SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Cheryl and is:

Have you ever just quit a project while in the midst of it? (We're not referring to UFOs here, rather projects that you know that you'll never work on again.) Why? What did you do with it - throw it out,give it away, put it away?

I am guilty of quitting in a middle of a project. If the project isn't turning out how it is supposed to look or if I make a very noticeable mistake I will simply toss it in the trash and start from the beginning. This happened to me recently when I began to stitch Woodland Faerie by TW. I stitched and ripped out three different times before I finally cut the fabric up into small pieces and put the pattern back in my stash until a later date. Another example of me quitting in the middle of a project is when I was working on Geisha and Kitty choose to have a seizure on the fabric. That one didn't even make it to the trash can in the house. It went straight to the dumpster.

I worked on Vash's RR again last night. I have the face of the kitty done except for the iris' of the eyes. I am working on the brim of the hat and after that will be the flowers on the hat. I am a little nervous about stitching the flowers because the pattern is a little blurry. If all goes as planned I should be done with this kitty next week and ready to mail to Renee.

After I get done with Vash's RR I will start on my square of the SBRR-2. I have chosen the Four Seasons Chairs and I will be stitching the Autumn chair. I am stitching it on 32 count Antique White Belfast Linen. This will be the first time that I have stitched on linen. I am looking forward to stitching on it and see if I like it or not. So far the fabric feels stiffer than the evenweave that I normally stitch on.

I haven't been able to work on Unicorn and Fairy Magic this week because the craft store didn't get the Kreinik BF 032 I need to finish the stitching. Ughh! I had to wait almost 2 months for one color that was on back order already! Krissy may end up getting it as a Christmas gift if it takes that long again.

I still have to decide on what to stitch and finish for the SBLE (Stitching Bloggers Lottery Exchange) that I joined. I have an idea for a pattern but I am not 100% for sure that is what I want to stitch. This gives me a reason to go to the craft store and browse the patterns for something to stitch. :D I am really excited about this exchange and can't wait to find out who the lucky person will be.

Thank You To All

I was able to get some good stitching done on Vash's RR. I love the fabric she has chosen. The scan doesn't show the how sparkly the fabric really is in person.



I got my Halloween Exchange mailed off to XXXX today with no problems. Whoo-hoo!! I was in and out of the post office inside of 10 minutes. The mean man was there again today and I was a little concerned about dealing with him again. Luck was on my side and another teller opened when it was my turn so I was able to walk up and tell her what she needed and handed her the money.

I wanted to thank everyone for their concern about my/our safety. I had to smile at Carol's comment about not realizing that Mississippi had bad weather often. I smiled because that is what we thought when we moved here 5 years ago! I grew up in Iowa so I am used to tornados in the springtime but I can't get used to tornados in the Fall!

Jenna -I didn't use a conversion chart for Checkers. I am not good at converting colors so I went ahead and used the Kreinik. I would like to find a conversion chart for DMC so if I find one I will let you know. :)

Storm Scare

I hate when the weather is bad outside. I have good reason to not like storms. Mac ( he was 3 at the time) and I were in our apartment when a tornado struck and destroyed the apartment building. We were extremely lucky and only had minor cuts and bruises. Since that time I have had a small fear of tornados.

Today that fear was put to test again. The tail end of Hurricane Rita started hitting us about 5:00 am. It didn't start to get nerve wracking until about 10:30 am when the sirens went off in town. It finally calmed down around noon so I was able to make my weekly chat with Renee. It was about 2:30 pm when the sirens started going off again. Next thing I know the phone is ringing and we are getting the news that a tornado had hit the other complex that we oversee. The other complex is about 5 miles away from us so I started to get a lot nervous!! It finally calmed down around 4:00 pm but that wasn't the end of the tornados. It started up about 5:00 pm again and did some minor damage here (shingles flying off the roofs) and finally calmed down around 7:00 pm.

With all the ruckus from the storms today I did not get to work on any stitching. Hopefully tomorrow I can make up for it after I have cleaned the house up from the kids being inside all day today.

Still Dancing

I am happy dancing all around the house today. I finished 2 projects! The first dance is for the one I finished for my neighbor's little girl. I stitched the freebie pattern Checkers the Pumpkin on 28 count evenweave dyed golden yellow. I finished it by sewing it into a treat bag/purse for her. Dayza loved it and the candy I put inside for her.

The second piece I finished today is for the Halloween Exchange. I am really happy with how it turned out. I did not like the stress of getting the thread at the last minute. Oh well., it all worked out and I will go to the post office on Monday and mail it to XXXX.

New Stash

I haven't been feeling the best this week so I really haven't gotten anything accomplished at home or at work. The only thing I got accomplished today was buying some new stash. :D I hadn't planned on buying anything(that is always how it starts out!) but when I walked in the door I was greeted with my Kreinik thread that I had ordered a long time ago. That alone put me in a great mood because now I can finish my original idea for the Halloween Exchange. Whoo hoo!! Which also means that I did not mail my package out today but I will have it posted next week sometime.

I was in such a good mood that I bought 2 new patterns. I had seen A Time For Everything last week and thought that it would work cute for the SBRR-2. It was still there today so I had to bring it home to add to my collection. I also ran across these cute zodiac signs that would stitch up nicely for an ornament.

Have A Good Weekend!

SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Carol and is:

What is the most challenging specialty stitch you have ever stitched?

Okay, nobody laugh but French Knots are my worst nightmare. I am not kidding when I say it takes me about 5 minutes to make one little knot. When I first started stitching I would leave out any French Knots that were on the pattern. It wasn't until about 6 years later that I actually made myself learn how to stitch one.

On the stitching side of the news is I worked on Vash's RR last night and made good progress until I realized that it wasn't centered right in the square. At least I hadn't gotten very far so I didn't have much to rip out. I guess I was so excited about stitching this cute kitty that I miscounted the stitches.

With the Halloween Exchange coming to an end I signed up for the Stitching Bloggers Exchanges Lottery. The main idea is for everyone to stitch and finish a piece. Then all the stitchers names are put in a hat and one winner's name will be drawn. This sounds like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to winning some of the gifts! :D

A Big Happy Dance

Yippie!! I finished my piece for the Halloween Exchange. :D I am going to try and mail it out this Friday. I am not promising anything because my last post office experience is still fresh in my mind. Now that I am finished with mine I am wondering what I will get in the mail. I can't wait to find out!

Small Happy Dance

Last night I finished all the stitching on my piece for the Halloween Exchange. Whoo-hoo a small happy dance for me! Since I did not originally plan to use this pattern I had to change some of the colors in the pattern to go with the fabric that I bought. I am really pleased with how it turned out. I just hope the person who receives this will like it too.

After I finish doing that it is on to Vash's RR. I haven't been able to stitch a lot on her RR but with the Halloween Exchange completed(almost) I can focus on these cute kitties. I will post a picture when I make a little progress.

Yesterday after school Mac brought a note home from his teacher. Aggghh! Apparently he has not been paying attention in class and not getting his work completed and has started acting up in class. What is worse is the note didn't surprise me. Mac can be a handful at times (o.k so most of the time!) but this is the first time he has given the teachers any problems usually they say he is an angel.

I am puzzled why this has occurred all of a sudden. There hasn't been any major changes in our lives. So Mike and I sat Mac down and had a talk with him to see if there was anything bothering him. The only thing we did find out was he has not been eating breakfast at school like he is supposed to do. That is easy to fix he can eat at the house in the mornings so I know he is getting something to eat. We are also setting his bedtime 30 minutes earlier to see if that helps his attitude. I sent a note back to the teacher asking if she will help me by sending a daily behavior report home so I can see if these changes help. Normally they send a behavior report home once a week. We will see if it helps or not.

Sleepover No No's

I survived Krissy's friend spending the night. I can pretty much sum it up by saying this particular child will not be spending the night again anytime soon. Every time I turned around Friday night this child had something smart to say to me or Mike. For instance the girls were running in the house (which is a big no no) and Mike told them to settle down once and they didn't listen. He told them a second time to settle down or he would take Krissy's friend home if they couldn't listen to us. Krissy's friend popped off with a "whatever" and walked away from Mike. When Mike asked her what she said both girls said nobody said anything and we must have been hearing things. Only thing is they didn't realize Mike's friend, Keith, was here and he heard it too! There were a few other irritating moments like the friend got mouthy with me when she brought a DVD over that was rated R and I would not let them watch it.

Saturday night Allie spent the night with her friend which according to her mother all went well. Although when we picked Allie up Sunday at lunchtime she wasn't happy about having to come home. Around midnight Allie woke up and started throwing up and running a fever. She hasn't moved off the couch in 10 hours and for Allie that means she is sick. Top that off Krissy called from school around 8 am saying she had gotten sick at school too! So now I have 2 sick girls at home and wondering if I am going to get a call from Mac's school.

I made a quick trip to the craft store this weekend to find out that 1.) they are out of 032 Kreinik BF and 2.) my order for one Kreinik VFB #4 thread for the Halloween Exchange still hasn't arrived. Okay the first one isn't so much a problem since they keep that one in stock and should be here by Friday. Now the second one I have some issues because I ordered my floss about 6 weeks ago! I got the other VFB's that I needed within 2 weeks but not this one. Since the post date is coming up fast for the Halloween Exchange I went ahead and started stitching another little piece up just in case the thread doesn't arrive in time which would be my luck.

Weekend Plans

I can see the finish line! I ran out of Kreinik BF 032 and DMC white so I will have to make a trip to the craft store. If all goes right I am hoping to make a run out there tonight.



Tonight Krissy is having a friend spend the night. This could prove to be an interesting night with two 11 year old girls talking and giggling all evening. They already warned me that the friend is bringing over some DVD's to watch. I already can see the mess of curling irons, make up, and popcorn all over the front room! Oh, I forgot to add they both play instruments in the band and want to practice together.

On top of all that I will have the battle of keeping Mac and Allie from pestering them too much. I already know Mike is going to go hide and play his computer games and if I am lucky Mac will want to play games too. Allie may luck out and get to spend the night with her friend. Her mother is going to call me later to let me know exactly what the girls have planned.

I am not for sure how many kids will be here tonight (anywhere from 2-5) but I know that it is going to be late a night. The girls will probably outlast me which means they will be cranky in the morning. We probably will take Krissy's friend home sometime after lunch so hopefully we will have a quiet Saturday night. If not at least we will have a quiet Sunday.

Have a good weekend!

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by AngelSan and is:

Do you stitch for events like weddings, engagements, or other things that might not last? If you have been unlucky and the two people broke up, what happened to your stitched gift?

I have only stitched 2 samplers. One was for my mom and her new husband and the other was for our wedding. My mom still has hers and display it in the house. The one I did for our wedding was destroyed in a tornado in 2001.

Stitching With Kreinik

Last night I finished stitching the fairy's dress. Now I am stitching the hooves, mane, tail, and wings on fairy. I am using one strand DMC floss and 2 strands of Kreinik BF #032. Thanks for all the kind comments about this pattern. They really encourage me to keep on stitching!

Getting Close

I am close to having all the "regular" stitches (meaning: full cross, half, and quarter of DMC) done! All I have left to stitch is the rest of the fairy's dress and arm. Then I will be using Kreinik threads in the mane, tail, hooves, and fairy's wings. I am really happy with how it is turning out. I wasn't for sure how the fabric would look but I am glad I went ahead and used it.

Good Day

I wish all Friday's would go as smoothly as yesterday did for me. It all started first thing in the morning when my boss decided that I needed a break and could go home early. He did not have to ask me twice!! Extra time and money in my purse could only mean one thing. A trip to the craft store! I knew I had to pick up my fabric for the SBERR in am doing with Renee, Nicki and Laurie. I picked up a half a yard of 32 count Belfast Antique White Linen. I would have preferred plain white but they did not have any in stock and I did not want to place and order and play the waiting game. I also picked up some MH glass seed beads for another project. All in all, I spent too much at the craft store but I deserved it this week.

After I left the craft store I headed to the grocery store to pick up items to make lasagne. I was lucky enough to be able to go and get what I needed and was able to check out rather quickly. I looked at the time and was surprised to see that it was only 11:30 in the morning. Whoo-hoo I was going to beat the noon rush hour home!

When I got home the next chore I had to go was give our 2 dogs bathes. Luckily they both don't fight bathes but that doesn't mean they like them either. After I dried them both I knew I had to give the house a good cleaning before the kids got home for the weekend. When I was finished with that it was time to start making the lasagne so I could just put it in the oven later and cook it. I just finished putting it all together when the kids got home from school. It was 4:00 and I had almost everything done! Things were looking good for an evening of stitching. :D

I was able to sit down and stitch all evening! It felt really good to sit down and stitch for about 4 hours. This of course means I made some good progress on the Uni. All I have left is the front legs on the Uni and the Fairy to stitch. I do have some MH seed beads to put on after all the stitching. Beading is not my strong point but I am getting better...slowly.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

Which way do you stitch (/// and then \\\ or \\\ and then ///)? Can you (or if you haven't done it before, do you think you could) change the way that you stitch temporarily if it is asked of you?

I stitch /// and then \\\. I can stitch the opposite way if I am asked to stitch that way but then again, it is just natural for me to stitch the same way the other stitches are laying on the fabric. For future reference to any stitchers that I am or might be stitching for on your fabric I will stitch the same way you have stitched. :)

It has been a crazy week around my house this week! Sunday afternoon we got some very bad news about my MIL. She has been diagnosed with cancer. It is in her kidneys, liver, lungs, and bones. Things aren't looking good right now. Mike hasn't really talked with me about it yet but I know he is worried about her. When he gets worried or scared he starts to joke around a lot more than normal and that is exactly what he is doing now.

At work I have been helping get ready 75 apartments for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We have had people either calling or coming in everyday so I have been extremely busy making sure everything is ready. I can't even watch the news anymore it is too heartbreaking to see all the destruction and families ripped apart.

With all of that stuff going on I have only been able to stitch for about hour each night. I am pretty happy with my progress on Unicorn and Fairy Magic. I would have more done but I have to work on it when Krissy isn't at the house since it is going to be a birthday present. This pattern calls for Glissen Gloss thread but I am going to use Kreinik thread. I am going tomorrow to buy the rest of the beads for this pattern and a few other things for the Halloween Exchange.

A Long Weekend

I am glad that the holiday weekend is over! I love my husband and kids but they can sure make a house into a disaster area. Luckily my boss let me have the day off (just because I had to work yesterday!) today so I will be able to give it a good cleaning later this morning. Overall the weekend went pretty good. The kids were grumpy because we didn't run them all over town instead we stayed at home all weekend.

Sunday was Mike's 37th birthday. All he wanted to do was be lazy and play his computer games all day which of course we let him do since it was his day. I made him his favorite dinner of chicken and rice. Mike isn't real fond of cakes so this year Krissy insisted on making Mike brownies instead of a cake. The brownies turned out really good and of course we had to put 37 candles on it for him to blow out.

I really wanted to get a lot of stitching done this weekend but I didn't and I have a reason but I will talk more about that later this week. I managed to work on Unicorn and Fairy Magic Saturday and Sunday nights. I worked on Vash's RR Cat in Hats last night. I am going to work on my square a little each night after the kids are in bed because that is when I do my best stitching. No distractions means no mistakes!

Unicorn and Fairy Magic

As much as I wanted to I didn't start on Vash's RR instead I worked on Unicorn and Fairy Magic. It is out of the Mythical Fantasies(#292) collection by Stoney Creek. I love this pattern because the unicorn is almost identical to my unicorn tattoo I have on my right shoulder. The only difference is my unicorn doesn't have the flowers around the neck.



We don't have any plans for Labor Day weekend. For one Sunday is Mike's birthday and he said he wanted to do nothing but be lazy this weekend. You won't hear any objections from me on being lazy! I can be lazy and stitch all weekend. Another reason why we aren't doing anything is I have to work on Monday. Grrr!

August/September Goals

August Goals

1. Stitch at least 3 letters on ABC Bears
*Doesn't look like I made this one for the month, I didn't even work on this one this month.
2.. Finish stitching on Geisha and frame.(August 17 is when I would like it completely finished)
*Didn't make this one either but it was due to a Cat-atrosphe!
3. Mail SBRR to Renee.
*Whoo-hoo, I did make this one and got it mailed off Tuesday.
4. Work on Collecting Shells.
*I did manage to do some stitching on her but not as much as I would have liked.
5. Start Stitching Blogger's Halloween Exchange (SBHE).
*I did get it started and I am so close to finishing it. I am waiting on one color to arrive.

Well, I made 3 out of 5 goals this month. I am still trying to figure out the best way for me to rotate my projects around. So far I haven't really come up with anything other than what screams at me at that moment. So next month's goals are:

September Goals:

1. Finish and mail the SBHE.
2. Work on Collecting Shells.
3. Work on ABC Bears.
4. Work on Unicorn and Fairy Magic.
5. Purchase the 32 count linen for the seasons SBRR.
6. Start on the seasons SBRR.
7. Start stitching on Vash's RR.

I should not have a problem reaching these goals but that is what I thought last month and I ended up not meeting some goals. I have a new month to start so the slate is clean and I am ready to stitch away!

RR Mail

I got Vash's RR in the mail today. Whoo hoo. I know what I will be doing tonight! :) My boss started laughing at me when I came back in with the package. He said my eyes immediately lit up when the postal carrier came to the door. LOL...He is right it defiantly right I felt like a kid at Christmas. Can anyone guess what I will be stitching on tonight? :D

Sunday night I started a new pattern. Krissy's birthday is next month and she wants me to stitch her a unicorn design for her room. I searched my patterns and found this design by Stoney Creek called Unicorn and Fairy Magic. I am stitching it on 28 count evenweave that I dyed rose pink.

Next week Allie starts dance class. We had original signed her up at the beginning of summer but the classes were too full. However today I got a call saying that a spot is available for her and she starts next Wednesday. She will have dance for 4:00-5:20 pm every Wed from now on. Mac will start attending an art class next week. I already know he will be bringing me lots of pictures of frogs and bugs to be hung on the fridge. Krissy got her clarinet last week and has been practicing every chance she can get.