M's Stitching Corner

Crochet Fun & Birthdays

2010-08-21T08:45:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post. Things have been very busy at work and my weekends have been full. I've got to keep this short, so here goes.....

I crochet this afghan for our Light the Night Campaign at work. We held a raffle for gift certificates and craft items so I decided to make this afghan. It seemed to be a big hit. It was pretty easy once I got into a routine. I did have to restart this thing about 5 times. I could not get it right in the beginning.

Next up is my Mom & Stepfather. SF turned 60 this year (all my folks turn 60 this year!!) so we decided to hire Critter Invasions to put flamingos in their yard. It was really fun and they really liked it. Can't say the their neighbors liked it too much but oh well!

I started stitching my Halloween ornaments for the year. I have a few to complete the finishing on which I hope to have done this weekend. I'll try to post pics of those soon.

Until next time! Happy stitching!

Exchange Fun & Finishes (picture heavy)

2010-07-05T12:03:00.010-04:00

I'm so embarrased it has taken this long to post a new entry! Summer is in full swing and has been really busy. We've been doing lots of painting and revamping in the house which is very tiring. But I see the finishes and it's very rewarding.

I've got loads to share......so I'm going to try and make it simple and sweet :)

First up is my framing finish of PSS - Gloriana. I love how it came out and can't wait to hang it. Just got to find the right place.

Here's a close up of the frame details. I tried to keep it really simple.

Next is a Blackbird finish. Love the design, not completely happy with the finishing but I'm glad it's done. That ruffle was a real pain in the you know what for me. I think I may stitch it again and try a different fabric for the ruffle next time. I've also got the companion pieces stitched but not finished. I share a group shot once I finish them.

Here's a really pretty pincushion stitched by Kristina for the HE - Summer Exchange. I love the finish and the little fob she included. She also made those buttons herself! I just love them.

This is a piece stitched by Blyn for the HOE - ABC exchange. I love the summery feel and have it displayed in my stitching room. Don't you just love the finish - the curly cue trim is wired so you can shape the bow. I just love it.

This is the HOE - ABC Exchange piece I stitched for Lisa in Australia. I finished it as a easel flat fold. I also used HDF Perfect red (one of the darker reds in the series). Just love the fiber. It's so nice to work with.

Here's a the HE 4th of July piece I received from Barbara. She stitched this piece over-one and finished it into a needlebook. It will definitely get used with love!

And finally, here's the piece I stitched for April. I've always loved this design and thought this was the perfect time to stitch it. This was also my first attempt at box finishing. I padded the inside with a pretty patriotic fabric as well.

Sorry to keep it so brief. The pool is calling my name :) I shall share more pics from our beach vacation in the next post. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time,

Malinda

The Year of Exchanges!

2010-05-22T14:55:00.002-04:00

This must be my year for Exchanges for I cannot resist the temptation of signing up! Honest, I have been stitching - just a bunch of secret stitching. I can only share a few pieces at the moment. This first piece is from an Arbor Day Exchange. Blyn stitched up this beautiful little pillow from a LHN design. Blyn stitched this over-one with a shoulder injury! Blyn, I hope your shoulder has healed up for you.

This next piece is something I stitched for Heather R (monsoon) for an Early Christmas Ornament exchange. I stitched Emmanuel from Plum Street Sampler - it's a freebie. I really like the finishing. I followed Vonna's wonderful finishing instruction from her blog The Twisted Stitcher.

Next is the ornament I received for the Early Christmas Ornament Exchange. Edgar in San Francisco stitched this wonderful Prairie Schooler design and finished it as a flat ornament. I love how creatively he cut the felt backing.

Part 2 of Mary Wigham's Wardrobe came out at the beginning of May. I've been trying to stitch on that in between my exchanges. Progress for this piece is coming along. I'll try to share a pic soon.

Summer is here in full force! We've planted some veggies this year - tomatoes, green peppers, and squash. We wish we could have planted more, but we waited too long into the spring. It's funny, I don't even like tomatoes, but I can't wait to try our home grown variety! As George Carlin said, "something has gone a foul inside a tomato....." - too much so for me!

Haven't had the chance to watch too many good movies lately. Out of the few I've seen in the last couple of weeks, I'd have to say Avatar was the best. I think we may have been the only people on the planet who hadn't seen the movie yet! We thought is was very good - absolutely loved the colors and CGI effects. Although I can see why did not win the Oscar for Movie of the Year over the Hurt Locker. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet (if there's anyone out there - LOL).

The beach is calling my name! I can smell the faint perfume of the salt air! Can't wait to get the chance to put my feet in the sand this summer! Until next time - Happy Stitching :)

Beautiful Weekend!

2010-04-11T15:00:00.005-04:00

Our Carolina Blue Sky

Blooming Bridal Bush

Pretty Purple Plant

It's been a wonderful weekend. DH and I spent the day planting bushes and cleaning the pool. I just love the Carolina blue sky we get in the spring. It's so pretty, such a deep blue. When you add the fresh new green of all the trees against that blue sky it's a sight to see!

It did get rather warm and I think I may have gotten my first sunburn of the year.

On the stitching front, I've started Black Horse Inn by Carriage House Samplings. Not much stitched worth taking a picture of right now. I choose to stitch it on Silkweaver's Purely Primitive which is looking really nice. Although for some reason this linen seems to have been put through the ringer. It had so many nats (kind of like an old sweater) on it but I think I've gotten most of them off. There so much stitched area that I think it will be OK once its done.

Got 3 more exchanges to get ready for too! I see a lot of stitching in my future :)

Until next time,

Happy Stitching

PSS - Gloriana Finish

2010-04-09T07:18:00.008-04:00

Just a quick post to show everyone my PSS - Gloriana finish. I put the final stitches in last night. I love how this piece came out - it's a quick stitch and so much fun! The crowns are stitched with HDF BeCherished and the border is done in HDF BeGrimed; linen is a 36 ct (not sure of the name, but I really like it - I'm going to have to stock pile this linen). Sorry the picture is not that great; the settings must have been changed or something. I hate when that happens!

Now, what to stitch next??? I'm trying to decide between Carriage House Samplings' Black Horse Inn or Wiehenburg's Quacker Rose. I purchased the DMC for both projects yesterday and plan to use HDF's Jackalope 32 ct Linen for both. I just can't decide!! I love both these designs and want to stitch both, at the same time!! Right now Black Horse Inn has a lead - I've loved this design since the first time I saw it! Something about those really calm colors and the horses.

I'm also hoping to do some finishing this weekend so maybe I'll have some more to share before the weekend's over.

I have a few exchanges coming up as well which I'll need to start planning out this weekend too.

It's been quite here which is a good thing! The weather has been beautiful too. We went from a very short spring right into summer (our first 90 this week) but I think we'll get our spring back this weekend, for a few days at least! Should stay in the low 70's!!

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Some WIPs, a few movies and some answers to questions :)

2010-03-28T17:48:00.009-04:00

Hello! Thank you all for the wonderful comments you've left me. I definitely don't think my eyes could stand 1-over for sometime. I use the magic eyes, but found I was getting headaches. It was probably because I tend to wear them along with my glasses!

Some of you had some questions that I'm going to try to answer.

FayeRaye, the pin cube was very easy to assemble. I just took it slow.....but caught onto it quick. I know you'll do just fine. It was really fun to put together.

Karyn, thank you for the compliments! For the ribbon, I followed the Twisted Stitcher's tutorial on rouched ribbon. It took some time, but the effect is well worth it!

Karen, when I got to the end of the length of ribbon I needed, I just tied off the thread. It's probably not the best way but at the moment that was what I ended up doing. I also folded the end of the ribbon in and basted the edge for a clean finish. You'll have fun making the ribbon!

Also wanted to show off some WIPs and recent stash. First I bought these five designs from Needleprint. I'm an avid read of the Needleprint blog and love the designs they reproduce. They are reproductions of old samplers from the Ackworth school in England. These booklets were a special; five for $60 and well worth the purchase. The booklets are very nicely done with information about the stitcher and the school. Needleprint also shares some really great freebies. check out the site when you have a chance.

Next is a WIP of With my Needle's Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif. I'm stitching it using GAST Currant. I really like this color. It's a very deep red and the linen is a WDW. The linen name has slipped my mind at the moment. I haven't looked for any coordinating fabric for the finishing yet but hope to soon.

I've also been working on CCN Winter Wonderland as well. I love the CCN series, all of them. I'm quickly accumulating the different series and can't stitch them quick enough.

I also decided to start Plum Street Sampler's Gloriana. This piece is stitching up really quick. I've recently discovered Hand Dyed Fibers Silks so I decided to stitch this piece using BeCherished Premium silk. This silk is really nice because it's a thicker thread that's one stand. Makes it very easy to use. This silk is so soft and hasn't knotted up on me like the DMC or some of the other silks I've used before. Definitely check them out if you have a chance; I'll warn you though, they are very addicting! I'm hoping to build a stash quick!

Now onto a few movies that I recently watched. First, Defiance. I highly recommend this movie. It a true story about Russian Jews seeking refuge from the Nazis. I also watched an old classic Hitchcock film - North by Northwest. It stars Cary Grant who is probably my favorite actor of that time. I've liked all the films I've seen of his. North by Northwest is about spies and has a little romance and humor thrown in as well.

Until next time, happy stitching :)

Exchanges Received

2010-03-21T16:34:00.005-04:00

Just a quick note to show pics of some exchanges that arrived to their destination. The first 2 pics are for the HOE - LHN/CCN Exchange. My exchange partner was Susan P. in Baltimore, MD. I stitched 4 designs from the LHN Dear Diary series over one. I must say I probably won't be stitching over one for a little while. My eyes were not happy with me! I finished it into a cube using instructions from a With My Needle design. It was really easy to assembly. I had a hard time parting with this piece!!

This next piece was for the Holiday Exchange group; Easter theme. I was partnered up with Cindy in Singapore. I stitched the Easter sampler from Lizzie Kate. This piece was really fun to stitch. I tried my hand at "rouching" for the first time and I'm sure I'll be doing that again. I really like the effect of the rouched ribbon.

I've been stitching some on my Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif from With my Needle. I really like the design. I hope to post some pics in a couple of days. I've also been busy getting ready to start Judy Odell's Mary Wigham's Wardrobe. It's a private class she's giving on the JAT forum.

Not much else going on so Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Exchange Pictures & Movies

2010-03-11T08:02:00.007-05:00

This first pic is what I stitched for Becky for the Arbor Day Exchange. She likes funky, whimsical trees. I think it turned out a little funky & whimsical. I really love the blues/chocolates together.

The next is for the LHN/CCN Exchange through HOE. Kathy made me this beautiful stitcher's pocket and made the pretty scissor fob to go along with it. It's got my initial on the back too. Thank you so much Kathy - I will definitely be putting them to good use!!

Saw another great Alfred Hitchcock movie last week called Marnie. Sean Connery is such a wonderful actor and he's not too bad to look at either! His character really the movie for me.

Saw On the Beach w/Gregory Peck & Ava Gardner on TCM this past weekend. The movie covered a very controversial subject especially for the late fifties - the aftermath of a nuclear war.

Both I would highly recommend. Until Next time - Happy stitching :)

Out with the Old......

2010-02-27T15:30:00.005-05:00

In with the new! Just a quick post to show off what we've been doing around the house. My new motto this year (and part of last year) has been to Simplify!! We've been taking every chance we can get to go through closets, redo rooms, and downsize. Last weekend we redid our master bedroom. Before, the room was so cluttered - heavy with furniture and computer stuff! We painted and got rid of a lot.

Here's the before - sorry but it was very messy the day this pic was taken!!!!

After

The little beige dresser with the blue humidifier on it will be going soon. I'm having a hard time parting with it because it was my dresser as a child and my Mom used it when she was a child. I may refinish it and use it in my stitching room. Need to find room for it there!!

Now onto more important stuff. Here's some pics of my 2010 Nashville Market stash. It was so hard to decide what I wanted most. I always get excited each year when Market comes around.

I went ahead and bought the fabric/fibers for the following new projects. I'm itching to start one of them so bad. But I'm resisting temptation! I've got 2 more exchanges pieces to finish (almost there too) so maybe I'll be able to start one tomorrow.

Here's With My Needles - Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif.

Went with GAST Currant as the fiber color.

Plum Street Samplers - The Queen's Crowns.

I decided to go with GAST Royal Purple; still have to pick the border color.

Not sure if you know it this but I'm a huge old movie fan. Love the movies from the 40's & 50's. I watched one last night called Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock. It was really good. If you like older movies you'll have to check this one out! I believe it was the only Hitchcock movie to be nominated for an Oscar.

Until next time, Happy Stitching!!

Pick me up off the floor.....

2010-02-10T17:09:00.004-05:00

I can't believe, 2 posts in one day! I have some stitching to show off. This first is Love by Praiseworthy Stitches. I finished this piece on Christmas day. It's for my mom - she loves samplers and anything primitive. All I need to do is remember to take it to the framers now.

The next is my Valentine Exchange for Lisa in Australia. The design is a freebie from the Gift of Stitching Magazine. I got word today that it arrives safe and sound. This was my first side pillow finish. I also decided to stitch up a little scissor fob to go along with it.

Sharlotte, thanks for your comment. The picture in the banner actually came with the blog template. I wish I could take such lovely pictures!!

Well DH is home early tonight - wohoo! Maybe I can get out of making dinner tonight and get some stitching done ;) I haven't been able to stitch all week - I'm having withdrawals - LOL!

Thank you to everyone who's commented! I really enjoy them. Until next time, Happy Stitching.

Out with the Old

2010-02-10T06:36:00.005-05:00

In with the new! I've been having a lot of fun coming up with a new look. I happy with the new layout but I'm still playing so you may see more changes soon. Due to some unbelievably annoying spam in my comment section I've changed the permissions on the comment section of my blog. Hope this doesn't deter anyone from leaving comments on my blog. I really enjoy reading them! Hope to be posting more often once I get our new routine down.

Have you been making your list for the Nashville Marketing coming up? I'm so excited - I've started my list which I'll give to my LNS Owner before she leaves. The only place I've been able to find a really good looky at what's new is Stitching Bits & Bobs. I really love the new Rosewood Manor Sampler and those cute little scissor. Until next time take care!

I'm no Gordon Ramsey.....

2010-02-07T18:26:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I made Beef Wellington! We had the best Wellington last February at a restaurant - it was the first time I tasted beef wellington and it was the best! I had the craving for some more since then. So after some research I worked the nerve up to make it myself tonight and it came out fantastic! I couldn't find the beef tenderloin and substituted another cut of beef, which probably wasn't the best to use. Beside that, it was so good. We added some little roasted red potatoes and brussel sprouts to go along.

Nothing on the stitching front - it's all been secret stitching so I'll share once they are received. Not much time for anything else, I just wanted to share my victory of Beef Wellington! It's not as hard as you would like to make so I would recommend making it. I know I'll be tweaking the recipe in the near future! Until next time - Happy Stitching & Cooking :)

Valentine Exchange & MIA

2010-02-03T17:38:00.003-05:00

Look what the postman brought me all the way home from England! I joined the Holiday Exchange blog and Lindsay was my partner for the Valentine Exchange. Isn't it pretty! She stitching the pretty design into a pynkeep and sent me that pretty red fabric and ruler ribbon.

Life has gotten really crazy around here! I haven't been able to get a lot of stitching and surfing done here at home. DH's employer loaned him out to a client for the next 3 months so we've basically done a complete role reversal. His schedule is not as flexible so I've had to step up and do some cooking, cleaning & cat box changing - god forbid! It's been kind of weird! I've always appreciated everything he does around the house but now I know what I've been missing and I how LUCKY of woman I've been! I'm having fun figuring out what dinner will be and playing with recipes but boy we don't settle down until late in the evening. I've been doing some stitching for exchanges (1 down, 3 to go.....). I try to post some pics soon! Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Where Has the Year Gone?

2009-12-13T13:44:00.011-05:00

WOW - this last 6 months have flown by! I can't believe September was the last time I posted......life has been busy, as usual. I sat for the CPS exam in early November. It was an all day affair - 3 parts. I'm praying I past all 3, but I will settle for at least 2. I should know the results within the next 2 weeks. I blame the studying for keeping me from posting here - and the crazy holidays! I have been busy getting the decorations up around the house, shopping and squeezing time in to see the family (which I'm sorry to say hasn't been as often as I would like).

Let's see I've been stitching ornaments of all kinds.......I stitched on perforated paper for the first time and love it. I love the effect you can get! It started with Elf in a Box by Brooke's Books (pattern found in the JCS Ornament Preview Issue July/August 2009). I fell in love with the pretty little elf and had to stitch her. Brooke Nolan has a beautiful eye for design on perforated paper - I can't wait to stitch some of her angels.

So then I found Rejoice by Imaginating, Inc. in the 2005 JCS Ornament issue - had to stitched this cutie up too.

Then there was Stitchy Claus, another Brooke's Books design - I just finished him up this morning. The finishing on Brooke's ornaments are so dimensional, I just love them (her instructions are very easy to follow too!)

In between all the ornament stitching I did this piece - Hannah Picket 1725 by The Sampler Girl. As soon as Marie released this design I knew I had to stitch it. Her finishing instructions were easy to follow as well. I love how it came out and now it sits under my Christmas tree in the kitchen which dear hubbie thinks its pretty weird. But he said it was pretty - which is all though matters to me.

And here is my Christmas Tree - I'm so happy with how it turned out. I love the look of homemade items on my tree! Each year I add more stitched ornaments. I'm hoping to eventually have nothing but stitched ornaments on the tree. I especially love my tree topper - it's one of those old fashioned tinsel stars. I found it at an antique store my Mom took us to over Thanksgiving in Salisbury, NC (It's one over her favorite place to visit on the weekends). My tree is kind of wimpy at the top so I needed something that was light weight and this barely fit the bill. With a little ingenuity dear hubbie was able to make it stand straight. I made the garland for the tree too - you can really see the garland in the closeups of the ornaments above (the instructions for the garland from the Lazy Girl's blog - she offered the free pattern last year around this time). Dear hubbies mother made the tree skirt years ago when he was a kid.

I wish all of my blog friends a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I pray that all of you stay safe & happy during the Holidays! Thanks for visiting my blog thoughtout the year! Happy Stitching! M~

Stitching Stash.....& Finished Bathroom

2009-09-07T09:11:00.006-04:00

It's been busy here, as usual. Can't show any stitching pics today as I've been stitching on exchanges. You'll get a peek at them eventually. I can share some stash I picked up recently. Unfortunately the shop I got the stash at was downsizing/remodeling and getting rid of all the cross stitch. I figured it was a matter of time once the new owner took over. The shop was a combined needlework, cross stitch, and framing shop and the new owner only did needlework only. It's too bad because I've visited the shop for gosh has to be at least 15 years.

Here's what I picked up - no new charts (the new owner hadn't picked up any newly released charts since she took over and the selection was huge, but a lot of very old charts) but I did find a lot of nice hand-dyed fabrics and basic whites/neutral tans. I picked up what I could get my hands on. I also picked up all the WDW & GAST that I knew of for projects I wanted to complete. Everything was 50%.

The shop was also selling all the models on display. It was kind of annoying trying to get the Owner to price them. She admitted to me if she didn't like it she sold it cheap.....if she did like it, she would select this crazy price......anyway, I had admired this nativity set for as long as I can remember and luckily it was one of the pieces she didn't like because I got it for $25! It'll be fun displaying this during the holidays (I might just leave it out year round ;) )

Now onto the tiring task of finishing our bathroom. We've finished what were going to do for now (want to do the floor someday soon). As you can see in this panoramic trip around the room - it's tiny bathroom!

I'm really proud of the pull out drawers Bruce built for me. I've got so much more space and can actually put my morning stuff away now. I'm very lucky to have someone so handy.

I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and commenting. I really enjoy getting your comments. Until next time, happy stitching :)

Sunday Stitching Update

2009-08-02T13:24:00.006-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! As you can see I've got quite a bit of stitching to share. The last week I've been rotating between Celtic Autumn, the Candy Cane ornament in the latest JCS magazine and PWS - Love.

I've really got to get working on PWS - Love since it's suppose to be done for Mom's birthday in September. The no way I'll be able to get it framed by that time, but I would really like to have the stitching completed so she can see it at least.

I really fell in love the candy cane ornament. Now I've got to wait a few weeks for Christmas ribbon to come out at the shops. I was surprised when I went to Joann's fabrics last week in search of some fabric for my shower curtain; they already had their Christmas fabrics out! I ended up buying some which I'll show off next time.

Last but certainly not least, I received these beautiful summer squares from Daniela in Finland. The design is a freebie designed by By the Bay Needlework. I really love this designer's interpretation of seaside/bay living. I love all the patterns she's designed and would love to do a whole wall of nothing but these pieces - maybe one day!

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Malinda

The Summer Sure Flys By.......

2009-07-12T12:49:00.007-04:00

Even when not much is going on! I know it's been a super long time! I don't have much stitching to report. The only stitching I've done is shown above - a little work on PWS - Love and LHN - 2 Red Houses. I also finished a F&S Summer exchange for my partner in Finland. I swear it never fails when I finish an exchange I forget to take pictures of the piece!! Don't know why I always forget - I guess I'm just excited to have it done and want to get it in the mail ASAP! Hopefully Daniela will post pics on her blog that I can hijack later!

I've been studying a lot lately for a certification I'll be testing for in November so stitching has been put on the sidelines lately. Hopefully this certification will help further my career options in the future.

Now onto the major project going on in our house! B & I decided to start doing a bathroom renovation! It's funny how obsessive I've become picking out paint, fixtures, vanity tops, etc. We decided to replace everything except the tub, toilet & vanity base. I ordered the new vanity top and sink this week....that was pretty exciting. As you can see from the pictures I've got a really white bathroom. No color except for the curtain and towel cabinet (which is coming out). I based my new colors off the shower curtain but kept it really neutral so I can change it later if I decide to. Please excuse the messy vanity top! (Bruce decided to empty/remove the med cabinet to see if the new one would fit and I haven't put everything back) and NO that is not the new med cabinet on the wall - he just put the old one back for now.

Picture 1 is of the colors I'm thinking about for the new bathroom - I did go with the Formica laminate shown. I'm leaning toward painting the walls the lighter shade on the left. You can't tell but the color has a light green hue to it. It's a big debate between Bruce & I - he says it brown I say it's green!

Picture 2, 3 & 4 - random shots of the bathroom.

So basically we've finished the ceiling at this point and ordered some of the new stuff. Bruce removed the old popcorn ceiling and patched and painted the new flat ceiling. We added a little texture to the ceiling which is very subtle. Now we're onto priming the walls & door and waiting for the new stuff to arrive :) It's funny because it looks like everything we have to order will take about 2 weeks (or more) to come in. It reminds me of the line from Oh Brother........"now ain't this place is geographical oddity!"

Now for your Weekly dose of Serenity........A view of the ocean from atop the St. Augustine, Fl. Castillo de San Marcos

Views from the Outer Banks

2009-05-23T08:55:00.013-04:00

Ahh, vacation is so relaxing! We had a great time at the Outer Banks. I highly recommend the Banks if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing place at the beach. Everyone arrived in one piece on Saturday. We visited with folks who weren't going to make it to the beach and then we were off on Sunday. The house we rented was absolutely luxurious! If I could come up with the money, I'd buy it in the heart beat! We had a mix of weather; some chilly days, some rainy and some with beautiful sunshine. We did some exploring and shopping and, of course, being lazy. I did get to stitch, but not as much as I thought. I'll share some stitching pics in the next few days. OK, here's the trip in a nutshell.....

The sunrises that greeted us each morning!

This is the little Honda Fit my Uncle & Aunt drove all the way from LA for this trip. I got to be the chauffeur when we went out shopping. I fell in love with this little car. They got 40 mpg driving it from coast to coast! It a great zippy car!

Currituck Lighthouse; my first time walking to the top of this one.

Wright Brothers Memorial. Now that was a hill to climb!

Cape Hatteras Light - This was probably my 4th visit to this light, but the first time it was open to walk up! Now I can say I walked up the tallest light in America!

We had a nice windy day to fly kites :) Of course its never not windy on the Outer Banks!

My Uncle was able to catch some great time lapsed shots of lightning one night. This was taken about 10:00 pm at night!

And last but not least...........your

Daily Dose of Serenity!

I can almost see Palm Trees!!!

2009-05-01T06:55:00.002-04:00

It's almost time to hit the sand and watch the waves! I so happy vacation is almost upon me. A little worried about work since I'll be gone for 6 days, but only because something usually goes down when I'm gone. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this year the pattern will be broken.

Just wanted to stop by to answer a few questions I received on my last post.....

Kellie, I got those boxes at AC Moore or Micheal's a long time ago. I actually had to go to AC Moore's this week and looked for them, but could not find any. I have quite a few of both the small and large boxes. I would check places like Jo-Ann Fabrics too. They do come in handy quite often. Most of my large projects are organized in these boxes.

Chris, we're going to the Outer Banks.....I can try to wave to your Dad, but he probably won't see me :) I hope you do get your Angel of Hope out, I'd love to see a WIP pic! I've stopped working on Celtic Autumn this week. I'm not sure if I want to stitch the word "Autumn" on the piece so if I don't I'll have to come up with something else to take its place.

Ruth, what a great idea! I never thought of that! I think the designer has come out with a Mini Miranda bag too that might be the perfect size for a grab bag; although I could get much more in the regular size!!

I was surprised yesterday to see my order from Hancocks had arrived!!! The fabric is so pretty; I'll try to get a pic up in a few days.

Happy Stitching!

Allow me to Introduce

2009-04-26T13:10:00.006-04:00

Miranda! Here's the finished bag I made for my Mother. I have to say I didn't know I could sew. I'm completely in love with this bag. I've already used the bag a couple of times myself. This is the perfect day bag - it will hold anything. I think I could even use if to carry a large type project like a Mira. The design is by Lazy girl Designs and it's called Miranda Day Bag. I used a little bird's nest broach as an added accent on the flap.

I can't wait to make one for myself! I ordered a Southwestern designed fabric last week and can't wait to get. I'm hoping it's waiting for me when I get back from the beach.

We've been really busy getting our things together for the beach. I figured I should show you what projects I plan to take along.

L&L Celtic Autumn (almost done......it's been a WIP for a long time. I bought and started this project when it came out in 2003 - it's got to be the oldest WIP I have! I'm so embarrassed that I haven't finished it; I'm determined to finish it this summer).

Praiseworthy Stitches - Love (gift for my Mother)
The Sampler Girl - The Jane Austen Sampler Stocking (just in case I need a change)
LHN - 2 Red Houses (would like to finish this one at the beach) - Don't have recent WIP pic yet.

Mirabilia - The Dreamer (I'd love to start this one! I'm still waiting on the fabric to arrive. I really hope it makes it here before I leave for vacation!!)

Sorry to keep it so short but my stitching needle are calling me........Happy Stitching!

A Finish or two........

2009-04-07T18:00:00.005-04:00

and a few starts to throw in on top of the mix! Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is stitching to their little hearts content! I've been stitching and scheming on new starts. I'm in the planning stages of getting my projects together for my beach trip coming up in May! I can't wait!

Let's see, I finished LHN From Sea to Shining Sea. I love this piece, it was so fun to stitch. The designer has a good eye for color. If you've seen the finished piece on the LHN website, you've seen the frame I want so badly for this piece. I think it's just perfect. I'm going to have to save up because I can just image the price. I haven't asked my LNS to look it up for me yet.

My TTE partner, Jessica, also received the little Biscornu I stitched for her. I enjoyed picking the colors and stitching this "My Aunt's Attic" freebie. I hope she likes it!

After LHN-FSTSS, I started LHN - Two Red Houses. This one is stitching quick. I'm having issues with my floss, it seems to be fraying on me more than ever and it's just plain DMC (brand new!)

I mentioned in an earlier post I was going to stitch Praiseworthy Stitches - Love sampler for my Mom. Well I've stated that one too. The colors are coming out pretty. I'm using GAST Wrought Iron and CC Ruby Slippers.

Well I couldn't stop there, I also pulled the threads for Mirabilia's The Dreamer tonight! I can't believe I have a chart that doesn't use Black floss! That's a first! I ordered Silkweavers - Purely Primitive 28 ct. to stitch it on (and I hope the color is right!) This is the first time I've ordered fabric online for a specific piece without seeing it first hand. We'll see!

Well before I close, I want to say I hope Chris, Ruth, Karen & Michelle had a great get together in AZ! I hope everyone has arrived home safely! and I can't wait to see pics and here what you all did! Happy Stitching!

Stitchy Surprises!!

2009-03-11T17:17:00.007-04:00

I've got a few things to share! I received a package from Marie for the HoE2 Winter Quaker Exchange. This package came at the perfect time for I had such a stressful day at work. The package just brightened my evening. She stitched me this beautiful floss tag. My first one! I haven't tried this finishing technique yet, but have want to. She also included some wonderful extras which will come in handy! Thanks Marie!

Some time back I showed off a F&S piece Diane in CA stitched for me. I just loved the font she used on the personalized square. Well, I had this awesome package today! She stitched up the alphabet and finished it as a pinkeep - her first one at that! Diane, your pinkeep is just perfect. I also love the fob and floss tag you included! I know I will be using them often! I can't think you enough for this act of kindness! I will never forget this!

I don't have any other stitching to share - it's all been secret stitching. Hope to hear if they arrive safely in their new home soon and then I'll show pics.

Until next time - Happy Stitching!

Prairie Schooler Exchange :)

2009-03-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

I received this fabulous package from Laurence, all the way from France. Laurence was my secret partner in the Prairie School Exchange being hosted by Becky SC. Laurence made me this wonderful needle book. I just love the design and the technique used to finish the book. I'm going to treasure this always.

The other pic is a WIP of my LHN - FSTSS. I've got to finish the top border and the last house (which my LNS is holding for me). I'm hoping to get by there on Thursday to pick it up. This piece is really nice to stitch and the colors are so pretty.

Sorry to leave it short! I hope to have some more to share by the weekend. I thank all of my fellow bloggers and the stitcher's that visit my blog. Thanks for visiting and leaving your comments.

Until next time,

Happy Stitching

TGIF !!

2009-02-13T07:22:00.037-05:00

I'm so happy it's Friday! Friday the 13th at that! Friday the 13th is probably one of my favorite days of the year - don't know why, call me weird. Maybe because I was born on the 13th.

I've been stitching alot lately. I'm so close to finishing my 2007 Mirabilia Christmas Tree. If I had 1 to 2 hours, I could have it done but I'm procrastinating. Here's a pic of the full piece and a close up of the snowflake at the top.

I also started LHN - From Sea to Shining Sea. Loved this piece when I first saw it released. The colors are gorgeous.

I also finished up exchange piece which I'll show off once it's received. Going to visit Mom this weekend! Can't wait to see her. We'll probably do some shopping and such. She's doing great - last biopsy was the 11th and came back good (1R on the rejection scale) - VERY GOOD!

Update from the weekend. Mom wants me to stitch her a sampler so I found Praiseworthy Stitches Love that I thought would be perfect for her. I had her pick colors this weekend. She decided to go with GAST Wrought Iron as the main color and CC Ruby Slippers for the touches of red. I'm going to stitch it on 30 ct. Parchment. I think it's going to look great! We have our annual beach trip coming up in May so this will be the primary piece I work on while we're there. I can guarantee I'll be starting this piece before may!

Bruce and I have been experimenting in the kitchen again. We came up with this new pizza which is a new favorite. No more frozen or delivery pizza's allowed in our house anymore.

Spinach & Mushroom Pizza

It's Boboli pizza crust - Thin; topped with goat cheese.

Sautee mushrooms with a little garlic, then add the spinach - cook until wilted

Thinly shaved ham was added (but since then we been using the ham, but instead of just little pieces sprinkled here and there we been doing a thin layer of the ham on top of the goat cheese then adding the spinach & mushrooms. It's just delicious! The layer of ham keeps the goat cheese moist).

Preheat oven per the crust directions; lightly sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and heat until bubbly - about 10 minutes.

For your Daily Dose of Serenity -

Until next time - Happy Stitching :)

It finally Snowed

2009-01-21T17:09:00.004-05:00

In Raleigh! I like the snow but my sinus' sure don't. I'm a palm tree girl so getting snow once a season is enough for me :) One good thing is I got to take a snow day yesterday and got lots of stitching done. These pics were taken when the snow was coming in the morning. It was very pretty. Now we just got to deal with the melting that will freeze tonight.

I received this beautiful scissor fob all the way from Monika in Poland today. This is an exchange from the Tiny Treasures Exchange that I'm a member of. Her stitching is beautiful and love the extra crocheted detail for the tail of the fob.

The rest of these pics of of the finishes I did this weekend. My first mitten finish! I think it turned out pretty good for the first try. The other is the finished Blackbird stocking from the 2008 JCS Ornament issue.

Happy Belated New Year!!!

2009-01-14T17:34:00.011-05:00

I can't believe how fast the day's have flown by since the Holiday's! I also can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post! I hope I can keep up on the posts more often. It's been pretty busy since the Holidays.....in fact ever since Christmas Eve, I've been nonstop. The good thing is I've been able to do a lot of stitching :)

The Holidays went smoothly. My Mom and Stepfather came here for the Holidays! It was so nice to have them stay with us for a long weekend. The whole family went to my Sister & BIL's place to celebrate Christmas and a good time was had by all! Lot's of visiting and eating, and more eating.......I don't think I've baked so many sweets in one Holiday and my Mom brought all her baked goods too! Talk about sugar overload - I'm just starting to see my counters again as each container gets consumed or taken to work for others to enjoy!

Well let's see....On the stitching front I've been stitching some secret stuff so I can't show them. BUT I did stitch these beauties.....I can feel an ornament fest coming to town!

I received JBW's Red Mitten Collection I & II from Amy in SC as a PIF. I used some really pretty silk floss I received from Michelle in Washington. BTW, thank you so much Michelle, it was a pretty cool surprise when I received your Christmas Card! I'm hoping to finish these off this weekend.

This is the Blackbird stocking design from the 2008 JCS Ornament Issue. I'm almost done stitching another one with a P for Bruce.

I also decided to tackle the pile of Fair & Square pieces I received throughout 2008. I only got 2 finished during the Holidays. I decided to finish them as Pynkeeps and I really like how they came out. The 1st 2 pics are the squares I received from Melissa in CA and the other is from Diane in CA.

(side note, if anyone knows what chart I can find this type backstitched alphabet, I would really appreciate it you could drop me a line. I just love the style of the script - it almost looks like she charted her handwriting. If that can be done, easily, let me know too!!)

I also dragged out my Mirabilia 2007 Christmas Tree. I'm starting to get in the grove of stitching this piece. Its a lot of scattered stitching which I can't get into sometimes. Sometimes I can go for hours on the piece and sometimes I just look at the chart go ughhhhhh....I don't think so, not tonight!

Last but not least, I found some fabric for this new bag I'm going to try and make. I might be getting a little too advanced for myself, but I'm going to give it a try. My Mom really liked the pattern so I picked this fabric for her. Fabric on the left is going to be the lining, middle fabric will be the bottom, pockets, flap, and the 3rd fabric will be middle outside of the bag. I think she's really going to like it!

I also made a Jelly Roll Tote Bag for my Sister for Christmas and it was a big hit. Now I'm working on one for my Stepmother. I'll try to get pictures of them up sometime soon.

I hope all my blog and stitching friends have a Happy New Year! Thanks for all your comments; they really help keep me going on my posts!

Malinda

The Winner Is.....

2008-12-22T10:59:00.011-05:00

Jennifer over at Sweet Pea Stitches! She was #3 to comment on the PIF and I pulled #3 out of the bowl. Sorry for the delay in getting the results posted on the blog. Yesterday was my big day of baking (I can tell you I've never baked so many cookies in my life!!!!) Jennifer, I left you a comment on your blog to contact me with your address.

Now it's Jennifer's turn to PIF!

PIF

2008-12-16T19:31:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is ready for the Holidays - it's right around the corner! I've been really busy finishing up shopping, gift making, baking, and everything else that seems to be falling in between all the above.

My friend Amy (in SC) had this great idea to do a Chart PIF on her blog and I was the lucky winner. So now its my turn. I've got the following charts up for grabs. All you have to do is leave me a comment to this post and I'll randomly draw a name out of the hat Sunday at 8:00 am. I've got The Trilogy's Round Robin, Heart in Hand's hodgepodge hearts, Diane Graebner Designs' Scaring the Crows, and (just for fun) Homespun Elegance's Punch Needle "Baa Baa Merry". They are really cute charts - Good Luck!

Now I'd like to share some pics of some sewing projects I've been working on. These are 2 little purses I made for a coworker's daughters. I think they're just perfect for the tweeny or teenage girl in anyone's life.

Now for your Weekly Dose of Serenity....

Ahhh, to be a little bird on the branch of a tropical tree right now! Personally, I would have picked the best looking Palm Tree to check out the view!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T10:27:00.011-05:00

I hope all by blogger friends have had a blessed Thanksgiving! I know I have lots to be thankful this year! I'm thankful for all the wonderful blog friends I've made since I started blogging, I'm thankful I have Jesus in my life and most of all I'm so thankful I still have my Mom! Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. I think it's safe to assume my Mom has fully recovered from her surgery. She has so much energy she doesn't know what to do with herself. She hasn't had that much energy in many years! She's looking so great!

I've got lots to catch everyone up with! Here's a few pics of the class projects I completed from the 2008 Pal's Fall Fling....Classes were taught by Jane with Fancy Work. Jane is a wonderful teacher, if you ever get a chance to go to one of her classes I would highly recommend it!

There were 2 classes; one for the sewing accessory set you see pictured below (instructions were provided in the class for the tote bag which I made when i got home - my first "major" sewing project! I'm very pleased with how it came out!) There was a needlecase, biscornu, scissor fob, and she included verbal instructions for the little brown Ort container you see on the left side of the pic).

I also attended the ornament finishing class which I thoroughly enjoyed. Like I said I learned so much on finishing in these classes and it was so easy once it was explained to me in terms I understood. Here's my ornament - Fancy Works' ornament from the 2008 JSC Ornament Issue.

Below is a picture of the ornaments I received in the Ornament Exchange

Next is a picture of the wonderfully stitched Christmas F&S squares I received from Diane M in California. She did great picking a design that suits me! I can't wait to finish these!

And I've been doing a lot of ornament finishing!

Now that it's getting chilly here I've been making my soups. I just love soups in the fall and winter. I've been getting real tired of the good old standby, Chicken noodle soup, so I've been trying to mix it up a bit. This soup was a twist of one of my favorites - Italian Wedding Soup! Instead of using meatballs, I used some left over Honey Baked Turkey. I chose a small round pasta and decided to add the spinach after I served it in the bowl and it's topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It turned out wonderful and is probably going to be made throughout this winter. I just love this picture, you can see the steam rising off the bowl. I can practically smell the fresh veggies & turkey just looking at the picture!

Back to a good ol'favorite - my Daily Dose of Serenity! This is my furrbaby - Rollo. She just loves laying by the backdoor basking in the sunshine!

Yule Rejoice - Miracles Happen

2008-11-15T17:22:00.005-05:00

I have got to thank all of my blogger friends for sending kind wishes and words of encouragement. Thank you for keeping my family in your prayers!

I stitched "Yule Rejoice" from the 2008 JCS Ornament issue for my Mom. It was going to be a Christmas gift, but I figured it was appropriate as a Birthday Gift! Did you know that when you have a heart transplant you get a new birthday? She gets to celebrate her birthday 2 months in a row now! As soon as I saw the design in the magazine I thought of my Mom. She used to figure skate when she was a little girl and has very fond memories of skating. (I'm hoping we'll get her on ice skates in the near future.) I decided to try my hand at making a flat fold - I think it came out great for a 1st try. I wanted something she could leave out throughout the winter so I think this was fitting. I used some antique beads for the pins which made it just pop. It looks like a snowflake :)

Keep reading if you want an update on Mom's progress !!!!

I can say things are starting to return to normal. Things will never been the same again; they'll be even better! Mom has been doing outstanding since her heart transplant. She's had 3 heart biopsies since October 19th (1 every week for the first 4 weeks) and the results have been great. No sign of rejection so that means with each good result they lower her dosage of Predisone. Each day she's getting stronger and doing more and more exercise. Bruce and I have been travelling a lot since October 19th. I think this weekend is the first we've actually taken for ourselves and have not had something we had to catch up on or get ready before we leave town again. I'm definitely not complaining - We have enjoyed all the time we get to spend with my family. It's a learning experience watching my folks go through this new routine with meds and blood sugar monitoring. Mom developed post-transplant diabetes which should go away with time (meds plays a big part in it).

Since things have been so busy, my blogging has been put on hold. I'm hoping to get back to it now. A lot has been done in the meantime which I plan to share in the next couple of posts. I think the easiest way to share everything is by creating separate posts - at least it will help me so I don't forget anything.

Thanks again for hanging in there with me! Keep checking back for updates :)

Hugs,

Malinda

The Miracles

2008-10-25T16:30:00.002-04:00

Of Heart Transplants!!! My Mom was listed on the Heart Transplant List for only 24 days before receiving the call that they had a heart for her on October 18th. That was one week ago today. Everything went great through the surgery and Mom has improved each day. She is suppose to be moved out of CRVU today and into her own room on the Transplant ward. We've all been by her side since the 18th so it's been a really long and tiring week. Hubbie and I drove back from Charlotte this afternoon so I can get caught up on some things before I head back on Monday. I'm probably going to be off line for a little while longer until Mom recovers enough to go home. We hoping that will happen sometime next week. she's got her 1st biopsy on Monday so keep your fingers crossed there's no rejection. I really appreciate everyone, especially the Pals, who've kept my family in they're prayers. I will keep updating as much as possible.

Mom's Home :)

2008-09-23T07:17:00.025-04:00

Just wanted to give a quick update. Mom went home on Friday. She's doing very well! Now we're waiting to hear if she has made it onto the Heart Transplant List - yep you heard me! Please keep my family in your prayers. Every prayer counts! We'll go from there once that happens.

Update (9/24/08) - We got the news yesterday that the donor board has accepted putting her on the heart transplant list - YAH!!!! Now all we have to do is wait for the insurance company's approval. I hope that dosen't take too long; I'm guessing maybe a week. I'm working one step at a time! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the warm thoughts and prayers you're sending our way. Please keep them coming!

On the stitching front, I don't have anything to show. I've been stitching more on the class kit for the Pals Fall Retreat in MB, SC. Can't wait for that little vacation! Picked up the newest JCS Ornament Issue this weekend. This is the only x-stitch magazine I buy all year and I wait with anticipation each year! This year's issue was well worth the wait. I like so many in this issue - I don't know where to begin. I have to stitch Jane Timmers (Fancy Work) "Adeste Fideles" ornament because she'll be teaching the finishing technique at the retreat.

I think Thea Dueck's (The Victoria Sampler) "A Merry Little House" is the one that most interests me! I'm already trying to decide when I can start on this little gem. It will have to wait until after Jane's ornament is completed first.

I've strayed a little from my normal Daily Dose of Serenity today! Can't you just taste the awesome hot counch fritters and cold Kalik beer!!!! I could really use a vacation!

I'll be gone for a while....

2008-09-15T12:31:00.017-04:00

My Mom is back in the hospital so I'll be gone for a while. She went in last Tuesday and had an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) put in on Friday. She's doing good, but it the ICD fired up yesterday so they put her in ICU for close observation. She's been diagnosed with CHF for some time now, but lately she's been having some bad spells. I'll be going to be going to Kannopolis to help my folks out during her recovery, but I'm not sure when. I would really, really appreciate if you could keep her in your prayer's!!! I'll add an update as soon as I can.

Hugs, Malinda

I'm Back........

2008-08-26T13:28:00.013-04:00

Goodness it seems like it's been a while!! Sorry for the delay in posting - I've had all kinds of things happening lately. Without getting into too much detail, it all started with one family member having surgery; then the next day, another family member getting ill and having to be hospitalized; and then everything in between. Everyone is doing well now - Thank God!!!!

I've been stitching more lately. Been working on finishing my latest Blackbird Design - Loose Feathers #31 - Blessings and Kind Wishes. I've enjoyed stitching this piece. I can't say it's been quick, but it's been a fun one.

I also received my Pals Retreat piece to start stitching. It's the Madeira tin Kit and it's going to be so cute. We'll be doing some of the finishing in the classes so I've got to this stitched before October. It's going a lot faster than I thought considering it's over one. I really love the Gloriana Silks that came with the kit.

We decided to take a road trip to the Benntonville Battlefield this past weekend. There was an reenactment of how the soldier's lived during the battle. The Benntonville Battlefield is not too far from where I leave - only about a 40 minute drive. It was really neat to see the reenactors dressed up in the period clothing on horses and shooting muskets. They fired off a cannon which was so loud you could feel the ground shake beneath you. I wished they would have fired it off a few times in secession to get a real feel of it. We also decided to walk over to the little graveyard on the property. It looked to be the Harper Family grave site. Most of the stones were unreadable, but I did get a good picture of one of them. If you are ever in the area, this is a good place to see some of NC's history. It's pretty interesting and you don't have to spend all day seeing everything. If you visited when there was no reenactment going on, you could probably see and read everything within a hours time. We are definitely going to plan on visiting again to walk some of the battlefield trails.

I don't know about you, but I really do need this week's Dose of Serenity after the last 2 weeks I've had!!!!

Thank YOU!!

2008-08-01T06:57:00.004-04:00

I need to say a special Thank You to Shelleen, Karen and Sonda for nominating me for the Kreativ Bloggers award. I was completely taken aback when I saw all of your nominations coming in ! I'm so happy you all like reading my blog. I've met some many wonderful, creative stitchers since blogging and have learned so much more than I can ever imagine.

OK here are the rules of the award:

1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.

2. Put a link to the person you got the award from.

3. Nominate 5 blogs.

4. Put links to the blogs.

5. Leave a message for your nominees.

First off there are so many wonderful blogs that I try to check and read each day! I do have favorites that I can't wait to check each day too! Limiting me to 5 is really hard but here's my list.

1. AmySC - Amy is such a great person! One of my favorite blogs to check everyday. Amy also runs Downsunshine Lane which is a great online x-stitch store.

2. Dani - Black Belt Stitching Wizard - Dani is probably the first blog I started reading a few years ago. I check her blog everyday for new posts and pictures.

3. Ruth - The Musing Badger - Met Ruth at the 2007 Pals Stitching Retreat! She is a blast and I love reading her new posts and seeing her WIP/Finish pictures.

4. Mary Kathryn - Another of my favorite blogs - I especially like her Rocky Mountain Wednesdays! She also has a great online x-stitch store.

5. Edgar - Blacksheep's Bit of the Web - I just found Edgar's blog a few month's back and something about it just draws me to it everyday. He's a regular poster and always has something interesting whether it be WIP updates or movie reviews (which I love....I usually see the same movies each night).

I just had to get this posted! I'll post again soon with some stitchey updates!

Until then, Happy Stitching,

Malinda

Our Wild Kingdom!

2008-07-29T09:37:00.008-04:00

Well we seem to have a Wild Kingdom right in own backyard! We have hummingbirds galore. They even become accustomed to us sitting on the deck. I've been surprised a time or two when they fly right up to me and hover for a few seconds and then go to the feeder. It's so temping to just reach up and touch them in mid-air. We only get one breed, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird, in our region; but I could swear we have more than that one breed stopping by to feed! We've also got a rabbit or two that like to hang out in our back yard most nights. They're fun to watch. Right now they are liking my Crabapple tree.

I've been make these tasty treats over the weekend! I found the pan at William-Sonoma. I can't remember the name of the dessert but they a Denmark favorite from what I understand. I made the ones pictured above last week and used a Key Lime Custard filling and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. There are so many possible filings I want to try out now! I think any type of jam would work great; maybe a ham & swiss filling and then there's spinach and goat cheese that I want to try. I've got to stop it! Just thinking about them is making me hungry!

I've been stitching away on the latest Blackbird Design, "Blessings & Kind Wishes". I've got the roof almost done. I just love the colors in this piece. It's going to hard to stop working on this one to work on ornaments!

And, for your Weekly Dose of Serenity!!

Happy Stitching,

Malinda

Finally!

2008-07-20T17:26:00.004-04:00

I have some stitching to share! I'm not at full speed yet, but I'm getting there. As usually work has been crazy busy! All I want to do when I get home is veg; so stitching hasn't been happening very much around here! The above piece, "Rites of Spring", is about the only thing I can share right now. I finished up my F&S piece last week too but you'll have to wait until it's mailed and received to see a pic.

I also thought it would be nice to introduce my kitty, Rollo. She's also known as the Spawn of Satan around our house. She can be sweet only when she wants to be. The way we figure it, at least no one else has to put up with her.

Of course I couldn't leave out another Dose of Serenity from our trip to the Bahamas.

Other than working like a crazy women things have been pretty quiet. I'm gearing up for the Pal's X-Stitch Retreat in Myrtle Beach in October. This will be my second year participating and I'm so excited. I've still got a lot to do to get ready though. Stitching Grab Bags, Gift Grab Bags, framing, creative stitch piece, oh and ornaments - good gracious I need to get busy.

Well the grill is calling for the burgers! Until next time, happy stitching :)

Huggs, Malinda

I really should

2008-07-03T13:42:00.002-04:00

take a look at my own blog sometime. I didn't realize I had duplicated 2 of my Weekly Dose of Serenity pictures......

Weekly Dose of Serenity 2.....

2008-07-01T07:39:00.004-04:00

I haven't had much to report lately....I've been super busy at work. I like being really busy but lately it's been interfering with my personal life - so I'd have to say it's getting to be a little much. I think things are going to be slowing down a bit, thankfully. I'm still in my stitching slump! I'm trying to motivate myself by putting a few stitches in Rites of Spring here and there. It's coming along pretty well, but haven't really been in the mood to stitch.

Ruth, I did start some of Christmassy stitching - LOL :) I've stitched 1 ornament that I need to do the finishing on and I started another one. I need to buy supplies for the other ornies I want to stitch - but that may have to wait! Hubbie & I are starting to feel the pinch of the gas prices so we've got to tighten the belt a little.

I'll try not to let too much time pass until my next post!
Malinda

Weekly Dose of Serenity....

2008-06-09T10:48:00.003-04:00

Another beautiful sunset in the Bahamas.......ah do I miss it so !!!!

Not much on the stitching front. I think I'm in a stitching slump. I've been putting a few stitches in Rites of Spring here and there, but nothing much. I'm trying to motivate myself to start my Christmas Stitching. Got lots of ornaments I need to stitch for the Holidays.

Sorry to keep it short, but It's Monday and as usual it's my busiest day of the week.

Chow for now - Malinda

Information Sharing :)

2008-06-04T15:03:00.005-04:00

I found this on V's blog and thought I take the test myself. I have fun doing these little quizzes.....

1. What is in the back of your car?
1st aid kit, blanket, roadside kit

2. What color is your toothbrush?
pink

3. Name one person that made you smile today?
Bruce

4. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
working

5. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
working - pretty sad ain't it.......

6. What is your favorite candy bar?
Hershey Chocolate bar

7. Have you ever been to a strip club?
No

8. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"good gracious"......I say it alot!!!

9. What is the best ice cream flavor?
peppermint

10. What was the last thing you had to drink?
water

11. What are you wearing right now?
pink & white tops /brown pants

12. What was the last think you ate?
PB&J and Cheetos's

13. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Not yet :)

14. What was the last time you ran?
too long ago to remember

15. The last sporting event you watched?
hockey

16. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
My teeth don't like popcorn - but on the rare occasion I do eat it - would have to be butter, the more the better

17. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on my space?
Don't do the My Space thing

18. Ever go camping?
yes

19. Do you take vitamins daily?
Nope, unless you count Himalayan Salt Sole

20. Do you go to church every Sunday?
No

21. Do you have a tan?
Yes

22. Do you like Chinese food over pizza?
Pizza

23. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
Nope, don't drink soda

24. What did your last text message say?
Don't text message - I can call faster than texting...

25. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so

26. What are you doing tomorrow?
working

27. Look to your left, what do you see?
a phone and a picture of the Bahamas :)

28. What color is your watch?
Don't wear a watch - lordy I'm looking a little boring!!

29. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Koala's

30. Do you use chap stick?
Yes

31. What is your birthstone?
Alexandrite, pearl or moonstone - depending where you look

32. What is your favorite number?
13

33. Do you have a dog?
No

34. Last person you talked to on the phone?
someone from work

35. Have you met anyone famous?
Not really - was neighbor to Micheal Keaton during my last vacation :)

36. Any plans today?
go home and veg

37. How many states have you lived in?
Florida and NC

38. Ever go to college?
No

39. Do you dye your hair?
Highlight

40. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Work

41. Last song listed to?
Old Blue Chair - Kenny Chesney (turtle boy as my hubby refers to him :) )

42. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Haven't tried to say it backwards before....

43. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
No way

44. Are you jealous of anyone?
No

45. Is anyone jealous of you?
I can't see why someone would be....

46. Do you love anyone?
Yep

47. Do any of your friends have children?
Not including co-workers - no

48. Do you eat healthy?
Try to

49. What do you usually do during the day?
Work

50. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
No, just some that annoy the hell out of me!!

51. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
yes

52. What color is your car?
White

53. Do you like cats?
Love them! Although, the cat I have now is the spawn of Satan!!!!

54. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Never

55. How did you get your worst scar?
Don't have any really bad scars......I would say my worst scar is from a neck surgery I had about 3 years ago - but you can hardly see it now...

Weekly Dose of Serenity

2008-06-01T15:58:00.005-04:00

Wow, It's been a long time since I've had the chance to blog! I really need to get better at this - LOL. As the title of this post suggests, I thought I'd start posting pictures of what I consider my Dose of Serenity. I'm not a well seasoned traveller but I consider the place we went in the Bahamas as the most Serene place in the world. Just can't get the place off my mind so I hope you enjoy seeing our trip pictures in the upcoming weeks.

The second picture is of the Biscornu I received from Karen in AZ. Her stitching is superior! I love the button she selected to finish it off - matches the fiber just perfectly. I can't wait to use the fiber and fabby she sent along with her package too.

I haven't been stitching much lately. The third picture shows the progress of Rites of Spring which I haven't stitched on for about a week.

I have to blame it on my love for reading! I go through spells when I can't seem to put a book down. Right now I'm reading a series of books by Larry McMurtry call The Berrybender Narratives. There are 4 books in the series and I just finished book 2 while lounging in the pool this afternoon. They are title Book 1 - Sin Killer; Book 2 - The Wandering Hill; Book 3 - By Sorrow's River; and Book 4 - Folly & Glory. It's a story of a wealthy English family who travel to the New World during the 1830's. They encounter all kinds of characters along the way. I guess they would be consider Western Fiction. If you have similar tastes in reading material I would highly recommend this series.

Well I hope I don't stay away too long next time! I'm going to try and get in some stitching time this afternoon, hopefully the temptation of Book 3 of the Berrybender adventure dosen't distract me!

Thanks to all of you who enjoy reading my blog! Until next time!
Malinda

Can Anyone Tell Me......

2008-05-21T14:09:00.007-04:00

What this is? I don't even know how to being googling this creature. We spotted these things while exploring the rocks once the tide went out in the Bahamas. I don't know about you, but they are pretty nasty looking. I'm usually not shy about touching things, even if I have to poke it with a stick! But I wouldn't even come near this with a stick - LOL......I'd love to know what they are?

DH took this picture of me walking way out in the water on the same day. I was amazed at how far I could walk out from the shore and still be only in knee deep water.

I'll try to post some stitching updates during the long weekend! Thanks for looking :)

Time Flies When You're Having Fun.....

2008-05-11T08:53:00.010-04:00

I can't believe it's time to go back to work tomorrow! Our Bahamas trip was wonderful. I've never seen water so beautiful in my life! It went way to fast! It was very secluded and quite place. The pictures just don't do justice to the colors you see in this water. Everything went smoothly - no plane delays or lost luggage-yah. We had got a wild surprise when we arrived at the resort and found out that our next door neighbor was Michael Keaton (Batman)!!!! Talk about being star-struck! He was very low key-we didn't get a chance to talk or hang out. We really didn't want to infringe on his vacation space. So we stayed at a distance and just waved to him or said good morning when we saw him. He did eat breakfast next to us a couple of times which was pretty cool.

The only bad thing about the trip was returning home! The Bahamian custom folks are pretty strict. They took my Dinky-Dye scissors! I had a 4 hour layover in Nassau and was planning on stitching so I just stitched until I actually needed my scissors and then stopped.

I got a lovely surprise when I got home and had a package from BeckySC. She sent me a grab bag of stash and a beautiful Winter needle tin. I can't wait to put it to use. Thank you so much Becky! You put that in the mail quick!

I also visited my LNS and picked up some more stash (3rd pic). I had to buy some new Dinky-Dye's which I love. I also couldn't resist the beach themed silk. BTW, I also couldn't resist redoing my bathroom in Caribbean colors to match the handmade soap dish I bought while in the Bahamas. Those pictures will have to wait for another post on another day.

Last but not least is my finished "Where my Heart Blooms". I starting stitching this while on vacation and finished it yesterday. I had fun stitching this one. I'm not sure how I'll finish it, maybe a pillow or simple frame. Not sure!

Sorry to make it so short, but I feel like I've been on the go ever since I got back from vacation and with today being Mother's Day - I won't be able to slow down until this evening.

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely Mom's out there! I hope your day is filled with love and pampering!

F&S 6 Exchange

2008-04-28T17:34:00.004-04:00

Sonda in OR sent me these pretty squares! The pattern is "Thanks a Bunch" by Just Nan. I really love this design. I'm going to have to look for the pattern!

We've been getting a lot (I mean a lot) of rain the last couple of days. It's nice to see us climbing out of our drought situation. Most of the rain has come with some thunder boomers which I like.

I also want to thank everyone who views my blog. Since April 1st I've had 300 hits! I really didn't think I had so many people around who viewed my blog. I hope to keep it interesting for you!

As usual, happy stitching! Malinda

I Love Spring

2008-04-24T08:09:00.007-04:00

Good Morning! Spring is in full force here in NC! I love this time of year. We've been having really nice days - temps in the high 40's in the morning and getting up to the mid-70's in the afternoon with some rain coming in throughout the day. I love thunderstorms, especially in the spring and summer. There's something about the beauty of seeing the sunshine and then dark clouds roll in and darken the sky. Everything looks so new and green with that kind of backdrop - I just love it! I just want to sit outside and watch if all! Unfortunately the lightning becomes a problem :) On evenings like that I just love to sit and stitch and listen to the thunder and rain - its so relaxing.

I'm so excited our trip is so close I can taste it! The upper 2 pictures are of the place we'll be going. Talk about seclusion! We'll have about 3-4 miles all to ourselves. My only requirement for this trip was palm trees and that blue water. I must say Bruce really searched high and low for the right place and I think he found heaven! I haven't even been there yet, but I just know it's going to gorgeous!

Well we bit the bullet and bought a really snazzy digital camera with an image stabilizer. Not sure what all that stuff means, but it takes some really nice closeup pictures - hence the bunny photo. I took a picture of this little fellow (well he's not that little!!) last night.

I've been stitching as usual. I received my kits for Blackbird's Where my heart blooms and Rites of spring early this week. I couldn't wait to start Where my heart blooms. I decided these will most likely be the pieces I'll be taking with me on our trip. I don't have a WIP picture yet, but maybe I can get one this weekend for you. I don't know if it's just me or some you feel the same way, but I just don't get into taking WIP pictures at the beginning of a project. I hate just seeing a small portion of a piece and not being able to tell what it's suppose to be. I have a hard time seeing the bigger picture - oh well :)

I mentioned in past posts that I would be working on With my Needle's Alphabet Sampler Book during my vacation, and I've already started the piece. I've about finished the 1st two pages of the book. I've run into a problem with personalizing the 1st page with my initials. I'm either very off with the placement of my 1st initial "M" or it's just too big to fit that space. So I put it down until I can figure out what to do - which knowing me, will most likely be a few weeks.

Happy Stitching for now!

Malinda

Let's take a quiz...

2008-04-17T06:49:00.004-04:00

I saw this in Sweat Pea's blog and thought I'd sit back and answer these questions myself!!

1) How do you hold your fabric? I usually stitch in hand

2) Floss licker? Yep!!!!

3) How do you thread your needle? I'm a floss licker :)

4) What needle do you like best? Love JJ's......haven't found another needle I like better

5) Are you a needle loser? I've have a cat so I try extra hard not to loose them needles!

6) What fabric do you prefer to stitch on? Linen - Cashel is my favorite (28 ct)

7) Bobbins or floss bags? both -I use bobbins for most of my floss except for my overdyed's. I'll use the floss bags for stitching projects.

8) Are you a scissors collector? not really - of course there's some scissors I haven't bought yet but would love too. I do have a lot of little scissors - I use to put a pair with each of my projects but now I just keep a tool bag.

9) Do you do your own framing, and if so, do you lace or pin? I'll frame my smaller pieces and I actually do both pinning and lacing - I'm obsessive sometimes :)

10) Are you a floss floozy? I think I would consider myself a floss floozy! I love overdyed floss and usually can't leave the LNS with at least 1 skein of floss.

11) Silk? Love them - wish I could afford them all the time :)

12) Railroader? Tried it and it slowed me down.

13) Are you a pattern or designer snob? Not really! I tend to collect patterns from certain designers but I also collect whatever catches my eye.

14) Do you get antsy when you give someone a stitched gift? I used to but now I only stitch for folks that really appreciate it. Love doing stitching exchanges so I tend to stitch those pieces really quick because I can't wait to send it onto my exchange partner :)

15) Have you reached S.A.B.L.E.? I don't think so by my husband would beg to differ :)

16) Do you wash your projects? No - I try not to.....

Sunny Days!!

2008-04-16T07:24:00.002-04:00

Sunny Day's are finally upon us! Dear FIL is finally coming home today - WooHoo!!! It's been about 2-1/2 weeks since he went into the hospital. He's doing much better, but will have a lot of doctor & dialysis visits still to come. He's spirits have been high through all this but he wanted to be home and I tell ya when he found out about going home - he's whole demeanor changed! We are all so thankful for all the prayers!

My Dad and Stepmother got their new puppy last night - he'll be a little brother to the one pictured above (that's Happy, BTW). I'm hoping he likes his new brother, Bugsey, right from the beginning!

Can't share too much on the stitching front. I've been working on 2 exchange pieces this week. Finished the second one last night! Now just need to do the final touches and get them to the post. I've got lots of little pieces that need to be finished so hopefully I'll be able to work on those this weekend and have some pics to share.

I joined MaryKathryn's Loose Feathers Club yesterday and I can't wait to get the Rites of Spring and Where my Heart Blooms kits! She's also got a really nice blog if you have checked it out yet. Even though I said I'd be working on the Alphabet Sampler on my vacation, I really can't wait to start something else.

Until next time - Happy Stitching :)

Finished LeNS

2008-04-06T18:14:00.012-04:00

I'm sorry it took so long to get these finished pictures of LeNouveau Sampler up. The pictures aren't the best, but they still show how pretty this piece came out. It will look much better once it's framed. I'm thinking of going with a dark wood frame and no matting. I've got a big trip coming up and need to save my pennies for that. The colors and beading are so pretty!

I also wanted to share my floss toss and WIP pic of the Alphabet Sampler Book. I plan on stitching this while in the Bahamas. I decided to use Lakeside Linen - Vintage Luna and the recommended DMC colors. The picture really doesn't show the fabric color very well. It's kind of peachy in color. I really didn't realize how much fabric this piece was going to take - I had to order more fabric last week. As you can tell I'm very bad at measuring fabric! I think I cut my linen pieces way too big!

I've also been working on some small pieces lately. I can't share those - their for a few exchanges I'm involved in. As soon as they're received I'll share some pictures.

My FIL is doing much better, but he's still in the hospital. Not sure when he'll get out of there, but please keep your prayers coming. They may have to do a biopsy tomorrow, but it's a wait and see kind of deal. All of your prayers mean so much to my. I can't express it in words! Thanks so much!

Now I'm off to finish watching LOR - Two Towers :)

See - I have been stitching some :)

2008-04-01T13:57:00.003-04:00

First I need to Thank all of you who have sent prayers our way! It means the world to me. The past week has been kindof rough for my FIL. He's starting to get better. He did great through the surgery and then his kidney's started giving him problems. Please keep the prayer's coming - they are a great help!! I'll keep you posted on his recovery.

I've been stitching some small projects recently. I finished the 3 above about a week ago. They are all quick stitches and were fun. The Lark & Cat patterns are so versatile - you can pick what ever fabrics and fibers you want! I love those types of patterns. I'll probably stitch these again. The designer is JBW. I can't remember the designer of the middle pattern right of hand. I received this pattern in the welcome package from last year's PAL's Myrtle Beach Retreat. I decided to use Lakeside Linen's Vintage Luna fabric and the fibers called for in the pattern. It turned out nice - I wasn't sure about the fabric, but I like how it came out.

Spring has Sprung

2008-03-27T10:21:00.005-04:00

I think Spring is officially here in NC! This week's weather has been absolutely beautiful - love 60's to 70's during the day. It's still getting chilly in the evening though. We spotted our first butterflies & bumblebees this past weekend while doing yard work. The pictures above are from last spring - I figured some of you that haven't seen the nice warm sunshine yet could feel it from the pictures :)

On the Stitching side of things, LeNouevau Sampler is completed - yeah!!! Sorry I don't have a picture yet. Things have been hectic here this week. I did spot one place that's missing a bead so once that's added I'll post a picture. It won't be too long :)

Thanks to all the PAL's ladies who are sending their prayers my way! My FIL is having surgery today. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers - I really do appreciate it!

Huggs to everyone!

Malinda

Stitching Completed - LeNouvaeu Sampler

2008-03-20T20:14:00.004-04:00

I'm doing a partial happy dance tonight :) The stitching is complete on the LeNS! I can't wait to start the beading tomorrow night. It was very hard to stop and take these pictures - I just wanted to keep stitching away. I'm glad tomorrow's Friday, I might just stitch until I'm done. Some of you have asked what linen I've stitching LeNS on and honestly I can't remember. My LNS suggested the fabric so I went with it. I'll probably be taking into the shop soon so I'll ask and let you know soon.

I've kitted up my next project. Since I'll be traveling to the Bahamas the 1st week in May I decided that it would be a good time to start With My Needle's Alphabet Sampler Book. I'd love to use the silks the design calls for, but I need to save my pennies so I've decided to use the DMC conversion. My fabric choice is Lakeside Linen Vintage Luna. The colors looked really nice when I did a floss toss tonight. I'll try to post a picture of the floss toss this weekend.

Until next time - tootles :)

LeNouveau Sampler Update

2008-03-08T18:40:00.010-05:00

It's been a long week! Work was busy which is a good thing. Other than work, I've been working mostly on LeNS so I'm happy to show my progress. The Krienik finally came in on Thursday which means the garden part of the sampler is complete. I've finished all of the backstitching in the garden except the outer border and Most of the week was spent stitching the butterflies on the right side.

Today I began stitching the alphabet which means I can see the end coming soon on this sampler. I'm hoping the beading goes quickly....

I love the detail of this piece. The backstitching on the lady in the center just brought out her beauty. I can't wait to get the pearls stitched around her neck.

Since I've started working on this piece I've had this temptation to visit Paris. I just love the thought of seeing all the artists on the sidewalks, eating the food, and seeing all the history.

I've already started plans for the trip. Picked the hotel and already found 3 cross stitch stores within a 30 min driving distance of the hotel. Once I have a thought like this in my head I tend to get obsessive. DH is so annoyed and I can understand. We have our first somewhat international trip coming up in May to the Bahamas and I'm already planning our next trip!! I not sure when I'll get the chance to visit Paris but I hope it's soon.

Well friends I hope to keep you posted more regularly on this piece. Hope all is well with you. Until next time, happy stitching.

LeNouveau's coming along....

2008-02-24T16:28:00.007-05:00

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! Other than stitching I haven't been doing much other than the usual housework and laying low. My allergies have started like gang busters so I've been avoiding going outside. We had a beautiful afternoon on Saturday but Sunday was a very overcast, cold day. It's been the wet kind of cold around here for the last week.

Well I've been working all week on my LeNouveau Sampler. I'm so happy that the castle is complete. I went ahead and completed most of the inner garden backstitching which just makes it pop! I'm ready to move onto the other half of butterflies and alphabet part but I've still got to finish the right side of the garden gate and topiaries before I can do that. I also ran out of Kreinik 202 #4 braid so I've got that on order.....I hope it comes in soon.

I hope everyone has a great start to the week! Again, thanks for looking :)

Neighbor's Cat has finally driven me CRAZY.......

2008-02-19T09:11:00.008-05:00

I really have to share this funny story that happened between me and the neighbor's cat this weekend. I will say up front that NO the cat was not harmed at all by my crazyness!!!!

Just to give you a little background on this cat and our relationship. We're still not quite sure if the cat belongs to our neighbor or not. Anyway, my husband hates this cat. I mean really hates this cat!! We are cat people. We have one indoor cat and really want more. But this outdoor cat for some unknown reason really drives my hubby crazy. The cat used to come up to our backdoor and look through the glass at our cat. Needless to say our cat did not like this too much. She must have felt her privacy was impeded on!! So what does hubby do, he goes out and buys this thing call the Skat Mat. I didn't even know they made these things, let alone sell them to the public! This mat is electrified which you can set at different settings. I'll give you three guess what the settings are. So hubby is so excited he puts this thing outside in front of the back door and sure enough a few nights later this cat gets zapped. No more cat at the back door.

Well you would think this cat would learn to stay out of our yard! Nope, he insists on taunted my hubbie to no end. I just laugh and say "it's a cat, what do you expect! Just leave it alone it will go away." But no way, my hubbie has to get his point across to this cat. This has been an ongoing battle for sometime now.

So that brings you up to to speed of the events leading up to this Saturday.

My sister and I went out shopping. It was they day I got to pick up my Nashville Market haul and my sister got to go to Archivers for her scrapbooking fix!

As I drove into my driveway I noticed the neighbor's lovely cat in the bed of bushes in front of my house. It was scratching at the ground looking around. I guess he was hoping no one was watching. Didn't even notice the big metal motorized object that's moving closer to the house.

I said "there's the neighbor's cat" and she was said "ohh how pretty"...

I tapped my horn to get it's attention and maybe scare it away from the house. I don't have a problem with the cat but I thought "oh'o hubby better not see that cat". I was looking out for the poor thing. Did I mention this cat has this "I'm the king of the jungle" quality about it.....like most cats.

Anyway, the cat looks at me and proceeds to squat where it just scratched.

I said to my sister "did that cat just squat? I know that cat didn't just squat!!!"
She's say's "I think it did.."

Well I kick it into action, I don't want this cat using my garden bed as a litter box! I learned my lesson a long time ago about these types of things!

My sister say's "hey throw this at it"

I promptly grab the half empty water bottle she hands me and proceed to jump out of the car. I was lucky I put it in park. I'm maybe 20 feet from this cat and it looks at me as I jump out. I start running and windup for the throw.

At that same instance, I hear myself say "Why don't you go take a crap in someone else's yard".....as I throw this bottle, which goes in the opposite direction that I intend it to - misses the cat all together. Lands on the ground about 10 feet from the thing.

I must have scared is because it took off like a bat out of he$$ and didn't even leave any presents in the hole it had dug.

As I gather up the water bottle and head back to the car, my sister thinks this is the funny thing she's ever seen. I'm glad I could accommodate her with my humor....It was funny!

I wonder if I really scared this cat off for good! I guess we'll have to see! I'm really glad I didn't hit the thing - I would have felt really bad which DH would have just rolled his eyes at!!

LeNouveau Sampler WIP

2008-02-18T16:48:00.006-05:00

Well I guess I have to admit it to myself. I do have a lot of "big" project WIP's. I didn't realize it until I started to pull out my projects when I finished Earth Dancer.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Celtic Autumn was going to be my next big WIP to finished, but I can't get motivated to work on her......So I pulled out my Mirabilia LeNouveau Sampler. This is a pretty big project, but the stitching is going fast. I started this piece sometime late last year. She's coming along pretty good. I substituted Kreinik 202 #4 for the DMC #5282. I don't know what you think, but Kreinik is so much easier to work with than the DMC metallics in my eyes!

Picture taken February 18, 2008

I'll keep you all posted on the progress of this piece in the future.

Thank you all for continuing to follow the progress of my pieces. I really appreciate all of your encouraging comments!

Huggs, Malinda

Nashville Market Stash

2008-02-18T16:30:00.011-05:00

I picked up my stash from Nashville Market this weekend. I wish I could have bought one of everything! Since I couldn't do that, I put in my request for a few items with my LNS. This is what I got requested:

With My Needle - Alphabet Samplings Book- If you haven't seen this, you've got to check it out! I love the idea of having a booklet of sample alphabets! I can't wait to start this one :)

Dinky-Dyes / The Cat's Whiskers - Winter Wonderland - You can never have to many Biscornu patterns. The silk that came with this pattern is so pretty and soft. I started this one yesterday and finished in the evening.

JBW Designs - French Country Lark & Cat

Crescent Colours - Snowball; WDW - Beachcomber; GAST - Bluebell

There is a lot of nice new releases that came out in Nashville. I can't wait to add more to my stash.

Earth Dancer is finally finished!!!!

2008-02-18T07:55:00.017-05:00

After I don't know how many years, I can finally say she's done!! Now I don't know what to do
with myself - LOL! I'll have to wait until later in the year to even look into having her framed, but that's alright. It'll will give me a chance to decide what I want. I know I don't want her matted - but I'm not sure what look I want for the frame. I may have to puruse Sarah's frames for a while until I find the right one.

and the WINNER is..........

2008-02-15T06:45:00.005-05:00

Meddlingkid (Jen)!!! Congratulations!! I'll get the Paris Ornament in the mail to you as soon as possible. I really enjoyed the OWOH experience! I've still got to find the time to go back and look to see who won on the other blogs! That may take a while since there were over 260 bloggers who participated - WOW!!!! Thanks to everyone who participating in my drawing.

On a stitching note - I've been working on my Le Nouvaeu Sampler by Mirabilia. I'm working on the top portion right now (garden area) and have 1/2 of it done already. I'll post a WIP picture of it this weekend. I had to get another card of the ecru suede for my Earth Dancer so I haven't worked on it since the weekend. It should be completely finished this weekend - I hope :) I pick that up tomorrow along with all my goodies from the Nashville Market! I can't wait. I'll share stash pictures soon too.

One-World-One Heart Giveaway

2008-02-06T14:31:00.001-05:00

My first give-away, I'm so excited!!! I decided to participate in the One-World-One-Heart Give-Away this year.

Please visit One-World-One Heart to read all about it. It's a great way to meet other bloggers and artisans from around the world. Here's some information.

It is a blog-wide giveaway event. The original idea behind this was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. Last years event had nearly 100 participants and many connections were made because of it......friendships that are still going strong.

I'm giving away (and this was hard - I love this piece!!) my Paris "Joyeux Noel" Ornament. I hand stitched it using Gentle Art Sampler & Weeks Dye Works Threads on a very pretty kelly green hand dyed linen. The back is a pretty faux suede blue. It can also be used as a door or cabinet hanger - use your imagination - it can go any where and can be displayed all year long.

I've only got one rule - You must have an active blog to participate. All you have to do is leave a comment to this post. Tell me your name, where your from and your blog name so I can visit :) I'll draw the winner the evening of February 13 around 7 PM EST. Good Luck! Thanks for coming to visit :)

Another Earth Dancer Update

2008-02-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last Earth Dancer update. I have to admit when I first started cross stitching on linen I stumbled onto all these beautiful patterns and fell in love. I was so glad I learned how to stitched on Linen, but I also got a little too ambitious! That's why you are seeing all these "big" WIP projects coming out on the blog. Believe me I don't try work on really big projects - at least not now. I usually work in hand so there's only so much linen I can handle that way. Fortunately Celtic Autumn is a piece I can stitch in hand, but it will eventually need to go into a Q-Snap and into the stand. Enough of that - now to the good stuff.
I made a lot of progress on Earth Dancer this weekend. Most of the beading is done. I think the suede fringe will go quickley once that's started.

WIP Pic taken 2-4-08:

Detail on the dress front - I really like how this was designed :)

I also visited the Lazy Daizy this weekend and picked up some nice stash....

Work Basket Quaker Evens. Already finished the August Quaker (stitched on cobblestone cashel linen stitched with Water Lilies - Fur silks)

Thanks for looking and encouraging me so much! Until next time - Malinda

Earth Dancer Update

2008-02-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who commented on my Earth Dancer WIP! Here I am working diligently on my Indian. Bruce decided to catch me in action and as usual he couldn't sneak around to take my picture when I'm wasn't looking :)

I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I worked on her last night and got most of the beading done on the breast of her dress! It looks so pretty! Sorry I don't have an updated picture right now, but I'll add one sometime this weekend. I think once I finish the beading on that part of her dress all the other beading will fly by - then off to doing the suede cording fringe that's all around her dress. I'm already contemplating the compainon piece called Spirit Dancer by the same designer. I think it would coordinate quite nicely with this piece :)

I finished my Fair & Square piece for Melissa which will hopefully go in the mail early next week. I'll share a picture when she's received it.

Other than that, I haven't been stitching on much else. I pulled out my Celtic Autumn UFO to work on when I watch TV. She'll replace Earth Dancer in the stitching stand but until then I'll stitch her by hand. Here's a small WIP picture so you can get an idea of where I'm at with her:
Thanks for looking, until next time...Huggs, Malinda

Meet the Family :)

2008-01-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

I promised a few blog entries back to post some family pictures taken during the Christmas Holiday. I must apologize as I'm just now getting around to it now. It was a great holiday - all my family came together to share with each other.

This is a picture of the ladies in the family, minus my Stepmother (she had to work this day...) - left to right - my sister, Michelle; Mom, and Me (in the pink raincoat!)

Here's a picture of the men in our life's.... (left to right - my Stepfather, Steven; My Dad; my BIL, Chris; and my Sweetie - Bruce)

Now on to stitching accomplishments for the weekend! You know those projects that you just have a hard time completing....either you lose interest or get intimidated - whatever the reason I think we all have one in our UFO pile somewhere. Well I've had one on my back for many years, I'm talking about 4-5 years. It was a project that I started when I was really green to working on big projects, let alone working on linen. I just fell in love with the design - Butternut Road's Earth Dancer.

A couple of years ago, I dusted it off and put it in my floor stand determined to finish it! We'll I just couldn't get past one piece of the design that was intimidating me so much.....that da$m Dream Catcher! I had started and ripped it out I know at least 5 times. Well this weekend I finally accomplished the impossible, in my mind at least, I did the catcher - and it turned out good I must say. I did have rip it out one more time and start over. The beading is going to be a piece of cake compared to that catcher! Here's a picture of the catcher and detail......I'm back in love with the piece and can't wait to finish it.

You can see the beading started in the center of her chest - it's a traditional Native American design which the picture doesn't not do justice to the beauty of the colors. My only delima now is working with that suede cording. It's a flat cording that you can see going around the outside of the dream catcher. There's also a lot of it as fringe around her dress. My problem is how do you fix it to the back. Running it under stitches is turning out to be very tedious - it's hard to pull through and when you do, it's pulling the stitches on the front of the piece. I've thought out about splitting end a couple of inches and feeding each end under 2 horizontal rows of stitches - but I'm not sure if that will work. Still have to try it. If any of you ladies have worked with this stuff, I'd love to hear your advice :)

Thanks for looking - Happy Stitching

Malinda

Happy Dancing :)

2008-01-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Not much new to report other than a few happy dances. We were suppose to get some snow this weekend but as it turned out we only got a trace. DH and I were really wanting some accumulation - oh well! It did turn bitterly cold yesterday and today and the weather folks are talking about more bad weather for tomorrow. Freezing rain - yuck!!!!

I started Just Nan's Spring in the Square on New Year's Day and finished it on the 7th of January. I really like how it came out. Now I want to do the other four seasons :)

I started this crocheting project right after I finished the JN piece and finished it up in about a weeks time. I wanted something as a center piece on my dinning table and this design was just big enought to look right. I still have to wash and press the piece, which I should have done this weekend, but got too lazy :)

I really wanted to do a long oval table runner - but ran into problems when I started.....I tend to get a little ambitious sometimes. So I backed off from doing a table runner for now.

Happy Stitching,
Malinda

All About Me Pictures

2008-01-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

This is really neat! I found this little game on the Sampler Post's Blog. Here's how it works -
Answer the questions and type your answer into Google images search. Post a photo from the FIRST results page. (this can be tough!!)

Here we go!

Age you will be on your next Birthday?

Place You would like to visit?
One of your favorite Places?
Your favorite object? I couldn't think of anything for this one - I guess don't have a favorite object........

Your favorite food? I love lots of different food but I'd have to say my weakness is....

Your favorite animal?
Your favorite color?
Name of a past pet?
Where I live?

The last name of my 1st grade teacher? I blocked all that stuff out of my head ;)
What's my middle name?

A bad habit of yours?
My favorite flower?

My favorite holiday?

Have fun finding pictures to your own answers. If you play along, please leave a link in my comments so I can see :)

Malinda

Happy New Year !!!

2008-01-03T17:31:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since my last post......I was feeling pretty bah-humbug at the time! Since then it's been way too busy. I had lots of time off at work - but it just didn't feel like enough time for me. From having to pick up relatives at the airport to visiting my multiple family members I was on the go every day I was off. We had 2 rainy days in there somewhere and was able to spend time stitching and vegging on the couch. I've been busy with stitchy stuff too. I wanted to show off my last 2 finishes for 2007......

ABC Freebie

For my Grand Finale!! It's not really finished - I still need to put the backing fabric on the piece, but I was so excited about it I had to post a picture.....

I'm really impressed with how this piece turned out! After reading the finishing instructions for about a day and a half - I finally got what they were instructing me to do. This piece was pretty quick to stitch - I worked on it on and off for about 4 months. Specialty stitches are one my favorite things to do so I really had fun stitching this piece. It by Hillside Samplings.

I would like to wish all my stitching and blogging buddies a Happy New Year! In the next day or two I'm going to try to post Christmas pictures of my family....stay tuned.

Until next time - Happy Stitching!

Malinda

Bah Humbug........

2007-12-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm have a hard time getting into the Christmas Spirit this year! I don't know what it is - maybe its the frantic stitching on ornaments or running around with half-decent or the usual same ole' lists for everyone; maybe, I just don't know. I did have a great escape last weekend to AmySC's home in Manning, SC. We had a wonderful stitchin at her new home which is just gorgeous! We got to catch up with all the ladies that attended and do a little shopping at Down Sunshine Lane - Amy's home based stitching store - I don't know how she controls herself with all that stash sitting in the next room! This is a great group shot of us all... (left to right - Deborah, Chris NC, Myra SC, Amy SC, me, Carolyn NC, and Renee SC). BTW, the new Garrman(sp?) GPS nearly paid for itself on this trip. I did manage to make a wrong turn when I got real close to Amy's house. But quickly recovered and got back on the right route.

When I returned home Bruce (DH) got me in the spirit by pulling out our Christmas Tree.....Sunday I decided maybe putting the ornaments on the tree would help. I found myself starting to just put the ornaments up where there was a spot. Not really caring where they ended up. I don't even have a topper on my tree yet! That's pretty bad.

I'll pull out of this funk sometime - hopefully sooner than later! I think having a week off around the holiday's will help tremendously!

It might be that this year is going to be my first year without my Baby Jake. I sure miss ya bud!

Ornament Exchange Fun

2007-11-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It seems like it's been forever since I've blogged. Things have been getting busy for me thanks to the Holiday Season. I received this nice Thanksgiving surprise in the mail on Monday. It's an ornament from Shannon in MI (Delphine) - this is from the Needle & Thread BB Ornament Exchange. She stitched and finished this beautiful ornament for me. The ornament is from the 2007 JCS Ornament issue. The fabric she used for the back is so pretty - very silky looking. Thanks so much Shannon!

Since the weather cooled down some, my hubbie decided to build me the table I've been wanting for my Stitching Room. I stained it with a black stain and then put a clear finish on it. It turned out so nice. Now I just need to get the rest of the room organized. Still need to hang some shelf's that will go above the table for little things like my Ort jar and ribbon holder, etc. My sewing machine sits just to the left of my table so that I can just slide over when I'm ready to do some sewing. I have a big book shelf on the opposite side of the room were I keep all my magazines, beading stuff, and WIP's. I'll get some better pictures up here soon when the room is complete.

Christmas Stitching Underway.....

2007-11-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

Hi, thanks so much for all the encouraging comments about my Paris Ornament. I've finished the 2nd one and it's waiting to be finished into a pin-keep too. I'm planning to do something a little different on this one so I'll post pictures when it's completed. I'm stitching like crazy on my stitchy gifts for family & friends. I'm hoping to get all of them done soon so I'm not stitching at the last minute, which is the usual pattern for me. I end up stitching up until I know there's no way it will get done in time! Not this year - I'm ahead of the game, I think :) You'll have to wait for pictures because I don't want to take the chance of anyone seeing them before they receive theirs.

I'm participating in round 4 of the Fair & Square exchange! I can't wait to start this piece. I'm hoping to pick out the pattern this weekend and see what materials I need. I'll definitely need to get some 32 ct fabric; I find myself stitching on 28 ct more than anything lately. It sounds like my partner in the exchange has similar tastes as mine so I don't think it will be too hard to find something :)

On a non stitching note, my hubbie and I purchased our first GPS system. We went with the Garmmin. I must say it's very cool! I got to use it yesterday. Even though I knew where I was going it was so cool to see this thing work! A note of caution - it can be very distracting at first so be careful. You'll notice you have a tendancey to watch this thing and take your eyes off the road.....that can be a very bad thing. I was pretty much used to it by the time I headed home yesterday evening though.

Until next time - Happy Stitching :)

Finished Paris Ornament

2007-11-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

I did the finishing on my Paris Ornament last night. My 1st pinkeep! I really like how it turned out. It's going to be a Christmas gift for my SIL. I don't know if she's ever been to Paris, but the colors in the design have her name all of it!

I didn't have all the fiber's called for in the pattern so I fudged them a little. I did not use the Krienik it called for (my LNS didn't have it in stock and I hate waiting for it). I found some really cool Le Nouveau looking beads at AC more and decided to use them for my pin heads.

I stitched this piece twice so I'm going to finish the other in the same manner, eventually. I noticed I screwed the stitching up somewhere on the top of the Eiffel tower so now I've got to find the booboo and fix it! The only change I'm thinking of making is to add one seed bead (same one used in the eiffel tower) to the tip of the beaded pins.

Here's a few more pictures of the back & side:

Back:

Side:

Ready for the Holidays?

2007-11-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

First off I would like to thank all of you that have commented on my blog! I really appreciate all the warm compliments :)

The Holiday season will be here in a blink of any eye! I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by! I'm secretly wishing it keeps going by quick! DH and I are planning our first trip ever out of the country. So I'm wishing for May 08 to get here quick! We're going to pamper ourselves in the Dominican Republic - my only requirement for this trip was the place had to have crystal blue water and palm trees!

Friday I left work early and headed straight for the LNS for some stash therapy! Work has been particularly stressful for me lately! I ended up buying M Designs new Christmas Tree design, Kit & Bixby's Winter Bears (which my fingers are wanting to start now), some linen and more Weeks Dye Works (Holiday Collection) and Crescent Colors. I really can't stay away from the over-dyed fibers!

I finally got to relax this weekend. I met up with some stitching friends and we stitching all day Saturday. Well, I really didn't get much done - there was more talking and stash sharing than stitching going on.

I finished up the ornament for the Needle & Thread Ornament Exchange. I'll post a picture once it arrives at it's new home :) Now I've really got to get going on my stitchy gifts for Christmas! I decided to make a bunch of the "A candle to Light the Way" candlesticks by Susan Greening Davis (pattern from the 2007 JCS Ornament Issue). I'll get some pictures up soon of those.

Thanks again,
Malinda

Look What I Did!!

2007-10-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

This is from one of the classes I took at the PAL's Stitch Retreat last weekend in Myrtle Beach. The stitching was really fun to do and I really enjoyed using the fibers the designer used. I'm waiting to hear back from the Mary of M--Designs to find out what the brand was....I forgot what she told us in class.

I'm really proud of myself for actually finishing this into the pouch, I didn't think I could pull it off. BTW, Focus on Finishing has some really good directions - but they were in French! The pictures helped me get the concept down. I will definately being doing more of these - they would make great gifts for someone who's a stitcher or someone who really appreciates what goes into stitching!

I completed this ornament when I was in Myrtle Beach too. It's the Eiffel Tower from the 2007 JCS Ornament issues. I plan to finish it as a pinkeep using the same blue for the backing as used in the words, with a black ribbon and most likely silver head pins.

Thanks for looking!

Cross Stitch PAL's Retreat - What a BLAST!

2007-10-23T13:08:00.000-04:00

I went to the Cross Stitch PAL's Retreat this past weekend and had a Blast! It was so nice to finally meet everyone - put faces with names. I came in as a newbie and left with some great friends. I arrived in Myrtle Beach on Thursday afternoon and promptly went to the Hospitality House to check-in. I was told everyone had just left to visit Mary's "shop". Mary of M--Designs is the designer who taught all 3 classes at the retreat. She set up a really nice mobile stitching shop. If you needed it, she had it!

That evening was the dessert buffet - I've never seen so many desserts in one room in all my life! Everything was great! Got to talk with the ladies and do some stitching.

The 1st class was held Friday Morning. It was a Halloween/Fall Treat Bag. Once I finish it I'll post some pictures. It's a really nice Halloween/fall design you can switch out on the bag. Bag works just like a tuck pillow. Very well made!

That afternoon the Stitcher's Pouch class was held! The design for this class is sooo cute! I can't wait to finish this one! It's traditional style stitching with a poem; including some really nice fibers and coordinating fabric to finish the bag. I'll probably have this one done anytime now and when I do I'll post pictures :)

The 1st of 2 PALs parties was held that evening. Boy these ladies now how to party! I'm not a night owl so I had a hard time keeping up! Next year I'll remember to bring my toothpicks to keep my eyes open - LOL!!! We had the Stitching Grab Bag exchange and the Ornament exchange. I left with some really nice stash and 3 beautiful Christmas ornaments that I can't wait to add to my tree!

We had the last class Saturday morning. It was an Ornament finishing class. Everyone had some really great ideas! I can't wait to use them :)

Saturday evening was so much fun! We had the last PALs party. Got to present 5 pieces at the Stitcher's Showcase. I received 2nd place in it's category and the Best in Show for The Kiss and 3rd place for my unframed Oak Island. The gift exchange was also held that night. I had fun watching these ladies steal from each other and open presents. I walked away with a nice Vera Bradley change purse and make-up bag!

The whole event was wonderful! I want to thank Amy of Down Sunshine Lane for hosting this event - it was the 10th anniversary. I can't even begin to imagine how much work she puts into making these events happen! They really know how to make a girl feel welcome! Can't wait to see everyone again next year!

Biscornu Exchange

2007-10-17T07:36:00.000-04:00

Hi, well this is my first blog ever. I never thought I'd actually start one myself. Hopefully this will be a place of writing inspiration for me.

Last month I joined the Biscornu Exchange on the NTBB. My exchange partner was Dani (a.k.a TKDchick). I've seen a lot of Dani's stitching projects through the last couple of years and they are just beautiful. I was thrilled to find out that she would be my exchange partner. So last night I was excited to see her package waiting for me at home last night. Here's some pics of the biscornu. She also included some DMC floss with the package - Thank you Dani!