, with one block a month so only 3 to go!


I've heard a lot of folks say that they don't like over one stitching but it's really not that bad if you follow these little tricks:

1- Use a magnifier - it really does help!

2 - When you make your first stitch, come up through C and then down into B, if the linen thread you just covered with your stitch is running in a vertical direction, you should bring your needle up in the hole that will create a parallel line on the back of your fabric to that thread you just covered, in this case, up in D and back down into A to complete your X.

A B

C D


If your top linen thread is running horizontally, you would go up in C to begin, down in B and then up in A (creating that parallel stitch on the back of your fabric) and then down in D so complete the X. Does this make sense? If you use this simple method, you will not slip stitches - trust me, it works. You have to be aware of your fabric, this is where the magnifier really helps me but this works and makes working over one so much more enjoyable.

Have a wonderful day, a productive and joyful weekend and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment when you can. I really appreciate them all; each and every one!

Peace,
Terri

It's all about the Pumpkins!

I finished this little Halloween pillow up this afternoon. It is from the JCS Halloween issue this year. the La-D-Da contribution. The stitching process was fine - the finishing process reminded me of why I don't do smalls that require any kind of finishing skill. Not a perfect job by any stretch and far more tedious for me than it would be for anyone with even nominal sewing skills, I guess. I think a 4th grader could do about as well. I always forget how unforgiving linen is and just how delicate, too. Yeah, I punched my turning tool (a chopstick) right through it but could not fix it as I had already sewn on the fringe. I'll just drip some fabric glue on it and call it a day. Maybe it will look primitive. Yeah, that's the ticket, it's primitive. The fabric this little, prim pillow is sitting on is of course, the backing fabric. I thought it was perfect - orange but not too orange and not cutesy. I don't like cutesy!



You may recall that DEB and I were going to the Ghoultide Gathering on Saturday. We went, but I have to say, not sure I'd go again. It was a VERY crowded venue in two very small old homes on an historic setting. You could barely walk, much less take pictures. However, Deb, being the "won't take no for an answer" kind of gal she is, did manage to get a few and may post them on her blog. We did get to meet Lori from NOTFORGOTTEN FARMS and that was, for me, the highlight. She's as cute as can be and was dressed so darn cute - I hope Deb will post a picture. We both bought a spooky little Halloween pin from her but that was it for the purchases. I was hoping she'd have some patterns there but this was a strictly pre-made, pay really big bucks, kind of affair. There was an artist there with these amazing witch dolls and I would have loved to have one. Unfortunately, they started at around $250 which was a bit out of my price range. Folks were clamoring for them though and we were told the artist would be sold out by 11:00 AM. Must be nice!

Deb and I didn't hang around too long and then decided to head over to "The Rocking Horse" our NSL~LNS. I have quite a love/hate relationship with this store. They did not have anything new from market and what they do have is so hard to look through, I get frustrated and give up. Rather than sort by designer, they sort by subject and what I might call something is not what they would call it so it's very hard for them to even help you. Plus, they carry very little fabric and even less overdyed. I'm glad they're there - I do go there every now and again and usually buy something but it could be WAY better. Anyway, even with all this bitchin' I did manage to find a couple of things.

The Drawn Threads "Marriage of the Minds" has been on my list for a long time. With our 20th coming up, in a little over a year, I thought maybe I should get started. I saw the PS Ark all done up on EDGAR'S BLOG where someone had stitched it for him and done over one, it was really sweet. Like my Noah stocking from CHS, I think I may do this in a straight, little sampler rather than a stocking. If I actually stitch it, this would be my 4th Noah stitchery. Also in the pics are some Petite needles. If you haven't tried them, you should give them a go. I find that my thread twists into itself far less with these than with regular length needles and I love working with them.

It's drizzly and cool here today and the leaves are starting to fall. A wonderful time to stay inside and stitch.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for stopping by and visiting. I have changed the "rules" in my blogger file to allow those who might wish to comment to do so without signing up for a blogger account. You do so using the "anonymous" feature but feel free to leave your name (or not, up to you). I do really appreciate the time it takes for you to leave a comment and I thank you!

Peace,
Terri

Happy New Year!

I'm someone who works by the fiscal year calendar and today is our new year - FY10. So to all of you who may also work by this calendar, and even if you don't, Happy New Year! In truth, I can't believe it's 2009 - much less Fiscal Year 2010. I can remember being a kid in school and thinking about how OLD I would be in the year 2000. Yep, 40+ folks seemed downright destined for the grave ("bless their hearts") back then and the year 2000 ~ whew! that seemed like a lifetime away. In truth, it did take a lifetime to get here and I am now older than I could have ever imagined being but getting here sure has been FUN. I've been blessed and continue to be blessed, with a wonderful family, great friends, a terrific job and many new friends through this wonderful medium called blogging! A new year, whether it's the kind that comes in January, or the kind that comes in October, is a perfect opportunity to wish all of you a Happy New Year.

I have been stitching a little bit. I picked up this fabric in Columbus and tossed the bag before I wrote it down. You'll probably recognize it from a previous BBD project but I used this piece for the La-D-Da Halloween project from the Halloween issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I love how it turned out and have to get over to the fabric store to find some appropriate trim to finish it up. My pictures aren't great 'cause I just took them and it's dark outside.


I used Crescent Colors Hickory Sticks and Fallen Leaves to stitch this and I like how the brown is a little softer than a black might be. Can't wait to put the finishing touches on it (if I don't ruin it).

I also thought I'd show you a few of my Halloween decorations:

This is another something I got in Columbus - DEB was right, I didn't show you everything right away - what fun would that be? This guy is hanging in my family room and I'll get other seasonal appropriate pieces to hang from it throughout the year. Gotta remember to reset the date on my camera!


Here are a few things in the foyer:

mmmmmm.... I love candy corn!

My fireplace:


And finally, my black cabinet - I sort of hate to post this because the red walls behind it look like they're bleeding but they're not that bad IRL. Of course, that is kind of appropriate for Halloween I guess, so here goes:




So many of you loved the ark pictures from my previous post that I thought I'd better share a little more information. The artist's name is Mo Dallas and here's a link to his website. As beautiful as these are in pictures, they are even more stunning IRL. Mo Dallas' Arks

If you're into Halloween, you may want to venture to Novi, MI this Saturday to visit LORI from Notforgotten Farms and other artists sharing their Halloween wares at the Ghoultide Gathering. DEB and I will be there.

If you can't come to Novi, be sure and visit Missy and Jolene's blogs. They are both have spooktacular giveaways!


Thanks for visiting, have a Happy New Year and may the spirits of Halloween treat you kindly!

Peace,
Terri