Nine years in the making...

It took me nine years, but I finally did it. Last night, somewhere close to midnight, I put the last stitches into Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I started this way back when the chart was first released in 2004. I naively ordered HDF's very first silk conversion pack for this sampler. I figured it would look a lot like the original... oh, so very not! I present to you what I call the "watercolor version" of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I have had a love/hate relationship with this sampler from its earliest stitches. But today, I am pleased. I now know better than to "assume" that silk conversions by other manufacturers can be relied upon to be close to the original. I know HDF changed the conversion at least one time since I bought my silk pack. After what I spent on this silk, there was absolutely no going back after I started. So, after languishing for long periods in my projects chest... here it is...in need of a press, but at least two dear friends want to see this now, so... Houses of Hawk Run Hollow Carriage House Samplings Lakeside Linens 40 ct Pearled Barley Linen, HDF silk conversion #1 Started mid 2004 - Finished 5/3/13

Coming Soon...

Started in 2004....  will finally have its reveal soon!

My Other Neighborhood Came Home!

My Hello Neighbor Group One Round Robin came home today :-) I think it is so sweet! I really want to thank Marie, Deb, Leslie, Wendy, Karen, Bine, Glenna and Nicole so much for their lovely work on my sampler. I do love it! My instruction letter disappeared somewhere along the way, but those who did not have it were somehow able to still figure out what I like. I cannot recall the fabric color, though, without that letter. I kind of think it was Silkweaver 40 ct Sandcastle Newcastle linen. I just love these RR's on 40ct- they come out so delicate! I think I will just frame it as is with maybe a double mat... hmm... cannot afford framing right now with the big cut to my income now (Medicaid is cutting mental health services in the state where I work), but someday I hope to get it all framed up and will show it to you ;-)

I figured I would also show the little bits of work I have put in on HOHRH in the last couple of days. I am interested in stitching, yet find myself to be so tired lately when I start, so I don't get too far and then just end up reading for a while instead. That simply must get better soon!

Oh! Before I forget! A while back I started putting together a blog of stitching blogs - I never advertised it or anything and have been a bit too busy to work on it. Somehow I am now getting 10-12 requests a day to be added to it! Oh gosh - where are people finding this? LOL! I shall try to find a gap of time soon to add the requests, as I am sure some are wondering why I have not done so yet... sorry!

Stitched on today: Stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Starting House 11

It's not much yet, but tonight I decided to start House 11 on HOHRH. All of the lovely comments and encouragement you gave me in yesterday's post for finishing House 9 motivated me ;-)

I remain so distant from blogging - well, reading and commenting in other blogs, that is. A huge work project I have been working on for... well, forever.... was to have happened tomorrow. But... a sizeable snow storm is moving in during the morning commute tomorrow (our first in a while, what great timing...), so it was cancelled and delayed until probably March. I should feel relieved, but I just hate delays and feel more stressed. However, since I have more time now to stress and worry, I figure I shall try to channel some of it away and catch up on blogs again soon... grrr...wish my big meeting were just over tomorrow instead. Gotta just love winter in New England!

Stitched on today: Stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

I Did It!

Yay! I finished House 9 tonight ~ 10 down, and 2 to go now. Well, except I still need to do the personalization in House 1.... but, so glad to finish another one!

Stitched on today: Stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Holloww **Mailed HoE Valentine's Day Exchange today

Stitched on this weekend: Finished HoE Valentine's Day Exchange **Mailed Christmas ornament to Cathy for the Christmas Ornament Swap on Saturday

Of course it is back...

Of course HOHRH came back out. With my goal to finish it this year, and not the end of the year, but more like... soon... it had to come back out. But I hesitate to admit just how many hours it took tonight to do just this much!

Stitched on today: Stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed Nicole's Neighborhood Round Robin home today

A little HOHRH again...

Ouch! This photo is a bit off - but oh heck, I am way too tired to take another one tonight. Anyhow... HOHRH came back out to play, and now I am really quite close to finishing House 9 ;-)

Stitched on today: Stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Little Rabbits

I started my new year off again with Houses of Hawk Run Hollow... now House 9 has some little rabbits visiting it :-) Not a lot of stitching mojo today. I bought one of those fun, steamy Harlequin books at WalMart today (heck, all the new releases were already out and staring me in the face... OK, I bought several - LOL)... anyhow, more interested in reading that right now. Gotta go see what happens now that the heroine has learned her husband is not dead and it was not his ghost that has been visiting her at night ;-) Too funny!

Hope everyone had a safe NYE!

Stitched on today: Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Just a little more HOHRH

After finding my ABC Exchange for the SBEBB to be a bit too tedious to work on tonight, I chose to work some more on HOHRH. You know - really want to get it done soon! I managed to finish the upper story of the house... that's progress ;-)

No snow today - what a change!

Stitched on today: Stitched on SBEBB ABC Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Time for a little HOHRH

It is a very snowy day today - we already have at least two feet of snow just from this weekend. I didn't really have much for stitching today - just not much of a mood for it. But I did work a little on HOHRH again while watching the Boston Celtics roll to their 18th straight win tonight...

Ah, just two days now until Christmas Break!

Stitched on today: Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Back on track

OK, I am making a concerted effort to get back on track. So, here is an update of HOHRH again for tonight. This block is starting to move along nicely, and then there will only be two blocks left to go ;-)

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed Christmas ornament to Carolyn for Christmas Ornament Swap, and mailed SBEBB Reindeer Games Exchange today

Finally... Twilight

Oh gosh, I have waited months for this! I dragged my DH out nice and early today for the opening day of Twilight. Loved it!!! Out of the loop?? Enjoy the trailer above ;-)

HOHRH came out to play tonight ;-)

Stitched on today: Stitched a PIF, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed out a gift today

Finished that sky!

I feel like I just made it over a major hurdle with Houses of Hawk Run Hollow tonight. I finished up the area of black sky... yay!!

Stitched on today: Stitched on SBEBB Christmas Ornament Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Very Pretty Quilt from Marne

I just received this very pretty Crazy Exchange from Marne today, a real surprise and I truly love it! My camera did not quite catch its edges, but it is a stunning table runner that now sits proudly on my dining room table. Thank you, Marne - what a treat! Your work is so lovely :-) Marne also included some little treats for me :-)
And more blackness... easy to do, since tonight was my night to watch the Country Music Awards - very good again this year :-)

Stitched on today: Finished a gift, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed An's Neighborhood Round Robin home to her today

Floss Ring Tag Exchange for Gabi

Congratulations America!!

I just heard from Gabi that she has received the HoE Floss Ring Tag Exchange that I sent off to her...

Garden Verses Floss Ring Tag
Prairie Schooler - motif taken from larger chart
Silkweaver 32 ct Solo Belfast Linen, DMC Floss

Here is the entire exchange I sent to her. I decided to send her a whole bunch of fun finishing items. Judging by her sweet, sweet email that I just received, she is pleased. It was fun to stitch for Gabi! Enjoy!

And, here is my election night stitching... doesn't look like much, but those black x's are so tiny. Nice to have mindless blackness while watching more and more blue states appear on the map - congratulations to Obama :-)

Stitched on today: Finished Thanksgiving Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange today

Mindless Blackness

With A Quaker Christmas now finished, I figured it was time to pull out another of my longstanding WIPs and get back to it. This one is ultra longstanding, having been started in 2005, and has since been untouched by me since mid July of this year. I am up to the mindless blackness of the sky in this block.

And since it has been tucked away for so long, here is a reminder of what is left to do. I really expect 2009 to be the year to finish it. I know I had projected a finish in 2008, but no need to rehash all the whys and wherefores that led to this non-finish...

Stitched on today: Finished SBEBB Harvest Time Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

HOHRH is back

I am surely not going to finish this sampler this year. Not at this pace. It helps if I actually pick it up and work on it... started it in 2005... will finish it in...??? Anyhow, I worked on shooting stars tonight, but with this Hand-Dyed Fibers conversion it is a bit tough to make out the star in there... one more star to go, but a darker one, at least...

Stitched on today: Stitched a PIF gift, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed off a PIF gift today

HoHRH

It's still very humid here, but I did last longer with my stitching today. I picked up HOHRH again tonight and starting working on House 9. Love the colors at the top of this one - lots of shades of orange coming up for those shooting stars... and then the upper area is filled in with black. Funny though - as I was stitching, I thought that was a cat sitting on the moon. When I was done, I took a better look and realized it was an owl :-) Makes more sense. But the collar on the owl threw me - but I love him - it's my favorite motif on the whole sampler.

Stitched on today: Stitched on CE exchange, finished SBEBB ABC Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

A Beautiful Gift from Gill

I received a lovely surprise gift in the mail today. Gill read my recent post about how disheartening it is to work with low income people during these very difficult economical times. She wanted to cheer me up, and she stitched me this perfect little needlebook with the most cheerful little frogs. The back of the book features the other half of this Casey Buonaugurio design, which just happens to be one of my favorites (I received a lovely biscornu stitched from this design in a recent exchange - I am so blessed). Gill's work is so perfect and exquisite - I plan to study this little needlebook as I love her finishing technique. Thank you so much, Gill, for this little gift. It was so unnecessary, but so very sweet of you! Tonight was HOHRH night for me. I finally finished the tall house in the 10th block. That was a bit of a mini-milestone for me. It seemed to take me forever... but now I am on to the next one as I started the outer border for the 9th block too...

I am going to be pulling some more hand-dyed fabrics for sale and will post them soon - probably on Monday. If you are interested, keep an eye out! I just have so many right now...

Congratulations Manny Ramirez! Welcome to the 500 Club!! And he did it off of a former Red Sox pitcher too ;-) ...This happened tonight while I was stitching on HOHRH....

Stitched on today: Finished CE return exchange for Simone, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow **Mailed Glenna's Neighborhood Round Robin to Nicole, and mailed a gift

Got some windows

My windows are finished! They were my biggest hold up with this block! Yay - I feel satisfied! Now I need to only fill in the rest of the bricks, which is mindless work, and this block will be finished!

I have found myself really struggling lately. As some of you know, I am a psychotherapist. When I went to school, I envisioned myself working in a nice cushy office with a rich population. Well, I got a nice office, but work in a poverty stricken city with clients on state insurance. I want to share, because writing is cathartic, that I am getting really depressed... and am so thankful for my stitching friends who bring me such comfort. My clients are starving and are losing their homes. I hear sadness, grief and hopelessness all day long. The current state of the world, and the US in particular (only because I am only intimately familiar with the US economic situation), has affected my clients so deeply and I am feeling so much for them, losing sleep and cannot stop feeling my own level of personal grief and hopelessness. Thank you again, my friends, for being there. I can count on little right now, but I can certainly count on you. I appreciate you very much.

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and Houses of Hawk Run Hollow