July 2020 weekly update for week ending on July 26th

Hi everyone,

A few hours after my post last week., we lost power again. So that's two weeks in a row now during our hot weather stretch.

Time for my weekly update.. here's what I've gotten done.

Stitching:

Started & Finished!

Blessed © 2020 Stitching with the Housewives LLC available  here

Fabric: 32ct Wichelt Chalk Board Black

Threads: Classic Colorworks /DMC ( Iused 320 for the chopped chives and 844 for the black coffee)

Stitch Count: 56 x 30, 2 over 2

Cross Stitch:

Some more stitches added to this one...

jiffy 16650 Bridge in Autumn © 1996 Dimensions, Inc

Designed by Karen Marie Zabroski

Fabric: Aida

Threads: included in kit

Stitch Count: 110 x 78

Cross Stitch, half cross, back stitch, french knots

I've also been slowly frogging the Imaginating Welcome Lighthouse so it can be re-started.

Stash:

Happy mail day..

punchneedle kit - All Labs Matter pattern, fabric & threads - Black Lab , weavers cloth & my 5" morgan hoop (mailed on Monday the 13th...due on Friday the 17th ..arrived on Tuesday the 21st ) from the ETSY shop the cooper's cottage

Found so many lovely patterns at this site and a few others... But I wanted to see something finished first.

123 stitch Priority envelope...(Mailed on Monday the 13th...Due on Thursday the 16th.arrived on Wednesday the 22nd) My floss for the birthday girls,  a few other threads, a pkg of floss away bags, three 13 x 17 fabrics (Wichelt orange jobelan, PTP flash & pewter) and 3 charts (Heart in Hand Holiday Hound,the workbasket Mini Samplers, and Hands on Design the good ship sampler) -  and.... the JCS 2020 Halloween issue.

Trying to not fall down another rabbit hole... I discovered some diamond paintings of artwork by some of my favorite HEAD artists.

Other:

DH Dr. visit changed to a phone call visit - first one of that kind of appointment.. Saved DH 90 miles of traveling.

Macey saw her first squirrel on the property.. she tugged at her leash and tried to jump in the air to go after it.. good thing it climbed the crabapple tree.. now to train her not to chase...Also saw some turkey tail feathers on the ground during her walk.Not sure what got it...no carcass..bur feathers were strewn all over the property...some distance apart.

Macey went to vet on Wednesday. Had her teeth cleaned & 3 broken teeth pulled. We also noticed early last week while trimming her nails, that she had a cut on the bottom of her front right foot - Dr. looked and said she's okay....

Saw this moth on the outside of our screen - it isn't a Luna Moth..but it was large (more than 4").. stayed there for several hours.

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

May 2020 Maynia weekly update May 25 through 31st

Hi everyone,
It's time to share what I've been up to this week. Not much Maynia Stitching.


I spent some of the time this week sewing my peek a boo pouches.


I've also been spending my nights organizing my magazines and patterns. Then I would search my stash for fabric to use with them and they would be my focus the next day instead of working on the planned patterns that I had partially kitted up (Fabric and charts.. just no threads).


#8 Finished!

Bee Well © 2020 The Blackberry Rabbit freebie available here
Fabric: Mystery scrap of R&R
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 54 x 52, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back stitch






#4

 
Sweet is The Journey ©2007 My Big Toe Designs - *Modified Spring Colorway
Fabric: 28ct ivory evenweave
Threads: WDW...I only had 1 of the called for weeks for the spring colorway...I have all the colors for Autumn..but since it's spring......I dug through my DMC..pulled the 62 and 3363 and then went back through my overdyes to come up with Sophie's Pink and Dried Sage.
Stitch Count: 125 x 5, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch



Maynia summary...
It wasn't bad for my first time.. 10 new starts... 4 finished,  and a little bit of progress on a few wips.
I had a few that I couldn't start ...
My fabric order from April 3rd still hasn't shipped - so Sewn in Frienship by Heartstring Samplery & Plum Street Samplers as well as where Liberty Dwells by Hands on Design did not get a start. Also, waiting on a few threads for The Blue Flower - Alpaca Farm.

I also ordered (mid-April) a twin peaks primitive chart in the I'll be home series June (With the dogs) - I was planning to change the month to August for our adoption of Macey. 

I had ordered a small piece of  fabric picked out for Lynn Graebner Designs Syrupin' - floss worked with it.. but I forgot to get the larger size that I needed.

I remembered why I hate using the spring hoops.. need to find all my Q-snaps for next year.

I also had a few full coverage designs but the charts are in color.. need to do them when my eyes aren't so watery from the high pollen counts.



Stash: 
My baseball pattern from cross stitch wonders that I showed last week arrive.. now waiting for the special cut of fabric for it.

Other:
We're still having a hornet issue... not sure why - it seems like warm temps and end of day have been bringing them to our enclosed porch. Door is open longer when taking Macey out and back in again.. so they might be coming in behind us.But I'm pretty sure it's the heat and the ground was very dry until the rain on Friday.

Tuesday I went to pick up my replacement key fob for my 12 year old Jeep. Very hot week.. temps in the 80's. Doesn't seem real that we had snow earlier this month.

My dentist did call.. my appointment was cancelled as his office is not yet re-opened.

I did get my May birthday gifts mailed out. Hopefully they'll get there quickly so I can share them next week.

Our lilacs have opened


 Our Mountain ash berries are just starting to show up.. looks like this year there won't be a lot of berries... (Every other year is the bumper crop)

And our apple trees are in full bloom.


The Azaleas have just started to open.. Hopefully I'll have a pic next week.

Our county has just started to reopen (phase 2). That means that June will start to be a busy month with Dr. visits for Mom & Dad .. and other appointments for us.

Macey's dental (2 teeth pulled and cleaning) will be in July as that was the earliest date the vet had available

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

February 2020 Challenge week 2

Hi everyone,
It's time to share what I've been up to this week.

Embroidery.com's Love to Stitch  Challenge. Only thirty minutes a day minimum stitching time during the month of February. You can read all about it here.






February 8th (sunny and dry)

New Start

Freebie: Bad Hare Day © 2008 Mosey 'n Me
Fabric: 16 ct light blue aida
Threads: DMC & WDW
Stitch Count: 32 x 71, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, and a few fractional stitches





 After Time Stitching: 1 hour 10 minutes

February 9th (Westminster Dog Show) (overnight a few more inches of snow)

continued on Freebie:

Bad Hare Day © 2008 Mosey 'n Me
Fabric: 16 ct light blue aida
Threads: DMC & WDW
Stitch Count: 32 x 71, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, and a few fractional stitches

Time Stitching: 35 minutes



February 10th (snow and rain)
More on the freebie...

Bad Hare Day © 2008 Mosey 'n Me
Fabric: 16 ct light blue aida
Threads: DMC & WDW
Stitch Count: 32 x 71, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, and a few fractional stitches

Time Stitching: 1 hour 10 minutes 
I just noticed that I have some stitches to frog before continuing on... the head and ears are 1 stitch off...LOL!


February 11th (flurries late evening)

Last night ended with another power outage. I didn't sleep well even though it did come back on just before midnight. Took Macey for a walk this am, and my feet slipped and I fell while trying to maneuver around a tree branch that came down earlier this winter and was iced in place.
Finger is swollen so I skipped stitching today. We are allowed 4 days off this month.

This is Pass Day #1.

February 12th (beautiful sunny day)

Picked up another WIP

Dimensions Gold Collection - Petites Kit # 8720
Christmas in the Adirondacks © 2003 Dimensions
Designed by Martha Edwards
Stitch Count: 90 x 122 varies over 1
18ct Aida
Cross Stitch, Half Cross Stitch, Backstitch, Blended
Color Chart


 







After Time Stitching: 1 hour 20 minutes

I have to remember to keep my blended threads at a shorter length as they tend to knot ...








February 13th (light snow most of the day < 3")

Back to the freebie...

Bad Hare Day © 2008 Mosey 'n Me
Fabric: 16 ct light blue aida
Threads: DMC & WDW
Stitch Count: 32 x 71, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, and a few fractional stitches

I wanted to fix this before I forgot about the mistake.. so I frogged then re-stitched the 2nd bunny's head.. then continued on.

After 2 hour 5 minutes  ...Only a bit left to go.


 

February 14th (cold & dry )

Finished!

 Happy Dance.. so cute!

Bad Hare Day © 2008 Mosey 'n Me
Fabric: 16 ct light blue aida
Threads: DMC & WDW
Stitch Count: 32 x 71, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, and a few fractional stitches
Time spent today: 2 hours 45 minutes






Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

November 2019

Hi everyone,
It's time to share what I've been up to this month.
The month started out with a bang.
Lots of rain on Halloween (~2.00inches). Got windy overnight. Snow flurries mixed in early Friday am. Power cut out 9am. Phone lines also out. Local roads closed due to flooding.

And then this happened.
50' tall tree fell on top of another tree (about 40' high) and our driveway was blocked. Waited till the next day for the wind to let up before cleaning up the mess.

Power was restored late  Sunday afternoon. Phone and internet restored  a few hours later Sunday evening. House dropped to 54 ° F.  Just as well because Sunday night was another dusting of snow.









Veterans Day we saw about another 8" of snow and temps remained cool for the rest of the month. The few days above freezing didn't completely melt all the snow. we have some bare spots, but not for long. The latest weather reports show us getting anywhere from 6" to 24" snow tomorrow afternoon through Tuesday. (Some forecasts only have us in the 3-6" range).. so we'll have to see.

Stitching:
I finished last month's challenge piece.

Moonrise Ornament 1 (3rd from the left on the cover)©  2017 by Whispered by the Wind
Fabric: 28ct PTP Mirage Lugana
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 47 x 56, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, 2 fractional stitches, backstitch







Then I moved on to this freebie

Angela K. blog My Happy Memories (Make Stuff Be Happy)
Pumpkin Guarding Scissor Fob Freebie (here)
Fabric: 28ct Mystery evenweave
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 20x31, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch


 







While picking out projects for last month's challenge, I came across a few that just needed a little time to finish up...  This one I just had to finish the border

Monthly Mania - October ©2000  Heart in Hand Needleart
Fabric: 32ct Khaki
Threads: GAST, WDW

Stitch Count: 43 x 43, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Rhodes, back stitch







and this one I had a bit left of the colorful tail feathers

Thankful Kiss © 2009 the Cricket Collection freebie
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Linen Antique white
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 39 x 40, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, back stitch, fractional stitches, french knots








Next I returned to this lovely...
Handblessings Winter Memories Silhouette Snowman Makes A Friend ©2019 by Eileen Gurak
Fabric: 40ct white Newcastle (instead of 14ct white)
Threads: DMC ** Substituted some shades of gray for the dog's shadow(413), snowman's shadow (3799 and 413)and the close pine tree(3799) as I couldn't use 2 strands on the 40ct fabric.
Stitch Count: 88 x 87, 1 over 1.
Left off the snowflake charm as it will be too big for this size fabric.
Cross Stitch, 1/2 cross stitch


Finally, this is where I'm at...  I started this lovely that I bought from ETSY.

Dear Santa It Was the Dog © Cross Stitch Wonders
Created from original art by Black Cats Media
Fabric: 28ct white evenweave
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 120 x 120, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch

 




Lots of finishing work to be done this winter for all these lovely smalls.

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

May 2019 - A Happy dance and some smalls

Hi everyone,
It's time to share what I've been up to this month.

Stitching:
I knew that I had some time in the waiting room during DH's cataract surgery on the 2nd, so I brought along this new start:

Bee and Hive © Karen Kirk Blackberry Rabbit Designs
Published in the 2019 Nashville Cookbook Happiness is Homemade
Fabric: Mystery 32 count Linen (PTP Heritage I think)
Threads: DMC Threads

Stitch Count: 32 x 49, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back Stitch




It's finally Happy dance time!So glad to see this one finished. Still deciding on my next "heavenly" project.

2013BB SAL QS Mystic Garden (It is a cropped version of Peacock Garden.)

Design by Michele Sayetta Artwork by Ciro Marchetti
Fabric: 28ct Picture this Plus Valor
Threads: DMC & Kreinik#4
Stitch Count: 139 x 138, 1 over 1 full cross
April 30, 2019: 18760 stitches completed, now at 100% complete 19,182 stitches later

Since my beads arrived late February, I was finally able to finish this from January. I couldn't find my gold beads...had the burgundy one, just wanted to do all the beading at the same time...Now that my back-ordered DMC#8  for the cording has come in, I can get it finished in the shape of a mouse.

The Little House Mouse © Judith Tuttle of Twisted Oaks
published in the JCS Christmas Ornaments 2012
Fabric: 28ct white
Threads: NPI, NPI Northern Lights
Beads: Mill Hill
Stitch count front: 24 x 45
Stitch count back: 30 x 53
Cross stitch, some 1 over 1, fractional stitches, back stitch, french knot

DH's 2nd  cataract surgery was on the 16th, so I brought along another new start:

Lizzie Kate Quick-It Dogs leave paw prints Q-003 © 2009 Lizzie Kate, Inc.
Fabric: Mystery 32 count Evenweave (PTP Heritage I think)
Threads: WDW Threads
Stitch Count: 56 x 56, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch





 Next I started this freebie

Woof Spoken Here complimentary design from Stitchy Kitty© 2006 Michelle Lutzen
Fabric: Mystery 28 count Linen (close to DMC 712)
Threads: DMC Threads instead of the called for Crescent Colours
Stitch Count: 50 x 50, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back Stitch, french Knots





Spent yesterday in a different hospital waiting room for Mom's basal cell carcinoma surgery.  I brought along this new start:

Dog House Sampler © 2005 Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 32 count PTP Earthen Belfast Linen
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 79 x 97, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch
  






Sewing:
Finished some more ort catchers for my birthday club friends, and attempted to make a new grime guard for my 11" Q-snaps.

I had this lovely flannel fabric print that I thought would work perfectly...found an online tutorial, and ta-da... now I have a new grime guard.. I still  have to make a few more for my 8" q-snaps, and maybe a couple for my 8" hoops...











Stash: 
A small cut of PTP Earthen above (to see color before deciding on this one for a different HAED)
a few sampler threads, DMC #8 for finishing mouse above and 2 stitchworks charts: New Doggie Love, and Doggie Love 



What I've read: 
Diane Kelly: Death, Taxes and a french Manicure
J. R. Rain:  Moon Dance,
L.T. Ryan:  The Recruit,
started  J. R. Rain:  Vampire Moon

Updates

Temperatures have been cooler than normal for the month and we've had lots of rain. May showers seem to bring out the June bugs. Black flies have shown up and they are biting like crazy. Still to early to be planting anything as we've had frost warnings this past week. Also, not sure how much I want to do this year as the deer nibbled all my hyacinths earlier this month. My hosta plants are either stunted by the weather or suffered too much damage from the deer last year. Our apple trees and crab apple trees have just started to blossom. Most of the trees have leafed out although the walnut, oaks, elms, and ash are still waiting to show their new spring foliage.

We did get to see our first hummingbird of the season on the morning of the 4th

... this young bird (Orchard oriel) showed up on the 16th and took several drinks from the hummingbird feeder.

We also had a visit from this colorful little male just last week.

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

February 2019 - Let it snow...

Hi everyone,
It's been a colder than normal month with lots of snow - and several storms of icy mix ...but not as much snowfall as my brother has seen in his new traveling nurse posting. He is in Prescott Arizona since the end of January and he has been re-introduced to winter with record snowfall amounts. Much different than his last 30+ years in sunny Florida.


Stitching:
Since we've had a lot of snowy days, I thought that it was time for a snowman or 3...shoveling and power outages have kept me out of my sewing room.. but looking forward to getting in there this coming week to get these finished up.

I started out with this cute ornie...

Snowman Stocking© Sigrid Designs/Thumb-Elena published in the Christmas Ornaments 1997 Issue of Just Cross Stitch
Fabric: 28ct Black Jobelan
Threads: DMC
Beads: Mill Hill
Stitch Count: 70 x 35, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, back stitch










Then I moved onto this little freebie... (thinking about finishing this as a flat fold )

Yahoo Snow Day ©Sisters & Best Friends
Fabric: 28ct opalescent Luguna Silkweaver Snow Storm
Threads: GAST
Beads: Mill Hill
Stitch count: 44 x 75, 2over 2
Cross Stitch










And yet another freebie..

Snowman's Surprise Complimentary Design ©2007 Sharon Crescent for Crescent Colors
Fabric: 18ct Zweigart Stone Grey Aida instead of the called for Abecedarian
Threads: Crescent Colors / Classic Colorworks

Stitch count: 50 x 74, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch

Another freebie, this was was fun although I has the frog visit more than once on this one.

Cardinal Mitten © November 2018  The Cross-Eyed Cricket
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Silkweaver Spanish Moss
Threads: DMC
Stitch count:42 x 43, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back Stitch, French Knots

 








And then getting tired of the white threads, I returned to:

2013BB SAL QS Mystic Garden (It is a cropped version of Peacock Garden.)

Design by Michele Sayetta Artwork by Ciro Marchetti
28ct Picture this Plus Valor
DMC & Kreinik#4
Stitch Count: 139 x 138, 1 over 1 full cross
January 30, 2019: 15140 completed now at 15910 stitches completed

New Stash:

Rosewood Manor:Christmas Blues





 

Midnight stitching Heartstruck, Heartstruck Holidays, Heartstruck Seasons I, a few rainbow gallery threads, kreinik blending threads,  and some beads so I could finish a few things from last month

Waxing Moon Designs Winter grows on you, and The stitching bear's snowflake kisses

 

I also received my February installment of the Silver Needle Stitching with friends circle kit







What I've read: 
I started Murder Most Howl by Krista Davis I'm enjoying it - but have been too tired at night to do much reading. Hopefully, things will get better in the next few weeks as daylight increases and temps start to climb.


Updates:

We've seen a parade of deer on the property... these were taken just a few days ago.. after nibbling on the thorn apple...

this one turned and looked at me  as if to say... "where are the apples"?

They've been eating everything in sight... I'm sure my azaleas have been a tasty treat for them... Hopefully they left enough to recover... although I doubt I'll see many flowers from them this year.





So looking forward to the next month or so ... or at least spring when it gets here....it looks like we will finally be getting rid of our dial-up internet... FIOS is coming to our road sometime in the next 4-6 weeks - we need Mother Nature to cooperate - our existing phone line runs underground...not sure if this will be underground once spring gets here (MAY?)- said they'll lay on the ground and come back to bury... or if they'll run an overhead line...just waiting for the snow to melt so they can get to a pole on the property to determine best option.

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.