ht

Congrats Autumn. It’ll get in the mail Monday.

And thank you to everyone who took the time to comment. I’m still sick. I’d like to say I’m better, but really it’s just shifted from my chest to my throat and my back and abs are very sore from all the coughing. If it doesn’t let up by Monday I’ll be back at the doctor’s I suppose.

I do ok (mostly) just sitting still. Well almost still, I am managing to stitch for a few hours a day - maybe a bit more. It’s not like I can do anything else.

I started Live Simply

I converted it over to Silk Mori (living ignored in the stash lo these many years). I really like the palette that I ended up with. It’s reading a bit bright in this picture because I used the flash.

Would you believe that the only thing I did today on Eudora is bead? And I haven’t even beaded all the areas where the stitching is complete. I’m closer than I was… but there is a crazy amount of beading on this one.

Ugh, that doesn’t show the beading very well, let’s have another snap.

That’s better.

I whine much, but there will be a payoff at the end.

I am ill. (oh quiet, it’s not the obvious) It’s bronchitis. It is *not fair* I wasn’t even sick. No cold, no allergies. I felt fine. Then I started coughing and it’s all gone downhill from there. I went to the doc yesterday and he gave me some antibiotics. Hopefully they’ll work but who knows, it could be viral or it could be bacterial. I do know that they put a horrible taste in my mouth, it’s like sucking one a bitter dirty nail.

Because of all this I didn’t stitch yesterday at all. Or really do much of anything. And today isn’t looking much better. I did start Live Simply from the Primitive Needle, but dealing with photos is too much effort right now.

Alright, that’s enough for the time being. I did manage a bit of happy. Michelle is a sweetheart! I had loaned her a book and she sent it back, which makes her a totally awesome person. And she also gifted me with… Mediterranean Mermaid. See what I get for being a Bad Girl? lol I did ask Michelle and she agreed that I can give it away to a lucky stitcher out there who hasn’t run out and bought it yet.

So if you want to be entered in the drawing say “Thanks Michelle!” down in the comments and sometime soon I’ll pick a winner. (and I promise not to cough on the chart)

a much better post. But I’m sick with what feels like 2 lbs of razor edged snot in my chest. Nothing else is wrong besides that, I guess I’ll count that as a win.

I was sitting around thinking the other day (hey, it happens) and I thought I’ve been such a good girl. All my June work is complete, why don’t I do what I want instead of maybe getting a jump on July.

And me being me… Well, let me say I had honest intentions. I had to make an order at a ONS because I needed some threads and beads for current/going to be current projects. And I already had most of the stuff for it… I bought Mediterranean Mermaid. Bad me, when I feel better I’ll have dh spank me for it.

I’ve named her Eudora:

I’m stitching her on 25ct. Stormy Seas lugana from Polstitches. Obviously I am beading as I go. I have two things to say: yay! beads don’t crowd on 25ct & metric ass-ton of beads.

Two other quickies, my WNRR “Warrenville” came home today. I have to add one last house and a border of some sort and I’m super happy with it. Thanks to everyone who stitched on it! And the Fair & Square July 4th squares I stitched arrived at their new home. Both are from Brightneedle. I changed the sig square’s color to match the colonial gal.

One of the saddest parts of my psyche is that I have a hard time with tasks unless there is a deadline breathing down my neck. Lack of focus. Easily distracted. Oh hey is that something shiny over there?

Ok, back. I checked my email too. Where was I? Oh yes, no focus.

I worked a little bit on Autumn’s Mira RR. I was just going to pull the threads and get it set up but, oops I started.

It’s going to be Fairy Idyll.

Then OTR jumped into my hands.

*sigh* Pretty pretty pretty.

Then while I was checking the stash for threads/beads/kreniks for 3 other projects that I want to start NOW, I figured I might as well make 100% sure that my kit for Merry Christmas is complete.

It is.

And I pulled out my 1/2 cut quilt for my ds that I was supposed to have completed by April. I feel so guilty. I’ve done baby samplers, now a quilt for another baby and I still haven’t done either for my own kid. Granted I do his laundry… but I feel bad. No pic of that (the quilt, not me feeling bad) but I really want to finish the cutting tomorrow.

And this evening I went back to Caribbean.

I’d also like to say thank you to everyone for the good thoughts for Mike. Mom sent me more pictures, ones she took at the wrecker yard.

OMFG. He walked away. After the firemen spent the better part of a hour cutting him out. Oh yes, we did not get the full story from the man himself until the evidence was presented. He’s still ok. My mom did not kill him after seeing the truck. I am too far away to do any damage. I did tell my mother that she needs to take more life insurance out on him. We laughed, so did Mike. But I did send him a key chain with a four leaf clover on it today. I think he may have used all of his good luck up.

when a family member is a news story.

Mike (step-dad) is fine. He wasn’t wearing his seat belt but the steering wheel ended up jammed up against the driver’s seat, so this was maybe the 1 out of a 1,000 times that not wearing the seat belt worked out well. He’s still getting a ticket for not wearing the belt. And I imagine a couple of others to keep it company. But like I said, he’s ok. No one else was involved or hurt so it’s all ok in the end. (well maybe it looks like someone will be getting a new fence)

I took today off from stitching. I don’t have anything due until July 30th! Woo hoo! I did pick out my piece for HOE’s Summer House exchange. It’s going to finish up approx 6″ square. Anyone have any brilliant finishing ideas? I found a great pattern, I just have no idea how I’m going to finish it.

I also finished two projects and two books this weekend. Baby quilt & fair & square both have to wait until they’re with their new owners for pictures, but I’m really really happy with how they both turned out. Especially the quilt, I sent it through the washer & dryer - and it’s still in one piece! Go me!With the bonus, my 50 project challenge is now 20% complete.

I’m not too sure what I’m going to do tomorrow. I think I’ll go to Curves, drop off the recycling, clean up, and then head over to the LQS. I promised to show the finished quilt to the gal who helped me pick all the fabrics and I keep saying I’m going to go to their Sit & Stitch. I’m going to bring my second panel of Over The River (which I still haven’t started) and spend at least a hour working on it.

Cross stitch? I don’t know what I want to work on next. Caribbean? Salem Sisters? Summer House exchange? Autumn’s MiraRR? (and yes, I do realize I haven’t worked on ATS the past two Sundays) too… much… choice…. can’t…. function…

First off my 4th of July squares from MelissaP. (no blog) via Fair & Square arrived:

She stitched me up some Lizzie Kate. And the bonus of a partner with the same name? The squares came with my name on them! lol No pic of what I sent, ’cause I haven’t sent it yet. But I will be done by the day mailing is due, no sweat. And I love what I’m sending so I’m enjoying the stitching.

Next up I got word my Just Nan Exchange (HOE) made it’s way to Bernadette in Australia.

Another sewing set. A lined (white muslin) zippered pouch with a band from JN’s Winter Blues (all motifs are from Winter Blues), scissor fob, covered tape measure, floss tag & bluebird needle book with needle threader.

And the backs, except for the pouch which I forgot to flip; the stitched band is only on one side. I did make a couple of changes to the designs. I used gold beads & braid in place of the white and the silver the chart called for, the gold matched the cotton fabric that I used for the pouch and backings. I did use the pearl beads that were called for in the center of the fob & tape measure. Oh and I did change the pulled eyelets on the floss tag to rhodes stitches. I felt a pulled stitch would not work well on a floss tag. And! I forgot to take a picture of course, I did include a pair of gold handled embroidery scissor with the fob.

Now for the bluebird. I thought I was being Terribly Original & Oh So Creative with this guy. Turns out not so much.  It’s Fine-ally Finished. I swear I thought that I came up with this all my own, but then I was surfing Jackie’s site and saw her bird. And I can’t swear that I didn’t see her’s first and just didn’t consciously remember it, so I can not take credit for the idea. And damn-it, Jackie’s is better with the emery berry hanging from its mouth. The pattern I used for the bird was not my own - that I freely admit to. Anything more difficult than a stick figure is beyond my drawing abilities. Birdie came from The Purl Bee. I used felt for my bird and did use quilt batting for between the layers like the pattern suggests. And both wings do lift so you keep needles on each side.

In I can’t share a picture news: THE BABY QUILT IS NEARLY DONE!!! All I have left to do is hand stitch the back side of the binding. Never mind it took me two tries to get the binding sewn on correctly. Even with directions right there in front of me. Even though said directions had pictures and small words. *sigh* I’m hoping to put it in the mail Monday along with my F&S exchange.

my second favorite battery operated device back.

my sewing machine back from the shop.

been RAK’d by Stacy, thank you so much. I love it all. That Candy Floss thread would be perfect for a Quaker, and so would that fabric.

Autumn’s Mirabilia Round Robin.

finished block 6 of HoHRH.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to start on binding the baby quilt. Then I need to get working on my 4th of July Fair & Square. I have the chart picked out and the threads pulled, while I’m at my sewing machine tomorrow I’ll edge my squares and get stitching on that too.

I care even if most major news outlets can’t be bothered. Worried what the sponsors would think? I see them run footage of car chases. I’ve see them run live footage with news readers just blah-blahing over top of it. I was watching the day they had an oops and zoomed in on Bill Cosby’s son lying dead beside the road. I guess Liveleak, Youtube, and various blog video is just too much for them to handle unless it’s a toddler picking his nose or a rousing chorus of Chocolate Rain.

The Daily Dish

Twitter (really?! has my Twitter hate gone the way of the dinosaurs?)

Liveleak

Tehran Live

YouTube Although some of these videos keep getting pulled. Can’t imagine why.

In a gesture of support I am going green today for Iran. I’m doing what I can, are you?

P.S. Please ignore the messed up right hand side bar, I felt it more important to be green than be perfect.

My Kindle is broken!

What will I do?! What will I read?

What I have checked out from the library?

Bookcase 1 Authors A-G?

Bookcase 2 Authors H-R?

Bookcase 3 Authors S-Z, hardcover, and trade size paperbacks?

Or maybe the steamer chest full of keepers?

As you can see I am in a real bind. The good news is that my new Kindle 1 should arrive Tuesday and the man on the phone was very sympathetic to my tragedy unlike my son. His response was “So?”. Brat. I’ll remember this when he wants to borrow my car 4 years from now…

Finally a good picture! I still can’t see all the colors (blue, violet, & green) in the fabric but this is pretty close.

Oh Lilac you beautiful doll I love you! Isn’t she just darling? I love every little thing about her. Even the fact I used 3/4 of just one pack of beads on her. And the line of beads on her back, little buttons marching down her gown. *sigh*  I think she took me nearly 3 hours to totally bead. 30 x 80 stitches. Annette, thank you again for RAKing me with Lilac.

I may or may not stitch tonight, I’ve put in a lot of hours the past two days on Lilac. I have a Fair & Square that’s due soon, I’ll spend next week working on that. I’d also really like to finish up part two on Caribbean. And like Autumn said it wouldn’t hurt to ask; my missing silks are:

Eterna Silk Mini-Twist

3406 and 4270

I know, uncommon stuff but if you have either or both of these drop me an email please. Thankfully it is just two and I’m able to work around them easily.