June Smalls

I lost my stitching mojo for the first part of June. By the time I felt like stitching again there wasn't much time left in the month for the start of a new project. Instead I dug out a Christmas ornament that I had started late last year but never finished.

This is an M Designs tree that I've stitched for a friend.

When I'm stitching one of these trees on an opalescent fabric I don't see the need to add the beads. The fabric itself lends that extra bling. However this fabric had no opalescence so I chose to add them. I guess I wasn't looking at the pattern all that closely and I didn't realize just how many beads there were until I got started. I think it could have done without quite as many but I was already halfway through the beading when I clued in! Finding just the right colour was challenging too because I wanted a contrast to the floss.

The final finishing of the ornament will take place next week. Rain is forecast which will keep me indoors and this will be the perfect project to pass some time. 

Summer here has been delayed because of our cool, wet spring. The heat arrived last week and everything is blooming all at once. I snapped a few pics of the garden flowers while I was out watering the other night.

This is the latest that my irises and peonies have ever bloomed. Our annual visitors, the waxwings, also haven't arrived yet because the berries on our neighbour's tree haven't ripened yet. Most years the tree is already picked clean of the berries and the waxwings are on their way. For awhile there this spring I honestly thought we might not see the warm weather. When it did arrive the humidity and storms arrived right alongside it.

I'll leave you with a pic of Clarisse and me enjoying some time together in the gazebo. She likes to be as close to me as possible, lol!

November WIPocalypse

November has been a great month for catching up on my WIP. I made a fair amount of progress on Annie Hyssop's Harvest Moon, more than I expected. 

All the stitching of the hill and grass was completed and I stitched the border with one exception. As you can see from the top of the piece, each border on the three sides must be filled in with the mustard coloured floss. It's time consuming and boring to boot! I got partway through the top portion and by that time Halloween had just passed and I quickly lost interest. Christmas stitches were  occupying my thoughts at that point so I have put this one aside for now. With what little remains I know that it will be complete by next Halloween.

Next I picked up a Christmas stitch from last year that I had lost patience with....Plum Street Samplers Pomegranate Santa. This is where I had left off partway through this year.

Here is this month's progress:

I probably would have been further along except for the fact that some frogging had to take place. I don't know what it is about this piece but I keep screwing up in my counting. As soon as I picked this up once more I realized why I had put it aside. Santa's stick and sack were both off. I had to completely frog them out and restart. Partway through I realized that I was repeating the same mistake! Duh!!! Frog and repeat a second time!
Finally I managed to get things done right and could move on to stitching Santa. It's moving along fairly well now but I have some ornaments for gifts that I want to get working on so it will sit for now. However I don't think it will be too long before I pick it up once more.

Winter has arrived here a little sooner than usual as you can see from my pics. Shortly after the snow fell there was an arctic front which brought in some record breaking frigid temperatures. Consequently the snow remains for now. It's starting to warm up and rain is forecast over the next few days so I'm hoping this white stuff disappears for a spell. Below is Clarisse's reaction to the whole thing.

To all my US family and friends I wish a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all had your fill of the gobble, gobble and without too many added pounds. 

July Blue Moon WIPocalypse!

It's that time again! Tonight the full moon will shine down upon us meaning it's time for a WIPocalypse post. Sorry but this is not the blue moon. Too cloudy around here to get any pics.

As you can see from my previous post, we've had a rather busy month around here. I did manage two small finishes which can be seen on that last post. In addition I pulled out an old WIP and added more stitches to it. This piece was started in Sept. 2013 and I keep stalling on this one. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm using a larger Q-snap (11x11) which makes things awkward and I'm stitching with one strand on 36 ct. 
Anyways, I was determined to get more done on this. It's called This Is The Day and is designed by Tracy Riffle of Hands To Work Designs.

The first pic is the point at where I had left off last year followed by where I am today.

 The first pic is also a truer indication of the colour of the fabric. I just couldn't get the right lighting on today's photo. It's coming along but there is still a huge amount of border to be done both around the alphabets and on the outside. I also have to fill in the background on the numbers and the alphabet. 

I started a new piece a couple of days ago and just discovered a major mistake so it looks like I'll be frogging out everything I've stitched up until this point. It's by Heartstring Samplery and is called Stitcher's Resolution.

What I've done is to start the piece with the majority going lengthwise rather than crosswise. I don't know what I was thinking! I knew that the design was wider rather than longer. I just measured and I can continue but with only a one inch margin for framing which just isn't enough. So tonight I will start the frogging process and restart tomorrow. I'm wondering though if I should restart on a fresh piece of fabric rather than this one? I'm hoping there won't be any marking that prevents me from re-using this piece.

 Clarisse joined me outside in the gazebo this morning as I stitched. We bought an outside pen for her too which we place in the shade. That way she can join us on the patio without running off. So far though she's not too thrilled with it. She still wants to be outside of the pen. Using a leash is not an option because she always manages to either wriggle out of her collar or tangle herself up.   

We've spotted this little fellow in the yard recently but Clarisse seems to miss him every time. She's either sleeping or she can't be bothered to come look outside the screen.

Next post I hope to have some pictures of my stitching taken by the lake in Muskoka. It's our favourite vacation spot and we haven't paid a visit there for two years now so I'm excited to be going back.
Until then, keep cool!!

June WIPocalpyse

The full moon kind of snuck up on me yesterday. I was not at home most of the day and hadn't checked my calendar for posting. I was returning home from Ottawa last night and noticed the big, beautiful full moon on my drive. I wish I taken a picture of it. It was just huge! Then suddenly it dawned on me..... full moon equates WIPocalpyse. Sure enough when I got home and checked my calendar I saw that I should be posting. At that time I was too tired and made a beeline for my bed. So here I am, a little late but with a brief post.

Most of my stitching the past week has been on my Blackbird Designs Button Box. This design is from their latest book, In Friendship's Way. The house is coming along slowly what with all those little bricks to be stitched.

I really love the colours in this piece. I got stalled in the beginning because I wasn't happy with the dye lot of the Old Brick floss I was using. After ordering another skein along with one more skein of the Old Marigold I was back on track. I still want to do a bit of frogging on the flowers in the pot and use the new dye lots that I have. 

I plan on finishing this as suggested, as a button box. I'll be on the hunt for the perfect box next.

Since my last post with the pic on In Season, I have done only a smidge more. I've started the large leaf on the top right of the basket and I've started to add the little flowers to the top left. Really not much of a change since you last saw it.

 

 My next post I should have pictures of my new small start which I will be getting to today. It's a Stacy Nash Primitives design which I was gifted with during my recuperation. It comes complete with linen, floss and finishing supplies which is great. Although last night I almost lost one of the skeins of floss thanks to a certain kitty. I found her swatting it around on the floor. When I tried to take it away from her she took off running at a good clip with the skein hanging from her mouth. Fortunately my floors weren't too dirty and the skein wasn't wet or chewed up and I was finally able to retrieve it. The floss had been sitting on my dining room table which means she's also in trouble for getting up there. This is where I found her after the escapade....

 I don't know what got into her! Fortunately the bag was empty and there was nothing else for her to take off with!

The garden is finally starting to take shape here. My son Dan came out to help with the weeding and planting. Then my hubby topped up the beds with new earth and some mulch. One of my new columbines finally opened this week. Unfortunately Bob accidentally covered my other columbine plant with the earth and mulch. I'm still trying to dig it out and I'm not sure if it will flower.

 I also added a new piece of Mexican Talavera pottery to my collection thanks to my Mom's birthday gift to me. I now have 2 of these flanking each side of my garage.

Finally I'll leave you with this sunset pic that was taken from my back window. I was just closing the blinds for the evening and had no idea that the sky was so colourful. When I got a glimpse, I grabbed my camera and took a snap.

 

Enjoy your week!

Out in the Gazebo Stitching!

The tulips may not be open yet but laundry is out on the line and the gazebo is back in operation so spring is here as far as I'm concerned! Our gazebo is actually more like a solarium and it maintains the heat of the sun as long as the windows are left closed. That makes it perfect to sit in during our recent sunny afternoons. The outdoor temp may be a bit cool yet but it's comfy cozy in the gazebo's interior. Bob got it all cleaned up on the weekend and found the cushions for the furniture.

 I've been spending some quality stitching time out there recently. As you can see, Clarisse is pretty happy that gazebo season is here too!

The warmer weather has prompted me to start something new for spring. This sweet little stitch by Primitive Betty was calling to me.
This is called Pure and Pleasant.

 I love the blues and browns in this piece and it's such a pleasant design indeed!

After some neglect I brought out My Dear which you may recall is from Blackbird Designs The Gift is Small leaflet. I wasn't happy with the colours as they appeared on my fabric and after some deliberation I have swapped a few floss for other variations. 

I'm still working with the colours as I go along. I might change the called for Parchment which appears in the chain motif to the right of the bird. It just doesn't stand out enough on this fabric which is a 30ct Abecedarian linen.
Here's another pic of the same piece in different light. I've also displayed with it some of my new bone button collection. I use these particular types of buttons a lot on my finishes and found these beauties on Etsy.

The floss I had on order for BBD Button Box has now arrived. I'm much happier with the dye lot on this bunch and hope to resume stitching on this piece soon.
Also I have another of the new market releases all kitted up and ready to go. Hopefully I'll have some pics soon.

I neglected to post pics of two other gifts which I received during my convalescence. My cousin sent me two of the sweetest needleminders. One is a witch's hat and the other is a red owl. When I went to take a pic I discovered that I've misplaced the owl already! It will turn up eventually especially now that I'm feeling well enough to get back to some light housework. In the meantime, here's the witch's hat.

My dear friend and stitching buddy Pam knows of my love of birdhouses and brought me the sweetest little tabletop version of what looks like a purple martin house or is it a church?

 
I am so grateful for the many cards, gifts, visits and good wishes from all my friends both online and locally. Your good cheer has certainly helped in my recovery. Physio is going well but does result in some afternoon naps after a good session! In just one week I've increased the flex in my knee by 7 degrees. I hope things continue to improve in this manner and I'm out and about more as the weather gets better and better.

Pretty in Pink - February WIPocalypse

For February's WIPocalypse and just in time for Valentine's Day, I have a finish -The Pink Sparrow Sampler.

While I was laying this out for the photos I found some pretty pink buttons that I thought looked nice with it. I had been pulling them out for another finish.

I didn't realize I owned that many pink buttons!

I finally finished stitching the tree on This Is The Day and then I added the little sheep. They don't look much like sheep to me though. They look more like goats. I'm still not convinced with the colour of them either. It's the called for floss but I find they don't stand out enough. I tried tossing a more white floss on the fabric but then it just seemed out of place with the more primitive colours of the design. So I'll leave them as is for now and see if they grow on me.

I completed a Threadwork Primitives Valentine freebie which I featured on my Smalls SAL post.

I also completed two smalls for this month's commitment which I'll be posting on the last Wednesday of the month. Here's a sneak peek of one of them.

Snow is exactly what the weatherman brought our way for this Valentine's Day. We were expecting only 2-4 cm (1-1.5 in) but it seemed there was quite a bit more on the ground when we woke and as the day progressed the forecast changed. Now it appeared we were expected to get 20-30 cm (8-12 in). As it turned out we did indeed end up with the 30 cm and the last time I checked it was still snowing lightly. See for yourself!

It may be hard to tell in these photos but the banks of snow on either side of the drive are now close to 5 ft tall.

This is the snow outside our back door. You can see my hubby's footprints where he tracked around the gazebo as he removed the snow from its roof.

Even the birds' home is leaning with the weight of the snow! 

Clarisse took it all in from her window perch on the back of our loveseat. It appears that all that snow hasn't fazed her a bit!

I was going to start With Thy Needle & Thread's Snow Day as my next start but I think I'm just about snowed in now. Instead I'm going to get started on another of Brenda's designs, The Strawberry Hill Sampler. Looking ahead to thoughts of spring!

I hope you are all enjoying your start to the weekend and that you are enjoying a lovely Valentine Day. I intend to prop myself in front of the TV and continue watching the Olympics coverage. Go Canada Go!!

A New Year and A New Start

Welcome 2014 and a Happy New Year to all! The holidays are over and the decor is coming down bit by bit. We leave our tree up until Epiphany and are just in the process of taking it down now.
The weather has been downright nasty, not just here but for many of you as well. I hope everyone has weathered the storms without incident. 

You may or may not have heard but it appears that the Snowy Owls have travelled further south than usual this year in search of food. Around here it is being reported that there are more owls being seen than in the past 40 years. Several people mentioned that the owls had been spotted on neighbouring roads in our county so on Saturday I headed out with some friends in search of these beauties. It wasn't long before we spotted our first one atop a tree near the railroad tracks, just a 2 min drive outside of our village.

I couldn't believe that this one was so close to town. I had to zoom in quite a bit to see it and snap a pic so it's not as clear as I would have liked. Off we headed, down the road to see if we could find one a little closer to us.

This one was sitting atop of a TV antenna on a farm property.

Another 15 minutes drive and this beauty was spotted on the wiring on a farm's lane.

She/He seemed a bit skittish and looked ready to take off at a moment's notice. We never got too close to them and used our zooms to get the pictures. Look at those talons!

On our return home we captured this fellow on top of a telephone pole on our route. He watched us very carefully as we rolled down our windows for the picture.

This last one is a bit out of focus due to my excitement at seeing one so close range. They are beautiful birds and I'm so lucky to have seen them in the wild. Bob and I are going to head out again this week to see if we can spot more. He was working and couldn't join us the first time. I would love to get a pic of one in flight!

I didn't get much time for stitching until the start of the new year. Over the weekend I finished up this little ornie which I started mid-December. I stitched it over one otherwise it would have been too large for an ornament. Completed, it measures 2 1/4 inches square.

This design is by The Primitive Hare and is called Welcome Santa - Ho, Ho, Ho. There were 3 different patterns in this design, two of which are for ornaments so I may end up stitching the second one soon.

Having finished up my Torah stitch, I can now concentrate on some new starts. I was going to start a winter piece but I've had my fill of winter lately so instead I picked out With Thy Needle and Thread Pink Sparrow Sampler. I've had this one kitted up and ready to go ever since I bought it. I love all the pretty pastels used in the floss colours.

Clarisse sat quietly on a chair beside my stitching spot, watching me intently.

I've continued my participation in WIPocalypse this year. If you're interested in joining us just click on the link for all the details. I recently completed my list of must stitches for this year. You can find it at the top of my blog under WIPocalypse 2014.
I've also continued in the ornament SAL which has now become a SAL for smalls. You can find it here at Stitching Lotus blog. Join us in the fun! I'm just in the process of finding a stitch for this month's small.
As well I've joined in on Stitch From Stash 2014 over at Mel's Epic Stitching. I'm hoping this will encourage me to stitch from what I purchased last year rather than adding to my ever burgeoning stash. You are allowed to spend $25/ month on any supplies you may need or a pattern if you must. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the year for least amount spent, etc. as well as a draw from all the participants. With any luck this will keep me on track with my spending. I'm letting my TUSAL participation slide this year. I think most people have seen enough of my orts over the past two years. 

I received two lovely gifts for X stitch purchases this past Christmas and can use these without penalty on my SFS. I've already ordered some fabric for upcoming projects with one gift. 

That about brings things up to date. I look forward to seeing everyone's choices for stitching this year and will be visiting some blogs in the near future. Take care and keep warm!