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Beadle Beadle Bead

A couple nights ago, I took some time to go through my giant tackle box ‘o’ beads to see

Sunny days & thrift stores

Today is such a beautiful day! I got up early so I could enjoy as much of the day as possible. Inspi

A Look Back: Crocheted Turkey Handbag

By Annie I’m always amused by the random things people find to crochet. This purse is a perfec

Free patterns and charts: Christmas

(1) Red and White Christmas from Happy Threads
(2) Père Noël Monochrome from Le blog de Mamou
(3) Blackwork de Noël from Le blog de Liselotte
(4) Snowglobe Series – Snowy Day from Acerca del bordado
(5) Maison de Noel from les loisirs abbygaelle
(6) Cloche de Noël from Le blog…

motivation

… or lack therof. I decided awhile back to crochet and sell the items on Etsy to try to raise

WTF?

You know, I recently started this little project with cotton yarn. I was going to make a bunch of sq

Knitting: Bringing it home for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is approaching and we're reminded of family and home. An idealistic scene is Currier and Ives "The Knitting Lesson". The picture that comes to my mind is being at Grandma's with the crocheted pineapple doily on the side table, a warm and cozy, hand knitted afghan on the couch and a knitted lace shawl on the coat stand.

Turkey in the oven…almost!

So, back to tradition. I really am a Thanksgiving lover and yes, I’ll be cooking just like most of you . As of today, it’s a bit questionable who I’ll be cooking for. Both my grand-daughters just came down with the flu, now my son has it too. So far my daughter-in-law is fine, but from what I’ve heard of this nasty bug, she may be next! I don’t know if it’s the swine flu. They no longer test for it. Have any of you had this horrible little creature visit your home?

On a happier note, If you haven’t entered a name for the little squirrel, you have until 6PM Pacific time Sunday! One of you is going to win this basket on Wednesday! I’m getting awfully close to announcing the winner!

I’ll be back on Wednesday morning. See you then!

Happy Thanksgiving shopping everyone!

Hugs,

Anne

Your Top 10 for homemade gifts

Homemade gifts long have been popular during the holidays as a cherished present.

Tutorial: Embroidered cell-phone corset

The Urban Threads newsletter tips us off:

A couple months ago Karline got a new cell phone, and of course, she wanted to make a spiffy case for it. Here’s what she came up with — the oh-so-schmexy cell phone corset! It’s…

Salley Mavor blogs it out

Yes, yes, yes! *happy dance happy dance* Salley Mavor (Wee Folk Studio) has moved to blogland! She says,

Yes, I’ve decided to come out of my cocoon and join the world of blogs. This is an opportunity to share my creative life…

A week of giveaways at Sewforless.com

Oh, my goodness! Sewforless.com is giving away the good stuff! For at least a week, the site is saying thanks to its customers with Thankful Days Giveaways. The first prize — a pair of WunderStitch scallop shears valued at US $29.99…

Free pattern from Di van Niekerk

Di van Niekerk of Crafts Unlimited is sharing this beautiful blue hydrangea design. Her newsletter says,

This multipurpose design is the first in the set of three gorgeous designs and is just the thing for embroidery, decoupage, scrapbooking and card making. Make an ATC or…

Crafty Bloggers This Week

All sorts of fun crafty activities going on in the crafty blogosphere this week:

The Crochet Dude
Drew kicks off the holiday season with a crochet pattern event.
About Family Crafts
Do you play with clay? If so, please take a moment and share your favorite stories, projects, recipes, techniques, and more.
The Impatient Crafter
In this week's teen crafts blog for iLoveToCreate Madge makes a stunning mixed media necklace. You might just want to sport this one yourself.
Aileen's Musings
Aileen is offering Vintage freebie images for you to download and use in your art. Get started on those digi holiday cards using some of them.
The Artful Crafter
Check out Eileen's latest craft finds: lots of free stuff and free advice - well that's usually free, isn't it?
Cathie Filian
Cathie has lots of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts and family activities posted. Plus tips for a smooth Thanksgiving!
Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
Sweater Surgery attacks t-shirts and cuts them up into some cute gathered tops with the help of Generation-T Beyond Fashion.
Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi has finished a second Garden Quilt and is offering her tutorial!
Craftside
Over at Craftside you can enter to win a Mixed-Media Doll by Linda O'Brien, Co-author of Who's Your Dada?, download a free intricate leaf paper cutting pattern, get a fun how-to on making a paper cupcake and a pretty pair of fall leaf earrings.
Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Linda shares one of the first quilts she designed and tells the first of many stories about lessons learned.
Crafty Princess Diaries
Mix up altered books, glitter, and teenagers, shake well, and voila! You have a fun day of art combined with writing.

Crafty Bloggers This Week originally appeared on About.com Cross-Stitch on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 20:48:26.

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It's never been more in vogue to make luxurious gifts from yarn

There's nothing like a handmade gift. And one that is knit will last longer and have fewer calories than one from the oven.

Girly socks?

What do you think?

I'm going to knit some socks for my brother for Christmas, and I showed him this pattern as an example of cables, and he said he liked the pattern.

Soooo. Do you think it would be too girly if I used this yarn?

It's one of the ones I dyed with black bean.

So far two nice twitter folks said no, one said it wouldn't be "too girly". Hmmm.

Kajola s Knitting Tales

Apart from being a talented actress, Kajol is also talented at her hobby a 'knitting. Her knitting abilities were proved whenever she was on break during the shooting of the Stepmom remake.

Vanna's Choice Knitting and Crochet Contest

Lion Brand Yarn Company is sponsoring a yarn contest at Michaels stores. The grand prize is $1,000 and an all-expense paid trip for two to Los Angeles to meet Vanna White.

Swirly hat

I decided to take a break from the gloves and work on a simple project, the swirly hat. Might not have gotten a great picture of the hat, but at east it's an interesting picture.

Ornament for Edgar :)

I had dear Edgar's name for this round of the Christmas Ornament Swap :) I chose a design I have been wanting to stitch forever. I am so happy you like it dear friend :) It's always a pleasure to stitch for you :)

Designer: Bent Creek
Design Size: 5.3 x 2
Fabric: 28ct. Natural
Fibers: WDW
Date Started:11-5-09
Date Finished: 11-8-09

Have a great weekend dear friends :) Thank you so much for stopping by :) Please do come again :)
hugs and love from SC :)
BeckySC

Please note-I am not really blogging (I have a few post ready to go when items are received-but we have a guest for 2 weeks-so not really spending any time online-I will reply to email at a later date :)

Don't Forget the Saturday Stitchathon!

Don't forget that November 21, 2009 is our first Stitchathon in the About.com Cross Stitch Forum. Some stitchers have big plans for tomorrow - I know a few are set up to have a Lord of the Rings Marathon at the same time. Even if you can't stitch all day, drop in for a bit.

Don't miss the excitement! But, if you can't stitch with us on Nov. 21, remember that we are having Tuesday Night Stitchalongs too. So many stitchers are making so much progress on former UFOs that is it amazing!

Find out more about both of these opportunities as you Come Stitch With Us!

Don't Forget the Saturday Stitchathon! originally appeared on About.com Cross-Stitch on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 16:00:26.

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Let's Kick Off The Holidays!

It's getting close to the holidays and I want to show my appreciation for all of you by reducing the price of my pdf patterns by 25%! sale is for limited time As for me, I'm going to hunker down for the final push on my next book. I am going to take Thursday off and enjoy Thanksgiving with family though. Hooray! Once I wake up from the turkey coma I'll be right back to work! This is how Miss Chandler is spending ...

Knitting in the News: A Sweater Ripoff?

Four years of legal wrangling between a French knit and crochet designer and the house of Chanel are set to be resolved next month.

Make It Merry Week Three

Welcome to another edition of Make it Merry, where talented crafters share their holiday how-to's.

Advent Candy Tree
Everyone loves counting down to the holidays...add candy to the mix and you've got a fun Advent calendar from Sherri Osborn for the whole family to enjoy.

Pumpkin Cross Stitch Pattern
Use a variegated floss to make a swirling pumpkin that would look great near the Thanksgiving table. Connie G. Barwick (hey, that's me!) has the free pattern.

Knit Wreath Ornament
Scrap knitting makes for fun quick projects that are perfect for any skill level. Sarah E. White has the instructions for this cute wreath.

Miniature Glitter Houses
Snowy villages look great upon every mantle and tabletop. Lesley Shepherd has a free printable so you can make your own tiny houses.

Paper Bead Star Ornament
If you're looking for something a little different to do with your paper beads then take a look at this paper bead star. This project is simple to adapt in a wide variety of ways.

Rustic Pillar Candles
'Tis the season for running out to buy candles. David Fisher will show you how to make these festive pillar candles with the perfect finish.

Pear Diamonds Painted Card
This card has an intricate finish, but it is so easy to make. Tina Jones shows us how to create this colorful card from start to finish.

Christmas Apron Pattern
Just because you've got to bake cookies for the whole family doesn't mean you can't look fabulous! Phyllis Dobbs has created this adorable holiday apron, and she's got the free pattern just for you.

Flower Petal Ornament Cover
Sometimes those plain ornaments just need a little dressing up. Tammy Powley will show you how to use seed beads to create this unique ornament drapery.

Paint a Christmas Tree
Instead of paying a premium for a colored tree, Barbara Crews will show us how to paint your tree red to match the latest holiday trends.

Want to Join Make it Merry to show off your holiday crafts? We will showcase your crafts and recipes of all holiday traditions. Learn more.

Make It Merry Week Three originally appeared on About.com Cross-Stitch on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 06:00:16.

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Friday Give-Away – The Quilt Ladies Collection

Bookmark Lovers

All packages have landed safely and been well received (as evidenced by the comments). You are all very welcome What did I send? Five bookmarks. Here’s the one I kept for myself (all pics clickable, as usual): All are unique. Where mine has read beads, the others are all different color Delicas. Can’t see the theme? Here’s a [...]

Vintage style beret to quickly crochet

Reminiscent of the Victorian Era, this elegant vintage style beret from Garnstudio can quickly be crocheted using just one skein of Drops Alaska and a size US H/8 hook.

I’m skipping Thanksgiving

I’m think I might just skip Thanksgiving. Haven’t told my family yet, but when they all show up, wouldn’t it be great if I handed each one a box of Christmas decorations? Get to work and they’ll get a “bite” to eat later; maybe a pizza or something like that. These little guys are just waiting for them, along with hundreds of other ornaments packed away in the garage!

Think how fast it would all get done! No dreaded day after Thanksgiving, when my husband drags himself out to the garage, groaning the whole time, to get the decorations down.

No standing for hours cooking food, no stacks of dishes in the sink, no spending way too much money on the big feast, and I could have the weekend just to fluff the decorations and do blog posts about them!

Ahhhh in a perfect world, one can only dream! Great idea don’t you think?

Hugs,

Anne

Problem Solving

Yesterday, I cast off those pretty socks, smirked for a bit and then realized that for the first time in a long time... I didn't have another pair of socks on the go - or not here anyway. (If I...

Tree Mobile WIP

The granny squares I starched yesterday are completely dry and they have kept their rounded shape without being cardboard stiff. Phew! Now I can work on the other parts of the mobile. I had picked up a reddish branch from one of my bushwalks and kept it with the intention of using it as decoration in [...]

Knitting is Fun...Right?

I meet many knitters--usually, though not limited to, advanced beginners--who become frantic about real or imagined mistakes. They rush up, breathless and anxious, saying they "don't know how to fix it," they "don't know how to 'go back'," or even that they "think it's ruined" ("it" being their projects).

More often than not, the real problem knitters face is their agitation, which prevents them from really seeing what's going on and how best to address it. Honestly. Once a knitter progresses past the ultra-beginner stage, he or she possesses the power to diagnose and fix 90 percent (or more) of mistakes.

Prescriptions for fixing an error include:

Un-knitting one stitch at a time (AKA: "tinking"--tink is knit spelled backwards)
Ripping back many rows (AKA: "frogging"--because "rip it" sounds like a frog: ribbit, ribbit...), then putting the stitches back on the needles without twisting them
Looking for suggestions and knit-fixes on the Internet
Finishing the project and then go back with yarn and tapestry needle to close a hole or gap
Learning to "be Zen" about mistakes, to renounce perfectionism and live with small errors

My very first--and imperfect--wheel-spun skein (circa 2006-07)

Whatever the fix, it's important to slow down. Take a deep breath. And another and another, until you calm down. Maybe put your project down for a day or two and come back to it.

Do what you need to do to alleviate anxiety. For only then will you be able to: (a) really see the alleged "problem" and (b) identify how you want to fix it (or not).

And that's my tip -- one of the best I have to offer: Relax. Breathe. Knitting is fun!

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Acorn Cook Stove, circa 1914

~ Acorn cookstove, circa 1914 ~

This isn't the greatest photo I've ever taken but it does show our cook stove; an Acorn, made in 1914. The stove stop has seven burners, one of which is a sauce simmer and all are propane gas. The three ovens are electric and the warming oven is at top left. One of the ovens is hot, one cool and one is a roasting oven and all work. It's a great stove and I've loved using it even though when our electric goes out, only the burners work. In the winter, when a storm comes, I try and make sure I've got bread made so we're not without if the electric goes out...which it does with great regularity.

Acorns were made in Albany, NY during the last century...the same century in which I was born. Like the way that was phrased, eh? -grin-

While we didn't purchase from the Good Times Stove, they do have a great selection of antique, refurbished stoves. Their blog talks about antique stoves as well as a bit of everything else. Barnstable Stove is another good source of antique vintage stoves.

I don't believe the place we bought our Acorn is still in business but we found the restorer in an issue of This Old House magazine. They did an article on David and his business, we saw the article, called him in January '96 and put in our request. Six months later, he called us back to say our stove was ready. David told us he knew of only two such stoves in existence and the other was in Ralph Lauren's Colorado home. Such things impress some people but I'm not one of 'em; I'm just happy to have such a fantastic stove and can only hope Mr. Lauren loves his old stove as much as we do ours.

Suzanne hosts a Vintage Thingies Thursday and I decided to participate. It's been a lot of fun, visiting other sites that are showcasing vintage things. Funny, that. We used to call it antique but, apparently, now the name has morphed into vintage. At any rate, I see my house belongings in so many of these vintage posts. I suppose that what's happens when you've been housekeeping for as long as I have -smile-. I hope I remember to do this again next week, participate in VTT; it's been fun, talking about our stove and doing a bit of research. Perhaps next week I'll talk about my Romanian fiber and textile artifacts.

Right now, I need to post this so I can bake some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares for Quilting Bee tonight. I've been a slackard today; time to get something useful accomplished! In the meantime, here's the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares. I wish I could remember where I found these but, at any rate, I've changed the recipe just a tad so, perhaps, the original author wouldn't want to be referenced anyway.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups pumpkin or 15 ounce can
1 cup chocolate chips plus another cup for frosting

Butter or spray a 13x9 inch baking dish and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs, stir.
Add pumpkin, stir.
Mix together dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture; blend.
Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Pour into pan and bake for 45 minutes, more of less, depending upon your oven.
Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over baked goods, let melt and then spread as frosting.

P. S. If you're looking for the book give-away, Gift From The Sea, it's in the post prior to this one.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ our old Acorn stove ~ antiques ~ tripping down memory lane ~ quilting bee ~ home baked goodies ~

Thanksgiving here I come

Brittercup Britty Kitty 05
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist

For your viewing pleasure...Brittercup's Xmas Kitty from JCS orn. Mag. 2005. done in most of the called for threads over 1 on unknown grey linen

I am so excited for this coming week, since i am only teaching labs this semester i do not have any classes next week. Day care is closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, so A. will be there M-W instead of her usual W-F These two event combine to give me 3 whole days at home to get things done! Mainly sewing/crafts i have been putting off. I have at least a dozen ornaments to do, 4-5 christmas gifts, and an advent calendar to make since I finally found a design i like.

I will also hit the gym in a preemptive strike on Thanksgiving and go see New Moon, after all the screaming has died down.

Found a FABULOUS quote today "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life, it goes on. " -Robert Frost

A crochet conundrum

There will be an air of mystery at the Anglican Women's Guild Holly Tea and Bake Sale next week.

'You Art What You Wear' opens Friday at Center for the Visual Arts

The art of fashion will be in the spotlight when a new exhibition opens Friday at the Center for the Visual Arts.

Enough already,huh?

I've set it up since there seemed to be at least some interest in the Prairie Schooler Alphabets. If you'd like to join go on over and read about how to do it: http://psabcbee.blogspot.com/

How do I get myself into these things? :) You may as well join me in the insanity, if you're interested in them at all....

Where are all the feminist Romantic Comedies?

Jessamy and I watched the movie Wedding Planner last night (nothing else was on) and despite some big news (which I'll share about soon ...) it was all I could think of this morning. Despite the two main characters being together in the end (big surprise), it's not actually a happy ending. The J.Lo character is a nice person, the M.M. character is not.

So instead of trying to go back to sleep this morning, I was analyzing the love interest's faults, which goes as follows (hope you're not going to see the movie as I'm going to spoil it):
1. He's wasteful. He throws out all the MnMs, except the brown ones.
2. Not only does he throw them out, but he throws them on the ground, in technical terms, he litters.
3. When he met the lead character (and nearly kissed her) he was already engaged.
4. He didn't tell his fiance about his near-cheating.
5. He cancelled his wedding on the day of the wedding, and didn't tell any of the guests, which makes him a total coward.

The J.Lo character also has a history of falling for men who cheat on her.

And I'm supposed to be happy that they're together? Noooooo. I am most definitely not happy, I'm actually really bothered about the whole movie. When there's a happy ending, I want some actual happy closure to the movie. Not an ending which leaves me feeling like the main character is going to have her heart broken and an emotional breakdown in just six months. Where's a feminist Romantic Comedies when you need one?

Carrol Nielsen's Christmas Cross Stitch Designs

Carrol Nielsen of Carrol Nielsen's Christmas Designs says that, "It seems like I have had a needle and thread in hand since a very young age and I often joke that my family wouldn't recognize me without it." Carrol hails from the "Land Down Under" and it has a definite influence on her stitching as you can see here!

Photo © Carrol Nielsen's Christmas Designs

Carrol's designs are dominated by Koalas. Koalas for Christmas, baby samplers, and they just keep popping up everywhere. Carrol says, "When I was a kid I just couldn't draw a koala. My grandmother was in love with koalas and I have her in several photos having a koala cuddle on her visits to Australia...." Learn more about Carrol Nielsen's Christmas Cross Stitch Designs.

Carrol Nielsen's Christmas Cross Stitch Designs originally appeared on About.com Cross-Stitch on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 06:00:16.

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giveaway

Linen Stitcher
has a wonderful
giveaway on her
blog!

Check out her post
Thanks! (And A Giveaway)!

Michaels Handmade Holidays Contest

Michaels is having a ~~popularity contest~~ "handmade holidays" contest.

If you've got

A creative idea for a handmade holiday craft - crochet or otherwise, and
Lots of friends / family members / acquaintances you can ~~harrass~~ ~~beg~~ ask for contest votes, and
Your residence is in the USA or Canada (excluding Quebec, Hawaii and Puerto Rico,)

perhaps you could win a prize in the contest. They are awarding multiple prizes, including a couple of trips to New York City, and some gift cards to Michaels craft stores.

Why am I calling it a popularity contest? Well, I'll give you a direct quote from their contest web site:

How do I win?

Upload a photo of your best, most creative do-it-yourself project, add a description and project supplies. Then send to your friends, your co-workers, your family and whoever can help you increase your rating score. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges led by Michaels Creative Expert, Jo Pearson based on project creativity, uniqueness and overall ratings.

I'll refer you to the contest web site for more information if you're interested:

Contest rules
Contest gallery - there isn't a separate category for crochet, but you can do a search for the crochet entries if you like. There are some really nice crocheted projects!

Michaels Handmade Holidays Contest originally appeared on About.com Crochet on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 01:49:10.

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Limb-Crocheted Corsets - Colorful and Warm Handmade Lace-Up Leg Warmers

These handmade lace-up leg warmers are available in knee-high and thigh-high versions and are like crocheted corsets for your legs.

Weekend Report

The little retreat is over here at Port Ludlow, and it was simply wonderful. The only thing I could have wished for was better weather, since it has been rainy and windy, enough so that the wind kept some knitters...

Starching Granny Squares

Remember the Mystery Christmas CAL from Sarah London that I was working on? Sarah has revealed that the crocheted granny squares get turned into a Christmas Advent Tree. You can view her tree here. I’ve mentioned before that I would like to finish my tree differently. I would like to turn mine into a tree mobile. [...]

My Goodness...

I thought I was the only looney toon in the bin. But apparently I've sparked a real Hoomba with this Prairie Schooler Alphabet deal. And I've been asked mulitple questions...so I thought I'd address all the e-mails, questions, etc here.

The project that I referenced with the link below, I'll repost the link here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8416520@N02/2219248167/sizes/l/

Now, I don't know this lovely lady of the wonderful project, but I've read the captions on all her photos of said lovely project and it is stitched on 28 ct. one over one using the called for DMC.

Said project is The Prairie Schooler's Alphabet Series which you can go to this link: http://prairieschooler.com/inventory.htm and check out the original patterns. They are a few years old.

Now I've also been asked if I'm going to set up a blog and do a Stitch~a~Long. Well I wasn't planning on it, but I guess if there would be enough interest, I could. So I guess...let me know? Leave a comment here if you want me to set up a Stitch~a~Long blog.

Now people have also asked if I've started: Nope, I haven't

I've been asked, when I'm going to start: Well, soon, I hope....I'm dyeing my fabric today! Gonna do a little basting and baking of the 'ol fabby and see what is what. But lets remember that I have 1 personal exchange that I've got to stitch for prior to Dec. 1. Then I have a little thing that is called a finishing business and talk about a looney bin....that is what it has been the past month. So I'm a little busy....but I'm thinking by Dec. 1 I'll be ready to start. Maybe.

So about this SAL, if there is enough interest I'm game to set up a blog, have people join and then lets just see what happens. I'm not good with SAL's every time I say I'm going to SAL I flounder. So lets just say it's a blog and you can work on it when you want, start it when you want to, drop out if you want to, not join if you don't want to. Whatever....that's the rules. Anything goes....but if I start a Prairie Schooler Alphabet Blog, then you got to at least stitch something using the said charts. It doesn't have to be all on one piece of fabric, but it has to be from the Prairie Schooler Alphabet Charts. Ok. There ya go...now comment if you want to SAL. I'll contact you (if you leave your e-mail address).

Just a FYI, I did some cipherin' cause I'm a good cipherer (don't you know) and here's some dimensions for you:

All of the letters are 70 stitches wide. Some of the charts are 100 stitches high and some are 101 stitches high.

Now if you figure your layout. (I'm doing mine in three rows like "THE PROJECT") and that would be with (2 stitches in between all the blocks) 646 stitches wide and 307 stitches high.

here's the size fabric you'd need:

20 ct. (over 1) 36 x 19 (with 2" border included in dimension)

25 ct. (over 1) 30 x 16 (with 2" border included in dimension) or 32 x 18 (with 3" border)

28 ct. (over 1) 29 x 17 (with 3" border)

40 ct. (over 2) 36 x 19 (with 2" border)

I didn't do all counts, because this is the fabric I had to work with...but it will give you an idea....

Waiting

On Monday, I sent off five packages. One was not really a surprise itself (the extra book from my recent signing adventure) but I added more to the box. One item matched (well, mostly) the items in the other four packages. And the recipient of the box, is the one that started my creativity flowing with [...]

Ennui and Give-Away

Lately, there's been a sense of ennui around here. Nothing definite, nothing I can, quite, put my finger upon but, a very real, air of ennui. The dictionary says ennui is "a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom". I am not bored nor do I have a lack of interest; in truth, I have so many interests I tend to be scattered without focus or concentration. As to "satiety", that's not true either except in the idea of being satiated with work. There's always work to be done and I am overwhelmed with work, to the point of being so far behind, I feel I'll never catch up. I owe people yarn samples, have for some time, and am kicking myself to 'just do it!'

Perhaps the ennui stems from the political scene: it seems so overwhelming and unbearable. We, the voters, are so divergent, so contrary in our opinions and beliefs and seem to have a hard core idea of where, how and when the direction this country should be headed. We don't seem to listen anymore, especially our "elected representatives"; they especially seem to be listening solely to WIIFM radio. They only want to know, "What's In It For Me" and no one else matters, especially constituents.
I'm fearful. For us all.

Perhaps the sense of ennui comes from living in a haphazard state. Regardless of what I, or Dave, wanted, our house is still not finished from the water damage of eleven months ago. We're headed into winter with things left undone even though I asked, begged, pleaded and, eventually, demanded the work be accomplished. All for naught but I'm still going to "fix up" like everything has been accomplished to my satisfaction. The dining room will have furniture moved in, hopefully, this week and the drapes and sheers have been hung. I'll unpack those many, many boxes of porcelain, china and "precious goods" that Dave's mother left behind.

Hmmm. Wait a minute. Perhaps that's also a cause of ennui. Dave's mother passed away a year tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if my body is responding to what my mind pushes away. That was a time fraught with overload; she became ill on 3 Nov and passed away on the 19th. A short, furious illness that was caused, essentially, by old age; she was well beyond 95 when she passed away. She died on Wednesday, a few moments before midnight, and was buried on Saturday; that time was full of details, details, details that are now, mostly, forgotten. Not the day though. That Saturday was bitter; the temperature was about 24F, wind chill was around 15F above, snow snugged the ground and sleet split the sky. The only good thing about that week were the people, family and friends who gathered to support, pray and love us through that time.

~ Mrs. Mary Crockett Bowen Bricker ~

Yesterday, we took Boscoe to the vet and there's yet another mystery. He wasn't getting better as quickly as he should have and a vet visit was in order. Dr. Anne hasn't a clue what the underlying cause of his epizootics are but she thinks environmental. She also thinks his immune system has crashed and his paws look like he's been "introduced" to chemicals that have eaten away the top layers. He was full of ear mites and fleas - both signs of a compromised immune system - and she stuffed him full of antibiotics, flea treatment, ear mite treatment and steroids. She thinks he'll pull through, we should know in a week to ten days. Bos is already feeling better; he greeted me this morning as a cat should, by stretching and taking notice of what was going on around him. His appetite is excellent and he's shown an enormous appreciation for the canned tuna we've been feeding him. Bos is eating dry cat food but we felt he could do with some pure protein as well; he agrees. He also thinks he should be allowed to go outside but, not yet, perhaps not ever again.

~ Bos Man ~

In the past week, I've mailed a baby quilt, three hats and a fleece throw to folks; have almost finished the quilt top for my nephew's Christmas gift and have knitted two mobius scarves. I'm thinking some serious studio time might put me to rights or, at the bare minimum, leave me with something to show for my time. There are several quilts to finish as Christmas gifts, some more knitting, some mini-art quilts and a few other smaller projects. I'm having to plot my time carefully so things will be finished and received by folks by Christmas day.

~ Deer quilt, in hunter's colors, for nephew ~

Two days after Christmas I leave for Tomsk, Siberia where I'll spend time in an orphanage and then go to Moscow where Christmas will be celebrated with Russian Christians on Epiphany, 6 January. I love celebrating Christmastide, more so than just Christmas. It's an entire Season from Advent, 1 Dec., through Epiphany, 6 Jan., and prepares us, Christ's disciples, to look ahead to world missions in light of the Nativity.

In the western world, we've gotten away from the Christmas SEASON and are focused solely on the material aspect of the day - the buying, wrapping, giving and receiving of gifts - and not The Gift that makes the rest possible. Christmas begins what Easter finishes: God's Divine Plan.

One suitcase is being filled with little gifts for both children and adults and it makes me so happy to open it and think of the joy they will bring. The Children's Home, as orphanages are called, houses children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Down's Syndrome and those with physical handicaps. Gifts include small hand lotions, vinyl shopping bags, stuffed toys, balls, packets of flower seeds, bubbles, New Testaments, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and whatever else can be found before Christmas. If you'd like to send a little something, let me know and I'll give you my snail mail address. I'll try to blog from the road so pray that and the trip will be a success.

A bucket of walnuts, soaking in water, will be used to dye some naturally colored Thistle Cove Farm yarn. I always enjoy using walnut dye on dark yarn as it gives a richness and depth of color that caresses the light in a way man-made dyes cannot.

~ Nut Bucket ~

I visited family this last weekend; we met at Mother and Daddy's cabin in Webster County, WV and rode over to Randolph County to visit my brother. Fairview Farm, his farm, is for sale and is absolutely beautiful! It's about 130 acres, bordered on two sides by National Forest, about 19 miles from Snowshoe, has some pasture, some wooded, all fenced, a pond, outbuildings, two-vehicle garage and much, much more. It's Very Private, with a quarter mile driveway that juts off from a dirt road that juts off from a two-lane, un-lined secondary road.

Probably, the house and other buildings cannot be seen, photo on right, but this is from the top of the mountain, looking down upon the house.
The house and other buildings are in a small enclave, photo left.

~ Fairview Farm ~

It's not good, I don't believe, for me to focus upon myself too much; self reflection tends to result in too much belly button gazing and serves to compound what niggling little problems I think I might have. I much prefer to use my blog to focus on the Good Things but, if you've read this entry and said a prayer, please know you have my gratitude. That's one thing I enjoy about blogland - "meeting" other folks and tucking you into prayer as you are brought to mind throughout the day and week and, hopefully, y'all do the same.

If you're interested in having a first edition copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift From The Sea, leave me a comment and your name will go into the drawing. Please note there is a name and address on the inside cover and that, probably, detracts from the value but it's still a free book, shipping included.

From Gift From The Sea:
"...I want first of all...to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. I want, in fact - to borrow from the language of the saints - to live "in grace" as much of the time as possible...By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be translated into outward harmony...I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God..."

I'll take names until midnight Friday; draw will be Saturday and book mailed Monday.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ Advent ~ Christmas ~ Epiphany ~ Christmastide ~ giving ~ spiritual grace ~ dyeing ~

Quilting along

The weekend was kind of nice for me. I was able to quilt all day. It was not nice for Mark however. He got to install wood floors and a dishwasher all day. I watched it progress, and was so impressed. Mark did a beautiful job! Here is a peek. We have lots more work to do to the room, but the floors are amazing. I love my handy hubby :)

While he labored away I made the Picnic Schnibbles quilt. I don't know if I am in love with it or not, there may be too much white in it? It's cute, but it has got to grow on me.

Tonight I worked on finishing the blocks for the Victorian Garden quilt. Yes, this is the one that gave me such a hassle. I am happy to have the blocks finished, now I have to pick out borders.

Tomorrow I have friends coming over to sew with me. We plan to work on Christmas gifts every Wednesday until Christmas... it should be lots of fun! On Thursday it's quilt class at church. I love it!!

Photo of the Week - Father Sun Project

Not only is this project gorgeous, it only took X_Woman a month to stitch it! She says, "Hey, what can I say? I love cross stitch!" Read more.

The design is by Joan Elliot, from her book Bewitching Cross Stitch.

Photo © X_woman

Cross Stitch Photo Albums
Submit a Photo

I never seem to keep my posts completely wordless, but here are more blogs posts featuring photos on Wordless Wednesday at About.com.

_{Follow About.com Cross Stitch on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.}

Photo of the Week - Father Sun Project originally appeared on About.com Cross-Stitch on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 06:00:07.

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Hello. My name is…

My new crochet creation desperately needs a name. He is an apple from top to bottom and is as cute as cute can be. He’s met Missy Strawberry and likes her a lot. He think she’s very sweet. She thinks he is odd because… Well, let’s just eavesdrop on them, shall we? Missy: Hello! My name is Missy [...]

Photographing Chelsea

Digital Cameras are so wonderful! They open up a new world! To think that we can take as many photos as we want, and simply delete the ones we don’t like.

I was working away at the computer today and I happened to look over and see Chelsea sleeping about 2 ft. away. I decided it was a photo moment. Camera was right next to the computer so I grabbed it and did some practice shots!

Here she is, sleeping in her little bed. Cute photo, but too many distractions in the background. That sewing machine cord looks unattractive and yes the window is blurred, but still not the best frame for the photo. Even if I crop it, I’ll loose some of the photo size. Time to go in for the close up!

Close-up, but where did those ears go? Yes, it’s a dog, but wouldn’t she be much cuter with ears?

So I got in really close, and made sure I had ears in the frame! It adds personality to her photo. It also adds a few little stray hairs to her face! Humm, where did those come from?

No worries. I can Photoshop them out using the clone tool! I enlarged the photo and took out the little hairs.

Isn’t she cute? Pretty near a perfect dog, I mean perfect photo.

For a good pet photo, get down on your pet's level, and get close! Get them when they’re sleeping and you’ve got it made!

Try it with your camera. It works on anything, not just pets. Get in close and see what happens! What have you got to lose? You can always hit delete!

Hugs,

Anne

Crocheted Dishcloths - Wordless Wednesday Photo Post

Find free crochet patterns for these (and other) dishcloths
See more "Wordless Wednesday" blog posts on other topics at About.com
Discover more "Wordless Wednesday" posts from all over the Internet

Crocheted Dishcloths - Wordless Wednesday Photo Post originally appeared on About.com Crochet on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 01:01:18.

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The Great Origami Giveaway

Canadian-based paper crafting and origami shop The Paper Place is giving away a huge pile of origami paper, including an assortment of every single origami paper pack they sell on their shop. Just post a comment on their blog, and they’ll choose one random winner from there. You can find more info [...]

New Scissors

New scissors at a special price:

These are great for little gifts.

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/scissors.html

Maderia Floral Scissors:

Scissors from Kelmscott:

Wendy KC designs, Blackbird Sept and October Stocking and Rosewood Manor

New charts are added:

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/variousdesigners.html

New Wendy KC designs, Christmas Potpourri:

Blackbird October Harvest and Splendid September Stocking:

Rosewood Manor Vintage Lace and Silence Sampler:

Kelmscott Needle Minders and Thread Keeps

New to my web site, Kelmscott Needle Minders and Thread keeps at a special price:

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/accessories.html

Parts & Pieces

When we introduced our new Bamboo Interchangeable Needle Set we were also excited about being able to offer the parts individually. Like any new product launch, the parts & pieces sometimes take a bit longer. Fortunately, the wait is over! Cables, needle tips, jumpers and knobs are now all available individually! What is most exciting is the [...]

Ornament Exchange

Howdy doo friends!
I participated in an ornament exchange on the Friends Through Threads blog and yesterday this little buddy flew the coop and landed in my mailbox:

Christmas Chicken from Margaret S. of New Zealand

Didn't Margaret do a fantastic job? He's going to have to roost high up on my tree because the kitties sharing our home has been giving it the old stink eye....I know Red, for one would love to pluck it's gizzard, for sure! :) Thank you Margaret for such a lovely addition to my ornament collection.

Now....

Since this IS a stitching blog and I've not shown you anything stitching related in a. long. time. Would you like to see what I stitched for Joan S. in the same exchange? You do? Well then, here it is:

Prairie Schooler "O Come All Ye Faithful"

taken from the book entitled "Songs of the Season"

Stitched one over one on 25 ct. ivory lugana using DMC threads as called for

I love...

how this turned out. In fact so much so that I visions of stitching all of the "songs" in this booklet for myself as ornaments on 25 ct. fabric. Think I'll "git 'r done"? Well excuse me while I laugh my rear end off because I want to show you what I'm contemplating next....

Now....

copy and paste this to a new browser or click on it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8416520@N02/2219248167/sizes/l/

(and please use your best Brittany Spears voice and sing with me)

Oops....I did it again,

Looked through flickr albums,

lost track of time,

Oh cheese and crackers.

Yep, I bought the fabric,

I'm gonna tea dye it

and get all my threads

yeah, ready, ready

Pretty snappy tune, eh?

What else is up....

My Sweetie Pie, Honey Buns Husband is out of town. He's in Washington State near Seattle doing a major install of some thing that he's worked on for 4 years. According to our phone conversation last night, all was going well. I can't stand it when he's gone. Not only does it mean that I'm flying solo, but I'm just sorta lost without him. He's my best friend. I miss him.

I guess....

that does it for me. I've not hardly done any stitching of late because of my busy schedule. But hopefully soon....or at least at the beginning of the year? Fingers crossed. Until next time....

Love and best wishes, as you count your blessings and your stitches, from our house to yours!

XXxxxx

Free Yarn - Caron Is Giving Away Free Samples of Their Country Yarn

I just found this page on the Caron web site. It has information about how you can receive a free full-sized skein of NaturallyCaron.com Country yarn. They also have some free crochet patterns available for you as well.

I know some of you love Caron yarns, so I wanted to be sure to pass the info along in case you want to try it out.

This giveaway is open to people who have already used Caron Simply Soft yarns, or at least are willing to buy some and give them a try; you'll need to send them 3 Caron Simply Soft yarn labels, along with some information, in order to receive your free skein of yarn. Please refer to their web site for all the specifics of their offer.

I was not able to find an end date for this promotion; their web site says "This offer is available while supplies last."

Personally, I am not planning on taking them up on the giveaway. For starters, I am not that excited about the yarn. It's a blend of wool and microdenier acrylic, which doesn't particularly appeal to me. Don't let my lack of enthusiasm hinder you if it sounds like something you'd enjoy using - I am sure it's probably a perfectly nice yarn.

Those of you who decide to try it out, I hope you will come back and comment to let us know how you like the yarn.

Free Yarn - Caron Is Giving Away Free Samples of Their Country Yarn originally appeared on About.com Crochet on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 14:44:54.

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Coming up for air!

I decided to go backwards with The Book process. I was working diligently on the one project that needed the most attention (a full length dress) but wasn't feeling like I was going to make the December 1st deadline no matter how hard I worked. I have my wonderful stitchers working on the other big projects too, so I know that it will get done, but I just hadn't seen any evidence. So Friday I changed my strategy and hauled out the projects that were "almost" finished (many times I have stitchers work the major pieces of ...

Former art teacher still offering instruction

By RORYE O'CONNOR rorye.oconnor@register-news.com MT. VERNON - Retired art teacher Debbie Wilson helped a handful of community members get into the holiday spirit recently by teaching them a new craft.

Winter in Red and White

Merry Christmas Poinsettia

Today was the day we tackled the poinsettia in the Merry Christmas Mystery Class. We're coming along. When you look at it, we've already completed quite a few squares.

I really like the poinsettia. And not just because there are crystals in the center. While that isn't a bad thing, that's not the only thing I like about it.

We started with T Stitch in Sparkle Braid covering all the petals and allowing just a bit of the shading to show through. Now, here's the cool part. After all the T Stitch was done we filled in some of the open stitches with Tent Stitch in a darker shade of Sparkle Braid. It's just enough to make the shading pop.

This is a great technique for anything that is painted with a lot of shades and tones. One color of one thread across everything in an open stitch and then enhance the dark shadows.

To really bring the Poinsettia to live we added veins in Chain Stitch and Stem Stitch and of course crystals in the center.

We also finished two other small squares in class!

I'm off to start lesson #4. Wonder what fun we can have there.

Star of Wonder....

Here it is finished into the flatfold that Joy said she would like to have it finished as if she was chosen to receive this giveaway :) :) I hope you will enjoy it, Joy and I hope to mail it off very soon!

Designer: The Sunflower Seed
Fabric: 28ct. Mystic
Fibers: GAST
We have a guest coming this Wednesday for two weeks and with the upcoming holidays I will stay pretty busy-I hope to be back to posting regular after Christmas :) I miss visiting with you guys daily :) Thinking of you all :)

Hugs and love from SC :)
BeckySC

Free Pattern: Crochet Flower Fridgies

These cute crochet flowers are from my Missy Strawberry pattern but I would like to share them with you as a free pattern. I’ve turned them into fridge magnets and a brooch. It’s so simple and quick that you could whip them up for last minute thank you gifts for teachers or the party hostess. Visit [...]

Ready, Set, Knit #153

This week on Ready, Set, Knit Steve reviews new yarns and closeouts. I give a few suggestions for kids holiday gifts. Pixie & I begin our review of cast-ons. We’ll continue next week and then move onto bind-offs! New Closeouts Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino - 7 closeout colors Classic Elite Desert Classic Elite Renaissance New Yarn Opal Sock Yarn – Cathy [...]

Anita's November Stitching and finished pieces

Life has been very busy with the online business and my 6 years old son. We have signed up Karate and Boy Scout for him this year. He is also having homework every day and reading assignment. Here are my recent stitching, I have been dragging my feet on the finishing part. I tried something different this time and they turned out very pretty:

This is from Isabelle Vautier freebie, I carry the scissors, pearl beads and the beaded scissor
fob on my web site:

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/scissors.html

Sweetheart tree design, she is one of my favorite designer:

A french design from Couleur D'etoile, the name of the design is "Mignonne", I used ThreadworX
10372 Kaleb's Cherry Patch:

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/threadworx.html

I am working on some Christmas Floss Ring Tag, I have pictures up next week. Have a wonderful Sunday and thank you so much for visiting my blog.

O Canada 2010

Toesicles: A new (unisex) sock pattern!

Luxurious. Toasty. Sexy. Well, that last one depends on your point of view.

But, hey! These socks are perfect for holiday gifts... They knit up quickly, look impressive, and fit frosty feet of the female and male varieties!

And I'll bet, if you ask my husband, he'll say warm toes are sexy any day of the year. (Since the alternative tends to be my warming them on him.)

The pattern is new -- I just posted it on Ravelry today, so pop on over and pick up a PDF of your very own. You know you want to...

Not a Ravelry member? That's OK -- you can use PayPal. Drop me a line at KnitSix@gmail.com, send your $5, and I'll gladly send you a PDF.

Site Feed

I Love That Color!

What’s in a color? Amazing when you think about it! Do you say “I HATE that color” or “I LOVE that color”? Click here and see how you respond to this color wheel. (There’s an iPhone color app on this link too!) Have you painted a room one of these colors? Are you a brave red type or a shabby pink?

As the new studio addition draws near, I’ve been thinking about wall colors. Lurking nearby in the garage, we have CANS of paint. Palest of pinks, the freshest blue, a green I’ve decided I “Hate”. Test colors, used colors, colors we bought too much of. My hubby is the frugal one and of course wants to use the garage paint. He’s picked the pale pink. “It’s already there” he says, and “we won’t have to buy any ”.

I’m the extravagant one. I want a color that makes me feel “settled in” right away. One that lets me mix in all my distressed, vintage finds. I want a neutral color on the wall. I’m going with “Devine Icing” ! Love or hate the color, you have to love the name!

Now, want to have a little fun with color? Click on the link below and find your color horoscope! Skip the intro, find your birthday, and ta da! You’re a color! I’m Lilac Snow. Can’t believe it. I hate Lilac!

Pantone Colorstrology

Hugs,

Anne

Francesco Vezzoli Gets Gaga to MoCA

Petit-point embroidery plays an important part in the artistic career of Francesco Vezzoli: his best-known works are serigraphs in which details of the images are hand-stitched in shocking colors.

From sock to glove

Way back in September I had started a sock from Cookie A's Sock Innovation book. It's a 37 pattern repeat, but I had been amused by it for the few hours I had managed to actually work on it. It being a sock, I had decided to skip the gauge swatch and just start knitting. Everything was looking good, the two times Jessamy tried it on, it fit. And then, the inevitable happened. 5.5 inches from the cuff I handed the sock to her to try it on again ... it was too small.

So, instead of socks, she's getting gloves.

Now, this actually happened two weeks ago, and ever since then I've been trying to figure out how to actually make them into a glove.

I've been ripping out because I've been increasing too much for the thumb or ripping because I've increased too little. And just yesterday, after I took this picture, I tinked at least an inch because my suddenly switching into reverse stockinette for three of the four cables panels on the hand just looked weird.

There's no walking today (gale force winds were predicted today) so I'm hoping to devote some uninterrupted time for the glove today.

Happenings

1. I am at Port Ludlow, and the knitters arrive today. I'm pretty excited about that. 2. I admit that at least part of the fun comes from the staff at the resort trying to act like a whole hotel...

New Melissa Shirley Halloween designs at the Bristly Thistle

These 6 glamorous witches have flown into our Amelia Island store and are flying out. Just imagine a brocade stitch for a coat, fur trim, a darning pattern for the background, beads for extra bling. Start stitching now and these girls will be ready to step out next fall. These are available on our [...]

Poker face

I am stitching on some ornaments, but nothing to post yet.

I found this fun little blog and thought i would do the Friday Fill ins:

1. The last band I saw live was Trans Siberian Orchestra this time last year, fun once , but not again.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is cranberries. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is just getting started.
4. Thoughts of prepping for next semester fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear high boots, but my calves are too fat, always have been.
6. Bagpipes rule.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cleaning my room, tomorrow my plans include swim lessons with A and Sunday, I want to go to the Carolina Renissance Faire!

Holiday Inspiration

Well, despite my best efforts involving avoidance and denial, the holidays are nearly upon us. I love the holiday season, but this year everything is moving so fast I’m worried I’m just going to miss it all as it flies by in a blur. I’ve been feeling somewhat overwhelmed with all that needs to be [...]

Friday Give-Away – FQ Pack and Glass Bead Fob

What Do You Want for Christmas This Year?

What Do You Want for Christmas This Year? originally appeared on About.com Crochet on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 11:52:56.

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My Creative Space…

I’ve crocheted 5 out of the 12 squares for the Mystery Crochet Project. The squares are getting so big! I should have used a smaller hook. DOH! Too late now. Now that I’ve seen what it’s meant to look like in the end, I’m going to do finish mine very differently to Sarah’s. You can view [...]

Soup to Nuts

I’m still plugging away on Halloween stitching (clickable): I’m down to my favorite section. The haunted house I’m going to stick with it until I either get an overwhelming urge to stitch Christmas stuff or I finish it. Obviously the preference is the latter I will work in the latest Mirabilia RR installment [...]

Alice’s Wall Hanging

Free Pattern – Herringbone Scarf

This week’s featured FREE pattern is just lovely. I give to you, the Valley Yarns pattern #293 Herringbone Scarf: This scarf is knit using Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino/Tencel. Since this yarn is used by both knitters and weavers, it comes on cones. One cone is $22.50 and you can get 4 scarves! That makes the cost of [...]

Project week

It’s project week at Bunny Hill. The tables are a bit cluttered, and there’s fabric everywhere, but that’s a good thing. It means I’m working! I never have enough room. If there’s a spare inch of table space I fill it with something. Things look orderly in my photos, but if you could see what I copped out you’d laugh!

Here’s the fabrics for a new quilt I’m working on. It’s the new line from the French General & Moda Fabrics called “Rural Jardin”. I’ll add some basics and a few other fabrics and maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a new quilt!

And how about this little stack of wool and other goodies? Gotta love this wool! I’ve even mixed in a fat quarter or two of “Martinique” !

These are the makings for the next Bitty Pincushion! This is a fun one I’ll be sharing for next market! I’m so proud of myself for working ahead. Normally the pincushions get left until last! But not this little one!

Remember to keep those squirrel names coming! Mrs. Beasley, Nuti, Nutty, Poppy, Sassie, Bitty Grace, Beatrice, Jewel, Scamper, Amber, Chloe…

Hugs,

Anne

New Shakespeare's Peddler Designs

These are new Shakespear's Peddler designs that I added on the web site:

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/shakespearesp.html

Lately ... A Quiet Blog

Bristol Tabletopper;
A tribute to the needlework
of the Muller Orphan Homes

c.2007 Dutch Treat Designs

Why so quiet? I haven't stitched much.

When I've been with my stitchie pals, I started this tabletopper (from my stash) and stitched up a couple of the motifs in the center square. It is stitched with Caron Watercolours.

When I've had some spare time, I've been practicing my tatting.

Telegram from an Airport

Finished Nutkins last night so I could wear them on the plane going to Port Ludlow. Stop. They are as sparkly as I hoped. Starry yarn very much so. Stop. 2% silver does not bother metal detectors at Airport. They...

Veteran's Day...

Katie.....
along with three other young students, won the Veteran's Day Essay Contest at her school.

Daddy and Mama....
attended the Veteran's Day Convocation where she read her essay to the whole assembly.

~Katie, the oldest student, waiting her turn~

~still waiting, but she saw Mom is taking pictures~

~Katie's Turn~

Here is her essay and we dedicate it as a family to all the veterans that have served our country throughout the years from 1776 to 2009. Especially my Grandfather Bernard F. Weber (U.S. Navy - WWII), my father-in-law Edwin P. Pfeiffer (U.S. Army, Vietnam) and my brother Jeremy D. Epperson (US Marines)

Dear Veterans,

Veterans are the reason this country was started. Many of our Presidents were veterans, like George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant and others. We should also be proud of the veterans that are here today.

Veterans are heroic, brave, strong, patriotic and protective. They want to help other countries that don't have the lifestyle and freedoms that we as American citizens enjoy. Veterans keep us safe, defend our rights, work every day nonstop to protect our country from visible and invisible threats. Thank you veterans for your unfailing and ceaseless hard work in keeping this great United States of America the "Land of the Free" and the "Home of the Brave".

Tonight, before you go to sleep, thank your lucky stars that there are soldiers protecting our land, cruising our waters and flying overhead to keep you safe while you sleep.

Sincerely,

Katie G. Pfeiffer

Thank YOU Veterans for serving our country, I know there are many proud families and especially proud Mama's out there for all the men and women serving our country. And I know that I know a portion of that pride, because this is one proud Mama. A Mama proud of her daughter for her ability to produce such a rousing and heartfelt piece of work proclaiming her pride in her country and it's defendants!

God Bless America!

Best/Worst weekend ever

Pigeon Forge Haul
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist

It has taken me 3 days to recover from this past weekend and post for you. Now let me tell you why. I decided several weeks ago to get in on the annual pigeon forge retreat hosted by Katrina over at Crossed Threads. I got my mom to come down and watch A. so I could go. I thought I could get out of my friday obligations at work and leave early in order to have a whole 2 days up in the mountains to stitch.

It all began to fall apart about a week before I left, I found out that I had misread my schedule and that we had an anatomy practical on the friday I wanted to leave, and thatI had to stay till it was all cleaned up. So that meant instead of leaving around 8 in the morning I would be leaving at 4 in the afternoon. ugh. but what are you going to do? my job is worth more than my vacation. It is a 4 hour drive so I think I'll get there by 8-9pm at the latest. Fast forward to fri afternoon, So I am heading out making GOOD time when I discover that there is a rock slide on 40 blocking this highway at the border. I freak out cause I only had my mapquest directions with me (the trip involved exactly 2 turns) , there are detours posted but I have no idea if they will put me back on 40 before or after my exit. so I call my husband who tells me the detour will add another hour and a half to my trip, and in the middle of giving corrected directions my phone dies (my new phone that i did not get a car charger for yet!). I am very upset thinking about heading home, but by then i am in TN and about an hour away...I stopped in a rest stop and picked up a cheap map to get me the rest of the way there. arriving around 10:30PM. YAY but I am so agitated i cannot stitch for another hour or so.

Saturday was a good day, hung out with my roomate Shelley, shopped at Dixie Darlin, ate at the Old Mill, stitched till late, had a great time with the games, dirty santa gift exchange, and ornament exchange. Shelley and I decide that we are going to try the Apple Barn for breakfast early the next morning which I had never been to. But once out the door, I discover my car is DEAD, not reving, not not turning over, DEAD. So Shelley jumps my car (we both had jumper cables) and we decide to just get on the road and head our separate ways (she is in GA). I head home, but notice that my radio falters every time I turn on my turn signal. NOT good. So I decide I can't stop or my car will be dead again. I did pause for gas and some snacks (remember no breakfast) but i did not turn off the car while i filled up (it drove me nuts too, I was waiting for the gas cops to show up...) I got home by 1 and when i turned off the car in my drive way it would not start up again (as i had suspected) . I now have a new battery and my mom is headed home to PA. So while my trip was horrible I did get in 1 full good day stitching.

My Haul:
Sampler snowman by Homespun elegance, recipe cards, dinky dyes floss and other patterns not pictured here won in doorprizes and bingo.
Lots of fabric (can you tell i am out of natural shades of linen?), some NN floss, The Branch by Bent Creek, and Curlylocks by Silver Creek Samplers. all bought.

The ornament i got in exchange for my penguin is that cute snowman down in front, and I also got the Snowman photobooth kit from Bent Creek aquired thru the dirty santa exchange. He is so cute I started stitching it already, even though I have ornaments I need to do for 3 more exchanges coming up in Dec.

A little Etsy love

Hey all! Have you visted the Etsy website at all? I am sure most of you have, and I am an addict. I love looking through home made items, people are so brilliant and creative, it's like an online art gallery. Well, I was found a really neat feature on their site, you pick a color from their rainbow and images that match the color show up on the screen, it's so FUN! Anyway, you have to go and play with it. I am trying to get some ideas for gifts this year. I think I'll be shopping at Etsy almost exclusively :) Have fun you guys!

I ordered my "Picnic" pattern yesterday, and I hope to get it over the weekend so I can start sewing my little heart out.

Our house is in a state of disrepair at the moment. I found out a few weeks ago that my dishwasher had been leaking (!!!!) The damage is pretty bad, we have to redo the kitchen floors and part of the cupboard, and get a new dishwasher. It's nuts. Anyway, it's always something isn't it??

Politics: Bend Over, Please

~ SW Representative Rick Boucher voted YES to Cap and Trade ~

RE: Cap and Trade - Don L. Blankenship, Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy, fourth largest coal company in the USA notes, "In Spain, an economics professor calculates that green job schemes have destroyed more than 110,000 jobs in that country, of 2.2 jobs destroyed for every one created. The CEO of the world's largest renewable energy company, Eon, is warming the EU that further cuts to CO2 emissions will only raise the cost of energy, putting the region at a competitive disadvantage and driving production overseas."

God knows what the figures are in the USA but if you're a small business owner, between Cap and Trade and ObamaCare - Bend Over, Please.

So, you don't think a coal company has anything to do with you? Au contraire, Dear Voter! If you've flipped on a light switch, turned on your computer, read a newspaper, magazine or book, driven your vehicle or ridden public transportation...in other words, if you're a member of the 21st century, living in the USofA, indeed most of the civilized world, coal affects you Every Single Day and you should thank a coal miner. If you've eaten today, thank a farmer.

RE: National Health Care Socialization Plan - Dick Morris and Eileen McGann are two writers appearing on The Hill, a website aimed at keeping up with the "Inner Circle" madness that has spilled over into our everyday lives. Will Rogers said, paraphrased, of President Calvin Coolidge, "He didn't do nothing much but nothing much was what we wanted done." We, the plebes that pay taxes and vote those folks into office, used to could say the same about our "representatives". No longer.

In their recent article, ObamaCare Endorsements: What The Bribe Was Morris and McGann lay bare the ugly truth we weren't supposed to know until after the fact. Please read the entire article but, as a teaser, know this: the President, AMA and AARP are in in a cozy little threesome and you and I are the losers.

"The American Medical Association (AMA) was facing a 21 percent cut in physicians' reimbursements under the current law. Obama promised to kill the cut if they backed his bill."

and

"The AARP got a financial windfall in return for its support of the healthcare bill. Over the past decade, the AARPhas morphed from an advocacy group to an insurance company (through its subsidiary company)." --- "Obama solved their [AARP] problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP -- which supposedly represents them -- will make more money."

You don't recognize Medigap? Gee, me neither. Wonder who owns them?

THANKS AARP...not. When it's time to renew my membership, guess what? It's not happening! Oh, and by the way, you may stop sending all those requests to support a "national health care plan" 'cause that's not happening either. As a matter of fact, I've already sent my Senators a letter asking them to vote NO. As soon as I finish with this blog entry, I'm going to telephone them, just in case they've forgotten my request to vote NO.

Instead, I've telephoned American Seniors, an organization that advertises itself as a "conservative alternative to AARP". Stuart Barton, President of American Seniors, has written ObamaCare No, Targeted Reforms, Yes and, in part, states,"The American Seniors Association, which represents hundreds of thousands of members nationwide, has several major concerns. First, any government-run plan is bound to limit patient-doctor choice. Second, the House bill includes an employer mandate that would kill jobs and lower wages. Indeed, the current House legislation attacks baby boomers and seniors -- in fact, every American-- by underwriting the $1.5 trillion healthcare price tag with new taxes and by cutting $500 billion out of Medicare over the next 10 years."

Mr. Barton quotes Camille Paglia, a liberal Democrat writer for Salon, in which she "eviscerates Obamacare perhaps more shrilly than any conservative pundit to date. Consider:

"You can keep your doctor; you can keep your insurance, if you're happy with it, Obama keeps assuring us in soothing, lullaby tones. Oh, really? And what if my doctor is not the one appointed by the new government medical boards for ruling on my access to tests and specialists? And what if my insurance company goes belly up because of its government-bankrolled competitor? Face it: virtually all nationalized health systems, neither nourished nor updated by profit-driven private investment, eventually leads to rationing.

"Paglia's specific criticism of Obama, which ASA shares, is withering. "Frankly," she writes, "the president gives little sense of direct knowledge of medical protocols; it's as if his views are a tissue to hearsay and scatter-shot worst-case scenarios."

YEOUCH! Can you hear us now?

And, while I'm on a rant... I don't want to forget the Golden Boy of Environmental Causes...most especially those that will make him a Billionaire...he passed the Multi-Millionaire status long, long ago: Al Gore. Smart boy that he is, he has positioned himself to receive Billion$$$$$ in government fund$$$$$ when, yet more, global warming legislation is passed.

Do I believe in global warming? I'm not sure but I do know Michael Crighton didn't believe in it; he researched for three years and then wrote State of Fear as his response to what he believed was a hoax. In an ABC interview, he said,"I'm saying that environmental organizations are formenting false fears inorder to promote agendas and raise money."

OH NO MIKEY, say it ain't so! Surely not!

Weather keeping has only been done for about the last one hundred years. Of course there are fluxuations in the weather, always have been, always will be but Global Warming...? Ummmm, who knows Beyond A Shadow of A Doubt? The answer is: no one. Not Al, not O, not Teddy, not you, not me. No One. That doesn't mean I don't turn off the lights when I leave a room but that's, primarily to save money and the side benefit is, I don't use energy...er...money more than necessary.

In closing...here's a truth No One can get around: You Cannot Take It With You. Period. Nothing goes - Nada. Zilch. Zero. All that lovely lolly you told uncountable lies for and spent years amassing and, in some cases, sold your soul to obtain - it Stays Behind as does whatever name you've made for yourself. After you're gone, it becomes Someone's Else's Money and what's left behind is the old maxim: Liars figure and figures lie. Oh, and global warming? Well, that's going to pale in comparison to the Hades hot it will be down below.

RIP.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ canoes ~ paddles ~ coal ~ energy ~ Camille Paglia ~ Don L. Blankenship ~ Michael Crighton ~ American Seniors ~

Crocheted Dishcloths in Masculine Colors

I crocheted all day yesterday. My hands were tired last night. So, I asked my husband if he wouldn't mind washing the dishes. He said, "Sure, no problem." But when I handed him a pastel version of my lacy dishcloth, he gave me a look that suggested I'd somehow insulted his masculinity.

Note to Self: Self, when asking your husband to wash the dishes, don't push your luck.

Dishcloths My Husband Might Have Liked Better:

Earthtone ombre dishcloth

Camel and blue dishcloth

Next time, I'll be sure to give him one of those instead.

Further Reading:

See more resources for washing the dishes.

Crocheted Dishcloths in Masculine Colors originally appeared on About.com Crochet on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 18:28:54.

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Gingerbread gifties...

LOOKIE what the mailman brought me from Tricia (aka Pat, whom I have known for many years and love to pieces :)!!!!!) I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY (enough really's?????)wish Tricia would start a blog. I have begged for a couple of years now, but alas she has not been bitten by the blogging bug :) I can see a bigger tree next year for my gingerbread collection :) YAY!!
Tracy asked me how many trees I put up in my home for Christmas.....USUALLY I put up 4 large trees 7.5 foot trees(Angel Tree (all angels are handmade by my dear mother), snowman tree, nutcracker tree and my handmade ornaments tree)and an array of smaller trees that I scatter throughout the house-but this year I am only putting up one large tree-I still have my smaller trees throughout but just the one large tree this year :) I decided that I needed to minamalize this year due to health issues with family members that may need much care in the next couple of months and I don't really see my hubby taking down all my decorations if I am unavailable to do so :) Actually, he WOULD take them down because he is such a sweetheart.....-I am just afraid of how he may pack them away...LOL!!
Anyway-here are the darling ornies I received from Tricia :)
This gingerbread house...

And this little fellow...

And this one :) TOO CUTE!!!

Someone (sorry-I had so many email I don't recall who asked what at the moment) asked me about what type lighting I use to stitch. I use a daylight floor lamp in my main stitching chair...I LOVE it and I couldn't do without it. I also have a daylight table lamp and an Ott travel light...all which are VERY good lighting for stitching.
Someone else asked about my scroll rods and stands...I have 2 floor stands-one Gazelle and one American Dream-both which are wonderful-however the American Dream floorstand is HUGE!!! I was unaware it was so large when I ordered it. I also have 2 lapstands-one EZ stitch system, which I LOVE and an Elan lapstand. I just use the EZ scroll rods AND q-snaps with all my stands. Pics of my stands can be found in previous posts :)
Another Question was about dust and how I dust all my displays....I dust them the same way I do other displays in my home-I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the swiffer dusting systems :) Works GREAT!!
And finally, someone wanted to know if I let people handle my smalls displays...ABSOLUTELY!!!!!-pick them up-look at them, fondle them, enjoy them :)

Thank you so much for your visits and email (I have quite a few email from last post to reply to-I am on my way out with my best friend again today and have not had time to answer yet-I will *try* to do that when I get home this afternoon)I appreciate them and YOU so very much :) And thank YOU again, Tricia!! LOVE them!!

Have a most wonderful day wherever you are and remember to hug a friend!! They are priceless :)
hugs and love from SC,
BeckySC

We Have A Winner!

I am so excited to announce the winner of our “Color by Kristin” giveaway! Carol O. – you are the winner! Please email me at kathy.elkins@yarn.com with your address, etc. Please also let me know which project you would like to make and what size so that I can send you the right amount of yarn! [...]

I just have to say............I am BLESSED :)

There may be bloggers/stitcher's out there and in the real world that have a lot more friends than I do....but I have the BEST most caring friends in the blogging world and real world! I just can't say how blessed I feel by some of you...THANK you so much for the kindness and love you all have shown me-I have received some of the sweetest most thoughtful email the last few weeks....it's VERY humbling :) I had more than one email that started out..."Hi Becky, I hate to bother you"...WHAT??? Bother me?? NEVER!!! I love hearing from you all-it's NEVER a bother :) Please feel free to contact me if you like :) I have so enjoyed hearing from old friends and new friends alike :) I love you all :)

This is for those that have emailed and commented about how I display my collection of stitching...here are a few pics of some of my displays :) They change often :)I'm a "tweeker" too :) PLUS I keep adding smalls to them through my own stitching as well as gifts/exchanges :) :) :)

I have a thing for old sewing kits/baskets and I found this blue lined one at an antique shop earlier this year!! :)

And while I am here...here is how I displayed my gingerbread rolling pin-I decided to display it underneath the cabinet... LOVE IT!!

AND my nutcracker collection for Kathy...Kathy-this is last years pic and one from 2006- (plus I have had 3 more years of collectiing nutcrackers that are not pictured :) )my den is totally different now with differnt furniture as well as no entertainment center as hubby got a 42 inch TV for Father's Day this year :) :) so the room is set up differently now with less furniture :) We have a family room too-but this is where hubby and I spend most of our time :)

Linda asked if I have a big house to hold all my treasures......well yes, it's 2050 square feet...but some how that is still not enough...ROFL!

Still stitching away...still can't share :)

As always dear friends and readers...Thank you for taking time from your day to visit with me :) I TREASURE you all :) Please come again!

BIG hugs and much love from SC :)
BeckySC

All Sparkles All The Time

I don't really know what came over me when it came to this sparkle yarn, but I'm a smidge obsessed. (I know. It's so unlike me.) It came into our local shop a few weeks ago, just one skein in...

Perfect Pears

Apparently I have a thing for needlepoint pears.

Vintage Pears is a Melissa Shirley canvas that I just love. Beverly Churchfield did the stitchguide for it and it is amazing. The stitch selections and thread selections are so much fun they really take the canvas to the next level.

I added pears to my line of handpainted canvases this Summer. We have the large and small sizes to fit in different sizes of Stirling bags. This is the large size and it fits the smaller Stirling tote.

And here's the small size that fits in the shoulder bag or the accessory bag. The design looks good both horizontal and vertical. Stitch it up and decide on the bag later. One of my smarter moments :-)

This isn't a new obsession for pears. Back in the late 90's (yes, I've been around that long) I designed Gilded Pears, a counted work piece. It's also available as a painted canvas with a stitch guide.

I guess its true, I have a thing for needlepoint pears.

Stash taking over???? Edited to answer Sharon EDITED again for questions**

I had a couple of comments as to if I were running out of room for stash or if it were taking over my home...the answer is NO :) I am very fortunate to have a stitching room all to myself and when my DD moves out I can expand my stitching room to twice the size!! :) Though it is much smaller than I would like-I love it just the same and spend much time in it :) I have cross stitch displayed all over my home. I have smalls displayed throughout my home and over 60 framed pieces on my walls. The items that are not displayed throughout my home for whatever reason be it not the season/holiday for them (I DO display most all of my stitching, exchanges and gifts throughout my home at some point during the year) are also in my stitching room. This is also where I do all my finishing. I have two 5 shelf units (not showing them as they are in desperate need of organizing-though you can see one peeking out here in this photo)that hold all my finishing supplies.

All my charts are filed away in this 4 drawer file cabinet with folders and labeled :)(My dad's plant is closing and he got me an industrial 5 drawer file cabinet last week-with 250 file folders-it's HUGE-I guess I need to reorganize and move my charts over to it as this one is full and it will hold a great deal more)

These hold all my DMC -I can easly see when I need to replace a color. My specialty fibers and my kits are in the two 5 drawer chests underneath my DMC storage.

This is the table I work at when doing finishing. Hubby added some PCV pipe to the legs to bring it up high enough for my comfort. The cabinet underneath holds all my fabrics

This is one of my most FAVORITE places to be :) I love being in my stitching room-it is another simple thing that makes my heart happy :) :)

So, there you see....I do not have stash running amuck at my house :) It has it's own room!!!! LOL!!!

Sharon, I have my FAVORITE stitching chair and it's in the den so I can be with my family as well as watch TV :) This is a pic of it tonight...shhhh there is a giftie being stitched :)

EDITED FOR QUESTIONS :)
Questions from Terri-one of my readers :) After receiving pretty much the same questions from a couple of others-I thought I would post my answers to Terri here :)

Hi Becky,
I continue to be amazed at all that you stitch and actually get done (as opposed to me who ‘pretends’ to stitch but never quite finishes anything.) I think I have stitching ADHD combined with startitis, so I definitely need some help. I’ve had some questions while reading your blog and wondered if you’d be kind enough to help me so I can improve my HDs.

1) How much do you stitch each day/week?
It depends on if my hubby is off (he works 12 hour swing shifts and when he is off I try to spend as much time with him as possible-he has 14 days off a month-they are split into days-with a stretch of 7 days off in a row each month-what we call long off and we enjoy it SO much-BUT-again, my hubby is VERY supportive of my stitching-so that helps as well) and what I have planned for each day. Some times I only stitch an hour and other days I can stitch for the better part of a day. (SEE ANSWER #4 though to explain this better)
2) Do you rotate projects or are you a one-at-a-timer?
I used to rotate weekly-but as I grow older -I am 45, I find that I just go with the flow and work on whatever is calling to me. I used to be a stickler for "time" management in my WIP's and worked on them weekly-but I just feel that life should be ENJOYED with each thing you do (again, I think that came with my age) so now it's all about whatever I feel like working on -on each given day :)
3) Do you work outside the home?
I did for 25 years in the school system and I still managed to stitch "almost" as much :) I am a SAHW now and couldn't be happier with my choice!
4)Regardless of the answer to #3, how do you fit in housework and other necessities?
This is where I found things changed for me. (I used to be an internet junkie when I first got online-over 10 years ago and for the first 2 years I spent WAY too much time online so I had to READJUST my thinking and my priorities) NOW I NEVER get on the computer or stitch until everything I need to take care of in the house is done (I must admit-I am a bit of a neat freak and do not like for anything to be out of place and I actually ENJOY cleaning)-with the exception of laundry as I can stitch while it is washing/drying...but the first thing I do each day is take care of housework and errands. I just told Amy Friday that I spent two hours re-organizing my pantry. I do deep cleaning as well as everyday cleaning weekly-It all works out for me and I don't feel like I am missing anything...especially time with my family or my stitching. MY home is always clean and I STILL enjoy my stitching :)

Thank you all so VERY much for your comments and your sweeter than sweet emails :) You are all so very thoughtful and I treasure YOU :)
Please do come again :)
Love and hugs from SC :)
BeckySC

Holy Island

No, not I'm talking about England in general.

Yesterday we went to Holy Island, a small island just off of the eastern coast. It's famous for a few things, one being that St. Cuthbert, one of the most celebrated saints in England, lived there. It's also where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written, the island's causeway is only open during certain hours of the day, resulting in the occasional news story about unfortunate people getting stuck in the water after they try to cross at the wrong time, and they manufacture mead (yes, we did buy some).

Here is Jessamy and our roommate on our way to the "castle." The castle was built during Henry the blahblahblah's time (ok, so I wasn't paying that much attention) as a fortified building for soldiers (they were worried about attacks from the Scottish at that time). By the 19th century that threat had long past and the castle had fallen into ruin. The owner of the magazine country life bought it and hired an architect to transform it into a home. Now it's open to the public.

In the castle, where cannons once stood. Now there's a bench.

There were lots of photographers and bird watchers on the island. It was surprisingly hard to tell from a distance who has taking a picture and who was just watching for winged creatures.

This is part of the priory, now in ruins.

Mead! I can assure you my hair wasn't messy because I had already started drinking my purchase, but after an otherwise beautiful and sunny day (rare at this time of year) it had gotten a little windy at that point.

This is taken form the bus, on the way back through the causeway. As you can see, just directly next to the road there are puddles. In just a few hours the road would be completely covered with water.

An Evening with a Pioneer Woman

Last night I attended a book signing at a local independent bookstore: Changing Hands It was for this: Here’s how it went: Several weeks ago: Pre-order cookbook online One week ago: Decide to attend booksigning and pre-order second book at bookstore Thursday: Realize I will have two copies after the signing, and check with friend to see if she would [...]

Amy Bunger’s new needlepoint DVDs are in …

…and I know what I’ll be doing tonight—getting a “private lesson” from Amy and her special guest, Kelly Clark. Volume 7 “The Ins & Outs of Needleweaving covers attached and detached needle weaving. Watch how to weave such things as an open pocket, a door latch, cute little sheep’s ears and seaweed. Kelly Clark [...]

Jaybird Quilts is having a really nice giveaway! Be sure and check out her blog, she makes the most beautiful things :)