Pokey Pokey

This wasn't a very rewarding night of stitching for me. I stitched for three hours, and got this much more done on Bordeaux Sampler. I was thinking it would have been nice to have finished Part 3 tonight, but that was not meant to be. Quite a bit of over one on 40 ct tonight. Oh well, there is always next week :-)

I got an email from Natty tonight, letting me know that my birthday package for her has arrived! I am Natty's birthday/Christmas exchange partner in the StitchingBloggersBirthday/ChristmasClub - this was fun, because I didn't really know Natty except in "passing," so to speak! I had some difficulty with catching the essence of her favorite stitching style and designers, so I went with something all stitchers can appreciate - "never enough stash" - and I also sent her several items from her wish list - a chart by The Drawn Thread, a Monica Ferris novel, some Yankee Candle tarts... as well as other goodies I thought she might enjoy :-) She says she loves it all, so I am relieved that the package arrived safely and is warmly accepted :-)

Never Enough Stash Fob

4 My Boys

40 ct Lambswool Linen

Crescent Colours floss

Stitched 1/19/07 - 1/20/07

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OK, I signed on to another Pay It Forward (PIF) exchange. I still have a small handful of PIF gifts to make from my previous groups, but those will be done rather soon, so I will give it another go. I signed on via Dawn's blog a few days ago. I suspect there are quite a few new blog readers lately that are not keen to this idea yet. I have had a few ask me what PIF means. So, if you want to get in on the fun, here is your chance! I will send a handmade gift to the first five stitchers who leave a comment in my blog **requesting to join the PIF**. If you sign up, you then will post a message like this in your blog and see if you can collect five folks to stitch for. It has been great fun so far! Many of us bloggers are already doing this. I will get your gifts out to you as soon as possible - within the next six months! (If you want to sign on with me, I will need your postal address - please email that me at carolsutcliffe@comcast.net - thanks!)

*************************************************** **If you left a comment expressing interest in the Neighborhood Round Robin, please don't worry - I am getting the head count and will get back to each of you soon :-)****************************************************************

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and Bordeaux Sampler

The Strange Bird

It's another Paradigm Lost Tuesday, and Jo and I are still stitching away on this sampler. Tonight I stitched the strange bird that is just about right in the middle of the sampler. I have to admit, this is the one motif that I have always been skeptical about on this sampler. Well, it's not like it is an attractive bird. But, after spending much of the evening stitching away on the little guy, I have developed a little fondness for him. He does look a bit better in real life than in the picture on the chart. He is still strange, though...

I heard from Kathy today that she received the little gift that I made for her birthday. It arrived in the UK quite quickly, but I told her to please go ahead and open it up even though it is not her birthday yet. I am so happy she was thrilled with it!

Ole' Fob

Papillon Creations

40 ct Lambswool Linen

DMC Color Variations - Midsummer Night and Monet's Garden

Stitched 1/21/07 - 1/26/07

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Good news regarding Angus! I weighed him before bed last night, and he is up to 6.1 pounds. This is a good gain from his 5.4 post-surgical weight! Our digital postal scale is quite trustworthy, so I am hoping the new weight is fairly accurate :-)

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Anyone still interested in a Neighborhood Round Robin, due to start in July?? If so, please let me know. I could use a couple more stitchers - thanks!

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Stitched on today: Paradigm Lost

****PS - how strange - my posts for the last three nights have all been at 11:19 PM - what are the odds??

A little HOHRH update

I spent the better half of the evening finishing up a birthday gift, but then... I followed up a bit on my commitment to Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I have managed to get a good portion of the house in Block 2 finished now. It feels good to finally be making some progress on this sampler!

Other than that, life is pretty quiet here - very, very cold and Angus is playful today... that is good!

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

18th Century Band Sampler Update

Not much to say at all today... but did spend some time working on the Long Dog Mystery Sampler (18th Century Band Sampler) - and halfway through the row of carnations now... looking forward to Part 2. I like the personalization that goes on Part 2.

Angus update: He is holding his own, but is a bit depressed that he cannot have any dry food. He knows the others are getting some still, as we are trying to wean them off. But, he is doing a good job with his wet food and Mike thinks Angus is gaining weight now (I am not so sure). Thanks again for the continued emails asking about him! I regret that I cannot get to them all personally :-)

And, congratulations to all of the winners of the Silkweaver Showcase - well done, each and every one of you :-)

Stitched on today: Stitched on a gift, and 18th Century Band Sampler

Prayers for Betsy Stinner

The verse is growing a bit on And A Forest Grew, but it is still pretty hard to understand based on what is stitched so far :-)

I have read in several sources today that prayers are needed right now for Betsy Stinner, designer of Earth Threads. Betsy is a cancer survivor, and has been cancer free for a few years now. Unfortunately, she learned very recently that her cancer is back. She will be having aggressive chemotherapy now, and prayers are needed for her. She won her first battle, and we can all help her to win her second battle. I have been fortunate enough, as have many of you, to have taken several classes with Betsy in the past. She is an amazing woman. God bless her in this time of need.

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and And A Forest Grew

Another SAL Start

February is busy for SAL starts for me - tonight I started Dawn, Fairy Spirit of Grace along with Bea. We have been trying to plan this SAL for more than a year. I am already enjoying it a great deal, although the Passione Ricamo patterns are so big and floppy, on such flimsy paper. I hope Laura finds a better way to print her charts soon. But anyhow... here is my starting blob :-) I will be stitching this on Thursdays now with Bea.

Dianne has posted a picture of how my Neighborhood Round Robin is progressing! Thanks Dianne! I am so happy - I haven't seen an update of my RR in so many months. This is such a treat!

Stitched on today: Stitched a gift (started and finished), and Dawn, Fairy Spirit of Grace

New SAL: Barnabee's Quest

With the start of a new month, there is also the start of a brand new SAL. This one is Just Nan's Barnabee's Quest, and if I remember correctly the participants are Michelle, Jenna, Leslie, Nicole and Andrea :-) Here is bands 1-3, plus some of the outer border. Nan's instructions say to stitch the outer border first. However, I could not find any technical reason why this was necessary. I started with the specialty stitch band at the top instead and eventually added in some of the border. I thought just doing the border for a while might get boring - but it turns out that this border is quick and easy, not boring anyhow. Also, I noticed after the fact that Nan says not to cross the quarter stitches atop the beeskep. I crossed mine. I didn't care for how they looked uncrossed - they just looked "wrong" to me. It was hard to put this one down tonight. Nan's samplers are always such fun to stitch. It was also great to start a project that has been in my stash for a long time now... 2001. I won't be able to stick to doing this one on Thursdays, though. I have another SAL starting tomorrow and will be doing that one Thursdays as of next week. I don't know if any of the ladies in this SAL want to join me in stitching this on another day - I have Monday and Friday open.

Goal Review Time:
January Goals:
1. Work on And A Forest Grew -yes
2. Start Long Dog Mystery Sampler -yes
3. Work on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow -yes
4. Stitch some gifts -yes, stitched five
5. Work on Paradigm Lost SAL with Jo -yes
6. Work on Bordeaux Sampler SAL with Anne and Leslie -yes
7. Stitch and post Dianne's Neighborhood RR -yes, it is safe with Annemarie now
***I also worked on The Mermaid and the Sea, resurrected Gathering Eggs and stitched an ornament for the new Christmas Ornament SAL***

February Goals:
1. Start Barnabee's Quest SAL
2. Start Dawn, Fairy Spirit of Grace SAL
3. Work on And A Forest Grew
4. Work on 18th Century Band Sampler
5. Work on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow
6. Stitch some gifts
7. Work on Paradigm Lost SAL
8. Work on Bordeaux Sampler SAL
9. Work on Rachael's Neighborhood RR
10. Stitch an ornament for the Ornament SAL
11. Work on The Mermaid and the Sea
12. Work on Gathering Eggs

Stitched on today: The Mermaid and the Sea, Barnabee's Quest

Teeny Tiny Stitches

It is Bordeaux Sampler Wednesday! I was hoping to get more done on Part 3 than I actually did accomplish tonight. I am not sure which part of what I did slowed me down... surprisingly (to me), I don't think it was the over one stitching in the bit of verse I did. No clue why... still coming along quickly now that it has a scheduled rotation day!

OK, I have Friday off, so I plan to use that day to get questionnaires out to Neighborhood Round Robin Group One, and will try to get Neighborhood Round Robin Group Three set up... I don't think I can fit in being in that group, so will be asking someone in that group to volunteer to be leader (a super easy job)...

Stitched on today: Bordeaux Sampler

Paradigm Lost Update

I know it is repetitive, but it is Tuesday, so here is another Paradigm Lost update. There is not much left to do now on the lacy motif on the left side of the sampler... even added a tiny little tulip tonight. I think I have passed the half way point now :-) This sampler sure is beginning to grow.

To those of you in Neighborhood Round Robin Group 1, I plan to get your questionnaires out to you tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. I know several of you are wanting to start planning out your fabric, so I will get right to that for you! There is still room in Group 3, for any interested parties. If you want in, let me know! Katrina D - I got your email and will compose a response with details for you tomorrow!

Stitched on today: Paradigm Lost

Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

I have two new SALs starting up this week, so I took some time again tonight to work on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. House #2 is moving along quite well... the quickest block so far! I am getting fairly close to the halfway point now! With the new projects starting, I will need to take a fresh look at my rotation again.... really want to keep this one going.

Thank you to everyone for tips regarding Angus! Each comment was so appreciated! Mike actually had to buy more of the canned prescription food today, so he also spoke with the vet. No dry food for Angus. The vet was very clear about that! So... we will need to give him special attention while he is isolated each evening, allowing the other cats, especially Lily, to enjoy some dry food! The existing oxalate stones are not something we want to mess around with. Poor Angus, I can tell he misses his "crunchies."

Stitched on today: Mermaid and the Sea, and Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Love Ackworth School Samplers?

Not a whole lot of stitching going on around here today - too many other things to do. I am actually doing two Stitching Bloggers Birthday/Christmas Club people... and both of their birthdays in February, only one week apart from each other! I managed to get the package for the first one completely finished and packed up for Mike to mail out tomorrow. Keeping me on my toes! LOL But, then for a while tonight I did work on the Long Dog Mystery Sampler (aka 18th Century Band Sampler). If you have been looking at this here or in other blogs and have been thinking you might want to stitch it, yet don't have a subscription to The Gift of Stitching online magazine... you have three more days to get Part One of the sampler. On Thursday, Part Two is released and this issue will not be available to download (unless you want to pay an extra fee for a back issue). I only mention this because I have gotten a lot of comments and emails about it. That said, I had fun with this again tonight. I like that there is blue in the sampler now.

I love, love, love Ackworth School Samplers! Do you? I was thrilled yesterday when the new issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly (Spring 2007) arrived in my mailbox. The issue has an article on the Ackworth School, and... oh my, look at this gorgeous design! I keep staring at it!!

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Mike and I were out running errands yesterday and had to stop in to WalMart. I found something there that I just had to buy! We picked up a heated mattress pad for our bed. We had the most wonderful night's sleep last night with it! Our room is always kept relatively warm - at least at bedtime, and then the heat comes back before it is time to get up... but this heated mattress pad is amazingly comfortable! Anyone else ever try one?

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OK... I have a veterinary question for anyone with any experience... even though I am a psychotherapist, I am not entirely sure that my human-based treatment ideas and trials are working here. Angus is on a strictly wet food diet since his illness and surgery. This is key to his health right now. He is on something called Royal Canin Urinary SO canned food. Mike also picked up a bag of Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food. I think he just asked the girl at the front desk at the vet for a bag. He is unclear whether or not the vet approved this. However, he felt the need to buy it because our cats have always had dry kibble available to them. But, I talked to him and we decided we don't want Angus eating that. He not only is prone to kidney stones, but he also has some stones in his ureter. Here is the catch - one of our cats, Lily, loves dry food. She really doesn't touch wet food at all. But, we cannot leave any dry food out. We have put Angus in isolation daily so that Lily can eat. This seems to be having a negative effect on Angus, who is not stupid. He is now sitting around with the wet food on his plate (he always loved wet food, and even this new diet was initially palatable to him) and trying to see if either of us will break down and give him the dry food. Also, this is forcing Lily, and any of the other cats wanting any dry food, to have to eat at a time we choose and only for a short period (since we are always anxious to let Angus out of the bathroom). Anyone have any realistic solutions??

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Stitched on today: Started a gift (which I think may be too big of an undertaking given when the receiver's birthday is....) and 18th Century Band Sampler

Christmas Ornament SAL- Month One

Here is a bit of progress again on And A Forest Grew. I have moved onto Section 4 now... the verse is not much to read yet, is it? I still really love working on this one! It's too big for my scanner now.

This is the first official weekend of the Christmas Ornament SAL that virtually all of us stitching bloggers are participating in... and here is mine... this was fun, and I am looking forward to next month already... I imagine there will be some months when I will choose to do more than one ornament.

Peace on Earth

JBW Designs

White Opalescent Cashel Linen

Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Mill Hill Petite Beads

Stitched 1/27/07******************************Stitched on today: Peace on Earth and And A Forest Grew

Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

I went right back to work on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow again tonight. I have made a commitment to myself to try to prioritize this sampler. I am a bit embarassed to say that I started this one way back in January of 2005 (I think). That is far too long for this to have been sitting neglected. Other commitments got in the way (primarily Chatelaine ones), and this one suffered for it. Not any longer, God willing. It takes me a while to stitch houses... especially the roofs... not sure why... just really slows me down!

I received a lovely email from Joyce today. She wanted me to know that she received a package from me today. I had stitched her a fob back at the end of December and mailed it straight out on January 2nd or 3rd. It only needed to go about 20 miles, and yet it only arrived at her home today... I made this for her as I was thinking about her and her family while her son was terminally ill. I am so happy that Joyce likes my gift:

Faith Fob

Carriage House Samplings

Lakeside Linens 40 ct Mocha Linen

Weeks Dye Works Floss

Stitched 12/29/06 - 12/31/06 **************************

I hope everyone has a good weekend! This is the first official weekend of the Christmas Ornament SAL, and I am really looking forward to starting my ornament tomorrow!

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

Colorful Bands

I decided to work on the mystery sampler tonight. This is by far the most vibrant sampler I am working on at the moment - I just love it! It is so "me", even if the stitching is dense and takes me a while to work on even a small section. Julia Line is an amazing designer!

We are experiencing some truly bitter cold weather right now. Not much for snow, but winter is truly here.

Blogger actually forced me to upgrade to the new Blogger tonight. I guess they are now ready for bigger blogs, because they took mine... not sure I liked the whole "forced" issue, though. Has that happened to anyone else??

Stitched on today: Stitched on a gift, and 18th Century Band Sampler

Bordeaux Sampler Revisited

OK, now that I have chosen a day of the week to work on Bordeaux Sampler, it now seems to be moving along just fine. Imagine that??!! It looks like I have a bunch of grapes to stitch next week - oh, and some over one verse.. yaaayy! (Just have to feel positive about the over one on 40 ct!).


Q. What company produces your favorite hand-dyed fabric? Are there any
companies whose hand-dyed fabric you do not like? If so, why?

A. I have a few hand-dyed fabric companies that I really like. But, I think Silkweaver is my favorite. Their fabrics are really consistent, and I pretty much know what to expect when I order one. I also really like Enchanted Fabrics. The customer service from Lori cannot be beat.... and she has some lovely colors (like Margarita - that's a stunner!). I do like Mindy of Sugar Maple Fabrics too - she has some wonderful fabrics and also has the great customer service... but I order cautiously from her. Some of her fabrics are not my style at all - quite bold or splotchy at times. Also, her scans on her site are not accurate. It is best to see the fabrics in person before choosing a color. Picture This Plus is also great - I love their colors, but not their site. They do not take PayPal, so I am not eager to order if I have to use a credit card. I also had a great experience with Stitches & Spice in Australia. She dyed the wonderful belfast I used last year for Mermaids of the Deep Blue... and the fabric arrived here in only a few short days! Cannot say there is a dyer I do not like. I like everything anyhow.

I just cannot end my entry tonight without expressing my sincerest condolences to Joyce and her family over the loss of their son last night. There are no words to express this sadness. It has been a difficult year for her family, and the battle with cancer did not end in a hopeful manner. I have known Joyce for a good 12 years when she and I met shopping at a mutual friend's needlework shop in Manchester, NH. She is a lovely woman with a lovely family. This loss is terribly profound. Her son is now at peace, and I hope that the family will begin its healing process in due time. He was lucky to know how much he was loved by his family and friends. This is a very sad day.

Stitched on today: Stitched on a gift, and Bordeaux Sampler

Paradigm Lost/Rachael's Neighborhood RR has arrived!

OK, here is this week's update of Paradigm Lost. I finished that big honker of a motif and worked on some smaller stuff tonight. I have decided to start working back towards the left side of the sampler for a bit...
Rachael's Neighborhood Round Robin has arrived safely from the UK! Here is a peek of how it looks now - I have really no idea yet what I plan to stitch on this one... will be fun to look through my charts and make that decision soon!
Here is Angus... up close and personal! He insisted on sitting on the end table where I put my scissors tonight... really couldn't budge him, so he must pay the price and have a terrible close up of himself posted in my blog! He is rather spunky tonight :-) It's easy to see here how messed up the fur around his neck still is from wearing that e-collar. You should see his front legs - the mid section of each is totally shaved.... he looks like a poodle!

Stitched on today: Mermaid and the Sea and Paradigm Lost

And A Forest Grew...Another Update

I chose to work on And A Forest Grew again tonight. This project is pretty much keeping me from establishing a solid rotation. It is moving along quickly.

Here's a funny one - Blogger won't let me upgrade to the new Blogger because... my blog is too big - LOL!!

I heard from Rachael today, and she has received the little PIF gift that I sent to her, and I am really happy that she likes it :-) Two PIF gifts down, quite a few still to go!

Nature's Alphabet "R" Fob
Elizabeth's Designs
Silkweaver Belfast Solo Linen
DMC floss
Stitched 1/14/07 - 1/15/07

...Speaking of Rachael, I got a card from the mailman today - her Neighborhood RR is at the Auburn PO. Apparently, it needs to be signed for - so Mike will go and get it tomorrow. I will post a pic of it tomorrow night - I am so looking forward to seeing it!

A few people have asked about Angus - thanks for the ongoing concern :-) He has oxalate kidney stones in his ureter between his kidney and his bladder. These are the type that cannot be dissolved with medication. The vet saw last week that they have not moved at all. If they stay where they are, they can (will) put undue stress on his kidney. That could be bad. We are hoping they do move into his bladder, and ultimately out his much wider new urethra... if I am understanding the vet properly... so, the upcoming appointment is to check on his blood levels and those stones.... he will get checked frequently now.

Kris, PIF means Pay It Forward - it is something several of us bloggers got into this past fall... if a blogger posted they were doing PIF, you could sign up and that person had to make you a homemade gift. In return, you had to post in your blog that you are doing PIF and make gifts for five people... clear as mud, right?

Stitched on today: Stitched on a gift, and And A Forest Grew

More Hand-Dyed Fabrics For Sale

Angus needs to go back to the vet in a week and a half for more blood tests and an xray.. I need money for that, so here I go again - selling off some of my treasures. Paypal is preferred - if you are not in the US, then Paypal is required. My shipping is low, usually $1.50 for one piece, and for multiples, we will talk :-) Outside of the US, I use the postal service website for rates... thanks so much - we need the help, and appreciate it! ***Sorry, all sold to one amazing buyer! I will post more soon!

Top row:
Lakeside Linens 32 ct Autumn Gold linen, 13" x 18", $10 -sold
Hidden Treasures 28 ct Fairy Garden Evenweave, 18" x 26", $15 -sold
Hidden Treasures 28 ct Mermaid Treasure Evenweave, 18" x 26", $15 -sold
Sugar Maple Fabrics 28 ct Ice Blue on Silver Lugana, 18" x 27", $20 -sold
Middle Row:
Enchanted Fabrics 32 ct Enchanted Hearts Belfast, limited edition (creamy rose with darker rose hearts on it), 18" x 27", $20 -sold
Sugar Maple Fabrics 32 ct Tartan Lugana, 18" x 27", $18 -sold
Sugar Maple Fabrics 32 ct Mindy's Medleys Belfast, 18" x 27" (greens/purples/blues), $20 -sold
Blended Needle, 32 ct "To Be Announced" Belfast, green and blue (needs a mermaid on it), 18" x 27", $20 -sold
Bottom Row:
Silkweaver 32 ct Potpourri Jobelan, 18" x 26", $20 -sold
Sugar Maple Fabrics 32 ct Sherbert Belfast, 18" x 27", $20 -sold
Silkweaver 32 ct Starquest Lugana, 18" x 26", $20 -sold
Silkweaver 32 ct Solo Jobelan (gorgeous greens, purples, pinks - like a misty morning), 18" x 26", $20 -sold
I was thinking tonight that it would be nice to have a Mirabilia going again... and then remembered that I have one that is half done. It has been a WIP/UFO for the longest time! I cannot even recall when I started it, but long enough ago that I am using the chart that is in the April 1998 issue of CS&CC, not the seperately published chart that Nora put out some time later... so, time to get it done, right? I love this little girl - so pretty and colorful :-) I hope to get this one done before I give in and start one of my many kitted Mirabilias.

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and Gathering Eggs

Committed to Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Finally, at last, I am making sure to keep active with Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. This has been a WIP, and sometimes even a UFO, for far too long. I put a couple of hours in on it again tonight :-)
I received this sweet little biscornu from Heather today. It is a PIF gift. She did such a nice job, and says it was her first ever biscornu! I was amazed at how similar her colorway is to the little biscornu that Vonna sent me last week - LOL!! And, I just love the pretty homemade card she sent too! I thanked her privately, but want to thank her again here - thanks Heather!

Carina, yes, the freebie from Passione Ricamo for the fob I stitched for Veronica is still available. Click on the link I put in under the description (yesterday's entry) and it will take you to her freebie page. Then click on "french collection" in the column on the left. Scroll to the bottom of that page to "Stitcher's Set". The fob chart is very tiny and I couldn't seem to enlarge it with Adobe Acrobat. But, it is useable :-)

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

A little progress...

My eyes are so tired tonight, so I quit early. I did spend a bit of time today starting a gift, and did manage to do most of the stitching on it. But once I started 18th Century Band Sampler, my eyes were giving me troubles. I managed to still get a bit done on it.

I heard that Veronica received her birthday gift from me today - she received it early. Her birthday is the 1st of February, but I posted it to her last weekend. I didn't know how long it would take to get to the UK - as luck would have it, it didn't take long at all. I used a freebie from Passione Ricamo for her fob, and am showing you the back of the fob too... I added a "V" for Veronica on the back using the beautiful alphabet that came with the freebie...

French Collection Fob
Passione Ricamo - freebie found here
32 ct Cream Lugana
DMC Color Variations floss #4210, Radiant Ruby
Stitched 1/10/07 - 1/11/07

And, here is the back - I added a fancy heart charm at the base of the ribbon to compliment the hearts on the front of the fob:


Stitched on today: Started a gift, and 18th Century Band Sampler by Long Dog Samplers

This Forest Has No Snow...

...unlike the forest that is my backyard... which is getting snowed upon at the moment. Moving along with And A Forest Grew again tonight, and I am in Section 3 now. Pretty soon I will be doing some of the verse :-)

Angus got his stitches out today, and his e-collar is gone... but... the vet remains quite concerned about his oxalate stones. He thinks there may be kidney damage or even a failing kidney. The emergency vet gave Angus a $315 ultrasound and said that there was no damage to the kidney. Very confusing. I have decided to take this one day at a time, as there does not seem to be any clear answers. He may end up needing subcutaneous fluid injections periodically. I am OK with that (don't know if Angus will be OK with it...). I used to give insulin to my silver persian for his diabetes. The procedure should be similar... if that is what is required... He is back on antibiotics now. Mike brought Angus in and felt this vet was really quite thorough. That is good.

Stitched on today: Mermaid and the Sea and And A Forest Grew

Back to Bordeaux

Back to Bordeaux... hmmm... that sounds nice. It has got to be warmer there than it is here right now! But anyhow, I started Part 3 of Bordeaux Sampler tonight - now it will be a few days before I pick it up again... I am really starting to like how this is coming together, and thanks to my SAL mates... Anne and Leslie... I am feeling motivated again :-)

I dropped my needle tonight while working on Bordeaux, so I dug another out of a new pack... and you know, there really is a huge difference between a Piecemakers size 28 and a John James size 28. I had dropped the Piecemakers one, and the John James one felt like a stick of bamboo when I started using it! Luckily, as you can see on the sampler, I did find the Piecemakers one just as I was packing up (good, would hate for a cat to find it). I was surprised at the huge difference between the two - I knew there was a difference, but not that much...

Q. Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that talks about it.) If not, when do you predict it will be?

A. I am one of those people who doesn't like or use the term "happy dance," but... I have had four finishes so far this year... I finished my block on Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin, and I have finished three gifts so far this year... all can be seen in my Yahoo album - you can get there via my sidebar, click on 2006 Finishes... that takes you to my Yahoo albums... then click on 2007 Cross Stitch there... sorry it is a bit of work, but until I decide whether or not to move my blog to another provider/host, I won't be changing much.

I am eager to get back into a stitching rotation now, but there are a few things that have to get clarified for me first... I am wondering if the Barnabee's Quest SAL starting next month is a one night a week SAL? I cannot remember what we decided... but for now, I am thinking this:

Monday: And A Forest Grew
Tuesday: Paradigm Lost
Wednesday: Bordeaux Sampler
Thursday: Dawn, Fairy Spirit of Grace
Friday: Houses of Hawk Run Hollow
Saturday: ???
Sunday: ???

Stitched on today: Mermaid and the Sea and Bordeaux Sampler

Paradigm Lost Update

Just another Tuesday update of Paradigm Lost... I feel like I am stitching forever, and even feel like progress is made... then I put it down to look at it, and not as much is done as I thought - LOL! It's a huge sampler and is on 40 ct, I figure that must be why it keeps looking like slow progress to me! It is actually approaching the halfway mark now (not quite, but almost!).
Here is Beau, my almost 10 year old Persian. He hasn't been in my blog forever. Mike gave him a bit of a shave a few days ago, as he was getting matted. He was so cute curled up on an old cat blanket on the loveseat all night - I think the camera woke him up! ***Angus might get his stitches out on Thursday! We took his e-collar off for a few minutes tonight and he was purring so loudly! When we put it back on, he skulked away. Poor baby, I think it depresses him!

Stitched on today: Paradigm Lost

Houses of Hawk Run Hollow is Back

I brought Houses of Hawk Run Hollow back out today. Now that I do not have those huge Chatelaine commitments this year, I am hoping to finally get this done. I am too ashamed to say when I started this project, but long term blog readers know! And, now that Becky is back to stitching and blogging, she is also interested in getting back on with this again with me - we had a loose SAL of this last year, which did not get very far on either of our parts. I think we are both much more committed (and freer) this year.

We had freezing rain all day, and now it is sheets of ice outside. I think I might have my first "bad weather" day tomorrow and stay home and relax. We'll see in the morning.... It is hard to imagine it was almost 70 in the D.C. area today, which is not so very far from here. But a cold front from Canada has reached us. I hope after this event the drier weather pattern will at least return. In the meantime, I will take it easy and relax with my stitching - can't really complain about that!

Many have asked how the kitties are doing - thanks :-) Angus is about due for a check up to see if he can have his stitches removed. And maybe his e-collar soon too. I think he is quite depressed with that thing on. He hasn't been able to bathe himself since he went into the hospital back on December 19th. He vomited his food up yesterday, and may have this morning as well (although I think that was Anouk with a hair ball). Gig seems to be well on the mend, although he really fights us with taking his antibiotic!

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

Some LDS Mystery Sampler Progress

Tonight I spent some time working on the Long Dog Samplers Mystery Sampler that just came out in The Gift of Stitching Magazine. I just love the colors on this one. But... I put it down so that now I can work on a gift that I also started earlier today - lots of PIF gifts to make, and February is a very busy month for stitchers' birthdays!

Go Pats! Our New England Patriots (ahem... the underdog today) beat the San Diego Chargers and have lived to see another week in the playoffs!

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and 18th Century Band Sampler

Finished Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin

I finished up Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin tonight. What a relief - finished ahead of the mailing date :-) To the left is a tiny bit that I can show publicly, given Dianne's desire to have her round robin be a surprise when it comes home. However, the entire round robin can be viewed by anyone else who is interested by clicking on "My 2006 Finishes" in my sidebar... that will simply take you to my Yahoo albums... once there, click on "2007 Cross Stitch" and you will get to see the whole thing... no peeking, Dianne :-)
Then, after finishing the RR, I rewarded myself with some more time on And A Forest Grew. I have now completed all of the complete motifs that are in Section 2. I consider that to be officially finishing Section 2.
I got some cute mail today! I received this cute biscornu from Vonna - it is a PIF gift. Isn't it adorable? It can be used as a fob, but I have decided to hang it as a little ornament in my stitching area :-) Thanks Vonna!!

Stitched on today: Finished Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin, and And A Forest Grew

Finished Part 2

I finished Part 2 of Bordeaux Sampler this afternoon :-) Now I am really enjoying this one too! Anne has already finished Part 3, so I really have some catching up to do, don't I? Good thing Part 3 looks quicker. I hope to start that this weekend.

I spent the evening working on Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin - I stayed up really late doing that, in fact. The house is totally done and I have been a landscaper most of the night. I am pleased now with how it is progressing and should easily be finished tomorrow! I will make the posting date - although the post office is closed Monday and snow/ice are heading in... so the RR will get posted to Annemarie sometime this coming week. I know she is not in a rush to get it. Tomorrow I will post the little postage stamp size area of my part (Dianne says a small picture like that is OK).

I watched Snakes on a Plane tonight... someone said it had a shocker ending, so I hung in for that... but there didn't seem to be one. Disappointing.

Happy Birthday to my sister Kathryn (Katie) today - I think she is 42 now, wow!

Stitched on today: Bordeaux Sampler and Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin

Finally, some progress on Bordeaux Sampler

I buckled down tonight and got back to work on the much ignored and neglected Bordeaux Sampler. As a result, I found out that I actually like this sampler again. It had fallen a bit out of favor with me due to the many over one (on 40 ct!!) grape clusters in Part 2. I had been stitching this sampler primarily at work, but tonight I brought it home and finished those clusters under my Ott-Lite. Quite easier and more pleasant! And, I was really happy when I printed out Part 3 tonight and saw that what I had assumed were more over one grape clusters are really rather fun looking rhodes stitches! So, I am back on track with this sampler once again! I have the next four days off, so along with finishing Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin, I will probably also finish Part 2 of Bordeaux Sampler and maybe even start Part 3 (it looks like a quicker part).

Mike has one last pair of Gingher Cheetah 4" embroidery scissors for sale. First one who asks for them may have them. He is asking $22 plus $2.50 shipping (in the US - if you are out of the US, no problem - just let me know and he will look up the shipping with the USPS). Drop me an email or a comment here for these, and I will then send you his payment info. It may be a little while before he gets more Ginghers, so if you want these, grab them :-) -sold, thank you!

Stitched on today: Finished a gift, and Bordeaux Sampler

And A Forest Grew Update

Before I spend the better half of the upcoming weekend finishing up Dianne's Neighborhood Round Robin, I chose to work on And A Forest Grew... I always want to work on this one. This is keeping me from restarting a rotation, which I had hoped to do once the Chatelaines were done. It looks like my desire to finish this one first will win out! I spent much of this evening stitching the little willow tree (far right bottom of the scan) tonight, but was well worth it. Pretty tree!!

Quick kitty update: all the furry ones are calming down a bit and appear to be healing today! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes! It was funny how many comments I got about Angus looking unhappy in the photo I posted yesterday. He was actually being very playful and curious - the camera never seems to snap the right attitude on a cat - LOL!

Stitched on today: Started a gift (February is the busiest month with stitchers' birthdays, so starting early!!) and And A Forest Grew

Paradigm Lost Update

Here is my weekly update of my progress on Paradigm Lost. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite pieces ever stitched. Although some of the medallions are very large and have a lot of detail, there seems to always be an opportunity to take a break from one and do something small for a change :-)
And, here is my "million dollar kitty," aka Angus. I took this photo of him yesterday. I was at my computer and he jumped up on Mike's rolltop desk and walked across to mine (we have the desks back to back). I caught him peeking at me while I was on the computer. Apparently he had just finished eating. Note the filthy face and bit of kibble caught in his e-collar. This is a bit of a common sight with him lately - and he is none too thrilled when you approach him with Kleenex or a damp cloth to clean that face up!

As for Gig, still sulking and not eating well - Mike put him in isolation in one of the spare bedrooms to see if he will relax. I force fed him little bits of cat food tonight. I figured out that the sudden diet change and change in type of kitty litter all at once when Angus got home a little over a week ago really put the kitties in a tailspin. Gig is by far our most neurotic cat, and thus an episode of colitis. He also had one a year ago when we simply moved his litter box from the first floor to our newly finished basement!

New DVD Release Tuesday! Got The Illusionist (sounds so cool!), and a few days ago picked up Snakes on a Plane - wasn't going to, but if Bren likes it, it must be good ;-)

Stitched on today: Paradigm Lost