I forgot

I forgot to show you the cutest little pouch I got from a friend at retreat. In addition she gave us each the cutest little pattern with a button I had ever seen.  Isn't it sweet?

Finally a picture of the biscornu I stitched for a friend's birthday. It took me way longer than I thought it would and I was way too late with it. I had given her the rest of her birthday surprises  but this just took me forever to get finished. Now that she has gotten it I can post a picture. The design is Pansy Biscornu by Cedar Hill.

I made some progress over the weekend on Sail Away. I got the waves put back in and the small part of the hill completed and two trees. I still have the bigger part of the hill and 3 more rows after this so I am closer to be done but not really that close. I am excited because I think if I get a couple of more weekends with it I will be done.  I have so many WIP to choose from and bunches that have not been started that I would love to begin.  I have already been looking at the WIP list to see what I will concentrate on next. I will work on FAS and then something smaller off of the list after I finish CHS Alphabets sampler.  I will continue for a while only using new starts as gifts for my friends. I have a great desire to get more finishes from my WIP list. I may pull out a canvas piece as a change of pace. I only have two starts on canvas. One is a bargello pillow from an older issue of New Stitches and the other is a piece by Nancy's Needle named Two Cabins that I will finish for a friend.  I haven't worked on canvas in a while. I enjoy it as a change from cross stitch on occasion. I am attracted to the quilt patterns that Nancy's Needle uses on her canvas designs.  This small design is not a quilt pattern but cute none the less. I would love to get the bargello pillow done as well. Let's face it, I would really like to get everything on the list done plus all the things I have purchased to work on as well. Oh well, if I live to be really old and keep my eyesight. Hope you have time in your day for stitching. Marjo

Stitching stuff

I found a new little item to use as a accessory tote around. As I have said before I tend to travel around the room (don't have a particular chair I always stitch in) so I have a couple of little things I use to carry pins and needles, a beeswax and regular thread and whatever else I think I need at the time. I found this one on a website called Country Sampler, a store that has quilts and cross stitch. I followed a link there looking for Blackbird designs quilting things and thought this little French tin was just too cute and of course I had to have it. My header shows the wooden one I usually use and if I am traveling to someone else's house to stitch I sometimes take a basket that works really well as well.

Speaking of baskets I saw the one on Ellen's blog for With My Needle that she is making for her new Nashville release Mrs Waddlelow's Huswif. I cannot wait to see the finished project. I love baskets and particularly if it is a bigger basket where I could carry the project in it as I work on it. Anything to just be able to grab and go to get some stitching time in. I am waiting to see what the added parts are before I invest as I want to get matching fabric and fiber to stitch the set on.  I don't like to stitch the baskets unless they can stand up to use. I like looking at them but I love being able to use them. So much to finish but always planning something else. A weakness, I know.
I have made some gift progress which I can't show yet, never know for sure who is checking in on the blog :) I spent last evening taking out the waves on Sail Away as I messed up the count. I hope to get some stitching time in this afternoon and get that redone and a little bit more added. I refuse to let the frogs chase me away from this piece. I really want a non-gift finish. Hope you have a stitchy week. Marjo

Progress pics

Stitching for me is my relaxation, my time to think and do something for me. I enjoy pretty things and enjoy learning new stitches and see how designers mix the colors. I am excited to always browse the internet for what is new or for information on stitching. I love to read the history behind the reproductions and would like to think had I been born back there even if I was the scullery maid I would have tried to make something beautiful with thread and needle.

I have so many projects that I want to stitch I need to quit checking out the stores on the web. I have been influenced by many of the blogs I have read to stitch things out of what is usual for me. I have been increasing drawn to some of the French designs and my goal this year is to add one or two to the stitching pile.
Here is my progress yet again on CHS Alphabets and Sail Away.I made a bit more progress on Sail Away by Shepherd's Bush.  I just have the bottom section left to do with that and am settling down to watch the bike races with my husband and  decided to work on this a bit. Since these pictures I have finished Jump and moved on to Needle on CHS Alphabets. Still not quite halfway but lots more progress than before. Plus, I am working on gift stitching for upcoming birthdays. I am waiting for some fabric to show up and then I can start on it. Hope it gets here soon. Two May birthdays in my stitching group.
Hope you have a great week and find as always some stitchy time.
Marjo

Quilting

I do now and have always loved quilts. I cherish a couple that were my grandmothers and I even have some pattern pieces she had stashed away in her bible. I unfortunately have no skill in that area. I have tried several times to produce a quilt, have started more than one and never finished one yet. I decided the other day that with all that fabric I really ought to find  a use for it. I want to quilt, I love the finished products and I would use them but I just can't get the hang of it somehow. So, I got a book about beginning quilting at the local quilt store. I have more than enough fabric and I decided I would work on using up the fabric up that I had to try to make a quilt. Perfection would not be required (good thing I make up my own rules) and I will work on it slowly so not to frustrate myself. I  needed to get some things before I start so I made a quick trip  the quilt store for the suggested items to start quilting with from the book I bought. I knew I needed a new blade for my rotary cutter. The book I bought suggested some rulers in particular sizes and I picked one up. I do not want this to become a huge investment, though as my track record with quilting is not good. We will see. Even if I can't make them it doesn't dim my love for them one bit.  Stay tuned for the progress on that front.
Until next time, hope stitching finds a place in your day. Marjo

Long over due

Gretchen and her finishes.

Can't believe how long it has been since I posted. I think of it but getting the pictures together somehow always bogs me down and I get behind. I am going to start leaving my camera in the car as the weather is a little warmer and that will afford me the opportunity to get some better scenic pictures for you.  This past weekend was mine to work so not so much stitching but between having to take my car in for a check up and waiting for some testing for my husband I have managed quite a bit of progress on CHS  Alphabets this last couple of days. I got 2 more letters done and almost a third one with the flowers added on the vine and even most of one of the boxes filled in around the words. I love making progress. I haven't made stitching night since we got back from retreat due to working late.  I miss going to stitching with my friends so much, I actually get to resent work when I can't have my personal time with my friends.
As for retreat, it was lovely as always. I was really tired when I got there but was happy and rested when I left with some stitching done, too much food and laughter and some different movies this time. I will have to get one of the girls to tell me the names of the movies we did watch. We had 3 this time and they were all different.

I think 3 of us had finishes and we oohed and aahed over whatever the others were stitching. Gretchen, I think, was the only one who had two finishes. Lots of talent in that group. The weather was snowy in snits but not bad and no more than we are used to. Several braved the trails; I didn't as I was really worn out this time and just didn't have the energy.  Not so many great sunsets this time but we could really tell there was more daylight in general. It was beautiful. Sigh. We have already booked our next retreat there. This is a shot of a lovely sitting area that is part of the breakfast area, the view is the entire valley full of sunlight. Awesome place to sit and just relax. Love it.
Hope your week finds some stitching time.
Marjo

Pictures from retreat (picture heavy)

Had a wonderful retreat with friends and got a bit of stitching finished but no pics of it to post yet. Hope by the end of the week I will have delivered the gift and then will post a picture. It took way longer to stitch than I thought as always but the stitching is complete and finishing will be done soon as I can find the backside piece of fabric.
Several people had finishes and everyone had plenty to stitch on, more so than we could ever finish. We started out at the local eatery, and then onto one of the local quilt stores. We may not have a needlework store but we have plenty of yarn and quilt stores around. I may have to go back to that quilt store to get a pattern for a lovely log cabin design. Not that I quilt but someday......
The weather turned out okay, it was snowing when I left but I don't think we had any more snow over the weekend. It was cold but the house has in floor heating and lots of windows so we were toasty warm. Friends, good books, good food and movies to enjoy and all the stitching you could possibly do. What more could a stitcher ask for? I wanted to share with you just how beautiful this place is. Lovely antique quilts, warm wooden furniture, wide open vistas and lots of great friends.
Hope your week has some time for stitching in it.
Marjo