A Conundrum

I now have a conundrum....what to work on.  

I have several projects started but, feel a need to start something brand new New Years day.

Then, if that's the case, what to start.  

I think I have it down to Mary Miller a SAL through Country Sampler.  

I may just change my mind by then.  

I finished Chessie and Me Christmas Blessings and started Be Merry Pyn Pillow

Wanted to get a picture taken and Buster was on my lap.  

I propped it on him and snapped thus, not the best picture.  

One of the saddest sights of the Holidays.  

The Brach's nugets are nearly gone.

I prefer the peppermint.  

They had bags of a peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen and cinnamon mix.

I threatened death to anyone who ate the peppermint.  

Bob liked the green ones...I did not.    

The cinnamon ones weren't bad

Yesterday, Bob collected all the Kong bears and placed them around Buster.  

He didn't move for about two hours.  

He's going to be eleven.  

Nothing seems to bother him.  

I started an instagram account #thehooplessstitcher.  

I'm trying to post a picture daily of progress whether anyone is interested or not.  

I have nine followers as of today....building up fast.  

Started a knitting project a scarf/wrap.  

I'm use to following written directions.  

This project is a graphed pattern.  

And they expect you to read the graph L to R on odd rows and R to L on even rows.

Wow...insert exploding head meme.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Ours was great!

I loved having the kids home.  

New Years will be quiet.  

I plan on stitching and knitting.  

Weather update.....Its been screwy!!!!

Warm, foggy, rainy, changing tonight and 7-11 inches predicted heavy, wet snow, making the commutes tomorrow yucky!

Bob may take me and pick me up in the big, blue pick-up truck.  

May just have him do that.

Have a great week!

Happy New Year!!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Merry Christmas

We have had a wonderful Christmas and cooking up a storm!

Last night we made a Beef Short Rib Ragu and Homemade Fettuccine.  

I got the dough made and my two assistants Katy and Steve.  

The KitchenAid makes it so easy.  

Have the Pasta Maker so it goes fast.  

 They took turns running the dough through the pasta maker and cutting the pasta. 
Made this Ragu before from Giada De Laurentis and its the bomb!

We had Christmas early this afternoon because my Mother in Law is in bed by 5-6 pm.  

We had Beef Wellington with a Mushroom Sherry sauce, Green Beans with Toasted Almonds, Homemade Butter Horns (from my Aunt Helen) and Cherry Cheesecake.  I think I'm stuffed!

I can now show my Christmas presents for the Stitching group and I made one for my sister and Katy. 

I think they turned out great!

This one is the one I made for Katy.

I mixed and match and changed colors.  

I love the Winter one, with the reindeer. 

I think it was the fastest to finish.  

I am pretty pleased with the pompom aroud the coutisde.  

These were the ones for the stitching group.  

I did them over one on 28 count Lugana.  

The pattern was done on larger fabric.  

I wanted it small so I could mount it on these caddy's since they were only about 2-2 1/2 inches high.  

I really like the pompom finish.  

This is the one for my sister.  I used chennile to finish the edges.  

I think I like the pom pom better.  

Then as true to form, Buster likes to sleep under the tree.  

I think it is so cute when he does this!

Started working on Chessie and Me Christmas Blessings.  

The deer is over one and I'm doing it on 40 count PTP Legacy.  

Am I trying to go blind?

It has been a wonderful Christmas. 

Love have the kids home!

Life flies by too fast!!

On more day off then back to the grind.  

I did get my Uffindel Sisters on Monday.  

So super excited!!!

I think I would like to to get the silks for it.....maybe some day!

Weather has been crazy!  

Its 35 and foggy.  

Ruining the snow at the ski hill.  Not good!  Really not good for the next week. 

We all complain its either too cold or like this.  

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Christmas Blew Up In My Sewing Room

I straighten up the sewing room, I mess it up.  

Its a vicious cycle  

Ten days from Christmas and its really a disaster!

I got the project I made for my sister, finished and mailed on Thursday.  

Today, I got the Stitching group's done and wrapped.  

I have to finish one I'm making for Katy.

I'm hoping I'll have it done but, I'm running out of time.

(Heavy sigh)

Then, I started wrapping Christmas presents.  

I have a card table set up, watch some Netflix Christmas movies and go to it.  

I have to move piles around.  

I'll probably work on the room New Years.  

The real problem is, the room just really isn't big enough.  

Bob said today, we could knock down the wall to the other bedroom

"Then we'd have a one bedroom house and a heck of a sewing room."

We could go out the back wall but, I don't think he really means it.  

It isn't any better looking in the other direction!

I always figure I have to show something stitching related.  

I'll post the finished projects after Christmas.  

Sassy Jacks had a sale on clearance items a week or two ago.  

I thought Esther Benson 1739 from Hands Across the Sea  was incredible.  

I've said before, I'm such a fan of Adam and Eve.  

There is a dandy pair on this one.  

They have chunky butts.  

It always amazes me how young these girls were so skilled.  

The really charming thing about this one (besides the rather large butts) 

is the sun and the moon

I think it reflects the girl's age and is amazing.  

I love the stars too.  

In the package from Sassy Jacks was a John James size 26 needle, a sticker for documenting on the back of a finished piece and a corner measurer.

Have a few more packages to wrap.

That's all I have for now.  

Got to get back to work.  

Ohhhh, Ohh, before I forget.  

We had another 8 inches of snow....for get this....a total of 22-23 inches already.  

We are missing this current storm boiling through the middle of the country.  

Hope all are safe.  

Now that does it!

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

Feverishly Working But, I Have Some New Stuff

I have been feverishly working on Christmas presents and will be able to post in the future.

I am hoping to be able to start on new things.  

Don't exactly know yet, maybe something I just got.  

I did finish Scarlet House Pumpkins and Bittersweet. 
I worked on it at my Stitching group since I very well couldn't work on their gifts!

I started another Autumn one I had in my bag but will likely put it away until next fall.  

 After I saw the latest Chessie and Me Christmas designs, I had Kendra at the Stitching Bee get them for me.  

We stopped on Thursday when we were in Green Bay for Christmas shopping,  

Chessie and Me is in my  top ten designers....I probably have more than ten on the list in reality .  

Kind of reminds me of the BBD Bells on Christmas Morning I just got back from the framers.  

 This may be a do-able finish for Christmas.  

 This too will be a quick stitch too.  

 

The sampler was stitched in silks.  

The smaller ones in some Crescent Colors

I will probably work on converting everything to the same colors.  

 

I got the last of the Plum Street Sampler Saltboxes.  

Just wait until you see mine finished.  

There is a lot of stitching in these over one.  

Anyone who knows a website or floss tube with a good tutorial on the sewing method of stitching over one, please let me know.  

I tried to find one but, everything I found is the stab method and that's what I do now

 We did get nearly all our Christmas shopping done on Thursday.  

I just had to order an outfit for my MIL.  

Ticking off the Christmas list.  

A few things have fallen along the wayside:  Christmas cookies and most the cards.  

Hope your weekend was wonderful.  

As usual not enough time to stitch... a few hours.  

Thanks for stopping.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

I Thought I Might Be Able to Relax.....A Little

It has been a busy weekend.  

Thanksgiving was very good.  

We eat early because it is easier for my Mother in Law.  

She is at an Assisted Living and usually is in bed by 6 pm.  

They get her ready for bed before supper otherwise she goes to bed and won't get up to change into her jammies.  

We put up the Christmas Tree Thanksgiving night while I had help with it.  

I finished decorating it on Friday, did my weakly cleaning and grocery shopped because the weather was predicted to be bad this weekend.  

Then all weekend, my sister and I talked about shore excursions  for when we go on the Stitcher's Escape UK cruise.  

That was complicated because we can't both be on the website at the same time.  

We have the same reservation number.  

I also scheduled my flight.  

I'm flying nonstop from Chicago.  

Bob will get me to Milwaukee, then Katy will get me to the shuttle and the shuttle will get me to O'Hare.  

This seemed like the best option because if there was a long enough layover to get from one gate to the next, I would have had two stops before getting to Amsterdam....that was flying out of Milwaukee or Green Bay.  

And then Bob decided to start cleaning the basement on Friday and that just complicated things more.  

We had a snowstorm on Tuesday through Wednesday about 5-6" of wet heavy snow.  

A lot of areas were without power.  

Ed came here to shower and have supper since he lost power.  

He got it back about 8 pm so he didn't have to spend the night  

It did make for messing roads and parking lots.  

Saturday, Arttie, her step daughter and I went to lunch and did some Small Business shopping.  

The city parking lots were atrocious.  

The city had plowed a little but didn't come back through a second time to clean it up so it all froze.  

Then the business owners didn't shovel paths from the road to the sidewalks, so that was dangerous.  

Picked up a few little Christmas presents.  

Last night, it started snowing again.  

By the time if finished today, we got 14" of snow

FOURTEEN INCHES OF SNOW!!!!

Bob had to blow snow twice.  

on

 My back raised flower bed it about 20" high and its buried.  

Made Turkey Tortellini soup and homemade bread for dinner.  

It all turned out pretty good.  

I did get some stitching done inbetween loads of wash.  

I haven't taken any pictures of what I'm working on.  

I started my sisters and she reads this blog....Top Secret.  

I put some Christmas smalls in a wooden bowl and placed it on the fireplace hearth.  

They look so cute.  

I am hoping to finish Christmas presents soon so I can work on something else.  

I plan on finished Sarah Braizear in the new year.  

Back to work tomorrow. 

There is never enough weekend! even when its a four day.

Hope the weather wasn't too bad where you are.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

So Excited!

I'm SOOO Excited!!

Nicola Parkman, Hands Across the Sea designs has announced she is releasing independently the Uffendel Sisters Samplers.  

This is not the Limited edition initially released.  

The sister were together in the limited edition pattern.  

There are some differences in the set up of the background information, the designs are the same.  

I just want to be able to stitch them because I fell in love with them but, was too late to the dance.  

I had tried calling several shops that I knew carried her designs at that time but, to no avail!

It was very sad.  

Now happy dance because they will be in my hot little hands possibly by Christmas.  

They may come with me on the Stitcher's Escape Cruise this summer.  

So when Theresa Verette, Kitten Stitcher was on floss tube talking about the Uffendel's and that her design Jane Philpott has a sister sampler that Theresa owns, I figured I better get that pattern...,just in case she decides to reproduce the sister.  

I also love it because it is an Adam and Eve sampler and let me tell you the Adam and Eve are unique.  

My friend Arttie has a cottage business.  

She quilts.

She makes quilt samples that you see in catalogues for specific manufactures.

She also will quilt for hire...tee shirt quilts and other memory quilts among other quilts.  

She has decided to expand to finishing cross stitch.  

She asked me if I had anything she could practice.  

I also taught her how to make cording.  

I had a couple of smalls.  

I decided to do last years Little House Needleworks in a bell pull so I'm starting those over

Some day

The smalls turned out cute. 

Lizzie Kate December is a flat fold.  

They all turned out very cute. 

Buster's Who Foot

And totally sacked out on the back of the couch. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I've been diligently working on Christmas presents. 
We will see how much snow we get this week.  Bob said a foot. 
I think Thanksgviving night we may just put up the tree, get the lights and the beads on. 

Have a wonderfule Thanksgiving.  Safe travels and hopefully the weather won't be bad where you are. 

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

THRILLED!!!!

I took my Blackbird Designs:  The Bells on Christmas Day and Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring to the Stitching Bee for framing.  

Kendra's husband, Don does the framing.  

Our local framer went out of business a couple of years ago not too long after I got back

His Eye is on the Sparrow.  

If you ask me, framing is kind of a leap of faith.  

I wasn't sure about the color of the frame.  

I usually prefer wood stain but, we picked out a painted wood frame for the pieces, the same color since it looked good with both.  

I got an email from Kendra on Friday about what a wonderful stitcher I am.  

I got them back yesterday and I have to say....

I AM SO THRILLED WITH HOW THEY TURNED OUT!!!!

I had to post to show you all because I'm so excited!

 Above is The Bells on Christmas Day.  

It really doesn't look all that Christmas-y so I think it can stay up all year.  

I need to decide where I'm going to hang it.  

I am so glad I took them to the Bee for framing!

It is a wonderful job!

Just had to share!

Have a great day

Keep on Stitching.  

Monica

Busy, Busy

It has been busy.

Last weekend, Bob's brother Steve was here to visit with their mom.

I really didn't have time to blog.  

He left on Tuesday.  

On Thursday, Bob got a call from Assisted Living that she was not feeling well and her pulse oxygen level was 68...normal is 90 or more.  

He took her to the ED.  

She probably had a small heart attack but, was also in Atrial fibrillation. 

The doctors were able to correct it with medication and kept her over night.  

She went home the following day and doing much better.  

I stopped and saw her yesterday since, Bob went t camp.  

She was the most lucid she had been in years.  

Bob saw her today and I guess she wasn't as good today.  

She is 90, going to be 91 in February.  

She does have a lot of partially blocked arteries.  

She doesn't want to have surgery, and her age doesn't warrant it  

Her younger sister had the surgery, and didn't survive.  

I finished a cowl this week with some yarn I got last spring called Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.  

I have made two other ones:  one for my sister and the other for Katy.  

This one is for me.

I love it!

 I have shown you some of these.  

Plum Street Sampler Saltboxes

I'm doing them on 28 count luagana over one.  

 I have changed some of the colors for various reasons.  

These are going to be for Christmas.  

 I made a mistake on the one I'm working on right now.  

I used the wrong color, they were right next to each other  

It is really difficult to rip the thread out.   

I'll post the finished product after they are given away.  

I am ready to be done with these and move on to seasonal things.  

I can't believe how fast the fall is going.  

It won't be long after Thanksgiving to Christmas.

I bought the turkey and some of the other supplies for Thanksgiving this weekend.

Next weekend, I will be really organized and get the remaining supplies.  

It will be a quiet holiday.  

We'll eat early because it is a lot easier for my mother in law. 

I like being able to have the rest of the day to chill.  

Weather is a little more seasonal.  

We had a couple of weeks of weather that was more like January rather than November.  

Hope you had a good weekend.  

Have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

And I Won!!!!

While I'm on my exercise bike I watch Floss Tube.

A few weeks ago, I was watching Theresa The Kitten Stitcher.  

Her question to win some prim patterns was "What was your favorite Halloween costume."

I answered the Tooth Fairy.  

I dressed as that when I was the Activity/Rehab Director at a nursing home.  

I passed out Hersey Kisses and called them fillings (because they kind of look like that).  

I was at the retreat and checked my email and found out I had won!

SO EXCITING!!

This is what I won.  

I have never seen anything from this designer so I am super stoked!

I am very grateful for winning.  

 Close up of the patterns  

It will be a fun quick stitch.  

 I may convert to overdyes and do it on some 54 count linen since the patterns look simple.  

 Stopped to pick up knitting needles for the shawl project I posted last week.  

I probably won't start until after the holidays

She has some classes this week and these little knitted snowmen are Wednesday.

The stitching group signed up for it so we will do that instead of meeting.  

 I saw people talking about this kit offered by the Country Sampler in Spring Green by 

NeedleWorkPress:  Sarah Stewart Hardman that was converted to more antique colors and linen.  

 The threads are overdyes:  Crescent Colors and Gentle Arts

The Fabric is Mocha.

I am absolutely in love with this conversion.  

 I picked up this kit when we were at the Country Sampler in April  

Even though it isn't a Christmas pattern, it still looks Christmas-y

I may go back to the Little House Christmas monthly from last year.  

I started it but, then after I saw it done as a bell pull, I stopped and got the fabric to do it that way.  

Either way, none of it will be done by Christmas.  

I am still working on Christmas presents and 2/6 are done.  

It is definitely getting colder here and there may be some snow in the forecast.  

Started watching the Hallmark Christmas movies this weekend and have enjoyed every minute.  

Makes me want to start decorating but, not until after Thanksgiving.  

Got to get some of my Turkeys out.  

Hope you had a wonderful week and weekend.  

Thanks for stopping!

Keep on Stitching!!

Monica

2019 Stitching Bee Retreat

Arttie and I went to the 2019 Stitching Bee Retreat this past weekend

It was at Rowleys Bay Resort, can click on the link with the name.  

It is really something else.  

Arttie feels like she is stepping into the Inn in White Christmas.  

It is a quirky place....I love it!

Our room had two queens and a table and chairs.

The beds were very comfortable.  

Needs some decorating help but, that honestly is part of the charm.  

We actually stayed in Green Bay on Thursday night to get the Mall shopping done:  

Joann Fabric and Yankee Candle.  

We stopped and did some shopping on the way to the Resort.  

The first place we stopped was the Silver Thimble:  Quilt and Yarn.

There was also a shop hop going on this weekend so we got some deals.  

They had some wool pieces for penny quilts but, it would work great for finishing some pin pillows and they were only 60 cents a square.  

I picked up some yarn too.  

I found a really cool shawl pattern to use the Berroco Sesame.

The base of the yarn is blue but, then a variety of other colors:  green, turqoise, orange, peach, red and purple.  

Picture of the shawl.  

I think it will be fun and it might be a great thing to bring on the cruise.

I have no idea if it will be hot or cool or what but, will go with anything.  

I started working on The Scarlett House Pumpkins and Bittersweet.  

I started it at Stitching Group on Wednesday.  

This is how far I got.  

I plan to make a pin keep out of it.  

There was a smalls exchange and I thought I had taken pictures of it and I forgot.  

I must have just been too excited about retreat.  

 Finished it as a top to a wooden playing card box.  

I put a small pincushion on the inside and a bee's waxer in the shape of a bee.  

This is what I drew.  

It was very nicely stitched and finished.  

Also in the picture is a small pincushion and a scissor fob that is measured out in inches   

These patterns came in the door prize bags.  

More goodies in the door prize bag, including some handmade cards.  

There are always a get to know  you game.  

These patterns were in a folder.  

There was a sticker on the back of the folder and then you had to find your partner and talk to that person for a few minutes.  

Its always interesting. 

These items were in the greeting bag.  

A Prairie Schooler card, a thread holder from Fern Ridge. 

Arttie made everyone a laynard and the Blue Pompom with eyes is called a Little Fit.  

There was a little poem explaining it but in the nutshell, if you aggravated, you can throw a Little Fit.  It maybe something good to make my co-workers.  

Kendra always has a store set up with patterns, kits, tools etc  

I pickedup Sally Stansfield from  Hands Across the Sea

L. Genders 1875 from Brenda Gervais....a red sampler.  

Following the rules from Brenda and the Serial Starter.  

 A pincussion kit from Samplers Remembered.  

'

It was a great weekend.  

We sat with a different group of ladies this year.  

We always try to do that.  

They were so much fun.  

May just have to sit with them next year.  

They are a stitching group called the Loose Ends.  

I took today off to catch up on laundry and sleep.  

Looking forward to next year.  

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  

Some more surprises coming.  

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching!!

Monica