Is it the Change in the Season?

Gosh guys, I've missed you!!!  I've been so remiss on reading blogs lately.  I think that the changes of the season must do things to people, right?  Well, it definitely has done something to me.  I've been in the worse stitching/quilting slump that you can imagine!  I have a million things that I want to make and then I look at them and walk away.   Probably because after the crazy summer we had around here, I'm still playing catchup.  But it also usually means that I need to look for a change of pace, and I think that I've found it, but I'll get to that in a bit.

Since I last posted anything of substance (which was over a month), I've made some progress on Ann Hall:

I was happily stitching along on dear Ann and then I got bored!  How could I go that when I was getting to the part where I could stitch in Adam and Eve?  Well, I don't know what came over me, but I went on to And All Was For An Appil (another Adam and Eve).  But you're not going to see a picture of that one because after a few nights it dawned on me that in less than two months is my annual trip to New York (insert a Woo Hoo here) to see my sister.  Now I've been promising my sister that I'd make her another Mirabilia mermaid, and being the procrastinator that I am I've been putting it off and putting it off, but I figured that I better get going on it.  So I dumped AAWFAA like a hot potato and picked up Deepest Love by Mirabilia.  Not my normal stitching fare, but I do like her:

Then I worked a little bit on a scarf that I started last year and hopefully I'll finish it this year:

An entrelac scarf using Noro Taiyo yarn.  It's fun to work on but I've only gotten that last row on in the past few weeks.  I figured this would be a great "take-with" project while my daughter dances now that her dance hours are later and I can't get into too much trouble in the malls (darned it!).  Another thing that has really caught my fancy are these babies and I think these are the change of pace I needed:

Photo curtesy of Ravelry (Love!!!)

Cute pincushions (More Love!!)

Crocheted Hexie Afghan (Even more love)

About the hexie afghan - yes, yes, I know - I was working on some quilted ones a while ago and they're still here, but there is something so soothing to me lately about the thought of crocheting.  You know, cooler weather, football game on the TV and the warm feel of wool.  So obviously I'm going through some changes like the seasons.

Oh, before I forget, my friend Di, who is the most fantastic stitcher, quilter and just about everything else person, set up a new blog and you have got to see her hand pieced hexi quilt (among other things), so check out her new blog and say "Hi Ya" when you have a chance:  On My Needle.  She does some remarkable things.

And I have to make a confession right here and now - all those pictures of knitting/crocheting are courtesy of Pinterest.  Have you taken a look at that sight?  Have you been sucked into the vortex of pages and pages of things to do, decorating ideas, food, photography?  Unfortunately, I have to confess that I have and I couldn't be happier that I've found all those wonderful things.  If you haven't taken a look, you're in for a lot of inspiration and a lot of time sucking!  Believe me on the time sucking thing!!!  I have a link on my sidebar (I think it will take you there or to the general site).  Take a look, and then put the coffee pot beside you and some provisions - you'll be there for a while!!!

Okay - back to reality!!  When I've been wandering around trying to figure out what I wanted to do, but couldn't get myself to sit down, I messed around in the craft room a little bit.  In fact, I'm changing the whole room around once again (enough already you say - get to sewing and quit messing around!  LOL).  I finally got a quilt rack up after trying to figure out how to do it (the wall was bowed in the middle - basement walls are not always the flattest) and this is the result:

A few of my children's vintage sewing machines and pincushions.  The quilt still needs to be quilted, but thought I'd just hang it up for effect.  I'm working on the last wall in my room as we speak, but it's going to take a while as one piece of the necessary furniture won't be here for a week or so.

In the antiquing finds category,  I'll show you the frogs I've accumulated since the summer up to about now:

The amber frog on the top right was a gift from Terri for my birthday, and the other ones I found here and there.  I was surprised to find the pink one in the lower middle, as I've usually only seen them clear like the one on the bottom left.  Here's a better picture of the two latest:

And last but not least, I got two surprises in the mail last month and I was just tickled.  These were from Mindi who had just started a blog.  I was her first follower and she sent me these absolutely wonderful things for being her first follower:

I was so surprised when the package appeared in the mail.  Thank you so much Mindi and I'm glad that I was your first follower!  And I just realized that there was a fob that matched the pillow that I didn't take a picture of.

There is it - and on the back is the initial "D".

And my dear friend Loraine sent me this package:

An adorable Welcome pillow which will hang from my craft room door, a marking pen that disappears (perfect for quilting) and The Angler 2.  I was complaining to her about the millions of half-square triangles I had to make for the Civil War quilts and she said that she had just the thing!!  I can't wait to try it out.  And she also sent a piece of wonderful fabric.

Well, I think that's about all for me today.  My son came home from school again this weekend.  I'm not sure if he came to see us or came home because the football game was away and he needed clothes washed (probably the latter reason), and DD is getting ready for the Homecoming Dance at her school this evening.  I'm still having a hard time believing that she's in high school, but I think that we've all experienced that feeling before.

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend, and I promise not to be a stranger now.  I've really missed reading blogs and seeing what everyone is doing!

Some Stitching, The Wall(s) of A&E and This and That

Fall is definitely in the air here in Michigan.  The days are beautiful, at least lately, and it's so cool at night that you sleep like a baby.  I hear that it's going to come to an end by the weekend and heat up again, but you know that Fall is coming soon.  My favorite time of the year - football games, the smell of fires in the air AND the fact that I can go back to my regular scheduled programming - sewing, reading blogs, getting things done.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, LOVE summer, but I like each season for various reasons.  Summer for the beautiful weather and being able to be outside more, my kids being home and things like that.  But Fall, Winter and Summer are when I get the fun things done.  I don't get much sewing and stitching done in the summer, so I'm looking forward to getting back to everything now that the kids are back in school and I have a little more time to myself.

Stitching wise I managed not to jump ship on Ann Hall and got, what I think, is a fair amount done on her considering everything:

Not bad, but not great either.  Love the cherub, and he's going to have a little belly button when I manage to get it in.  I think he's sweet!

Sewing wise - there has been nothing - absolutely nothing in that department and I so long to get down there and work on some quilts.  I hoped to do some today because today was the first day I've had time to myself in what seems like forever.  Everyone is off and while I wanted to sew, I decided to tackle a job on the very long To Do List and finally got around to hanging all my A & E samplers.  Well, not all of them - I still have a couple to be framed, but what's framed to date.  This is still a work in progress as there is a lot of wall space, but I have a lot of A&E's still lurking in the stash basket.  The pictures aren't the greatest as I'm trying to shoot up and down stairs, and the lighting isn't the best because the ceiling is very high in this area, but here you go (the pictures are clickable so that you can see them better):

Looking up the stairs we have the infamous Ann Medd, Adam Alone, Sarah Esh, Adam and Eve by The City Stitcher and Mary Corey and there's still room for a few more.

The stairs has an L-bend, so next is the view going down the stairs:

Yellow House Sampler, Sarah Seifer, Margaret Pence, Apple Tree Sampler, Elizabeth Clayton, Adam and Eve by Goode Huswife, and And They Sinned.  

Here's a view of the one wall from the bottom of the stairs.  Looks like I better keep stitching those A&E's - there's a lot of space left.

And one from the top!

So that is the extent of what I've gotten done the past couple weeks in the world of stitching.  I'm anxiously awaiting the reaction from DH when he sees all those samplers on the wall.  He'll probably go nuts - you know, he's the one that's anal about putting holes in the wall.  Oh well, he'll get over it!  LOL

While my sister was here last month, I managed to add a couple flower frogs to my collection and here's one of them:

Isn't it sweet?  I had seen one of these going on Ebay a while ago for a ridiculous amount of money (well, at least more than I would pay).  While we were out on our annual antique rides, I found this hidden in the back of a low shelf and knew that it had to come home with me.  It needs a little cleaning up but I think it's so different.

Other than that the only other thing that's been going on is that we got Nick up to college and from all reports he's loving it. 

Looks like pretty close quarters to me.  I don't know how three boys are going to survive in this room (they overbooked the room and eventually one will be moved, but until that time, I think it's going to be real close).  Anyway, I think he's having fun, but I don't think that he's getting too much sleep.  One night he was up at 4:00 a.m. doing wash.

Before we left for the ride up to the campus, he presented me with these, thanking me for getting him to this place in his life.  I don't think I had all that much to do with it (well, maybe a little) - it was his hard work that paid off:

And that's about it for me for now.  Well, there's more but I'll save that for next time.  Maybe I can get myself to start posting every week again!  Hopefully,  I'll really have things back to normal again in the next couple of days and can get some more stitching and quilting done!  Hope everyone has a great week, and make it a stitchy one!

It's a Mystery and More Darned Frogs

I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments on Elizabeth Clayton.  I'm hoping that I can get her framed soon and up on the wall.  God must have been hearing my thoughts because a 50% plus an additional 20% coupon for framing landed in my mail yesterday, so hopefully she'll be framed soon.

It's been another busy week or so with the end of the school year, but I've managed to get a little bit of stitching done.  Not as much as I would like, but a little.  I started WTN&T's Mystery sampler and it's so much fun to stitch and the colors are so pretty (pix are clickable):

Mystery Sampler

With Thy Needle & Thread

Confederate Grey Linen and GAST Threads

I'm about at the half way mark.  I can't wait to finish this up and receive the next section.

And check out those scissors!  Are those not so cool or what?  A pair of legs!  I couldn't resist these.  And I'm cursing Gabi for pointing them out to me!  LOL

I've also been working on Sarah Esch, but haven't gotten much more done than what you saw the last time:

I don't know what it is about this sampler, but I'm having all kinds of things going on with it.  First I had frogging issues last week, then I ran out of the thread that I'm using and wouldn't you know it - with all the DMC I have around this house, I didn't have another skein of it.  Then on top of it, the frogs came back in a big way.  I think that smaller samplers and I just don't get along!  Why is that?

And I've been doing a little bit of quilting here and there.  I won't tell you how long it took me to get this block done:

Month #2 - Hatchet Block

Civil War Tribute Quilt

Actually I have two of these blocks done - out of 16!!!!  This is what the rest look like:

Seems like every time I sit down to sew, I get a little bit of time and then have to run out and do something.  And I'm two months behind on the Farmer's Wife quilt!  Yikes.  The last month will be arriving soon and I would so love to get that baby together!  

Speaking of frogs, this past weekend was garage sale time in my subdivision.  I ended up stopping at a couple places and scored a new frog.  It's rather usual, but it was practically free, so it had to come home with me.  I've seen these before - it comes in two pieces - but I've always found just one piece of it and not the other, so I was thrilled to find both parts together.  And the seller also threw in an arrangement book that originally came with it!

Seeing as this one isn't as heavy as the others I have, I think that I'll be using this one strictly for arranging flowers, but maybe I'll put scissors in it once just to see how it looks.

And yesterday was a somewhat sad day for me - sad and happy at the same time.  My son's last day of high school was yesterday.  And the prom will be tomorrow.  I hope that he'll allow me to post pictures.  He's rather camera shy!  Anyway, I just can't believe that this day has arrived.  He's done so well and graduated with Honors.  He's still Wait Listed for the University of Michigan, so it looks like he'll be going to Michigan State at least for the short term.  Not his first choice, but I still think he'll be happy there.  Anyway, it made me think about how quickly he's grown.  It seems like yesterday when I had him.  Now he's out of high school and has a date for the Prom.  He's going to Spain in June and then off to college.  When he was born, I stitched this sampler for him.  When I saw it yesterday, it brought a tear to my eye, because my baby - my first born - is all grown up:

Again, thank you for all your wonderful comments on Elizabeth Clayton, and I hope that everyone has a fantastic Memorial Weekend!!

Good Morning Sunshine!!

Well, first off, I've been a bad blogger.  I don't think that I've read more than a few blogs over  the past couple of weeks.  Bad, bad!!!  Okay, busy, busy would be more like it and it's going to be this way for the next couple of weeks!  UGH!  I don't know if it's due to all the craziness around here, but I've been in the biggest crafty slump imaginable.  Not enough time, too many things I want to do (did you see Margaret's new start with SL's Jane Atkinson? - OMG be.......still..........my.........heart - BIG SIGH HERE) and I can't get there.  I think of all the things I can do and then go through stash, look at my WIPs (boring), but can't settle on anything or find the time.  But I finally settled on something - actually went down the path of least resistance.  Remember this monster:

Yes, Ann Medd shown here lying on the floor have an absolute fit from lack of attention.  Well, her screams were just getting too loud, so I gave her some stitching love.  First I stitched Mr. Sunshine:

Then I stitched a little more:

Very odd things going on in this section.  That bird-like thing looks like a oddly colored, nose-diving penguin.

The whole reason that I've resisted picking up this sampler again is the fact that most of the stitching in this section and the section below is ONE OVER ONE ON 35 CT FABRIC!!!  UGH!  Now there is no way on God's green earth that I could live through that - I'd be pulling my hair out, so this is my rendition of Ann - stitched two over two on 35 ct. fabric, and I will be a much happier, full haired and saner person for it.  It can work because the nutso penguin and the other things near the sun are done two over two on the chart, so this is going to work!  Yahoo!!.  Do you think that Ann will be mortified at what I'm doing - will she roll over in her grave?  Hopefully not because this is how it's going to be!!  BTW, this is two weeks of stitching so you can definitely see that I haven't had much time.  All the fill in is perfect for life right now - not much thinking - just stitch!!!  That is if my eyes are still open when I hit the stitching chair.

I've managed to do a little bit of quilting too when I could find an hour or so.  A couple weeks ago I spent some time cutting out blocks just so that something would be ready for piecing if I could find time (this is the time of year of school plays - yes I raise my hand to help - I've got to stop doing that;  track meets - did I raise my hand to be a timer or did someone lift my hand for me?;  dance rehearsals and recitals - oh dear, someone raised my hand again and now I'm a backstage mom; confirmations, etc., so it's hectic).  Anyway, I got those blocks sewn together that were sleeping on the cutting table:

And then a couple more - these four blocks are for the Women's Voices Civil War Quilt:

Then because you know that I just can't stay away from anything that resembles a Big A$$ed Project, I started this quilt:

The Farmer's Wife Quilt.  I know, I know, I must be nuts!!!  I really wanted to start the Dear Jane Quilt which would definitely make me certifiable, but I thought this one would be the lesser of two evils for the time being.  Dear Jane is still on the radar screen for a start soon.  Anyway, The Farmer's Wife is a Block of the Month that I'll be getting over the next 18 months - each month has 6 or 7 blocks to complete.  I got the first set cut out and the first block finished:

Autumn Tints

Block #2 - The Farmer's Wife Quilt

I can't wait to get to the rest of them.  They're so much fun to make.

Before everything got crazy and when I was able to get out and make some road trips, I managed to find some thrifty and fun things:

Okay, nothing spectacular here, but I just could not resist little Adam!  There was no Eve with him, but he looked so cute and was all by his lonesome, so I just had to bring him home.  The tins I use to store all my different sewing pins in.

Then behind the counter where I don't normally look, I found this doll!  Isn't she sweet?  She's signed and dated on the back and all of $12.00 at the good old Salvation Army!!!  $12.00 is usually way over my limit on the the SA, but I could not resist her.  She's slightly stained on her backside, but otherwise in perfect condition.  Now I need to make her some clothing!

Then at one of the antique shops I came across:

A bag of strawberry emery's, an old tin pincushion and a jar of buttons - all for $7.00.  

Then this sweet lady.  I had seen one identical to this in another antique shop, but in really tattered condition.  They wanted $60.00 for her.  This one in much better condition (although I think I need to add a little blue paint to one of her eyes), was $10.00.  Again, usually more than I would pay, but considering what I had seen the other one go for, I thought this was a great deal.

Then what would be a trip to the antique store be if I didn't find at least one of these?:

But I found two!!  The white milk glass frog is a good sized one, about seven inches wide.   The other one is quite a bit smaller.  I think that I have to stop buying these things - I'm running out of room and pairs of scissors to put in them.  But I suppose I could use them for what they're intended for - flowers!  Novel thought, right?

Well, that is it for me.  Have to get moving again.  If I haven't visited your blog, I'll get there.  I think I have today and tomorrow for some fun reading (and being enabled), so I'll catch up.  Thank you again for all your wonderful comments - I really love reading them.  Hope you have a wonderful week and stitch something fun.  

Where the Heck to Begin..........

I just realized that it's been about two weeks since I posted anything except my giveaway.  And again, congratulations to Jolene!!!  Jolene has a heart of gold and is a wonderful stitcher, so I hope that she really enjoys it!

I've got so much to share, but I don't think that I can do it all in one post so I'll keep typing until I run out of steam!  You know me, I always have a lot to say!!  LOL  But the kids are home today (start of Easter break), so I don't know how long I have before I'm summoned for chauffeuring service.  We've also been attacked by various illnesses around here.  Me for a couple days (the kind where you don't want to leave as you never know where the ladies room is) and my poor son with a massive chest infection.  I suppose that it comes with the territory with the fluctuating temps - it's going to be 80 here tomorrow - just about unheard of this time of year - but all I can say is, BRING IT ON!!!!

I actually had a stitching finish the other day.  That surprises me because after my last update of stitching, quilting, hooking, etc., the wind just went out of my sails, I came to a screeching halt and wandered around in some kind of stupor.  But I think we all go through that at some time or another, don't we?  But nothing appealed to me - I didn't feel like stitching - I didn't feel like sewing - NOTHING!!!  I went through stash, pulled things apart (you don't want to see my craft room/studio - it looks like a bomb went off in there).  But here is my finish:

Adam and Eve Sampler

The Goode Huswife

40 count Daily Grind Linen and DMC Threads

I don't think that I'm going to stain this one - I'm still on the fence, but after staining the last two I'm ready to have one in it's naked state - just like those two apple lovin' sinners.  So we'll see.  After I finished this, I went back and forth over what to stitch next.  I hate when I get that way.  I spent one night staring mindlessly at the TV (a waste of time in my book).  But after the kids went to bed, I wandered into the disaster zone and picked something else out.  Here it is 11:30 at night and I start whipping fabric onto scroll rods and taking some stitches.  And what do I pick - well, another A&E, of course - why are we all not surprised?

The 1807 Elizabeth Clayton Sampler

Handwork Samplers

36 ct. PTP Legacy Linen and DMC Threads

I'm loving this one so far - I like the brighter colors.  After working on the GH piece, I needed a lift!  Now, this brings me to a dilemma of sorts.  I've done a few of these in anticipation of my A&E wall, but have yet to have one framed except for this one:

So, I'm left with a pile of A&E's:

So, I think that it's definitely time for some framing!!!  I found a new framing store, but haven't tried them yet. I'm almost afraid of what it will cost, but I know the people who own it, so I'm willing to give it a try.  Maybe I can connive a discount out of them.  You get used to those Joanne's/Michaels/Hobby Lobby bargains, but I guess it's worth a shot.

Over the past two weeks, I was the recipient of more awards from Vinniey, Candi, and Mary.  Each sent me the Sunshine Award and I can't thank each of you ladies enough.  You've really humbled me. 

I also received a package from Tina.  She had a giveaway on her blog and I won:

I love the fabrics and the scissors and magnet, but I especially love the card that she sent!  I know that she had to have made it and it's beautiful.  I always envy people who have the patience to do those kinds of things!  Thank you so much Tina.

I've also managed to get out and do some antique and thrift shopping.  I found one antique place with 200 vendors.  I kept getting lost, but came out with some great things.  I have to go back soon because the day I went was the beginning, I think, of my not feeling good and I barely made it through the whole place.  Anyway, if I posted everything now, you'd be asleep at the computer screen, so I'll post a few of those silly frogs that I found on my first trip out and about and post the rest in my next update.  But I found some great things and at great prices too.

I can't believe that I found all of these in one place!  Well, actually there are more, but I'll post those later.  I'm seriously wondering about the pink one - if it's really a matched set as I think that I've seen that bowl quite a few times and it didn't have a frog on top, but the minute I saw it, I had to have it.  I think if you blow up the picture you can see etching on the rolled edge!  Anyway, be still my heart!!!  On the amber frog, the center hole is a candle holder.  I haven't run across one of those before.  And the frog on the left has twenty five holes in it - room for a lot of scissors!!!  My husband is really lifting his eyes at me so I think that I'm going to have to actually use these for their intended purpose here and there!  LOL  I know he thinks that I've about lost it.  His big question is, "Where are you going to put all of these?"  BTW, the one in the front is a repeat to me, so it just may appear as a giveaway item one of these days.

I've found all kinds of cool sewing implements and other fun things, but I'll save them for my next post.  I hear my kids rousing themselves so the games are about to begin.  DD needs clothes bad, so that will be my afternoon.  I'm going to have to take some Motrin before I leave though - the girl is a clothes horse and just exhausts me!  LOL

I hope that everyone has a peaceful and blessed Easter!