Froth and Bubble

This is Oliver who was our house guest for the weekend. Friendly chap isn't he? On Saturday night Oliver, Molle and Paddy all trooped into the house dripping clumps of snow which immediately melted on the floor. Then Oliver and Molly started romping around...I careened around the couch to rescue a lamp and promptly slipped on the wet floor and landed squarely in my tail bone. The pain was instant, substantial and ongoing. It was not aided by hours and hours in the car on Sunday going to Mississauga to visit Dan's Dad. I did get to the doctor on Monday afternoon and now through the miracle of science have painkillers which are working.

An instant like that can certainly have a big impact though...I am popping pills every 4 hours so I can sleep, bend, sit and stand with less pain...the cost is drowsiness which means I am essentially housebound as I cannot take a chance and drive...without pills the pain would be distracting and with them I feel that it would be like driving under the influence of something...no matter... the weather is awful anyway! It is not encouraging however that the tailbone takes a long time to heal.

I have worked on Long Dog's Froth and Bubble between naps but I am not really getting too far. I like the piece. Perhaps today, now that the pills are working I will be able to sit longer and actually concentrate.

Before the fall I got started on Page three of Jeannette Douglas's "My Stitching album" but the photos I took were terrible so I deleted them. I'll try again in better light later in the week.

The best laid plans

I had every intention in the New Year of stitching only what I had in the shop. I mean that's what the whole point of the shop and having models is, isn't it? I have a long list of "Things I really want to stitch " and another of "Things I really want to finish" and then there are the hundreds of patterns in the shop that should have models ... so what happens? I got hold of the newest JCS magazine and found about 5 charts in that issue alone(!) that I really really like...the Gerbera Daisies pillow by Vermillion, the Tree in the 4 seasons by Jeannette Douglas, the Sampler by S Cohen, a gorgeous little thing full of specialty stitches and three leaves AND a pillow done in swirly designs all in one colour of variegated thread on a dark fabric.
I haven't seen a magazine with SO many designs that I love enough to want to stitch in a long time! What's a stitcher to do? I 'm already retired and already spend way too much time stitching ...well not really, but I do stitch alot!

Oh well...if that is the worst thing I have to worry about, I guess I am doing OK.

Recently I noticed that the lid to our bird feeder had gone missing. After watching this little guy I suspect he may have had something to do with the disappearance!

And last but not least for today...on the weekend Dan and I spent some quality time together at his favourite store...Home Depot...and purchased some peg board. He promptly came home and went into an organizing frenzy...here is part of the result! I am under strict orders not to put the pans back in the wrong spots!

We also built 4 new shelves in the laundry room and yes things are much more organized now. I am sure I'll find a way to clutter it all up...but that's the fun isn't it?

Happy 2009

Happy New Year everyone.

I have been very remiss lately with my blogging, writing , reading and commenting. Let's see if I do any better in this new year.

Here is a picture of Dan on Christmas morning opening my main present to him...These two pillows have been in the works since last summer. Sharon has a copy of PC stitch and volunteered to transform my dog portraits into cross stitch. Fortunately I have two excellent pictures of Mollie and Paddy which had been taken by Carrie a couple of years ago and they became excellent (and challenging) patterns.

I had to work on them when Dan was not around and there were quite a few days when I scrambled to shove stuff in bags if he came home a litte early. Also I could not post pictures since Dan often reads my blog so see what I am saying about him and what silly picutres I am posting.

We spent New Years with Bruce and Luci. Here is Luci with her Paula Vaughn Magnolia Pillow. I got it stitched in 15 days and made into a pillow with days to spare.

Here are Santa and his elf looking ...well silly.After Christmas I got out my Heart's Content Splendor II kit and finished it. It is beautiful and I am thrilled with it but I don't know if I want to spend 5 years working on another one. It was a kit done on 29 count Glenshee linen using one strand of DMC 612 throughout.

Since finishing this on Dec 30 I have only pickied up my stitching once and at that time worked on my CdC on 36 count. I did one earlier in the year on 25 count but liked the pattern so much that I started a second one with Waterlilies silk. What was I thinking? I probably should have waited until Cirques des Carreaux came out which it did this past month! Oh well...

Meanwhile, I am thinking of starting something new...Froth and Bubble from Long Dog. I have the thread and the pattern and am deciding between 32 and 36 count fabric.

I have decided not to begin the Mirabilia SAL that many of my friends are doing. I have stitched quite a few of them in the past and they are all hanging in the homes of various nieces and nephews who have had babies in the past number of years... But I will be happy to follow their progress.

Happy New Year everyone.

Boxing Day Sale

On December 26 www.knowledgeandneedles.com will be holding a big 25% off everything in the store Boxing Day sale. E-mail me or drop in to get these great deals!!!

I finished Jeannette's Douglas's Page 2 of My Stitching Album and am very proud of it! Next I picked up a round robin that I told Carmen (last August!!!) I would work on for her...it will be arriving home in the mail soon Carmen.I did three rows of Jeannette Douglas's Northern Shield Sampler for Carmen. There are only 5 or 6 rows left to do. It seems to have been a JD kind of week for me.
Next I pulled out my Heart's Content piece, Splendor II, which hasn't seen the light of day since June and did a few motifs on it last night. I am going to try to continue on it till the end of the year and then I will treat myself to a new start which I think will be Long Dog's Froth and Bubble and I even have the GAST threads for it!

I must mention http://caroliensstitches.blogspot.com/ . Carolien mentioned me in her blog awhile back and tagged me with a Bloggie Goodness Award. Thank You Carolien!

I hope to see or hear from some of you on Boxing Day!

More ornaments

Well...there are ornaments following this picture of the Magnolia from "Pillows from Paula's Garden" that I stitched this month for my friend Luci for Christmas. I managed to do it in 15 days. I dropped it off this morning to be made into a pillow and Debbie has already called me to say it is finished, so I will pick that up tomorrow and my Christmas shopping will be finished! And here are the ornaments ... a woodpecker from one of the JCS Ornament issues...

These are also from various JCS Ornament issues...

I believe these came from "Gift of Stitching"...I usually finish my ornaments with glue and fabric backing but I beaded these and they have personalized backs...I am kind of proud of them.

Wendy!!!

Wendy was a knitter when she first came into my shop with her daughter Carrie a few years ago...but look at her now! We have made a convert! Okay she still knits upon occasion..this little pink sweater was commissioned by Marie Paule for her grandaughter....

This Santa is a Christmas gift ....

And these gorgeous tulips are also a Christmas gift...for Wendy's boss at work...I'd say once he gets this fabulous piece of work that he should give her a raise!

And last but not least this was Wendy's round robin which she is giving to Carrie...the animals were stitched by various Thursday stitchers... Judie, Judy, Barb, Angie, Beatrice, Kathy, Adriana, Lisa, me, and of course Wendy herself did one...and The original had a big colourful rooster in the middle but she has other plans for the middle...

Friday Stitchers

Our stitching group on Thursday has proven so popular that I have had to add another group on Fridays. These ladies are just as dedicated and produce some fabulous pieces. Here is Cheryl with her over one Sundlower. Angie, who is in Arizona right now, usually comes to stitch on Thursday but I found this shot of her with her gorgous stitched stitching bag.

Cheryl again with one of the two Boyd's Bears designs she is stitching for her best friend who is becoming the grandmother of twins in the New Year.

Fran is enjoying her L*K Christmas design...If you think Fran enjoys everything she does, I believe you are right...she has a very sunny personality