Frogs and storms...

It was to be expected with all the wet weather we've been having here in the Northeast this "summer" (if you want to call it that- hasn't felt like it, that's for sure!!). The frogs hit my Cirque de Carreaux last night. I was just about complete with the first of the "larger" squares and I realized the stitching inside wasn't balanced...I counted, recounted and counted again and realized I miscounted at the top (where I started the inside design) and everything was dropped by one stitch...so a frogging I went...

The nice thing is that Tracy at Ink Circles took a look at my blog (I messaged her at Facebook about finishing BFG) and she noted back to me that it looked like the count was off on Carreaux (THANK YOU AGAIN Tracy!!).


As you can see, I finished frogging and I've now restitched the frog area as well as got more done too...major thunderstorms will help with that...couldn't sleep last night with the storm that was literally in our backyard (I think one lightening strike hit a tree in the gulley next to our house)...

I feel fairly positive I'll get an even bigger piece of it done today with son's swimming lessons and then the after lessons swimming with both of the kids...

Cirque de Carreaux

I decided today after doing my community college application that I deserved to "treat" myself. So instead of pulling a project out of the back of the MIA WIP pile I'd work on Cirque de Carreaux from Ink Circles.

Back in May I played with it a little bit when I was getting ready to go on my crazy adventure to Indiana (remember "to Indiana and back in 3 days or less"???)... At that time I had decided to try and do this project over one (my first try at working over 1 and only my third project on some other evenweave other than aida).

This is a picture of what I had "accomplished" on it at that time.

I still haven't dealt with the edges of the fabric but here is what I accomplished on it today while my son had swimming lessons, waited for the nurse practioner to give me my MMR vaccine and then waiting for my daughter at the library while she was involved with a program there.

Not bad progress if I do say so myself!! The blue in this lower right corner is truer to the actual color of the fabric.

Here is what it will look like when complete.

I'm doing mine on 32ct wedgewood blue lugana with 4240 DMC variations floss...

A finish and a NEW start...

I just finished Blackstone Fantasy Garden at 6:00am (eastern time) this morning... I just figured out it took me a total of 6 months and 20 days...it didn't actually take that much time but I started it on December 26, 2008 and finished it on July 16, 2009. I've had many days of no progress on it between working on other projects or dealing with real life.



I'm posting pictures of it I took a few days ago with 6 or 7 areas to be complete and then the final pictures. Not sure when I'll get it framed but as soon as I do, I'll post a picture of it here on my blog...

Now on to the NEW start in my life... this morning I took the plunge and applied to the local community college so I can start taking classes this fall to start working towards getting my nursing certificate... this may not seem like a big deal to some but it has been well over 20 years since I've been to school and two kids later it is a VERY scary proposition for me but with the love and support of my family I'm sure I'll get through it...

I now have to get on the phone and find out from the college what they mean by "proof of immunizations" so I can try and figure out what I need and get what I don't have.

As usual thank you for reading my blog. I'm sure future updates will be both stitching and groaning about classes.

Getting There...

This title is so appropriate for so many things around here lately...

My father in law is getting there in his recovery. He was given a clean bill of health by his general practioner earlier this week. He is going to PT a couple of times per week to regain muscle strength and balance.

Our road is under reconstruction...makes "getting there" a challenge some days (which way do I turn out of the driveway to get off the road???).

And Blackstone Fantasy Garden (BFG) is getting there...got two more sections of the blackwork completed and only have 8 small and one larger (the final corner which I've started) to complete...




I'm thinking I may actually finish this by the end of next week (and depending on when I get to Vermont this weekend for work and how many registrations I have to enter for work before my co-workers get there, maybe this weekend but I doubt that one!!)...

I love this pattern and can't wait to have it finished, frame it (myself because I have too much Scottish in my background to pay some one else to do it!! LOL I don't mean to offend any of my Scottish friends with this one!! ) and get it hanging on my wall...

Have a great weekend all and hopefully my next post will be with a finish (or maybe two if I get the alpha blocks done too!!)

Missing Stitching Mojo and Dad in law...

WARNING...this is a LONG post!!!

Boy I've been MIA for quite awhile...Thank you to Sadie for her email checking up on me...you don't know how much that meant to me to hear from a stitching friend across the pond that hadn't seen hide nor hair from me here or on the stitching groups in a bit...

In my last post about the auction I mentioned about a family member being ill...well, let me tell you that was an UNDERSTATEMENT...

The Monday before that last post (Memorial Day here in the states) my father in law was admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital to their neurological intensive care unit. He was on that unit for over 3 1/2 weeks and here we are at the brink of six weeks when he was admitted and we still don't have a definitive diagnosis. It all played out like a BAD episode of the tv show "House". One day we'd have one diagnosis, then the next it was ruled out because some of his symptoms didn't line up with the day before's diagnosis. At one point we thought we were going to lose him and another we were given a 50-50 chance that he'd survive. The good news is he began improving as fast as he had gone downhill. On June 19th he was transferred to a Rehabilitaion center (through this whole ordeal he's lost over 40 pounds as well as muscle strength and coordination) and even better news is he was discharged from there to his home on July 3rd! He still has to do some outpatient rehabilitation to continue regaining his strength but he is now home in comfortable surroundings. It has been a roller coaster of a month for sure!!

Well, while all this was going on with him health wise it had put quite a damper on my stitching mojo. Between worrying about him, worrying about my husband and his dealing with his dad (and mom's state of mind- she doesn't deal well with doctors, hospitals, etc) and keeping my kids calm as well as dealing with keeping my house going and making theirs look lived in, I just couldn't get my self in the swing of things to stitch. Even sitting in the hospital with my mother in law, I figured I'd get a lot of stiching done but truthfully only a minimum of stitches went into anything during that time.

Well, in the last week I seem to have made up for some lost time...

I got bored with the alphabet blocks I was working on, so I switched back to Blackstone Fantasy Garden.




At this point I estimate I have only about a quarter of the backstitching/blackwork to go and I'll be finished with it! I'm challenging myself to get it finished before we go on vacation to the shore at the beginning of August. That gives me a little over 3 weeks to finish what I've got left, do you think I can do it?? I do...

And once I do finish it then the big decision...do I start in true ernst Cirque de carreaux (which I'm going to try doing over one- and I've cut the material to that size already) or do I go back to working on the Patchwork Sampler by Catia Crafts (catiacrafts.com) that I started last summer and but to the side to finish Boink and do Blackstone??? Such decisions to be made...and of course I have those alphabet blocks to finish too (they are almost done with the stitching and then it is a matter of assembly)...

Until the next time (and I plan on it not being such a long time between posts!!)...

Auction Results...

The auction was last night...I'm pleased to report that the "Rosebud Wreath" earned the school $40.00 and the "Footprints" piece brought in $25.00. I was kind of upset because they were put into the "silent auction" portion of the evening and feel if they had been in the "live auction" portion they may have brought in more money. I say this because one of the nuns of the school did a charcoal drawing and another did a crocheted afghan and the auctioneer was GREAT and put the guilt trip on people when they wouldn't start bidding on an item, especially these two items seeing as the nuns were both in attendance and the items both went for well over $100 each (in fact the afghan went for $175. The auctioneer tried opening the bidding on it at $100 and no one was biting so he went as low as $30 before someone put a bid on it and then it took off with people fighting over it.)

No pictures to show of updates seeing as it has been a very stressful week here with dealing with a family member's illness and keeping the rest of the family updated on his condition and trying to keep my kids calm about it. Hopefully life will be back to somewhat normal soon but only time will let us know that for sure.

Until next update...thanks for looking...

Two finishes Framed!!

Footprints and Rosebud Wreath are COMPLETE with frames and will be delivered to my son's school this afternoon for next week's auction.

I'm so happy with how both of these came out...I hope they will bring in a good chunk of cash for the school...I'll let you know after next Saturday (5/30) on how well they did...

To everyone in the United States...have a wonderful holiday weekend and please remember to thank a vet for their service and remember those whom we've lost in their service to our country...from a daughter of a vet and sister/sister in law of active duty air guardsman/woman...

My trip and stitching

Arrived home last Thursday night (5/14) from my whirlwind trip to Indiana around 8:30pm (eastern time).

Let me start at the beginning...about three weeks now my boss emailed about 5 of us (crew of 20 or so) asking if we were interested in going on a road trip for some training on a new system he has just purchased. Well with some creative figuring and lots of support of my husband and other family members I was able to go along on this excursion. So on Tuesday at 6:15 in the morning I met the crew in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and we started our trek to Indiana.

I took plenty of stitching projects with me to work on but didn't get much accomplished.

I did finish the cross stitching of the rosebud wreath and started on the backstitching on it but didn't get too far on that before hitting bumpy roads in western New York state.

Later on I tried stitching on it and Blackstone Fantasy Garden but the roads in Ohio were no better than New York.

I did finally finish the piece next to the "heart" in the center of the picture one morning before we left either to get back on the road coming home or before we went to class, don't remember which.

Here is what the full piece looks like so far... looks like I'm about 1/2 way through the blackwork.


I also started another alpha block. I'm trying to get two more of them done before June 10th for my son's teachers. He loved the first one I did and asked for me to do some for his teachers in their favorite colors. Again though it was a challenge trying to work on this on the road. I'm doing them on 22ct white aida and I'm planning on making them into keychains for the teachers.

I've also gotten a couple of pieces done... awhile ago I finished "Footprints". This morning I put in the final french knot on rosebud wreath. I took these pictures just before washing them. They are now drying. I'll then press them and frame them and hope to have them to my son's school tomorrow for the auction they are having next week.



I plan on taking pictures of them when they are framed and I'll let you know how much they sell for next week. The auction committee has gotten one of the "big" local radio talk show hosts to be the auctioneer.

Two Finishes

One stitching finish and the floor is finished...

The kids arrived home on Tuesday evening from Disney World. They had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa and all (including G&G) were exhausted.

The Floor project was complete on Tuesday morning and major part of the furniture was moved back in then.


I'm quite happy with the results I got...some spots need some further work but with two active kids and a dog and a cat, I'm sure I'll be "redoing" this floor again before the end of their stay (the kids) in this house...

My other finish is the Alphabet Quaker block from the Stitch Creations blog...



I'm also quite happy with how this came out and have my son finding out his teacher's favorite color and probably going to make one of these into a keychain for her for the end of school.

Off to finish reloading all of the stuff into the dining room, the hutch is still empty, etc...have a wonderful weekend everyone.

I hope to have an update on rosebud wreath and Blackstone Fantasy garden early next week.

No Stitching this week...

Instead of stitching, I decided since the kids were away in Florida with Grandma & Grandpa for the week I should do a project that would be easier to do minus two kids running in and out.

I decided that project should be refinishing our dining room floor. The people who had owned the house before us had slapped down a quick coat of polyurethane to make it look good for selling the house but since it has been peeling and was awful.

The kids left on Tuesday, had a play day with my friend Dee where we went to a restaurant in Rhode Island that we've been trying to get to together for over a year. On Wednesday I started with the massive project I've dubbed THE FLOOR... Wednesday was spent emptying the hutch and packing up the stuff in the room. Whoever knew how much stuff we had in this small room (definitely time to purge after the floor is finished). On Thursday, Dee came over to help me move the table, hutch, etc out of the room. From there I hung plastic sheeting over the doorways (hoping to keep down some of the dust) and headed to the local hardware store that rents different tools. I got myself a floor sander for four hours and sanded as close to the walls as possible within that time.

Now on Friday I'm on my hands and knees with a palm sander and a belt sander getting even closer to the walls.

Now this picture may scare some, so be forewarned...Haha...

This is what I'm looking like after about 4 1/2 hours of sanding and I'm still not done with all the edges...hoping to finish today and put the first coat of polyurethane on tomorrow but we'll see what happens. No matter what happens have to have this project done by Tuesday morning seeing as the kids will be home Tuesday night and Dee has offered to come over on Tuesday to help move the furniture back in the room.

Blast from the past

Just a quick note for today...

I just received this picture from my friend Dee. I did this piece for her many years ago. I've still got the chart for it and I'm very tempted to do it for myself some year!!

The kids got off to Florida with the grandparents after a delay because of fog. My floor project was delayed because I took a Play Day with above mentioned friend Dee and we had a GREAT time playing hookey!! Dee, we need to do that again, maybe you'll get the $696 one next time!!

Stitching Update, partial finish and the airport

I was getting "bored" working on the Rosebud wreath the other day (well not bored but intrigued by another design) so I started a new thing...

It is the latest SAL at Stitch Creations blog...it is a cutie and I thought "what the heck it looks like a quick stitch"...and boy is it...I've only got the first three parts (I'm assuming it will be 5 or 6 parts) and I've got the first three parts complete in two days.

This isn't the best picture (maybe I'll try to get a better one later in the day). I've used DMC 69 for the floss and I'm doing it on 18ct Aida by MCG Textiles that was in my stash. The color of the fabbie is an ecru.

Seeing as this seems to be such a quick stitch I was contemplating doing two more of them and making them into keychains for my ds' teachers for the end of the year.

Now I did get more work done on the rosebud wreath also. I've completed the right side (except for the backstitching) and now working from the bottom of the heart upwards on the left side...This is another kit that is definitely a quick stitch.

Later this morning I'm assuming I'm taking my kids and my inlaws to the airport. They are heading to Florida for Spring Break. Grandma and Grandpa are taking the kids as their Christmas gift and mom & dad were invited to come but were informed we had to pay our own way. We told them to have fun and we'd see them all when they get back.

No dh and I don't have any fabulous plans for while they are gone. In fact, originally I had been planning to clean out and paint ds' bedroom (it still has the pink flowers around the doors and windows that were there when we moved in 10 years ago!!) but now it looks like I may rent a floor sander and tackle the dining room/hallway floors that are in DESPERATE need of attention. Got thinking about it and realized it would be easier to do the floors when the kids weren't around and dh was at work and I only had the dog and cat to contend with during the day.

Off to make sure I've got everything packed for the kiddos and get dh ready for work. Then it's off to my parents' house to let their dogs out (they are away for spring break with my brother's family so I'm babysitting too!!).

Have a fabulous day. I'm going to try!!

More than green or brown

Just a quick update on Rosebud Wreath...I've actually got more colors now than just greens and browns!! I've added some pinks and white!!!

This is probably the only stitching I'll get done today. My son doesn't have school today and he heard on the weather report this morning that it is to be "breezy" today and he's dying to try out the Spiderman kite the Easter Bunny left for him. I told him, if he helped me with some things around here this morning we'd head off to a local field to try and fly his kite.

Also have to pick daughter up for an orthodontist appointment this afternoon so have to get things done quick so we can go fly kites...

Enjoy your day where ever you may be...as Tiger from Winnie the Pooh says "ta-ta for now!!"

Happy Easter, A finish and a Start...

Happy Easter to those that celebrate!! My family will be getting together with the others from the family later today for a late lunch/ early dinner. So far this morning, my kids have attacked their baskets left by the Bunny and found all the eggs they dyed last night which the "Bunny" hid before leaving their baskets.



Here the kids are dyeing their eggs last night.

This "quiet" morning has meant some stitching time for me this morning and with this being a holiday weekend meant we weren't running around all day with the kids so I was able to get in a fairly good chunk of time stitching yesterday also.



All this time meant I was able to finish "Footprints" and start another quick (at least I hope quick) project to also donate to my son's school's auction at the end of May.



It is a kit by Donna Dewberry called Rosebud Wreath. I made this design for my dh's grandmother a few years ago and it is the kit that I was searching for to originally do for the auction before I found "Footprints".



I started this last night and have worked on it for a short period this morning. This is the progress I've made so far on this project. It does seem to be working up quickly so far but I'm getting tired of greens and browns already...can't wait to get to some of the pinks and purples.

Seeing as I've been working on these two "quick" kits I haven't done a single stitch in Blackstone Fantasy Garden, although it is still traveling in my canvas bag, just in case I get bored working on these quickies and need something different to do for a stitch or two. I'm hoping to maybe have the wreath done this week or early next week and then get back to BFG. I have read on some other blogs that people feel they move quicker on their BAPs after working on a "little" project that was quickly finished. We'll see if that happens with my stitching.

Till next time...thanks for looking at my progress on my projects and following my crazy family...

Progress after one Week

It's a little wrinkled (UNDERSTATEMENT!!!) but here is my progress after the first week of stitching on this kit.


I'm very excited at how quickly it is coming together, especially seeing as it has been a VERY hectic week around here.

I got some good stitching time in last Thursday and after that we've been very busy working to get a referendum passed here in our town to renovate our local high school. The vote was on Tuesday (I did absolutely ZERO stitching on the vote day!!) and we were lucky after doing so much hard work that the referendum passed.

There was a group of moms that "camped" at the end our the highway entrance ramp down the street from my house this morning waving signs thanking the voters for supporting the kids. Here is a picture of them...


My daughter is the one on the far left in the red and black jacket with the "THANK YOU" sign...

New Project

I decided there is no way I'm giving my Blackstone away for the auction at my son's school (even though I've had at least two parents suggest I do so). I did decide to do a cross stitch project or two though.

Yesterday I went out very early in the day (as soon as the store opened) and went through the racks at Joann's ETC to see what they had which would be nice but also a quick stitch. I already had in mind that I'd like to do the Donna Dewberry "Rosebud Wreath". I've done this in the past and I'm kicking myself because I couldn't find the pattern in my "STUFF".

When I was at Joann's I did find a kit by Jiffy. It is Footprints, thought this would be a very appropriate design for a Catholic school.

I'm including a photo of the front of the kit (it isn't the best).




Here is my progress for yesterday.



I prepared the material, threads, etc while the photocopier was running at my daughter's school (I volunteer doing copying for the teachers of her grade so they don't have to spend that time away from the kids). Then while I was overseeing "rest time" at my son's school, I started stitching. I then stitched while he was at gymnastics and then after dinner. I'm amazed at how quickly this is coming together.

Hopefully, this will continue to be a quick stitch and the old brain will start firing on all the right cylinders and remember where that other pattern is. If it all works out maybe I'll have two pieces for the auction at the end of May.

Cars, stitching and TGIF...

Today I got to spend the better part of the day sitting at the car repair shop getting the van looked at and fixed. Yesterday the "check engine" light went on and that's NEVER a good thing I've found in this van. The first time it happened it was the EGR valve (of course went in at least twice for this before the complete fix was found!!). After that when it came on it was time for a new transmission (thankfully it was still just barely under warranty so no cost just headaches getting it done that time.) Today come to find out it was time for a new catalytic converter.

I've been finding if you leave it for them to work on when they get to it, you are looking at not getting it back until the evening. With me sitting there I got it back before noon today. I went in at 8:30 (after having to get it jumped seeing as the lights got left on last night and the battery was DOA this morning- just to add fun to the day!!) and was out three hours later...

So I had plenty of time to work on stitching.



I worked on a 15 sided biscornu I started the other day. It is a free design from Solaria which I've slightly modified. It was supposed to have tulips in the center of each section but the material I chose (which was a scrap in my stash) was too small and the tulips weren't coming out correctly (they looked warped).



I'm planning on doing this in 15 different old DMC variegated and new DMC Variations threads...

I also worked on Blackstone Fantasy Garden for a break from the light green I was using on the biscornu...


I can't believe I'm almost half way done with the black work!!





Here is a close up of the area I'm working on now...

A parent at my son's parochial school saw me working on this out in the parking lot while waiting to pick him up after dismissal one day and she commented on how perfect this would be for the auction in May... I loved the compliment but not sure if I'll do that...I'm loving doing it for myself but not sure if I'd love to do it again for myself after donating the first...

At this point I'm so glad it is Friday and the day is almost over...no more running kids to school (although Saturday's around here are pretty nuts with gymnastics and swimming lessons). It is a beautiful SPRING day out (just a teaser from the sounds of this weekends weather forecast- RAIN), so I'm now going to go outside and see what damage the boy (my son who gets into EVERYTHING) and the dog have been creating...

Spring and Blackstone Updates

It is beginning to look a little like spring outside here...doesn't feel like it (the temp now at 11:30 in the morning with bright sun is only at 30º and the weatherman just said normal temp for today should be about 50º!!) I was out looking around the yard while my daughter was waiting to get on the bus and I found these definite signs of spring...


This first one is of tulips in the front garden just starting to peek through the mulch.


Some daffodils that have survived the road salt through the winter next to the telephone pole by the post box...

And last but in no means least the one that actually got me looking closer for signs of spring...the pretty crocus that I never planted. Not sure if previous owners of our house planted or if a critter left it behind...

Now here's the Blackstone Fantasy Garden update...been working on it when I get a few minutes (while waiting for son to be dismissed from school, in the morning before the kids get up, in the evening after dinner and before my eyes bug out for the night)...I'm amazed at how fast it is coming together


This photo was taken on 3/17 (Happy St Paddy's Day!!)


Now this one was taken this morning and shows the entire project and the following are upclose photos so you can see the detail better.


and I'm definitely liking the addition of the DMC to the Elk Snout- it is definitely helping the ES and not overpowering the other colors (it is in the "tear drop" areas that "point" toward the center square and it will also be used in the center square).







and it is hard to believe I'm almost half way done with the black work!!

Well, until my next entry, get out and enjoy this cold but sunny weather!!

DON'T Join the Inkcircles Yahoo group

I've been a "member" of the inkcircle yahoo group while doing BoInk. I love doing Tracy's designs and will continue to do so but I have now dropped this group. Towards the end of doing the Book of Ink Circles I was reprimanded by a person for "requesting" one of the final installements. I responded to her "reprimand" and was immediately SLAMMED by the moderators for doing so. Come to find out the moderator is friends with the "person" in question. I even received a reply from Tracy, herself, letting me know she wasn't offended in the least for requesting the installment be posted.

I've noticed as of late that it has been taking forever and sometimes days for my posts to show up on the webpage, so I asked one of the moderators if I was on moderation for some reason or had there been problems so everyone was on moderation?

I just received a reply to this email and here is what it said, " You are on moderation because of your recent rudeness on list during the "kerfuffle". Also you don't trim your posts consistently. You will be taken off moderation when ALL the mods review and decide you are sorry for your on list behaviour and remember to trim consistently."

I unsubscribed because of this attitude...I'll continue to do Tracy's designs because I so love them but who needs to be bossed around by a bunch of catty hens that worry themselves over such nonsense?? Not me!!

Now that I've blown off steam, I'm back to doing my data entry so I can get back to working on my Blackstone Fantasy Garden!!

Night everyone!!

All Opinions Welcome and Appreciated

I've been playing with different colors tonight trying to figure out what to do with my Elk Snout dilemma on Blackstone Fantasy Garden...

At first I tried adding the coffee that is used in the borders of the knots but that was TOO much and completely obliterated any sign of the Elk Snout.

I then pulled out my handy dandy DMC color card and brought the spreadsheet I have listing my stash of floss up on the computer and I sat there and pondered my next move.

I tried #632 that I had just used in BoInk but it too was too dark and obliterated the ES (Elk Snout). I then pulled #'s 869, 610, 611 and 167. #167 seems to be very close to ES, so I veto that one. I then tried the #611.

This is plain Elk Snout


This is Elk Snout with #611 added to it

I think this works.

As usual I'd love to have some comments and suggestions as to what you think...

Thanks to Suzie she gave me some comments on my post earlier today which got me thinking along these lines...

By the way here is an update of how all the black work is looking so far...