An Update!

I cannot believe I've been gone for over a month! How did that happen?! I swear I laid down for a nap one day and just woke up this afternoon :)

I have been struggling with "pregnancy fatigue" for weeks and weeks. I feel like I'm dragging through each and every day. I'm mostly just taking lots of naps and vegetating. I wish I could say I had lots of stitching to show for myself, but the truth is I don't. I've been completely unproductive in every way - including hobbies. But I am the queen of the afternoon snooze and that has to count for something! And the good news is we have a beautiful little apple seed to show for it! This is our first peak at Cuddle Bug's new sibling - whom we lovingly refer to as "baby." We got it on June 30th at our first prenatal appointment. We confirmed the gestational age (9 weeks gestation in the ultrasound) and we are definitely due on February 2nd - my (and my sister's) 26th birthday!


In stitching news, about a month ago I got a wonderful gift from the sweet, sweet BeckySC - the gorgeous Joyful Summer chart from Country Cottage Needleworks! This will be my next big project and I'm thinking it will be a perfect gift for my sister, if she wants it of course, for her new apartment. Thank you times a million to Becky for such a lovely chart - you are so generous!


And finally - look what I got from Sally! She has awarded me the Brilliante Weblog Award! Thank you so much Sally! I'm so flattered!! And now I have to choose 7 other blogs I would like to give the award to - yikes! I will make that a top priority!!

I also want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my blog and who emailed to check in on me. Who would have ever guessed I would have actually been missed?! You are all so sweet and wonderful! You made me feel so special :)

Goodies!

Thank you so much to all of you for your happy wishes on my pregnancy! You are all so sweet! We are very excited :) Dawn asked how far along I am. Based on the first day of my last monthly period I am 7 weeks along and due on Feb 2nd - which is actually my birthday! We will have our first visit with the OB on the 30th of June.

Here is a picture of Cuddle Bug the other night reading to his new baby doll (his practice baby brother/sister) whom he named "Baby Billy." He's so cute!


I got some wonderful goodies in the mail the other day! I got this incredible collection of charts (and 2 kits) from Jacque over at "My Needle's Delight!" Thank you Jacque! You are so kind!! I love each and every design! Some of these charts are designs/designers that I haven't heard of before which is really exciting for me as a beginner :) I don't deserve such a wonderful gift but I will treasure it and will enjoy every stitch I make on these designs - they are from such a lovely blogger!


I also got an order from Handcrafts Online. I ordered some linen, a finishing kit for LHN's "Peace" thread pack and some CC threads I needed.


I really need to get to some serious stitching now with all the fun new goodies I have!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and productive week! I am hoping my next post will show some kind of stitching progress!! I need to get my tin done for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I haven't even started that.

Thanks for reading and for all your kind comments and well wishes!

I was RAK'ed!!

Thank you all for your kind comments wishing me well! I have determined the cause of my exhaustion and nausea, but more on that later.

The most exciting thing happened to me on Friday! I would have posted sooner but with Father's Day weekend we just didn't have any time to slow down and blog in a way that would do justice to the incredible joy and excitement this particular happening brought me! The mail-woman brought me a package! Don't you just love mail that doesn't have "account number" in the upper right corner and a return envelope so we can mail the sender our hard-earned money - I know I do! This particular package had "My Mark" as the return address which really got my mind going because I didn't remember ordering anything! I tore into it immediately and found this gorgeous thread holder inside and a letter from Monique explaining that this beautiful gift was from sweet, wonderful Michele of Just Another Stitching Blog... !! Oh Michele, I don't know what would prompt you to do something so undeserved, but I treasure it more than I can tell you! You have made me feel so special!! You are so thoughtful and generous and I am moved by such a beautiful gesture! Hugs to you!


Isn't it beautiful?! DH was thoroughly impressed when I showed it to him :)

And while we're on the topic of happy, wonderful, very exciting things like my new thread holder...

I have an explanation for my constant drowsiness and the nausea that's been plaguing me on and off just about every day for the past few weeks. I'm pregnant! How crazy is that?!

Thank you again for all my kind visitors and for all your sweet well wishes. And thank you again, Michele for your incredible Random Act of Kindness that still has me walking on air :)

Finally - An Accomplishment!

I have to apologize for my absence the past week. I've not been feeling well and I haven't had much stitching to show. I have done a tiny bit more stitching on "Peach Tree Cottage" but it is coming along very very slowly as a result of my exhaustion and other ailments.

Yesterday I finally felt like I needed to just finish something so I could have at least a tiny taste of success. So I stitched the PS "Peep" freebie. It is tiny and precious. I'm planning a miniature pinkeep or ornament for this one. I changed the colors around a bit as I wanted the background to be blue instead of the green it calls for. My stitches are kind of sloppy and uneven, but I really wasn't that invested in making it a show-stopper and was just glad I got it finished. I think of every piece as another learning experience :)

"Peep" by Prairie Schooler
Fabric: 32 count Natural Light Linen scrap
Thread: DMC
Stitched 6/11/08

Thanks for visiting and for all your wonderful wishes on my last post about being so tired. I know I don't "know" any of you, but I feel like I have some stitching friends out there in the world wide web!

Peach Tree Cottage

I would love to say that I've been stitching non-stop on LHN's Peach Tree Cottage since Saturday. But that just isn't the case. Instead, I've been yearning to crawl into Peach Tree Cottage and rest my eyes. I imagine it's decorated shabby-chic inside, with country touches in every corner and perfectly worn furniture that has a story to tell. I would tuck myself under a heavy quilt in one of the upstairs bedrooms and take a nice, long nap. That's how I've been feeling lately - like I want to shut out the world and sleep. Exhaustion is really no fun, and tackling it when you are the sole care-giver of a two year old until 5:30 every evening is especially no fun. I really need to shake this!


This is all the progress that I've made on Peach Tree Cottage since I started it (barely) Saturday night. Most of this was actually stitched yesterday when I was feeling a little less tired and a little more productive. I am loving this piece. The colors are fantastic and I really love the design. I wish I could force myself to spend more time on it. Maybe I'll get over this lethargy and really get busy with this project! Here's hoping!

You are all making such amazing progress with your projects! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my amateur stitching blog and post comments and suggestions. I appreciate it more than I can say. You all inspire me so much!

It's June Already!

Today is officially June, and that means it's time to evaluate last month's goals and start thinking about this month.

May Goals:

1. Finish Stitching CCN's "A Place We Call Home" - Accomplished 5/6/08
2. Stitch and Finish Biscornu for MFC - Accomplished 5/15/08
3. Stitch Blocks 2-4 of PS 12 Days of Christmas - Accomplished 5/30/08
4. Start LHN's "Peach Tree Cottage" - Accomplished 5/31/08

I even managed to sneak in an extra project and get "Love and Faithfulness" from LHN/CC stitched up as well!

I got started on Peach Tree Cottage last night at 9 and stitched for about 15 minutes - long enough to constitute a start, but short enough to not have anything picture-worthy to show for it. I had a terrible headache last night and just couldn't stitch for long. But I give myself credit for pulling it all out to start so I could accomplish my final May goal.

Now for June Goals.

I'm hoping to get more accomplished this month and be a more focused stitcher than last month. So I'm giving myself more ambitious goals for June than I did for May.

My June Stitching Goals:

1. Finish Stitching LHN's "Peach Tree Cottage"
2. Stitch and Finish tin for MFC
3. Stitch LHN/CC's "Peace"
4. Stitch PS's "Peep"
5. Stitch Calico Crossroads "AmeriKat"
6. Stitch 2 PS "Santa Moon" designs
7. Stitch Blocks 5-6 of PS "12 Days"

Well I hate to leave you without a picture, so I leave you with this picture of Cuddle Bug cooking in his playhouse with a bucket on his head:


Thanks for reading! I so enjoy all of your lovely comments!!

12 Days - 4 Calling Birds

I finished the 4th block of the 12 Days of Christmas from Prairie Schooler this afternoon. That puts me in line to finish my May goals just in the knick of time!

Block 4 of Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas
Thread: DMC
Fabric: 32 count Natural Light Linen
Stitched 5/29/08 - 5/30/08

I noticed that the bird on the cover model looks like he has a green wing, but it is charted with a blue wing. I went back and forth but finally decided to just do him as he was charted. I'm still not sure that was the right decision. But he is a sweet little calling bird and I really enjoyed stitching him up!

Thanks for all your support!

"Love and Faithfulness" Finish

Well my goal was to get this one finished up last night. That didn't quite happen. I stitched for several hours last night until I just needed to rest my eyes and put it away for the night. I always under-estimate the amount of time it's going to take me to finish a project! Anyone else have this same problem? Maybe I'm just slower than I realize. But I did get it finished today just before Cuddle Bug went down for his afternoon nap. Sweet accomplishment!

"Love and Faithfulness" Thread Pack from Little House Needleworks
Stitched one thread over one
Fabric: 30 ct linen from WDW, Color: Linen
Thread: Crescent Colours included in Thread Pack
Stitched: 5/23/08 - 5/28/08

I'm pleased with the results. I was really nervous to see this one evolve when I first got started. The stitches weren't nearly as square as they are stitching over 2. But Kathy gave me a quick tip on stitching over 1 - to keep my stitches on the back going straight up and down or sided to side (not diagonal) whenever I could help it. That really really helped! Thank you Kathy!!

I feel like it's decent enough to gift away as part of a wedding shower gift for DH's cousin, but now I'm wondering if I really want to part with it. I guess we'll see. This one will be set aside for "finishing" at another date once I've determined if I am going to be keeping it or giving it away.

Thanks for reading and for all the help and suggestions you all offer!

Focus, Kim, Focus!

The month of May has not been a great stitching month for me. Every day I get further and further away from completing my May goals. I gave up stitching time on a few nights to edit term papers for my sister. Then my sister came into town for a week and kept me fairly distracted. And then when stitching time presented itself I just couldn't stay focused for long. Oh well.

Thank you all for your kind words on my LHN start 1/1. It's moving along. It's got little errors and parts that aren't quite square enough for my taste, but the imperfections are growing on me as it evolves - giving it a real old fashioned home-made feel. Perhaps that's just how I'm choosing to look at it. I frogged the third heart. I just couldn't look at it anymore. It had to go. It hasn't been replaced as of yet. This project is not moving along as fast as it should. It is a victim of my inability to focus. But if I can get the motivation to finish this today, I may be able to get all of May goals met just in time! Maybe...



Our holiday weekend was nice. It rained all weekend and spoiled plans. But Saturday morning I woke up and had the whole house to myself. DH took Cuddle Bug on a day trip with family. I took a bath, read my book, got in tiny amounts of stitching, went to breakfast and the craft store with my sister, and just enjoyed a leisurely day. Sunday was supposed to be a trip to the zoo with CB, but that was rained out. And yesterday was supposed to be a trip to DH's grandfather's farm with DH's extended family. But that got rained out too. It was a nice relaxing weekend though. I have no complaints other than that I didn't make enough time to stitch.

We did splurge on a new game for our Nintendo Wii - Wii Fit. It's great fun! My abs hurt today :)

Thanks for reading and for all your support! I love the stitching community! You are some of the sweetest people I "know!"

What Was I Thinking?

I started a new project today - one not included among my May goals. I just needed to get away from the on-going PS blocks and finish a chart from my stash. I picked the "Love and Faithfulness" thread pack since I've had it for a while and figured it wouldn't take a long time to complete. Maybe I can even get it finished and still meet all of my May goals.

But I decided to stitch this 1/1 on 30 ct linen. Do you ever have a brilliant stitching idea and then get started and think "What on earth was I thinking?!" That's how I'm feeling right about now. I'm not convinced my hearts really look like hearts. Any thoughts? It's just that linen isn't consistent so I'm thinking that stitching this over 1 makes my shapes look inconsistent. What do you all think? I'm going to carry on with it. If I like it enough, I will make it into an ornament for DH's cousin who is getting married in October. If it's not perfect enough in my eyes to be gifted, I will make it an ornament for our Christmas tree. Either way, I'm carrying on with it.


The colors in this picture are totally off. Artificial lighting just does nothing for stitching photographs. And the wrinkles make my square look like it's been hit with a few shopping carts in the parking lot of my local grocery store. I promise, it's square in real life :)

Thanks for any comments or advice you have!

The 2nd Day of Christmas

I got the 2nd block of PS's 12 Days of Christmas finished up yesterday. I started it Tuesday but didn't get very far at all by the end of Wednesday. The overwhelming majority was done yesterday - which is pretty good progress in a single day for me. I stitch very slowly. And I railroad my stitches religiously so that really slows me down as well. Having this one done officially makes me 25% of the way done with these squares :)

Block 2 of Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas

Thread: DMC
Fabric: 32 count Natural Light Linen
Stitched 5/20/08 - 5/22/08

Excuse the greyed-out appearance of the fabric. It is stunningly shady outside and slightly over-cast. I love days that are colored like today - a little gray to contrast against the brilliant green grass and bright pink rose buds. But they don't make for great stitching photos :)

Thanks for reading and commenting! You are all wonderful!

Wouldn't You Know

Just a few days ago I was talking about my growing "stash" with DH. I said "Honey, I really can't buy any more charts until my 'Completed' charts out-number my 'Not Completed' charts." It seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.

And then this happens! I innocently "Google Reader" on over to Tanya's blog and see the new Country Cottage Needleworks design "Joyful Summer" staring back at me! Ugh! I must have this! It's gorgeous! Why did I say that silly silly thing the other day?! What on earth would compel me to say something so blatantly ridiculous and completely uncalled for!

I'd claim temporary insanity, but I'm not the type to set a goal and then lose without a fight. And that means this is going to have sit patiently on my wish-list until I get through many many charts ahead of it.

I really should have started block 2 of PS 12 Days of Christmas last night but I went running instead and then curled up in bed with my book. Today was worthless for starting any stitching since the headache I went to bed with last night turned into a migraine by morning. With meds, food, DH's tender care during his lunch hour, and caffeine I've nursed myself into something resembling an upright human. Maybe I will get a start tonight. The longer these blocks go unfinished the further I get from finishing my May goals and the longer I wait for the new CCN.

Tin Finish Pictures and a PS Finish

It feels like ages ago that I made a little tin and scissor fob for my sister. I gave it to her April 4th but never got pictures of the finished product. She was supposed to email me some and never did get around to it. Well she's in town and she brought the tin with her so I could take pictures myself.

I gave this to her as a sewing kit. She doesn't stitch but she does live on campus where she is attending graduate school. I thought a little mending kit would be a practical thing for her to have around. I changed the wording from "Thankful for Ewe" to "Ewe Are Beautiful."

"Thankful" Freebie from Little House Needleworks

Fob: Lamb Stitched 2/2 - Heart Stitched 1/1
Tin: Stitched 1/1
Thread: DMC
Fabric: 28 ct DMC Linen
Stitched 3/29/08 - 4/2/08
Finished as Tin & Scissor Fob (Sewing Kit) 4/3/08
This was my first and so far only tin finish but I really loved doing it and was incredibly pleased with the result!

I finished block 3 of the PS 12 Days of Christmas last night. I still need to do blocks 2 and 4 before I can cross that off my May goals. This took me 4 days between starting it and finishing it. It never should have taken me that long. But my sister came into town Friday and I just didn't make time to get this finished until last night.

Block 3 of Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas
Thread: DMC
Fabric: 32 count Natural Light Linen
Stitched 5/15/08 - 5/18/08

Hopefully I will get the other 2 blocks I have set as a May goal finished up in shorter time so I can get at least a mildly respectable start on Peach Tree Cottage before June rolls around.

Thanks for visiting! I love reading your kind comments!

MFC May Biscornu Finish

I made it to the craft store yesterday on the hunt for some suitable buttons to finish off my biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge this month. I found the perfect buttons and got them stitched on last night before bed. There are few things more satisfying than finishing up a stitching project :)

Froggie Biscornu by Casey Buonaugurio

Freebie chart found here.
Fabric: 25 count Cream Lugana
Thread: Recommended DMC
Stitched 5/7/08 - 5/14/08
Finished as a biscornu 5/15/08

I love how this turned out! This is the only acceptable way frogs and stitching should ever mingle as far as I'm concerned!

I got a start on one of the PS 12 Days of Christmas blocks yesterday. I was going to do the 2nd but quickly realized I didn't inspect the chart closely enough and shouldn't have stitched a solid border. So it quickly turned into the 3rd block. With any luck I'll get these blocks churned out quickly so I can meet my May goals. But no guarantees since my sister comes into town tonight.

Thanks for reading and for you sweet comments!

Biscornu in Progress

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my Mother's Day post. I should have put a picture of the fun flowers DH presented me with on Mother's Day but I didn't. So here they are:

They are especially great because DH was so creative and crafty! He seriously isn't a crafty guy so it floored me that he came up with and executed it all on his own!

In stitching news, I finished the stitched part of my biscornu last night. It's so cute and all your sweet comments about the adorable froggies were appreciated in my last entry :)

Froggie Biscornu by Casey Buonaugurio
Freebie chart found here.
Fabric: 25 count Cream Lugana
Thread: Recommended DMC
Stitched 5/7/08 - 5/14/08

I actually got it constructed today except for the buttons. I need to make a run to the store to find appropriate buttons. Maybe I will get that done tonight. It is so cute put together! I can't wait to post pictures as soon as it's completed!

I need to make a start on PS 12 Days of Christmas blocks for this month. Hopefully I can get them all stitched lightning fast so I can meet all my goals.

And a Happy Mother's Day

I hope all you mommies out there had a super Mother's Day!

Mother's Day went by way too fast around here! Sunday morning I woke up to coffee in bed with some fun foam flowers DH had made with pictures of Cuddle Bug in the middle - especially sweet since DH is not known for his craftiness! CB came trampling into the room with a Mother's Day balloon. He was yelling "Happy Mommy Day!" It was precious. One of my favorite things was that CB had let it slip to me that there was a "balloon hiding" on Saturday afternoon when Daddy wasn't around to make sure CB was keeping secrets :) I called my sister to tell her the little guy was dropping details about Mother's Day surprises!

Anyway, DH presented me with a beautifully wrapped gift - charts from my wish-list! Then we headed off to a super fancy brunch downtown. I ate more than I wish to admit to - the desert buffet was sprawling! When I got home there were more presents! CB gave me his gift - a purse I had my eye on over at artsy-crafty babe's etsy shop. It's darling and perfect for summer! DH gave me another chart, this time a thread pack from LHN. It was all just too much :)



We went to the craft store, went to the family rosary, and then ran over to visit with DH's mom. It was a really great day!

I'd like to say that I finished my biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge but the truth is I haven't been stitching too much the past few days. I got the top finished up today so that's something!


I had hoped to have the whole thing put together by yesterday. I got a big distracted with finishing a book and feeling a bit down Friday and Saturday. But I think that's all behind me and I'm hoping to get this one finished up in the next few days. I'm not so sure all my goals will get finished for May though, it being the 13th already. But that's life :)

May MFC Start

Last night I made a quick start on my biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I mentioned before that I had decided to do Casey Buonaugurio's Frog Biscornu Freebie found here. I continued working on it today and I'm loving this little project!



Thank you all for your lovely comments on my recent CCN finish. I'm very proud of it! And everyone agreed that BeckySC is a total sweetheart and spoiled me rotten! I love this stitchy community!

A Finish and Goodies from Becky!

Yesterday was my goal for finishing "A Place We Call Home" from Country Cottage Needleworks. Well yesterday came and went and there was no finishing - but there was a box from BeckySC on the front porch! It was the gorgeous wooden box she made from the "Good Deeds" Littlehouse Needleworks/Crescent Colours Thread Pack! It is so beautiful!! Becky's finishing is perfection! I am so taken by her generosity to send such a stunning piece to a stitching/blogging newbie like me! Thank you Becky!



Today I got another package from Becky! 2 fun mail days right in row and both of them with return address labels from BeckySC! Lucky me! This time it was 10 whole charts! She sent the 4 seasonal arches charts from Bent Creek that I she set aside for me as well as 6 "grab bag" charts! Becky really spoiled me! And every single chart is beautiful and so perfectly me you would never guess she picked the 6 randomly :) Thank you again Becky!! I know this post is riddled with exclamation marks, but I'm really just that excited :)


And finally, I did finish "A Place We Call Home" from CCN! I put the finishing stitch in it just as David Archuleta was performing his final song on American Idol tonight. Happy dance! I loved stitching this piece and I truly expect that I will do it again some day - as a gift for someone perhaps. It was such a lovely stitch and I had only 3 minor run-ins with that dreaded frog during the entire time I worked on it. It was my first CCN finish and I loved it as much as I expected I would.

"A Place We Call Home" by Country Cottage Needleworks

Stitched on 28 ct Cashmere Country French Linen
DMC, Weeks Dye Works, and Crescent Colours fibers
Stitched 4/25/08 - 5/6/08
Thanks for reading and for all your support!!

More Progress - A Place We Call Home

It's been a very busy weekend and I didn't stitch at all on Friday. But I have still managed some progress on A Place We Call Home from CCN. I'm hoping to put the last stitch in this one by the time I go to bed tomorrow night. I cannot get a good picture of it to save my life, though. We live in an old house and the windows are long and narrow. With the gorgeous vegetation coming to life outside and shading the house there's just not a lot of natural light streaming in. Oh well. What can you do? I just have to live with these washed out looking pictures of my wrinkly project :)


Thank you all for your support!!

A Fun Mail Day!

I've been forbidden from checking the mail because DH is expecting Mother's Day related mail. So today when there was a little box sitting next to the front door, I had to wait for DH to inspect it before I could tear into it :)

One of my favorite craft blogs is Scissors. Paper. Glue. Jen is super creative, very crafty, and takes the most beautiful pictures! I read her blog for fun and inspiration. So you can imagine my surprise and joy when she offered to send some of the yummy looking Japanese candy she mentioned in this blog entry! Well today it arrived and she really out-did herself! It came packaged so perfectly - beautiful, sweet, and creative just like her blog! She put the candy in a darling little mug with a rooster on the handle, wrapped it in clear cellophane, and tied it off with a cut of bakers twine (which she sells in her etsy shop by the way)! Jen's presentation skills are unsurpassed! And lucky me to be on the receiving end of her generosity and creativity :)

Happy May Day!

Wow 2 posts in one day! Seeing as how it's May 1st - I figure I better get my May stitching goals together :)

I completed all my April goals and I hope to do the same for May!

1. Finish CCN's "A Place We Call Home"
2. Start and Finish biscornu for MFC
3. Start and Finish Blocks 2-4 of PS 12 Days of Christmas
4. Start LHN's "Peach Tree Cottage"

I have decided what I want to do for my biscornu for May's Monthly Finishing Challenge. I'm going to do the frog biscornu freebie from Casey Buonaugurio. DH's aunt collects frogs and I have been wanting to do this for her. I'm not sure if I will be doing the flower motif on the back or if I will do something else just yet. But in the meantime I've decided on my fabric and pulled the threads I will need for the frog motif on the front. This will get started as soon as "A Place We Call Home" is finished up.

25 count cream Laguna

Spoiled Stitcher

I am one spoiled stitcher and it's because of how incredibly sweet other stitchers are! I mentioned before that Terry was super sweet and emailed me because she wanted to gift me the LHN "Night & Day" chart from my wish-list. Well it came in the mail today and it arrived with a friend - the LHN's "The Princess and the P" chart! She said she was going through her stash and found "a little something extra" to include. That is so kind! Thank you so very much Terry!! Don't be surprised when your kind gesture is returned one of these days :)


I've been plugging away at CCN's "A Place We Call Home." I love working on this. The colors are so sweet and delicate. I'm a slower stitcher so it's coming along slowly but I hope I will have it done by the middle of next week at the latest. The colors in this picture look so washed out because it's over-cast. My goal for today is to have the row of flowers in the middle done and "Together we've made a" added to the text. I'm going to do the white of the house last so I don't have to risk it getting soiled. I wash my hands before handling my work, but I still worry about white.


Thank you for reading and for all your comments!! I appreciate them more than I can say :)

2nd Birthday and Stitching Bits

Cuddle Bug's birthday was wonderful. We had a rib cook-off and birthday cake. DH competed against his Uncle Bill and his cousin Matt (Uncle Bill's oldest son). They all had their own Weber grill, their own secret recipe, and their own racks of ribs. It was a lot of fun - and delicious! DH won although it was really close!

Cuddle Bug got a little ATV from my mom and my sister. He loved it! He rode it all over the backyard and down by the playground. Eventually it had to be put away for nap time and then it started to rain so he didn't get to ride it again on his birthday but there was lots for him to day anyway.


During CB's nap I got the chance to put "Have Faith" in a frame I picked up at Target Friday night. I laced it on myself and got it mostly centered. I'm very satisfied with how it turned out.


I didn't get much stitching done with the birthday boy demanding so much attention and praise, but I did get a little more of CCN's "A Place We Call Home" done.


In other news, Terry sent me the most wonderful email and offered to send me a chart off my wish-list - LHN's Night & Day! I was on cloud 9 with all the nice things she said about my little stitching projects and then to offer such a sweet gesture! Thank you so much Terry!

And thank you all for your kind comments and for the wonderful birthday wishes for my little birthday boy!

Happy Birthday Cuddle Bug!

Cuddle Bug playing at his Great-Grandpa's farm last weekend

Today you are 2 years old! I don't know where the time went, but everyone warned Mommy "they grow up so fast." They were right. I blinked and here we are - your 2nd birthday! You are such a big boy. You say "I do it myself!" and you are always eager to give new tasks a try. You love coffee in the morning (just a splash in your milk and always decaf!) and you say "perpendicular" to Uncle Dave - you're so sophisticated! I can hardly believe you're the same little man I used to nurse and who used to spit up all over Daddy's good work clothes - "don't touch him until you change your clothes!" Mommy used to tell Daddy when he got home. Where did the last 2 years go? I find myself in disbelief that it's already been 2 years and feeling like you've been in my life forever all at the same time.

Big hugs to you Cuddle Bug! Happy Birthday!!

The Dreaded LNS

I did it! Today I went to my LNS for the very first time! I was very nervous - would I become intimidated and overwhelmed? At least I had a practice-run when I went to a needlework shop in Illinois where my sister lives - somewhere I didn't have to worry as much about what kind of an impression I made since I wasn't going to be a regular. This was even better, though! The shop space was much bigger so I could actually peruse the inventory without being stared at by the employee(s) and without digging through piles of stuff. It was a very nice shop! And since I have spent the last few months perusing the world of ONS and getting help from all of you wonderful stitchers, I mostly knew what I was looking at at any given time and didn't feel overwhelmed or entirely ignorant :)

DH tricked me to get me there. He said he needed me to go so I could show him things I might want so he knew what to get me for Mother's Day. Only when I got there and I was pointing out all the goodies they have that are on my wish-list did he tell me he had already ordered stuff online from my wish-list. He said he knew I was nervous to go for the first time so he decided to manipulate me into going. Isn't he sweet? :)

I did walk away with a few scraps of linen and evenweave that were all $1 a piece and I knew I could use for smalls of various types. And I also walked away with a new chart - the last thing I needed since I've got several projects waiting in the wings already and BeckySC has been much too kind and is sending me charts for free that she is finished with. But I couldn't help myself. I'm sure I've bit off more than I can chew with this one but I just couldn't stop myself. Anyone who knows me knows Christmas is my very favorite time of year. I've become obsessed with the idea of making stockings for my children that they will (in my idealist mind) treasure every year for all the hard work their dear mother put into making those beloved Christmas keepsake stockings of their's. I am infatuated with the whimsy and sweetness of the Shepherd's Bush stockings and I think Harry's Stocking is perfect for my little Cuddle Bug. So today when I saw the chart at my LNS - I had to have it. This may very well be much too adventurous a project for me but I guess you can't know without trying. I don't have the fabric for it or anything, so I won't be starting it right away. But ideally I would love for it to be finished by Christmas. We shall see.

Another Start - My First CCN

I put a few stitches in CCN's "A Place We Call Home" this evening. I didn't get much done, but it was enough to officially count as a "start" and knock off my last stitching goal for April. I love this design! It's so sweet and lovely. I'm hoping it will be as much fun to stitch as it is beautiful.


My April Stitching Goals Progress Report:

1. Finish "Thankful" freebie as a tin - Yes. I got it finished 4/3/08 and gifted it to my sister (no pics yet)
2. Start and Finish Needle Roll for MFC - Yes. My very first needle roll! Completed 4/15/08
3. Start and Finish "Have Faith" from Elizabeth's Designs - Yes. Completed 4/21/08
4. Start and Finish Block 1 of PS 12 Days of Christmas - Yes. Completed 4/23/08. That's not bad since I added the goal near the end of the month!
   
5. Start CCN's "A Place We Call Home" Yes. I started it 4/25/08

Since all my goals have been met, I'll be stitching on "A Place We Call Home" for the rest of the month and make finishing it my first May goal. I also can't wait to see what the MFC will be for May.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement!

...And A Partridge in a Pear Tree Finish

I met my goal to get this little guy finished by today! It was a really quick and enjoyable stitch! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment with this bird and his respective tree - every stitch was a pleasure. I can't wait to start the next one. Many of you commented on my previous post about this project about how wonderful PS designs are to stitch and you are all so right!

Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas - 1st block
DMC on 32 count natural light linen
Stitched 4/21/08 - 4/23/08
Sorry about the lighting. It's dark outside. I may try to take a better picture tomorrow. We'll see.

I really want to back these blocks with fabric for my ornaments so I'm going to wait until I find the right fabric to finish any of them off. And does anyone suggest putting the year somewhere really small on them? I was thinking maybe a little "2008" backstitched in the lower right corner under the border. Any thoughts?

Thank you all so very much for all your support! You make stitching even more fun!

The Genorosity of Stitchers

When I was contemplating starting this blog - something Michele of X Marks My Spot suggested I give a go at - I was really nervous. I felt so out of place. I have only been stitching since December and everyone else is so experienced and incredibly talented! I have found other hobbies in which the experienced hobbyists have something of an "elitist" attitude that isn't friendly or welcoming to new-comers. Michele assured me that I wouldn't find that kind of mentality among stitchers. She said stitchers are some of the friendliest people around. So I took the plunge and started a blog. Soon enough I felt comfortable commenting on other stitchers' blogs as well. And Michele - you were so right! Stitchers are friendly and warm. They love to share their knowledge and their talents with experienced stitchers and newbies alike. And today was just another example of how wonderful and sweet the stitching community is.

The amazing BeckySC is giving away several beautifully finished items on her blog to whomever wants to give them a home. I didn't feel worthy to claim anything for myself - but I'm a serial commenter these days and I wanted her to know what a beautiful gesture I felt that was. One of the things she is giving away is a box finished with the LHN "Be Rich in Good Deeds" design. I felt like that summed up exactly what she was doing and I mentioned it innocently. She emailed me and said she wanted me to have it!! I am so moved!!! I know it sounds silly but I seriously teared up. That is such a generous and sweet thing to do. I am so humbled by Becky's talent and to own something that she made and wants me to have is something really special! Thank you to the ends of the Earth Becky!!

The stitching community is a wonderful thing to be a part of!

PS - Becky is also giving away several charts to anyone interested in them.

PS Start

I got started on the first design from Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas chart - the Patridge in a Pear Tree - last night. This is the first PS design I've done and I just adore it! I will definitely be doing more PS in the future. So far this is stitching up nice and quick. I just hope I don't run into any bumps in the road with it and maybe I will get it finished by tomorrow!


Thank you all for your comments about "Have Faith." You are all so wonderful!

Have Faith Finish

Becky, you had more faith in me than I was worthy of! I didn't finish "Have Faith" yesterday like I had set out to. But I got really close and I got it finished this afternoon while Cuddle Bug has been napping. So that's another project done! I really like how this one turned out. I think I will finish it off in a little frame. The satin stitches weren't difficult at all and the rice stitches were also a breeze after I finished a few. I'm so proud of myself for expanding my stitching horizons with this piece!

Have Faith by Elizabeth's Designs
DMC thread on 32 count Natural Light linen
Stitched 4/18/08 - 4/21/08

We had a wonderful weekend. Cuddle Bug turns 2 next Sunday, so this weekend he got an early birthday present.


It is from Mommy and Daddy, and Daddy's aunt and uncle (CB's great aunt and uncle). Daddy and Uncle Bill built it in the backyard on Saturday and CB got the surprise of his life when he got up from his nap! He absolutely loves it! He has been playing in it as often as he can. Nothing quite compares to seeing your little guy beam from ear to ear!!

I'm going to be revising my April goals today. I'd like to challenge myself to get the first design from the PS 12 Days of Christmas chart finished as well. Since my final goal as it stands right now is merely to start CCN's "A Place We Call Home" I feel like I may be able to make the new goal happen. I'm hoping to get some kind of a start on that tonight. We shall see.

Thank you all for reading and for all your wonderful comments! I really do feel like I have cheerleaders out there in cyberspace!

New Start

I started a new project last night just before bed. I'm doing "Have Faith" by Elizabeth's Designs. I think it's such a sweet little design. I'm hoping this will work up pretty quickly. I'd love to get it done by the end of the day tomorrow! We shall see how that works out. This is my first time doing a Satin Stitch. I finished one of the sheep and I was proud of the way it turned out for my first attempt at this kind of stitch. This chart also calls for a Rice Stitch so I'm testing the waters in a few different "new-to-me" stitches with this one.

Have Faith by Elizabeth's Designs
DMC thread on 32 ct Natural Light Linen

These are my new Gingher embroidery scissors too. I got them last Sunday with a 50% off coupon to Michaels. Aren't the lovely? They're so sharp! I had to replace my embroidery scissors because I gave my other ones to my sister with the tin and matching fob I made her - which she still hasn't emailed me any pictures of so we will be patient for that.

Thank you for reading and for all your nice comments!