It’s a Conundrum

I finished my second finish and third of the #stitch9challenge

Why did I decide to do this?

In a previous post, I talked about stitching ADHD when I change my mind and do something different.  

This is where there is a conundrum:  torn between what I have committed to do and what I really want to do.

UGH!!

So glad I didn't do Stitch Maynia!

I finished my BBD Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.  

I posted it on Instagram and BBD FB page.   

I also finished my third challenge piece.  

It was a quicky and maybe this weekend I will finish it completely.

It is from Brenda Gervais:  I Rest Thy Needle and there is a fancy little clamp box.  

I have the box but, not the color she used.  

So now more conundrum.

I started Chessie and Me Strawberry Alphabet.  

I should show the picture on the pattern.  

It is set in the sweetest little tray.  

I have ordered it twice from the Attic and I don't know if they lose the order or it takes forever.  

I have given up on them.

When you go to the website where the pattern. comes from, but all there is  are stitching frames!?

Whats up with that.

Don't know how I will finish it.

Then I realized, it wasn't one of the projects I picked for the challenge.

If I'm not going to work on a challenge piece there is something else I want to do. 

Now the conundrum is what to work on.  

I'm thinking I may work on Hawk run since I think I could finish it in a few weeks.  

They go fast!

Bob and I spent much of the day doing yard work. 
I had about 18 plants that needed to get planted, a Henry Hole that needed to be filled in before I moved two perennials that were in too much shade.  

Got that all done and I'm pooped!

My lilacs started blooming this week.  

I brought some in the house and the scent is heavenly!!

That about wraps it up for this week.  

Hope your weekend was great!

Have a wonderful week.  

Keep on Stitching!!

Monica

The Weekend Flew

The weekend just flew by  

It was really busy!

I had taken Friday off too to get ready for company  

Katy and her boyfriend stayed here.  

Took this goofy, fun picture to send to Bob's brother and family who were here.

We had plenty of food but, they didn't want to impose.  

They stayed at a hotel and were up to see their mom in assisted living.  

I get a kick out of this picture.

My husband has on his hipster hat since he is drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon.  

When we went on the History of Beer tour, we found out that hipsters save PBR.  

They don't advertise because then hipsters wouldn't drink it.  

It was a super busy weekend.  

We had Bob's mom for lunch on Saturday. 

She is 90 and getting more confused.  

Lunch seems to work better than dinner with the confusion.  

She usually eats at the facility about 5 pm and then goes to bed.  

There was a lot of cooking all weekend.  

We also went to Home Depot yesterday for flowers.

I got one pot planted yesterday but, then everyone came for dinner.  

I got some more done this morning but, about 11:00 this morning it started to rain.  

It has been raining ever since and predicted to rain until 2 am.  i

We were fortunate though to have too really nice days:  Saturday and Sunday.  

I am so close to finishing BBD Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.  

Katy went on and on how much she likes this one.  

"I love all the alphabets and the color of the house!" she said.  

I told her I was going to hang it in my house then once she got a house and was ready for it, if she still wanted it, it will be hers.  

They will probably be others she will try and talk me out of.....LOL!

Close up of the latest area I've been working on.  

Once I get done with the motifs, I have to put the different initials on.

 I think I will put on the kids, Bob, me and our parents.  

Have a super busy week. 

Last week was super busy too since I took Friday off.  

Things are usually crazy when you try to pack things into a week that is short a day.  

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and the weather was good where you are. 

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

Indigo Buntings

We have had a lot of action at our bird feeders  

We have had the usual blackbirds, starlings, mourning doves, blue jays, chickadees but, we have had some other guests.  

We have had three Indigo Buntings at the feeders.  

If you click on the picture you should be able to see the one on the feeder. 

They are very bashful and will fly off if I try to get closer. 

We have also had Gold Finches and a female Cardinal.

These birds just stop for a short time before going deeper into the woods. 

We'll get Gold Finches again late summer when they are migrating south.  

I've seen hummingbirds but, I haven't had luck with feeders.  

I usually get them in late summer when they feed at my petunias.   

Buster was helping me stitch this morning while we watched the talking heads.  

Update on Merrily....sorry about the winkles.  

The whole thing!

I'm about half way done with the motifs.  

Was cleaning up my sewing room today.  

We have company coming next weekend.

Not everyone is staying here but, never know what is going to happen.  

While I was doing that, took a look at my Stitch9challenge projects.  

I need to check to see what the due date is on that.  

Don't know if I will finish them all.  

I keep wanting to start other projects.  

It is just too much to handle monogamy.....LOL!

Horrible weather all over this weekend.  

We are on the cold side of the front, never got above 45 and it has been raining.  

I also have a head cold.  

Good weekend to get it, I should be recovered in time for company!

Hope you had a productive, safe weekend.  

Have a great week. 

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Slow Stitch Yes and No

Just started hearing about Slow Stitching or Knitting.  

It is about more mindful work.  

To enjoy it while you are doing it and not to rush to move on the next project.  

Well......

I guess, yeah sort of.  

I do enjoy it in the moment but.....

There are way too many beautiful projects, thread and yarn out there.  

Acquisition goes against the slow stitch but, you snooze you loose.

How many patterns have you seen, wanted, waited and then can't get the pattern?

So I stitch slow but, wont' wait.  

Not ready to embrace the "Slow" movement.  

Needed to do some shopping this weekend,  

We have lost a lot of retailers over the last few years. 

We lost JCP and now Shopko is fizziling out.

Shopko is kind of regional (I guess)

Hoping not to offend anyone, I just don't like Walmart.  

I feel it has been bad for the country and they really don't have cheaper prices  

I can get cleaning supplies cheaper at the grocery store.  

Meijers is 50 miles away and Target is 100.

We went to Green Bay and planned on stopping at Target.  

We also went to Fresh Thyme, Joann's, Hobby Lobby and Barnes and Noble.  

We stopped at the Fly Fishing store and The Stitching Bee 

I found an older BBD I didn't have that is quite charming.  

I was in the store when this Designer stopped. 

The shipment from Brenda Gervais came in and I've been eyeing this one on posts.  

In the foreground is a little galvanized holder I found at Hobby Lobby.  

I had a coupon that worked and I figured it would be cute to finish something.  

Making progress on Merrily.  

I have to decide what initials I'm going to put on it in the places where there are initials.  

I figure it will be mine and Bob's and then maybe just the kids first initials.  

I am mindfully stitching all the motifs.

I LOVE motifs!!!!

I wanted to get some candle wreaths to put on my candle pillar holders.

I looked last year for spingy ones but couldn't find any.  

Had the same problem this year.  

Joann's had ivy wreaths and I got silk flowers that were on sale.

I just cut them off the main pick and tucked them in.  

Come fall, I will just throw them in a bag and do it again next year.  

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I did, got a little stitching in and my son took me out to lunch. 

Hope you have been safe and  dry...lots of storms.  

Have a great week!

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

Crazy Henry

It is that time of the year when the rabbits make their nests in my garden.  

There is always a nest of bunnies under this Portintella shrub and Henry has been fixated. 

It is usually when it is close for the bunnies to leave the nest that he notices them  

There were three huddle together only covered about half way by bark out of the nest.

The next morning Bob figured they would be dead but, they weren't.  

He put them back in the next with the other seven.....ten total bunnies!!!!

We figured once they started to venture away, Henry would catch them and eat them.  

All our other dogs have done that and its just not a pleasant experience.  

Henry had been keeping on eye on things driving us crazy because he won't come in and is just locked on point for hours.  

Since the nest is empty he has calmed down.  

Not the best picture but, Henry had dug a hole under a spruce tree in the yard about two years ago.  

We can't fill the hole because he digs it up again.  

It was 70 degrees yesterday and he sits in his hole when its warm.  

I couldn't get closer because he comes out to see what I'm doing.  

We would lose Buster in that hole.  

Picture of Buster for equal time.  

I think he maybe getting a little arthritic in the back end.  

Some times his jumper doesn't work so good.  LOL

Update on Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.

I even ironed it a little before taking the picture.  

I made a mistake on the lowest alphabet line this morning.

I missed the D but didn't realize it until I was at the W.  

I HATE when that happens.

I had to rip it all out but, I'm not past that point.  

Hooray for me!!

Here is the whole piece. 

It is a great stitch and I'm getting close to the motifs.  

I can't wait to do it.  

I was going to work on my Hawk Run at stitching group Wednesday but, may just forge ahead.  

I really want to get another finish for my Stitch 9.

Not sure what the time frame was on that.  

Don't think I could handle the Maynia....way too many starts and I do tend to be primarily a monogamous stitcher.  

I will mix in a small when working on a large piece.  

I do have way too many large pieces in the works.  

I do need to find a reputable framer for these large pieces.   

I don't mind framing small pieces generally smaller than 12x16 but, these pieces are large. 

The framer I had for His Eye is on the Sparrow, did a great job...made me alittle nervous but, ultimately did a great job, is no longer in buiness.  

I will talk to Kendra at the Stitching Bee and see who she recommends.  

That about wraps it.

We did have a gorgeous weekend.  

I got some cleaning and stitching done.  

Have a wonderful week. 

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

School Girl Sampler Club

First, the picture of the Pineberry Lane Kit I got at Country Sampler.

Even Bob said he liked it...I was amazed.  

I think he liked the funky little squirrels.  

I have been a member of Prim Stitchers from Dyeing to Stitch.  

They discontinued the club this year and started some others.  

There was one year I wasn't too crazy about the offering but, overall it was a fun club.  

I saw on line somewhere that Country Sampler was starting the School Girl Sampler club and thought I would try something different.  

It was then I heard about the Second Story which is the apartment they rent.  

I liked the list of designers they are offering.  

Look how it cute it came.  

Its from Theresa Veretter at Shakespeare's Peddler:  Marie Phinney 1832

The floss is gorgeous and its on 36 count Straw from Weeks.  

It is going to be stunning.  

I have the border done on Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.  

There are a few little birds along the bottom  

Sorry so winkled....I stitch in hand.  

I finished the first row of  alphabet.  

I tried to get some time into stitching this weekend  

I really love this pattern  

I have really enjoyed it all  

This is one I'm doing for the 9 Stitch Challenge  

I've been watching floss tubes on Maynia.

Primitive Stitcher is going to have 27 starts.

OMG...who does one get it all done?

I don't know if I get 27 done the whole year.  

I wish I could get that many done then maybe I would get through my stash before I die.  

That really sums it up for now.  

Hope you had a good weekend.  

We missed the snow that hit Milwaukee and Chicago.  

Have a fabulous week and thanks for stopping.  

Keep on Stitching.  

Monica

Now The Stash!

It doesn't look like much but, I felt like I spent money with reckless abandon.  

The interesting thing about the Country Sampler was that many of the patterns were kitted up.  

Genius if  you ask me, turning a $20 pattern into a +$50 kit.  

They also must do a brisk online ordering presence too because there were often 10-15 copies of a pattern.  

The set up of floss was weird.  

I'm use to floss on a turn style or wall. 

They had limited space so the colors were on a small ring and then on a large ring.  

It made for looking for floss a little difficult but, possible.  

I think this will be a super fun stitch when  I get to it.  

There are so many fun little motifs all over.  

It came with 40 count linen.  

Another one from Shakespeare's Peddler:  Elizabeth Milner 1848

I got a Pineberry Lane that was kitted with the overdyes and linen.  

(The picture won't load.)

I had a basket and placed it on one of the display beds.

Another shopper asked where I had found it.  

I helped her find another pattern and they kitted it up for her.   

I found this box and pattern tucked in a corner.  

Their stitcher often finishes the piece by overdyeing it with walnut shells.  

She uses a paint brush and brushes it on.  

That makes it look more antique.  

I'm only concerned with bleeding thread.  

I know you can rinse out thread.   

I've done that in the past and the reds turn to a pink.  

I think I will do a little experimenting with some other options.  

There is also a needle book.  

I just fell in love with this and bought the Lone Elm box and the floss.  

It was done on 36 count.  

I have plenty of that and smaller pieces will work. 

I think I will have to get this going sooner than later.  

Firefly Fiber in Beaver Dam

The Large skeins are a worsted weight from Blue Sky fibers 

The green is a Mad Tosh just because I loved the color and a self striping sock yarn

From The Fiber:  Skeins of Bamboo Blossom for cowls.  

Blackcat hand painted sock yarn.  

A pattern book from Firefly with several great projects.

It will fit into the pocket of the knitting bag.  

Now an update on Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.

I think the border may not be 100% on the money but, it is pretty doggone close.  

I have to finish the leaves on the bottom and then I can start on the flowers.    

I am enjoying this stitch!

Katy was home this weekend.  

It was wonderful having her home.  

This afternoon we saw La Llorona and if you like scary movies this would fit the bill. 

There was an older couple ad the guy walked out about halfway and waited for his wife in the front lobby.  

It was pretty intense but, highly entertaining.  

Back to work tomorrow....but I could always use another day.  

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

Have a wonderful week. 

Keep on Stitching!