It's Been a Long Time............................

Ok this is the third time I have tried to type this update.  Something is wrong and I don't know what, but I keep deleting my posts.

Lets see if I can keep this one.

Nothing drastic has happened in the last year or two.  I count my blessing everyday for this.
The only thing is that the boys have grown up considerably.  B is attending his first year of college at the University of Arkansas and R is a Junior in high school soon to follow to the University as well.

On a stitching front.  I have lots that I have stitched and not stitched.
I am doing the finishing for a Merry Cox class that I took in 2012 at The Attic in Mesa.
"Sweet Little Blossoms"  I had all the stitching done but not the finishing.  Merry offered this class online through the Shining Needle Society.  I am auditing the class in hopes it inspires me to get it done.

I worked on the pin keep this afternoon.  Got it done.

So now it is on to the needlebook.  Hopefully will have pics to show soon.

I can only do a little at a time as I get overwhelmed with the finishing.

I am stitching on Ode to Jane by Jackie du Plessis.  I took this class a year ago at The Attic in Mesa.

Jackie taught this recently across the pond and a few of the ladies already had theirs finished.  It inspired me to get mine out and work on it.  It will be beautiful when it is done.

I am going to try and update on Sunday's and Wednesday's to see if I can keep track of what I am doing and help me get somethings stitched.

I am adding to my stash come this January.  I am going to the January Symposium 2019 at the Attic (there seems to be a common denominator here can you guess what it is? lol).

I was one of the lucky ones who got in.  It usually fills up with in the first minute.  I was also one of the lucky ones to be in Jackie's class "Fit for a Queen"  She will only be teaching this one time.  Limited to 43.  So happy I got in as I love queen stitches (my favorite) and this piece is almost entirely queenies.  January can't come soon enough.  

Well thank you for stopping by. 

Until Wednesday, happy stitching.

Thomasina

2nd Day Giveaway

Hello Stitching Friends,
It is day 2 for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  Enter and see if you can win a gc for your BFF. 
Happy Holidays!!

Giveaway over at Victorian Motto Sampler

Just wanted to let all my stitching friends know that Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a 12 Days of Giveaways.  Pop over to their blog and check it out.
They have yummy colors of floss.  Hope to be one of the lucky winners.


Thomasina

Lovely Weather for Middle of November

NW Arkansas has had a beautiful fall.  We are just now starting to have crisp cold nights.  Day temps have ranged any where from 60-85 degrees.  And the other night I think we had our first frost warning of the season.   I brought in my Pineapple and Hibiscus plants so they will be roasty toasty for the winter.  I looked out my window in my sewing room and I had roses still blooming in November.  Wow. 

I have been stitching but it seems like I am jumping from one project to another and not really accomplishing anything.  Kinda feel like I am in a slump but not really as I really am stitching.  I think what it is, is that I have so much that I want to stitch on and finish and I get so overwhelmed as there is not enough time in the day.....that I just don't want to stitch at all, but look at everyone's else's finishes, wishing I had mine done. I need to get back onto a rotation and stick with the plan. 

May be this will help....or will it.  On Tuesday I am starting a Jackie du Plessis online class with the Shining Needle Society called "Pinks for Pearls".  I just love the soft pastel colors of this project.

I got my kit in the mail yesterday and can't wait to get started. 

Will post progress pictures.

I have taken several online classes with Jackie and 1 class in person.  It seems lately that I am on a Jackie stitching kick.  I won a retired project by Jackie called,  "Cotton Fields".  I had asked her when she was here in Arkansas in August if this was still available.  Sadly "No" she said.  Then I saw it on eBay and won.  It is so cute and all over one.  I have stitched the little tray and now am working on the scissor fob.  

I am also working on The Gifts' Presentation Tray of Jackie's'.  See what I mean about being on a Jackie kick.  I just love the color of this.   It is a pink hand dyed silk.  It will be gorgous once it is done. 

That's it.....once it is done.  I have several projects that needs the finishing done and it seems like I cannot get to the finishing.  I know I need to set aside time but it seems like the boys still need me for somethings.  I guess I shouldn't complain....one day they will not be here.  In less then 2 years B will be off to college and in another 2 years R will be following right behind him.  B won't be going to the University of Arkansas as they do not have a men's swim team, so he has set his sights on other colleges.  One being ASU in Tempe.  Oh that would be awesome as I can visit him and Jean Lea at The Attic.  B said he might even stay in the Phoenix area after college.  He loves the area and so do I.  R on the other hand wants to go to MIT.  So one kid on the east coast on a1 kid on the west and me in the middle.  I guess that will work. 

Anyways.....cross county season has ended for R and short course for swimming is beginning to hit full swing.  B is doing well coming off of his shoulder injury.  He is right on his times and getting stronger all the time.  Needs to drop about 5-8 more secs in his breast strokes and then he will be ready for a Div. 1 college.  He is ready right now for a Div. 2 college.  We will see who wants him. 

Well I guess that is about it for now.  Need to get back to stitching on something.

Have a great week fellow stitchers. 

A Year Gone by................................

Hello Friends,
Yes a year has gone by since I posted anything on my blog.  It doesn't mean that I was not reading other stitcher's blogs.  I had time to visit others, just not update mine.  Instead of telling you why I didn't blog.....lets just put it this way.  Life throws some curves at you that you didn't see coming. 
The curves were nothing major.  No surgery's or deaths or anything like that.  (Thank God for these blessings).  Just time consuming events.  So in general just "LIFE".


Anyways, among just life, I was able to go to the Attic in Mesa, AZ and take the Ophelia I and II from Merry Cox in June.  Lovely venue and class as well as getting to visit with very good friends.  Sadly my Ophelia is sitting naked in my curio cabinet.  I think she is going to stay that way for a while, as I have other projects in front of her.  Maybe she doesn't mind being a streaker for a bit longer.

We happened to do our family vacation at this time as well.
We stopped in Amarillo to spray paint the cars at the Cadillac Ranch then on to the 4 Corners in CO, NM, AZ, and UT.  Then down to Mesa to the retreat for the weekend.
From there made a quick 1 night stay in Vegas, then headed to Death Valley.  That was awesome.  The temperature reached 130 degrees on the thermometer outside the visitor center. Got the picture of 129 then it went to 130.  Then before we could take another one it went back down to 129.  Either way it's "Hot outside Baby".

Then on to Sequoia, Kingsland and Yosemite National Parks.  Just breathtaking.  Next was Lake Tahoe for a quick dip.  To cold for my toes.  Then headed west to the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Then the last stop before heading home was a stop in Cheyenne Wy to see my family.  My Mom had surgery on her shoulder 3 weeks before our trip, so I wanted to stop by to make sure she was doing well.  Which she was.    And then we were home on the 3rd of July.  I think this was the longest vacation we have taken.  I was ready to come home and so was the kids.  We were so tired that we did not even shoot off fireworks for the 4th.  We just relaxed and talked about all the things we saw...what we liked and didn't like, and what we wanted to see when we went back. But by far I think I liked Death Valley the most.



July was calm.  Usually it is met with a vengeance with swimming.  My oldest you know competes competitively.  He had hurt his shoulder during the open water swim during Memorial weekend.  So he had sat out this swim season.  So we loaded him up and took him to the doctor.  Needless to say it is the typical swimmer shoulder injury that you see.  Nothing that a athletic trainer and some strength training can't fix. 
He was so worried that they would tell him he couldn't swim anymore.  But that was not the case.  So there was a 3 week down time in August after the state meet.  Brandon on the other hand started to go in and swim a bit to see if his shoulder was getting better.
He was excited that there was not the pain anymore.  Just the soreness of the muscle.  WOOHOO!!!  Keep doing the strength training.  It is working. 

 

Next school started on the 15th of August.  That is early, and there were some schools that even started the week before that.  What happened to the days of school starting the day after Labor Day and getting out the Friday before Memorial Day. 
That doesn't happen anymore.  First day came and went without a hitch.   One in 11th grade and the other in 9th grade.  Both Boys have a good schedule.  I think it will be a great year.

 

Next on the agenda was Jackie Du Plessis coming to Arkansas to teach for the first time.  It was hosted by Cross Stitch Treasures out of Mountainburg.  Which is like 45 min away and so I didn't have to travel far or get a hotel.  She taught The Gift.  This is one of my favorites from her.  And this was the first time I got to take a class from Jackie.  Oh I have taken lots of on-line classes with her but not in person.  So I was thrilled to visit with her "fine-ally".  The weekend went great.  Way to fast though.  Isn't that the case.  It seems like forever for the class to get here and then it is over before you know it.  He is a picture of The Gift.

So we are into September.....what next on the agenda......................Well me and my BFF who I haven't done anything in ages with are planning a trip in January to the Attic for the 2017 January Symposium.  Merry will be teaching two new projects, along with an oldy on the Monday after the weekend, as teaching that weekend will be Vickie & Maegan Jennet of Needle Work Press and then a presentation on Motifs on the Move by Lynne Anderson of Sampler Consortium.  So excited for this weekend.  Love taking classes in Mesa. 

 

Now on to what I have been working on............besides the prestitching on The Gift,

Jackie gave us a little surprise in class, called Beads and Bauble Tray.  I hadn't stitched on my spangles yet and this would be perfect to hold them when the time came for me to stitch them on.  So I stitched and finished a little pincushion/pinkeep that goes in the middle of the tray.  It was so fun to stitch and went together pretty fast.  I just love this.  What a neat idea. 

I am also stitching on Thine is the Trick and the Treat from Prairie Moon.  I am stitching this on a piece that a friend had dyed years ago.  It is a soft orange color.  I bought it just for the color.  So a couple of months ago I was rummaging through my piles and came across this.  I said I need to stitch something Halloweenie on it.  Violia.....Thine is the Trick and the Treat.  All in black on Orange.  Love the Quaker like motifs.  I know I won't get this done before Halloween, but would like to get this done before the end of the year.  I have a little bit more done then what this picture shows.
I hope to do an update this weekend. 

 I am also doing the finishing part on Birds and Berries.  A class I took in Mesa back in 2005.  I am really good about stitching the piece, but when it comes to finishing I procrastinate real bad.  It is getting better as the boys are a lot more self sufficient now a days.  All I have left to do is the needle case which I am sewing on the lining.  Then I just need to add the pocket on the inside and then attach the linen pages and little pocket that goes under the pages.  It shouldn't take long at all, it is just trying to find time without interruptions. The pin and scissor keeps are done. 

I am stitching another project but can't show you right now and I want it to be a surprise.  Will show you once it is compete.  Hoping to get it done in October.

 

I also have started quilting my flannel quilt that has been in the making for over 16 years.  I started to quilt a bit before I had kids, and then it took a back seat.  I got it out the other day.....it is all sandwiched and basted together.  Just needed to be quilted and then the binding.  And there is nothing spectacular with the quilting.  It is just straight lines in the ditches and a diagonal both ways through the blocks.  I started quilting on it on Monday.  Got all the vertical lines stitched, and about 1/2 of the horizontal lines.  I am hoping on Sunday I can finish the quilting and start on the binding.  I will take a picture and update this weekend.  I can't wait to use it this winter and I don't think my little miniature dachshund can't wait either as she was trying to get on it when I was quilting it. 

 

Well work is going great.  Got a new supervisor that lets me stitch if we are not busy and all of the work is caught up.  Usually that is Thursday and Fridays.  What a way to wind down the work week. 

 

With that being said.  Happy Friday everyone.
And as 9/11 is approaching this Sunday.  Let us not forget!!!
Happy Stitching,
Thomasina

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 1st day of September!

How can it be September already. 

Summer was a blink of an eye and school just started yesterday right? 

 We are now in the 3rd week of school.

Well we are in full swing with cross country meets and soccer practices for Ryan.

He ran a 15.1 this past Saturday at the practice meet.  He is so happy with that time as he was trying to get between 14-15 minutes.  Last year was the first year he ran and he started out with almost 18 minutes.  So starting out this season with a 15 minute time was great.  His goal is to try to get under or right at 13 minutes.  I think he can do it.  He is working real hard. 

Brandon on the other hand started back swimming with his club.  They were on a 5 week break from long course season which ended the last week of July.  He couldn't wait to get back to swimming and see what he can do this upcoming short course season.  We also had the first meeting and swim practice for high school.  He loves to swim high school as it is a little less stressful.  His goal this year is to try to get his sectional cut times and maybe his junior nationals cuts. 

This picture is Brandon doing the breast stroke (which is his favorite) at the State Meet in July.  

As for me I have started back stitching.  It seems like I don't get much stitching done during the summer.  I need to really change that.  Maybe next year as Brandon is driving and can drive himself to practice then I will have my lunch hour back instead of driving kids here and there. 

I have done a little bit more finishing on "Petite Treasures".  I have lined the tray, and have done the little button bag.  It is so tiny.  I just love it. 

 

 

 

I am working on the scissor case and then the larger bag that the tray and all of the accessories fits into.  I hope to have them done this month.  I have been working on a bit of finishing each night.  Whether it is just cutting out silk or ironing on pellon.  At least something and then it seems like I am getting things done.  Plus boys are doing homework and leaving me along for me to concentrate.  Which is what I need when I am doing some finishing. 

 

In the past I have been doing a rotation with 5 projects (with the exception of the Summers) and it seems to really work well. 

I choose 5 projects and break them down into an acceptable amount of stitching that I can get done in a month. 

Here they are......lets see if I can make these goals for the month of September.

1.  Come Tarry by Shepherd's Bush  --

      Goal:  Down to the hill row.

 

 

2.  May Your Hands/Shady Bower by Thistle Threads  -- 

     Goal:  All of the borders and the verses on the accessories.

 

 

 

3.  Little Paradise Sampler in the SANQ  -- 
     Goal:  The house and the right side with the tree and grass.

 

4.  Thine is the Trick and Treat by Prairie Moon  -- 
     Goal:  The bottom left side motifs.  Spider web and above the Oct. 31

 

5.  Grateful to Thee by Merry Cox  --

     Goal:  Stitch needlebook,  sides of box, little square for scissor holder, and square for needle threader case.

I have also finishing goals.  These will range from finishing projects to framing.  I have tons that need to be framed so maybe if I put that in my goals I might be able to get some of them done along with the smalls.

I would like to at least finish one project a month.  If I get a project done faster then I will go on to the next one and so on.  Here is my list.  I will add more once I get projects done.

1.  Petite Treasures by Merry Cox
 

2.  Table skirt around craft table.

3.  Frame Halloweenies by Plum Street Samplers.

4.  Birds and Berries  by Merry Cox.

5.  Frame monthly Shepherd's Bush Fold.

6.  Refurbish an old night stand for my stitching.  

 

 

 

I will try to get pictures of some of these finishes that I want to do next time around.

I think this will give me a good start for the month of September to get back to my rotation.  And Hopefully my blog will help me stay on track.

I am leaving you with a picture of our cows.  Yes we have a farm and we raise registered black angus cows.  Sometimes it is a pain and sometimes it is fun.  The fun part is in the spring when they are having their babies. 

 

This is LuLu.  She is 3 yrs. old and we got her as a bottle calf.  Sometimes she likes to be petted, sometimes not.  Just depends on what kind of mood she is in. 

 

 

 

 

These two are 4057 in front and 43 in the back. 

 

 

 

Well that about wraps up the first day of September.  Hopefully I can meet some of these goals.

Til we meet again my stitching pals.











Woohoo!! Second post in a week!

Wow, I can't believe I am posting twice in one week.  ( I said I would be back with some stitching updates.)

I have been on a roll with some finishing.  I hope I can keep it up.
I went rummaging through my stitched up projects that still needed the finishing done and I came up with "Petite Treasures" by Merry Cox.  I took this class back in 2010 in Mesa, hosted by The Attic.  I have done the little pin keep and needlebook.  Hope to get to the button bag, lining the tray and scissor keep this week.  I plan on working a little bit each night and soon things shall get done.  The tray a child's cutlery tray.  It measures around 3"x4".  The bottom of the tray is lined with silk.  Will show pictures of that later this week.

I have started the house on "A Young Lady's Workbox"  The house was supposed to be done with one strand of Weeks Dye Works in Brick, but I liked it better with two strands.  Hopefully will be putting more stitches in to this soon. 

Not much to show.  Should have gotten a closer picture.  Oh well maybe next time.

Nothing new this week.  First week of school went pretty well and I say this week will go well too.  Next week we start back to swim practice.  So we soon shall see. 

Have a good week my dear stitching friends, and thank you for visiting.