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Is it true? It's really May! Not only that but it's WARM!!! Actually today was warm enough that we need the air conditioning in the car and that's when we discovered that it's not cooling all that well. So as soon as I'm able to take the car in I guess I can add that to the brake job. Ouch!
Actually I love the heat and I can do without the air most of the time. It's just that today was soooo windy that we couldn't hear ourselves talk in the car so we turned on the air to cool things down and quiet them as well. Wasn't long though before those windows were open again and we travelled the rest of our journey in silence.
The warm weather is getting me motivated to stitch since I'm not able to garden yet. I'll be depending on my boys to help me out with that again this year. The first day of the month led to a new finish.... Primitive Betty's Pure & Pleasant.
I'm on the hunt now for some fabric to finish this one off with. I love the blues and browns which is what attracted me to this design in the first place.
BBD Button Box is back in my rotation again and I should have some updated photos soon.
In the meantime I had a new start..... With Thy Needle & Thread In Season. I'm just getting going with this one but loving every stitch so far! I'm using the recommended fabric and floss.
My WIPocalypse 2015 list isn't being whittle down a lot but as per the norm I'm adding new designs to it constantly.
I'm finally starting to feel more comfortable driving distances in the car and as a result I was able to see both of my husband's spring concerts with his two community concerts. I must admit though that after an hour drive each way and sitting for more than an hour that I was pretty darn stiff afterwards and tired to boot.
Sunday I decided to try going into Ottawa for the day with my hubby to church and then to brunch after with a friend. We picked an awesome day to have our brunch outdoors along the Rideau Canal at the Canal Ritz.
This is one of our favourite eating spots and let me tell you, it's a lot more enjoyable to see the Canal like this than the last time I saw it!
The Rideau Canal is known as the world's largest skating rink (7.8 km long or 4.8 miles) and they had a record breaking season of 59 continuous days of skating. Like I said, I'll take the current condition!
That about covers things here. I'll be seeing the surgeon for the first time this week since my replacement and getting the official okay to drive. Yahoo! Then watch me go!!
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.
I'm sure you've heard by now that tonight's full moon is known as a supermoon. It's the first of 3 that occur this summer. The moon hasn't taken on any extraordinary powers to merit this name. What does take place is that the moon is closer to Earth in its elliptical orbit and so it will appear larger than usual. That said, it has no bearing on our stitching so let's forge ahead and get down to business!
Since last month's post I have had one finish and two new starts. I'm sure you know which one is my finish since I was so close to the end of my stitching at June's WIPocalypse. Some of you will have already seen this in last month's Stitching From Stash post. Here is Primitive Betty Live, Laugh, Love.
Once I'd finished the stitching on this I tried my hand at dyeing the fabric with walnut crystals. I followed the recipe included with the pattern which call for walnut crystals, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla. I used a sponge brush to apply the mixture and dried it in the oven at a low temp. It turned out not too badly for my first attempt although it is much darker than appears in this photo. It doesn't smell too badly either!
Following this finish I dug through my stash and looked at my list of projects that I had listed to complete for this year's WIPocalypse. Heartstring Samplery's The Strawberry Collection jumped out at me as we were just starting to see our sweet local strawberries appearing on roadside stands. I chose to stitch the Strawberry Bower Sampler from this collection. Here are some progress photos.
I'm using Picture This Plus Mello as my fabric for this and I love how the sampler looks on the fabric. Those plump little berries are such pretty colours too! I have to say that I have been enjoying this one so much that I haven't concentrated on much else until this week.
With Canada Day having just been celebrated I pulled out this sweet little design which will be perfect to add to my patriotic decor next year.
This is by Sub Rosa Designs and is called Where Liberty Dwells...
It is also being stitched on a Picture This Plus fabric however in this case I'm using Sand.
I'm going to be altering the original design a bit for this one and replacing the charted initials. You'll have to wait until later to see what I've decided on.
That's about it for stitching this month. I've been quite busy now that I'm becoming more mobile. Lots of physio appts. for sure. I can't believe how tired I am afterwards! I'm also taking the time to reread Diana Gabaldon's Outlander which is premiering in August as a weekly series on Showcase here in Canada. It is highly anticipated by a large fan following and it has been way too many years since I first read this so I wanted to familiarize myself once more with the story and its characters.
I also received an email this past week detailing some of the panels which have been received for the Torah Stitch By Stitch which I participated in. Here is the link to the photos. Mine is #31 in the list. Some panels have been stitched with borders and others have chosen not to embellish. It's obvious that there are a lot of fabulous stitchers out there who volunteered their time and talent.
That's it for this month. I hope you are all enjoying your summer or winter if you happen to be on the other side of the globe!
June just seems to be flying by! I figured that the month would drag since I can't get out my during my hip recuperation. Today is definitely one of those days due to non-stop rain which has curtailed even my walks. However for the most part the days are passing by quickly.
I've spent the majority of my stitching time between two projects. One is now complete and the second one is my new start which is replacing it. My finish for this month is Primitive Betty's Live, Laugh, Love.
I decided to try dyeing my own fabric once I'd finished the stitching. I used Primitive Betty's recipe using walnut crystals, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. I painted the stain on using a foam brush and then dried the fabric in the oven. I'm pretty pleased with the results. It turned out much darker than it appears in the picture and I would have liked it a tad lighter but overall I achieved the effect that I wanted. I feel much more comfortable in trying this again.
Having finished this I dug through my stash looking for something summery to stitch. Strawberry season often signals the start of summer in this region especially this year with all the delayed growth. I knew that I had several charts which involved strawberries and here is what I finally decided upon.
This is Heartstring Samplery Strawberry Bower Sampler from The Strawberry Collection leaflet. If you follow the link it is the sampler at the bottom of the collection. I'm stitching it on some Picture This Plus Mello which I had in my stash. I also had all the required floss with the exception of one and for that I have made a substitution. This is such a fun stitch and I wish it was hanging on my wall already!
I completed a third small project for my Smalls SAL which I will post tomorrow with a pic.
I finally broke down and used the $25 123 Gift Certificate which my youngest son gave me for my birthday. I ended up paying out of pocket for some of the shipping which fortunately doesn't count towards this month's purchases. The charts arrived last week and it's a good thing I'd already started the Strawberry Bower piece or I might have gone straight to work on Stacy Nash Miss Baxter's House (top left). Thanks Chris for such a great gift!
Unfortunately my clicky finger didn't stop. In fact, ordering these charts only served to make me want more and I ended up ordering a few more additions.
These are Stacy Nash Three Sisters Pinkeep and Heartstring Samplery Land of Liberty. I am the eldest of three sisters so I just knew I had to stitch that particular one. The total of these two still keeps me under my June commitment. The two charts were $12 and $10 so $22 spent from my $25 allowance. However in a moment of weakness I also ordered Plum Street Samplers The Pink House Sampler and the necessary floss I required. That moment of weakness only came about after Mel announced that we had an extra $50 bonus to spend this month. The total for this item came to $31.54. Subtract the remaining $3 left in June's budget and you will see that I spent $28.54 out of the allotted $50 bonus. Hopefully I'll be able to control that clicky finger next month!
Since I am recuperating from my hip replacement, my mother wanted to send me a gift. She lives 900 km away and is unable to visit me. At first she thought of flowers but after hearing that I had already received 3 arrangements she decided to gift me with some money to use towards a purchase of my choice. We talked and it was decided that I would use her money to purchase some fabric for my stash. Over the years my tastes have changed and I am using a lot of neutral colours now for all the samplers and primitive pieces I'm stitching. My own stash is dwindling when it comes to neutral colours. Her gift has only just arrived and I will be saving it for my favourite fabric sale which is coming up later in July. Thanks Mom!
During the first couple of weeks of my recuperation I spent many hours in my recliner stitching. It's just about the only chair in the house that is the right height and is comfortable for me. Clarisse often would sit beside the chair and keep me company. Here is where I found her when I went to reach into my stitching bag for some items. I guess she was craving some attention!
This past Thursday I made a trip into Ottawa for a checkup with my surgeon. He's pleased with my progress but I will be using my walker slightly longer than planned on. It seems some of my muscles had started to atrophy before the surgery because I was no longer walking as much. Subsequently it will take a little longer for them to come back up to snuff.
After my appt. I stopped in to visit my youngest son Chris who I knew was heading to Montebello for a rock concert. I get to see Chris often enough but the person I don't get to see as much is my eldest, Jeff, who was accompanying him. Jeff is on the left and Chris on the right.
It was great to catch up with them even if only for a short while. Jeff will be returning our way in late July, bringing his girls with him for a few days. That about covers things for now. Don't forget, I'll be posting my Smalls finish for this month tomorrow. See you then!
As many of you know, there hasn't been much attention paid to my stitching over the past month until just recently. May was a busy month what with birthday celebrations and Mother's Day followed by an appointment with my surgeon for a total hip replacement.
I'm happy to report that all went well and I am well into the recovery phase now. I am slowly progressing from walker to cane, the staples are out and physio should begin next week. Now that I'm feeling much better and off my pain meds stitching therapy can begin in earnest!
Since I returned home I've worked on two designs, a WIP and a new start. First up, the WIP, Primitive Betty's Live, Laugh, Love.
This one should be completed by the end of the weekend or early next week although I'm not quite up to any happy dancing yet!
As you can see, I'm left with just the border to complete on this one. I've enjoyed this immensely and I'm starting to hunt for a new start to replace it.
Second up is a quick stitch freebie from Notforgotten Farm called June.
I love the flowers in this one. They remind me of sweet little faces. Only the basket/planter remains to be stitched. Until I'm able to use my sewing machine once more most of my finishing will have to wait until a later date.
I do have a project I'm stitching for a friend which I should get started on soon. It's Carriage House Samplings Pumpkin Farm. I think I have it pretty well kitted up so it should be on the agenda very soon. Besides that, I have no immediate plans and enjoy the time sifting through my stash for that one project which calls to me.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer (even though it's not officially here!) and I look forward to seeing what stitches are occupying those lazy days!
Sweet May is upon us and the good weather has finally arrived....minus the hailstorm which passed by yesterday afternoon and once more damaged the gazebo roof. Only the outer panes have been perforated and the panels are still holding for now. You may recall that this happened to us last year and I ordered replacement panels for the damaged pieces. Fortunately we haven't put those in yet but it does look like I will have to order one or two more panels.
So okay we won't count that storm and will revel in the mild sunny days which we've had lately. I've spent this month stitching on some lovely spring designs. Actually one was designed as a Valentine offering but the motifs in the piece do resemble spring.
First up is my completed Blackbird Designs Spring Tulips.
I love the soft, pastel colours in this piece. I'm hoping to finish this one as a pinkeep which I can display on a small easel.
This was followed by my second finish, With Thy Needle and Thread Forget Me Not Postcard Pinkeep. I stitched this for a fellow choir member of mine, Joanne, who is returning home to Hong Kong after spending 4 years in Ottawa for her university studies. I changed the wording to Forget Us Not to represent all of the choir members and edged the piece in some green lace which matches the leaves.
I gave this to Joanne yesterday when we all took her out for lunch. She was thrilled and told me that it touched her heart.
I finished this piece just as the designer Brenda suggested by ironing the pillow finish flat to resemble a postcard. I love the finish although it does show up just how crooked my sewing is!
The rest of the month I spent time working on Primitive Betty Live, Laugh, Love which has been hiding in my stash for at least a year or so.
This is slowly coming along and will probably be my go to piece in the next month. I'm also working on a small piece for my Smalls SAL which I will post a pic of on Wednesday for this month's commitment.
I did dip into my allowance this month and ordered a couple of patterns which popped up on eBay. I have been looking for these for some time now and didn't want to let them go. They are Blackbird Design patterns which are OOP. The total for this purchase came to $23.18. May is my birthday month so I was gifted with two patterns of my choice as a birthday gift from a friend. I ordered two of Jenny Hoffman's patterns from her Etsy shop which I have been eyeing for a while. Also my youngest son gave me a $25 GC for 123 Stitch which I can put to use when the urge strikes me!
Here's a pic of me celebrating my birthday which happened to fall on Mother's Day this year. My family took me out for a fabulous lunch at a favourite restaurant in Ottawa's Byward Market. Only my eldest son and his family were not able to join us since they live at a distance.
That about covers it for this month. My stitching might be limited somewhat for a little while. I'm going into hospital tomorrow morning for a total hip replacement. Hopefully I will recover well and can spend many hours stitching when I return home later in the week. After all, I won't be going very far at first! I hope all my US friends are enjoying a lovely long weekend. Take care and I'll see you all soon!
Spring has sprung.....sort of! It finally arrived here later than usual and it seems to have promptly disappeared! The days are cool again and there seems to be nothing but overcast days or rain. Not so good for getting out in the garden but perfect stitching days.
I've been concentrating on three projects over the past month and have finished a fourth one. My finish is Primitive Hare's Cross Stitcher At Work. Follow the link to see the picture which I posted on my blog recently.
Blackbird Designs Spring Tulips is sooo close to a finish! I only have to finish stitching the Algerian eye stitches at the bottom of the piece. You can see some of them at the bottom right.
I also want to frog out one of my initials and move them. I don't like the placement as charted. It was fine for the designer's initials but mine seem to sort of run together. So I shall either move the top L up or the bottom J down. Then I'll be happy dancing! This one is going to be finished as a pinkeep.
Two new starts are occupying my time right now. When I was browsing through my stash recently I found a chart which I had misplaced. I was so happy that I had found it that I decided to start it right there and then. This Primitive Betty's Live, Laugh, Love.
I started this two weeks ago and should have been much further along but another start interrupted me. One of the members of our church choir, Joanne, is from Hong Kong but has been living in Ottawa the past four years while she attended university. Her studies are now complete and in early June she will be returning home permanently. We are really going to miss her and I wanted to stitch something for her to remember us by. She has always been so complimentary of my stitching. After browsing through my stash I settled on With Thy Needle and Thread Forget Me Not Postcard Pinkeep from the Mary Valentine's Handework leaflet. Sorry about the pic. The day is overcast and I can't seem to get a good photo.
I'm planning on changing Forget Me Not to Forget Us Not. The urn in this shows up much better in real life. I have to have this completely stitched and finished by May 25 when we are holding a going away party for Joanne. When I was looking for a link to this pattern I found Faye's (Carolina Stitcher) fabulous finish of this piece here. Like Faye I am planning to change the colour of the bird. The called for floss was just a little too close to the colour of the leaves for my taste and I just wanted a little more colour in the piece. I can only hope that my finish is have as nice as hers! I would love to try something like Faye's finish but Joanne has a lot to take back home with her so I will probably finish this as the called for pinkeep.
As I mentioned earlier the weather has been so poor here that I'm afraid to put out most of my flowers. We have still had some nights with frost. I needed to buy my flowers early because I won't be able to get out and about after my hip surgery. Consequently my favourite stitching spot in my gazebo/solarium is currently being used as a greenhouse.
Never fear, I've still managed to save a little corner of the space for myself and my stitching as well as a spot for Clarisse. She is so happy to be back in her summer spot!
See you soon. Yippee, the sun is coming out!
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