rats

I just wrote a nice long post while on another server and lost everything. Everytime I clicked a button on blogger it sent me back to the sign in screen. Now that was annoying.

So a quick recap:

I finished off a crochet project this weekend. I had made a purse a few years back and when I found it this spring, I realized it needed lining or things would just fall out of it.

I found a fabric that matched my variegated yarn perfectly and made a pattern out of a paper bag. Cut, sewed, made pockets even and stitched it into place. I'm proud to have absorbed enough from watching Carol Duvall on HgTV to be able to do this without instructions in front of me.

There was way more, but I'm tired. LOL

that time of month

time for EGA meeting

duh

Yesterday

Had good class on a creating an embroidered ornament. I got to sit next to the troublemaker. Which was fun. Little miss perfectionist. No really. I mean it was fun. She's a hoot. She nearly got me in trouble with the teacher. Felt like I was back in 4th grade. LOL

This is a quick and easy piece. I've done the part that takes the longest. But came home and immediately started back in on my pilot class piece. Still am debating about creating a sampler for the niece's wedding. I've got one picked out. And now I know his initials. Would be fast to do. But need to jump on this one, if I'm going to get it done in time for framing.

Plus I'm still holding an idea in my head for the summer challenge, which is mythology. This needs to be done by the end of July. And here it is the end of May.

Better stop typing and pick up a needle.

Sure I'll Play

List your favourite 10 musical artists, with bonus points to those who have the most obscure or varied taste:

* Ella Fitzgerald
*Bill Morrissey
*Patsy Cline
*Led Zeppelin
*Manhattan Transfer
*Prince
*Mozart - does this count? I mean it's not like I have any recordings done by Mozart...
*Patty Larkin
*Etta James
*the Beatles + plus any solo recordings by John Lennon

But Ella is definitely, most completely my favorite.

second meeting for pilot class

Okay.
My canvas needleworking skills are in good working order. I'm keeping up with the rest of group and haven't made any major mistakes. Or really even minor ones. Except that counting error yesterday where instead of counting I used the ruler to find the center of the canvas. But that was easily frogged and will only take 2 minutes to restitch. This time I will stop and count it out.

The squared palestrina knot that we practiced was interesting. I can do this easy on a flat piece, but using it to join 2 pieces of canvas is a little more complicated.

Spock Market

Oh my.
Now nearly everyone at my house is playing the Spock Market.

I've made quite a killing in Enterprise and Transporter stocks.

LOL

go to the G4TV website and look for interactive if interested in playing along

floodwaters

The floodwaters are receeding in my hometown. The 150 year old dam is holding. And somewhere we still have a t-shirt that reads "best town by a dam site." Maybe it should be best dam. Ah, those frugal hard-working old time New Englanders. They sure knew how to build things.

Stitching Blogger's QOTW 5/17

Have a case of startitis? What projects are you dying to start? Which would you start today if you "allowed" yourself?

Well. I have way too many projects to stitch them all in my lifetime.

But if I had my way, I'd start the Catherine Agnes Sampler by Indigo Rose. The reason that I don't is that I have two large projects on scroll rods already in the works. Celtic Christmas - maybe 60% completed and Agnes Scott by With My Needle which is maybe 35% completed.

ah the internet

thanks to technology I was able to see my sister being interviewed on TV about the flooding in my hometown

cool

but would rather it was unnecessary to interview her

Not Good

It is not a good thing to see your hometown on the Weather Channel.

And I don't see a lot of relief coming soon.

My poor seacoast NH...

Mother's Day

and not an egg in the house, so out to breakfast we went. Works for me.

Stopped by the nursery after breakfast. Came home and spent the afternoon digging and planting and chopping and putting in bricks around the sidewalk. Of course the skies opened up as we were finishing the larger yard (DS was helping me.) Which means I'll do the smaller side on my own sometime this week.

Came in and took a bubble bath with cinnamon/ylang-ylang bath stuff. Ordered Chinese for dinner.

Everything was hunky dory, until we started calling home and realized how bad things are in NH. Way too much rain. I feel for you people. Wish there was something I could do.

Risk

Can't believe we stayed up till 11:30 playing Risk with the kids. Only DD was eliminated. There was obviously going to be no clear cut winner anytime soon, so the three of us called it quits.

Went to my pilot class yesterday. It's a beautiful canvas piece. I'm playing the part of advanced beginner. Not a stretch 'cause that's what I am with canvas work. Everyone else belongs to the ANG as well as EGA. At least I know how to use a laying tool. LOL

Next Question

Stitching Bloggers Question:

When you stitch from a kit and use the supplied floss do you have leftovers? If so, how much and what do you do with them? If not, do you usually have just enough or do you have to dig into your stash to finish?

The only kits I stitch from these days are quality ones. No Janlynn, Dimensions, or other kits that may be sold at Michael's or Wal-Mart. Because I only stitch from kits with a designer who cares about these things, I never run out of floss.

Now as to leftovers. Hmmm. I used to save every little bit, thinking I'd use it someday. I think I'm more wasteful now. If I do not know what the fiber is, I toss it. Or use it in cardmaking or scrapbooking. If I know what it is, I might put it with my own supply. Or I might not. Depends on how I'm feeling.

catching up

Stitching Bloggers question that I missed:

Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not?

LOL. Discoverd over-dyeds in 1997. First piece I did was Betsy's Stinner's Strawberry Sampler that was in Stitcher's World. Loved them. Didn't stop using them.

Occasionally I decide that I don't want to spend more money on over-dyeds then I stitch with DMC or Anchor.

Just wish they were cheaper. And don't even get me started on over-dyed silks. Heaven...

Sidetrip

I left way too early Friday morning to head north to retrieve my college student. Realizing I was leaving uberearly, I hopped on the computer and printed off directions to the Thistle Needleworks in Glastonbury CT.

Oh my.

This is now going to be a permanent addition to that trip.

I bought a book on blackwork, Jane Nicholas' book on Stumpwork, a book in French on the Bayeaux Tapestry, a chart of my college seal, the By the Bay Needlearts chart I was missing, 2 back issues of Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch and Beading magazine, and a wooden hoop. Wow. That was totally satisfying. I smiled all the way to Massachusetts.

She's Back

Everyone survived Freshman year at our house. Cannot believe her school year is over already. That went fast.

one sick teenager

Son has caught a whopper of a cold. I am so far successfully fighting it off with zinc, vitamins, soup, and clean living. I kept him home yesterday as he was coughing to the point of retching. How pleasant, eh? Seemed a bit better this morning, and as it is testing time in high schools all across the country, he went to school.

DH is in Atlanta (which he might enjoy if he can forget the fact that everyone else went to Germany.) Can't have everything. I'm leaving on Friday a.m. to pick up DD from college. Year one nearly finished. That's pretty darn hard to believe, but when you start getting bills for next year - that would be reality smacking you upside the head.

I stopped planting and will wait till I return to finish. Don't want to leave new transplants in the care of DS and DH (who returns on Friday.) Last time, they nearly killed my Norfolk pine.

Picked up a UFO and a new project for travel. The UFO is the black cat french poster that was in Stitcher's World 4-5 years ago. All that black. It's about 50% finished. And picked out The Goode Huswife Black Forest piece which is stitched on black with silks. These will certainly be providing contrast to my pilot class.

pilot class

I had a choice between taking a crewel class in Pennsylvania or a stitch a pilot class over 4 weeks that is creating a Japanese inro type ornament on canvas. Chose the canvas class because the colors are gorgeous. I've been to this teacher's studio (way jealous here - not just a room, but a building) and she does some beautiful work.

Meanwhile I've been painting and planting and not stitching. DS decided he wanted the queen size futon in his room instead of his twin. Which means it's good that DH didn't let me ditch DD's headboard and footboard last fall. So while there was no bed in her room, I decided to paint. I just need to do the second coat on 3 walls. I forgot how tiring this can be.

And now that the weather has turned nice, I've been addressing my postage stamps size yards. (okay maybe they are baseball card sized)

I cut down a sycamore that I believed had chosen that spot for itself. Because who would plant a sycamore 10 feet from a house? Moved some hostas which seem to have no problem relocating. Planted a clemantis and a lilac. Then relocated the bird bath and when I started digging there found pea gravel and plastic barrier underneath a thin layer of dirt and mulch. Huh. That was fun. Guess I won't be planting a lot there, but I did put in some snapdragons for color. I still have a columbine and lamb's ear to plant, but the pea gravel kind of threw off my initial plan. I need to rethink things.

I've got a fuschia and geranium hanging out front. And only 2 of my 4 azaleas are blooming. What's up with that? Bought some zinnias and petunias for quick color, but totally need to redig these beds as it is all heavy Virginia clay. Yup. Looking forward to this. Just need to do it before it gets too hot.

Now my poor hands look abused. I'll just never get into gardening gloves. I like having my fingers in the dirt.