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