Easy Peasy

Just a quick post to share a few random things and a couple of pictures.
Here's my progress on Santa after one week of stitching. It doesn't look like much but I haven't had much time to stitch. I'm not one to wish away time, and I'm in no hurry, but I think that one of the benefits of retirement in several years will be more time to stitch.




We took a long weekend trip to Pigeon Forge, TN this past weekend. I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite shops--Dixie Darlin'. It's such a cute stitching shop on a little side street in Pigeon Forge. The owner and the lady that works there are very nice and helpful. They have a cute dog named Macy who roams around the shop as well. I purchased several designs and some fabric cuts--CEC's Summer, Autumn, and Winter. I would like to someday complete all four and switch them out as the seasons change.

I also purchased these cute cardinal ornaments/designs and stitched one set of them on the way home. I made these for my parents and plan to stitch another set for myself. They were easy peasy and a fun car project.



That's it for me today.
Happy Stitching!
Kellie

A Finish, Santa, fall break, life

My Mirabilia obsession continues. I recently finished Mediterranean Mermaid.

PTP Sterling 32 ct. 

On Tuesday, I started Santa (also a Mirabilia) design. I love his expression and the ornate cuffs on his jacket. I also love that this one does not use any Kreinik threads. I love the look metallic threads give a design but I don't enjoy stitching with them.

Zweigart Cream Belfast 

We celebrated fall break Disney style once again this year. My parents joined us for this trip and it was wonderful. One of the best trips ever. I wasn't ready to come home.




We also celebrated my husband's induction into his alma mater's Athletic Hall of Fame. It was a fun weekend. My husband was humbled and honored and we are so proud of him.




I hope all is well for you in blog land. Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Between work and busy home life, I have chosen to stitch or knit in the spare moments that I have had these last few months. My blog reader is busting at the seams. I'm hoping the pace slows down a bit and I can catch up in all areas.

Until next time, happy stitching!

And a belated Happy Halloween from the Pete-ster!




Kellie

Great giveaway!

Please check out Nancy's very fabulous and very generous December giveaways on her blog.

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/11/25-days-of-christmas-and-25-give-aways.html

I will blog soon with my latest project. Stay tuned! :)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mirabilia Mania

I've been on a Mirabilia kick lately. Nora Adams has been a favorite designer since I bought The Dreamer at an LNS in the early '90s (which I still haven't stitched but definitely will at some point).

I finished Mermaids of the Deep a few years ago but recently got it framed. It is so hard to get a good picture of it without a glare.





This one is just covered in beads which I love!!

Getting this framed has once again jump started my "need" to stitch Mirabilia designs (and buy them, and kit them, and lovingly look at them lol).

I am currently working on Poppy. I started stitching with the Kreiniks today and hope to be beading later tonight.





I've had some happy mail days around here lately as well.




Little House Needleworks Family Sampler, ByGone Stitches One Nation with called for fabric and threads, Mirabilia Stargazer with beads, Mirabilia Elizabeth with beads.

So much to stitch, so little time!!

This is the Day

Hello everyone...

I haven't posted in a long time. No reason... Just enjoying summer and all the activities that the season brings.

I don't want to bore everyone with a long update of everything that has happened since I last posted. I will just suffice to say that May went by in a busy blur, and I spent June trying to catch my breath. Now it is July and almost time to return to school/work full time. I have stitched a lot, and I have knitted a lot.  I would like to be better about posting. Wondering if I set a specific day to post each week if I would stick to it?

Stitching.... I have spent a lot of time stitching this summer. But as per my usual MO, I have stitched a little on one project, put it down, picked up another project, stitched a little on it, put it down... well, you get the idea. And sometimes all in one day.

I decided last night that I was bored with every project that I have upstairs. (I keep current stitching stuff upstairs, and not so current WIPs in the basement.) Rather than start something new (as I usually have no qualms about doing), I went down to the basement, dragged out the WIPs of Doom supersize tote (a result of the "no qualms" thing), and drug out a dozen (or more) projects that caught my eye. I reunited them with their various threads, put them in a basket and hauled them back up the stairs. I decided (at least for awhile), that I will stitch on whichever is screaming the loudest (hopefully until it is finished) and then choose another from the basket until I either a.) tire of this routine and go back to my more current projects, or b.) finish everything in the basket and then refill it or c) start whatever latest and greatest that catches my eye (Beauty and Grace, anyone?).

The latest "screamer" is This is the Day by Hands to Work which I fell head over heels in love with when I first saw it in JCS in 2009. I promptly collected threads and fabric and set my hands to work and was loving stitching it until I discovered that either my house or tree was one stitch off (I don't remember which now). I just as promptly put it all away in disgust refusing to frog, start over, or finish it as is. Looking at it now, I don't think it is that glaring. I am calling it a "design feature" and moving on....

Here's where it is as I left it with the exception of the over one block that I stitched last night. I am stitching on Silkweaver's Days Gone By 28 count lugana (one of my favorite Silkweaver colorways).

I do actually have a stitching finish and a couple of knitting finishes from my summer of stitching fun that I will blog about next time.


This is one of my current knitting projects... a pair of Georgia on My Mind Socks. Yarn is by Gnome Acres in the Franklin colorway. This is a KAL with the Knitabulls podcast group on Ravelry. I like to have a pair of socks on the needles at all times. They are perfect for long car rides, waiting rooms, etc. I plan to haul them with me to a Louisville Bats game tomorrow night. :)

I have been the lucky recipient of some of my Mom's cute project bags that she has been sewing lately. The cupcake bag will hold a large chart with fabric and threads easily. This is where This is the Day is currently residing. Check out the cute sprinkle lining. :)

This cute bag is a perfect for either a purse or a knitting project (or both!). It is fully lined with a lot of pockets on the inside. Probably my favorite bag that I currently have. I think she did such a great job on it. It combines a lot of things I love... Lots of color, paisley, polkadots, stripes. Perfect!

That's it for me for this time. Sorry for the long hiatus. I will try to be back sooner rather than later next time. DH and DS just left to spend what's left of the afternoon fishing, so I think a tall glass of sweet tea, an episode of Smash, and stitching are in order.

Happy Stitching!!

Kellie

The stitching voices in my head

Do you ever have times when almost everything in your stitching stash is screaming to be stitched at once? And more stash is beckoning you to be purchased? Usually in the form of the blogs you read and the stitchers you admire... You all are stitching some amazing things out there in blogland. Which when I see these amazing things, I either want to start them immediately if I have them in my stash or I want to purchase them immediately if I don't. For the most part, I have refrained with one exception.... When I saw Terri's drop dead gorgeous finish of Mary Gibson, I took myself right on over to the Haslemere Muesum via the Internet and ordered it straight away. And I soooo want to start it immediately. But I also want to stitch it using Terri's fabulous conversion, for which I need to order some threads, so that has kept me in check for now.


I have managed a quick finish Here's Bloom Sampler by Threadwork Primitives.




I've progressed a little more on Christmas Garden. I'm trying to focus on it solely until it's finished. For someone who used to be a devoted one-at-a-time stitcher, it has become hard for me to just stitch on one thing until completion in recent years.




This past week has been spring break. We would normally travel at this time of the year, but we decided to stay home this week and get some stuff done around the house. The living room and hallway got a much needed coat of paint, and the carpets got a much needed cleaning. I'm sad to see my break end, but I only have a few short weeks until summer break. We only missed two days this year, and we've already made up both of those, so we are scheduled to get out of school on May 16 with the teachers' last day being May 17. We will have almost three full months off this summer. I'm ecstatic!!! I have a lot of things I want to accomplish around my house, some places to go, and my mom is going to teach me a little basic sewing. I'm looking so forward to all of it. I will have to work some too, but a lot of it is computer based that I can do from my home.

That's it for now. Getting ready to settle in with Christmas Garden and enjoy some stitching in front of the TV this evening.

Have a happy stitchy week!

Kellie

Some framed finishes

I recently took a couple of pieces to Michael's to have them framed. I decided it was time to get my finishes out of the drawer and on my wall. So hopefully, I will have a lot of these posts to show you this year. As much as I stitch, I have very few stitched pieces displayed in my home. However one of my goals this year is to decorate my home with things we love, and my handwork fits into that overall goal. :)

Here's Paradise Lost by Plum Street Samplers.




And Home is Where My Heart Blooms by Blackbird Designs.





I'm enjoying a blissful week of spring break, at home stitching and knitting with an occasional outing during the day here and there.

Hope your week is a happy one!
Kellie