Tagged

Gabi tagged me to share 6 things about me.
The rules are as following:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Random Facts -
1. My grandfather was born during the Civil War (& no, I'm not that old!) My father was in his 50's when I was born, and his father (my gf) was 40ish when he was born. In essence, we have one generation for everyone else's two.
2. Secretly, I love my demonic cat (well, at least like) and keep trying to get her to love me. :)
3. I am a Christian.
4. I have a huge travel bug, which my mother contributed greatly to. She took me to visit 6/7 continents - guess which one I missed? Don't plan on going either!
5. I love unique, sentimental, or pretty Christmas ornaments. Our tree is a testament to that. It keeps getting bigger and bigger - LOL
6. I love flowers, sweet pea bushes, trees that are huge and old with character, the mountains, and the beach.

I have tagged:
Mare
Kathy
DawnAZ
Shelleen
DawnNC
Donna

Weekend SAT Finishes

Wow, judging from everyone's finishes this weekend, I am so impressed with all the beautiful work done. I was able to accomplish most of my goals, but not quite all. I did the final stitching and finishing on the Christmas Ornament,


Madeira Biscornu,

and the signature RR's (no picture - bagged up and ready to mail :).
Now I have the completed set of the Madeira Tin Sampler Project by Fancy Work.

I hit a snag with the Snowman pillow. I've been to JoAnn's twice this weekend and can't find a material that I really like to go with it. I'm going to another place soon, so I can get that one finished.

I did stitch on my Travel Sampler, but not much. It's only a little progress, but it's out and in my stitching spot and I'll be working on it more. This particular chart was a personalized sampler I got from Nouveau Encore. Stephanie designs these, similar to the French Alphabet charts, and does a phenomenal job. I was privileged to travel around with my mother over a ten year span. This sampler is a culmination of the different places we visited. I'm using black silk with a darker green and a wine over-dyed (not the green, pink, and yellow featured in the picture). The fabric is a 32 ct. cream evenweave.

Before......

After......a little bit more in the top border

Full chart design....

This has been a real joy to watch everyone's finishes and really get to work more on mine. I think we're all thinking this is a great idea to do once a month. I know Shelleen is planning on it, and so are some others. So, I hope to see everyone back with all their lovely labors once again!
On another note, I was thrilled to see that there is Let's Stitch TOO that does have memberships open, so I was able to join. This is a wonderful blog, guaranteed (well, almost) to make you pull your UFO's out and start finishing up some of these projects that are getting moth-eaten! Check it out - you'll be impressed. Until next time...hope all have a great day.

Weekend SAT

I know, I know, you've already seen pictures of fall in the mountains on my blog. But today is one of the most beautiful fall days we've had so far. Down here in the middle of NC we've actually had a fall season this year (or close to it, if you get picky). I didn't realize how much I liked the fall; normally I'm a child of the spring! The trees have turned later than they normally do and their beauty is awe-inspiring.
Speaking of which, one of my favorite blogs is Let's Stitch. Watching all the progress on UFO's, BAP's & everything else is inspiring to me. I don't know all of the info, but I've seen Friday Stitch-a-Thons with before and after pictures. Since their membership is full at the moment (with people waiting), I can't join them on the actual blog, so I thought I'd join along on my own. :) Also, Shelleen has invited stitchers to participate with her in a weekend long finishing spree, so I'm going to incorporate that in, too. My goals are to finish a Christmas ornie for an exchange, finish the Madeira biscornu, work on the Snowman pillow that I finished last week, stitch some signatures, and stitch on my Mom's travel sampler. Below is a picture of this sampler that I haven't touched in awhile. As you can see, I need to get busy on it. Anyone care to join in and see what you can start, stitch, or finish? Come on - it'll be fun!

Weekend Stitching and More

I have half of the biscornu from our retreat left and I got sidetracked by a cute little snowman by Val's Stuff. I'd stitched some of the border on our trip to the mountains. 10 count Tula is sooo much easier to stitch on in a car than 32 count over one. Decided to go ahead and finish this, so I'll have it in time for my friend at Christmas. She appreciates needlework and collects snowmen, so I have given her a few XS projects over the years. Think I'll finish this one on a pillow. The one that's called for appears red, but I'm thinking a cranberry one might be better.


This weekend was nice and relaxing. Hung out with friends and DS, DD & her new DH came over after church Sunday for lunch. Unbeknownst (don't you just love this word?) to my son, we'd decided to go ahead and give him Dad's truck before he graduates from college in Dec. He was just about speechless, as he thought he was coming over to help Dad wash and wax the truck. So they did a swap - pretty old truck for less old and nicer truck. Picture is my DS kissing his old truck good-by LOL. So, in essence, DH goes back to the beginning and gets his first truck back. Wonder how long he's going to be able to stand that? LOL You know how men love to upgrade! Too bad it costs money to do that.... :)

Labors of the Stitching Retreat

Where to start? It was a wonderful weekend at the Pals retreat in Myrtle Beach. Amy, the fearless leader, arranged a fabulous time for everyone, as always (thank you, Amy!). We had the opportunity to take classes with Jane Timmers of Fancy Work. She does exquisite work and had excellent tips and techniques to make things easier, quicker, prettier, and have neater work. First we put together the pinkeep which was so pretty. Then we lined the Madeira Tin, which turned out beautifully. We received the chart to stitch another sampler to match in the window, but have a temporary option if we choose. I haven't finished the biscornu yet, but hope to this week. I included a bare mini-biscornu that I threw together at the last minute just to stitch one in class.


Mary (M Designs) was once again there with her family to satisfy any stash acquisition desires with her store, Crossstitch-ville. It's amazing how much she had with her portable store. Charts of all kinds, fibers, fobs, fabric, you name it, she had it - even models stitched. Her real store is actually in Crossville, Tennessee, so if you ever get a chance to wander in that direction, don't miss the chance to stop by. She is a delight to be around and is ever so helpful. I'm sure I sound like an advertisement here, but when you interact with helpful stitching people, it's always good to pass the word on... :)

If you're interested in accessories and specialty needlework, here are some of Jane's designs that were displayed; I'm hoping to stitch some more of her work. Pictures are clickable.



The one above is Martha's Pocket - I think this is one of my most favorite designs. Love the aqua and coral colors and stitching.



Tons of stitching and tons of fun!

Early Fall Leaves in the Mountains

DH & I went on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the northernmost part of NC today, after spending the night with my brother and family. Lots of fun. Got right much stitching done in the car ride in between the less picturesque spots and taking some pictures.

The further north we went, the more colorful it became. It was a beautiful drive, though the leaves weren't peaking yet - probably in the next week or so. When I see nature's beauty like this unfold in such magnitude, I truly marvel at God's creation.

Could not work on the Madeira biscornu in the car - too darn small for me, so pulled out one I hadn't worked on in a while, which I'll make into a pillow for a friend who loves snowmen. Great to stitch on in the car, as it's 10 count Tula with Watercolours and large needle. Don't ask me how, but I lost one of the main threads (count me irritated). It must have fallen out of the car at the last stop and I didn't notice it. C'est la vie. Hope our LNS has it in stock next week. Will post pics of the progress soon.




We’re having some wedding flowers dried by a florist; as my daughter works during her working hours, she suggested we come by on Thurs. night during her stitching group. My ears immediately perked up when I heard this. Come to find out, this is a group from an old LNS (OOB) that still meets. So cool to unexpectedly find others who share this love of needlework!

Small Finish

This is the Madeira pin keep for a retreat weekend after next. Just imagine the shape of a compact and it will give you a better idea. It's done over one with Lakeside Linen and Gloriana Silks. First time I've used this particular brand of silks - very nice to work with. Next is the biscornu; then I'm off to work on my Mom's Travel Sampler (that she has asked me about recently - yikes). Looking forward to this retreat at the beach. Should be a blast and plenty of stitching!

"Wedding" Finish, Season Premieres, and Mom

Yay!! - happy dance here. I put the last stitch in "Wedding" for my DD and her DH tonight while watching the much awaited season premieres of NCIS, The Mentalist, and Without a Trace. I'm not a huge fan of too many programs, but I absolutely love NCIS with its wit and humor. I was totally impressed with the new show "The Mentalist". Engrossing and I've always loved WAT.
I'm pleased with how Wedding turned out & I hope they like it (looks like there's a shadow, but it's just the lighting). Hope to have it framed soon. I'd ordered the mats and frame before the wedding, so I'm hoping it won't take too long. Now off to stitch on the retreat pieces. :)
My DH is out of town this week, so it's just the dog, the cat, and me. It's busier than expected. I've gotten right much stitching done, and ended up taking my mom back to the dr. today - fluid build-up that started affecting her breathing. He's getting her straight, so she's feeling better. Tomorrow should definitely be easier for her. I thank God for good doctors and health personnel - just like any other profession, you never know how it'll be.

Wedding Bliss & Nostalgia

We had a wonderful dinner at a local Italian restaurant here, Biaggi's. Truly delicious food! Here's the soon-to-be couple...

At the rehearsal...

My three with their loved ones...

My DH and me...

The day dawned bright and clear and off we went for all the preparations. Hair done, make-up on, dress on...Yikes, a problem the dress, but with help, the dress was repaired and she walked down the aisle on time. We're so happy for her as she's marrying a wonderful man, whom we love. Much happiness and blessings to them both!

Bridal portrait...

My DD and me...

Three generations...

Brother and sister...

With her grandmother...

The proud dad...

The ceremony...

They're married!

The family...

The bride...

The reception...

The happy couple!

Now on to the next one... At least it's not until March and I'm the groom's mother this time. Definitely makes it easier.

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today. My oldest DD is now married, my son is engaged, and my youngest DD is nineteen for the last time today. I will have no more teenagers as of tomorrow. Feels strange as an era of my life is now over. Of course, it really changed when the last child went off to college last year. But my house seems to have changed from week to week until now. We had no children in the house except when visiting, then in May we had two again and people coming and going in and out at all times. Now, we're back to no children and this house is empty. It's not all bad, it's more adjusting to the changes in life.
On the good side, I have time to stitch once again. I'm finishing up Wedding - hope to have it in time for them when they return from their honeymoon, but I doubt the frame will be quite ready. Then I start on the Madeira Tin Project for our retreat in a month. After that, hope to get back to my mom's sadly neglected Travel Sampler, and throw in a few Christmas ornaments.
Always good to have goals.

Down to the Wire

Well, the big day is fast approaching, and we're almost ready. We've all reached the point where if it doesn't get done, than so be it. I refuse to stress this last week...well, at least only a little. :) We had something really awesome happen. My next-door neighbor came by to drop off a present and chat. Her extended family is dealing with sickness and they're going to be gone this weekend, so she offered her house to us to use for the nine extra guests we have. Normally, I'd say thanks, but no thanks, as I wouldn't want to intrude on them; but this time I'm really considering it, at least for one night for some of them. It's DD's last night at home with us and it would definitely help with the number of bathrooms needed for the wedding day. We'll see how it goes. Wasn't that sweet of her?
Still stitching on Wedding - not done yet. Hope to be soon - I've figured with the time frame now that she and her DH will receive it as a welcome back gift from the honeymoon!