Happy Birthday...

To Me!!!

Today is my birthday...and I'll own up to my age...I'm 29 today. I actually find myself wishing that I was 30 instead. My friend thinks I'm crazy...but I feel like once I'm 30 I'll be taken more seriously...

Also, this is my 100th post on this blog! I definitely am not as frequent as some of you folks out there, but anyway...it's the 100th post. I'm going to do a giveaway for something handmade by me, as well as some extra goodies!!! If you're interested in winning, please comment on this post, and I'll draw a name on Friday, April 3.

Happy Stitching to you all!

Weekend Update

I was barely able to stitch this week and weekend...but I'll show you the meager progress that I have.

First up is Shores. I think that this was Thursday? Anyway...I worked a tiny bit on it and here's how the center square looks so far:
Not much to show for Friday and Saturday. I did start a new LHN and Cosima...but I literally put about 12 stitched in to that LHN chart and only 8 on Cosima...hardly picture worthy. Just imagine those stitches for now!

Finally, yesterday was Shepherds Bush day. I did get a bit more of Into the Night done. I was a traveling stitcher yesterday...at a friend's house for lunch and Twilight movie! So, this one was easier to carry along than O Beautiful on the rolling frame...

On a bit of a different note...I've been extremely unsatisfied with my pictures of my stitching lately. Anyone have suggestions for a new camera? Of course I'd love to have one of those awesome Nikons, however budget will probably not allow that one for now. Any other suggestions? So many of you take AMAZING pictures of your stitching, so feel free to comment away!

Happy Stitching!

Red Thread Update

I stitched for a bit on my Red Thread Snapper last night, since it's Thursday in my rotation! I actually really enjoyed this tonight...and I'm so glad that I've put it back on the front burner for a bit. Here's what it looked like before I started stitching yesterday:
and here is what I did last night (I clearly need to change the batteries in my camera...that and I took this pic this morning at about 5:00 am! YIKES!).
I will own up to the fact that I discovered a mistake that I made in the swirly top border...and rather than taking it out...I just picked a spot over there on the right side far enough away from the mistake, stitched back toward the left, and made it work when I got to the part that was wrong. I think that the mistake was somewhere over the first two blocks, and I was really too lazy to unpick all of that stitching...so I did what I did. Cross Stitch Police...come on and get me :)

Today's rotation is anything LHN/CCN...and I think that means that I'm going to finish up my gameboard!!!

Happy Stitching!

Stitching Rotation

I think that I need to jump on the rotation bandwagon. I think that because my stitching time comes in such short increments that I sometimes find myself only working on small projects. However, my desire for things on my walls is quickly taking over my desire for quick finishes! I have several baskets full of smalls right now, and so I figure I can take a break on those for a bit to work on some bigger projects. Here's my "planned" rotation:

Monday - Peppermint Twist SAL

Tuesday - PIFs

Wednesday - Shores of Hawk Run Hollow

Thursday - Bent Creek Snappers

Red Thread Snapper as of April 2008

Friday - LHN/CCN designs

Saturday - Cosima

Sunday - Shepherd's Bush designs

O'Beautiful...as of sometime in 2007

Into the Night - as of mid October 2008

So...that's the plan for now. I have started (barely) SoHRH, but I couldn't find a picture of it for some reason. Cosima I haven't started yet. We'll see how long this lasts!

Finally...a stitchy post

I've been posting about everything except stitching lately, so here goes...

I pulled this out of the bottom of the WIP basket (which is really like 3 baskets...but we won't go there!). I started it back when it was still a freebie. Now it's part of that fairly new release by LHN with all of the freebies in one chart. I love it, and I'm anxious to get it done, however the repetitive squares are getting a bit tiresome...maybe that's why it got put away :) I have changed one part of this design. The original calls for a tiny white heart in one of the red squares at the bottom right. I didn't like there being only one...so I've left it out completely.

Also I had a few things framed, so here's the final products. The Just Nan and Waxing Moon pieces have been stitched since before Nicholas was born...so they're circa 2005ish. Nice to have them done. The crab is hanging on Nicholas' door...it's appropriate for him this week; but seriously, it's there mostly because he liked it and wanted it in his room.

Little House Needleworks
Holly & Berries
40 ct. Abecedarian Blend
DMC Fibers

Waxing Moon Designs
The Crab is In
Recommended Fabric and Fibers

Just Nan
Beach Roses
Recommended Fabric and Fibers

Back to stitching!

wisdom tooth and wisdom from a 3 year old

I'm getting a wisdom tooth pulled today. I only have one...and I've been trying to get it pulled for 3 years now, but I keep getting pregnant :) Anyway, I was telling Nicholas about how Mommy had to go to the doctor today, and that I might not feel good later this afternoon. Nicholas himself has been running a fever for 4 days and has been feeling very ill, and has been, lets say, less that rational lately. He paused and looked up at me and said...and I quote... "Momma, it's OK...I'm going with you."

Now if that doesn't melt your heart (even the heart of a weary, sleepy, under-caffinated mommy) I don't know what will!

Here's hoping that you enjoy each little bit of wisdom that the children in your life have to offer today.

a few new items...

I have listed a few new items on my sale/trade blog. Feel free to browse!

My Sale Blog

6 down...many more to go!

I have finished 6 blocks for this quilt...and I. LOVE. IT. It's very nice. OK...so I'm really enjoying quilting right now...and stitching has gone a bit to the back burner...but fret not...I'll get that stitching mojo back soon (maybe tonight even, since I'm getting to go to stitch-in at my LNS).

A bit about me and quilting: I have never taken any classes or had any training/lessons of any kind. I wish that I had inherited more of my mom's innate sewing skills...that still remains to be seen. Anyway, I made my first quilt years ago, and it's really awful as far as "perfect" quilts go. But I love it because it was my first and I made it all by myself. I'm sure that the person who quilted it for me was cringing! I've made several more over the years, but looking back, nothing was more than just squares sewn together to make a big square or rectangle, and then I didn't even do borders or binding. I just sewed them inside out, left a hole in one side, right-sided them out, and then closed the open end. Then I just stitched in the ditch to "quilt" it. Nothing special. So, again, I think the reason that I'm so excited about this one is that for whatever reason...I have all of a sudden "gotten" quilting. My sewing machine and I have made some adjustments today, but we've clicked...and this quilt is going to be the beautiful result! So that being said...here's a few preview pics of this lovely lady! Here's what those beautiful fabrics became last night...lots and lots of squares...
And this is 2 blocks sewn together (1 block is 1 diamond with the 2 small white triangles at each end).
I sewed two together because I was VERY concerned at how they would look. Being that I have zilcho training in this field...I thought for sure that I had screwed something up because if you look closely at the sides...the diamond looks like it's off in the middle. But lo and behold...sewn together it's beautiful! (picture is clickable for a larger view)

Well, that's about it for my rambling...and I'll try not to brag too much about this fabric. However...Joanna Figueroa...on the off chance that you're reading this (very off chance)...I think that you hit a home run with these :)

Mmmmmm...Patisserie...

I am SOOOOOO excited to have this fabric in my little hands! I literally went to a semi-out of the way quilt store just to get this yummy goodness :) Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts...I have some wonderful hours of quilting in my immediate future...like nap time today... I even know what pattern I'm going to use...

Here's a progress pic of Sea to Shining Sea. I worked on it a bit on Saturday morning. I was so excited to see a house that I started the first house (West Coast) before I even finished the border around the first rectangle. I'll go back and get that done before I move on to the Southwest.

Also, yesterday was a big day in the Brown house! Jack cut his first tooth! He turned 5 months on Friday the 13th...so this tooth is a bit early! He also got his first bath with his big brother...which was great for everyone!
Happy Stitching/Quilting/Knitting (yes knitting...more on this later...) or whatever makes you happy today!

Dianne

New Stash

I have made a bit of progress on my Peppermint Twist...and I've written a progress post about it here.

Other than that, not too much stitching over the last day or so. I have bought some Market Stash...and other things...over the last month or so, so I'll share my new things. I've been able to purchase all of this with money from selling charts...so THANK YOU to you all!
Tonight I'm hoping to get the kiddos to sleep a little early (yeah right...but one can dream, right!) and have some time to work on StSS (Sea to Shining Sea). I've got some of these newbies calling my name though...particularly those pineapple biscornus...they're GORGEOUS!!! I must resist the temptation :)

Happy Stitching!

Bees Finish and a new Start!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely comments on my Biscornu! I had so many more commenters than usual! Thank you, thank you!

I started and finished this little cutie this week. It's by Sam Sarah and it's called B is for Bee. It's pretty untypical of my taste, but I just fell in love with the little bees! I stitched it using the recommended fabric and Weeks fibers, however I did switch the white wings to "Whitewash" because it's what I had on hand. I don't think that I'm going to add the letter B button in the middle as the chart calls for, but I haven't yet decided on if I'll add the rose buttons... If anyone out there is interested in the chart, I have placed it up on my Sale/Trade blog.
Next up is my new start...(edited to add the name of this chart!!! It's Sea to Shining Sea by LHN) I started this today while watching Persuasion with two girlfriends. Our husbands and kids were outside playing basketball and we were inside having much needed girl time! I am stitching this over 1 on 32 ct. Vintage Sea Storm linen.
The scissors that you see in this picture are 4 inch Ginghers...so you get an idea for how tee-nincey this thing is (the gap in the brown stitches is the 1/2 way point)! I got the idea for the blue linen from Nicole and I got the over 1 idea from the Shepherd's Bush blog...so I guess it's an unoriginal collaboration of ideas for me!!! Either way, it's just too cute in person (click on pic to see it a bit larger).

That's about it for me. It's been a week in between posts, which I don't like, but that's life these days! I can't complain, though. My boys have both been well for a week straight now (fingers crossed!).

Have a great week, and Happy Stitching!

Dianne

Christmas Biscornu is finished!

I am so thrilled to have this one done! It's really sad that such a little project took me so long...but it did! I think that I started it sometime in late 2007...right after the chart came out. So, in honor of a long overdue finish...I've taken many pics of this little beauty for you to enjoy :)

See that little blue crayon peeking out underneath the glass tray in the pic above? I didn't even notice that was there until I took this picture! Thank you Nicholas!!

I was also given two awards by Ruth Rachel of Willing Hands. Thank you for the Fabulous Award...I have posted about my obsessions/addictions here. The second award is this award...
the Special Friends Award. The description for this award reads "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines. I am to choose eight friends to share this with."

I usually don't choose blogs, but I'm going to break my mold today and pass long some blogs that I think are excellent. Some of these are not "stitchy" blogs. They're just excellent blogs that I enjoy reading on a regular basis...
Cozy Egg
crazy mom quilts
Simplify
Stitchin' Post
inchmark journal
Clydeside Stitching
Three Cool Pugs and Me
Stop Staring and Start Sewing!

All of these blogs completely inspire me in many ways...these are just a "few" of my favorites! Just a few...my reader is up to over 200 blogs...which is really ridiculous!

Happy Day to you all :)