Saturday Night Stitch Progress

Because I'm not sure when (or if) we'll head out tomorrow, I wanted to post a pic of what I got stitched today. I'm almost finished!! I only have a star and a deer to stitch and that's it!! I got in 4 hours of stitching time throughout the day today and I almost managed to complete my ornie.

Not Much Progress

This is all I've managed to get stitched on my ornament this week. It's been a crazy week, and I've not had much stitching time. I'll be working on it today and I'll take it with me next week when I go visit my dad. Certainly, I'll be able to get it finished within the next week!



I'll also be taking my LK Flip-Its piece and LHN's City Stitcher, Country Stitcher with me. Not sure how much time I'll have to stitch, but I'll definitely have enough to stitch on!

Jingle, Sparkle, Joy Update & Other News

Last week, I sorta fizzled out on stitching, so I didn't get much accomplished from Wednesday to Friday. I did pick this back up yesterday and have gotten a bit more stitched on it. Here's my progress as of this morning. I hope to get a little bit more done before heading to work this afternoon.



I'm still planning on either tea bagging it or using coffee grounds on it once finished. I have no experience with either, so it'll be interesting to see what happens!

In other news, Mark & I will be heading south for Thanksgiving. We've not seen my family for over a year now, we usually make at least 1 visit to them a year, and my 96-year old grandmother isn't doing so well. This will be our first long trip since Mark's accident last October, so it'll be interesting. Should be a great visit, though. We'll get to meet my cousin's wife and little baby. They've been married for a few years and their baby was born just before Hurricane Ike hit on the Texas coast. I'm hoping to see a few of my other cousins as well. It's been many years since we've all been together. Our plan is to head out this coming Saturday and return next Saturday. That will give me Sunday to do laundry and rest from our trip. We'll be traveling with the kitties, who always do great in the car. They have beds and stuff at my dad's so it'll be like a home away from home for them. Of course, Callie will hang out in the closet on the mound of blankets and Hannah will be scouting out the house and seeing what kind of trouble she can get into! Should be a fun visit.

We'll also talk with my dad about moving up here with us. He brought the subject up last week, which freaked me out, but if he's open to it, we'll be glad to have him in our home. He's in his mid-70s, has some health issues, but I think his major issue is loneliness. There are lots of things to take into consideration, mainly leaving a lifetime of familiarity behind and unloading the house he's lived in since 1972, not to mention other family members. Thankfully, it's not a decision that has to be made immediately. I think in the spring, we'll bring him up here to visit for a couple of weeks so he can decide if he really wants to move. I think he's ready for a change and some company. Seems like life is all about change.

Saturday Night Stitch Progress

This past Saturday was SNS over at Only One Ewe (OOE), my home away from home on the net. I pulled out Little House Needlework's City Stitcher, Country Stitcher. I started this last year (I think). I know I was working on it when Mark was in the hospital and that was last October.

Here's where I was before Saturday:



And here it is after my Saturday night's stitching:



I'm back to my ornament for the rest of the week!

Thanksgiving Exchanges Received

I love posting stitching pics! This past Tuesday was mailing day for our Unfinished Thanksgiving exchange at OOE. I stitched for Robin and Chris stitched for me. Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. It's not always been that way, but Thanksgiving was the last holiday we celebrated together as a family with my mom before she passed away in 1996. After that, our family changed forever, for more reasons than just my mom's passing.

Okay! Back to the topic at hand. (Thanks for letting me reminisce.)

First up is the exchange piece I received from Chris. This is stitched on "Autumn" linen using DMC threads. It's a Leisure Arts design and is so unique! I love it!



Next, is the piece I stitched for Robin. After much diving through my stash, I decided on Waxing Moon's "Give Thanks". I remember last year when I "discovered" this design on the WM website, she liked it and wanted her own copy. Knowing that she hadn't stitched it yet, I stitched it for her! :) It's stitched on 32 ct. Vintage Palomino linen from R&R using Crescent Colours fibers and one GAST color. It was such a delightful stitch, but that turkey body got old really quick!!



Tonight's the Saturday Night Stitch and I'll be stitching on LHN's "City Stitcher, Country Stitcher". Look for an update tomorrow!

A Finish, A Start, and Something Yummy!

I finished my Unfinished Thanksgiving Exchange piece for Robin. Unfortunately, it's not made it all the way to Virginia, so I can't post a pic of it...yet! However, when I know it's been received, I'll be sure to post a pic of it. It's so doggone cute and I love the way it turned out.

Since I finished my exchange piece and got it out in the mail, I decided to start an ornie. I wanted something quick and easy. I decided to stitch Jingle, Sparkle, Joy, a complimentary design from Midsummer Night Designs found on the designer's blog, Midsummer Night Musings . It's the October 25th entry. If you click on the black & white chart, it'll take you to the download page. I'm stitching mine on 32 ct. Light Sand linen using the called for DMC. I plan on tea dying it a bit when I finish. Here's my start.



Now for the yummy part!! These are my favorite, quick to bake, taste so good, warm in your tummy muffins. As my friend Jan says, they're "easy peasy"!!



Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 C biscuit/baking mix (Bisquick)
3/4 C plus 2 T sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 C (8 oz.) sour cream
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries*

In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit mix and 3/4 C sugar. In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and sour cream; stir into the dry mixture just until combined. Fold in the blueberries. Fill greased muffin cups (or cheat and use paper liners like I do) three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining (2 T) sugar. Bake at 375º for 20-25 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 mins. before removing from pan to wire rack.

*If using frozen blueberries, do NOT thaw before adding to batter.

You can also use any combination of berries to equal the 1 cup measurement. I sometimes use a combination of blueberries and raspberries and they're great!

Enjoy!

Happy Veteran's Day!

more animals

Thank you to all of those public servants who put their lives on the lines for our safety everyday. Thank you to our military men and women who faithfully serve our country here in the US and abroad.

Saturday Night Stitch Progress

I only got to stitch for about an hour and a half last night, so I didn't get much accomplished. I had such high hopes, but alas, it was not meant to be. I did finish the flower, though!!



Please excuse the dark picture. I was having a fight with the scanner and just gave up! LOL

Today, I'm working on my former incentive stitching piece, LHN's City Stitcher Country Stitcher.

Two Exchange Pieces Received

Yesterday, I received my Heart of America exchange piece from Jan. She chose Bent Creek's "God Bless You" with a few changes. First of all, she changed the wording to "God bless the USA" with "the" stitched over 1. She also changed one of the stars to a heart to add a bit of red. It's stitched on 32 ct. Vintage Palomino linen from Lakeside using a variety of threads. I absolutely LOVE it! I just keep staring at it and trying to decide how I want to finish it.


I got word today from Chris, that she received her Heart of America exchange piece. I just mailed it Wednesday and it only took 2 days for it to get from Texas to California! The USPS amazes me sometimes. LOL I chose Lizzie Kate's "Let Freedom Ring" for her. I love the simplicity of this design and it was such a fun and delightful stitch. It's stitched on 32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha linen and used 3 Crescent Colours fibers. They're not a direct conversion from the called-for fibers. I just picked a red, white, and blue that looked good together and then picked my fabric. I also used a grey for the pole because in my mind, most flagpoles are silver. I think it turned out great, if I do say so myself!



It was a great stitchy mail day all the way around!

Quaker Friendship Sampler Info

Several of you have emailed me and asked for info on the design. The official title of the design is "Quaker Style Friendship Sampler" by Sampler and Such. It is still listed on Hoffman's website, so any LNS or ONS that orders from Hoffman should be able to order it for you. I'm stitching mine on 32 ct. Mockingbird linen from R & R Reproductions with Crescent Colours fibers (cottons) in Bamboo, Blue Beadboard, Tufted Yellow, Secondhand Rose, Fleur de Lilac, Dandelion Stem, and Rod & Reel. There was a group of us on the Only One Ewe message board that started this together. Most of them have finished. Some did it in a monochromatic theme using various colors and fabrics. They were all gorgeous! If you have any problems ordering the chart, contact my friend Jan at Only One Ewe http://www.onlyoneeweneedlework.com/wst_page2.html .

Saturday Night Stitch Progress

On one of the message boards I am a member of, we've started a Saturday Night Stitch. It's open to all members of the board and is designed to help us get some of our WIPs and UFOs completed. This was our first week to stitch. Of course, in my excitement, I thought it started last week, so I pulled out my QFS and worked on it last Saturday!! Here's my progress for this week. I got the little rabbit done and started the motif under it.

In other stitching news, I'm mailing my Heart of America piece off to California, so I should be able to post a pic of that soon. I'm also hoping to finish up my Thanksgiving exchange piece soon. I've been working on that for the past 2 weeks. The mail date is in a couple of weeks, then I'll be able to show that off as well.

Quaker Friendship Sampler Progress

Lest you all think that I have done no stitching, I pulled out this OLD WIP from my stitching basket. I've been working on this off and on, more off than on, for about 2 years now. We're beginning a Saturday Night SAL on one of the boards I'm on, and this is going to be my project. Since I finished my LK piece and had an opening in my rotation, I worked on it over the weekend. I finished the motif in the lower left hand corner. I'm almost half-way finished!

Plant Swap!

This afternoon, my husband and I drove over to Arlington to participate in the North Central Texas Plant Swap hosted by the Texas Gardeners group on the Dave's Garden website. What an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon! The weather was absolutely perfect, not too hot and not too cool, a light breeze, and lots of sunshine. There were about 50 of us, give or take a few, and TONS of plants to be traded and given away. Almost all of the plants were from individual's gardens, either from volunteers, dividing clumps, rooting cuttings, or plants people didn't want any longer.

Here's what I took:





I had some Rock Rose (pavonia), Ruellia "Katie's Pink", a couple of Shasta Daisy "Becky", and May Night Salvia. Yesterday, I dug up several starts of Pigeonberry that I discovered out by the compost pile and took those along as well.

This is what I came home with:

I don't know what half of these things are, but thankfully they're all labeled!



More plants.



My husband scored a tomato plant with little flowers on it as well as some seed starting trays.



Here's a picture of the trade tables. Every member was assigned a spot at the tables and it was marked with each person's board name. Plants brought for pre-arranged trades were put under the table at each person's place. Extras were put on top of the tables.





I am already making plans for the spring swap!! Now all I have to do is get all this stuff planted before the first freeze!