Hello again,

Sorry I disappeared for so long but although I have not been posting I have still been stitching. We did a long distance move at the end of August and it took quite awhile to get settled in our new home. Then before we knew it Christmas came along and you all know how busy that time of year can be. To top it off we lost our camera around Christmas time and still have not found it. Our sweet daughter is letting us use a spare one that they had.

First up, is a Prairie Schooler design called Autumn Leaves. I am stitching it one over one on 25 count fabric. The pattern called for DMC threads but I am using samper threads and really like the way it is turning out, isn't the squirrel cute?

Next is my Beatrix Potter, also stitched one over one but on 28 count Jobelan.

This is where I have been spending most of my stitching time. This is Prairie Schooler ABC's and when the "E" is done I will have a total of seven letters done.

I would love to receive your comments, til next time, happy stitching,

Brenda

A little progress

Here is the lasted stitching that I have accomplished, I still have to figure out what initials to put on my Beatrix Potter (top pic) but at least I make a little progress each month.

The bottom pic is from the Prairie Schooler ABC sal, this is the fourth letter that I have finished, I will post a picture of the other finished letters next time.

On the quilting front I have been cutting and cutting fabric for a class that I am going to take at the end of the month from Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. The pattern is called Cracked Pots and if I was smart I would have posted a picture of it, oh well next time.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone and happy stitching,

I'm still here....honest I am

I really am alive and well, but don't know where the time goes. Anyway I thought I would show you what I have been busy stitching lately. The above pic is the Beatrix Potter SAL that I am part of (I am on the 2 year plan) I make some progress each month, so it will get done eventually, I hope (remember the title of my blog)

This is the Prairie Schooler SAL that I joined at the end of December. My original plan was to stitch two letters per month, but there is more stitching in these than I first thought, so I will no doubt be on the two year plan with this as well .

I am busy packing and am so excited to be going to a cross stitch retreat tomorrow, I get to stitch from Tues evening until Sunday at 2:00, it is so much fun. I will try to post new pictures when I get home.

Take care and happy stitching,

Brenda

Bet you thought I was lost

Where does the time go? It has been such a crazy busy year. Anyway, I am still stitching away on Beatrix Potter, we were to try and be done by the end of the year, don't think I am going to make it. Oh well, I am enjoying being part of the sal and that is what matters to me.

I also joined the sal for My Lady's Quaker (www.myladysquaker.blogspot.com/) and this is how much I have done so far. The lady is so cute and some of the stitchers have her finished already.

I am a quilter as well as a stitcher, and love doing both. This little quilt is what I am working on right now. It is a Jo Morton design and part of her club series. My friend Janice and I co-host this club at the local quilt store. Everyone makes their own fabric choices (Jo Morton fabric that is) for this and each one looks so different. There are still several borders to add to this but it will still be fairly small when done, finishing at 44 square inches. The last border that I just added (those little half-square triangles) finish at one inch each, but I really enjoy making these small quilts.

So many of you have blogs that I love to visit (and sometimes spend hours doing that) that I can only hope that you will enjoy your visit to mine.

Thanks for stopping by,
Brenda

I won, I won, I can't believe it!!

I am so excited, I won the contest by Blackbird Designs, they drew my number! I am so thrilled and grateful that I will be receiving gifts that come from France. My father was born in a town in France called Wallers, Nord in 1907. I realize that Nord is north but I have not been able to find this town on a map of France, maybe the name has changed over the years. Anyway it will be wonderful to have vintage items that come from my father's birthplace, I am thrilled.

Congratulations to all the other winners as well.

I was stitching on my Beatrix Potter (pictured above) and watching American Idol results show when Jan from Only One Ewe Needleworks emailed to congratulate me on my big win (thanks Jan, that was sweet of you). I let out a whoop and jumped out of my chair (I think I sent the remote flying and just about knocked over the cross stitch stand, not one of my more graceful moments) to go and check the BBD blog and sure enough I had won a windfall. Thanks again to Alma and Barb for a wonderful and very fun contest.

Take care and happy stitching

Blackbird Designs Contest

Well, I just finished stitching this and sending a picture into Alma of Blackbird Designs. They were having a contest using a chart that had this little sampler. If you did not know about it, you can find it on their website, but the contest deadline is for today. I stitched mine on 28 count mushroom lugana, one over one. I used DMC color 823, 312, and 3755. I am going to make it into a needle folder because it is such a cute little size. As usual, I was down to the wire to get it finished and sent in, but it was fun.
Now I better go and stitch on my Beatrix Potter sal, I have not done very much for the month and I have to post my progress by Thursday. I usually get more done when I am working with a deadline.
Until next time, happy stitching,
Brenda

Hello Again

It was not my intention to start a blog and then never get back to it, but sometimes things happen that are not in our control and we just have to ride it out.
At the beginning of December my elderly mother (91) was hospitalized for something quite minor but she went downhill over the course of almost 7 weeks and sadly passed away near the end of January. We know that we will eventually lose our parents but it was still difficult.
I am trying to feel normal again and get back to my stitching and quilting, I know that is what my Mom would have wanted me to do.
Since I am still learning how to do all this blogging stuff I thought I would start by showing you one of my WIP. It is the free pattern from Papillon from 2008 and I am only at the end of part 3. They gave out one part a month for the whole year but I did not find it or start it until June, maybe someday I will get it done. It took me quite a while to decide on my colors and I had some help from my stitching friends but I am really happy with what I finally chose. It is amazing to go on the Papillon website and look at the photo gallery and see all the different color choices that people from all over the world made when they stitched this pattern.
I have several more WIPs that I will post pictures of someday but right now I have not figured out how to put up more than one picture per post and anyway it will be more interesting if I just show my WIPs one at a time.
Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching