Let Freedom Ring 5 pages done!

Looks like it's going to be a rainy day here today.  I hope the weather is nice wherever you are!  I'm not really bothered by the rain, as long as I don't have to go out in it...haha.  We were going to see the Downton Abbey movie today, and we still might, though I had very little sleep last night.  It's been a looooong while since I had such a sleepless night.  I guess I miss the waves crashing on the shore more than I thought I did, it truly lulls me to sleep.  I think I need to find a little cottage by the ocean.  So...I poured myself a second cup of coffee this morning.  

It's Saturday morning, and my husband usually sleeps in pretty late, so I get to play with patterns and such and think about what I'm stitching next (even though I'm in the midst of a BAP right now!).  My plan was to stitch two pages of Let Freedom Ring (LFR) by Lila's Studio a month so that I could have plenty of time to get it framed before next 4th of July.  Well, I'll just have to stitch faster and more pages next month...haha.  With all the trips I took the past couple of months, I've fallen behind in Christmas stitching and working on LFR.  Now don't get me wrong...I enjoy stitching on LFR, but that building...whooeee!!     All that outlining takes a tremendous amount of time, so I'm working a little at a time as I go along.  I think I might put it up until next month, and knock out a few more ornaments before I get back to that.  Right now I'm celebrating that I finished page 11....the 5th page I've finished...and that completes the bottom row of pages.  

I was looking at it last night wondering if I should go back to the right side and continue on up page 10.  Working on the left side of the pattern is difficult for me while it's in a frame that I hold in my hands.  Page 10 is nearly half way completed, so maybe if I switch over to that side I might finish a second page this month.  Decisions, decisions!  

Has anyone else had trouble downloading Just Cross Stitch Magazine from the internet?  I finally learned that the subscription pages have moved.  I was finally able to sign in and retrieve the last 3 publications (to include the ornament issue) yesterday on the new website.  It is always fun to flip through the pages of the ornament issue and try and decide if there are any I hope to stitch.  I did find one that I'm going to stitch for my granddaughter's cousin who loves dinosaurs.  I think he will really like it!

Ok time to get myself in gear and get moving.  May your fingers be nimble and your stitching time expand!  Happy Stitching!

Well lookie there!

I had a little finish last night!   This is Letter To Santa Mitten by Living On The Rainbow.  I have several more of her mittens that I want to stitch.  It was stitched on 28 count White over two with two strands.  

These are quick, and most of the ones I'm stitching were free at one time.  I need to have a finishing day soon!  I still have a ton of things going on,  I really hope I can have one soon...they are beginning to pile up!  LOL!!  

I'm off to work on Let Freedom Ring.  I still have to finish my two pages for the month of September!  I hope to post an update soon.  Happy Stitching!

Yes, I'm alive!

I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to write a post.  It's been a wild and crazy few weeks.  I just got home from a week + at the beach with my family and it was nearly constant go go go.  I'm tired and the old arthritis is kicking in big time, but it was sooooo much fun!  I barely had time for stitching, but I did manage to finish an ornament and start another one.  I just wanted to show all the Roly Polies I stitched all together.  

Mrs. Claus Roly Poly   

Santa Roly Poly   

Angel Roly Poly   

Snowman Roly Poly  

I was told by my granddaughter that I needed to stitch the Penguin Roly Poly for her also, as she likes penguins...haha.  Maybe after I finish all the others I need to stitch, I'll get to that one.  

I have finally started on the ornaments for her cousins, Aunt and Uncle.  This is called Letter to Santa Mitten by Living on the Rainbow.  I'm hoping to finish it up soon!  I adore this one and may have to make it again for me!  There are four in this family, so I'm making different mittens for all of them.  I need to stitch faster haha.  

Last year, when we went to the beach we had a family picture taken at the Old Time Photos Studio.  We had so much fun, we decided to do it again this year, now that Little Miss Q has joined the family.  We brought along our DIL's mom for this vacation as well.  On the way to the studio Little Miss Sassy Pants said she wanted to be a mermaid.  

She was a pirate last year.  

How could I resist that sweet little face?  Here are our recent pics...  

And here are last year's.  

And here are a few scenes from the beach.  

I'm an early riser, and got to see the sun rise most of the days we were there.  Here are a few shots.

For those of you on Instagram, when I switched phones, somehow my instagram account was messed up.  I'm trying to get back online, but if I have to create a new account, I'll let you know what my new name is.  I miss seeing pictures from there!!  

Ok, time to get off this machine and get some stuff done around here.  Mount Laundry is calling.  They are calling for thunderstorms today.  It's a good day to stay home and stitch.  Have a lovely day and Happy Stitching!

She's ready to fly!

I stayed up past my bedtime last night so I could finish Angel Roly Poly.  She looks so much better after the outlining was finished.   She's stitched on 36 count Antique White over two and is from the book, Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures.  Little Miss Sassy Pants requested the Angel for herself...I can't wait to show it to her, but I guess I'll wait until it's fully finished.  

I've been extremely busy since I got back from my little trip.  It doesn't look like it's going to be slowing down at all for the next week and a half.  Whew.  I'm tired thinking about all that I have to do.  I'll try to update as I go, but if you don't hear from me for a while, I'll be back eventually.  Haha.  Til then, Happy Stitching! 

Time for an update

Hello fellow stitchers!  I know it's been a while...but hold on to your hats, a lot has been happening.  First off, I haven't had much time for stitching, but I can report that I have finally made it all the way across the bottom of Let Freedom Ring by Lila's Studio.  

I'm not sure when I'm going to get back to working on it, as I've been stitching Christmas ornaments.  I've fallen way behind in my schedule this year!!  I did finish up Santa Roly Poly from Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures.  Stitched on 36 count antique white over two.  These are just too cute and fun to work on!  

My granddaughter chose the Angel Roly Poly so that is what is in my Nurge Hoop right now.  I'm hoping to finish within a day or two.  

Over the Labor Day weekend, we were approached by an AT&T sales person that wanted us to switch carriers.  Now we have 5 people on our phone plan.  They offered us ALL new phones and a military discount and promised the coverage would be better.  It will save us $1,200 a year.  Sign me up!!  But that meant that we had to surrender our old phones, and wait for new ones to be delivered, then transfer all the data ourselves.  UGH!!  Well since the majority of us are in our 60's, we are NOT tech gurus PLUS one of us lives 500 miles away, that meant that you know who had to make the trip to deliver the phone and help set them up.  UGH!  I have to say it wasn't all doom and gloom.  We were able to have help walking us through the process, then since I was in NY state, well there's always something going on up there.  Not to mention...my digs were pretty spectacular!  I stayed in a B&B where I felt like I was transported back a few hundred years.  All the modern day conveniences, all the the old charm.  Here are a few pictures.  

On the way home from NY the GPS decided to take me a different way...on the Pennsylvania Thruway.  Um...never again!!  While the speed limits are higher, and most of the way there was less traffic, it is a toll road and widely  used by speed demons around Philadelphia.  It took an hour longer to get home.  I was a whimpering mess by the time I got home, but I made it in one day.  

Just in time to celebrate our granddaughters 4th birthday.  Happy Birthday Little Miss Sassy Pants!!

Today I was up early, out for bloodwork for an upcoming physical, deposit my winnings from the Maryland State Fair ($73.00 thank you very much!!) and make a quick stop at the grocery store.  Sounds simple enough...lol.  NOT!!  I showed up at my regular lab, and was told I had to go to a different lab, as the paperwork was sent there.  Ok, no problem it's only a couple of miles.  Got there, and the kiosk wouldn't accept my insurance.  WHAT??  They would submit the claim, and IF my insurance was valid, they would take the charge off my credit card.  So now I'm worried I'm not in their system anymore.  So I leave there, go to the bank, then the grocery store for TWO items, neither of them were available, so had to pick substitutes.  This is NOT my day...haha.    As soon as I'm done here I think I'll take a nap.  I hope everything is going better in your world today!  

There was one bright spot!  My UK pal received the things I stitched for her.  I finally get to show you what I stitched for her.  First up is January Carnation by Ellen Maurer Stroh.  Stitched on 40 antique white over two.  

Next is Stitcher's House by Sub Rosa, stitched on 40 count antique white over two.

Last is Busy Bee by Sue Hillis Designs stitched on 36 count antique white over two.  I so enjoyed stitching these for her.  

I'm off to run errands now.  Happy Stitching!

Fair winds and a flowing sea

My Dad was in the Navy, and I heard this quote a lot.  I had to look up the meaning...haha.  It means safe travel and good fortune.  I guess it kind of fits my experience with the State Fair this year.  I entered 4 things this year, won 3 Blue Ribbons (first prize) and 1 Red Ribbon (second prize).  My Christmas All Through The House won an extra Special Ribbon.  I'm not entirely sure what that means, other than it caught someone's eye and they thought it deserved a special ribbon.  According to the lady sitting at the table, that piece was given a lot of attention by people who have gone to see the exhibit.  I really enjoyed stitching that one, though I have to say it challenged me a lot!  I'm excited to stitch another like it, but have to finish a few others before I get to it!  So...here they are...  

Romantic Stitcher by Passione Ricamo got a Red Ribbon  

Santa's Helper by XFreeStitch from the 2024 JCS Christmas Issue got a Blue Ribbon  

Noel Banner by Stone Creek got a Blue Ribbon

and finally Christmas All Through the House by by Patricial Andrle from the Sept/Oct 1994 Cross Stitch and Country Crafts Magazine got a Blue Ribbon and a Special Award.  

I've finished a Christmas ornament too.  This is Mrs. Santa Roly Poly from Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures.  It was stitched on 36 count antique ivory two over two.  

She came out so cute I decided to continue on in the series and started Santa Roly Poly.  I'll show pictures when he's farther along.  I hope you are enjoying this lovely weather!  It was so comfortable at the fair last night, I think we stayed way past the girls bedtime.  It was a fun night with family though.  I hope you are enjoying the beginning of fall.  Happy Stitching!