Interesting things to look for your home town.

Tuesday was my mother's Birthday. My sister came to take her to lunch. She took her to Tea Parlour about 20 minutes away. My mother loves this type of thing. However when she returned, I definitely found out exactly how much she loves this type of thing! She gushed for hours. She had a cranberry/orange scone with devonshire cream and lemon curd. AWESOME! She also had tiny tea sandwiches. Equally awesome! They ordered two pots of tea, to try two different kinds. They had white tea with water lily undertones and a cherry tea with spice! They could not drink it all.....soooooooooooo.....they brought the rest home for me! Woo Hoo! It was wonderful I love tea and these were outragious! I am definitely going to buy some!

THEN they brought home a flier. And in the middle of October, they are holding a special tea on a Saturday...7:00 P.M. They are charging $25.00 a head but they are having a guest speaker too. The guest speaker is the author of Weird Ohio and Ohio Ghosts. You see, they feel the tea shop is haunted. On a couple of ocassions, the owner (owned for 4 years now) has seen the skirt of Victorian dress, plainly.....only to dissipate. And when someone is downstairs in the basement and no one else is in the building, they hear footsteps down there with them. Now if someone else is there, no footsteps. Evidently the author is coming to check it out and will be doing a spot for them too. This whole are burned down in the 1800's. Many lives were lost. I truly think I will attend. I love the paranormal and I love tea! Win...Win!

I haven't stitched too much lately. I have been a little off. Tonight, I plan on going home and eating a light supper and then setting in front of the T.V. with my stitching. Most Haunted and Haunted Places are running on the Travel Channel. My kind of night...chilly...haunted shows....stitching.....(sigh)...lovely.

And a little tidbit....did you know Needle Necessities has a line of thread using Krienik braids? Yep! And they are gorgeous overdyed ones too! Oh I have so many ideas now! Lovely Autumn colors for a mermaid's bodice...not only overdyed but sparkly too! And what about the hem, neckline or sash to a gown...now looks brocade! We have alternates to Wisper! It would look lovely done in needlepoint things too! How about using it for Hardanger? It is more expensive but use it just for accenting! WOW! If you haven't checked it out, please go look at Needle Necessities!

It is chilly today. It brough to mind Clambakes! mmmmmmm I would love some clams right now! How about some lovely icy cold Apple Cider? Double yum! OH I LOVE AUTUMN! I may even take a nice walk tomorrow. We will see.

Well, I guess that is all for today. You all have a wonderful weekend!

Peaceful Stitching
Denise

The Message Boards are really quiet right now.

Not too much news on my end to report, about stitching. I have been in a little slump right now. However, I can feel myself working out of it. Still no progress to report.

I am getting geared up for my annual family apple picking day. I started this when my kids were little. We have gone picking every year for the past 10 years. We all pile into our car and drive over to my sister's house. We have a nice breakfast of bagels, muffins, scrambled eggs, juice, coffee and hot chocolate and then we head out together....me and my two sisters, my mom and her sister too. Now the kids are older....mine are 20, 18 & 14 and my niece is 16. THEY STILL LOOK FORWARD TO IT. Since they are not little any longer we have added my cousin's two daughters....2 & 4 and my sister's husband's niece (4). We all pile into the vans and we are off.

We sing little songs like Thumbelina, The Wheels on the Bus....you know the drill....over to the pumpkin patch. We pick up pumpkins for the little guys and some corn stalks and pumpkins for our own homes. After that it is to the orchard. We pick apples...pick up some wonderful cider...some candied nuts....some kettle corn and we all go back to my sister's. Crock pots are turned on and our potluck dinner is started to heat through for later. We then set to pealing apples for pies. Some apples are quartered for applesauce. After the applesauce is done...it is on to pies. While we eat our dinner, the pies bake. Now we can have them for desert or we can take them home....we normally take them home. This exercise is done to teach the children. Their parents were taught but some do not choose to do these things any longer. I think it is important to expose our children to the old ways. It is up to them if they choose to continue them. My children and my niece all would be very disappointed if we did not do this any longer. The bring friends, dates.....you name them....we have taken them....even neighbors has asked to be invited.

I make up mixes for everyone to take home and make something fresh from the their apples. I make apple fritter mix, apple streusel muffin mix and apple cake mix too.

By the time everything is cleaned up....including the kids....it is time to head back, kids konk out in the back seat and are ready to be plunked into their beds once they are home! A great time is had by all.

Do you have any family traditions you would like to share? I love this type of thing.

I am the Proverbial Stitcher!

I am sitting here with more stash that I could hope to complete in a lifetime, many WIP's, planning my next projects and looking for more! This is how bad it has become. I searched websites for Fantasy Art. And OMG there are so many talented....TALENTED....artists are there out there! I found Ursula Vernon...(GULP)...... Laura Law....(sigh) and Mark Ivan Cole...(WOW) and thought....wouldn't these look terrific charted and stitched!

I have submitted these names to Heaven and Earth Designs. Hopefully, Michele and Bob can get these people lined up too! I am such a masochist!Now onto my progresses.....I am working on Lorri Birmingham's Pretty in Pink. I am nearly 50% complete on the Kloster blocks. I have no desire to switch yet either. Fortunate Traveller stays at a standstill....just some back stitching and beading to go. And then Tulip Time has not been picked up nor Goldenwood or Rocky Mountain Christmas either. When I tire of this project I will move on. This is now my new "screaming" rotation....whatever screams the loudest.

Hopefully, I will have at least gotten to the definitive 50% complete mark on the Table Topper, Pretty in Pink. I am also thinking of doing it monochromatic instead of stitching the vines and butterflies in color. I am just toying with the idea but feel confident it will look lovely.I have also seen some "regular" embroidery done completely in white and then some blue flowers. That appeals to me too. I saw then on one of the bulletin boards I frequent. They are simply stunning. I also want to fool around with Brazillian Embroidery too! This is not to mention Needlepoint also! WHEN will I get to all of this? I want to try it all. I want to become proficient at it all. Does anyone know where I can get a robot, that way she can come to work and I can sit and stitch all day?

I think I will give another stab at sketching too. I used to love doing that. I also have a great idea for a vampire novel. Oh man! What am I thinking? Is this a normal thought process for a middle aged woman?Well, I guess that is all for today.

Remember to treat each other with kindness and understanding. There seems to be a real lack of these things these days.Peaceful StitchingDenise
posted

Just another weekend....

I finished the week at work on a low note. I went home in a terrible mood. This made my weekend less than pleasant. And barely even remember being off. This morning I woke with a headache. I WOKE UP WITH ONE! Not such a great way to start.

I did do some stitching though. I did not stitch on Fortunate Traveller. I stitched on the Lorri Birmingham table topper instead. I am now exactly 25% complete on the kloster blocks...... And about 12% complete on the eyelets.....And about 12% complete on the button hole stitches. Not exactly what I had hoped for though.

Tonight I must go home and prune my bushes. Then I can possibly get some more stitching in. I have a lot I can work on.

Well that is all for today.

Peaceful Stitching
Denise

I am moving right along now.

So far I have resisted all temptations to work on something else or start something else. (Bravo, me!) As I stated the other day, I finished the Table Topper. I have been doing the backstitching on Fortunate Traveller. I have now completed the back stitching on the fire breathing dragon... Stretch. I am working on the outer border and backstitching it. Then I will put in the back stitches in for the flower stems on the vines. Then the dreaded remainder of the over one wording. Bleccchhhhh. THEN the beading. I actually do not mind the beading part.

Right now, Pretty in Pink (my other hardanger table topper) is calling me loudly. I refuse to listen until Fortunate Traveller is done. My youngest (who the piece is for) is laughing his butt off. He thinks it is so funny. I am acting about this project like he acts about his homework. LOL All of you parents can relate, I am sure.

Well, that is it for today. See you all soon

Peaceful Stitching
Denise

An Icon and legend, Steve Erwin, as passed on.

The world famous Crocodile Hunter, Steve Erwin has passed away. It was killed by a stingray....very freak accident. He was a staunch conversationist, wildlife lover and teacher. My entire family and circle of friends are all deeply saddened. It is with teary eyes that I bid him farewell. He will never be forgotten. He will never be duplicated. His children have quite a legacy and will grow up very proud in the fact, he was their father.

Now on to a lighter topic. I DID finish my Table Topper. Eventhough, I was not enthralled with the subject matter I was stitching, it turned out well. My mother was overjoyed with it. Before she puts it out on her table, she is going to get some plastic for over it. We are not the type of people who save everything or cover our furniture in plastic....we LIVE in our homes...however she does not want anything to happen to it. That was really quite flattering.

I then started the backstitching on Fortunate Traveller. I had finished the entire center picture before. I am now working on "Stretch" on the bottom. Then it is just the border and outlining the entire thing. I hope to be finished by the end of THIS weekend. Here's hoping.

WIP list now is:

1.) Fortunate Traveller - just backstitching remaining.
2.) Tulip Time- just backstitching remaining.
3.) Pretty in Pink- approximately 15% complete.
4.) Goldenwood- approximately 30% complete.
5.) Rocky Mountian Christmas- approximately 20% complete.


It is getting smaller. Once Fortunate Traveller is done, I will go back to Pretty in Pink, then Goldenwood. I definitely will not feel like more backstitching for a while. And I am just not feeling Rocky Mountain Christmas right now. However, no more new starts for a while. I must finish some of these. I guess I am a On At A Time girl at heart.

Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful day.

Peaceful Stitching
Denise

A Long Weekend Ahead

I hope to relax and get a lot of stitching done. I have a few works in progress. I would like to get one or two....possibly three items finished.

1.) Dandelion Table Topper - this is a table topper designed by Rico. It is being done on the yellow and white windowpane topper. My mother saw the Dandelions and wanted them. I can't say I was too enthralled with her choice but I did it anyway. I had laid it down for a long time. I am about 90% complete now.

2.) Fortunate Traveller - this is design done by Teresa Wentzler. It is of a dragon and a man, with a verse telling about their meeting below. If you know Teresa Wentzler, you know she is Queen of the Blended Threads. It was a large project but very satisfying. This one is for my youngest son. I only have some back stitching to go. (Did I ever mention, I HATE BACKSTITCHING?)

3.) Tulip Time- this is a rather complete Tudor home scene done from a painting by Marty Bell. It is put out by Pegasus Originals. It is really intricate and extremely beautiful...all of them are. I just have some back stitching on this one too. (Ditto above statement regarding backstitching)

4.) Goldenwood- this is a very large (VERY should be in capitals) design done from a painting by Ruth Sanderson, It is put out by Heaven and Earth Designs. The detail on these pieces is just amazing. This one is of several maidens walking through an illuminated path in the forest. All of them have gorgeous medieval gowns on. It is mostly done in the colors of autumn. There is no back stitching, no fractional or specialty stitches. It is coming along gorgeously. I love working on this one. I am about 30% complete.

5.) Pretty in Pink- this is a hardanger table topper designed by Lorri Birmingham. It is absolutely a show stopper. I am about 25% done with the stitching. Not only does this contain hardanger (involving cutting) but it has cross stitch on it too. I have not touched the cross stitch (I haven't even chosen my colors yet) or the cutting. It will definitely be an heirloom. I love working on it too. It is fabulous. I changed the colors though. I am doing it on 28ct Jobelan - Beige with Ecru Perle Cotton. I want to use autumn colors for the cross stitch portion. I seem to like those colors the best. I love green....dark and rich...same with reds in the shade of very dark garnet.

6.) Rocky Mountain Christmas- this is an old Victorian home set in the snowy Rocky Mountains, all decorated for Christmas. It is done from another painting by Marty Bell. And again, put out by Pegasus Originals. I am about 20% complete on this one. I started this as a Stitch A Long, but got side tracked over and over. I hope to get back to it soon. You should see Nancy and Eva's pieces so far! WOW! They are stunning! I would like to finish this for Christmas but I do not think it will be THIS Christmas.


I want to post some pictures but I have not gotten a new camera yet. I will see if my niece will let me borrow her camera. I am sure she will but one must ask first.

Oh I want so many more things. I already have too many things to stitch and yet the desire for more is so strong. I want several from Scarlet Quince and Heaven and Earth Designs. I also want some samplers....Long Dog Samplers (Paradigm Lost...Bagatelle), Anagram Diffusion (Renaissance Sampler, Ink Circles (Garden Stars), Moira Blackburn(Growning Like a Tree, Beehive Sampler), Mary Beal (A Memorable Tea), ....OH Spainish Rouge by Sampler Cove.....aaahhhhhhhh! I am have a new love and its name is Samplers. I LOVE THEM.

Well, I promised myself as soon as I finish the first three items....Fortunate Traveller, Table Topper and Tulip Time, I would seriously try to finish Pretty in Pink. But after that one is finished, I will allow myself to start something else. Goldenwood will take a very long time to finish and I cannot explain it but Rocky Mountain Christmas is not calling me.

I want to save my pennies for 4 new charts. That is what I will allow myself for the rest of the year. I want Paradigm Lost, Garden Stars, Beehive Sampler and Spainish Rouge. And actually if I wanted to be really tight, I would choose Beehive Sampler and Spainsh Rouge.....but alas I have no will power!

Well, I think I will back cookies this weekend. It will be cool and rainy. My kids have been bugging me for chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies for a long time. My niece love peanut butter too. Oh I almost forgot, my mother is in dire need of Anise Biscotti. This may be a looonnnnggggg weekend. LOL I also have a taste for something spicy. I might make chili or possibly something new. We will see.

I think that is about as much as I have to say today. Hopefully my weekend is fruitful. Wish me luck for my three finishes. I will go home, eat some dinner, stitch and wait for Most Haunted to come on. When it is over, I will be ready for bed. Tomorrow it is grocery shopping and baking....stitching later in the night. Sunday will be cooking something tasty and stitching later. And Monday...they can all forget my name because I will be on strike...I AM STITCHING!

You all take care. I hope to write something next week.

Peaceful Stitching
Denise