Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! We had a great Christmas with our family. DD got this new lap top so I borrowed it! lol It works so much better than our out-dated desk top computer. I have a very hard time getting anything to open on our old one. Maybe now I will be able to get to my blog. Even better, read other stitching news! lol The main problem with the lap top is my typing. I keep hitting the wrong keys. Have to get used to those. I finally got started back stitching a couple of weeks ago. I have been working on Caring Wings. It is really coming along. I hope to get some stitching in today. I will put away the Christmas decorations this week-end. Christmas break moves by way to quickly! We did not get any snow this year but I am still hoping for a few inches before winter is over!

Posting and Comments

I would like to thank everyone who leaves comments on my blog. I really appreciate every one of them. Also, I have a problem with blogger and comments....Some times it takes me several tries to get the page to display when I am reading comments on my blog and when I am trying to leave comments on other blogs. I get that blasted 'page cannnot be displayed' message alot. I sometimes try several times before I can get the comment to save. Then, sometimes it works on the first try! So, if my comments to you are showing up 3-4 times, please let me know! lol

Finished: And to all a good night!

I have finshed And to all a good night. It is a Lizzie Kate chart. My daughter is going to finish it into a pillow for me. I stitched it on 28 ct. lambswool linen. I ma getting better at stitching on linen. I really like this lambswool fabric.

A Finish!

I have finished another bear for WOCS charity stitching. This one is called Sandy Bear and its from 101 Bears with Personality.

Stitching and More..

I only have a few stitches left and then my little Sandy bear will be finished. I thought I was finished but I had forgot to stitch the flag on top of the sand castle. That should take about 10 min in all. I will post a pic when it is completely finished.
Other news: I have moved my blog links to Google Reader. My bloglines only worked part of the time and I missed alot of new posts. I am hoping this will work much better. I liked the format and adding the links was a simple process. My computer time is limited now that school has started and I need to know when my friends have added new posts. Now, hopefully I will see them quicker and not be a week or two late with my replies!

The End of Summer Vacation

Well, summer vacation has come to a close and I was not ready! I had to take some time off from stitching and blogging to get some work done before school started back, which was this past Monday. The heat index has been up to 107 and the air was so humid it was difficult to even breath. Several people in our area are in the hospital with heat related illnesses. All schools have been told no outside sports practice until it cools down. Our school will not allow any children outside for recess this past week and probably the next unless it cools off. We have not had any rain in weeks. I have missed stitching and blogging and I am planning on working on my afghan today. I have a lot of stitching to get finished before Christmas, which is only 4 1/2 months away!!!!

Started Afghan

I started working on my Snow Buddies Afghan yesterday. I was only able to work on it an hour or so but it was soooo much fun! I am really excited about stitching my first afghan. It is a Stoney Creek chart book and very easy to follow. I did not scan a photo of my stitching yet because there really was not that much but I plan on making more progress as the week goes on.

They Came!!

They have arrived! I went up to see mom and dad and when I was walking home guess what I saw attached to my mailbox?!?! I really did not think it would get here till later in the week. I hurried inside and opened the box. There was a beautiful afghan and my Snow Buddies Chart Book! Yeah! Now all I need is the floss! lol I read thru the book and the afghan is stitched using 4 strands of floss and the count is 18. It is cream. I really think I might get this finished by Christmas. There are not alot of color changes, not as many as I expected anyway. The holes are easy to see the the diamond patteren is beautiful. I have some of the floss in my stash pile so I might see if I can get started today. We are suppose to have some rain so that is a perfect time to stitch!

I have had a good stitching week. I worked on Caring Wings, LK-And to all a good night, Holiday Snapper and started a bear for charity stitching. Today I am going to work on my Traveler. My Abby cloth and the Stoney Creek book-Snow Buddies is in the mail and will be here this week. Thanks Amy at Down Sunshine Lane! I will have to get some more floss before I start the afghan. I also need more floss before I start the 12 Days of Christmas. I think my rotation will have to be expanded...alot! I also searched through my stash this weekto see what Christmas ornaments I have. I will be in an ornament exchange and I am going to have to buy something new to stitch. That will have to stay a secret for now. I will have to wait and see what my new partner would like. I also have a new stitching area, again. I have my chair, table and lamp near the door and I really like it there. My daughter bought me a new organizer this week and I have used it to list the floss I have and the ones I need. Just have to remember to take it with me when I go shopping. It is a light blue leather and very nice of her to get it for me.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy week!

Problem Solved!

The addey cloth problem is solved! I called Amy at downsunshinelane.com. She is very friendly and helpful. Before we hung up, I had placed my order for the addy cloth and the pattern book for Stoney Creek's Snow Buddies! I would still love to know if anyone has stitched this on an afghan. I am going to make this one for my mom who collects snowmen and loves birds. She has several feeders and birdhouses in her yard. I plan on having it finished in time for Christmas. I will have to get very, very stitchy-busy to complete it!

Stitching On Addy Cloth

Has anyone ever stitched an afghan on addy cloth? I want to stitch the Snow Buddies from Stoney Creek. The model was stitched on 18 ct. addy cloth. When I looked up this fabric, it said the outer area border was the stitching area. So what about the part of the chart that is stitched in the center? Is it also made for cross stitching? If anyone has any answers or knows where I can find some information please post a comment. I have searched the web and can not find anything helpful. Also, has anyone ever stitched Snow Buddies on a different type of afghan? I thank you and appreciate any help you could give.

Finished Teapot!

I have finished the teapot! It shows up much better with the back stitching. I used DMC floss and stitched it on 14 ct. aida. This was a simple project and fun to stitch. It went quick when I had time to work on it. This will be sent to WOCS to be added to a quilt. There are about 8 others in the same magazine. They can be worked all on one piece or individually. They would make really cute ornaments for someone who collects teapots.

Progress on Teapot

This teapot is from Cross Country Stitching magazine. It will be for a charity quilt when I get it finished. It is kind of difficult to distinguish between the teapot and the fabric. I have not put in the outlining and there are still a few more stitches needed. The colors are very nice and I will try to get that a little better on the next scan.

New Stash Has Arrived!

I opened the mailbox and there they were! The first two ornaments in the new Sweetheart Tree 12 Days of Christmas series. My order from http://www.downsunshinelane.com/ had arrived! Yeah! Fast Service! I love them both and can't wait to get the rest of them.

SBQ: Storing WIP's

How do you store your WIPs and other projects that you have kitted up?

I store my WIP's in large ziploc bags. I keep the floss, pattern and material in the same bag if they all fit and the WIP is not too large. I keep my floss on floss cards or in small bags. For the Fortunate Traveler, I keep the floss in marked envelopes standing up in a gift box and the material is in a large ziploc bag. I have a copy of my pattern on a clip board and I keep all this inside a large navy Avon bag. (not the box of floss) lol The Avon bags I bought from my daughter and they are perfect for stitching projects. There are several pockets and it is very sturdy. I bought several of these bags and I have other kitted projects stored in these. Sometimes I just want to start something new and all I have to do is pull it out of my bag. The bags are also very handy to take places. My Rocky Mountain Christmas floss is stored in a small 3-drawer box. The material and pattern are in a ziploc bag.

Buying Stash

I have been shopping online at Down Sunshine Lane! Naturally, there were lots of charts I liked. This time, I ordered the first two designs in the Sweet Heart Tree's 12 Days of Christmas. My Christmas stash is very low and I have been looking for a 12 Days I liked for a while now. I was very happy to find these. The next two have been released so they will be ordered next. I have some 12 Days of Christmas ornaments my daughter bought me and I love them. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I can't wait to stitch these up and have them ready for my tree.

Bookmark Finished!

I stitched this bookmark for my daughter in honor of her being in the highschool marching band.

Yum Bear Finished

I have finished the "Yum" bear from 101 Bears with Personality. This is my first finish for charity stitching. I enjoyed stitching him and knowing that he will join other little bears on a quilt for a very special person.

New Project

New WIP- "Yum" Bear from 101 Bears with Personality. I am also going to stitch the "Sandy" bear. No pic. yet. I have the bear and the watermellon stitched up but that is all. I have also worked on my Bent Creek Holiday Snapper on the Arbor Day square.

SBQ Needle Mania

How many needles do you use during a project? Have you ever loaded up a needle for every color? Do you use a new needle for every project or recycle your favorite needle?

The only project I have ever used more that one needle for is my TW-The Fortunate Traveler. I have 7 needles I keep threaded for that one. I don't park them on the piece of material I am stitching on though. I switch them out and keep them on an extra piece of material stuck through a small scrap of paper with the color number or symbol on it. I thread up the ones for the area I am stitching in and switch out the colors as I go. This seems to make the stitching much faster for me.