My first 2009 finishes

I am always forgetting to update my blog with my stitching photos! I have been posting some on the Let's Stitch blog and then neglecting to add them to mine. Gotta get more organized!

I stitched up this little Shepherd's Bush sheep kit a couple of weeks ago. Not sure how I'll finish it. If anyone knows anything about me, you'll know I tend to "not finish" which is one of the main things I want to overcome this year. I like SB kits, but this one had me disappointed. Not enough of the brown thread (the swirls, the hive door, the bees) and it wasn't very dark anyway. I had to substitute a little. SB sheep have such character...

And, I finished my first ornament of the year for the 2009 Christmas Challenge. I have a couple of days to finish it up into something (help help). I know I don't want to make a pillow ornament, so I think I'll try a pin keep type thing. Wish me luck!

For some reason, I just adore this whimsical skater.

Yule Rejoice, Primrose Needleworks
2008 JCS ornament issue
32 ct. Belfast platinum linen
used GA lancaster red instead of the suggested mulberry and
white DMC for cream

Speaking of skaters, an Ohio skater won the US title the other day in Cleveland. Way to go Alissa Czisny!

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by Golden Angel. I have never been tagged before! I have only been blogging (and reading blogs) since the summer, so this is kind of new to me. All of you stitchers are fabulous and I love your work! I am so inspired and motivated by your blogs.

I am to list 5 of my addictions and then pass this award on to 5 other bloggers.

My addictions, in no particular order:

1. strong coffee!
2. cross stitching
3. a good dark beer (in moderation, of course)
   
4. the internet (can't live without it!)
   
5. last, but not least, my son, daughter and husband and our 2 kitties

I am passing this award this on to these lovely women.

1. Lee
2. Jeanne
3. Lynn
4. Laura
5. mj
   

Me and Barack, a stupid mistake and a stitching update

I was fortunate enough to have my photo taken with Barack Obama on Tuesday. Friends of ours hosted an inauguration party on Tuesday morning, complete with champagne toasts and lots of red, white and blue party stuff. It was a lot of fun sharing this occasion with like minded friends. It was painful listening to the swearing in though. Ouch! How could that happen?

Now...for my stupid mistake. Look what I did to my new R&R overdyed linen. See the nice white splotch? How did I do that? Don't ask, it's too embarrassing. Depending on the light, I sometimes can see the splotch from the other side. Don't know if I want to use this fabric for its intended purpose now. I have to give it some time so I don't feel so bad about what happened.

Because of this, I didn't start my new piece and decided to stitch another ornament. I did several ornaments in December and they aren't "finished" yet, so I decided to stitch my January ornie for the 2009 Christmas Challenge. Maybe I can finish stitching it today.

Chose this one in honor of U. S. Figure Skating Championships, being held this week in Cleveland.
Wish I could make it up there to see some fantastic skating! Watch for TV coverage this weekend on NBC.

The interview game

This game may be harder than I first anticipated. It's not so hard answering questions, it's hard coming up with questions because it's easy to get all heavy and meaningful even if what you want to be is funny.

If you want to be interviewed, comment on this post and I'll get your questions off to you. Rules are below.

I asked Lee of Lake Stitcher to interview me so here are her questions and my answers:

1. When you were growing up, what one meal do you remember as being your favorite?

I remember Sunday dinner as the best meal. These were meals we had early in my childhood, before things got really nuts for my parents. They had 6 kids and I think in time, the Sunday dinner after church just disappeared.

Roast beef, green beans, potatoes and rolls and milk. I don't even remember a dessert! To this day, pot roast remains one of my favorites.

2. Today, what is your IDEAL meal?

Well, the ideal meal is one that I have not prepared of course! I love to go out to eat at a good restaurant, but that doesn't happen too often here in this little town. The meal has to include a good draft beer, maybe pasta or good Mexican food. Once in awhile a steak is great. No dessert please, even though I am sometimes tempted. An ideal meal can also be something simple like a breakfast souffle and coffee from Panera Bread.

3. When you were growing up, what ONE thing did your parents always remind you of, when it came to meal time?

"Think of all the starving children and finish your dinner!"

4. Is there anything you "specialize" in cooking, that people actually ask for?

Hard question...It seems like the few things that I specialize in cooking are not things that people ask for but are things that I want to eat. Vegetarian chili and ratatouille come to mind. I tell you, I am not an enthusiastic cook!

5. Are there any weird "food rules" you have? Feel free to list as many as you like.

Umm...let me see. I don't think these are particularly wierd, but this is what comes to mind.

Lunch meat has to be fresh. I only buy what we can eat in 5 days.

Meat cannot even be a little pink on the inside. I'm the one asking for well done steak at a restaurant.

No raw food for me please, unless it is veggies. And no mollusks!

The Rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address if I don't already have it, please.)
2. I will respond by e-mailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Thoughts on reading...

I have never been good at keeping lists of books that I have read. I mean to do this every year and it never works out for me. Reading has always been a very important part of my life, but for some reason, not so much in the past few years. Maybe I have gotten lazy, or maybe the computer or tv has taken its place, or maybe the library never has the new stuff...whatever it is, is. So many of the books I have read I have forgotten, remembering bits here and there about a novel maybe, but not remembering the plot, the author, the feeling of the book. This upsets me because books used to be my refuge and escape and I prided myself on reading so much. When I was little, my mother had to make me turn off the light at night to get me to stop reading and even then, I stayed up way too late and was always late in getting up in the morning.

I have become an impatient reader. If something doesn't tug me in and keep me there, I will give up on the book. And if it seems too pop or has too much gratuitous sex or violence or whatever is the popular theme for the day, I will skim through to the end and call it a day. I wonder what is wrong with me if I don't like the current best seller or if the current popular book club selection turns out to be something that doesn't thrill me. It doesn't really matter, it's just that once in awhile, a friend will say how much she liked a book and I will find it hard to respond, because that was a book that I put down.

Well, enough with the pondering. I just thought that I would create a book list in my sidebar that lists all the books that I remember well and that had some kind of effect on me. I'll keep adding to this list as I recall books or as I read new ones that I like. I don't think I'll include books that I don't like.

Happy reading everyone!

Yippee! Stash enhancement updates!

I received my order from Needle In A Haystack today. I was so looking forward to this! It doesn't look like much for all I spent. It adds up very quickly doesn't it? Good thing I pay the bills in this household.

I got 2 pieces of Belfast, Laguna with gold and white metallic threads for ornaments, and a piece of lambswool. Stitching with this Wichelt will be the test as to whether I can stand it or not. So stiff! I do like my fabrics to have a little more body.

Also got a variety of Crescent Colors (which I have never used), WDW and GAST, a couple of Kreinik threads, some beads and Wisper.

I didn't work today, so I holed up at home, enjoying the snowy weather from inside. I managed to get some post Christmas cleaning done, but I am so ADD when it comes to cleaning! I can find a million reasons to take a break. That is why the vacuum cleaner is still sitting in the middle of the room and one bathroom is half cleaned.

When I clean, I tend to get distracted, and start to organize instead of just straightening. I also get bummed out because I know that a room really doesn't just need a cleaning...it needs to be painted and generally "fixed up." I'll leave now with a photo I just took from an upstairs window, looking out over our back yard and into the neighborhood.

Some thoughts on stitching and blogging...

Vonna brought up a lot of questions on her blog today that I want to comment on here. I don't mind if people count their finishes or what they count as finishes if that is what works for them. I'll probably end of counting my finishes at the end of 2009 as well! I haven't stitched for years and I really regret not keeping better track of my projects, since a lot of them aren't in my possession anymore. I want to keep a stitching journal with photographs, mainly so my kids (daughter probably) can have it when I'm gone.

I am in awe of some of the stitching blogs and amazed at the amount of stitching some people do. Ornaments and other smalls may not take long to stitch, but there is also the time involved in finishing them. It takes me forever to do this and that is why I have so many little projects stuck away in a drawer.

I just want to be proud of what I stitch and happy that I finish something. Prolific stitchers are inspiring to me and I don't think there should be any negativity towards people that are able to do so much. It's not a race...there is no finish line. That funny little feeling we stitchers get when we see a chart we want to stitch is something we all share and and we all know that is why we all collect so much stash!

Happy stitching,

Barb

Goals?

I really didn't want to set stitching goals for myself but I have had to make some kind of plan since I needed to order supplies. I started a list of Christmas ornaments to stitch and have ordered some of the threads I need for those. Most of them will be with DMC, which is no problem since I already have almost every color they make! I'll be using bits and pieces of fabrics that I have for most of them.

Other than ornaments, I'll be working on charts that I have had for quite some time as well as The Prairie Schooler charts I just bought. And, I must not forget the Me, Myself and I RR that I joined. I am going to be so far behind if I don't get my butt in gear and figure out what I want to do! I had been thinking that I would design my own (of my town), but the more I think about it, the more I think I'll never get that done.

As much as I love smalls, I know that I fear the finishing. One of my goals with doing the ornaments is to learn how to finish well, and hopefully I'll be trying out different ways of finishing. I am a sewer from way back, so I don't know what the problem is, maybe it's just a fear of failure (???). I guess I could always send them off for finishing if all else fails.

Does anyone have experience ordering from Wyndham Needleworks?

Happy stitching,

Barb

Some new stash from DSL

It's been a long time since I bought cross stitch supplies, so it was both thrilling and scary at the same time. I know that sounds silly, but too much stash to me means too many unstarted and unfinished projects, which can feel overwhelming to me. I am going to moderate my purchases and just keep working away and trying to keep it all enjoyable and relaxing.

Here's what I got from Down Sunshine Lane. My package came so quickly I couldn't believe it. And it was all on sale!

2 Prairie Schooler charts and 1 by Cricket Collection

My first Blackbird Designs piece, to be stitched on RR Reproductions linen (sheep's straw)

Little SB kit, Busy Sheep

Not sure what I'll do with the CC piece, but I really do like the acorn motifs.

I have another order to place, probably from Needle In a Haystack, since they are having a good sale. And I have a gift certificate for Christmas from 1-2-.3 Stitch that I'll be sure to use up quickly.

Things are getting back to normal at work and slowing down, so I'll have more time (and energy!) to stitch. Looking forward to Friday night SAT tonight.

The start of the new year...

I updated my blog tonight with a wintry theme using photos from our digital photo albums. DD is in the middle, snow people that she and her friends built last winter on the left, and on the right is a scene out one of our windows looking over the frozen herb garden. The little picture in the sidebar was taken by my husband last year while skiing in New Hampshire, where he was born and raised.

Stitching update to follow tomorrow. I have been blessed with new stash and I am so excited! The New Year for me starts out at 5am tomorrow morning. Must work an 8 hour day! Wish I could stay home and stitch, but that will have to wait until Friday :(

Happy New Year everyone!

My finishing problems...

It never fails. I am all enthusiastic about making Christmas gifts and I never give myself enough time. On top of that, my finishing abilities stink! My stitching is fine, it's the final presentation that stumps me. That is why I have so many projects just sitting in a drawer, offering no proof whatsoever that I actually do stitch.

I finished this little ornament for a friend at work the night before I needed to give it to her. Notice the lumpy filling, the crooked side seams and the bumpy bottom where I sewed the opening? I sure do! Never the less, she loved it and said it was the perfect gift. Maybe I can make her another cancer piece for her that looks a little more presentable.

Kylie's Heart (freebie found here)
DMC on 22 ct Congress cloth

So...I think I will get out some old linen pieces and practice a few techniques before I have to use them on stitched pieces. I have been harvesting finishing ideas from all of your blogs but I am missing a lot of the details. Practice makes perfect, right? Wish me luck!

I have signed up for the 2009 Christmas Challenge, so I will be motivated to stitch, finish and perfect. Watch for my progress details.

I leave you with a picture of our cat Cheddar under the tree.

More favorite ornaments...

It is a truly wintry day here in Ohio. Cold, blustery, gray...

My husband just emailed me that he is ringing bells for the Salvation Army today at Big Lots and again on Wednesday at Walmart. I told him I would probably selfishly not stay with him but I'll try to bring him some hot drinks. He tries to do this every year and I have done it quite a few times also. Just not my year to do this but I'll put a small bundle of bills in the bucket.

This is my one day off before Christmas and then I need to be there at 6am the day after. We had pot luck on Saturday and I was amazed at the quantity of food. I decided against bringing my vegetarian chili and brought a pecan pie instead which was hardly touched. There were so many sweets!

Wishing for gift certificates for cross stitch stash...

Peace and Joy,

Barb

Some favorite ornaments...

In the last frantic few days before Christmas I start to lose perspective and all reason goes out the window. I have spent too much (there may be returns to make!) and I get that nervous feeling that I have forgotten something. I didn't get my mom's gift sent out to her and I feel badly about it. I decided to give her a digital photo frame, but began to have second thoughts about it while choosing the photos to upload to it. Is this something she would appreciate or would it be much better to make albums, something I think I will never get around to. I am hoping my siblings will add to the photo frame, but don't know if they will do it.

So I am holding off for a few days, and she'll have a nice late present if I do decide to give it to her. Money seems so impersonal, but I know she really can use it. I am 450 miles away, so there is little that I can do on a day to day basis except to talk on the phone at length, about current events, books that we have read and about life in general. It was difficult growing up our home. Lots of negative stuff with my father mostly. Things are better now, but I pretty much keep my distance from everyone. I don't have strong family connections like so many others do. No big family dinners or parties or reunions. It's just the 4 of us, and now our oldest is away at college and he has decided not to come home over break. That's OK...he is becoming more independent and has found a niche for himself that revolves around school, his friends and mountain biking.

My goal for the next week is to be a better person. No nagging or nit picking allowed!!! Sometimes I don't know how my family stands me :).

Peace and joy to everyone,

Barb.

Some stitching updates and other ramblings

I really haven't gotten the hang of blogging yet. It always takes me so long to post my photos! I have been using Adobe Photoshop Elements and it drains my computer of memory. I haven't learned the ins and outs of this program yet, so it is hard to play around with it when the program keeps freezing up on me. Time to install more memory? I think so...

Anybody out there use Photoshop Elements? Any suggestions?

I managed to stitch a few ornaments, all of which I showed off on Let's Stitch. May not seem like much, but it is a big deal for me to get these little projects done (well, almost done...need to sew them up). Since I haven't cross stitched for quite a few years, it feels great to have done this! Looking forward to larger projects after the holidays, including Me, Myself and I RR.

I started a new ornament this morning that I hope to finish up today, in between some more online shopping and household chores. I am so far behind this year!

My retail job has been draining this year. Many hours, mostly starting at 6 or 7am, dealing with customers or dealing with errors made by cashiers or managers. One of my managers, who I am quite fond of, broke down and cried yesterday. I think it was a good release for her ( I was the only one who was with her). We are short handed because they didn't hire as much seasonal help this year, so everyone is really pushed to the max. The day after Christmas I have to be there at 6am to start taking back the masses of merchandise that customers return. It is quite wild...we have piles of clothing to process and put back on the floor. Crazy!


Happy Holidays fellow stitchers!

Retail madness and another birthday

I updated my blog today to give it more of a Christmas feel. I had planned on stitching some tonight but I'm dragging right now, having had a late dinner and needing to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I could have been stitching instead of playing with the blog layout (!). I kind of forgot how to change things around on the blog and wasted time relearning. I will try to put in a few stitches on a Christmas ornament freebie I just started before nodding off.

I have been living retail "you know what" this past week. We opened at 4 am on Black Friday and the next day I had to be there at 5 am to balance the books from that very busy day. Then it's been early days for me since then with only 1 day off. I was going to go to an out of town LNS on my day off, but DH and DD had the cars, so I spent the day puttering around the house, which included some reorganization of my small stash.

I really need some stash therapy! I feel I deserve some now that I am actually finishing the stitching. Since I have been out of touch with the stitching world for some years now, I need to be able to see and touch the linens and fibers.

My husband and I are now the same age...for a few months anyway. I turned 56 (yikes!) last week! I don't feel old at all (except when I look in the mirror or do some deep knee bends). I use to torture myself when my birthday would come around because I would see that another year had gone by and I was still the same old person. I would look at all I had not accomplished instead of what I had accomplished and how blessed my life was. I am much more comfortable with myself now and at peace with doing the things I want to do or not do.

Six random things

I have noticed that people are getting tagged in the six random things about me tag game so I decided to play it by myself. I'm not quite a part of the stitcher's blogging community yet because I don't post often and I don't participate in exchanges (as of yet anyway). Basically I am afraid to try the exchanges because I think I will fail. I also need to learn how to finish small projects before I try my hand at exchanges.

So...here are 6 random things about me.

1. I once jumped into a hole in the ice (with just my panties on) in March in Maine and I have the pictures to prove it.

2. I have lived in 8 different states as well as numerous different cities. The longest I have ever lived anywhere is where I am now (since 1982).

3. I try to live a simple life and I don't buy much stuff. It has never made me happy to acquire a lot of things, so I just don't do it.

4. I love to read the New York Times and my mother and I often discuss what we read.

5. I worked at a sod farm for 2 years, mowing 100 acre fields of grass.

6. I went to school for "like forever" and due to my inability to never know exactly what it is I really want to do, I ended up, in my 50's, working for a major retailer that expects great things.

Ok, I am off to take some photos for the Let's Stitch blog to prove that I really do like cross stitch!

I'm still here!

I have been stitching away but don't have any good photos yet. I should be done with 2 or 3 small pieces this week which I will post on later. I need to increase my stitching speed. I never have used my stitching frame for small projects, but it might be a good time to do so. And I want to get some Q-Snaps. I also need to set aside some time to finish and frame. I think once I get into the habit of actually sewing up ornaments and other small things, it won't be so hard for me to get going. Just need practice.

I can't believe the election was just a week ago. Seems like forever. I don't want to turn people off because of my political views, but I am absolutely thrilled with the results of the election. McCain is a good man, but I am a life long Democrat and I was totally taken with Obama (after my initial letdown that Hillary wouldn't be running).

I worked at my precinct polling place on Nov. 4. It was only busy very early in the morning when we had a line waiting at the door at 6:30 a.m. Many people voted early and it probably wasn't even necessary to do that. Wouldn't you know that the very first person in line was not on our poll list, even though she should have been! She was able to vote provisional though, only 1 of 4 people that had to do so in our precinct.

We had an observer there all day long. I felt sorry for her because she didn't get paid like poll workers do and she hadn't brought much food with her. We were not to accommodate observers, except to give them a chair and answer questions as needed. At times I felt like she was stepping out of bounds and it was awkward because I have known this person for many years.

Over the weekend I went out of town with my husband to a mountain bike race called the "Iceman Cometh." There were 3000 bikers, including my DH, who did very well. He was disappointed he didn't make the podium, but he didn't need to be. He is in great shape for a 56 year old. We were in the Traverse City area of Michigan and it was lovely.

Overlooking Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes

DH in spandex (and ancient eyeglasses) and me at the Iceman

Some finishes!!!

Yea! A day off from work (I hardly ever get 2 days off in a row...that's retail for you). There's a lot of pressure in the retail world these days to out do the other guy. I don't mind the work and I love assisting customers, but I have an issue with a manager who can't keep his mouth shut and insults me whenever he gets a chance. Another employee said he knows just where to stick the knife in to make it really hurt. So true. If this continues, I will go to personnel to file a complaint because his insults are undeserving and unacceptable.

Enough of my venting. Stitching again has brought much joy back into my life. The sense of accomplishment with a finished project, the beauty of the fabric and thread and the companionship of all the online stitchers has really been helpful in these down times.

I finished up 2 little projects this week. My intention with this sampler was to give it to someone as a wedding gift. Unfortunately they are now divorced, but I still feel guilty that I didn't get it done and gifted.

Simplicity Goodness Truth - Heart's Content

over one with GAST

I started this sampler by Shepherd's Bush when my daughter was taking skating lessons and competing. She doesn't do this anymore (private lessons were costing me about $60-$90 a week!) but works at an after school program that is held at our local rink. She teaches basic skating skills so there's not much spinning or jumping involved. I'm not sure how I'll finish this but I'll be sure to post a pic once I do.

Skating Sampler - Shepherd's Bush

WDW overdyes and GAST

I have so much to learn about finishing techniques. I just have to jump right in and try some things. I do have a few Christmas ornaments that need finishing, so I will practice with them. Love the flat folds and pinkeeps I keep seeing. I think I am just a little scared, even though I can sew. Just not a crafter at heart.

Must get on with the day. Have to go to the Board of Elections to practice my poll worker skills, go to the library and framer, go to the gym and get ready for the stitch-a-thon tonight, the best part of the day.

Finally, a new post

It was kind of a stressful week for me, at least mentally. I really am taking this turn in our country hard, especially since our 401K's and our kid's college funds really took a hit. My husband says no matter what decision you make, it could be the wrong one. I'll be glad when the election is over. Tired of the TV ads and all the negativity. I also am physically tired when I have to be at work at 6 am and never feel right for the rest of the day. Thank goodness I don't work early again until next Saturday. Retail stinks.

But...I have been continuing to stitch, albeit at a slow pace, but motivated at least. I LOVE the Let's Stitch blog. It's been a big help to me. Thank you Becky!

I finished Shepherd's Bush "Bees Buzz Hive" but am waiting for the buttons to arrive. I am attracted to anything related to bees. Have some bee skeps in the garden and a little collection of decorative hives in the house.

I actually think I can get 3 other projects done this week. That is my goal. DH will be out of town visiting his mom in NH, so maybe I won't cook very much (not that I do anyway!).

Here's a photo of DD and her boyfriend before going to his homecoming dance. He attends a different high school so this was her 2nd dance.

Excuse my mess...

I am trying to learn how to change the template on my blog and stumbling along. I waste too much time since I do everything by trial and error. Hope to have a new look soon.