Uh oh, another new start...

*sigh* I tried to talk myself out of it but I just couldn't. That old sewing machine I bought recently is to blame. Check out my new WIP (work-in-progress):



That is Stoney Creek's "Repair Shop" from their October 2007 magazine. The fabric is 28 count aged ecru hand-dyed fabric by Stoney Creek. I love it! Well, not the metallics. Ewwwwww! Thank goodness for Thread Heaven!

We have another new addition to my sewing/craft room. It's a Clark's spool cabinet. :) Okay, so it's not totally original but I don't care...we got a great deal! The top drawer is original and so is the cabinet shell...and I think the pulls are original, too. Regardless, I love it and think it's a great piece for my sewing/craft room. Now I just have to find two perfect chairs for either side of the cabinet:


And just for fun, here's a silly picture of Freddie checking out the drawers to my sewing machine cabinet while I had them out for cleaning:

Now for job news...I got the 911 dispatcher job! It's official -- I start Sunday at 6 AM. My schedule is 6 AM until 2 PM, Sunday through Thursday for the next 60 to 90 days while I'm in training. Our benefits will start September 1 (WOO HOO!) and the pay is higher than they advertised. (Can I get another WOO HOO?) Get this...my supervisor told me that he's been on the job 37 years and he scored my interview higher than any interview in his entire career! Yep, it's WOO HOO time again! *patting self on back*

Okay, so enough WOO HOO'ing for a moment...this will take away from my stitching time. *sniff, sniff, pout, pout* But I think it'll all be worth it. :) Also, I'm way behind on e-mails, responding to people who have been so wonderful to comment on this blog, and checking out other people's blogs. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll be in a routine soon and can catch up or at least check out what y'all have been doing on your blogs. Once I'm through training in 2 to 3 months, I can stitch and surf the internet while on the job when it's slow. (I'm trying to refrain from another WOO HOO!)

Meanwhile, count your blessings and keep the frog away from your stitching.

Announcing the winner and introducing something new...

Hello everyone! I am so sorry for being a day late in drawing names for the Just Nan chart. The winner is...*drumroll*...Taffy! Woo hoo, congrats to Taffy! Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and entries. It's always fun to have drawings. :) Taffy, I'll e-mail you this evening with a request for your snail mail address.

Now I have to introduce everyone to the latest addition to my sewing/craft room. *another drumroll* Here it is:


HAH! You thought it was going to be another pair of Ginghers, didn't you! LOL!!! There it is in all it's glory...and I haven't even cleaned it up yet. It's a National Two Spool treadle sewing machine -- formerly Eldredge but bought out and manufactured by National. After some extensive Googling, the best information I can find so far is that it was manufactured between 1908 and the 1920's. As far as I can tell, it's only missing a presser foot, a leather belt, and a plate to cover the bottom spool housing. It may take me a long time but I want to get this thing up and running!

Here are two more pictures of it all settled in my room: (pardon the open mini-blinds -- the cat has just gotta see outside, donchaknow?!?!?)





We've just started redoing the back living room and totally converting into my craft room. I am so excited that I could just screeeeeeeeeeeeam! :))) More pictures to come later as we change things up.

In job news, I have an interview next Tuesday for the 911 dispatcher job. I've said my prayers and kept my mind open to any direction the Lord may or may not want me to go and all I sense is to just go for it. So I am. LOL

I'm working on getting my June stitching goals accomplished but doubt I will make them all. Oh well, it's fun trying. ;-)

Thanks again to everyone for checking out my blog. I really enjoy everyone else's blogs, too, and some of the recent comments have shown me some new blogs to check out which I will do soon.

Happy stitching!

Heart in Hand's "Mothers Words of Wisdom"

I just spent the last few hours stitching "Say Your Prayers" on my Heart in Hand "Mother's Words of Wisdom" series. Just three more to go until it's complete -- woo hoo!


My stitching would have gone much quicker if it hadn't been for thunderstorms all around us (had to watch the severe weather updates) and eating (those pesky hunger pangs!) but it still went quickly.

Gotta run -- storms are still around! They just announced on the latest weather update that most of our town is without power. Yikes! We do have a generator if need be. Brad knows that I'll be a happy camper as long as I can stitch. LOL

Happy stitching and bye for now...

Just Nan's "Sparkling Iris" is finished and framed!

I was hoping to get this done yesterday but today is fine...at least it's done! Whew! I did a so-so job framing it but it works for me. LOL! It is stitched over two on 32 count Zweigart Periwinkle Prism Belfast Linen. I used plain ol' DMC floss and beads supplied in the chart pack. There are enough of the small white alabaster beads if someone wanted to stitch it again without the Swarovski crystals, soooooooo...I'm giving away the chart and leftover beads. If you're interested, just say so in your comment and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. Only comments on this post will be considered. I will draw a name on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at 7 PM Central Time.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday. Happy stitching! :-)

A finish (sort of), a WIP picture, and plants...

TGIF, everybody! :-) Thanks for the comments! To reply to a couple of them from the last post...Cindy, you're a nut! LOL! I will check out your blog tonight or tomorrow. Should I be afraid? ;-) And to Pam, yes ma'am, those are bottles of Stitcher's Lotion in the picture of my stash haul from the previous blog entry. Love that stuff! My favorite is the Blackberry & Vanilla. Running a close second is Raspberry & Orange. They both feel good and smell good. :)


Stitching news...Last night, I put the final stitches in Little House Needleworks' "Blessed are the merciful" -- the second of four patterns I am stitching on one piece of fabric. Halfway done, woo hoo! Please pardon the wrinkles:

I'm thinking about making it into a pillow that will sit in a dark brown rocking chair. Maybe...maybe not...we'll see. My mind might change a few times before this thing is even finished. LOL

I started an iris by Just Nan a day or two before the end of May. I thought I'd have it done within a couple of days but nooooooooooo. You know how life gets in the way sometimes? Well, life is finally out of the way for a bit and I was able to put more stitches into it last night:

I can't wait until this is finished (surely this weekend!) so I can put it into the matching iris frame. It'll go into our bedroom which -- thanks to mine and my mother's stitching -- has an increasing amount of purple irises and lavender-shaded things. (Yes, my husband sleeps in there, too. He actually doesn't mind! LOL)


Today I passed by the nursery on the way to pay a bill. On the way back by, I just had to stop because something caught my eye. No, not a baby nursery...a PLANT nursery! ;-p Anyway, there were these huuuuuuuuuge planters full of assorted plants and they were drop-dead gorgeous. The prices were just drop-dead. (hahahaha) They were asking between $100 to $150 for them! *thud* Sooooooo, I made my own for about half the price. Whaddya' think?


I love it! It sits on Brad's side of the driveway so I hope he likes it. If not...well...it's too late now. Or maybe I could sell it for $150. HAHAHAHAHA


Happy Friday, happy stitching, and don't forget to count your blessings. *hugs*

Stitching updates! (and a little rambling, of course)

Hello to my fellow stitching addicts! (Don't even try to deny it. We are what we are.) *hee hee*

I'd like to publicly thank CindyF for her recent giveaways on her blog. My name was drawn for the "Home Words" chart by Prairie Schooler. Thank you so much, Cindy! You're a sweetheart! Here's what I won:

I've been able to stitch a little lately but not as much as before. Continuing with my "Stash Closet Discoveries", I started the Redbird Designs Texas Alphabet Quilt. Since my sewing abilities are improving and I'm gaining confidence in that aspect, I figured it was time to jump in. Here is the first finished square, "The Alamo":

This past week, Brad, the boys, and I traveled to Ft. Worth to watch the Nascar truck races. As luck would have it, it was the most B-O-R-I-N-G truck race ever. There were two cautions for the entire race and both were due to debris. No, we didn't necessarily want anyone to wreck...but it wasn't even a close finish! *yawwwwwwwwwn* But there is a plus side to all of this...

We stopped in Decatur, Texas, at this little antique store that also happens to have a room and a hallway dedicated to cross-stitch supplies. I did some stash shopping there (WOO HOO!) and when we returned home, my stash-in-the-mail was waiting for me. (Wagon? What wagon?) Here's my haul:

In other news, I'm still in the running for a job I applied for. Have I mentioned it here before? It's for a 911 dispatcher job at our local police department. Last night was my first of two "sit-ins" where I observe the dispatchers in action and ask questions. Get this -- I can stitch when it's slow! *doing my funky lil' dance around the room, thankful you guys can't see me* I go back Friday night to observe a weekend night. I really like it and honestly I'd be surprised if they didn't pick me. We all hit it off so well! Sooooooo...we'll see what happens there.

Meanwhile, I'm thanking God that our area got some beneficial rain today but dodged the hail and tornadoes that occurred south of us. Whew!

Guess I'll go roam some blogs and then do some crafty stuff, like maybe cutting more fabric for the quilt squares, stitching, etc. Happy stitching! :-)