Laboring on Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to all!  I hope you have enjoyed the long three day weekend if you were lucky enough to have today off.

I decided to take Labor Day to heart this year and I have spent a good amount of my morning/early afternoon laboring over my sewing machine.  There were lots of grumblings and mutterings but I managed to crank this out.....

Yellow Brick Road Quilt Top
Started 8/26/12
Finished 9/3/12
 

Here's a close up so that you can see the fabric a bit better.  I mentioned it before, but just in case you missed it, I used Puttin' on the Ritz by Bunny Hill Designs and I mixed in Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs.  The border is Meadow by Blackbird Designs.  The backing will be a solid dark blue.  Boring, but functional.  I plan on taking it up to my LQS tomorrow to see if I can get it quilted by the middle of this month.  My sister's baby shower is on the 22nd and I want to be sure I have enough time mail the package in case I can't make it to the shower.  (Everything is dependent on when my doctor wants us to start "trying" again.)

 

I only have one concern when it comes to this quilt.  I'm not sure that my sister will appreciate the quilt or the time that it took to put it together.  Because it is my very first completed quilt top, it isn't perfect.  But, a ton of love was put into it.  And, because of all of our losses, this baby quilt was very hard for me to make.  I should have been able to make it for our little one instead of for another person's baby.  Still, I felt a very strong tug and I knew that I had to make it for my new nephew.  I just don't want to give this as a gift and then find out that it was put up in a closet and never used.  Or, worse yet, I don't want to find out that it was given to some place like the Salvation Army or Goodwill because she didn't like it.  Would it be horrible of me to put a stipulation on this gift?  I was thinking that I would tell her that if she absolutely hated it then I would take it back and get the baby something else instead.  It wouldn't hurt my feelings if she didn't like it but it would if she didn't tell me.  What do you think?

I know I love the new quilt top my Mom made.  I'd be happy to call it mine!

Now I'm off to labor over some of my cross stitch.

Happy Stitches!

Life In Pictures

*WARNING....PICTURE HEAVY*

I thought this would be the easiest way to tell you everything I've been up to lately.....Enjoy!

I've been birdwatching through the sliding glass door.....

The pole system was a birthday gift from Hubby and MIL.

I think this may be the same Cardinal that I found back in July.  You can still see his tufts of baby feathers!

 

I've been on vacation......

Wild Ponies in Corolla, NC

Shot of the ocean looking out from behind the dunes.

 

Hubby anxious to go 4 wheeling behind the dunes.

 

Area behind the dunes where we typically see the wild horses.

 

I decided to put my sewing machine into action and attempt a baby quilt for my new nephew who is due in December......

 

Six fat quarters for the Yellow Brick Road Quilt Pattern.  I'm using a combination of Puttin' on the Ritz by Bunny Hill Designs and Blueberry Crumbcake by Blackbird Designs

Block A (fabric locations vary)

Block B (fabric locations vary)

Block C (fabric locations vary) in progress

 

And, of course, I've been stitching......

Be thou the Rainbow by Blackbird Designs

Summer Needlebook by Blackbird Designs

 



I think I'm all caught up now!  Happy Stitches!

Time on My Hands

It seems that I've had lots of productive stitching related time on my hands lately. 

Last Saturday two of my stitching buds and I headed to a not so local needlework shop.  It is about 45 minutes away (on a good traffic day).  We love the short trip for a different take on our hobby.  While I was disappointed in the lack of new patterns in the shop, I did manage to pick up some fabric and threads for a couple of projects that are waiting in the wings.

The Gentle Arts Threads and the 32ct Bo Peep Pink Belfast was purchased for the Birds & Berries Needlebook by Blackbird Designs. (Crescent Colours are from my stash.)

The 34ct Legacy Linen in Oaten Scone was purchased for the Summer Harvest Needlebook by Blackbird Designs.

I also managed to stitch and finish a cute little Shepherd's Bush piece for my Friends Through the Seasons exchange.  This was the first time I tried this finish.  I'm pleased with this first time effort and I will definitely use this finish on future projects.

The pillow is sitting on the fabric that I used for the backing.

I've been spending the rest of my free time working on BoaF.  Boy, has my needle been smoking.  Here is where my piece stood shortly after last weekend.....

Part I ~ DONE!

Speaking of smoking, I don't know how the weather is where you are, but temperatures have been smoking here.  We've been in the high 90's to low 100's for the past week and tomorrow with be another 100+ degree day.  With the humidity in the area it means we are under an "Excessive Heat Warning" and the temperatures feel like they are 110 or higher.    They aren't forecasting the cold front to come through until sometime tomorrow and they are talking about it possibly stalling off the coast.  That means we go from extreme heat to lots of rain with violent thunderstorms and damaging winds.  Either way, heat or rain, I guess that means more stitching time on BoaF!

Wishing you cooler stitches!

Two Week Wait

These last two weeks have been very rough.  I've tried to keep myself busy and keep my mind off of anything remotely related to babies. 

I've spent lots of time with my needle over the last 14 days.  Much of the time it was to deal with frogs.  It seems that since my mind is not fully there the frogs decided to take advantage of me.  Even with the frogs, I did mange to finish an old wip.  I was trying to figure out when I started it and I have a feeling it was sometime back in 2006.  I'll tell you all about the frogs and the piece next time.

After my finish I began working on Mouline Rouge again.  She's a little bit further than she was, but nowhere near close.  I tried to plug along but I was struggling with my lack of mojo.  Instead I went digging through some of my kitted projects and I came up with "Delivering Wares" by Homespun Elegance.  I've got a good start on it and I think it will go a long way in helping me to get my mojo back on track.  I don't have enough for a picture though...maybe next time.

My personal mojo has been suffering as well.  I found out on Saturday that the IUI didn't take.  Then on Sunday I found out that my youngest sister is 8 weeks pregnant.  Needless to say I didn't have a great Mother's Day.  Then today my co-worker brought in her week old twin boys.  I couldn't even bring myself to hold one of them as I knew if I did I would end up a hot mess.

I did place a call to the doctor's office after the IUI failure and now I'm scheduled for a hysteroscopy.  Basically the doctor is going to look inside and see if there is anything that could possibly be preventing pregnancy, like scar tissue from previous D&C's.  So, I'm out of the running for TQfM again this month.  I'm scheduled for the outpatient procedure early next month. Hopefully everything will be good so that we can start trying again in mid June.

Unitl then I will just have to be patient.  I guess I could practice that patience with those darn frogs.

Happy Stitching!

Changed Plans

Ahh......I've finally got my weekends back and boy am I thankful!

Today was supposed to be a "Mother/Daughter Day".  Unfortunately, a dear friend of my Step-Father passed away and so my parents had to travel to another state for the funeral.  So, instead of spending time with my mom I'm taking care of her pup.  That means that I will spend the day at home as a hermit since their pup is used to going outside on a whim.  We don't need any accidents here!

Staying home is giving me time to catch up on lots of things.  This morning I got my Google Reader down to a manageable 72 posts.  Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be back down to zero.  I also managed to get a few pictures that I wanted to share with you.

First I would like to share my Friends Stitching Through the Seasons Exchange.  I was blessed to receive my exchange from Natasha of A Stitchers Ramblings.  Look at all the goodies she sent!

 

And the pillow she stitched is just amazing!  I stitched this as a giveaway awhile ago and I've always wanted to do it again for myself.  Natasha.....you've read my mind!  You know how much I love the Blackbird gals.

My love of Blackbird spilled over into my exchange for Karen.....

Hope you enjoy your package Karen!

That's it for now, but I promise that there is more to come!

Happy Stitches!

Cold Crumbs

Brr!  It's cold outside!  We have been treated to such a mild winter this year so when last night's cold front hit the Mid-Atlantic, we were in for a shock.  Our temperatures dropped 20 degrees in an instant, the winds started howling, and we experienced thunder and lighting.  That's right, we had Thundersnow!  Unbelievable!

This morning I woke up to this.....(remember, this is a lot of snow for us!)

Don't look too close, my windows are in horrible shape!  They aren't dirty, they are full of condensation.  I've been living here 14 years.....it is time for new windows.  Just another thing to keep me from buying more stash.

Of course, I didn't let a little snow or bad windows stop me from picking up a few crumbs on the way home from work last night.  I managed to snag these in less than five minutes, just before the quilt shop closed for the night.

That's right!  I've finally gotten my grubby little hands of some of this yummy Blueberry Crumb Cake fabric from Blackbird Designs.  I just adore those lovely ladies!  They make the most scrumptious fabric and patterns.  They have shown a sneak peak of their newest book that will be released at Nashville and I've already put my order in over at The Attic.

Even though I've been at work over 65 hours this week, I have managed a few stitches on The Counting House.  Here's my progress:

I'm hoping for a little down time on this cold Sunday.  I've got stitching to do!  Unfortunately, I hear the shower running, so I'm sure that means Hubby has other plans.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Happy stitches!

Picture Promises

I can't believe that it is Sunday evening already!  Where did the weekend go?  I guess it didn't help that I'm now working on Saturdays, so that makes my weekends even shorter than usual.

Today my husband ended up working, so it gave me some time to catch up on the pictures that I've been promising.  First up is proof positive that I have been stitching.

I know it doesn't look like much, but it is more than you think it is.  This is from a piece that I can't show just yet, so you will have to stay tuned.

On Thursday I mentioned some happy mail.  While I was at work I received a package from The Attic with some wonderful Blackbird Designs items.  Then, when I got home, I had a thoughtful little package from Grace.  She sent me a set of angel wings along with a hug token....just to let me know she cared.  Aren't blogging buddies amazing?  Thank you so much Grace!  I have the wings in my stitching basket next to my happy chair so that I can be reminded of your generosity.

New acquisitions along with Grace's wings.  I love happy mail!

As I mentioned earlier, Saturday was a work day for me.  While it didn't last all day, I did manage to get a good start on my week by working for about five hours.  After work I decided to take the long way home so that I could continue the happiness and stop by one of the local quilt stores.  On the way I spotted a sign for an estate sale.  I said to myself "Why not?" and I followed the signs to the house.  I was in luck!  It was the third day of the sale and everything was 50% off.  There wasn't much left, but this managed to catch my eye.......

Isn't this shelving unit amazing?  It is nice and sturdy.  When I turned it over I noticed that it was put together by tongue and groove.  Good stuff!  Plus, I love the little drawers.  Once I get it cleaned up it will be the perfect place to show off many of my finishes.  Now, if only I could figure out where I should hang it up......

Since I didn't break the bank at the estate sale, I headed over to the quilt shop.  Let's just say that I was a really, really, really, really bad girl!  Look what jumped into my hands and insisted on coming home with me.

I couldn't help myself!  First of all, you know how much I love Barb & Alma, so you knew their newest quilt book had to come home with me.  (Would you believe there is a cross stitch pattern in there?)  I would have also come home with some of their yummy new fabric, Blueberry Crumb Cake, but it hadn't come in yet.  Instead, I picked up the bundle in the upper right hand corner.  I have some grand plans for that bundle.  I'm going to attempt to make two baby quilts out of it.  Of course, the key work there is attempt.  The co-worker with the twin boys isn't due until May, so it gives me a little bit of time to try.  I've got a simple pattern called "Yellow Brick Road" laying next to my sewing machine just waiting for those fat quarters.

Oh, and did you catch sight of this in the upper left corner?

I have a special project in mind for these cute little frogs.  I picked up a yard of each and I hope it is enough.  Now I just need to find a few extra minutes away from my husband and my stitching!

Speaking of stitching, I have one last shot for you.  I know I talked about starting that new Blackbird piece, but it has been dreary here today and it is slated to continue for the next day or two.  It is hard to do conversions without some good old fashioned sunshine, so I guess I'll just have to continue working on this.....

The Counting House by Little House Needleworks

Time to stop blogging and start stitching!

Happy Stitches!

Ouch, That Hurt! & Happy Mail

I've decided that in addition to everything else, I'm going to try and keep this blog updated on our journey to becoming parents.  So, to that end, I began what I'm going to call "The Quest for Motherhood" ("TQfM" for short) early yesterday morning.

After everything that happened last week, I booked an appointment with my primary care physician regarding a referral to a local Reproductive/Fertility Institute.  Well, my "talk" with the doctor turned into a physical (which I haven't had in years).  I ended up with a Tetanus shot and I also had to do blood work.  EWWWW!  I hate shots and I hate blood work even more.  Needles scare me!  (Well, those kind anyway...)  Would you believe my arm still hurts from that stupid shot! 

At least I had some good news.  I lost another pound!  Wheeee!

**********

In stitchy news, I'm so very close to finishing up that model.  Good thing too, because I got some "Happy Mail" at work today......a Priority Envelope from The Attic in Mesa, AZ (my favorite shop of all time)!  It contained the last BBD Loose Feathers as well as some other wonderful BBD books/charts that I've been wanting.  In particular, I'm most enthralled with the book "A Schoolgirl's Work".  You see, there is a wonderful pattern in it that will be my new start.  It is more than appropriate for me right now and I knew the instant I saw it that I had to stitch it.  Honestly, I was ready to leave work "sick" so that I could go home and stitch!  Plus, Hubby just informed me that I have more "Happy Mail" at home.  I wonder what that could be since I haven't ordered anything else.....

I do hope traffic will be kind to me on the way home!

Happy Stitching!

'Tis a Finish

While I was away at PALS in Myrtle Beach I got tons of stitching time.  The whole time I worked on only one project because I felt like I was on such a roll.  I had other projects with me, but this particular project just kept tugging on my needle. 

By the time the retreat was over I was about 85% done so I kept the focus on this piece all week long.  Now all I have to do is find a frame and I will have a wonderful piece to display this Holiday Season.

I am thrilled to present to you 'Tis the Season by Blackbird Designs (from the Joyeux Noel booklet).

'Tis the Season by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on 40ct Vintage Pear by Lakeside Linen

I just love this Cardinal!

I've been trying to expand my skills with my camera, so I took this fun little shot.

Looks like I have another Crazy January Finish!  I hope that I may have inspired someone today.

Happy Stitches!

PALS Weekend

I'm back from my first ever PALS Retreat in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It was hosted by Amy of Down Sunshine Lane.  (I know I've been back since Sunday.....Sorry it took so long to post this....I've had too much on my mind lately!)

The view from my balcony....

I went with a few friends and I met a few more while I was there.  I got to see Karen, whom I haven't seen since May 2010 when I went out to Arizona for a visit.  I also got to meet my Friends Stitching Through the Seasons partners, Faye (I send to her) and Diane (she sends to me).  There were many other friendly blogging faces including Michele of Just Another Stitching Blog as well as many others who I just can't remember at the moment.  I also made some new friends while I was there (Hi Chris!) and I even got to meet Paulette Stewart of Plum Street Samplers.

But, enough of that!  I know you don't really want to hear about all of that.  Instead you want to see all of my goodies.  I understand completely!

First off, this is what I brought with me to exchange.  Starting at the top and moving clockwise.....Scatter Sunshine by Shepherds Bush (stitched exchange), Noel by ??? (Christmas exchange), Pumpkin Stack by Chessie & Me (fall exchange), Autumn by The Stitcherhood (fall exchange) and in the center a stocking from one of the Blackbird Designs Stocking Booklets (for my Friends Stitching Through the Seasons exchange for Faye).

Thursday night was the Halloween/Fall exchange.  I'm not a Halloween kind of gal, so I just went for Fall.  All I can say is that whom ever got my pieces were pretty lucky since I was this close to keeping the Autumn pillow for myself.  Here's what I got.....

Turns out this was done by one of my Saturday Stitching Sisters!  I love it Darlene!

This lovely needleroll was stitched by Shery from Indiana.  I've made a few needlerolls for others, so I know how hard it is.  Now I finally have one for my own!  I love it!  Thanks Shery!

Friday we did the Christmas exchange and the grab bag exchange (and boy, you should have seen some of those grab bags!  Fabulous goodies of scissors, fabric and stitching tools to name a few.).  It was tons of fun!  I only managed to get one ornament stitched and finished up for the Christmas exchange, but I really like how it turned out.  In return, I ended up with Amy's ornament!

Thanks Amy!  I love it!  I can't wait to get up on my ornament tree!

This little Ott light was the only thing in the grab bag I "won".  It's a nice little portable light run by batteries.  I can't remember who said that they entered this bag because it didn't have a name with it.  Oops!  So, many thanks to whomever you are!

Saturday we had a stitching and a sewing exchange.  Here is what I got in the stitching exchange.

This lovely needlebook was made by Diane of GA.  The stitched area is actually a pocket to hold scissors or threads.  It's amazing!  Thank you Diane!  I love it!

I'm not great with the sewing machine (yet), but I saw a great tutorial and I made this for the sewing exchange.  After I was done I wanted to keep it for myself.  Good thing I have some leftover supplies because I'm going to have to do this little beauty for myself!

In return I got this...... (again, I can't thank the person because there was no card with it.)

There were two coffee cozies, but they were being coveted by Michele, so I shared my joy and gave her the other one.  But, isn't this one cute?

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post.  Next time I'll catch you up on what I was working on while I was at PALS.  Let's just say that I now have my eye on a Crazy January finish thanks to all my stitchy time last weekend!

Happy Stitches!