Merry Christmas.....Finally

I have finally gotten around to wishing a Merry Christmas.

We had a very lovely Christmas!

Katy was home.

We ate like little piggers.

Cleaning up the leftovers in preparation for the New Year.

I finished Plum Street Samplers Merry Two.

I am putting away the Christmas projects.  

                                        

      I have moved onto Winter themed pieces .

This is reprint Prairie Schooler that will fit into the frames I used for the 

Autumn Band samplers this fall.  

I have started with the first one shown on the left.    

Started it last night and have only worked on it about a half hour today.  

I think it will be fun to stitch.  

I got a new laptop for Christmas and this is the first post with it.  

I looked at Lenovo's and HP's.

I didn't want to spend the cash for a Dell or Mac.

I have a Lenovo at work and am not that impressed with it.  

My old laptop was an HP and I had terrific good luck with it so part of the reason why I stuck with an HP.

It is much smaller and lighter than my old one so I am loving it.  

I have to get use to it since it is a little more streamlined.  

I'm exited the battery life will be longer than twenty minutes.  

That pretty much sums it up for now.

I am looking for a low key weekend.

We are planning on seeing the new Star Wars sometime.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy New Year incase I'm lazy this weekend.  

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

My Life Has Been An Onion

A few weeks ago I was lamenting about my Stress test and hoping my knee was going to hold up.

I was able to walk for my stress test I am woefully out of shape but, I blame that on that knee too.

They take images before the walking part and after the test to see how the heart looks. 

My EKG was fine during the test but, the images weren't clear.  

When I talked to my Cardiologist he wanted a more definitive answer.

I was scheduled for a Cardiac Catheterization!

Talk about Panic Attacks!  

I had it Friday.  

On Thursday, I was having monumental Panic Attacks.  

I thought I was going to pass out so, I would sit down and check my blood pressure and it would be fine.  

Then the time kept changing:  10 am then 5:20 am then back to 10 am.  

We went that morning and while prepping the nurse reassured me everything was going to be fine.

As she explained, there are three outcomes:

Door #1:  Everything is fine

Door #2:  They put in stents or do a angioplasty

Door 3#:  They take pictures and have you meet with a Cardiac Surgeon (Scream!!)

Long story short, I got Door #1......Hooray!!!

So the best Christmas Present ever!

My heart palpitations are benign and Beta Blockers would and they do help!

Hopefully we are done peeling this onion!

Still working on Christmas presents so not many pictures.  

I have been working on Plum Street Samplers Merry One.  

I first saw this a couple years ago and it was a limited edition kit but, then came out as a pattern.

It is so much fun and I love the colors.  

Had to post this ridiculous picture of Henry after rooting around in the snow.  

Waiting for a couple of packages to come in the mail.

Wrapping needs to be done.

I have mailed all my boxes out.  

Hope your weekend has been good.

Mine has been much more relaxed than the last couple of weekends.  

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

Not Much

Not able to post too much.  

Ssshhhh....I'm working on Christmas presents so I just can't show much.  

I finished WTN& T Merry Christmas.

It nearly blinded me 28 ct Laguna over one.

Ouch!

I am done with Christmas Shopping:  shopped small, then online and then in Green Bay.  

Been working on gifts all weekend along with laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping.  

I will be done my the big day.  

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Have a stupendous week!!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Frame Bonanza

Did some Christmas shopping yesterday with Arttie.  

We went to the framer to pick up her step daughter.  

The Framer, who did my His Eye is on the Sparrow is closing for a variety of reasons.  

We went in to pick up some frames and she just gave them to us or she was going to donate them. 

I did give her some money because there was alot.  

She had bought the business and the Larson Juhl parts were from the old store.  

She told me to take them all.  

Filled a container 24x16"

I'm sure I will put them to good use.  

I have used a lot of these in the past to make somewhat custom frames relatively inexpensively.  

This is a nice frame not sure what size but, it is larger 26x18 or so.  

I'll have to measure it.  

Progress on Merry Christmas from With Thy Needle and Thread.  

I am also working on some Christmas presents so I can't show those.  

Having a stress test tomorrow to make sure the heart palpitations aren't anything more than that.  

With my messed up knee I'm sure it isn't going to be too much fun.

I did take the whole day off so, I should be able to stitch in the afternoon....

after a nap :)

Hope you had a great weekend. 

The temperature is going to start to drop tomorrow night and I think winter may be on us.

It has been a very beautiful and mild weekend.  

Have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Do You Want Some Cheese With That Wine?

Things have been just not going my way the last few weeks...thus haven't posted.

I'm going to whine a little, maybe I need some cheese to go with that.  

Had the Stitching Bee retreat two weeks ago and had a really great time!

We went to Green Bay the night before to get some extra shopping in.  

But, I'm fat and have bad knees.  

My knee replacement knee always lets me know it is there and doesn't like stairs.

We stayed at a hotel that didn't have an elevator so had to haul my suitcase and gear up stairs to the second floor.  

The stairs weren't that bad, they weren't steep.  

Didn't run into stair issues until the retreat venue.

Our condo was on a floor that when you got to a part in the hall there were 4 very steep stairs we had to go up and down every time we left the room.

The floor the conference room was on had the same thing.  

I wasn't the only one struggling.  

Where is whine is going is, my knee has been messed up every since.  

I doesn't help that there is no way to not be on it.  

After we got home, I came down with a virus.  

I thought that maybe I had the influenza flu...body aches, low grade fever but, not really sick enough.

Started Monday afternoon and by Friday I was starting to feel better.  

Saturday was a whole different ball game.  

Sunday at the walk-in clinic thinking I have pneumonia...tight chest, fever back, fatigued, headache, generally feeling like poop again.    

The NP started my on a Z pac. 

Finally starting to feel better.  

Some of my yarn buys:  

Almost feels like an alpaca mohair.  

Rowan Thick and Thin and some self stripping sock yarn.  

My little spot at the retreat table.  

I was working on WTN&T Schoolhouse Sampler Series

I have put it aside for Christmas projects.  

Back of my car packed ready to head home.  

Arttie and my stuff.

Patty's stuff in the back seat since she got dropped off first.  

Finished a FREEBIE from Plum Street Samplers, last year. 

I changed the colors from DMC to overdyes. 

Did it on some linen Arttie got this summer at a sell out.  

It is not a true even weave, 30 ct going one way and 32 the other.  

I dyed the fabric with some very diluted Tan Rit dye.  

Coffee would have worked too.  

Finished an infinite scarf out of Mini Mochi and Mohair.  

It turned out much better than the picture.  

Too bad Crystal Palace isn't making the Mochi's anymore.  

Finally, working on Merry Christmas from WTN&T.

It is on 28 count over over one.  

Have Santa's suit nearly done.  

We did have a very nice Thanksgiving.  

Katy was able to come home and had friday off as a holiday too.  

We did some small shopping on Friday and big box on Saturday for Christmas decorations

Needs some new lights and picked up some nice pine cone garland.  

Ed had Thanksgiving off too so they got to spend time together.  

He normally works 4 to midnight and sleeps until noon.  

He is going to stay with her next weekend and do some exploring.  

I am feeling better. the knee....well, trying to work on getting that better.  

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving

Have a great week.

Keep on Stitching.  

Monica

Autumn Band Sampler

Went bumming yesterday with Arttie and her step daughter.  

We first went to a craft show and I did some Christmas shopping.  

Next stop was Rainbow Yarn and Gifts.  

Sophie the yarn store dog has her spot....she is the sweetest thing.

Did some Christmas shopping there too.  

Finished the Prairie Schooler Autumn Band Samplers and framed them.  

I have more PS samplers that will fit in these frames so they will be used for other seasons.  

I pop a lot of things in and out of frames especially the seasonal pieces.  

And finally, I got my pumpkins done this week.  

This is before the jute twine was glued on the handles.  

I changed my mind a couple of times with the fabric.  

I am really happy with the ultimate selection.  

Just has been a busy, crafty weekend.  

Hope you had a great weekend. 

Keep on Stitching.....Dinner is ready.

Monica

Thankful Give Away

Check out the wonderful giveaway from Nancy. Here is the link:  Thankfulness at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Keep on Stitching
Monica