Weekly update August 29th, 2021

Hi everyone, 

It's been a busy week. Last Sunday we had a water main break in town and had a boil water order until late Thursday.  Still catching up on laundry and other things that got put on hold. 

I had to add... I signed up for the witchy stitchy challenge 2021 at Embroidery.com .. So it will be a fun October. Hope some of my stash gets here  - have lots of plans...

Stitching:

Finished!

Chickadee on Holly Dimensions Daydreams petite under glass kit © 2001 designed by Brian Jackins
Fabric: 14 ct white aida
Threads: Dimensions 16 colors (not pre-sorted)
Stitch Count: 42 x 42, mostly 1 strand
Cross stitch, back stitch, half cross stitch, french knots

This was the first time I had to use all 6 strands for french knots. Hard to take a picture and not have a glare from the glass. 

Picked out  my next project - went to make a working copy...printer is out of black ink... so I chose something simple instead... (ink will be here early next week).

Started the smalls: (will probably do the whole silk gauze piece later) 

 

Ocean of Wisdom II © 2020 Erica Michaels (smalls)
Watch the whales
40ct Colour & Cotton Fieldstone
WDW & DMC
Stitch Count:107 x 31
Cross Stitch

 

 

I've had the frog visit all weekend... I stitched the top row.. went to dig out my finish fabric.. turned it over and saw a knot on the back which was about 1/3 from the start...

Then I stitched the 517 tent stitches and miscounted...Ripped that out ...stitched again....only to realize this morning that one of them was only over 1 instead of 2 threads...ripped out the bottom half...stitched again...

Anyhow here is my progress through this evening. 

This was my first time stitching on Colour & Cotton fabric... The suggest fabric for the smalls is PTP Vellum.. I tried three neutrals on hand but the white wouldn't show up... so I finally settled on this blue-gray color.

This will be finished as a pillow... You can see my finishing fabric here..

Waiting for some rick rack trim to arrive to go with it.

 

 

 

 

Stash:  None this week.

Until my next update,
Have a wonderful week!
Lisa M.

Weekly update August 22nd, 2021

Hi everyone, 

Time for my weekly update... We had quite a few rainy days this week (Tropical storm Fred). Hoping that Henri misses us.

Stitching:

Finished!

Chessie & Me © 2019 Whale Watch kit
Fabric: 36 count Silkweaver Cider
Threads: Gloriana
Stitch Count: 63 x 71 , 1 over 1
Cross Stitch, over one tent stitch, smyrna, stain stitch

 

Next...

ChrisMoose Berry - The Silk Berry Collection© 2019 Erica Michaels Needleart Design
Fabric: 40ct silk gauze
Threads: CC (some crescent some classic), DMC
Stitch Count: 205 x 121, 1 over 1
Half Cross Stitch

Hadn't picked this up since March 2021..had to frog a bit on the 40 ct.Took three tries for the star on the bottom tree. Had to frog more than once some of the bamboo border. Still have two motifs to add to the bottom potion. Rainy weather and tired eyes meant only a few days on this one...

Ending

 Where I started

 

 

 

 

 

and since I had to spent time frogging..

Finally frogged out the last stitches on 40ct white for a re-start. Didn't like the 2 strands...too bulky. Back to a blank piece of linen. (no pic)

Lighthouse Welcome designed by Ursula Michael ©2007 Imaginating, Inc.
Fabric: 40ct white Newcastle Linen
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 82 x 166, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, Fractional Stitches

 

My eyes were tired...all the overcast rainy days...so I dug through my WIP Pile and picked out this...

Chickadee on Holly Dimensions Daydreams petite under glass kit © 2001 designed by Brian Jackins
Fabric: 14 ct white aida
Threads: Dimensions 16 colors (not pre-sorted)
Stitch Count: 42 x 42, mostly 1 strand
Cross stitch, back stitch, half cross stitch, french knots

 

 

 

 

 

Here is where I left off May 2020 (Maynia start)

 

 

 

 

 

Progress through today

 

 

 

 

 

Stash:It's been a full mailbox this week...

 

 

JCS October


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C&C August Oatmeal fabric 

&

August  Threads:Merlot, Natural Cotton, Brandy, Castle Garden, and Spiced Cider

 

 

Etsy order -  All the way from France...

stitchband 

 The seller included a lovely button...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hobby House Needleworks order - I placed an online order last weekend. It shipped on Tuesday and arrived on Thursday. They let me know that one skein of DMC was on order but it will be coming soon.

 

 

Some wool for fall finishing

 

 

Some threads

 

 

The Fall Posey kit  (Jeanette Douglas Designs)

The puntini puntini pin set for the pincushion

 

The puntini puntini pin set for the JDD winter posey pincushion

 3 pieces of fabric

36ct antique white

36ct tin roof

and 40ct seraphim Dusty Road

 

 

 

 

 

Until my next update,
Have a wonderful week!
Lisa M.

Weekly update December 20th, 2020

Hi everyone,

Time for my weekly update.. 

I'm a year older this week.  Had a very quiet birthday.

Stitching:
continued with ...                                                            Last week...

 

 

 as of today:

Christmas in the Adirondacks © 2003 Dimensions
Designed by Martha Edwards
Stitch Count: 90 x 122
strands vary over 1
18ct Aida
Cross Stitch, Half Cross Stitch, Backstitch, Blended
Color Chart

 

 

 

FFO:

Thursday we had about 8" of snow. So I went through my projects and started to gather necessary supplies to FFO a few of them...

 

 

The stitching on this was completed in February 2020
The Floss Box Biscornu #599 © 2010 Emily Wilmarth
Fabric: 16 ct PTP Alchemy Aida
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 61 x 61, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch

Embellished with a few putini pins.

Stash:
Mail has been a series of packages traveling around (taking the scenic route) and never quite reaching their destination. That makes sending all of my Christmas packages late. Luckily friends and family understand and they will get to celebrate on a different day. My fabric of the month from Colour & cotton has been in transit to me since December 5th. Staying 90 miles away since the 11th....several other packages in the system - they probably won't make it here before Christmas as we had no mail delivered to town on Thursday (storm) and Saturday (who knows why - no room on the truck?). The 4 packages that were arriving tomorrow now indicate arriving late when I just checked the tracking.

Today, I had a special offer from a seller on ETSY (Stitchy Princess) for her pdf charts.

I chose: Woodland Winter Primitive Sampler and Winter Primitive Sampler

Other stash still on the way.. I'll share when it actually arrives. In the meantime, there's always pdf's from Etsy    LOL! 

We had another inch or so of snow today. Expecting it to get warm again and rain on Christmas eve.

This was taken on Friday.

 

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

Weekly update September 27th 2020

Hi everyone,

Time for my weekly update.

Another month is drawing to a close and fall is in the air. 

It's been said that a dry fall leads to spectacular colors in the fall foliage. 

We have been very dry this year and the colors are popping beautifully. 

I'm hoping they stay for a while longer.. but we have showers in the forecast and that usually brings down a lot of leaves. Our burning bushes have been turning bright red; the walnuts have been dropping on the ground and the leaves on the black walnut are turning yellow

 

 

 

Stitching:

Just a few more stitches added to this one...

jiffy 16650 Bridge in Autumn © 1996 Dimensions, Inc

Designed by Karen Marie Zabroski

Fabric: 16ct dove grey Aida

Threads: included in kit, 2 over 1

Stitch Count: 110 x 78

Cross Stitch, half cross, back stitch, french knots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beading

Finished!

Golden retriever Bracelet ©  Vitalija Velyviene

from Etsy shop  here

Natural Silamide

Miyuki Delica Beads (14 colors), 3838 beads

Peyote Stitch, 202 rows 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stash:

Nothing this week

Reading:

Started  David Rosenfelt Who Let the Dog Out?

Other:

Monday was Wellness Dr. visit for Mom - she has to have a test end of next month to check her kidneys.. but other than that.. all is good.

Wednesday was DH Dr. visit ...some meds are changing and he has a re-test in three weeks since he only has one kidney & last test showed high protein levels. More blood work and another test on Friday am showed DH has an infection.. so they called in antibiotic late Fri eve after pharmacy closed.. so plans changed as early Saturday we had to pick it up.

I spent a small amount of time sewing up my final peek a boo pouches for the October & November birthday club ladies.

MOUSE...Macey was acting strangely the other night when we came in from our walk. We have an enclosed porch. It's nice for deliveries and wintertime as we can keep most of the snow out of our ground floor.. When I took her out again at 5 am the next morning, I looked around.. and we had a furry 4 legged visitor.. A field mouse...He must have come in when the door was open for one of her walks or with a package delivery... anyhow...the mouse no longer lives on our porch.

Plans:

I signed up for the #Witchy Stitchy 2020 challenge at Embroidery.com  again this year. Before and after photos. Required stitching 30 minutes a day and some weekly tricks along the way. A few allowed pass days, and a mandatory day of stitching on Halloween. Sounds like so much fun. I'm not sure what I'll work on as before I signed up I was thinking about Mondays in October being new starts... or maybe all month long? Just fall patterns? I should do at least one Halloween pattern - right? 

Maybe I should start this one (Charting Creations Snippet Uninvited guest) and work on it all month long?

At least I have a few more days to plan.  (Just as a side note.. every time I plan ahead for something like this... I get derailed - I grab a pattern that wasn't kitted up... I can't find a thread... or I know I have "that pattern" somewhere... and can't find it - and that's the only one I really want to work on.) Should be an interesting adventure going through my stash... Right now I'm thinking about 1 new project each week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More visitors...

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

Weekly update September 13th 2020

Hi everyone,

Time for my weekly update..I'll try to keep this short as I had a really bad sinus headache yesterday and it's still lingering today.

 

Stitching:

Just a few more stitches added to this one...

jiffy 16650 Bridge in Autumn © 1996 Dimensions, Inc

Designed by Karen Marie Zabroski

Fabric: 16ct dove grey Aida

Threads: included in kit, 2 over 1

Stitch Count: 110 x 78

Cross Stitch, half cross, back stitch, french knots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beading

now at 66 rows completed

Golden retriever Bracelet ©  Vitalija Velyviene

from Etsy shop  here

Natural Silamide

Miyuki Delica Beads (14 colors), 3838 beads

Peyote Stitch, 202 rows 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stash:

So it's been ages since I've been to a craft store.. That changed on Tuesday...Dad was running low on eye drops.. and since they opened really early in the am, I picked up his drops and then wandered through the Hobby Lobby, getting home just in time for DH to go to his Dr. appointment.

 

I found this lovely diamond painting (at 40% off) Seize the Day © Artwork by Chuck Pinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new to me fabric just to try...(40% coupon) & a floss that I needed and a couple to try out. I wanting some sparkly white (or maybe silver) for the stars in my bookmark that I started last month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some lovely needle minders for exchange gifts...only $5.99 a package..some charms & a package of buttons that will make nice needle minders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mail this week brought

 

 

 

 

the 2020 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Fabric of the month from Colour & Cotton. 40ct Linen  & 28ct Lugana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My threads of the month from Colour & Cotton were due to arrive on Saturday.. but they didn't get on the truck North.. they were about 90 miles away at the distribution center on Thursday ....then it traveled east on Friday... back to distribution center early on Saturday... Hopefully they'll get here early next week. Last time this happened it took a detour though the state of Vermont.

Reading:

Continued with  David Rosenfelt Hounded

Other:

This was a busy week:

After the holiday on Monday...

 

Tuesday I had to pick up more eye drops for Dad as he was running low and still needs them for another 2 weeks. Also had to stop at Pharmacy for his test strips on the way North. Then DH had his Primary Dr. appointment.

 

Wednesday was primary Dr. visit for Dad. His primary Dr. is moving on to a nursing facility closer to her home at the end of this month, so it will be a new Dr. for Dad once that happens. This isn't that unusual - our health center has changed staff a lot -we've had 7 new Doctors in the past 20 years.

 

Thursday was eye Dr. Follow-up since Dad missed last week visit. His eye is healing well. Vision is improved.

 

Friday morning was an EKG for Dad at cardiologists office..he had a 10:30am appointment.. but the technician didn't arrive until after 11am.. she still had her coat on when he was called into the room for his test. Meanwhile I was waiting in the car as they don't allow anyone but the patient in the building.

Saturday was our local pharmacy for Dad & DH.

Next week will also be a very busy week.

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

Weekly update September 6th 2020

Hi everyone,

Time for my weekly update.. 

 

This was a off-week. 

Monday morning I picked up Mom to take her for her blood work for her upcoming Dr. visit.  Dad was still asleep when we left. We picked up some meat from the butcher shop. Arrived home to find Dad awake but not feeling well... Heart attack with chest pains and difficulty breathing. So he went to hospital and due to new rules we spent several hours playing phone tag and trying to get answers. Visiting is limited to 4-8 pm and only 1 visitor per day. Duration of visit in the patient room. Once the visitor leaves, can not return later. They admitted Dad and scheduled him for a cardiac cath the next morning. Dad has a blockage but it is not able to be fixed due to the location. They changed some of his meds and sent him home late Wednesday afternoon... Hopefully these changes and the increased blood thinner will help him. This coming week we have more Dr. visits and tests. 

Thursday and Friday I spent at least half the day on the phone trying to get all follow up appointments re-scheduled - especially since he missed his eye surgery post-op appointment. I had to change Mom's primary appointment as there were no openings for Dad within the required time frame.. so Dad got Mom's appointment as she will go at the end of the month. Tuesday I will have more changes to make as we had made an appointment for DH to have car inspected... and Dad has 2 other appointments that now conflict with the tests.

Friday we got a call as DH's blood work showed something amiss. The health center was supposed to call back as they wanted another test done before Tuesday but Monday is a holiday... ugh... They never called back. Thankfully, he called them after 2 hours of nothing and was able to make arrangements. 

Beading

I started this bookmark on Friday while I was waiting for phone calls to come in... I could work at our table that is right near our phone. 

 

 

Golden retriever Bracelet ©  Vitalija Velyviene

from Etsy shop  here

Natural Silamide

Miyuki Delica Beads (14 colors), 3838 beads

Peyote Stitch, 202 rows 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's my progress so far...32rows completed  the white starter strip is actually on the top not the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stitching:

Just a few more stitches added to this one...

jiffy 16650 Bridge in Autumn © 1996 Dimensions, Inc

Designed by Karen Marie Zabroski

Fabric: 16ct dove grey Aida

Threads: included in kit, 2 over 1

Stitch Count: 110 x 78

Cross Stitch, half cross, back stitch, french knots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stash:

None

Reading:

Continued with  David Rosenfelt Hounded

Other:

 

 

 

Turkeys were in the field..so nice to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost time to say goodbye to our beautiful hummingbirds and their antics until next May.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowball bushes are still turning pink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some maple trees have started to show color, and the tips of our burning bushes have begun to change to red.

And we had a visitor yesterday eating up the acorns.

 

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.