No Time for "Blah" days!

But that's what yesterday was, just plain old BLAH! The longer the day got, the more I wanted to go to bed and start over.

I did work on my Heart of America sal with DJ just a bit. I was giving her time to catch up and she did, waving at me as she went by, lol.

Here's what last week's looked like:

And here's what a few minutes rendered last night.

I got so burned out with the 15 day stitching thing I just sat and read for a few days finishing two books and starting a third.

Today is one of those dark rainy days, a prelude to snow tonight and we don't know exactly how much or serious it will be. Everyone I love drives quite a distance to their jobs with country roads, then big bridges and overpasses, and ya'll know how we are in the south.

Today is going to be a stitch day for sure...I can pray while I stitch.

Thanks for tagging along with me. Gillie, it was fun to see your comment :) and I agree with you; I think these challenges are just another great big way of enabling all of us. I've seen several in my stash that I've pulled so I won't forget about them again, and then there's those that are not in my stash. Oh woe is me!

Hugs,

Babs

Fun, Fabulous Fifteen!!!

Well, I did it....sort of. I changed my mind on a few. it seemed I had picked so much work. One thing is I wanted to devote more to patriotic ; I didn't have a whimsical piece so chose a Bent Creek.

The biggest change was to Scarlet Ribands by Long Dog Samplers. It came Thursday and I immediately picked thread and fabric.

So here goes, then I'm putting the needle up until about Monday or so...I want to read a book. I know it's not much stitching but I just wanted to get a stitch or two in all 15 pieces...ON TIME for a change.

#1 is Scarlet Ribands by Long Dog, stitching it with silk n color In the Burgundy on 36 ct. dove grey linen.

#2 is The Patriotic Branch by Bent Creek; on 32 ct. linen with Weeks and Gast.

#3 is Patriotic Patchwork by Blue Ribbon on 40 ct. sand with crescent color threads.

And last is Reading by Little House Needleworks using 32 ct. lambs wool and the crescents that came with it.


Bye for now. I'm just going to read a bit while the snow is still on the ground all around.

Hugs,

Babs

Playing catch-up/#11 on day 13

I am going to do this. I am! I am! I am!

Not going to talk cause I haven't even checked out the blogs and progress yet. Just going to jump in and show you these four pieces with very little done except for a favorite Polly Wolly Doodle all Day by La D Da. Yep, I did a little tweaking on the list; with only a few stitches done I decided I wanted to really stitch this little cutie. Done with GAST on some hand dyed fabric.


Next up is Anna's Prayer by Heartstring Samplery. I love this prayer and really love these funky flowers. It's with dmc on another hand dyed 30 ct. I got all 13 of those lines across the top but scanner didn't want to accommodate.

Next is Spring Quakers by Rosewood Manor (Karen Kluba). Froggie was my constant companion while I tried to start this, and this is not good since it's Valdani threads and don't need to waste any. The fabric is Valor from picture this plus.

Lastly is from The World of Cross Stitching issue 102. It's called The Sweetest Thing by Flora White. 32 ct Belfast & dmc. A sweet friend in my stitching buddies group knew I needed this old copy and found it on Ebay and surprised me with it. Thank you so much Isobel. It's one of two I'm stitching in that series.
That's it! I'm outta' here for now to eat some lunch then check groups and blogs.

Hugs

Babs (who now has 56!!!)

snowed in, January challenges, heads up on a blog

I have 52 blog readers! 52! I am humbled and amazed and am trying to check out anyone I don't follow so I can. Hello to all of you!
The picture at top is Herman and me Christmas at dd Karen's house. I show it off so you can see how healthy he is getting after the year of cancer, surgeries and chemo. It started off at the bottom, I hit the wrong button so now it's back on at top. Oh well. Blogger in training..that's me!

My daughter Tami started a new blog that any of you who want to renew yourself physically and spiritually during this new year should check out. She doesn't always have internet at this time and has to post sporadically, but catches all her days up when she does post.

Yes, North Alabama and even farther south is shut down. Because we don't experience this often, the expense of winter machinery (snow plows, etc.) is not cost effective so our streets and roads become impassable quickly. This causes chain reaction of school and business closings so here we are.

Here's the snowman my grandkids created yesterday. He's tall and 20; she's 16.

I am behind on challenges, but to be anything else would not be me :( A couple days found me not stitching at all except for what you're going to see in these pics coming up.

First up is Apple Tree Sampler by Hawkins House worked on 36 ct. with Belle Soie silks.

Second is Quaker Harmony by My Big Toe done on 32 ct with Weeks dye works.

Third is His Flowers by Rosewood Manor, a personal favorite and so little to show for it. It's on 32 ct. Autumn Blush using dmc.
I did put a few stitches in border of Heart of America but not enough to scan :( But, here is the work done on Battle Hymn of Republic; what it looked like when I picked it back up and what it looks like now. The skipping at the bottom was done in fear that I cut the fabric too short...false alarm.

hugs & happy stitching,

Babs

A gift I forgot to mention

For many years, my husband has taken the last two weeks of the year and the first week of the new year for vacation.

I'm a journal, devotion, list making kind of person, but all my lists for goals, etc. have been delayed until he left. Just a very bad habit I got into and always found myself playing catch up at the end of the first week of January.

It was no different this year except he left earlier and I could have started it all on the 1st, but didn't. I was so busy trying to get two BIG challenges off the ground I had no thought or time for anything else.

I realized finally that I never shared something that happened right before Christmas, and so I'm sharing it now.

I have a friend who I've only met through the blogging world. We may never meet face to face this side of glory, but that's ok. Kindred spirits first because of our love for the Lord. I loved the way she shared her experiences of breast cancer with us week by week, always giving God the glory every step of the way, and continues to do so.

Second, because of the trauma of our physical/medical circumstances, and third because of our love for cross stitch. I received a hand made beaded ornament from her on a day when nothing else could have lifted my spirits.

Thank you, DJ, for the beautiful, thoughtful oranment that graces the top of my post. It hangs here by my computer to remind me all year that angels really are just friends with wings.

I am sooo looking forward to stitching along with you on Heart of America by LHN.

Hugs to all who read this,

Babs

Day Three Challenge & first TUSAL of 2011

Forgot to mention the first new moon today and TUSAL jar, so here it is. Not much since I used it most of last year :(

DJ, this one is for you. I've wanted to finish this one a long time and stitching along with you is sure to make that happen. This is Heart of America by LHN being stitched with crescent colors on 30 ct. creek bed brown by R&R Reproductions.

Next up is Ann Pennsylvania Peacock by Little by Little stitched with dmc on 36 ct. lite cappuccino. Siobhan inspired me with this one...I think she stitched it 2010 and showed it on her blog. Not much of a start, but it is a start :)

Proud & True by Blue Ribbon Designs is on 36 ct. something with Belle Soie silks. I LOVE this piece and so hope to stick to it until it's done.

Last but not least is my Garden Cat by Birds of a Feather done on 30 ct. Barn Owl with Weeks threads. I can not tell a lie. I have not added any stitches to it yet, but plan to today. This is what it has looked like for some time now, hopefully that will change dramatically. She reminds me of my cat Kylie.

That's it for today.

bye for now,

babs

Old WIP and New Start

I won't be reporting every day, but did want to share with you my first day of stitching which was not very much but we had a busy day around here and no stitching until the evening.
on the left
Wip Paradise Lost
Plum Street Samplers
35 ct. lambswool & dmc

on the right
Quaker Virtues
ByGone Stitches
36 ct. flax & crescent colors


So much for day one! Moving on to day two :)
hugs,
babs