A finish for Babs but not a challenge!

I did it! I finished Beds of Roses! I can't believe how long it took and how much frogging I did...that little fellow just wouldn't go away. Now to find the perfect frame or whatever finishing I decide to do.

Beds of Roses
designed by Terry Loewen
stitched on 32 ct. autumn blush over two
using GAST Faded Rose

Some of you asked where the pattern is from...It was a neat little surprise in the first copy I ever bought of Create & Decorate, April 2011. They did send me to a web sight for a better chart www.createanddecorate.com/downloads . It might still be available and you can print it off.

And, oh yeah, you can click on my pics now and enlarge them, but not any before today I don't think. I just did it spastically but I think that's been taken care of now :)

HTH and hugs,
Babs

Easter a day early little long with pictures!

On April 24, 1921 Chelma Adele Thiele was born in Missouri. She was one of the most unique people I have ever known, unlike any of the other mothers I met as a child and, as I grew up, and even after I became a mother myself. She was shy, but gave so much of herself to her family and others.

Her craft was crocheting and my daddy loved to sit and watch that crochet hook move so fast (he watched me too, when I grew up and took up the hook :) But, she did two cross stitch pieces in her life....and this is the one I still have today after many years.

Mother was taken from us in the aftermath of Katrina. She married my daddy during WWII, and they moved to the Mississippi gulf coast when I was three years old and that's where I grew up and married.

Her birthday falls on Easter this year and I thought I would honor her by sharing her with my friends. She loved to laugh, so when the SS class I taught gave me a picture frame along with flowers I knew which picture would go in it. This was her last visit to my house. In the grouping, a baby picture and one as she looked when my daddy courted her :) You can also see my little sal finish I made into a pillow and the needleroll friend Sally gave me in an exchange. The pin keep bunny, friend Lavon gave me just because I loved it when I saw it.

Next up is Anna's Bird by Goode Huswif which I stitched in Mother's honor, renaming it Chelma's Bird., as beautifully unique as she was.

Thought I'd have this little sampler done by now, but only close...maybe tonight.

Did finish a prairie schooler ornament from their cranberry Christmas book. I chose a non-Christmas fabric cause the green matched both the trees of the ornament and the washed out green of the ric rac. Just had fun with this one and added the yellow/gold stars :)

That's it for now. Happy Easter, everyone, and please do remember why we celebrate this time. What a time of renewal, of strength, faith and the hope that is in us.

Love,

Babs

Did you think I forgot to draw a name for PIF?

I didn't forget. I just got this idea since there were only six names. I don't know anything about random counters, etc., but I do know about the honor system :) I had a little fun with it since this is Easter month so just bear with me. Only one person won the draw, but I would love to have the addresses of the other five if you don't mind. If you do mind, that's ok, but why not send me your address just in case?I wanted to hide the names in eggs...all colors, then I realized I better have the eggs all the same color so no cheating going on :) Here are the eggs in the basket:

Look real close and you'll see all six eggs in the grass:

And the winner is Maria!!!!!

And then, the other five names folded in their eggs...not going to call you losers :)

Maria, I will get to know you a little better and see what your tastes are, but now you have to pay it forward on your blog.

I had the nicest surprise recently. I picked up this magazine that I'd never bought before called Create & Decorate...

and I found this..... a design by Terry Loewen.

and had to do this. I cut a piece of autumn blush 32ct fabric and picked one of the newest Gast threads called faded rose and got this far

but really want to finish this before anything else. I love the faded, look of the thread and blotchy look of the fabric. Together with the chenille trim planned for it, I'm hoping to have my very own brand new "antique".

and by the way, picked up the latest copy of Create & Decorate a little while ago. I do love this magazine!

bye for now!

hugs,

Babs

A PIF, no photos, no stitching

OK. I am one of the lucky recipients of a PIF from Lynda. Now, I've been a recipient of her beautiful stitching before because she and I have been part of the same yahoo group going back over 10 years. But, I have never participated in the PIF thing. So, the way I understand it is....Lynda is going to stitch me something in this next year. But I am supposed to host a PIF drawing on my blog and if anyone actually signs up, then I draw from those names and do something for the winner in this next year. If no one signs up, then I'll choose someone from previous comments to do a RAK...that's my own rule cause some of you have been so kind to encourage and inspire me since I've been blogging. See? I'm learning. Before the blog I knew what a random act of kindness was; now I know what a RAK is. My one year anniversary is coming up so this will be a good way for me to "practice". I really need some practice :) Drawing to be held on April 13th. hugs, Babs

TUSAL and 1st 2011 New Challenge finish!

Happy dancing going on in Alabama today! The sun is shining; I wore capris and flip-flops out today, and I got the buttons sewed on my big finish. A word here first, though. When I signed up for both Minna's new challenge and Jayne's wip challenge I listed this one on the wip side. Truth is, I had to start over (why I never got past the few stitches in 2008 was because of the mistake in it) DJ invited me to join her in a Monday stitch-along on it so that's what I did. DJ has been sick as most of us know and my prayer time for her was always special on Mondays. Then this last week she had so much medical stuff facing her and decisions and fearful news and I couldn't seem to put it down. I just kept stitching and thinking of her and praying for her and waiting for her to share how the week went. Until this morning I found myself sewing the buttons on.

But, first, here is my TUSAL for tomorrow in case I forget since it's on Sunday. A lot of frogging going on in March.

And here it is! Little House Needleworks Heart of America complete with a few changes. America replaced one date. "1776" replaced another date, and 2011 is at the bottom. It is stitched on 30 ct. Creek Bed Brown, using Crescent Colors floss. Buttons are from Just Another Button company...lamb, acorn, blackbird and three stars at bottom.

I saw a wall hanging the other day that I'm thinking about doing, or I might take the easy way and let the framer do her magic.

Well, that's my big

finish!

Happy Stitching!

Babs