Just A Quickie!

Daughter asked me to make a scarf to complement her coat. Grabbed this from the yarn-fairy stash & worked it in the carpool & on my lunch hour this week. Looks like the yarn may have been saved from the 70s so I guess it's officially "retro". Well, TGIF!! My weekend goal is to finish the Alphabet Heart Sampler as well as my grandson's knitted blanket featuring Spiderman. The weather's really cooled down just in time for the first day of fall, so this weekend will be perfect for stitching, knitting and football.

Stash and Progress

Took a quick biz trip to New Orleans last week then spent the weekend with oldest DD in Shreveport. She's settling nicely in her new apartment & new job. It's such a blessing that both of my girls are grown & on their own - it brings me joy to see their lives unfold. While in the Big Easy I visited Acadian Corner, a LNS in Metairie, that has quickly become one of my favorites. My first visit was a few months after Hurricane Katrina - the owner said the store faired much better than her home, so they were keeping part-time hours. If I had to guess, I'd say that all the beautiful Mirabilia angels that line the walls of the store had something to do with it.......... Anyway, I ran through one day during lunch break to make sure they were open & to my surprise they're back to regular hours. Of course I managed to do a little damage (to my wallet) in under an hour. To satisfy my new linen fixation, I picked up vintage cashel linen, hand-dyed linen, & jobelan (somebody has to educate me on these fabrics - I just go for pretty). Also added "Emma's Garden" by Lavender & Lace and Lanarte's "Butterfly Fairies" to the chart stash. I'm partial to angels, but the detail and femininity of these angels are gorgeous. Didnt find a LNS in Shreveport, but there was a Hobby Lobby - and they were having a 50% off sale (does it get any better?) Only had one suitcase so I limited myself to their framing mats. Got about a dozen very unique textured mats that will go well with all my finished WIPs. So I better get back to work. Speaking of which, here's my progress on the Alphabet Heart:

The Ensemble

When Terry McMillan's first edition of Waiting to Exhale was published in 1994, the front cover was a painting by artist Synthia St. James called "The Ensemble". I immediately loved that book & that picture. In 1998, I sent Ms. St James a handtowel stitched with the image. She loved it and responded with instructions on licensing her images for cross stitch designs. I hope to pursue the whole chart design concept when I retire in a few years & have unlimited time to commit to my creative side. Last night I came across a tee shirt that I started using the same design. It's still one of my favorites reflections of sistah-friends. I plan to finish it to wear as I do this season's holiday craft shows.

My Own Yarn Fairy

I stopped in my local craft store to purchase the red yarn needed for the Spiderman duplicate stitch in grandson's (almost-finished) afghan. When I got to the register the salesclerk asked if I was a big knitter (Duh, is the sky blue?)? We chatted about knitting, crocheting & cross stitching - thank goodness there was no one in line behind me. She said she had cleared out the odds & ends in her yarn stash with plans to donate it to the store for their classes but the amount that the instructor took didn't put a dent in what she brought. She really didn't want to haul it back home (her husband was soooo happy to have it gone) and would like to gift it to a fellow crafter. She took a quick break & we went to her car. When she opened her trunk I gasped........... we're not talking about a corner stash of yarn - the trunk was full!!!! She said she was embarrassed that over the years she had managed to collect so much & we laughed because of course this was only the odds & ends (1 - 2 skeins) of each color - not her main stash. All I could think was that she certainly had plenty of "Stash Enhancement eXperiences (S.E.X.) over the years. I was proud of myself - I showed great constraint - I did not take all the yarn (to her disappointment) but I've added significantly to my own stash. To celebrate this random act of kindness from the Yarn Fairy I am taking a cue from Renee and setting a goal to make 30 knitted/crocheted caps for newborns for Save the Children's Caps to the Capital Project . I'm tagging each cap with both my name & my yarn fairy's name - without her there'd be no stash.

Progress Pic

O.K. - I have converted. After years & years of aida & evenweave, my first experience with linen is "da bomb"! I've had to make a couple of changes in my stitching style though. My daughters gave me a lap stand for my birthday last year which was gathering dust in the corner. I've always held my stitching in my hands but the stand makes working on linen so much easier (let's face it - these eyes ain't what they used to be & stitching "over 2" can be hard to see!). Took a minute to get used to placing hands in front & back of work but I'm up & running now. Here's my progress pic. Lovin the DMC variegated floss!! I've always believed that stitching on linen looked soooo professional. This spurs me on to finally tackle a couple of the Lavender & Lace charts in my stash. But first let me finish this up. So back to my new best friends - the stand & lamp........ Oh yeah & thanks Sharon for inspiring me - you're a gem!!

Getting Organized

I am loving this empty nest!! I had really planned to spend the Labor Day holiday up to my elbows in stitching but got side tracked after a trip to Target. Decided I was ready to transform one of the kid's rooms into my office/craft storage room. The office part was easy - just a desk & a couple of tables for my scanner, fax, and laser printer (can't believe I had all that stuff in the corner of my bedroom). The fun part was the craft space - Found this great 2-drawer wire basket, just perfect for storing floss. I've bundled the floss by number so the colors are easy to find. Then bought some really cute flourescent magazine & file boxes and organized my cross stitch, crochet & knitting patterns. Even found a clear storage box for the stash but I'm not crazy about that - will keep looking for something better. It all came together with the wrought iron shelving units I use for my craft shows. So here's how it ended up. I'm on to the next room. Would love an actual crafting room with a big old comfy chair, Ott light, sewing machine and crafting table, but I guess it's only proper to have a guest bedroom for the kids to sleep in when they visit. Oh well, a girl can dream,huh?? Should have more pics to post of the alphabet sampler in a few days.

My First Linen Piece

I love the Heart Alphabet freebie from BHG so much, it's my first attempt at stitching on linen. My LNS - In Stitches - no longer carries the linen floss listed on the chart so I chose a verigated cotton in shades of yellow & brown that compliments the Tea Linen. The pic is awful - will take a better one in a couple of days when I've completed a few more letters. Thanks again Sharon for suggesting linen & motivating me.

Back In Stride Again

It took an evening of going thru my stash to get me motivated again. So I'm cross stitching after work, knitting at bedtime, and painting figurines on the weekend. My goal is to have at least one hand-crafted item for everyone on my Christmas gift list as well as putting together a decent inventory for this season's holiday craft shows (that's why I had to get past my "bored" phase). Just love doing local craft festivals. The spring & summer festivals have passed me by this year (too much going on) but plan to make as many of the holiday craft shows as I can. My showcase website is Stitches of Heritage. Not doing any internet sales; just documenting merchandise, what I've done, where I've been, etc. Lots of stuff is one-of-a-kind so that sight gives me a chance to keep pics of stuff that has sold & stay in contact with the folks I meet at the festivals. Maybe once I retire, I can open my dream arts & crafts shop...... In the meantime, I worked on "Blessings" - from Forever in My Heart Designs. The pic doesn't really highlight that it's on white-birch aida using Silk "N Colors thread. Lovin' it - my first time using hand dyed silk thread & it's wonderful. Planning a trip back to LNS to pick out silk thread for the BHG Alphabet Heart freebie. Of course that's afer I finish the bottom row of leaves on this one. Here's another reason I should visit my stash more often: I discovered this WIP that I forgot about - it's "Going to Market" from Dimensions. Not only did all the colors catch me eye, but the background leaf pattern should be fun to do. So you see I've gone from bored to craft-crazy. If only I could play hooky from the bill-paying job for a while -

R U Ready 4 Some Football???

Yes - it's that time of year again. Since I can't cross stitch & pay attention to the game at the same time, I usually have a knit/crochet project for game time. This is my pre-season offering and it's for my Mom who loves shades of gray....... I realized the last afghan I made for her was over 10 years ago. It was really fun working with granny squares again. Next is a knitted afghan for my grandson. I found a Spiderman duplicate stitch to put in the corner that he's gonna love ...........

Another WIP

Yep - that's right; I'm bored, bored, bored. Keep starting new projects only to put them down after a few days. Don't know whether I should switch to smaller projects (that I can finish real fast) or jump into something really big & challenging. Here's my latest WIP. I'm inspired by Sharon to start working on linen. Maybe that's the answer - something outta my element. Will check thru my patterns tomorrow & make a trip to the LNS (just what every stitcher needs for motivation) for linen that catches my eye.

On The Road Again

Leaving on a roadtrip in the morning to help daughter relocate from Ohio to Louisiana. Of course, gotta drive from VA first. Won't get much stitching done until we arrive in Shreveport later in the week. As promised, here's what I've completed on the Aquarius piece. She's gonna be a beautiful piece. Have decided not to do the windchime thing as outlined in the book - so I started her on a round doilie. Had hoped to be sooooo much further along but got the urge to knit so I'm whipping up a quick scarf & hat just to satisfy the craving to hear the click-click of needles. Swear I must have ADD - can't seem to stay focused on a single project lately. Or maybe I'm really just a crafting junkie at heart. Will check in next week. Hopefully, to showcase some finished items!!!

Work, Travel, Stitching

That's the order of things these last few weeks. Went down to New Orleans for biz travel for about a week and then on up to Ohio to visit my oldest daughter for the July 4th holiday. This is the piece I worked on in the airports and on planes. It's a kit named "Pansies" from Designs for the Needle. The chart has "Friends are Flowers in the Garden of Life" stitched in the center but, I'm revising it as a wedding sampler for a friend that got married a little while ago. Knowing my track record, it will be done just in time for the first anniversary. One more flower in the right bottom corner, then on to the names & date in the center. I also took along this chart from Julie Hasler's Fantasy Cross Stitch book I found on eBay. It's an unusual Aquarius zodiac sign design. A fantastic piece but lots of color changes so I only worked on it in the hotel & daughter's apartment. Promise to post WIP pics very soon.

This Is Cool

Ran across this while surfing the web. Now I can visit all the LNS while I'm traveling.

MapMuse.com has added a nationwide map of needlepoint and crossstitch shops to its services. There are presently over 550 stitchshops located on the MapMuse.com maps.The idea is for stitch enthusiasts to build upon what's started by adding information about their local needlepoint andcross stitch shops to the maps. The following information can be provided for each shop- the name of the shop, descriptive text, aphoto, contact information, and a link to a website. It's the most comprehensive and descriptive map for stitchers to locate cross stitch and needlepoint shops at home, and on their travels. Once a visitor suggests a change,it is reviewed for appropriateness and then posted within a few hours. This service constitutes free advertising for the stitchshops. The following is a link to the Needlepoint and Cross Stitch ShopsMap:

New Stash Arrived

It's here - it's here. The mailman left me a nice package today. I ordered a yard of raw linen aida & a few odds & ends from one of my favorite online sites - In Stitches. They also had a Janet Powers chart from her Heritage Collection called "Birth Samplers". Mind you - I don't know anybody that's pregnant right now so I'll just have to stitch the sampler without the name. Those lil brown babies are adorable.

I'm Back

This should have been me for the past couple of weeks but I've been sidetracked. Took a mini vacation to Atlantic City, then it was right back to work, work, work. I love summer, but that means yardwork added to the housework. Awaiting delivery of 2 charts and a yard of linen and hope to make a sidetrip this week to my LNS to purchase a couple of Mirabilia charts I saw online. Wanna take bets on whether I'll only purchase what I need? No way!! Almost forgot - Happy Dad's Day to all.

Spring Stitching Fever

Got the urge to do something quick so I started this decorative pot holder last night. Hope to finish by the end of the week. Sat at work all day thinking about finishing it.......... must be spring stitching fever.

On A Clear Day

This is another one of my favorites - "On a Clear Day I Can Shop Forever" by Twisted Threads. I love their whimsical charts. I usually do them on cocoa aida or evenweave to give them the sistah-feel. I've also done her on a pillow cover.

Favorite Pieces

These are a few of my favorite pieces. "Gospel Singer" is one of the few charts that I've done multiple times. The first one was a gift for my mom. This one I did without the Bible in her hand to make it a little different - the evenweave fabric had gold & silver thread borders that made the stitching really stand out. "Portrait in Gold" was done for my Aunt's gift store in Ohio. It was stitched on crochet-edge aida. The handtowels were included in a wedding gift. It was the first time I created a chart....... so much fun. It's so difficult to find charts with ethnic images - I'd like to someday create my own line licensed from leading artists.

My WIPs

Like all obsessed stitchers - I'm always working on more than one project. "Spiritual" is being done on a Charles Craft pillow cover I found in Walmart's craft department for a very reasonable price - so of course, I bought all they had in stock for my "stash". The stitch area is perfect for this portrait. "Mother & Child is being stitched on a large crocheted-edge doilie. This pattern reminds me so much of my DD & grandson, I had to do it. Now if I would just finish it.........

New Blogger On Board!!

Hi, I'm Deb and this is my DD#2 when she was about 8. I've chosen her image as my post-retirement-biz logo. I've been crafting & cross stitching for over 15 years & since I love it so much it will become the bedrock of an arts and crafts business after I retire in a few years.