Mary's Sampler, etc.

Here's another Giveaway hint-The tree is a Christmas tree!

I know, I know-pictures of Mary's Sampler are popping up all over! Here's another for ya!



You know, I pull the curtains to get some light in to take pictures and this is all I can get! I have a frame that would fit on this nicely but also on another finished stitching. This sampler deserves framing, not being made into a pillow. I'm glad I stitched this. I don't have enough stitched Christmas things.

I was on a movie kick this past weekend. Daughter was visiting a friend home from college back east so I was alone, me and the cats. I watched the Harry Potter movies, a Scooby Doo dvd, Disney's version of A Christmas Carol with the voice of Jim Carrey (Carrey is okay when taken in small doses!), some Netflix shows. All the while stitching on the gifts and Mary's.

Giveaway revision! I'm adding things that I didn't put down on the Official Giveaway post, which is the one right before this one. So be sure to comment and leave your guess on the last post. The last day to comment will be December 8, instead of the 14th. And the biggie- who gets what. Like I said the last post, if the drawn name also guessed right on the chart and designer, they will get the goodies AND the little gift. If the drawn name didn't guess right, they will get just the goodies. But-whoever guessed the correct chart and designer but whose name wasn't picked, you'll get the little gift plus some extras. It was these last two provisions that I left out. Whew! The last thing I want to do is confuse anyone! So it's going to be like 2 giveaways. I plan on stitching much more little gifts, so I just may do some random draws from anyone who comments. All you lurkers out there, leave a comment! After all, I have a pound of Balsam needles and that's a lot, I'm telling you!

I'm definitely in Christmas mode!

So, leave your comment and your guess on the last post before 10 pm West Coast time. Yes, I'm in Arizona but my daughter and I will be in Vegas from the 7th to the 9th, so I'll draw a name while I'm in Vegas!

It's been awhile since we've been anywhere so we're looking forward to our road trip.

Thanks for coming by, as always!



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A couple finishes, and a giveaway

Hello! Hope you've all survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday! Black Friday I don't do. I did last year just to say that I did it but this year I stayed home.

Yes, I'm having another giveaway but more on that later!

I spent today finishing some things. Here's No Quitter



I have chocolate on my wish list along with a big container of sewing pins (yeah, I don't ask for much), fluffy socks, and slippers, right where it's noticeable- on the refrigerator! We'll see if anyone pays attention! But as I was saying, I used vintage seam tape for the holder and secured with the buttons. The fabric it's sitting on is the backing.

Here's the latest ornament just stitched up last week



My Favorite Time by LizzieKate. I like how it turned out. The fabric it's on is also the backing fabric.

And last but not least is Christmas Wishes, and my favorite by far









The backing fabric looks like flying snow, right? Its also more bluer in real life. Using my best friend the glue gun, I trimmed it with the strand of red baubles.

I'm glad I have some Christmas ornaments to hang up even if its just two!

Be sure to click on the pictures for better views.

Okay, now onto the Giveaway!

Take a look at this tree



Can you guess what chart it's from and the designer? Here is one hint:
It's smaller than what is on the chart because I used 36ct linen.

That's all I'll give you! Heehee! I will post a hint every so often, up to the 13th of December. On the 14th, which is a Saturday, at 10 p.m Arizona time, I'll draw a name. If the winner also guesses correctly who the designer is and what chart it is, I'll throw in a small gift I've been stitching that are filled with balsam. Have you smelled that lately? It smells so good! If you're allergic to balsam, I can turn the gift into a pincushion. These little gifts are stitching up fast. I have two already and it's not even December yet!

It's open to everyone near and far, follower or lurker, does not matter.

I stashed recently but it's a different kind of stash:))



Wool projects. Can't wait to start these.

And regular stash



These are all going to be 2014 stitching. I've decided to start 10 new projects in the new year. Since I'm starting these and more, I'm on my way to BAP Attack to join the Turtle Trot WIP SAL!

A nice long lengthy post. I'm on the 3rd day of my 5 days off. It's going too fast!

Thanks for stopping in and commenting! I read every single one, just got to get better at responding! Take Care!


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Ornament SAL for November, another new start

Good Evening!

Here's my ornament



My Favorite Time by LizzieKate on mystery linen. I'm looking forward to finishing this.

I started yet another stitching! I was looking for a Christmas-y design and this was all I found



In the Meadow by CCN. This is the only chart I have of hers! Guacamole linen with over dyes. I love the fabric. I need more Christmas designs and only too willing to remedy that! Lol. I have lots of Halloween patterns and Christmas ornament patterns.

So what did you think of the ending of Mary's Sampler? I wasn't expecting a border, don't know why. Here's what mine looks like



I think in the new year I'll stitch the other version on dark fabric. I'm also happy to add the Mulberry flowers to the border for much needed color.

I'm starting to see some new and returning SAL sign ups popping up. What are you all joining up for? I'm mulling it over! I'll definitely join TUSAL again because it doesn't take much to take a picture and post it! I'm thinking of doing a daily start for about 10 days. It's a good way to start some of my bigger projects. The Turtle Trot, hosted by BAP Attack, is on again for next year but I'm undecided about joining up. I also want to keep on stitching Halloween and Christmas ornaments. On the negative side, not having to post on a regular basis means I disappear! I have posted more this year than previous years!

I have the next 5 days off from work! Woo Hoo! I'm cooking tomorrow, as usual, looking forward to stuffing my face! The rest of my long weekend I have to finish painting my bathroom, and the kitchen. Then the rest of my time I'll be finishing these, my next victims



A fellow blogger talked about how she's had the Super Mojo going on lately, meaning she wants to stitch everything in sight. Me too! My orts jar is the fullest it's been, and were about a week from posting it. I have stitched practically every night.

I think I'm just droning on and on now, so I'll stop here!

I'm now up to 113 followers, yay! Thanks to you all for commenting and/or lurking!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving with friends and loved ones! We have much to be thankful for! Take Care!



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Turtle Trot November, Hangin' With Fancey

I have just one WIP that I worked on and that's Fancey Blackett. I actually missed her! I've ignored her long enough! Here's what she looked like before




The top portion of the trunk was not going to line up with the bottom portion which has 5 stitches and the upper part has 3. The top part sits smack in the middle of the 5 stitches. So I pretty much just set her aside. I picked her back up a couple weeks ago, tore out the upper trunk and started over. I had counted everything and have no idea where I went wrong! So this is what I have so far




Her official name is Fancey Blackett-The Harvest Dance. 28ct ivory linen is called for, but I used 28ct antique white linen. It also called for 1 over 2 or 2 over 2, I'm doing 2 over 2. I couldn't see just one thread on 28ct, it was going to be pretty thin. See my Day of the Dead needleminder? I fell in love with it and ordered 2!

So the Winter Olympics are coming up February 6, I believe. Anyone got plans for Olympic stitching? I know, it's so far away, but this is how I roll! I stitched AND finished a project during the Summer Olympics in London. Gosh, when did that happen?! Anyway, it was Queens Crowns by PSS. The Winter Olympics are in Russia, so I have no idea what I'll stitch!

I just opened a fortune cookie and here's what it says 'Lavish spending may be disastrous, be careful' Great! I just bought a little stash, hardly lavish as some of the charts are Bent Creek for $3-something!

If anyone's wondering, that's my dad in my header picture. He's gone now but he served in the Air Force. I miss him very day.

Well, Fancey beckons! I'd like to have her done by this time next month. If I get her done (git 'er done!lol), it leaves me with 5 WIPs left. Not bad! If Claudette of BAP Attack hosts another SAL, I just may join up again.

Have a good evening!


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TUSAL November, a finish

Morning!

Here's my orts (seems like it was just yesterday I was doing this same thing!)




I finished No Quitter by The Scarlett House






I was worried the GAST Oatmeal at the borders wouldn't show up well but it did. I'll make this into a pillow. Yes, a pillow! I've been on a pinkeep/flat-ornament kick because I had admired everyone's pinkeeps but I was too scared to try my own. Vonna of Twisted Stitcher has a very good tutorial for that. My next try will be a flat fold!

Mary's Sampler



The shepherd was added. I'm beginning to see the basic shape of this. I think Joseph and Mary and the shepherd are going to be the left and right borders. There are 3 weeks left, so it'll be interesting to see what other motifs Paulette is going to add.

Home ~ A Diminutive Sampler by Pineberry Lane. My progress...



I'm holding my breath with the yellowish thread, GAST Roasted Marshmallow. I'm doing 2 over 2 and the directions said 1 over 2, and I may run out. But this is 30ct fabric and I thought 1 over would be pretty sparse.

All the Giveaway winners received their winnings and are happy with them. Yay! My 3rd blogiversary is coming up in December, so I'm going to plan for that. Maybe a handmade item and goodies or a gift certificate to 123stitch...we'll see!

So I'm trying to decide on what to stitch next, besides Home and Mary. I really should work on some Turtle T WIPs, since the posting time is coming up. I'll do the eenie meenie minie mo thing and pick something!

Have a super day everyone! As always, thanks for stopping in, leaving comments, or just stalking. I appreciate y'all!



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Ornament SAL October, The Giveaway That Almost Wasn't!, and progress

Helloooo!

Here's my ornament for October






I have misplaced the printed freebie chart. For the life of me, I can't remember who designed this. Maybe some of you know. I stitched it on 32ct ivory linen with WDW Louisiana Hot Sauce and I love that color. I thought it would look great against the ivory linen. Then I used a Kreinik fiber, the shiny colorful stuff, for the dots on the I's. They don't sparkle in the picture though. Don't forget to click on the pictures for better looks. This stitched up in just a couple days.

The Giveaway That Amost Wasn't, hmm. For starters, some of the items never made it to me until almost a whole month. I mention that in my last post, I think! And then two of the packages sat in my post office for a couple days because I made some mistakes on the packaging and the kind of postage I put on them and the clerks didn't notify me of the problem until 2 days later. On a side note: my local post office is trying to single-handedly save the USPS from going down the pipes and therefore, catch everyone on tiny mistakes that mean the difference between 1 cent and 0.50. Whatever floats their boat! Okay, rant over, onward!

I finally sent off everyone their Giveaway winnings and Diana let me know she got hers. Since she doesn't have a blog, I'll show you what I sent and made for her. She picked Halloween



Btw, she's the nicest person! I sent the Book of Days needlework calendar for 2014, the Halloween Silhouette pattern with a skein of silk and the linen that is below the scissors, the Halloween fabrics, the D needleminder, the scary scissors, scary DMC colors, and the Mystifying Mints in that great Ouija board tin, and






This is the Eliza An Pinkeep from the Merry Hallowe'en book of pin keeps by Stacy Nash, made into a flat ornament. I finished it off with the spider charm, the pretty fabric for the backing, and black trim. Diana liked it all. Thanks Diana, for visiting. I'm just glad it made it to her in time for Halloween!

Moral to the story-Give gift certificates! Lol. I really did enjoy making the flat ornaments though; could do without the drama!

I've been stitching and here's a new start



Love this! It called for 40ct but I'm using 36ct flax and the called for threads. I'll make it into a pillow and trim it with a dark brown chenille that I have. I just finished the cookie.

And here's Home by Pineberry Designs



Looking more like a home! I didn't read directions and am using 2 strands of the Toasted Marshmallow when it called for 1 strand. I'm hoping I don't run out of Toasted Marshmallow!

As for Mary's Sampler from PSS, I only stitched two angels. There's more to stitch this time around I've noticed! So no picture of Mary.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Thanks, everyone, for stopping in and leaving a comment. Hope those of you who do Halloween, have a real spooky one, watch some scary movies. To those who don't, have a Happy Autumn Thursday!



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Blingin' Downton Abbey!

Speaking of Downton Abbey, did you know that the new season comes out sometime in January? Can't wait! I love that show! It's been gone for almost a whole year. Deadliest Catch is like that in that the show comes back on in April and ends in July and then the wait begins.:(

I'm making inroads with finishing all my ornaments and small stuff. Remember Downton Abbey? Well here she is, all blinged out!









Designed by The Sampler Girl, I chose my own fiber colors for this. I checked out Vonna's tutorial for the flat ornament, and since I haven't figured out how to put a link on here that'll connect you right away, here's the address http://tts-learntofinish.blogspot.com/2011/10/flat-ornament.html. Thanks Vonna! Anyway, my confidence doing the flat ornament has gone up exponentially! And now I just want to flat-ornament everything!! So I'm trying to use fabric that I have already, and this fabric I thought could match the silk that I used for the words. Then I prettied it up with the trim, made the small bow and attached it with the gold pin on top. It's pretty!

Diana, Ann, and Myra, you'll be happy to know that the Giveaway packages you've been patiently waiting for will be in the mail Tuesday! Yay! My gosh, that ONS I ordered from took forever. I emailed them and asked about my order, and on this past Friday, it arrived. It took a month. I was disappointed in how they packaged it up though. They took a loose piece of bubble wrap and put everything in it, didn't try to tape it up and when I got it, half of the things were in the mailer and the other half rolled up in the bubble wrap. Their website says they answer their emails in 48 hours, but I never got an answer. I'm liking the Inspired Needle and 123Stitch more and more! They do a great job.

I thought I'd show my glue-smooshing technique to stick the back and front of an ornament together



What do you think? Lol! Top to bottom: a five pound weight, broken 3 lb. weight, a book of the best poems, a Harry Potter book, and An Echo in The Bone by Diana Gabaldon! Below all that is the ornament! Haha. All amongst the chaos that is known as my crafting table. It does the job!

Here's my stitching on Mary's Sampler by PSS




So since it looks like Diana doesn't have a blog, I've taken a picture of the ornament I made for her and the goodies. I'll wait for her to receive her package and then I'll post pictures. I forgot to take pictures of Myra's and Ann's prizes but they may post pictures on their blogs.

I think that's it. Today is the last day of my 3-day weekend, back to work tomorrow, and I've got laundry to do. Not to mention my new favorite show is on tonight, Sleepy Hollow. It's almost Halloween too. Bwahahhah!

Thanks for stopping in!



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