Oldest UFO Finished!!

Happy Dance! I have finished my oldest UFO! At one point, I didn't think I was going to be able to finish it. I kept making mistakes in the bottom left corner. I ended up stitching it 3 times!! But I really like this. I'm going to have it framed. Since I've finished 3 UFOs and 2 WIPs, I going to allow myself to start a new piece. It's a small freebie that says "Jesus Loves Me" except the "love" is a heart. I'm doing it with WDW threads. I can't wait to start!

Angela at Pattern Nuts Place wanted to know where the Lady's Pincushion in the previous post came from. It was in an old mag - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, the July/Aug., 1991 issue. I have so many old mags!

Well, I was hoping I would feel better today, but I had a virus today - bad stomachache and "other problems." (I won't go into details.) lol As long as I was sitting, my stomach didn't hurt too bad, but when I stood up, I would double over with pain. I looked back at my old posts from this same time last year, and I was having almost the same problems! Go figure! I hope I feel better by Mon. I'm supposed to go out to lunch with my "teacher friends." We get together once a month. After lunch I want to visit my mom. I haven't been to her new apartment since 2 weeks ago.

Better go. I want to start that new piece before I have to go to bed! Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!

Some Finishes

I haven't felt much better this week. In addition to the unending head cold, I have had migraines 3 days this week. But I still managed to do some stitching. I decided I wanted to finish some old UFOs and get them off my mind. I started the piece above over a year ago. I was dreading doing the backstitching and daisy stitches. But after I got started on it again, I really enjoyed it. I'm thinking about making a little pillow out of it.

I started the piece above about a year ago. I was going to do it for my sister's birthday last May. I didn't get it finished in time and then got side-tracked by other pieces. My sis turns 50 this year, and I'm planning on having a surprise family party for her. This is about the first thing I started on everweave instead of Aida. I thought it was extremely hard back then, but since I've had more experience with evenweave since then, I really enjoyed finishing it. However, this really isn't evenweave; it's linen. Now I really like stitching on evenweave and linen better than Aida! I'm going to make this into a pillow, too.

This is a piece that I did for my brother. His birthday is in April, and I wanted to do this for him to hang in his woodworking shop behind his house. I really like the way it turned out. I'm going to frame it.

Now the piece above is my oldest UFO. I started this in Jan. of 2005. It was the first thing I started when I picked up cross stitching again after not stitching for over 6 years. I had to relearn stitching. This seemed so hard back then, but now it's not hard at all. I have to do a little more backstitching. Then it has a border and says "Snow People warm the heart - - - in any season." This is from a very old magazine. I plan to frame it and hang it in my house.

DD and her best friend spent the last 3 days at Mrytle Beach. They stayed at a Days Inn. I was worried to death that something would happen to them, but they made it back safely at 3:00 this afternoon. They really had a great time. She had to rush off to work, so I'm waiting for her to come home and tell me all about it! Wish I could have gone with them, but they wouldn't let me! Said I would cramp their style or something like that! lol They used their tax returns to pay for it.

Better go - I want to finish up the snowman piece. I went to the LNS and got fabby and WDW threads to do a little freebie I found on the net. I'll show that when I get started on it. I can't wait. I have never used WDW threads before. Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!

An Easter Miracle

We have had an Easter miracle!! My computer at home has not let us get the internet since the end of Feb. DD had done something to it when she got her laptop. Today I was playing a game on it and a pop-up from the internet appeared. I was surprised and clicked to go to the internet and it worked!! I have been checking it at least twice a week and it wouldn't work! I am so excited! Finally I can post again and catch up on all your blogs! I have really missed my net friends!

I have a lot of pictures to show! The pic above it the 2nd and 3rd part of the Rose Sampler SAL that I'm working on. I can't show the whole top on the scanner. I really need a digital camera! I really like working on this piece; it's very relaxing!


The pic above is of the huck towel I finally finished! Happy Dance! It only needed the gold border. I don't know if you can tell from the pic, but the border has gold blending filament combined with the gold DMC thread. I really like how it turned out!



I wanted to do the little piece above to make into a scissor fob that I could take to the stitching retreat. I got it stitched in time, but didn't get it put together in time, and as you can see, I still haven't put it together!! But I can't wait to do it. I got a new pair of stork scissors with the gift card my sister gave me for my birthday. I'm going to put this scissor fob on those scissors.



The piece above is my charity square for any child quilt at Love Quilts. It is an angel. I got a little tired of it and haven't worked on it in quite a while.


I love the piece above. I'm doing it to put on the top of a lidded basket for my mom for Christmas. The material is 28 count evenweave fiddler's cloth. The bottom half is a country scene and the top half is a shelf with country things on it. I have a hard time putting it down; it's so much fun to stitch!


The pic above is the piece I'm going for DD. It's Midsummer Night's Fairy by Nora Corbett at Mirabillia. And below is my progress so far!

I'm doing it on 28 count blueberry hand-dyed jobelan. This is one of the pieces of material DD gave me for Christmas. I was a little scared to start it; I thought it would be real hard. But it isn't. I'm really enjoying it!

I have had that head cold that started last Sat. all week and I'm still not well. We have eaten a lot of take-out and delivery!! It seems no one around here can cook but me!! lol Plus we have had some major problems this last week. I have lived in my house 15 years, so I guess it was time for things to start tearing up! First the toilet in my room tore up. We didn't fix it since we could all use the main bathroom. On Fri., that toilet tore up, too. While Jerry was looking at it and trying to figure out how to fix it, the hotwater heater broke down! I went to the freezer to get something and when I opened the door to the garage, water was spewing out of the heater and running everywhere! We had to replace the hotwater heater! Thank goodness, Jerry was able to fix the toilet!! I hope nothing else breaks down for a while!!

Well, better go. I hope everyone had a great Easter. Since I've been so sick, we didn't have a big dinner. However, I did make ham biscuits and potato salad! It was great! Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!

Disappointing Retreat

I've been pretty busy lately. We got my mom moved into her apartment last weekend. Then after 1 week, she decides she would rather move back to where she was before. I had a long talk with her and tried to remind her of all the reasons she wanted to move in the first place. After sleeping on it and doing a good bit of praying, she has decided to stay where she is. She has trouble being content! She has always been that way. She made poor Dad return almost everything she ever bought. She asked me hadn't I ever been unhappy with my house or any other place I've lived. I told her no. I'm an optimist, and I've just always been content where ever I was! Once I've made a decision, I'm usually pretty happy with it!

I went to the stitching retreat last Fri. and Sat. I had a great time being with the other ladies and talking and laughing, but I was rather disappointed in the projects and goodies that we received. We got a photo box with little scissors, a folding ruler, a little piece of fleece to put beads on, some freebie patterns, a tiny little writing pad and ink pen (also tiny), one #24 and one #26 needle. The first project was a discontinued pattern that she got permission to reproduce (so it was a freebie). It is a tiny Rainbow Row to put on an Altoid can. The can was not included. We got a small piece of fabric to stitch it on and only enough thread for the project. The next project was a little kit from The Sweetheart Tree: Just for Fun #1 - Fiesta Flowers. We got a small piece of purple fabric to stitch it on. It does include a button and some beads. The price was on the little plastic box the pattern came in: $5.00. (I have never seen any pattern or kit in her shop that costs less than that.) Again just a few pieces of thread. The last project was another freebie. It was really cute - it looks just like a can of Campbell's soup and says "Cross Stitch" instead of "Campbell's Soup". It is cream of ort soup. Ort is the pile of tiny pieces of thread you compile while stitching. After you finish the stitching, you put it on an empty can of soup and use it as a mini-trashcan for your ort. We did get a can of soup with that project. My door prize was a $10 gift certificate for the shop, which I liked better than any of the other prizes. The meal Fri. night was homemade soup that the owner had made and lunch Sat. was pizza. The retreat cost $90 and I figured it up - we got less than $25 worth of stuff. With 14 women attending, she really made a lot of money!! I would rather have bought $90 worth of x stitch stuff!! I did end up spending $42, because I bought the threads for the Lizzie Kate double flipits. I used the gift certificate to help pay for that. I've seen projects that they have gotten at other retreats, and they were great! I really was shocked when I saw what we got!! She has 2 retreats during the year, but I don't know if I'll do another one.

As soon as I got home from the retreat, my nose started running and my throat started hurting. Today I have a full-blown head cold. I have slept most of the day and feel horrible! I hope I get over this quickly - I need to sub some! Better go to bed. Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!

Lots of News

Hi, Everyone! DD didn't know that I wasn't finished with that last post when she published it! But I guess that's okay. We still can't get the internet on our home computer. I really have a hard time typing things on her laptop. I keep hitting the wrong keys and wiping out what I've done! lol These newfangled things are so hard for us "OLD FOLKS" to learn to use! lol

I have been stitching a lot the last few days! I have finished the 2nd part of the rose sampler. DD is going to make me a copy of the 3rd part, so I can stay caught up. I wish I could post some pictures! I'm also working on a new piece for my mom for Christmas next year. It's going to go on a basket lid. I'm really enjoying stitching it. It's a country piece and I love the colors! I did some Valentine pieces and made the draon piece for DD into a bookmark. She really liked it!

I'm going to start the Mirabilla fairy for her as soon as I can find the material she gave me for Christmas. I have again put it somewhere safe and now can't find it! I got all the threads and the metallic threads, too. I'm going to get the beads later. If I got them now, I'd probably put them somewhere "safe" and forget where! lol

I am really excited! My LNS is having a stitching retreat Mar. 14th and 15th. She had told us about it at the Christmas party, but I couldn't remember the dates. I haven't felt like going over to the store since right after Christmas. But last Thurs. I really felt led to go to the shop and pick up the next LizzieKate double flipits. While I was there, I overheard her talking to another customer about the retreat. I asked when was it and she said the 14th and 15th. I asked her when was the last day to sign up and it was that day! It costs $90 and I really didn't have the money, but I decided I would cut back on something else - I really need to do something for myself every once in a while. So I signed up and paid. If I had not gone to the shop that day, I would have missed the retreat! It's that Fri. evening until 9:00 at the shop and then 9:oo am until 6:oo pm on Sat. - also at the shop. The theme is a surprise. We're going to do at least 3 projects (get them started). Everybody gets a goodie bag of stuff and everything you need for the projects. She also gives out door prizes, and everybody gets one. We get dinner Fri. night and lunch Sat. It was limited to 16 people and I was number 14! I really can't wait!

Guess I'd better go! I want to read some of your blogs. I'm afraid I can't post a comment on DD's laptop if you have to type in those letters and numbers - it won't show them. But know that I am reading them! Pray that DD finds the time to fix my computer soon! Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!

Internet and DD Problems

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! It's been busy around here, but that's not why I've been gone so long. DD got a lap top and decided to use a router or whatever it's called to hook up our old computer and her laptop to the net. She did something wrong and now we can't get the internet on our old computer. I am so upset with her! I'm on her lap top right now. She doesn't seem to be able to find the time to fix my computer! I
'm going

I'm Back!

To begin with - Pattern Nut sent be the "You make my day!" Award. Thank you, Angela! That was so sweet of you! You "made" my day!! I need to list people that I want to send it to. I'll work on that and do it in a day or 2. Please forgive me!


I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long! January is always difficult for me! I have depression, and it gets worse during the short days of winter. Also, I really miss my son after Christmas more than during Christmas. I've also been sick - 2 bad migraines, a stomach virus that lasted a week, and a cold complete with sore throat and earache! I haven't really done a lot of stitching. The little piece above is for my son. I'm going to hang it on his crypt. I do that very often! It's made on vinyl weave. The pattern is in the new book I got with the gift card my sister gave me for my birthday. It's 80+ Cross-Stitch Kind Thoughts produced by Kooler Design Studio. I also got the book 365 Tiny Cross Stitch Designs also by Kooler Design Studio with the gift card DD's best friend gave me for Christmas. I haven't done anything in it yet. I've got a lot of things marked to stitch later!

I finally finished organizing my stash. I went through all of my mags. and put labeled post-it notes on charts I might do someday. I made copies of charts I definitely want to do some day and put those in a notebook. I put each WIP and UFO in an individual ziploc bag with the thread needed and a working copy of the chart. I put all of them in a plastic box with a lid. Now I can get out what I want to work on and just put it back when I want to do something else

I've abandoned the idea of a rotation. I just don't work well on a schedule. As a teacher, I was always having to do things according to a schedule! My whole work day was scheduled! Since I've retired, I don't want to have a schedule! I just want to stitch whatever hits my fancy each day, and sometimes it's more than 1 thing a day! However - even with all my organizing - I have finished a couple of small pieces and now I can't find them! lol I'm going to have to get another plastic box in which to keep finished pieces that aren't finished finished.


The piece above is the Valentine piece for DD. This is the first dragon I've ever stitched. I really enjoyed doing it! This was a freebie here. He's very thin so I'm thinking about making him into a bookmark for her to use in a textbook. What do you think? I'm also working on a little piece to put on a card for DD's best friend. I made her and DD little pillows last year for VD.

I subbed 3 days last week. That's the first I've subbed since before Christmas! I spent Thurs. and Fri. at the elementary school I was teaching at when I retired. I'm going to be there on Mon., also. I was able to retire in Mar. after my son died. The kids I had that last year in 2nd grade are now in 5th grade, and I subbed half a day Fri. in 5th. They all came running over to me in the cafeteria and were hugging me and telling me how much they missed me! It was so neat to see them; they're taller and bigger but their faces really hadn't changed that much! They were really sweet students!

My DB came over and brought us breakfast this morning. He hasn't been to my house in years, because he lived in Florida and always stayed at Mom and Dad's when he visited. He came to tell me that my mom has decided to sell her mobile home and move into an apartment. I really didn't want her to because she has lived in apartments before and was not happy with the noise, etc. Also, it has always fallen to me to help them move and get settled and listen to her complain when she didn't like it. As I have said before, my mom can't be content anywhere. But DB assured me that he would take care of everything and would listen to her complain! lol I can't handle anything like that right now; I can barely handle my own life! I realize that the mobile home holds so many memories of her and my dad. I know it's hard for her to live there alone. I hope that she can make friends at the apartment complex and will have more to do.

Well, better go and get ready for bed. I'm going to spend the day tomorrow with my mom and we can talk about the new apartment and all! She already has the apartment and is moving in the end of Mar. Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!