Finishing day at the zoo, and a quick breath of air...

Whew!  It's been a wild roller coaster ride and it's not over yet!  Today was my break day and tomorrow starts up again...haha.  So let me start first with some finishes.  

I started and finished Strawberries and Stripes by With Thy Needle and Thread on Sunday.  It's stitched on 40 count white over two with one strand of thread.  I've had this in my stash for a while, and really wanted to get it stitched this year.  I actually have a pile of them...haha.  Let's see how far I get before the 4th of July.  

Anyway, I decided on Monday I was going to really get some things fully finished, so I dug out my candle holders with pedestals that I've had in my stash for a while now.  This is metal and I found it at Hobby Lobby.  I decided to use magnets to attach this one to the candle holder, and maybe I could have other things that might fit for different seasons, we'll see how that goes.  So I finished this on Sunday and fully finished it on Monday.  

Then I pulled out my recently finished 250th Celebration by Teresa Kogut.  It's stitched on 36 count Legacy over two with two strands of thread.  I would love to have finished this in a drum but alas they are way too expensive so I'm going with the converted clock/frame.  I love how it looks on this!!  

Last I pulled out Winter Songbird by Nath Nalu.  This was stitched on 36 count Ice Blue over two with two strands of thread.  I've since bought the other seasons.  Had I known how close this was going to be to the edge of the circle I might have chosen a higher count fabric, but I'm not entirely hateful of the finish.  I had to really build up the thickness of the stuffing to show all the stitches, and in all honesty, I think it came out kind of cute.  I will try to work it out a little better with the other seasons of birds.  I'm going to wait until after the 4th of July to get them worked up.  

I told you I would show you the goodies I found while out thrifting.  My childhood friend and I love going to the thrift shops and antique stores.  I was so excited to find these two shoes.  

I have a VERY small collection of Fenton glass items (most were given to me for wedding shower gifts) and had been looking for a little shoe for ages.  This has been hand painted and signed by the artist.  I loved the colors, and though it was a bit expensive, it was still cheaper than others I've seen...so into my bag it went!  I hope to make a little pin cushion to put in the top part of the shoe.  

I also found this little blue flower shoe.  My favorite part is the lace part that is made of glass but looks like the real thing!  It's another pin cushion hopeful.  I'll be searching through patterns to find the perfect pattern to use...wish me luck!  

I've looked for plates for other items for ages, and usually pick up pretty plates when I find them.  These three stood out to me, and again, I'll be looking for patterns for these.  I've seen the recent "Plateitudes" patterns, and thought it was funny as I've been finishing items that way for years.  Still, I'll be looking for something a little different for my plates...I'll know them when I see them!  I just love the patterns on these plates!!  

I have a shelf in my stairway leading up to the second floor of our townhouse.  I've found vintage looking frames for ages and placed relatives in them for years.  As our family grows, I've added more frames and more pictures.  Now that we have grandchildren, I've been looking for vintage looking frames for the two of them.  Aren't these cute?  They are tiny, but I hope to place some sepia toned pictures of the girls in these.  It should be fun looking for pictures that fit!  

Ok, I guess that's all the news for now.  Tomorrow I have Miss Q AND a dentist appointment...oh yay!  LOL  Thursday is a free day, then Friday we have an Orioles game.  Our DIL and Miss Q will be out of town, so Mike, our son, Little Miss Sassy Pants and I are going to the game.  I'll have Little Miss Sassy Pants here on her own....finally a Gigi and Miss A day!  I have missed her so much and can't wait to spend some one on one time with her.  Now to think of a craft we can work on together.  And that's all the news that's fit to print.  I'm not sure how much stitching I'll get until next week when everyone is back to work/school and I'll have time to contemplate my navel.  Haha.  Hopefully things will go smoothly and I'll be back next week with more stitchy news.  Till then, stay healthy, stay safe, and Happy Stitching!!  

And I've FINALLY had a finish!!

 Yesterday didn't go as planned, but it was wonderful!  The kids visited with the grandkids yesterday and it was great to see them.  It has been almost 2 weeks since we saw our littlest and she has changed so much.  I love both our granddaughters, but I don't get to spend as much time with our oldest granddaughter as I used to.  When the dust settles I hope to have her here for a day by herself.  I could tell she misses me as much as I miss her.  We gave them their new books and of course the candies we bought them.  What would a trip to NY be without shopping for maple goodies?  Oh shucks, just remembered I forgot to take pictures of the other goodies I found...stay tuned...    

It's daylight in the swamp here this morning, pouring rain, and a meowing cat.  He heard me get out of bed this morning (before the sun rose) and hasn't shut up since then.  Trying to keep a loudmouth cat quiet is like trying to herd cats.  Impossible!!  And I really didn't want him to wake Mike...so here I sit at our computer while one hand pets Max.  

I was able to finish 250th Celebration by Teresa Kogut very late last night.  It's stitched on 36 count Legacy over two with two strands of thread.  I used the called for threads except for Old Money which I can't find anywhere.  Oh well, I certainly like the way it turned out!  Now to find time to get some finishing done.  I didn't want to purchase the drum, it's pretty expensive, so if all goes well I'll finish it in the round and attach it to the clock I turned into a frame.

I need to fully finish Winter Songbird too.  Now to decide what I'll stitch next.  I sincerely have too many choices.  

I loved the necklaces I stitched while in NY so much, I came home and ordered two kits.  My childhood friend loved the black one, so I'm going to make one for her and one for me.  Hopefully they will be here Tuesday...we'll see.  On that note, I'll make my way back to bed, with a noisy cat in tow I'm sure.  I love him, really, but his late night yowl fests leave a lot to be desired.  I didn't miss them at all while we were away...haha.  Crazy cat!!  Happy Stitching everyone!  

I've been a bit quiet...

I haven't had much time for stitching for the past week or so.  Between watching my youngest granddaughter (who army crawled under an armchair and around a small table to then tell me "I stuck!"), and a few trips here and there, not to mention losing the cord to my laptop, it's been a little crazy in my corner of the world.  I'm home now and hopefully will be catching up soon!  

My friend who I've known since 3rd grade asked for a little help.  Her SIL bought some kits and decided she couldn't make them up, so I volunteered to go to Northern NY to help get them stitched and finished for her.  I was a little worried I wouldn't know how to do the stitches, but I figured them out...and they were actually quite fun.  Now I'm wondering if I can find the kits so I can make some of my own.  Here they all are, and individual pictures as well.  

So I grew up near the St. Lawrence River (about a 45 minute drive) and there are lots of little villages on the shore.  My Aunt worked as a caretaker for an older gentleman and we sometimes were allowed to stay at his house along the river.  I've always loved being near the water, so we took a drive over there one day just to walk along the water and look for the big ships that pass by quite frequently.  

Usually we visit Alexandria Bay, but this time we went to Clayton which is smaller but less busy.  

It was a wonderful day!  

Mike went to visit his brother in Tupper Lake one day while my friend, Donna, and I drove around to antique stores looking for little treasures.  Next time maybe I'll have pictures of the goodies I brought home.  

Our B&B had such wonderful breakfasts...yumm!!  

And the cutest little dog who was just full of herself...running circles around the breakfast table each morning.  She adored my husband...haha.

I didn't stitch for myself while I was away....and did pick up 250th Celebration when I got home.  I'm not too far into the design, so I'll show more next time.  I'm just stopping in to say I made it back in one piece and I'll be back soon with more of an update on my stitching.  Till then, enjoy the changing of the seasons, and Happy Stitching!

Our Ocean City Trip and a Finish...

Whew...it's been a little crazy around here lately.  I still haven't found time to take pictures of the goodies I found at the retreat, but hopefully next posting I'll have them.  

I had a little finish last night.  This is the pattern I started at the retreat.  I'm not sure why I had such trouble with this one, perhaps I'm too preoccupied...anyway, I was able to finally finish last night.  This is Winter Songbird by Nath Nalu stitched on 36 count ice blue over two.  I'm hoping to finish it so that I can attach it to the clock during the winter months.  There are three other pattens like this one on the Nath Nolu Etsy page for the other 3 seasons.  I've since bought them, so watch this space!  LOL!!  I really do love how it turned out!  

While we were in Ocean City, we visited Assateague State Park.  I love driving along the National Seashore and looking for the wild ponies.  Before we even got to the park, we found a group of 7 of them walking down the center of the road.  They were in no hurry while cars were lining up behind them.  They look like such gentle creatures, but there are signs warning they bite and kick so beware!  

We saw a lot of water fowl along the way too.  Spring seems to make everything come alive.  Here are a few pictures of what we were able to spy as we drove along.  

I hope one day to take our granddaughters out there to see the ponies and other animals.  What a lovely drive it is!  We found some time to visit a few of our favorite places, one being Shenanigans...The food as always was delicious!

Hopefully I'll have more news next time.  We'll be super busy the next few weeks...hopefully I'll be able to share now and then what we are up to!  Till then, Happy Stitching!   

Slow down...you move too fast...

You've got to make the moment last...  Ok, how many of you sang that?  LOL  Seems like my life is going a thousand miles a minute lately.  

I'm here waiting for my granddaughter to arrive.  I was supposed to watch her on Tuesday after I got back from the retreat, but my body said NO!  I asked if I could wait a few days, thankfully they said yes.  My knee has calmed down and I can walk without limping now (I had a rough weekend with a pretty strong arthritis attack...ouch!!) so I think I'll make it through the day without too much trouble.  I think I've decided my new shoes are the problem.  It's forcing me to walk differently and my knee is complaining.  I'm going to see of my old shoes work better.  

I had the BEST time at the retreat last weekend.  My tablemates are kind, funny, and loads of fun!  And I've been invited to another retreat with them later this year.  I sure hope I can make it, but the timing is a bit off.  The run in Ocean City is the weekend before so I don't know if I'll be able to be away two weekends in a row.  Anyway, here are pictures from the Salty Yarns retreat last weekend.  If you've never been, it's a very low key event, but the food is always sooooo good!  The shopping is just outside the door of the stitching room.  The light is fantastic, no need to pack extra lighting...always a plus.  The ladies who attended the latest one were so complimentary on my latest framed pieces, it was very humbling.  There were other finished items there to drool over (ladylike of course!).  And it was wonderful to wander among the other tables and see all the other "gotta haves" that the ladies were working on.  And even a couple of men, who were fabulous stitchers, were there!  I adore my tablemates, but they all live in Delaware, the downside of these events.  It's not like they could come over for an afternoon of stitching, it's a wee bit too far.  I didn't take too many pictures, but here is what I have.  One lady at our table is camera shy so no pictures of her unfortunately...  

I started a project (no pictures but soon I will have some of the Winter Songbird) and worked mainly on Milady's Posies by Jan Hicks Creates.  This is stitched on 46 count Latte over two.  I finally finished it last night.  I think I'll work on a smaller count as my eyes were crossing while trying to finish last night.  Whew...but I love it.  Now to find time to fully finish it.  I'm thinking of making it into a pin drum.  What do you think?  

I picked up a ton of things I needed (and some I didn't need but HAD to have....if you know, you know!)  I'll try to show pictures next time.  

That's all I have time to write, next time I'll write about the 250 challenge Maryland has proposed with their state parks, and our side trip to Assateague where the wildlife came out to pose for pictures!  Till then, Happy Stitching!