Sampler September

Kitten Stitcher -  Shakespeare's Peddler had a sale on Samplers.  

I found two I really liked and since they were older they weren't too much.  

First, the sticker on the package, one of her cats.  

I love Adam and Eve samplers!

I especially like the funky building on the lower half.  

I love all the animals and the and the litter on the bottom right.  

I got this one because I fell in love with the border and the sheep.  

I think I'm going to start Hannah Pepper from a while ago.  

It maybe one of the first reproductions samplers I wanted to do.  

I pulled the DMC colors and didn't like the colors that much.  

I prefer more subdued colors as the antique ones would look like 

Its a lovely sampler

I decided to use some VMSS overdyes .

There is a problem with that.  

I really need a lot of the green and the VMSS skeins are large

But, I need another one and another one of the yellows.

I contacted them and out of luck.  

They don't have any of the green and they thought they had the custard pudding but, had four customers come in to pick up supplies and can't what they had. 
I think I could use Weeks Juniper and I actually may have enough custard pudding. 
I may be able to fool around with some of the other colors and make it all work.
Just a little frustrating. 

The colors will be pretty and just what one of the girls would have done.  

Bob got sawdust in his eye while putting some panelling up in his shed. 

He stopped at the emergency room on the way home but has a miserable coroneal abrasion and his eye is swollen shut.  

He might not be able to work tomorrow.  

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  

Keep on Stitching

Monica

The Fugitive

Our Hero.....Henry Ford.

After the 10:43 pm snack, the boys went outside before bed.

Henry just went crazy.

I figured Buster was on the wrong side of the fence.

He had gotten out earlier last night and we thought we had found his hole....WRONG!

We had to go out and look for him, in the dark. 

Fortunately, he was just across the alley.

Back on the jug....an empty plastic milk jug tied with six feet of rope to a carobine hooked to his collar.  He can escape but the jug stops him.

Bob came up with that...genius!

After the capture last night.  

The milk jug at the point of escape.  

The nail in the fence board was gone and he could push it aside and escape. 

Caught on the other side.  He can't get to the alley so he can't get run over.  

I would be incredibly upset and heartbroken if something happened to this criminal!

No more escapes.....for now!

And now an update on Sarah Braizear.

Sorry about the winkles.  

I was going to iron it but, just ran out of time.  

I was going to post yesterday but, my photos didn't make it Google until today.  

 I am putting it away for the time to work on Christmas presents.  

 The verse was a bugger and took me several days.  

It is not easy to stitch over one on 40 count!

I thought I would just do a tent stitch but did a full cross.  

I'm glad I made it.  

 That deer has crazy eyes  

I made a shopping expedition to Green Bay.  

I needed underwear.  

Of course no trip can go by without a stop at the Stitching Bee.

I had a copy of Plum Street Samplers Autumn Saltboxes...missed the picture of that.  

Black Bird Designs is re-releasing some out of print patterns  

They will be releasing Easter Parade again.  

So I picked up these.  

Love Pumpkin Farm and should be working on it now.  

 Love the sampler motifs on this one.  

 This would be good as a springtime stitch  

 Chessie and Me Rose and Crown Sampler.  

 There is an exchange planned for the retreat.  

It has to be under four inches.  

I picked this up for that purpose.  

I have some quilt fabric to finish it into a pinkeep.  

Thinking about a Sampler for Sampler September.  

Working on narrowing it down.  

Hope you had a great weekend.  

I got a lot done but, never enough time to stitch.  

Have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

Working on Finishes and Organization

I took Tuesday off last week to work on some projects and a day off just sounded like a good idea.

I loaded up  Vonna Pfeiffer the Twisted Stitcher Floss tube episode Finishing a Pin Drum.

I had tried last summer to finish one and wasn't satisfied with the results.  

I took it apart and started it over.  

I am a lot happier with it but, think I may put some little something:  crochet lace, homespun, buttons to jazz up the top a little more.  

It did take me a lot longer than what Vonna said....first time.  

Also finished the Black Bird Design Christmas Drum.  

I made it a little deeper than what the pattern showed, mostly because I wanted the weight.  

I may put something around the top of this too, just not sure.  

I started re-organized some of my cross stitch stuff.  

I wanted to file my patterns....at least some of them.  

I will probably continue to keep the Christmas patterns seperate.  

I decided to organize by designer.  

I have done this before but, I have a lot more charts than I did 15-20 years ago.  

I don't know that it will be as much fun rifling through but, it is organized. 

While digging through the file folders and cleaning out some of the old stuff, I found this.

Katy drew this in 1998, she was 4 or 5.  

Its called Katy and Her Angel.  

It is so darn cute, it stayed in the file.  

I love the big pink bow in Katy's hair and how they are holding hands.  

I've been working on the verse on Sarah Braizear and let me tell you it has been a bugger.  

I'm working on 40 count and the verse is over one.  

It is incrediably slow going.  

After I finish that, I think I'm going to work on Autumn at Hawk Run and finish that.  

I'm a seasonal stitcher, so I like stitching the for the season.  

While working on these projects, I've been listing to a podcast.

Its been my first podcast, The Black Tapes, supernatural horror genre.

I finished it today.  

I have more podcasts queued up to listen too.

Great thing to do while doing all the hand sewing. 

Hope you had a great weekend.

I love three day weekends...still went to fast!

Have a great week.  

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Don’t Think I Will Make It

I don't know that I'm going to finish the Stitch Nine Challenge.  

My projgects are way too large.

If I do this again, I will pick much smaller projects.

It is getting close to Christmas and I need to get started on gifts.  

There just isn't enough time in the day for stitching.  

I got the thread I need for presents and then I couldn't find the ones I had put aside that I had.  

I tore up my sewing room and baskets by ny stitching chair looking for it.  

After looking in places two or three times, I sat down being aggravated.  

I looked across the room and had the bag pinned to the bulletin board.  

I got the second installment of the Girls ABC Sampler Club from Country Sampler in Spring Green.  

I haven't even started on the first one.  

It  came packaged so cute.  

Love the pattern from Samplers Not Forgotten.  

The threads are beautiful and its on 36 count Navy Bean.  

Who doesn't love a red house?!

I'm going to really enjoy this one.  

I did finish the La D Da Tiny Sampler.  

I think I will finish this as a pinkeep.  

I am nearly done with the other vase on the side holding up the arch.  

I may work on the deer next that is in the center of the area.  

I think that will be the best.  

I was out watering with Miracle Grow and snapped a picture of my Black Eyed Susans.  

These are the best they have ever been.  

I have been listening to a Pod cast that Arttie told me about and then Katy told me she had listened to it and loved it. 

It is called The Black Tapes and has a paranormal bent to it.  

Lots of plot twists and turns.

I have been really enjoying it.  

I listened to it while I was looking for my supplies and then when I watered.  

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

I can't believe how fast the summer has gone.  

I am starting to think about fall and bought some fall scented candles.  

I wish the fall colors lasted longer than they do.  

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching   !

Monica

Girls Weekend

I really didn't take any pictures take is year of College girls weekend.  

Everyone else was taking pictures so I just didn't think I needed to take more. 

Shopping, talking, eating not much drinking....all getting too old for those shenanigans.  

We did have an interesting dinner on Saturday.  

We went to the Big Easel in Wabeno, WI

Wabeno is a tiny, tiny town but must have an artist colony.  

Sideline:  There is a bar called the bottoms up where the Old Style beer sign in front is hung upside down..."bottoms up."

There have these dinners a couple times a month with a theme and you need reservations.

The last one was a New Orleans theme.  

This week was Beef and Reef.

We started with a Lobster Bisque, then Kobe sliders with boubon carmelized onions.

Then there was Garlic Butter Cream Langostino Lobster with Pasta.  

Then there was Dungeness Crab with drawn butter.

Followed by Steak au Poiver, Roman Beans with a Teriyaki reduction and Bistro Potatoes.

Macaroons for dessert. 

There was a violinist entertaining

It was delicious

We shared our large table with a group of three.  

The lady had gone to Woodstock and we talked about that.

Fun evening. 

I worked on my Little Sampler from La D Da.  

I am nearly finished.  

Maybe I will finish it this weekend. 

Some updates of  Sarah Braizear.  

Getting ready to start the other support of the arch.  

Not the best lighting.  

It was a lovely weekend and special to get together with old friends. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  

Back to work tomorrow. 

I took today off to recover and catch up.  

I am suffering from a massive amount of bug bites.  

Either I had gotten attacked loading my car up to come home or they got in while I was packing up the car.  

I am miserable!

Got a new tube of Cortizone with Aloe vera.  

Still itching!  UGH!!

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

The Boys

We all went to the groomers on Thursday.  

I had a cut and color.  

The Boys got all trimmed up and bathed.  

I really like their groomer.  

The last groomer couldn't deal with Henry and I was never sure if she was mad at me for some reason  

I fired her after she cancelled an appointment for Buster with no reason.  

Because I was never sure what kind of a mood she was in.  

The new groomer does a wonderful job and seems like she really likes the dogs.  

Henry looks super fantastic. 

He has beautiful eyes. 

I especially like Buster with short ears and his fluffy tail!

Henry loves the bears.  

This morning I was able to catch a snap of him protecting the bear.  

He often sleeps this way but, when I got take a picture, he jumps up.  

Finished a tree and started on a bird on Sarah.  Thinks are moving swell.  

I really don't think its going to be finished for some time. 

I'm getting an itch to start something completely different.  

I am also waiting for supplies for the Christmas project.  

This really is a monumental project.  

I always swear I'm never working on anything this large.  

Next weekend is the college girls weekend.  

Working on collecting projects to share.  

They kind of are a craft challenged group.  

Jan will bring a project or two for everyone.  

Next year I will probably just no worry about it.  

It is a lot of time and money.  

I spend $90 on stuff for projects. 

I would much prefer to spend it on cross stitch....LOL

Beautiful weekend here and got a lot done.  

Hope you had a great weekend and have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

Update on Sarah

I have been diligently working on Sarah Braizear.

It is a large piece incase you didn't know. 

I'm working on that section above the arch support on the left  

I'm nearly done with the peacock and then below that are some flowers.  

I still have all the satin stitching around the border but, saving that for last.  

The peacock, working on his legs and then the satin stitch in the tail. 

It is difficult to see the light floss on the fabric.  

Had to show a close up of the vase holding the arch because I think it looks spectacular!

My sewing machines are fixed and went to pick them up yesterday.  

The Singer Athena will die when the bobbin winder bites the dust.  

The bobbin is wound in the bobbin case and the repair guy warned me this is the first thing to happen.  

If it does, it is not repairable.  

The New Home is a champ and will work for a long time.  

I brought a little project so Bob could walk around Cabelas. 
It is one of my Stitch 9 challenge projects.

It is a freebie from La D Da called Tiny Sampler.  

I think when I ordered something, it was sent to me.  

It is a great travel project.  

It breaks my heart to have more mass shootings.  

This needs to be addressed as a nation.  

I believe in gun control, background checks and resources for mental health.  

Adversarial commentary doesn't help the situation.  

White suppremists, terrorists are not "Fine people."

Have a peaceful, safe week!

Monica