Busy June, Camp, Blogging Perk, Stitching Update

June has finally arrived, and it is almost summer.  Here is a view of Autumn Lake.  I am blessed to have a camp site at this lake.  Many wonderful days with friends and family.  I tend not to stitch here, unless I am alone.  I do cut way back on my stitching during the summer months.  But I think that is true of many of us.  

I read blogs to relieve Stress.  It's a fact.  Blog reading to me is like traveling to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.  If you ever watched Mr. Rogers on TV than you may be able to understand my comparison.  Social Media, Flosstube -these are great medias to share our craft, but they are not my first choice.  Jo from Serendipitous stitching  has selected my blog as The Blog of the Week  If you have a moment, hop over to read all about me and other amazing bloggers.

Update on Music among the trees, Garden Stitching, Samplers Not Forgotten.  Would love to finish this soon.  The day has started out with the Sun Shining. Getting ready to go to the CNY Fiber Festival   Maybe I will Learn how to spin a little. Or maybe just buy some wonderful yarn.

It's June

This is a picture of my March Primitive Hare Retreat of the fully finished pieces.  I have finished all the stitching.  I have all the materials and great instructions on how to finish both these pieces, the wonderful little bag and the doll.  My goal is to have these both finished before October 2017.  The little pumpkin was Stars.  It was fun, but it took me quite a bit longer to stitch than if they were simple crosses.  

This is my progress on Music Among the Trees.,  I forgot the V in the 2nd alphabet.  Have to restitch the w and the x.  Not a major restitch project, but I am still annoyed with myself.  I believe this project will work great for the theme-tas-stitch sal, with a Garden theme - I have lots of trees in my garden.  The very light letters, you can see them in real life but this is a varigated thread and I think I should have stitched them all with the darkest color - to late now, will not be redoing that one.

Here is my amazing ORANGE hardanger project.  Current with the HAL.
One of these things is not like the others!
And guess what.  I am not doing this over again.
I am definitely enjoying this little project and am learning a lot about me and my stitching.  I have perfected the process of ripping out and starting over - and I am very sure I will be doing this again and it will not be orange,

As you can see, I am doing the tree for 12 days.  This will not be as bad as I imagined, Isn't that always the truth.

Raining for Three Days -- Snow forecast for this week

Seriously.  This messes with your mood.  Or at least it messes with mine.  However, I did take this as an opportunity to Spring Clean a tiny, tiny bit.

I rearranged the furniture and my cat is freaking out.

My stitching has bounced around this first week of May.  There is all this hubbub on FB because it is the month of Stitch Maynia.  I do believe, in some way, this has affected my May stitching so far.


I worked a little on Woneta - just the grass and the beginning of the Candy Corn.

Worked more on Music Among the Trees - I really do not like to stitch upwards.  I have reached the top with the A.

 Here is a very faded picture of how it should look when finished.  I really have to spend more time editing these photos.  Both of these pieces are part of my Year of Wips Challenge - both of these I would like to finish during this challenge

I have examined my WIP pile once again.   I tried to figured out why I never had the desire to finish these projects.  Two reasons - I discovered a mistake and would have to frog a great deal, or I did not like the fabric choice.  So I am actually re starting several of them.  

I do have a finish.  My project from the Spring A Stitchers Garden Retreat with the Primitive Hare. Here is my Wicked Doll.  This will be finished into a small bag - There is another piece, a small pumpkin all stitched in Algerian Stars.  This will be the apron for the Doll.  I hope to have both of these pieces Fully Finished before October 2017.

Two side notes  My sister (62) got married this week - long time partner.  She wants to retire early as her job is going to lose funding this year - you know our new administration, and she needs health care coverage - you know our new administration.  I am sure she will be very happy being married, But I know she was also very happy not being married.

And I have now only 4 months left to work.  I am hoping once I retire, I will finally have the time to figure out just who I really am.

Last Thursday of August 2016

Where did August go?  It's the last Thursday of the month and it is the day we share our monthly Smalls over at Stitching Lotus

Here is my Small for August.  This is one I completed for the Olympic Stitching Challenge in the Stitch Mania Facebook Group.  I enjoyed this SAL and would do it again.



So here are the rest of the projects for the challenge

August 15 was stitch White, and August 19 was silver.  I worked on the same project on both these days.  I was going to do this project for my daughter for her wedding - but it's not going to happen.  I hope to complete this and give it to her for Christmas - The dress is DMC Sparkly5200 one strand and one Strand of a sparkly Silver kreinik.
The red bow will be yellow and I am only doing the dress.

I did not stitch on Tuesday August 16 - it was wheel.  But I did work on Celtic Beauty again on August 17th it was Gold.  I was excited to pull this out again to work on because I do not want this to be a WIP anymore.

August 18 was Music or Patriotic so I pulled out Samples Not Forgotten Music Amongst the trees.

Next up was August 20 -Fire or Flames and 8/21 Copper or Bronze.  I started and worked on the JBW Choo ChooTrain.  I figure this is a very old train, so I know it used coal for fuel, and there was a fire going in the engine.  I change the color of the engine and the finally car before the caboose to DMC 921, which is copper.  That was the end of the SAL.  

My daughter asked me for her wedding day to find a special picture of her dad, so she can clip it to her bouquet as she walks down the aisle.  Her dad died of cancer several years ago.  I have the picture and I was trying to figure out how to attach it and I decided to make this little bag and put it in there and attach the little bag.  This is on 40 ct Mello.  This is half of a design from Rosewood Manor.  This chart was a gift I received while attending a Stitching Retreat.  I changed all the colors - the flowers are yellow and purple - the Wedding colors.  I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I have a very hard time with all the wedding samplers out there - for personal reasons, but I love this message and I think it is good advice to share with my daughter and future SIL.  This is very small, the verse will be hard to read - but it will work I hope.  

What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are small matters compared to what lies within us.  

Olympic Challenge

It has been a crazy August so far, Summer Weather, Work and Family have all contributed into making this a great summer and one filled with great memories.

However, I have found less time to stitch, and even less time to blog or post about the stitching.

I joined the Stitch Maynia Olympic Stitching SAL. I have been able to do most of the daily stitching, but the posting of the progress has not happened. Instead I am posting it here.

New Start 1 - I worked on this piece August 5 (Stitch blue), and 10th Specialty stitches.

This is Music Amongst the trees - Samplers Not Forgotten - Not sure if you can see this picture but there are Blue stitches in the band across the top and Rice Stitches at the bottom.  I love stitching on this - first experience with Gloriana  Silks. Its a treat. I was able to complete a lot of this on Day 1, I know very little blue, but - I worked on this Friday night at my Stitchers Retreat Every Other Month !st Friday Night Stitch in,so it was about 5 hours of stitching time.

Day 2 - International Theme - I finished La D Da Peace on Earth.  I sort of looked at this a little different figured Internationally we could all work on Peace. (Very happy)


August 7 (yellow), August 9 (black) and August 11 (green).  This was a New Start I was able to finish working on this for three days.  Glory Bee's Free Summer Chart






I did not stitch August 8, Water or August 12 Triathalon - three pieces  ( I did not stitch at all either of these two days.

August 13 (red) and August 14 Equestrian - I started and finished JBW Hobby Horse - I did this as a Christmas Ornament - I stitched this with Sulky threads Blendables Vintage Holidays.  This was a 12 weight - so one strand is the same as 2 - it is a very different feel.  But I really liked this thread and bought it on a whim and just had to use it.  I would be picky about what I would stitch with these threads because of the look and feel, but I do like it.




So I haven't decided what I am working on from this day forward.  But I am sure I will find something.

The Wedding quickly approaches for DD#3.  I really need to get a dress - I haven't even looked and the wedding is September 3.

Guess I really should stitch some sort of Wedding Sampler?  Maybe?