Framing and Stuff

Happy Thursday everyone!  Hope that it's a great day where you are.  Our weather has been wonderful around here, 80 yesterday and in the 60's with sun today.  You just have to love spring!  Although rain is forecast for this weekend.  It seems like we've been getting a lot of that lately.

I am so tickled because I finally got some of my framing done.  I figured it was about time because I've had those Adam and Eve pieces sitting around and I won't have an A&E wall if I don't get them framed.  So I took in the two oldest finishes (all pictures are clickable):

The Evil Serpent Sampler

The Goode Huswife

32 count Vintage Country Mocha

GAST Threads

This was such a fun one because it was so different from A&E's that you usually see.  And then my favorite - or just about:

Adam Alone

Sheepish Designs

40 count Vintage Meadowrue

DMC Threads

I'm just tickled with how these came out.  I know that a lot of people complain about Joanne's/Michaels, but I have a couple wonderful framers at my two stores (they're both men, do you think that helps?).  

As far as stitchy/quilty time, I haven't had a lot of that once again.  Weeks and weekends are busy.  DD had dance recitals all last weekend and more this weekend, but then we're done.  But I thought I'd post a picture of her tap costume:

The picture of her in her ballet costume looks better, but for some reason it won't upload (I'll try to put it in next time).  She looks like an angel.  Quite a difference from seeing her run track.  Which, since I need to brag for a bit, she's never been involved in track before and came in second in the 100 m. dash.  I was impressed!  Where was my camera during this momentous event?  At home!  

I did manage to get a little bit more quilting done before the weekend arrived last week.  I'm trying to keep up with Kim on the Farmer's Wife quilt, but she's a speed demon with these little blocks:

These are so much fun to work on, but I've got a lot of catching up to do.  I think we just got Month Five of our Block of the Month, and I haven't even started cutting out Month Two!  UGH!  So anyway, here are the first six blocks out of 111 blocks!  A long way to go!!  Probably would have helped if I had stayed home yesterday instead of celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a friend of mine and having one too many margaritas!  LOL

Progress on Ann has been rather slow, but she's a great piece to work on with all the fill in.  I know, who likes fill in?  I certainly don't!!!  But by the time I hit the stitching chair the thought that I don't have to count, at least right now, is a good thing:

Last week's progress:

This week's progress:

Now that I look at the two pictures, I guess I've gotten quite a bit done.  Plus I've gone through almost two skeins of blue floss already for this background!!!  My hope is to have this section finished this weekend, but I highly doubt that I'm going to make it with recitals, etc.  I am just chomping at the bit to get to the next section.

Well, that's all I have to shout about around here - I'll keep this post short and sweet.    I have to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments you made to my last post.  I love reading all of them and they all really brighten my day.  I hope that everyone has a very Happy Mother's Day, that you're treated extra special, and can maybe have a little added stitching time thrown in too!!!

Another Small Finish and More Snow

I think I'm starting to love these smaller projects. Almost instant gratification compared to all those BAPS I normally work on.

Adam and Eve

Examplars From The Heart

32 count Vintage Country Mocha

GAST Threads

I finished Examplars From The Heart's Adam and Eve this weekend. This was a fun and quick stitch. The pattern called for 40 ct something-or-other, which I didn't have. I had this left over piece of the VCM from the Mermaid Sampler, so decided to use that.

At first I was put off by some of the colors used (yes, I know, I can use creative license and change them), but the more I stitched it, I began to love the kind of wonkiness to it. The colors are actually really vivid. I did make one change - A&E were to be stitched in Porcelain, but I didn't have that thread, so I subbed Wild Oats. Seems appropriate for those two - sowing their wild oats in the garden, don't you think? The picture is a little washed out though. I don't know what's going on with my camera today. Picture taking usually works out so much better outside, but today isn't the day to go outside for picture taking. Because it looks like this:

Yep, another six inches of snow fell last night! It is April 6th, isn't it? Usually by this time, I'm starting to see my hydrangeas pushing up little bits of green, but nothing yet. I did notice the trees have some little buds though, so that's encouraging. I'm sure this won't be around long because it's going to be 50 again in a couple of days. I do love snow, but not this late in the season! Some schools got the day off - not ours (mom secretly chuckles here). My kids were so bummed!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Stitchy Weekend

Ah, tulips. A true sign of Spring, right? Well, it's suppose to be Spring, right? If you look closely though, you'll see snow on the deck railing in the background. Perhaps a better picture would be this:



This was outside our front door yesterday. And yes, those big pieces of white stuff are snow! When will Spring ever get here????

I took advantage of the miserable weather though (and I think also took an extension on my "do nothing" attitude) and stitched.


I finished up Block 2 of Shores:


I started the City Stitcher's Adam and Eve Sampler. Excuse the rather bad pic, but again, it's cloudy around here.

Then I decided to start another A&E sampler. This one is from Examplars from the Heart called The Evil Serpent Sampler. Kind of wonky colors, but I think it's fun to have something that looks a little different.

My do nothing attitude (as far as housework, etc.) continued through the weekend because of a purchase my husband made this weekend. I was miffed. I don't usually get miffed. I'm pretty laid back. But on Friday night my DH came home with a 52" TV. Could this purchase have been because of the NCAA Final Four Tournament coming up? I don't know, but probably. You know how those men are? Need that big screen for the games and then laugh outrageously at those dumb-assed beer commercials! Men are definitely a different breed. I'm thinking that it was an impulse purchase because we have other things that need to be purchased. Like how about a dishwasher because mine hasn't worked in two years? Or how about a new cooktop because my current one has a burner from hell and while I've told my DH over and over again that it's getting hard to cook on the thing, it wasn't until he set the damned thing on fire that he finally said let's get a new one. We haven't yet! My son even told me that my DH said that I would probably blow a gasket! I didn't, but there are ways to get even, which I did a little later.

Okay, I should explain here. We're doing some renovations and trying to hold off until we decide exactly what we're going in the kitchen. But still, I could buy a dishwasher instead of having dish pan hands (I don't, I use gloves, but that's not the point) - it could be used after the renovations as I know what appliances I'm getting. But no, we need a large screen TV. The boys are in heaven. My son instantly grabbed his Xbox and played some shoot-em-up game with his buddies on Xbox Live (love those blood splatters). Then DD swooped in with her Twilight video because she just had to see Edward large and in her face! Then of course, there were the NCAA games. So I just parked my hynie in the chair and stitched.

At some point they all looked at me with expectancy in their eyes - the expectancy of dinner. Now here was pay back time! I slowly raised my eyes up from my stitching and said, "I wonder if I can cook dinner and wash the dishes on the big screen?" All male eyes went to the floor and DH slowly slithered off the couch and made dinner. I had myself a good laugh. I think my point was made! HA!!!! I may just continue this "do nothing" attitude. I have an excuse now, right? Now, I can just sit on my butt all week and find movies with my favorite male actors and drool! BTW, I didn't know that Ann Curry had that many moles on her face! Nothing like a big screen!

Hope everyone gets a lot of stitching done this week. I sure plan to!!