Lucy Redd, Summer Baking

I'm on the home stretch of a large model (WOO HOO!) which I, of course, can't show.  I'm in the "fiddly bits" stage so I'm really looking forward to finishing and sending it off to the designer.  It's a beautiful design.

Meanwhile, during the weekends, I've been spending some time with Lucy Redd (Homespun Elegance).  I can actually see myself being on the home stretch of this one when I can spend more time with her.

I'm already itching to start another sampler...perhaps after I finish the model (and a Christmas stocking) I can put a new sampler in my rotation.


It's hotter than Hades here now.  Despite that DH has been baking.  I can't complain because he turned out a yummy peach gallette.  (Why is it that everything that tastes good is so not good for you?!)

He also made a Corn, Tomato, and Basil Tart.  (Funny thing...the recipe title includes basil but the herb used in the recipe is rosemary...no basil.)  The crust on this thing was exquisite!

I'm so excited that college football has started.  Even with the temperature so high here, it makes me feel a little bit like fall.  GO BUCKS!!!

Happy stitching!

Model Release....Little House Needleworks Sugar and Spice

Diane (of Little House Needleworks) released a model I stitched for her.  My friend Vonna (The Twisted Stitcher) finished it into a cute pillow.

Sugar and Spice

Happy Stitching!

My November...So Far

We started out the month by going to the UT/WVU game with a friend.  (She and friends/family have had a block of  tickets for 20 years and for the last few years has been offering us a game or two of tickets when someone in the group can't attend.  They're great tickets...on the 50 yard line and on rows 1 and 2 on the home side near the players' bench.)  We had a great time but the Longhorns lost by one point at the very end of the game.  (I ran into a couple of WVU fans the next day and we  talked about how that game was close throughout the whole game.)

Before the game we visited with our son and the following day we had brunch with both of our Austin sons before heading home.

The next day I boarded a flight to Ohio where I first visited my parents.  Did you know that you can fly with frozen soup and pizza?  One reason I love flying Southwest is that I can check 2 free bags.  I often fly with food (or books/clothes/toys for our granddaughter when we visit here and fly back with extra stuff on the way home).  While visiting my parents I roasted a chicken and veggies, made soup from the leftovers, made chili, and baked chocolate chip cookies with my Mom.  I left with them with a full freezer.

(My Dad loves DH's pizza!  The minute he heard that I brought some...and after they'd already eaten dinner...he insisted that we heat a couple of slices and they both ate pizza.)

Next, I met my friend at the airport after turning in my rental car and we drove up to Berlin, OH (in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country) for Camp Gottastitch.  It was a weekend filled with fun, friends, good food (I love the Amish-baked cinnamon rolls at the Berlin Grande Hotel where we stayed and the pie at  the Amish buffet restaurant next door.  As you might guess, I need to step up my walking after all that food!)

It was so much fun seeing old and new friends there.  My internet buddy (or as my husband calls my internet friends, "Axe Murderers") Vonna (aka The Twisted Stitcher) was there too.  I'd known her for several years online but this was the first time we met "in real life".  She is the real deal!  I also met another friend for the first time ever who lives in Central OH.  My new stitching buddy brought her framed "All Creatures Great and Small" for a show and tell.   OMG!  She stitched it over one on 40 count.  It's gorgeous!  I've had that one kitted up with the floss shortly after it was released and for some reason haven't gotten around to stitching it.  I think I'll try braving stitching it over one on 36 count bc I know I probably can't see the 40 count.

  We all plan to attend camp again next year and already I can't wait.

I'm still finishing up a model but, of course, couldn't work on it around all those stitchers.  I took several projects with me including Lucy Redd by Homespun Elegance.  I wasn't sure I could see well enough there to stitch on 36 count but it worked out great.  I stitched a good bit of the lettering.  I'd already started it with 2 strands but I tried a bit with one strand and like it better...so there will be some frogging of the 2 strand section so I can stitch it again with one strand.

Oh!  ...and I got to see snow (flurries with just a little accumulation in patches on the grass and on top of parked cars).  I was a lot more excited about it (living in Texas) that the Midwest ladies for some reason.

Next we move on to Thanksgiving.  I went for the "big shop" at the grocery store yesterday and have been scurrying around meal planning and getting some things in the house done.  Our 2 Austin sons will be here for Thanksgiving and we've all been "consulting" on the food plans.  (They've offered to help bake/cook.)

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and is able to spend some quality time with loved ones.

Happy stitching!

Salem Remembered and Some Family Time

I'm mostly model stitching lately (so no picture of that one) but I'm also working a bit on Salem Remembered by Primitive Needle.

We recently visited our daughter's family and then traveled with her and our granddaughter to visit our oldest son who recently moved to Colorado.  While we were there we woke up one morning to 6 inches of snow.  How fun for all of us, especially our granddaughter! 

OK...back to model stitching now.

Happy stitching!

I'm Still Here!

Between things getting a little busy around here and a short "stitching slump", I've neglected my blog for a while again.

Our grandbaby is doing very well and we can't wait to see her again.

DH's job is going well except that he's doing more driving back and forth than he ever has before.  So far the work from home deal hasn't materialized except for Fridays.  We're hoping soon that Mondays will also be a work from home day too.  He enjoys the work and the people there so it's all good.

Our DS who's currently living in Denmark was visiting "The States" last month.  He first went to meet his new neice in CA and then came here to TX for a visit.  While he was here, both he and I flew up to OH to visit with my parents.

This summer will be unusual for me. Before becoming an empty nester, I was pretty much tethered to our kids' activities so couldn't plan trips except for family visits and trips with the marching band.  Things have sure changed!   In addition to another trip to visit our little sweetie pie, I'll also travel with DH on one of his work trips to San Diego.  Then later in the summer I'll be going to HI to help my sister with summer child care.  (She recently went back to work and wanted some unscheduled home time for her kids who are in second and 4th grade.)  My brother also lives there (Oahu) and he has a nice sailboat.  I'm hoping we can talk him into taking us sailing at least once while I'm there.  Knowing him, I won't have to do much arm-twisting.

My frugality has caught up with me.  My smart phone is at least 6 years old and I was hoping to stretch it out a little longer before replacing it after buying new phones for other family members...and a car for our youngest son so he can drive back and forth to his summer internship.  I stretched it out a little too long.  My battery is pretty much dead and won't take/keep a charge.  Fortunately I was able to plug it into the computer to retrieve my videos/pictures and contacts.  UNfortunately,  nobody around here has the phone I want in stock and even ordering it has a "waiting time" before it will be shipped.  (Fortunately I checked all the colors and was able to shorten that time by choosing a less popular color.)  In the meantime, I'm using an old "dumb phone" we use for our home phone number.  Isn't it AMAZING how dependent we've become on our smart phones?!  I keep reminding myself of all the years I functioned perfectly well without even a cell phone.

I mentioned a stitching slump.  Instead of stitching, I was doing some reading but now I'm back to stitching and reading.  I'm behind on most of my sal groups and my Calendar Girls but I'll eventually catch up.

Here's a little small by PS.  I have an idea of how to "finish" it but haven't followed through yet.

Next up is Beach Blessings by Erica Michaels.  It's supposed to be stitched on gauze but I used 32 count linen (over 2).  Instead of solidly stitching the sand, I used a piece of fabric that looked to me like sand.

Here's another PS.  I think I'd like to try to "finish" this into a needlebook.

I'm a member of the FB group Sampler Heart which is a group of repro sampler lovers.  One of our members (Inguana Krastina) reproduced an antique sampler and is giving it (in installments) to members of our group as a stitch-along.  Here's my progress so far on that one:

DH suggested that I stitch a small wedding piece for some friends who are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2 weeks.  I'll have to get moving on that if I want to get something done in time!

I also just received another model to stitch that I'll be starting today/tonight.

I guess the slump is over!

Happy stitching!

A Small Finished Finish and a Model Revealed

This will be for an ornament exchange.  I love these little sled ornaments;  they're so cute and you can stitch up something quickly to mount on them.  I hope to mail it to the recipient either today or tomorrow.

I'm on the home stretch of the model I'm stitching.  I love the design!

Speaking of model stitching, Nikki (Country Cottage Needleworks) released another design that I model stitched for her.  It's called "Merry Christmas, My Deer".

For more info on this (and other) designs:  Country Cottage Needleworks

My back pain is starting to improve but I'm still moving very carefully.  Hopefully I won't have another "bout" of this for a very long time.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy stitching!

Progress Report

I'm stitching away on a model and hope to finish it by the end of next week.

I took a little time out from model stitching for this wip (I was inspired by seeing someone's finished one and realized that I haven't very many stitched things for Easter.)

PS R is for Rabbit

After a grim news week (Baltimore), it was nice to see the happy news about the birth of a royal daughter in Great Britain...and the news that the new Longmire series is now on Netflix.

The weather here the last few days has been glorious...and yet here I sit inside at the computer.  I'll have to set up a stitching nest outside later.

Happy stitching!

Storms, Stitching, and Wedding Prep

We've been experiencing some strong thunderstorms lately in our area.  A week ago Friday, a really violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, hail, and strong winds (up to 72 MPH) came through.  We had a lot of branches and trees down in our yard, the lake behind our house is up into our yard, and our poor PC was fried.  Luckily a friends' DH who, I discovered, is an IT guy was successfully able to diagnose and treat it.  He refused to take any money for helping us so we had him and my friend over for dinner last night.

Wouldn't you know it, another strong storm went through this am too.  This storm wasn't as bad (although I found out after the fact that we were under a tornado warning) and aside from the lake level rising even further, the PC is OK.

Nikki from Country Cottage Needleworks released one of the designs for which I stitched the model...Seasonal Celebrations-Summer.  I really enjoyed stitching this one.

I'm stitching another model now but took a little time out to stitch this cutie from Homespun Elegance...Patriotic Home.  It's a gift to the Star Spangled Stitchers group on Facebook.

Our daughter's wedding is quickly approaching.  I'd been shopping unsuccessfully for a dress and starting to get a little nervous about finding something until Tuesday night when I finally found the dress.  The next day I found shoes and now just looking for accessories.  I'm not much of a shopper so this has been an annoyance for me.  lol!  We're all getting excited for the wedding and looking forward to seeing family we haven't seen for a while.  The groom is from Scotland and will be wearing his kilt.  We "met" his parents (in Scotland) via Skype and are looking forward to meeting them in person.  The week before the wedding, they've invited us for dinner at their airbnb apt and we will be hosting them and their family and ours another night.  DH is "famous" for his pizza so it will be a pizza party.  I'll be making pies....our future son-in-law strongly hinted that they should be lemon meringue so lemon meringue they shall be.  :-)  There will also be a picnic on the beach the day before the wedding, dinner out the night before the wedding with the happy couple, the groom's parents, and DH and me, and a BBQ the day after the wedding.  DD's idea was that the picnic and BBQ will give everyone a relaxed time to spend some time together.  I think it's a great idea!

Happy stitching!

Friday Update....Stitching, Cooking, etc.

Happy Friday, everyone!

I finished and mailed the model I'd been working on.  It's always a good feeling to get to this point.  Then I hold my breath until it reaches its destination.  I enjoy model stitching; it's like being in on a surprise.  How fun it is when the model is released by the designer!

While putting away threads and looking through my wips pile, I found a piece that only needed a few more stitches and a button so I finished Homespun Elegance's "Fall House Sampler".  I'm not sure why I put it down with so little needed to finish but there must have been a reason.

Warning:  I've been too busy (and too lazy) to press out anything for the pictures today.

Next up...a selection from Blackbird Design's "In Full Glory" that I'm stitching for a block exchange.  I haven't decided yet just how much I'll stitch of this design.  It might turn out to only be the house.

Next is Hoo Hoo from one of the JCS Halloween issues for an owl-themed Halloween ornament sal:

Last but not least, I stitched some more on my Hetty Child sampler (Brenda Keyes):

I did a bit of baking since last posting, an apple pie for Pi Day and some chocolate chip cookies for DS who's been home this week on spring break.  For St. Pat's Day, I made some corned beef with potatoes, onions, and some roasted cabbage from a Pioneer Woman recipe.  I tried making some soda bread "farls" but wasn't happy with them.  It's basically a buttermilk biscuit dough that's fried in a cast iron pan.  If I'd do it again, I'd just cut the biscuits in circles and bake them off.  For dessert, DS wanted those store-bought iced, soft sugar cookies but I also made parfaits from slightly sweetened Greek yogurt topped with fresh blueberries and blackberries.

What I really like about the St. Pat's Day dinner is making the Reuben sandwich with leftovers the next day.  Some years there hasn't been leftover corned beef but I lucked out this year.

Later today I'll be baking a banana cream pie (an early birthday treat for DH) and another batch of cookies for DS to take back to college tomorrow.

Spring has sprung here.  I always say when you start seeing those lizards on your windows here in Texas, that it must be spring.  This week, I've finally walked all 5 weekdays.  (We'd had several days where I hadn't walked because of weather issues.)  Now I just need to work on increasing my distance.

Also, we're seeing flower buds on our Meyer lemon tree.  I'm hoping this year we'll have lemons.

Happy stitching!

Stitching, Cooking, Visitors

It's been a rather unexciting week...but often that's a good thing.

I've been making some progress on a model but also squeezed in a little stitching time on a CEC freebie mitten called Mitten Mitten.

I also finished the Witch and am pleased with how it turned out.  Now I have to decide on a skeleton to stitch for next month.

I took the plunge and ordered the floss for "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Heartstring Samplery.  I should probably have my head examined for deciding to stitch this one when I have so many other things "going" but I decided to use it to help motivate me to get some of the others done...or at least make some good progress on them.  I'll decide after the floss arrives as to what fabric to use.  I'm even thinking of trying to overdye some myself.  After all, it's good to try new things, right?  If anyone experienced in dying fabrics has any suggestions, please feel free to share.

Nikki at Country Cottage Needleworks released a design for which I stitched the model.  It's called "Seasonal Celebrations-Spring".  It should be available soon at your LNS.

We had a gorgeous few days here last weekend and the beginning of the week.  Our neighbor took a picture of some visitors at our dock.  (The lake level has been very low for several years after several years of drought so our neighborhood association voted to drill a well to pump it up.  This was an "after" picture.  Not only is the lake level better but also the water quality/clarity is much improved.)

Midweek the clouds returned and yesterday a wet and cold front arrived.  I'm glad I took some time to walk when the weather was so pretty.

I'm a "make lemonade out of lemons" kind of girl so took advantage of the "soup weather" to make a big pot of Ina Garten's Ribollita.  I love that stuff and hadn't made it yet this winter.  It takes a bit of chopping and prep time but it makes a lot.  I saved some in the fridge and some in the freezer and save cooking time on other days when we reheat this.  If you're interested, here's a link to the recipe:

Ribollita

I've made quite a few of Ina's recipes...I think she's responsible for some of the extra pounds I carry.

Happy stitching!

I'm Still Here....

I guess it's been a while since I posted anything here.

I'm still model stitching.  I finished one (need to mail off today) and am on the home stretch of the sampler.  It's turning out to be a beautiful one.

I also stitched a pumpkin theme exchange block from one of the JCS mags.  I already forgot whether it was a normal issue or from one of their special Halloween issues.  I also left off bits of the border.

We briefly escaped the TX heat/humidity with a trip to Boston for a short course DH was taking for work.  I'd never been and really enjoyed it there.  We walked quite a bit on the Freedom Trail touring many of the historical sites along the way.

While DH was in class one morning, I walked as far as Quincy Market for lunch and to explore some of the shops near there.  I discovered the Body Works exhibit was there and, since I never got the chance to see it when it was in Houston, I toured that too.  I was reminded of anatomy practical exams from back when I was in college.  The exhibit was nicely organized into body systems and very educational for both students and adults who want to learn more about the human body.

One evening we walked up to the North End (from the Back Bay where we were staying) and had a delicious dinner in an Italian restaurant there.  We figured that day, between my walking while he was in class and then our walk to the North End, that I walked 8 miles.  I earned that big blister!

We rode "The T" one day too.

After Boston we drove to Salem, Mass for a very brief visit.  We went to a Witch Museum which, although informative, was a bit "cheesy" as the kids would say.  I wish we would have had time to walk around the old town (maybe someday we'll go back) but we were running late for our next stop in Bennington, VT where we stayed in a very nice B+B called The Eddington House Inn.

The Eddington House Inn

Patti, the owner, is a wonderful host.  The Inn was spotless, comfortably "appointed", her breakfasts and snacks were delicious, and she was a great tour advisor, pointing out nearby places of interest.  We'd love to go back and stay with her sometime during fall foliage time.

 We kept pretty busy touring the area including the summer home of the Robert Todd Lincoln family, Bennington Battle Monument, Robert Frost's Stone House, a little shop in Arlington, VT with a display of Norman Rockwell illustrations (he used many people he knew here as models for his illustrations), and, of course covered bridges.

Patti also told us about a wood shop in Manchester where I bought a cherry bowl that I'll use to display "smalls".

It was a nice trip.  Now I'm curious about where DH will go next for work to see if I want to go along wherever that is too.  :-)

I'm still walking in the mornings here...can't wait for cooler weather to arrive.  Here's what I saw this am while walking:

Time to get off the computer and try to get some things done around here.

Happy stitching!