Fourth Finish for 2016

Today I finished Snowmates - Blue Ribbon Designs (JCS 2015 Special Christmas Ornament Issue.
 

I loved stitching this one and I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

I also made a little more progress on CCN's Afternoon in Paris. I will post a progress pic tomorrow.

Take care and happy stitching!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!!!!

Stitch-Alongs

Yesterday, I decided to stop at Day Forty in the DUCCJFC2016 because my WIPs were calling me.

I have join a few SALs in blogworld and on Facebook and so I will be working on those projects first.

On Facebook the Little House and Country Cottage Stitching Group is having a "Walk in the City with My Lady" SAL and one of the chart options for this SAL is CCN's Afternoon in Paris. Since I had already started Afternoon in Paris I decided to join this SAL. Here is my progress on it as of last night.

Another SAL on facebook is JCS Stitch Along where we are stitching 12 ornaments from 2015 issue of JCS Special Holiday issue. I running a bit behind but hope to be caught up by the end of the month.

 January is BRD's Snowmates which I am already stitching for my February choice in the Christmas Ornie SAL 2016.
 

February's ornie in the JCS Stitch along is PS' Winter's Eve. 

I am also in the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL 2016 but I haven't made any further progress on February's ornie since January 31st.

Well, that is it for now. Take care and happy stitching!!!

THANK YOU FOR VISITING!!!

 

DUCJFC2016 - Day Six

Today's stitching start was my February choice for the Christmas Ornie SAL 2016 (I wanted to get a head start on it.)

The theme is Snow so I chose Snowmates by Blue Ribbon Designs from the JCS 2015 Special Holiday Issue Christmas Ornaments.

Blue Ribbon is one of my favourite designers and I think this one is really adorable.

Take care and happy stitching!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!

 

Stitching, Knitting, Reading, Sunrises and Margaritas

We have been on holidays out at our trailer for the last 2 weeks (back to work on Tuesday) and we are in city for a few hours to do some grocery shopping, cut the grass, do some laundry, etc. so I thought I do an update here. It is long overdue, I know.

I am currently participating in 2 Halloween exchanges - on on the 123 Stitch Message Board and through a new group called Stitch, Create, Exchange now that the Stitched with Love Exchanges group has closed.   I finished the piece for the 123 exchange and currently working on the one for SCE.

I am also working on 2 Mystery Samplers (although the mysteries have long been revealed).  The first one is LHN's Song of The Seasons and the BRD's Blue Jeans and Daisies.

The Ist part of the L*K Christmas Mystery Sampler - Holly & Hearts has been shipped so I really need to get 'needling' on these 2.   But I am my own worst enemy.   When I saw the preview of the new limited edition kit from the St. Charles Needlework Market - Forget-Me-Not  by Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread, I had to preorder it.  It arrived last week and naturally I had to start it.  But first I had to coffee dye the fabric in the kit.

 Before,

 during,

after

and then my first stiches. (The colour is off here it is more like the above "after" picture.)

I am also finishing up another scarf for the Pink Scarf Project.  I have 2 more on the go.  I hope to have them in the mail by Monday.

Free Pattern from Bernat using Boa - Chick

I finished reading and listening the following novels:
The Curse of the Pharoahs - Elizabeth Peters (audiobook)
The Tudor Secret - C. W. Gortner
The Red Queen - Philippa Gregory (audiobook)
To The Nines - Janet Evanovich
Ice Cold - Tess Gerritsen (e-book)
The Scarecrow - Michael Connelly (audiobook)
The Silent Girl - Tess Gerritsen (e-book)
The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova (audiobook)
A Cookbook Conspiracy - Kate Carlisle 

I am currently listening to The Trouble Man by Henning Mankell and reading Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen.

But before you think I have just been sitting on my backside I have continued my daily walks that I started several weeks ago.  I was getting up at 6:00 am to walk the dog before going into work.  I am not getting up as early right now because my DH wants to join me (there has been bear sitings and he doesn't want me walking alone) and he is not by nature an early riser (though he does surprise me on occasion.)

When I started  my early morning walks I also started taking a picture to wish everyone a  "Good Morning" on Facebook.   Although my walks are a little later in the day right now, I am still getting up at sunrise to get my good morning picture.

The weather was still quite hot the first week (hot enough for Margaritas, even) but now it is getting cooler.   But I love it out there, regardless.  No matter what the weather.   I reallyenjoy watching the geese starting their migration, watching the squirrels and the bluejays also getting ready for winter.

Well, that is it for now.  Take care and happy stitching.

Thanks for visiting!!!!

 

More progress on BRD's Blue Jeans and Daisies

Well, the long weekend was somewhat production. I made a bit of a dent on Blue Jeans and Daisies. I hoping by this upcoming Monday, I will have at least most of Part I done.

It is going rather slowly I think because I decided to use 35ct fabric instead of my preferred 28ct., but I am enjoying it and I like how it has turned out so far.

I received word that the 2nd Part for the LHN's Song of Seasons is the mail so I really want to get hustling on this one.

By the way I have signed up for the next mystery sampler - Lizzie Kate's Holly & Hearts.  Has anybody else?  I just can't seem to resist a "mystery".

I have done quite a bit of reading lately (I always seem to read more in the summer than in the winter.) I am trying to read/listen to 90 books this year. I am currently at 63.

This week I finished:
Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon (Audiobook)
A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin (ebook)
A Wrongful Death - Kate Wilhelm (Audiobook)

and I am currently listening to:
Bleak House - Charles Dickens (Audiobook)
Killing Floor - Lee Child (Audiobook)

and reading:
Vanish - Tess Gerritsen (ebook)
The Quick and the Thread - Amanda Lee (paperback)

Well that is my update for this week. I will be back next week. Take care and happy stitching.

Thank you for visiting!!!!!!!!

  

Blue Jeans and Daisies Update

I have been stitching on BRD's Mystery Sampler - Blue Jeans and Daisies this past week.  (I am sooooooooooooooo behind on this project.) Here is my progress as of a few minutes ago.

I am expecting Part II of the LHN Song of the Seasons Mystery Sampler soon so I want to make a little more headway on this one before it arrives. We have a long weekend coming up so hopefully I should have lots of stitching time.

Take care and happy stitching.

 Thank you for visiting!!!!!

 

I said I would try to be back and here I am!!!!

Thank you to all who visited and left a comment on my post yesterday. The comments were very much appreciated.

As I mentioned yesterday my stitching of late has been very limited. I have made a little progress on the BRD mystery SAL but I have still a long way to go. I better start picking up the pace as I have now signed up for the LHN mystery SAL (can you tell I loooooovvvvve mystery SALs) and the first chart should be arriving shortly.   I am still working on the first chart with this one.

A few months ago I mentioned how much I adore LHN designs and how I was contemplating ordering the Needleworker chart (threads included).  Guess what????  I did!!!!  Here is my progress as of last weekend.

One of the reasons I haven't been stitching much is that I been doing a lot of reading and baking - things I love almost as much as stitching. I have been reading the Stephanie Plum books and I just recently started reading The Game of the Thrones (absolutely love the TV adaptation). 

Since we started going out to trailer, 4 weeks ago,  I have made Peanut Butter cookies (no pic), Sex in a Pan (haven't had this in over 20 years and when a recipe surfaced on Facebook recently my DH asked me to make it), and Blueberry Rhubarb Pie (a change from the Strawberry Rhurbarb Pie I usually make) - yum, yum!!! 

 It is getting late and I have to work tomorrow.   Have a great weekend and happy stitching!!!!!!


 

It's Started!!!!

 

I started the BRD Blue Jeans and Daisies Mystery Sampler last weekend and the above is my progress as of last night. Part III has already been released so I have long way to go. I definitely need to make sure I have good lighting while stitching on this one (the fabric is 35ct) as I have had a few sessions with the frog already.

Hope you are all having a great weekend!!!!  Take care and happy stitching!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!

 

It has finally arrived!!!

Back in January I preordered the charts, fabric and threads for the the Blue Jeans and Daisies Mystery Sampler Club Series.

When my favourite ONS was ready ship the first part out to me they discovered that their supplier had sent 30ct fabric mislabeled as 35ct. Since I really wanted to stitch this on 35ct I decided to wait until the new shipment came in. On Friday a package with Parts 1 & 2 was waiting for me in the mailbox.

I am so anxious to start stitching it but I have decided to wait until I have finished stitching the last Mystery Club Series - Very Scary by Lizzie*Kate.  I just need to finish Part 3.  I will post a pic of my progress tomorrow.

On final note, I just want to mentioned that LHN has come out with another design that is so calling me - The Needleworker.  I haven't ordered it yet but I don't think I am going to be able to hold out much longer especially after viewing the finished piece on Vonna's blog.

Happy Stitching!!!!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!

 

A Mini Holiday and some Stash Shopping

My DH and I made our annual trip to the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort this week. We spent 3 nights there. We absolutely love this place. The weather this year however was not that great. Our view from our room went from this


to this during the time we were there.

It has gotten significantly cooler here at home (I had turn the heat back on) but at least we didn't get any snow.

We got back home last night and today we did some errands which of course meant popping into my favourite LNS - Kathryn's Stitching Studio and of course I couldn't walk out empty handed.

I have been looking for awhile at the Scissor Sitters from Puffin & Company and decided to pick one up today. I chose the one with the cute little puppies.

I also picked up another MH Ornament Kit - "Nice"


and a Blue Ribbon Designs chart called "Small Token of Affection"




Well that's it for now!!!!!!!

Happy Stitching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!