Boo!

Happy Sunday Dear Friends! Many of you are so clever and knew exactly what my new start was :) "Boo Jack" by PrimitiveBettys. And a big thank you to the very talented Betty herself for dropping by my humble little blog!

The winner of the contest is: Julie M/I'll Cross That Leg When I Get To It. Julie, please email me your address so that I can get your package mailed to you! (kingfam1192@aol.com) Thank you everyone for leaving a comment, I really appreciate it.

It looked like there was enough contrast between the two threads I picked for the pumpkin, until it was stitched up. I wish the floss for the rib lines was darker so that it showed up more. But, c'est la vie! I still love it.

Boo Jack freebie by

PrimitiveBettys found here

fabric: 32ct natural linen

fibers: my own selection

(WDW in Sweet Potato and Tiger's Eye, CC in Bean Sprout, DMC #310 and #918)

And I've another new Halloween start :) I'm using DMC 310 and 919 on a piece of my own hand dyed fabric...


I also dyed a 1 yard cut of white linen (with coffee) in anticipation of lots of Halloween stitching...


Wishing you many pleasant moments with needle and thread, until next time.....

It's a Good Morning!

Actually, it was a good evening because I finished this WIP that I started last summer! I really like the way it turned out...lovin' the combo of the slightly variegated red floss and the really blotchy fabric. (You can read here about how I dyed the fabric.)

Good Morning freebie

by Ria Lanser (Grandma's Kitchen), OOP

fabric: misc "staci-dyed" remnant

fiber: Victorian Motto in Red G

And I've started Coffin Buzz, also a freebie, by Plum Street Samplers...

I'm using WDW Mocha and another linen remnant I hand-dyed, and really liking the way it's turning out!

Michele is also stitching Coffin Buzz (over 1!). And she sent me her Rise and Shine pattern so that I can stitch it (hers turned out so cute that I have to copy it!)

Has anyone noticed a theme going on with some of my recent stitching??? I want to decorate the wall behind my kitchen table with "morning" themed stitcheries. I want to have it done by the end of summer. HEY, quit laughing (I can hear you guys snorting at me, lol!) I have 3 done, one in progress, and 4 (maybe 5) more that I'd like to do. But I could always use the 3 and call it done, LOL!

Thanks for stopping by, your visits always make my day!!!

Twice in one day

I went almost two weeks without posting and now I've got two in one day! Sorry to pester you guys!!! Becky let me know that she's received the ornament I stitched her for the Christmas Ornament Swap. This swap was Becky's brainchild and she is the final recipient for this year long exchange. Thank you so much Becky!!!

I really adored the ornie I sent her...it was a teensy bit hard to send it away, LOL ;) But no matter, I WILL be stitching this for myself. I'm so glad you like it Becky! This was a chart gifted to me by my sweet friend Carolyn.

A Quaker Year "Merry Winter"

by Homespun Elegance

fabric: 32ct "staci-dyed" linen

fibers: Crescent Colours Bandana and DMC 731

Ok, that really is it for me today. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your sweet comments!

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

since Thursday morning. Except for yesterday when it was raining snow (you know that really, really wet kind that feels like slush when it hits you.) They say it's supposed to end today. But in the mean time, it has me thinking of all those rain-related songs...It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring, etc. And it has me thinking I should take a leaf out of Noah's book :)

So isn't it fitting that I finished this?

This was so much fun...I love it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The Prairie Schooler, book #139

fabric: 32ct cream Belfast linen

fibers: DMC

Ahhh, I dyed some fabric. Which is sooo much fun! Once you start, you just can't stop!

RIT Dye

L-R (above photo)

Tan 28ct

Dark Brown & Golden Yellow 28ct

Dark Brown overdyed with Tan 32ct

Dark Brown and Golden Yellow 32ct

Cocoa Brown overdyed with Tan 32ct

Melanie (no blog) asked a few dyeing questions. I rinse the dyed fabric in lukewarm water till the water comes out fairly clear (not completely clear.) I gently squeeze the excess out, but it's still usually dripping...and then roll in an old towel. Lay the towel and the fabric out flat till just damp and then iron on another old towel. I have a few old bath towels that I use for this and I just launder them with the rest of my laundry. Ok, so if you're dyeing several pieces of fabric, can you keep using the same towel to roll them in and lay flat? I only do this if the dye colors are very similar, for example if they're all shades of browns. I did that with the fabrics on this post.

I hope I've answered your questions Melanie :) If there are anymore, please feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them as best I can.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and I hope wherever you are the sun is shining. And if it isn't, you can join me, "The sun'll come out tomorrow..."

Christmas in March

Hello, hello dear friends! The kiddos' spring break started last Thursday with 2 snow days. Finally some snow, now that it's spring, lol!

And some stitching to show! Jill is March's recipient for the Christmas Ornament Swap...and if you read a lot of stitching blogs, you know that she requested some sort of pine tree ;) I dyed a remnant piece of linen a pale green...

Quiet Night

by Erica Michaels Designs

JCS 2007

fabric: "staci-dyed" linen remnant

fibers: DMC and WDW, my own selection

We've had a very relaxing spring break, going here and there and also plenty of "just hanging out." I've even managed quite a bit of stitching and knitting! I'll be back next week to show you what I've been up to and back to my regular blog-reading/commenting :) Many hugs til then!

Ornament stitching

I've had the urge to stitch ornaments for a while, and this past week I did just that! I didn't have the suggested WDW for the sheep, so I took a skein of Ecru DMC and spot-dyed it with coffee. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out, that I may substitute it for all of those white/cream colored hand-dyeds :)

Christmas Ewe by

Elizabeth's Designs

JCS 2001

fabric: "staci-dyed" linen remnant (32ct?)

fibers: DMC

And somehow, Hubby's latest ornament snuck in with mine, LOL ;)

Christmas Hearts by

X-Appeal Designs

JCS 2001

fabric: misc R&R linen

fiber: DMC, my own substitutions

Thank you for stopping by and for all of your sweet comments! Have a Holly Jolly week!!!

Monday Magic

I'm thoroughly addicted. I see them everywhere.

Hocus Pocus by

Lizzie Kate

fabric: 28ct "staci-dyed" evenweave

fibers: WDW

back

Sorry for the un-artfully arranged photos. I had the worst time capturing the true color of my hand-dyed fabric. I literally ran inside and out, upstairs and down. And everywhere it looked like some sad washed-out gray. So this is a by-the-back-door-my-last-resort shot that happens to work. See???

Mine isn't quite as bright as the WDW Guacomole, but pretty close :)

Well now I'm off to do laundry, clean the house and round up a few more volunteers. I've been the Hospitality Chair for the kids' elementary school for 7yrs. My job entails lining up volunteers to bake and cook for various PTO events throughout the school year. We also provide dinner for the teachers and staff during parent/teacher conferences; and I have 3 of the conference nights covered and one more to fill. I've been leaving this postition for 2 years, lol ;)

Ooops, quickly......because there were a few of you who asked. I found the star eyelets at Michael's several months ago (they may have been discontinued.) The flower eyelet that I used for this floss tag is also from Michael's (scrapbooking dept.)

Thank you for all of your lovely comments :) I hope you have a Magical Monday!

Lazy Sunday

I stitched this up last month, it was a really sweet and pleasant little project. I stitched it 1 over 2 on 32ct and like how delicate it looks. Eventually, I'll go back and stitch the companion piece.

Alphabet Sampler by

Carriage House Samplings

Just Cross Stitch, June 2005

fabric: 32ct linen remnant, 1 over 2

fiber: DMC

I plan on finishing it as a tasseled pyn pillow, it's laying on the backing fabric I've chosen (found at my fave quilt shop, of course!) Does anyone have any special tips for adding tassels neatly?

Here is another project I started last month (I guess July was a very selfish month for me as I stitched/started several things for me and also rec'd a load of ornies/exchanges in the mail to boot.)

This is a freebie from Grandma's Kitchen. It's a great blog with wonderful freebies~~check it out! I dyed a remnant piece of linen; I wanted it to look kind of blotchy......so I filled the bowl with hot water, dumped in some tan RIT powder and added my wet linen, and then gave it all a swish. I did not mix the dye first. I really like the way it turned out ;)

I've been adding blogs to Google Reader (thanks Vonna for guiding me away from the frustration of bloglines!) I've got over 200 in my reader and probably have 200 more to add. A very slow process but it'll save me time in the long run, right??? So just want you all to know that I've been reading your blogs as I'm adding them, sorry for the lack of comments. But I should be all caught up and back to commenting soon!!!

Keeping busy

This past weekend was our first in almost 2 months with nothing on the calendar. It was great to hang out at home :) I organized all of my cross stitch patterns and freebies, I feel better and hopefully my new system will make it easier for me to find patterns ;)

Vonna told me that Rit has custom color combos on their website, so of course I had to try it out!!! Have you tried it yet?? I tell ya, it's sooo much fun!!!

L-R: pearl grey/tan; golden yellow/cocoa; golden yellow/tan; tangerine/cocoa; golden yellow/scarlet (which turned out an apricot color that I wasn't thrilled with, so I rinsed it and then dumped the hot coffee from the pot on it. I'm still pretty iffy on the color.) These are all 22ct hardanger.

Last Friday, I checked a few Midsomer Murders dvd's from the library and stitched up these 2 little patterns while watching them over the weekend...

Heart in Hand: 4th of July Bird

fabric: 28ct remnant

fibers: WDW and DMC

~~~~~~~~~

Lizzie Kate: USA Squared

fabric: 28ct blue/white graziano

fibers: WDW and DMC

And see my 2 new pairs of scissors that came in the mail today? I ordered those little beauties from Carol and her hubby Mike...thanks for the excellent service and speedy delivery!

And in case you were worried I wasn't knitting, lol! These are a gift for a friend who I'm pretty sure doesn't read my blog, so I'm safe showing them as a WIP. I'm loving this whole combination of pattern/yarn/color!

I guess that pretty much covers everything, lol! Thanks for stopping by and visiting me and my little 'ol blog ;)

A gray day full of color...

After seeing Diane's pink tea-dyed fabric and Nicole's Rit-dyed fabric, I just had to try my hand at it. I've done regular tea-dyeing before, but love how my Red Zinger tea turned the fabric a wonderful rose color (pictured 5th from bottom.) I've never used Rit before and I found it fun and easy...I'm going back for more!!!

picot edged, stockinette socks

women's medium

sz 1 dpn's

yarn: Trekking (XXL), color #134

I used Claudia's picot edging on these simple, springy, stripey socks.

And I'll leave you today with a pic of one of my mother's day goodies......this gorgeous card was made by my very talented and sweet sis. My photo just doesn't do it justice, the colors are so dainty and pretty and the entire thing sparkles delicately.

Oh......did you see that hovering at the bottom of the pic??? She (and my BIL) found me some Emma's too :) Thanks Sis, you're the best ;)