What was the name of this?

I think it's Frosted Autumn. I'd have hunt down the chart to see who designed it. I actually finished this years ago - in 2000. But I'm particularly proud of it for a different reason.
For my birthday in 1998, while my DH was in Kuwait, I took the kids to one of my favorite needlework stores. I walked around with them and talked about what I liked. Then set them free with some help from the store clerks. This design, complete with the fibers, was what my 9 year old son picked out for me. I went back after my birthday to thank the clerk for doing such a fine job assisting, but she said he was sure this was what I would want. I love it, but had never even noticed it on my own. 

Needlebook cover

We needed a small design as the class was in finishing the Tulip Tree Needlebook from the Summer of 2004 SANQ. I decided not to go with the Merry Cox design and took this off some Quaker style box covering. Yup. I do love purple. 

Sheepish Designs

The Eagle Exemplary 106th. Will have to find money to frame this one along with the preamble to the Constitution.

Full Moon Sampler

The Goode Huswife. Catching up finally to the new camera. Finished this when? October - November of 2005? There are actually four different colored fibers. But it really only looks like two from the photo. 

latest stash enhancements

From last week.

I went to the Stitcher's Stash in Fairfax for the first time. The owner is extremely nice and friendly and helpful. The store is located where the Scarlet Thread was. It's interesting that it seems so much brighter and more open. I think this is the first time that I noticed the very high tin ceiling.

I only purchased 2 things - the Water's Edge "It's 5:00 Somewhere." Detailed Image View
I would not have purchased this - looked at the chart and passed it by - but then noticed the store model stitched on black. That got my attention. I hadn't really noticed this designer before and I've gone looking here online - not my preferences. Most designs just too simplistic for me.

Second purchase - Blackbird Designs "Dear Friend." http://www.dashdist.com/blackbird/cross_stitch/webnDearFriend_lg.jpg
This was also a store model that caught my attention. It was stitched on a darker, more cranberry colored fabric (even though the fabric in the photo is R & R's cranberry bog - just seems too light for me. Maybe it's the photo.) My plan is to modify this slightly, adding initials and a wedding date and removing the dear friend.

Next stop was my second trip to the Scarlet Thread in Vienna. Though there were things I was attracted to - here I limited my self to the Heartland House's "Rose Transom Window." http://www.heartlandhouse.com/images/rose_transom.jpg
My plans for this involve changing the colors of the roses. I'm not interested in the historical accuracy of the window so much as simply the design. This would be a fairly quick project and it would go somewhere in our house which is going more and more towards the craftsman style.

Both stores deserve our business. Neither one yet can match the selection of In Stitches or the Stitching Post. But I'm all for more stitching stores.

stitching blogger's QotW 2/17

Do you love comments or hate them? Do you check them every day, never check them, or find them helpful? And finally, are you convinced no one is reading your blog if you don’t get any?

Bwwwahaaahaaa.
I am the queen of lurkdom.
But I know there are other pretenders to the throne.
So no comments, no worries.
I know you're out there.

the reason

The reason I can't stitch as much as I used to - Elvis has decided to become a lap cat. As we are still in the early stages of this, I don't want to insult him by dumping him off my lap. Ah 20 lbs of love and flurry of flying cat fur... 

the meal

Roast duck, red potatoes, braised brussels sprouts and carrots, and rosemary olive oil bread

And a very nice bottle of Proseco with a cool Etruscan mural on it... 

ah - la Rein de Saba

Arial view of the cake 

What the Boy Wanted

We have a birthday tradition at our house. Ask for anything for your birthday dinner and also specify your type of cake.

My DD usually takes the cake challenge and does this: make me a green cake, make me a blue cake, etc. For dinner, she usually picks her favorites. (For dinner, when it's my turn, I make reservations.)

But my son has to be different. He looks upon this as some kind of challenge for me. So for his birthday, I roasted my first duck ever. Not bad. Very tender. But not a lot of meat on a duck. And I felt like I was cooking Daffy... Last year he challenged me on the cake to make a maple cake. LOL It certainly was maple-flavored. This year he asked for a cake I've made before - Julia Child's Rein de Saba (Queen of Sheba.) This is a chocolate and almond cake. Very, very chocolaty - especially when you use Scharfenburger's Unsweetened chocolate. He took it easy on me for the rest of the meal - just asked for red potatoes and brussels sprouts.

starting to puruse

market reports.
And - ding, ding, ding - we have a winner!
Right off the bat I found this:

A Most Noble Pursuit detail

Ten designers - one large sampler, or ten smaller ones.

no stitching

But I did make cards yesterday - 1 sympathy, 2 valentine's, 1 get-well, and 1 just thinking of you.

Totally spaced on making one for DS who turns 17 tomorrow. Can barely believe it was 17 years ago that we were just waiting for this baby to arrive so we could leave Germany. He arrived 2 1/2 weeks past my due date.

So Mr. B - here's to you, my smiling, happy boy. You make every day brighter.

snow, pretty snow

Got about 11 inches. Not bad. We got the perfect snowman snow. It's still clinging to the trees today.

I went out yesterday twice and took some awesome pics. Need to put them on the 'puter where others can see...

Hmm. So that was a officially a snowstorm for my birthday. Thanks. I only shovelled the sidewalk. Left the rest for the boys.

Need to make a pilgrimage to the Stitching Post as a birthday treat. Though I did buy a beading book, and 2 cookbooks yesterday. What's a birthday without a little treat?

Winter Olympics

Hmphf.
Just can't get excited about this. I'm sure I'll watch some of it. But. Heavy sigh. I'm tired of the packaging. Would like access to the competition with ability to pick and choose what to watch.

It's all just kind of blah.

a finish

So it's beading, not stiching. What can I say?

I finished my Big City Lights bracelet on Tuesday. It's by Hurricane-Designs - Carol Cathey. Went on to do 2 Swarovski bracelet kits - need more practice with using headpins for the earrings. But did manage to do a bracelet that matches the beads that my sister had restrung for me that used to belong to my grandmother. That was a mouthful.

Off to do another charity/gift project. First one was my only stitching finish for this year so far. This one will be simple and fast as someone who volunteered to contribute, didn't. And won't answer e-mails from coordinator either. How absolutely rotten. Especially considering the circumstances. I can see backing out, but tell someone if you are suddenly overwhelmed and unable to participate.

Super Whatever

Hmm. Anyone else think the refs affected the outcome of the game?

We did attend a Super Bowl party. Had a good time. Left at halftime, so I don't get to comment on that show.

Favorite commercial: the Fedex caveman one

Least favorite commercial: godaddy.com and I'm annoyed that my DH laughed at it. Not just the first time either...

project runway

Oh no. Andrae's out. In my mind, Santino should have been gone long ago and there's no justice to this show if he makes it to the finals.

Now for my challenge idea - how about just once making them use plus size models?