What's a girl to do when it's...............

currently -30C (-41C with the windchill) outside. Curl up with a cozy mystery or watch the 2014 Winter Olympics and catch up with a little cross-stitching.

I am doing a little bit of everything this weekend. This weekend I am currently reading Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich and a new to me series by Livia J. Washburn - A Peach of a Murder (Fresh Baked Mystery) and this past week I have been listening to audiobooks by another new to me author - Julia Spencer-Fleming - Rev. Claire Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries.   I am currently on book 5.

While cheering on Canada and admiring all of the amazing athletes from around the world, I have been stitching away on the following.

Forget-Me-Not © With thy Needle and Thread

This is WIP from last year.   When I picked it up last weekend this is how much I had stitched.

and this is where I am as of last night.

I am hoping to have it finished it by next weekend.

Beary Merry Christmas (Dimensions Kit)

The 2nd bear is almost done.   I should be able to show a progress pic of the 3rd bear next weekend.

Saltbox Village © 2012 Little House Needleworks

I just finished stitching this one this AM.   This will be my 10th finished Christmas ornament.  Not bad since it is only the beginning of February and Christmas is still 10 months away. 

My next ornament will be Peace © The Stitcherhood  from  the 2013 JCS Christmas Ornament issue.

Now to get back to my stitching and to watch the rest of the Team Ice Dance Free Skate.  Wow!!!

Take care and happy stitching!!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!!

Go Canada Go!!

 

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!!!!!!!!

  

Let's Party - Grow Your Blog Party

 Giveaway Winner - Emma/Itzy

This post has been edited so that it stays to the top until February 1, 2013. For any new post between January 19, 2013 and February 1, 2013 check below.) 

It is time to sit back with a glass of wine, a cup of tea or a mug of hot chocolate and start blog hopping to meet new friends and visit some old. (Click on the logo below to go the host blog 2 Bags Full for a list of the participants in this Party.)

To those of you new to my blog, my name is Loretta and I started this blog on September 1st, 2007 to make a visual recording of my cross-stitching projects.   I tend to work on several projects at a time - some are finished in a timely manner and some take years (and years!)  I don't have a deadline on my projects anymore (except for those I do for exchanges) .  They are done when they are done. (Less stress that way which makes sense since I use stitching as a stress reliever.)

My preferred stitching themes are Christmas (my favourite time of the year), Halloween and Wildlife - especially birds.  I also like some Samplers and the occasional primitive.

Below are pictures of some of my most treasured pieces that I have stitched over the years.

In recent years I have added knitting to my repertoire - mostly dishcloths and scarves - as I try to hone my skills for bigger projects.  I also love to read and I keep a list of books I have read here.  You may occasionally see a recipe or two thrown in (as I also enjoy cooking and baking) along with a sprinkling of  vacation pics.

I will end today's prose with a giveaway.  It is a set of 6 Prairie Schooler Santas - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2010.

This giveaway is open to everyone - whether you are a follower or not.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post only.  Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - leave your email address if I can't access your email through your profile.

I will be announcing the winner on February 1st so you have until midnight (CST) on January 31st to enter.

Good Luck!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!

(I try to respond to everyone's comments via email.  If  you come through with a No Reply email address I will post a reply in the comment section of the blog.)

Stitch, Knit, Read, Repeat

My stitching has slowed down a bit in the past few weeks but I have managed to finish up 3 more ornaments.

Pattern: Star Crystal

Designer: Mill Hill

Fabric: Blue perforated paper

Thread: DMC

Accessories: MH Beads, MH Treasure

v

Pattern: It's Snow Cold

Designer: Little House Needleworks

Fabric: 30ct WDW Tin Roof Linen

Thread: DMC

Pattern: Winter Forest

Designer: Little House Needleworks

Fabric: 30 ct WDW Cocoa Linen

Thread: DMC

I am still working on the dishcloth I started 2 weeks and I pulled out a scarf that I started in 2008 and

I hope to finish by Christmas.  (I think 4 years is long enough to work on a scarf.)

 

I haven't been reading as much as I did over the summer but I am still trying to reach 100 books for this year. I am currently at 84. I am right now reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.  I have also started an new mystery series -  MAGDALENE LA BÂTARDE MYSTERIES.  I am currently listening to the 2nd book in the Series - A Personal Devil.  I am rather enjoying them.

Happy Stitching!!!!

Thank you for visiting!!!!

 


 

Holidays are almost over :(

One more day and then it is back to work!  :(  Holidays are over!!! We came home a day early (yesterday) because I came down with a cold (What a way to end a perfectly glorious holiday - Just my luck!!!!) I really enjoyed this the past two weeks doing the things I love - spending time with my DH, cross-stitching and reading.

I managed to finish a four projects in the past few days:

 Pattern:  Red Alphabet

Designer: Sheepish Designs  

Fabric: 28ct linen (1 over 1)

Thread: Unknown (misplaced tag)

 Pattern:  Hearts of Canada - New Brunswick

Designer: The Victoria Sampler

Fabric: 28ct evenweave

Thread: DMC, Kreinik

 Pattern:  Reading with Jane(freebie)

Designer: The Sampler Girl 

Fabric: 40 ct linen (1 over 2)

Thread:  Soie d'alger

Pattern: Starlight Ghost
Designer: Mill Hill

Fabric: 28ct evenweave

Thread: DMC, Kreinik

I also worked on a couple of Christmas Ornaments and added a few more stitches on It's Berry Time.

Don't Peek by Little by Little Designs (JCS 2004 Special Christmas Issue)

Deck The Halls by Little House Needleworks
 

 

Even had time to had a little time to knit some more dishcloths.  I didn't press them yet so they are a little off kilter.

 Ramen Noodle Knitted Dishcloth - Little House in the Suburbs 

Pattern came be found under "Crafts - Knitting Patterns"

 Rippling Diag by Janet Nogle

Daimonds with Moss Cloth by Janet Nogle

I listened to 3 audiobooks while stitching and knitting:

Simple Genius - David Baldacci
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Persuasion - Jane Austen

and read

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory

Well that was my holiday.   And outside of the cold (and now a bit of poison ivy - from the dog) it was everything I wanted it to be.

Take care and happy stitching!!!!!

Holiday Update

We came into the city for the day to cut the grass, do some laundry, go to the library and do some grocery shopping.  I just had enough time to upload the following pictures for this post and now we are on our way back out to the trailer.

I finished my stitched piece for the Tea Party in a Garden Exchange and it is now on its way to my partner.

I also finished the 1st part of the L*K Mystery SAL and the bonus pattern.  Here are the results.

This is stitched on 30ct WDW lilac linen with WDW Kohl.

I still need to add the embellishments.  I managed to forget those at home but I have them now.  I like how this is looking so far.

The following is the progress on some of my other projects.

First, I started another LHN ornament - Deck the Halls.

It I finished the stitching and now am working on the beading on this Mill Hill Halloween ornament.

A few more stitches added to

Red Alphabet

It's Berry Time

Reading with Jane (The Sampler Girl)

,

and Hearts of Canada - New Brunswick.

No knitting this time around (maybe this week) but did do a bit of reading.

Emma - Jane Austen (audiobook) - I have been inspired by The Sampler Girl Jane Austen designs to read and reread her books.
The Lady of the Rivers - Philippa Gregory
Catering to Nobody - Diane Mott Davidson
Cream Puff Murder - Joanne Fluke (ebook)

That's for now.  Take care and happy stitching!!