Framing, Finishing and Frogging (Lots of Pics)

Hello dear friends!  Wow, two weeks have gone by since I lasted posted - I honestly don't know where the time goes sometimes.  I hate always using the word "busy", but that is what it's been around here (again - *sigh*).  I'm going to have to come up with a new excuse, don't you think?

I picked up another piece of framing this week:

Mary Corey

The Goode Huswife

30 ct. Apple Brown Bitty

DMC Threads and Walnut Ink Stain

I just love the frame for this with the bits of red in it.  I thought it went well with the little bit of red in the piece.  Another one down for the sampler wall.  Speaking of which - a lot of people have asked me about the sampler wall.  It's going to be awhile.  Reason being is that Ann Medd is an integral part to the wall.  All my A&E Samplers are going to go up a stairway with an L-bend.  ATS is currently on one wall, Ann Medd is going on the adjoining wall, and the rest placed around the two.  So no pictures of the sampler wall as of yet.  Plus there are still three more to be framed.  But once Ann is finished, and hopefully the other three finishes framed, then it will be time to party.  I would love to put some of them up now, but my DH is so anal about the walls that he gets massive headaches when he sees me with a hammer!  I figure I'll wait until Ann is done and start pounding - if I had to rearrange pieces his eye would definitely zero in on that small pinhole if I moved one.

Speaking of Ann, there was a bit of frogging going on with this woman, and it hampered what little progress I could make on her.

Last post:

This week:

You have to bear with me.  I like to see my before and after picks when I post.  I use it as incentive to not stop working on her.  Anyway, not tons of progress, but some.  But frogging involved that pink thing (flower) and the leaves below it and the leaves on the other side of what is to be the river.  I couldn't seem to get them placed right!  UGH.  I was hoping that I would have all the area around the sheep filled in and his outlining done, but that didn't happen.  I'm still loving this thing so much, but that fill-in can really be a killer!!!

I did manage to have some finishes in the past two weeks.  I managed to get seven more blocks done on the Farmer's Wife Quilt (well, almost done - there is a handle to sew on the basket block):

I'm just loving this quilt.  I had this crazy thought that before I started in on sewing, I would cut all four of the months that I had remaining and then sew.  So that was mainly what I did when I had time - cut out four months' worth of blocks.  All that cutting was just trashing my craft room (when I get on a tear, fabric flies all over the place) and I thought that I would trash it all at once and clean it and could sew in a nice clean area.  Anyway, I just love working on this quilt!!  But I'm going to have to put pedal to the metal because the next installment will probably be here next week!

With all those fabrics, I've been left with a bunch of selvages.  I have seen a lot of quilting blogs talking about selvages and using them in quilts, pin tuffets, purses, etc., so I decided to start saving them.  Thelma posted her selvages that she keeps in a large jar, so I thought that I would post mine.  I think the sizes that these are would make great pin tuffets:

I found this snifter at Walmart a few weeks ago, and thought it would be the perfect place to store these little pieces of fabric until I had time to get around to making something out of them.  You have to love the cashier at Walmart - she asked me if I was going to make a big drink - and she was serious!  I chuckled over that one all day.  But after cutting out all those quilt blocks, I seriously thought about having a drink - although that size would have killed me for sure!

Another finish I had this week was actually a little piece that I worked on while DD was dancing for those two weekends.  There is not much for a backstage mom really to do but make sure that the kids don't do silly things like eating or acting crazy (you know how teenagers can be), so I stitched:

Blackbird Designs

Buttons & Blooms for The Cure

This was such a fun stitch and quick!  Right up my alley.  I was so happy with this one, I pulled out a couple other smaller pieces that I've had laying around.  Have I started them yet?  Of course not, but I hope to soon.

And then there are more pincushions.  At the rate that I'm going - first it was the frogs and now pincushions, I'm going to need two sewing rooms!  I found these and I wasn't even looking for them (and I did find some frogs, but I'll post those another time - forgot to take a picture of them). 

The small one in the very front was a gift from my Sampler Guild, Kindred Spirits, for helping out at their annual auction.  The other two I picked up in a little antique store that I went by one day on an errand run.  I just love, love the little chair, and I was happy to find the globe as I had seen one when Terri and I were out a while ago, but that one was not in very good shape.   

I managed to get a couple more pics of DD while she was in her dance costumes.  Not the best because the weather was horrible and I had to reply on those ugly painted block walls in the school as a backdrop:

Okay, this picture is a little dark, but DD decided to be funny and wear her UGG Boots.  Not quite the look I was hoping for.  I managed to convince her that I needed a better picture.  Ballerinas don't go on stage with UGG Boots:

Okay, that's better dear!

And one in her Jazz costume.  She is my sweetie!!

One other thing that was kind of funny the past couple of weeks was that one day I was driving out of my subdivision and saw this:

A coyote!  I was floored.  But as I found out, this was a decoy that the people who owned the property put out there to keep the geese out of their yard.  For a week or so, you would not have believed the number of people who were gullible (like Moi) and slowed down, took pictures, etc.  A couple days later I went out for a walk only to observe a man pulling up to the curb, getting out of his car and slowly sneaking up on the thing, ready to run if the coyote went towards him.  You would have laughed if you had seen him.  All the while, his wife was in the car taking a video of the whole thing.  I was getting a real chuckle out of it.  When the man realized that it was fake, he looked so dejected.  Now I'm wondering, would it have been more fun for the man if the coyote was real and took after him?  Like what was he hoping for?  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  Would have made a good piece for America's Funniest Videos, I think!  LOL

Well, that's it in my part of the world.  I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week and will have a wonderful weekend!  And thank you so much again for all your wonderful comments.  I truly love reading each and every one of them.  It's so nice to know that there are kindred spirits out in blogging land and that friendships are made.  Speaking of which, next weekend a dear blogging friend,  Robin is coming into town to visit her mother who lives near me.  Terri and I are going to take her out and fill her full of antique/quilt store goodness.  She'll never be the same!  I'm really looking forward it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

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!!!

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.  

What I did on Easter Vacation (Lots of Pics)

It's been another busy week around here.  DH and kids home for eleven days (I need to insert a picture of a frazzled cat here), relatives in from out of town for five of those days, college campus tours for my son (University of Michigan and Michigan State University - he can't be that old, can he?), some antiquing and very little stitching.   I always think that nothing is really going on - that I have just about the most boring life on earth - but when I take a step back from what I posted last time, I realize that there is something always going on.  If there's not, then I have to get in my car and make trouble at the antique/thrifty/quilt stores. LOL  But, if I haven't visited your blog this week, it's not because I didn't want to.  It's because of lack of time!!  I'll catch up.

Stitching progress on Elizabeth Clayton has been slow this week :

I started going down the side and then got bored with that and went into the house.  I'm bored with that too, but I'm almost done.  I do see a stitch that I'm going to have to go in and fix on the house though.  UGH.  I love the bright colors in this piece.  I still have some things to do on the trees, but figured I'd catch those up when I got to the trees on the other side of the house.

I also started Hannah Lancaster.  This poor chart has been in the stash pile for years, and I decided that it was time that she got some daylight:

Not too much stitching on this piece.  I am actually doing this as a SAL!  Yes, you read right!  Me - who absolutely stinks at SALs - is going for the gusto and trying to do this.  I'm stitching this on Sundays with Sandra and Tawny (no blog).  It's going to take me a long, long time, but at least the dust is off her now! This is a good compliment piece to Elizabeth above, because the colors are much drabber.  I'd probably have a hard time working on Hannah day after day.

I received some wonderful packages in the mail the past week or so.  From Ranae I received the cutest ornament.  Don't you just love it!!!  I think that it's absolutely adorable.  So perfect for the time of the year it came around - Easter, but so sweet it will be displayed all year round.  Thank you so much Ranae - I just love it!!

On Diane's blog, I won a giveaway that she recently had.  I think that great things come in small, sweetly wrapped packages:

Mausimom Freebie

32 ct. Natural Linen w/ NPI Silk

Diane's stitching and finishing is absolutely beautiful.  I just love it Diane.  Thank you so much for picking my name (she also put her initials and date on the back).

Okay, one more.  For someone who was barely home this week and unable to stalk the mailman (and he was probably very happy about that), he was busy delivering things.  I also won a giveaway on Terrie's blog.  She is the owner of The Stitch Store (formerly the Dogwood Patch) and is just the sweetest person to talk to.

Terrie had emailed me and told me that I had won her giveaway, but also left her phone number.  I thought it would be great fun to actually call a person that I had won something from.  Email is nice, but to actually hear the voice of the person was wonderful.  We both had a few minutes of chuckling over our different accents - she being southern and having the voice to prove it, and me with my hard Northern talk.  But she is a sweet, sweet lady and I think that if you're looking for stitching supplies, you should give her a shout.

On Saturday, Terri and I met up at a high school that was having an antique show.  From there we went to a few different antiques shops.  We actually had a little route that I kind of planned out.  Although at one point my routing skills went awry and we almost ended up lost.  Stopping at a convenience store in a very small town is sometimes a scary thing!!!  Anyway, we had a great time and we did have an encounter with a small homeless dog.  I'm going to leave that story to Terri, but it has a wonderful ending.  Anyway, I found a few goodies:

This beautiful blue bowl.  I love, love the color blue and I just had to have it.  I'm almost kicking myself now because one of the booths we visited had a lot of plates that matched this.  I wish that I had gotten them now or at least a place setting of it.  I love tables with different place settings.  But I thought that perhaps this bowl may be frog-worthy....and it is.  I happened to have a top that fits perfectly into it.  But to tell you the truth, I almost like this bowl without the frog.

Then I found this old lunch pail - it does need some cleaning:

Actually, I wasn't going to buy this, but Terri convinced me that I needed it!!  Like a hole in the head!  LOL  But I'm glad that I got it.  

Some sewing supplies (except for the key).  The scissors are supposedly from the 1880's.  They look like it with the dull patina.  Never can turn down a pretty pair of scissors.  And I love the scene on the tape measure - and it actually still works.

I loved this thimble.  One booth had it for double the price I paid for this one, so I couldn't pass it up.

Then some pincushions.  Actually the only one from the antique show/shops is the one on the right.  The backing fabric is very faded - you can tell that it was a wonderful blue at one point.  The other two pincushions are ones that I found at an antique barn that we discovered - although they're definitely not antique.

Along the way, we stopped into a quilt store.  Now, even though I keep telling myself that I don't need a darned thing, that I'm in a crafting slump and don't need more stuff, I caved.  

I just couldn't resist.  I've seen a lot of these Schnibble's patterns on different blogs, and finally decided to buy a couple.  Along with the Tuffit pattern and a needle case pattern.  Now, will someone get a prod under me and get me down to the sewing room?????

Then to top it all off I had to buy these - the newest Gingher scissors (and of course, I've forgotten the name and I'm too lazy to talk downstairs for the case).  The teacup and saucer was my grandmothers.  Just gotta love those 50% off coupons at Joanne's.

 

Well, like I said, I think that I never really have anything to blog about, but then I discover that I do.  But I wish someone could shake me and get me out of the crafting slump.  I think the weather has just been too nice here in Michigan for me to want to stay inside much!!  Which means - more antique shopping.  I still have more pictures to show from my previous jaunts but I'll save them for another time.  Have to fill up my posts with something since stitching is at a minimum.

Thanks everyone for stopping by and leaving what wonderful comments that you do.  I truly feel blessed at having met so many wonderful people through blogging.  And thank you again Ranae, Terrie and Diane for the wonderful goodies that arrived in my mail this week.  I hope that everyone has a happy and stitchy week.

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!