SAL's Update

This is what I did last week on my SAL's, not a lot of progress but every stitch counts towards a finish.

Wednesday BAP SAL

Gift of the Eagle Feather

Not a lot done this week. Just did some on the right side. Have decided to get all the sky around the Eagle done before starting on it.

Friday Santa Day SAL

Charmed 12 Days

Three more blocks started. I really like this more with each week. The charms will add a lot when all the stitching is done. I think I will start rotating this with a Just Nan Christmas Stocking for my DH Tracy and then one for myself. I should be able to get all three project done by Christmas.

Saturday Smalls SAL

Just Nan's 12 Days of Christmas

Three French Hens

These are really fun quick stitches. It only takes me a day to do each one so far. Can't wait til next month to do the next one.

Sunday Just Nan SAL

Queen of the Needle

Band 9 finished and Band 10 started. The more I work on this the more I love it. The colors just don't show up as pretty as they really are. Over half done with it now and can't wait til it's finished and at the framers.

My ORT ANGEL

I have never had anything to put my ORT's in so I normally just tossed them. Friday night at dinner I found myself stareing at the Salt shaker and I remembered some really cute little angels I saw at a craft shop many years ago in Arkansas. The wheels in my head started turning and this is what I came up with. I made the head several years ago when I was making angels as gifts and had this one left over, it's a wooden ball that I painted and added hair. I still have to find something to make her wings from and add a ribbon bow to her collar or maybe some pearls. Her head isn't glued on yet so I can just lift it up and add orts. I think she is really cute.

This week I'll be working on another Sweetheart Tree Biscornu and Fob and hope to make more progress on the SAL's.

Until next time....Happy Stitching

New additiion to Frog Family

As many of you know I was very upset by Freddy going MIA. In todays mail I was very surprised and please to find "Smoochy". He is Freddy's cousin and has come from Sam in the UK to cheer me up. You can't help but smile at the cute little guy. He has told me he hates the taste of floss so will be leaving my stitching alone. I am still in hopes that Freddy will continue on his journey and will be able to make lots of new friends on his way.

Until Next Time....Happy Stitching (without any frogs)

Spring is Here

You couldn't ask for nicer Spring weather here in the Desert Southwest. It's been in the low to mid 80's every day but I'm afraid Summer will be here too soon. I just had to celebrate this wonderful weather with a Biscornu that reminds me of Spring. The design is a freebie from My Aunt's Attic and is on 28ct Evenweave. The threads are called Sweet Dreams from Carrie's Collection. I'm not much into the really bold colors but do love the softer pastels. I have run out of thread for the bottom but will order them tomorrow and should have them by the weekend so I can finish this next week. I think it will go real well with the Peach Biscornu I did earlier.

I'm going back to my SAL's this week and will be working on "Feathers" tomorrow, "Charmed 12 Days" on Friday and Just Nan's 12 Days ornament on Saturday. In between the SAL's I'm going to be doing the next Sweetheart Tree Biscornu and Fob "Cherry Blossoms" so I'll have a lot to share (or bore you with) again.

Until next time.....Happy Stitching

Progress on "Queen"

Queen of the Needle

I finally got back to stitching on "Queen" and finished Band 8. It seems it took forever to get this band done. The birds and words went fairly fast but then it came to all the little flowers with a zillion color changes. I'm really looking forward to getting this project finished and framed.

Until the next update.....Happy Stitching

Easter Finish

2008 Easter Dagonlet

When I saw this Free design from Dragon Dreams I knew I just had to do it for my Easter basket. I will be making it into a little pillow and hang it from the handle. The finished pillow will only be about 2 1/2 inches square and I think it will be really cute. It is stitched on 32ct Opalescent White Belfast Linen with DMC floss. It's a really quick little one to stitch.

Finally Finished

Rhodes Butterfly Fob and Biscornu

I finally finished this set!!! I have no idea why it took me so long but I did enjoy stitching them. This first set is for a dear friend and I'll be doing it again for myself. I loved doing the Rhodes Butterfly stitch and will probably try my hand at designing a Needle Roll with this stitch in it. Next will be the "Cherry Blossom" Fob and Biscornu also by The Sweetheart Tree and then "When Barnabee Met Bella" Biscornu by Just Nan.

I have really let my SAL stitching go by the wayside this past 2 weeks but will get back on schedule starting today. I'm doing a little Easter design that I should be able to finish today and then it's back to "Queen of the Needle" tomorrow.

We will have a quiet Easter here. Just Tracy and I having a picnic type dinner with Ham, Potato Salad, Veggies and of course a Chocolate Bunny.

Happy Easter and until next time........Happy Stitching

Backstitching...Love it or Hate it

Rhodes Butterfly Biscornu before backstitching
Rhodes Butterfly Biscornu after backstitching

Back stitching.....some people love it, others hate it. How about you? I am in the love it group and it's a good thing since I also love doing The Sweetheart Tree designs. The pictures are of "Rhodes Butterfly Biscornu" that I started on Monday afternoon. This is one of the two new designs just released. I will also be doing the second one "Cherry Blossoms". In addition to the Biscornu's there are matching scissor fobs and of course they will be done also. I am doing two sets of these, one for a dear friend who can not stitch on the small count fabric and then a set for myself. According to the web site for The Sweetheart Tree there will be more in the Biscornu and Fob series and also other items to match like needlbooks and ???. I am in hopes that they will do needle rolls again to match.

Like many others I'm having a real problem adjusting to the new time. My internal clock is really off now but I do like the longer days. Just have to remember to start dinner before it gets dark, the sun going down was my cue to start dinner.

Until next time......Happy Stitching

Weekend Stitching

Baby "Mini" Biscornu's

OK, I admit it, I'm obsessed with these little guys. They are so much fun to stitch and I love them. I put a little loop on them so they can have a ribbon attached to make them a fob or can just be hung up. I will make some in Christmas colors for my tree. Tracy (my DH) just looked at them and shook his head wanting to know what they were used for. I see more of these in the future being sent as RAK's.

"Noel" Sampler Ornament

I don't remember where I got the pattern for this. It's from The Prairie Schooler, a freebie that's on a business size card. After finishing "NOEL" I thought the colors would be perfect for this so started it. I really like the way it's stitching up. I also have another little pattern like it with a tree and snowman that I think I'll do with the same threads.

I only put a few (very few) stitches in on "Queen" but will try to get some done on it this week. It's taking forever to finish the band I'm working on, so many color changes and I'll be thrilled to move on to the next band.

The sun is shinning and the birds are singing....think I'll go for a walk and enjoy the wonderful weather (sorry to those who are still getting the cold and nasty snow).

Until next time.......Happy Stitching

Santa Day Finish

"NOEL"

After two days stitching "NOEL" is finally finished. I'll be looking for the perfect fabric now to make this into a pillow. The design came from the Dec 2007 issue of The Cross Stitcher and is stitched on 28ct Lambswool Joblen with Crescent Colours. I just started a little ornament to go with the pillow. It's a freebie from The Prairie Schooler and should be really quick to do.

Until next time.....Happy Stitching

Exchange Received

In todays mail I received this wonderful exchange from Robyn in Australia for the IWD Exchange in my ILCS Group. What wonderful stitching and finishing on the Scissor fob and case. I love the froggy magnet and kit as well as the adorable card. Thank you so much Robyn

Until next time....Happy Stitching

BAP SAL

Gift of the Eagle Feather

Finally I can see some progress on this one. It's almost 1/6th done but still a long way to go. You can see where the Eagle will be now. I was going to go ahead with the eagle but decided I wanted to get more of the sky done first. After two days working on it I've put it away until next week.

Not sure what is on the agenda for tomorrow but will continue with my SAL's on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Until next time....Happy Stitching

Another Needle Roll

Blueberry Needle Roll

This is probably be my last finish for a while. It's "Blueberry Needle Roll" by The Sweetheart Tree stitched on while 32ct linen with DMC. I want to really concentrate on my SAL's this week and make some progress on them so I can start a couple of new projects next week. I'm spending two days on "Feathers" and will probably also spend a extra day on "NOEL" and "Charmed 12 Days". Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Until next time....Happy Stitching

Another GEO Finished

Finally finished another of the GEO designs. This one is called "Tudor". I wanted a more dramatic one this time so I used a 32ct Linen, sorta a blue/grey color, and stitched it with black #12 Perle Cotton. I'm really happy with the results. I still need to do the bottom for the Biscornu but not really sure how much stitching I want to do for that, also have to get some black beads ordered for it so probably won't be a Biscornu until sometime next week. I'm going to try and finish the "Blueberry" needle roll now and then back to SAL's on Wednesday.

Until next time.....Happy stitching

SAL's

I really fell off with my SAL's last week.

Wednesday...only a few stitches on "Feather" and then started a new project. (progress a couple posts down)

Friday...a couple of stitches on "NOEL" and then the mail came with the threads and fabric for "Charmed 12 Days of Christmas" and I just had to start on it.

Saturday....worked on "12 Days" and also on new project started on Wednesday.

Sunday...did even take "Queen" out of the WIP basket. Worked all day on new project while watching the race.

This is what I got done on "Charmed 12 Days of Christmas" I really love this one and will rotate it with "NOEL" until "NOEL" is finished then will add a Christmas stocking for my DH Tracy into the Friday rotation.

Until next time with a update on the new project.........Happy Stitching