Tuesday, July 31, 2007

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

Hello all! :) It's good to be back. I will spare you all of the gorey details but suffice it to say I've been sickly and just too tired to worry about blogging. Combine that with the virus that forced me to format my hard drive and start from scratch again...well, it was just a really frustrating time for a while there. *grrrrrrrr*

About the finishes I posted below...those pictures are long overdue but finally I got them posted. You'll see the "Nurse" by Hinzeit for my RN friend, the "Here Mousey Mousey" for my cat shelf, and "Wedding Row" by Bent Creek that is now hanging proudly on one of my bedroom walls. Now I have since finished Heart In Hand's "Birds" for my mother and the quilt square for a 123 Board member's grandson but I haven't even taken pictures yet. (See how behind I am???) Anyway, I promise to try and get my blogging all caught up. I also want to take WIP pictures of what I have going so you can see what I'm working on.

That's all for now because I'm at work. Sorry I haven't been on the boards, e-mail, or anything but I'm back now. You should've known you couldn't get rid of me that easily. ;-)

Finishes







Sunday, July 8, 2007

A small finish and time to start Christmas gifts!

Last night I decided to roam through my stash just for the fun of it. I found a teeny little thing I bought at Ginger's in Austin a couple of years ago. It's a small wooden cat with an opening in its belly area to put your stitching in. I stitched up the suggested phrase "Here Mousey Mousey". From start to finish it didn't even take me 30 minutes! :) I took a picture with my digital camera but it doesn't communicate with my laptop so I'll just have to wait until I'm at work this week to transfer the picture to my jump drive. Then I can post a picture here.

Got some great stitching done on a quilt square last night. I'm about halfway done and that's a very good thing. :)))

While I was roaming, the "New Start Virus" was trying to take hold again. I decided to pull some stuff I had kitted up that was calling out to me. This way, when I do feel like starting something new and I can't fight the urge then I can at least start something I need or really want to do. It's time to start getting some Christmas gift stitching done -- can you believe it??? Here's what I pulled and why:
1. Shepherd's Bush "School Roll" - I need to stitch 4 teacher's gifts by next May and thought this would be fun to stitch for at least one of them. I have a ton of teacher's patterns so I'll either stitch this once and do three different things or perhaps I'll stitch this more than once.
2. Hinzeit's mini-block "Racing" - This is for my youngest son Cody, age 11. I already have the frame so it would be good as a gift for him plus I have way too many Kay's Frames. Why have a small fortune tied up in these frames and just let them sit in my stash?
3. Name Tree by M Designs "Lisa" - I thought this would be a good Christmas gift for my sister. I swore I'd never stitch for her again (because I didn't think she really cared for the last thing I stitched for her about 5 years ago) but surely she'd like and appreciate her name in a pretty tree design.
4. Name Tree by M Designs "Charlie" - Same as above except this is my brother-in-law. Stitching both of these trees and framing them would take care of my Christmas gifts for them.
5. Whimsey & Wit's "No Place Like Our Place" - This would be a gift for my mother-in-law. Yep, that would knock out one more Christmas gift.
6. My mother reads this blog so I can't mention exactly what I have in store for her, but suffice it to say I'll call it "Funny". It's just a teeny thing so don't get too excited, Mom. LOL! ;-)
7. Another thing for my mother...I'll just call it "Brown". These little "key" terms help me remember what they are yet they don't give away what the project is. HAH!
8. Pegasus Publication's "Cowboy Corral" - I would do the "Cowboy's Room" pattern for my bonus son Wyatt, age 9. He is in the Junior Rodeo and rides bulls (EEEK!) so he'd love this for his room.
9. Jeanette Crews Designs, Inc. "Baseballbet" - This would be for my oldest son Steven, age 14. He's such a baseball player that I know he'd love his name stitched in the various baseball poses.
10. "The Original Railroading Book 1" - There is a "MKT Katy Lines" logo that I'd like to stitch for my uncle as a Christmas gift since he worked so many years for Katy Railroads.
11. Hinzeit's "Horses" - This is for my home. I don't have the frame but I did order it. It never came in. :( I figure that I'll just get a frame for it if that high-dollar Kay's Frame never arrives.
12. Hinzeit's "Rise and Shine" - This, too, is for my home. I won't be using the rooster and mailbox charms that came with it and I didn't order the Kay's Frame for it either. I do love the pattern but I am not a rooster kind of person.
13. Hinzeit's "Bath Time" - Yep, this is for my home and I have the Kay's Frame for this and it goes perfectly in our master bathroom because of the hot and cold faucets on the frame and my wallpaper border. (Can you tell I have a thing for Hinzeit patterns?)
14. Yay, another Hinzeit! This one is mini-block "Let It Snow" and if you think I have the frame for this then you are right! LOL! Of course this is for me because I am a self-proclaimed snowman addict.
15. Shepherd's Bush "Americana" scissor fob - I want to put this on my Glory Ginger scissors. Wouldn't that be gorgeous?
16. Holiday Sparrow Designs "Tall Guys - Valentine - Valentino's Three" - This is for me. I think I have all of the Tall Guys patterns and have them all kitted up, too. I love these guys! I'd like to line my hallway with the entire Tall Guys patterns. I didn't pick this one for any reason other than it was the one on the top of the Tall Guy pile. Once finished, I think they will fit in standard frames so I should be able to frame them myself with no problems, plus it would save a ton of money.
17. Redbird Designs "Monthly Minis" - I have all four of these for a total of twelve patterns. They are so cute and are all done in a Southern/Western theme. These, too, are for my home. I will most likely stitch them up on one piece of fabric.
18. Just Nan's "Icy Hill" - I got this at The Silver Needle (was it June that we went?) and it's been calling my name. :)
19. A iris pattern from Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch and Beading magazine. This would go in my bedroom. I have always drooled over this purple iris pattern!
20. Bent Creek's "The Red Thread" series - Silkweaver sent me the most beautiful earthtone 32 count Belfast linen called "Sugar Cookie" and I think this series would be perfect on it! I have the most recent addition to this series on order. It should be arriving any day. :)

Well, that's my twenty projects I pulled. Sheesh - I'd be set for how many years, even if I stitched nothing else??? I just love everything in my stash but the ones I pulled are my favorites (for now). LOL!

I guess I'd better quit blogging for now. This post is already novel-sized! LOL! I will find one of my rubbermaid containers to put these 20 things in and that way I can grab one whenever the New Virus Bug gets too fierce.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Happy 4th of July!

I don't know why my last post doesn't have double-spacing between the paragraphs but it's really annoying me. *grrrrrr* I have edited and re-edited and re-edited but to no avail. Oh well, if that's the biggest problem I have this week then I'll be thrilled.

That "New Project" virus has still got a massive hold on me. If you've been reading this blog even semi-regularly then you may have noticed my WIP list at the top has grown by a project or two. Like I need another new start??? *sigh* Still, my Tall Guys are calling out to me. Must...resist...tempation. (or maybe I'll just go ahead and give in) LOL!!!

It's mid-afternoon and I've been totally worthless all day. The good news is that I didn't do any shopping for more stash. LOL! Well, it's good news for the bank account but bad news for me. No biggie -- my latest order from Drema should be here in about a week. Also, I did offer to grant a couple of wishes at 123. That felt good because normally nobody wishes for what I have and I was beginning to get a complex. ;-) I also listed some charts for free at XS from little kits I've stitched and I've already got 2 out of 4 of them spoken for. Yay! Okay, so I haven't been totally worthless.

On a more serious subject...a "certain somebody" from the boards and I have agreed to NOT talk about each other on the boards anymore. Can you imagine how much more pleasant e-life would be if a lot of people would make the same agreement and honor that agreement? It's one thing to say what's on your mind. It's another thing to be hateful, mean, and hurtful. I took a step back, took a breather from the boards for about a week, and thought about my posts and actions. I decided to change some things about myself and not post negative things about people...period. Whether a person is liked or disliked, that person still has feelings and a heart and should be respected as any other human being. Just a lil' something there for you, the reader, to ponder. (Disclaimer: I'm not pointing the finger at any particular person or people or board. This is just a generalization of board life as a whole. If you feel defensive because of my words, well then maybe you should re-evaluate yourself and your behaviors. If the shoe fits...)

Okay, enough serious stuff. I think I hear some projects calling me. :))) Time to go stitch but I can't stay up late tonight because I might be at the dentist at 8 AM with my broken molar. Yuck! Go ahead...envy me. ;-)

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Bent Creek's "Wedding Row" is finished!


This is my latest finish -- Bent Creek's "Wedding Row". Please pardon our loveseat in the top of the photo and our ironing board at the bottom of the photo. ;-) I will take another picture after having it framed and it was delivered to the framer's yesterday. Just three short weeks and I'll have it back. (sarcasm intended)
I did start something new. *sigh* I started Lizzie Kate's Stamps from 2003 on that mystery fabric I got from Cross Stitch Haven recently. I'm lovin' it and I'm not even done with the first square! Just 11 more to go after this square is done. LOL!
My BC Snapperville is pretty much dead in the water. I screwed up and cut the fabric too small so I decided to stitch half on one piece of fabric and the other half on another piece. My thought was that when it's complete, I can have it framed in two frames but joined in the middle like one of those "book-style" frames...you know the kind -- where the two frames meet in the middle with a hinge and can open and close like a book. Then I'd set it on a shelf. :) Well...I got the first half done, started the 4th of 6 squares and I have messed it all up. I've pretty much decided I either need to frog what I've done on the second half or just toss it and start fresh on the second half. Meanwhile, there it sits...
Mom's Bluebonnets are coming along nicely and so is the Sub. I haven't stitched on the MH kit in a week or so but I did sort the floss and the beads this past weekend. My afghan is on hold - as usual - while I get other stitching projects done. I've got to start the quilt square I promised but it isn't due until early September so it's not like there's any rush. I do want to have it done before I go back to college on August 20th though. I have promised myself I will start it on or before this coming Saturday. It looks like an easy stitch so surely I can get it done in a week or less if I just stay on it.
I've added my finishes for 2007 so far on the right side of my blog. If you scroll further down, you will see a link to my Photobucket albums. There you can find and view almost all of the finishes.
Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July. We plan to (safely) set off some fireworks, eat, and I'm going to stitch until my fingers fall off. :D