tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86170789577660294302024-03-14T01:56:04.362-07:00All My Scattering MomentsMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-66679489795332708272016-02-21T12:45:00.000-08:002016-02-21T12:58:26.743-08:00OvernighterSure enough, this week was a whirlwind. Wednesday evening involved an overnighter in beautiful Pensacola, Florida, so no complaints about the final destination. But why I had to get there coming and going through Atlanta still doesn't seem to make any sense, other than that traveling on the state's dime is always going to be at the lowest airfare possible. Anyway, the overnighter come with an evening of hotel room stitching, which allowed the chance to finish the top row on Johnny Appleseed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6sPdUBZRDcTJLa_6TJ3wibQSjJnP4L8iXfxr6NGxHcgd8Su467MdpsYQwYXOrE-gUMaWN1VLPLcZQOM1JwkLMDHRyho1TelDQ0sf8J0VP_rOoWFV3SwAQPFUD6LeciHu-Rl9HaiQuT0M/s1600/top+row.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6sPdUBZRDcTJLa_6TJ3wibQSjJnP4L8iXfxr6NGxHcgd8Su467MdpsYQwYXOrE-gUMaWN1VLPLcZQOM1JwkLMDHRyho1TelDQ0sf8J0VP_rOoWFV3SwAQPFUD6LeciHu-Rl9HaiQuT0M/s640/top+row.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This homely little piece has been a lot of fun so far. The next row of trees features more wildlife and apple trees. Love the playful little fox that's on his way soon!</div>
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Remember my little piece Elizabeth Rhodes? She is back from an extended overnighter with Faye. She left home looking like this.,,,</div>
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...and came back home looking like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcVvyhnsmEQUXi085NwRJbzU8KmYHsMa9Sn90yAJ2dnWn_pcA9JlJVxLwt16raQXjM-eMpZ0fZv7z-DEAFUKeYpPEQRccc9S7EaKbbTRr6bJwtYq1Jo_WYDpD-2bpatoQKzRGBXL0DVX1/s1600/stitching+inset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcVvyhnsmEQUXi085NwRJbzU8KmYHsMa9Sn90yAJ2dnWn_pcA9JlJVxLwt16raQXjM-eMpZ0fZv7z-DEAFUKeYpPEQRccc9S7EaKbbTRr6bJwtYq1Jo_WYDpD-2bpatoQKzRGBXL0DVX1/s640/stitching+inset.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
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Faye turned her into a sleeping bag for scroll rod projects, perfect for future overnighters! While I have plenty of project bags in different sizes on hand, what I really had been thinking about for awhile was a loose cover os "sleeping bag" that I could slip an ongoing scroll rod project into for safe--keeping while I wasn't actually working on it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yDxalZA8-E_TJNDSG3a4A-FEqexQNRIjiQ9tvog9jPKx6_MI75AKyUnVIrPeE8mBOsuYRXiWokVg_3h4N1YYFU_-2RmZRhUA8v225EpvJ6OJcVgl2cn6St4mRnOLDdGgmBLTaah9eF8i/s1600/Scroll+rods+inserted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yDxalZA8-E_TJNDSG3a4A-FEqexQNRIjiQ9tvog9jPKx6_MI75AKyUnVIrPeE8mBOsuYRXiWokVg_3h4N1YYFU_-2RmZRhUA8v225EpvJ6OJcVgl2cn6St4mRnOLDdGgmBLTaah9eF8i/s640/Scroll+rods+inserted.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Something nice and loose that could be easily opened and close with a quick pull of the draw string</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyPVeq-OdHjQ9DcsIgHRmv7wcUCVATTIpFszpr7CYeasqmxr2fprtNIzkAdaHdj2m_OkhF5nUgyIHKmGqcQ4J8tpH6C8p_O46y42sXBXrTyaFE7nabUittFLbYAuylJ95Id5agmG3A0Pr/s1600/drawstrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyPVeq-OdHjQ9DcsIgHRmv7wcUCVATTIpFszpr7CYeasqmxr2fprtNIzkAdaHdj2m_OkhF5nUgyIHKmGqcQ4J8tpH6C8p_O46y42sXBXrTyaFE7nabUittFLbYAuylJ95Id5agmG3A0Pr/s640/drawstrings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The perfect thing for protecting my scroll rod projects overnight or on the road.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2vfsvU5Ht4vr8Zq_If1BpgLgBe8s5RWv1LeGdYOm3pJ7wyCSqL1k3q8WAisFbcegO-3d-X30esDJAk4jDS9TD7AYVKJcUwzmHlJtonJLOF3O_G8EFQTgAPyuHuD1a5TGWrEHfk_QraiZ/s1600/bag+with+scroll+inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2vfsvU5Ht4vr8Zq_If1BpgLgBe8s5RWv1LeGdYOm3pJ7wyCSqL1k3q8WAisFbcegO-3d-X30esDJAk4jDS9TD7AYVKJcUwzmHlJtonJLOF3O_G8EFQTgAPyuHuD1a5TGWrEHfk_QraiZ/s640/bag+with+scroll+inside.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Thanks Faye - it's just what I had in mind!</div>
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-72238027354429468602016-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:002016-02-18T15:42:32.529-08:00Valentines Day...Really?!<br />
Valentine's Day...already?! 'Nuff said.<br />
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So, what has everyone else been up to? It's been nearly a full month since the last I posted, but I don't feel like I have so much to show for it, at least as far as stitching goes. Work's been a whirlwind with more to come this week. Maybe that's the reason. It was windy and cold even in Ft. Lauderdale last week, so perhaps it really is February after all. <br />
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So, let me start by taking stock of the stitching ta has been accomplished this month.<br />
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One of my linen orders did finally arrive, so I was able to put enough skin in the game to feel like I've go a start on the Song of Solomon sampler. Not much, but it is what it is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dah2UBxNHlS6RZxnHUkcKe1HCROfualy8Nk89IMGKomNXUOoIxreQTTSLdYZKOIreV47q1O9NoBFJbNN4NV5fOwoamU6cXNT0FuIA5MJ4sbussw_7aa8dFRcC2-Kf9F5usjosLb_o4Pm/s1600/1st+stitches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dah2UBxNHlS6RZxnHUkcKe1HCROfualy8Nk89IMGKomNXUOoIxreQTTSLdYZKOIreV47q1O9NoBFJbNN4NV5fOwoamU6cXNT0FuIA5MJ4sbussw_7aa8dFRcC2-Kf9F5usjosLb_o4Pm/s640/1st+stitches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was lucky enough to join in this stitch along on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/embroiderymotifs/">FB Embroidery Motifs from Old Dutch Samplers group,</a> but unfortunately couldn't get a good start on it until the linen arrived. Speaking of which, I decided to go with a nice old standby, 36 count LL Pecan Butter. What you see here will eventually be the top right corner, stitching in Gloriana Deep Blue Sea. As for the remaining colors, I haven't got a clue yet, but am thinking they will choose themselves as I go along. I know this little bit doesn't give an idea of the full piece, but take a look at this link for the stunning details.<br />
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<a href="http://bobbysstories.blogspot.com//2008/12/ship-sampler.html">http://bobbysstories.blogspot.com//2008/12/ship-sampler.html</a><br />
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Much as I'm dying to play with all the color choices, I probably won't do much with this one for a few more weeks. Cataract removal is scheduled soon and so I think I'd rather wait until I can see what I'm choosing with all its vibrancy intact.<br />
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What else? Well, I did make a finish on Sheepish Design's Celestial Spirits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTazmo4HbGUUmPu4ok2dgbN_os3lvlirGbOYOryEcPf7TkGvNzaYzdoZmHz9yegJjeZ8umIjpTv_Ys1lyh07sQqCmwcMc5BPfXpDR9hXcMm50Zc27YItwoHf417BesJ7puq2nNXLhFSDa/s1600/finished+piece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTazmo4HbGUUmPu4ok2dgbN_os3lvlirGbOYOryEcPf7TkGvNzaYzdoZmHz9yegJjeZ8umIjpTv_Ys1lyh07sQqCmwcMc5BPfXpDR9hXcMm50Zc27YItwoHf417BesJ7puq2nNXLhFSDa/s640/finished+piece.jpg" width="628" /></a></div>
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I'm thinking I might just do 3 more of these, one for each of my sisters. Seeing how there are 4 of us girls and each has a different first initial There's some celestial balance to that idea, don't you think? This one will eventually take flight for a trip to Faye's.<br />
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And in the meantime, I've also been watching the orchard grow on PS Johnny Appleseed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6l9cmNIyHJWT9wvLaIaBJOX1glrLgffULmf6T8wcM2y9EdQJVulAWoSmGd3nxWpQmAFJwLntZXTHLjshaHrPnobITHFjhQNJIrn1vqEJ3uH5Ztwklu7RcQ7n4GrvkXggMNBFfpcC1UVz/s1600/top+row++Valentines+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6l9cmNIyHJWT9wvLaIaBJOX1glrLgffULmf6T8wcM2y9EdQJVulAWoSmGd3nxWpQmAFJwLntZXTHLjshaHrPnobITHFjhQNJIrn1vqEJ3uH5Ztwklu7RcQ7n4GrvkXggMNBFfpcC1UVz/s640/top+row++Valentines+day.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This has been such a fun, easy stitch so far, though I did have some doubts about the Barn Gray roof on the cabin at first start. But it came together nicely once I had the Nutmeg door in. Gotta love the livestock in this piece, especially the rooster!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONZPmMlvg6cQR0S9oLTaZuPdY7SC2u7FW-JD-nqHoQtppn3XMWdMhtPINB_PMBqRFYHLJBtBEgJrRQKlGrdmkD2R0y_htrcWi7UxvkhDphpexRLjElSsDYiVCep-QmikNxogx8T8kNVTt/s1600/rooster+and+hog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONZPmMlvg6cQR0S9oLTaZuPdY7SC2u7FW-JD-nqHoQtppn3XMWdMhtPINB_PMBqRFYHLJBtBEgJrRQKlGrdmkD2R0y_htrcWi7UxvkhDphpexRLjElSsDYiVCep-QmikNxogx8T8kNVTt/s640/rooster+and+hog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Still waiting anxiously for the linen to arrive before I can make another start on Ragamuffin 2. I do think I have enough to keep busy with until then.....<br />
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So that catches me up. I promise to do my best to update again before next Thanksgiving, which I'm sure will be in another week, Thanks for dropping in to visit and Happy Valentine's Day!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-2722969540478566552016-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:002016-01-18T08:50:55.275-08:00The Year of Stitching Dangerously Well, seeing how 2016 is already <strike>3</strike> <strike>10</strike> 18 days old, it may be a bit late for me to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Instead, here's wishing the new year is off to a good start for all, full of health, good fortune and stitching, of course. It's probably also a bit late to do a "stitching year-in review", but while I was prettying up my photos for this post, I realized it is exactly the 100th update I've added since entering the blogging world Surely a little indulgence is allowable?!. So here's a nod to the biggest goal met in 2015 - the grand finale of Hannah Pepper. So happy to finally not have "finish Hannah Pepper' on my list of stitching goals the new year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccmwrCeIFlh3LT3eDOSVSuzhDLR4_yqlz63HvoNxBv_Dc_NjTmk88giEJe4m__3fIBOs8e9z5-FbEOTQiQTSwuV0t4cPzLe_5cUepwEwLBMNJ3s41sIEK0jZnQGKMN5pak6jdLXGrpSCl/s1600/Finish+-+final+sampler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccmwrCeIFlh3LT3eDOSVSuzhDLR4_yqlz63HvoNxBv_Dc_NjTmk88giEJe4m__3fIBOs8e9z5-FbEOTQiQTSwuV0t4cPzLe_5cUepwEwLBMNJ3s41sIEK0jZnQGKMN5pak6jdLXGrpSCl/s640/Finish+-+final+sampler.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm officially declaring 2016 as "The year of Stitching Dangerously" The thinking behind that is to stitch with more freedom to, change colors, threads, fabrics and motifs as often as possible to create something one of a kind and truly my own. Towards that end, I was lucky enough to get in on the first round of the Song of Solomon SAL now raging full steam on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/embroiderymotifs/">Embroidery Motifs from Old Dutch Samplers</a> Facebook group. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting the arrival of my pecan butter linen and Pacific Blue Gloriana to get started with, so there's not much in the way of a picture to share yet. Can't wait to get started though, so hopefully next post I'll have a little more to share.<br />
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Full disclosure, I probably need to acknowledge that the "Year of Stitching Dangerously" has also already had a fatality. Here's evidence:<br />
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Let me explain.....just as planned, I' got our all my previously gathered supplies for a New Year's Day start on Shakespeare's Peddler's " Ragamuffin Quaker", a project I've been meaning to get underway ever since the silks for this beauty first turned up in my mail box. <br />
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Still in need of some linen, I impulsively boosted a piece I had kitted with another chart because I loved how the silks sat on the soft grayish color of it. Beginning at the top border, I was thrilled with how well they were all working. Right up until the very point that I noticed the edge of the linen was coming up a lot faster than the end of the vine on the chart was.....Oh yes, it's generally a good idea to measure the linen before starting. But on no, I didn't. So now, I'm also waiting the delivery of a fat half yard of 36 count navy bean for a fresh start. Lesson learned - just because it looks pretty doesn't mean it's going to work!<br />
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All this forced a retreat to the stash closet to find something simple and fun to bide my time with until the expected linens actually arrive. This fit the bill, and it offered the chance to choose a skein from my collection of Olde Willow threads found while rummaging through the closet. <br />
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Here's progress on it as of last night. I like it! The upper left bird and the row of leaves he's over are off by a single thread, so they've got to come out and go back in I thread higher. I know it may not be noticeable to anyone else, but I see it and it makes me crazy, Seeing how I stitch to maintain my sanity letting it go would defeat the whole purpose of the stitching to begin with, doesn't it? Come on now, you know you get it.....<br />
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Just now I'm looking the color of those little celestial beings and thinking it reminds me of something else. Oh yeah, it's more or less the same shades of blue and gray from the Finnegan's Fog used for Ann Grimshaw. See it?<br />
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What can I say, I'm a creature of habit and I like what I like. Apparently, it's dark blues on pale grayish linen..<br />
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Another goal for this stitching year - to send more finishing stuff to Faye! Elizabeth Rhode made her way to North Carolina last week, where she'll get in line for Faye to turn her into something I'll love. Poor Elizabeth has been languishing in my finished pile for years, so pretty but not quite large enough to be a priority for framing.<br />
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I'll be sure to show her off in all her finished glory when she returns home!<br />
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There's been a little more progress on SL Scottish Band Sampler, but I think I'll save it for later. Wish I felt more excitement about moving into the eyelet panes, but some how I don't have the mojo just yet. <br />
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Cold weather has finally come to central Florida, so the walking has been brisk in the mornings this week. Jim's famous dried bean chili and a wool blanket to snuggle under tonight - I'm enjoying it all while it lasts!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by.<br />
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-2956892217460360182015-12-28T12:21:00.000-08:002015-12-28T20:09:26.516-08:00My Favorite Week of the Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzm2SSS78O3t8cgg2oHa-HUYElpXA83H5uBmIyfLVRafV7csryy7Ao601N4EYbU0mUC1GpBUGzpHoqZxS4u7WSsNQND9ontZnjXjI14sX7Zy2SM55XnNBlZpyvMdOHtOfi1JigMMzYaRq/s1600/Merry+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzm2SSS78O3t8cgg2oHa-HUYElpXA83H5uBmIyfLVRafV7csryy7Ao601N4EYbU0mUC1GpBUGzpHoqZxS4u7WSsNQND9ontZnjXjI14sX7Zy2SM55XnNBlZpyvMdOHtOfi1JigMMzYaRq/s640/Merry+Christmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yes!! The shopping is done, the presents are open, the turkey is nothing but scraps and it's now my favorite week of the year. I love the days between Christmas and New Year's when the pace slows down and it's finally time to take stock. So far this week I've been stitching, walking, listening to audiobooks and cooking dinners with Jim. The next few days promise a beach adventure, a visit with my brother and unexpected spur of the moment surprises. I'm loving the lack of plans right now.....<br />
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Seeing how it is the season, I thought I'd start with one more pic of my Angles of Tulips, now hanging proudly at the top of our Christmas tree. <br />
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Just like I'd hoped, her spangles flutter and reflect the lights. I'm thinking now that she might come to my office for a while once the tree comes down. She might just help me keep this week's slower pace a little longer once the grind resumes.<br />
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Last December I started work on the SL Scottish Band Sampler. With it's elaborate green and red alphabet, it quickly took on a holiday feel for itself. After this past Thanksgiving, I got it back out as my December project.<br />
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I've worked mostly adding in another row of funky letters....<br />
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...and extending these stylized borders.<br />
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In true Christmas fashion, a fun surprise was found when I got this project back out - my silver needle keeper! I'd forgotten all about it, but when I opened the project bag and saw it nestled in with all the gorgeous silks, it was just like opening a gift. Thank you Santa!<br />
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I'm not sure yet if I'll keep working on this one after New Year's or put it away again and save it for the next holiday season. The alphabet letters are nearly done and then I move into a panel of eyelet stitch rainbows. It may not seem as Christmassy once that section gets started, But on the other hands, the eyelets may quickly make me decide I've had enough of it for the next 11 months!<br />
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I think I mentioned in a previous post that I'd at long last decided to make a start on Prairie Schooler's Johnny Appleseed. Sure enough, a small start is underway. <br />
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I've attempted a thread conversion on this one from DMC to overdyes and so far I'm pleased. The linen is something dredged out of the stash box, so I can't say with any certainly what it is, though it has a slight greenish cast. With all the apple trees eventually going into it, I thought it would be a suitable choice. Love this piggy, so glad he showed up in my usual starting spot!<br />
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Even though this will be the last post of 2015, I think I'll wait and do a "year-in-review" next weekend. Lots on my mind for next year and it will be fun to share the ideas in a post of their own soon. <br />
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As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by during my favorite week of the year! Here's hoping you're enjoying it as much as I am.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-84767334943414622902015-12-06T14:18:00.000-08:002015-12-06T16:15:46.644-08:00Mary GoodfinishJust as expected. Mary Goodburn sailed to a smooth finish last weekend. She was such a playful, easy stitch that I've started thinking of her as "Mary Goodfinish"! Here she is. <br />
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Last post, all that was left to go on her was the bottom sailing schooner, I wasn't really expecting so many stripes and color changes on a ship, but in the end I was in love with this little motif best of all.</div>
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I had some questions about the details of this project, so let me share at least what I did with her. First off, she's an old kit from the Examplarery, probably circa the early to mid 80's. I found her on e-Bay a few years ago, but she still turns up there on a regular basis. In fact for anyone seriously looking for a kit of your own, there has been one posted for a few weeks now and it was still available yesterday afternoon. I didn't use the linen in the kit because it was an ugly, large weave in a dark brown that wouldn't have suited the soft pinks and greens in her at all. I used a piece of 36 count something - probably light exemplar - from my stash instead. Whatever it was, I though the colors sat well on it.</div>
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In the meantime, I've moved on to a nice start on Johnny Appleseed and also taken back up with my holiday stitch, the SL Scottish Band Sampler. Not much new to share on either one of them just yet, so I'll save an update on both until next post. However, I did want to share my finished Angel of Tulips, returned from Faye and ready to preside over my Christmas tree....whenever that decides to go up! Faye fancied her up with a simple backing and the mother of pearl spangles that ought to catch the tree lights beautifully. Don't you love her? </div>
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I may have to find a permanent home for her somewhere, because I don't think I'll be able to put her away after the holidays are over.</div>
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As for the holidays, I'm still waiting for the spirit to take me. The weather has been so warm and humid this autumn and now early winter that I hardly feel we've left summer behind. Between that and having my work days rush by in a blur the past few months leaves me feeling like my own personal clock is still stuck back in June somewhere. But the past few days one sure sign that Christmas is truly on its way blossomed on my patio.</div>
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I have 5 Christmas cacti in pots out there, and this is the first bloom. They thrive on neglect 11 months of the year but come December, I dote on them every day, Funny how they bring back so many holiday memories, but they always do.</div>
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Here's wishing your December is full of bright colors and fond memories too. </div>
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-82512317327358414032015-11-25T17:49:00.000-08:002015-11-25T17:49:55.364-08:00Magic!Seeing as most everyone else is likely baking pies and stewing cranberries today, I though it would be the perfect time for me to cook up a long overdue blog post. This week has been a blessing, the first real time away from work I've had in almost a year. For that I'm extremely thankful!<br />
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Faye has worked her magic again, this time on my little 7 Sailors. I sent them off to her as a piece of stitching and they've come back home shortly after the last post as this real treasure box. <br />
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She also glamoured the inside with a padded lid and bottom....<br />
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,,,,and Halley made the perfect nautical fob to keep my favorite scissors stowed inside.<br />
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I'm still amazed at how perfectly the stitching fit the size and shape of the cigar box lid. But I'm even more astonished at how beautifully it was finished. Well done, Ms Faye!<br />
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I'm happy to report that progress has been steady on Miss Mary Goodburn, in spite of more work travel and limited time. With a bit of focus this weekend I'm hoping she'll be done before Monday rolls around again and it's back to the usual grind. Here she is:<br />
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After all the alphabets and color changes at the top, it was easy stitching through the flower bands. Love how they increased in size as the bands move along.<br />
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Why do I love band samplers? Because just about the time my patience wears thin with a certain border or pattern, it's done and something more interesting comes along. Still haven't decided what those creatures near the flower stand are. Dogs? Horses? Dinosaurs? Go figure.<br />
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But I think my favorite section is the bottom part I'm working on now. You can see the sides are full of initials and a few other little details. And the most fun of all, a tiny sailing ship will go in the middle. The ship is what drew me to Miss Mary to begin with first time I spotted her. At long last I'll actually get down to stitching it tonight!<br />
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Another magical thing, or maybe it's just serendipity.....Does this ever happen to anyone else, or is it just me? <br />
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I so enjoyed listening to "A Marriage of Opposites" by Alice Hoffman earlier this summer that I couldn't wait to download more of her work. I'm now coming to the conclusion of "The Red Garden", which has captured my imagination to the point of inspiring another stitching project. Not to give away too many details, but the plot threads its way through the real and mythical stories of the townspeople of Bedford Massachusetts. At one point in time Johnny Appleseed cultivates an orchard on the outskirts or town. Naturally, this led me back to a project I've been meaning to start since I first bought the chart .....<br />
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If I've been in love with Johnny for 30 years and still really want to stitch him, then it's about time to get started, don't you think? Best of all, when I got the chart out to give it yet another look over, I found a sheet of paper I'd tucked inside with a conversion to over-dyed threads in it. I have absolutely no recollection of when I did that, but it's only further proof that all these years and it's still on my bucket list. Think I'll wrestle out the linen box tomorrow while my pie is baking and get him all kitted up.<br />
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I promised myself this week I would only spend my time with people I care about doing things I love, On Monday that meant a trip to the <a href="http://tampabayhistorycenter.org/">Tampa Bay History Center</a> with Halley, where she's volunteering in the collections department in order to buff up her research skills.<br />
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We spent the afternoon visiting Tampa's oldest cemeteries, Halley searching for specific details and me just looking in amazement. This stone in particular was touching.<br />
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And at another site, this lady was interred by her husband, life sized figures sitting with their backs to the city </div>
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and a touching detail at the hem of her skirt.<br />
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It was a rare, touching day and I couldn't have spent it better. Somehow it pulls me back to my stitching....<br />
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Here's hoping your Thanksgiving is blessed with love, good food and special memories.<br />
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-45383618769659740862015-11-01T15:27:00.000-08:002015-11-01T16:47:23.600-08:00Life After HannahNovember 1 - Geez, how did that happen? Life has been in transition since my last post, lots going on around here! What have you been up to?<br />
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Well, since this is a a stitching blog, let's begin with what I've transitioned to since Hannah Pepper's grand finale. I'd mentioned earlier that I was loving the smalls now that Faye has saved me from the trauma of finishing. So I caught my breath with this quick stitch by Goode Huswife. Love her!<br />
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She's stitched over one on an old scrap of 28 count dirty linen I was hanging on to for just such a project. Another fun thing was to get out my box of old Needle Necessities overdyes (remember those?) and scrounge through for some cool threads to work her in. I loved the freedom of this piece, from her quick completion to rooting around in my stash for supplies and not being all that careful about what I decided to go with. I'm thinking she ought to pair up nicely with my recent Angel of Tulips, though they'll have to wait until next Christmas to be displayed together.<br />
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Keeping in the spirit of quick stitches, I decided to make another stab at Mary Goodburn. She got a quick start some time last year and then was promptly tossed aside. She's an old kit from The Examplarery I picked up several years ago but never felt a strong need to devote much time on. This is where I started......<br />
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...and here's where I am as of this afternoon.<br />
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Don't know that she'll see a finish before I lose interest in her again, but I can go with her at least until Thanksgiving. At that point, I'm going back to the Scottish Band Sampler, mostly because it feels like the perfect December stitch. This is as far as I got on that one last holiday season. Think it will reach a finish this year?<br />
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Other things happening at the end of October and the beginning of November?<br />
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How about enjoying a NASA launch on a beautiful Saturday from the neighborhood park....<br />
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Or Halloween preparations.....<br />
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One of Jim's favorite things is to outdo himself each year with the annual pumpkin carving. This was one of his finest! Our poor old cat Mo finally crossed over a week or two ago, so Halley suggested Jim do one final tribute by immortalizing him in gourd. It was a challenge well met. <br />
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And today being November 1, it was time to break out my Publix Pilgrims, which I'm admittedly a little nutty about. Thts arrangement went up first thing this morning.<br />
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So that catches me up at the start of November. Whew! Hope all is well with you. I love it that you've taken time to stop by!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-34453277965189366572015-10-18T13:32:00.000-07:002015-10-19T12:11:32.446-07:00Bless Me For I Will PrevailHannah herself has made the eloquent statement for how I'm feeling today. I've prevailed!! She's finally done.<br />
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It hasn't quite sunk in yet that after years of loving and leaving her, she's finally behind me. Hannah has been one of those pieces that forced me to prove myself as a stitcher. Just like she says herself, "<em>Thy talents to improve take care...."</em><br />
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2 over one verses....<br />
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Some improvisation with the dividing bands and bottom border.....<br />
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Plenty of wild life and an even more formidable grassy knoll....<br />
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With a final finish in the corner I turned the night I said goodbye to my mother. A tiny crown - the last motif I stitched - is for her.<br />
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Thank you Hannah, you've been a patient teacher and a faithful friend.<br />
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-24828766545869179802015-10-04T14:23:00.000-07:002015-10-05T16:03:44.237-07:00Creating a MonsterHappy happy October - my very favorite beach month! An early walk on Pass-a-Grille Beach this morning turned up a perfect shark's tooth and a tiny octopus rolling in the surf. No pictures to share - some things just have to be experienced.<br />
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I mentioned last post that September would be riddled with trips around the state for work. That definitely held true with another visit to Orlando last week. But by that point, I'd discovered a silver lining to the overnights. Before all the traveling began at the beginning of the month, rather than laboring with Hannah Pepper, I decided that I'd give myself permission to stitch on something new, fun and small for each road trip . That decision led to the finish of The Angel of Tulips, but there was still more travel on the books. Hhmmm...what to do about that? Suddenly, traveling for work was beginning to feel like stitching summer camp! So a dive through my Christmas stuff came up with a project I'd been hoarding for waaaayyy too long....apparently since 2003 to be exact....<br />
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I knew as soon as I set my grabby hands on it that this little sweetie would finally have her day. And suddenly, I was looking forward to the trip. Not so much because of the work it required, but because it meant an overnighter with a little cutie that was definitely not Hannah Pepper. It felt a little bit like cheating on her, but I couldn't stop myself. A few nights away and this little love child was born.<br />
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I used to walk the straight and narrow when it came to little pieces. It was just too much to bear to stitch them lovingly and then mangle them thoroughly in a sorry attempt at finishing. For the longest time, I steered clear by stitching only large samplers that just involved framing when they were done. But now with the magical finishing powers of Miss Faye and the giddy abandon for little projects unleashed by the overnights, all I can think about now are more tiny projects. Prairie Schooler Santas, old JCS Ornament Editions, the tiny scraps of 28 count linen I've hung onto over the years...you name it, I've manically pored over it this weekend. No more to be started of course unless other road trips crop up or Miss Hannah comes to a final finish. But I've definitely created a monster, one that's obsessed with itty-bitty little projects!<br />
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And now, let's move on to the real monster in the room, shall we? Namely, Hannah Pepper herself. I have been slogging away on her endless grassy knoll and am thrilled to report that it's finally in its completed resting place. No wonder I wanted to cheat on her!<br />
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You can see here that she really doesn't have much left to her, so I'm hoping if I stay focused and faithful, she'll be done for good next time I post. Not sure what I'll actually do with myself when that happens, but it will probably be a lot of little things....<br />
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As always, thanks for stopping in and especially for taking the time to comment. Fall stitching - does it get any better than this?Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-46786377137751193072015-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:002015-09-12T12:54:18.099-07:00Angel of TulipsWhat's up with this?! I'm actually posting two weekends in a row! But I have a bit of excitement that I just couldn't hold off sharing until I had a more substantial update on the slow moving Hannah Pepper<br />
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My Angel of Tulips is done!<br />
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I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd be doing a lot of travelling for work in September. That really held true. Not wanting to take my chances on Hannah Pepper in sketchy hotel room lighting, I decided to see the travel as a chance for something quick, new and fun. So I took my supplies with me to Tallahassee....<br />
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Got a good start in Ft Lauderdale...<br />
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...and put in the last work after returning home from Starke. All that's left now is to bundle her off to Faye for her final makeover. Perhaps a facial is in order?<br />
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Working on this little project made me think again of my mother, It seemed fitting to see her face on the wings of an angel. As the holidays begin to come around, I'm sure there will be many things that bring her to mind, but it makes me happy to know the first was something I stitched. Mom would have been flattered.<br />
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Now, it's finish Hannah Pepper, or die trying!<br />
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-90908831487825649482015-09-06T15:19:00.000-07:002015-09-07T06:27:09.723-07:00End of Summer BlossomsGreetings on a soggy Labor Day Sunday! Wish I could say summer was over down here, but the month of September is usually the most tropical of all. Or maybe it's just that I'm that much more tired of heat and humidity? I've spent the past few mornings hoping it would be cool and dry enough to walk in our local park, but it's still too soon for that. So, I'll just drudge on through the rest of September and wait for the real change of season coming sooner or later in October.<br />
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Toward that end, I thought it might be fun to post about all the end of summer bursts of color I've noticed lately. Speaking of which, here are the blossoms that sprung up on Miss Hannah Pepper since my last post.<br />
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Pretty spectacular, even if I do say so myself.<br />
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I'd set a goal to have Hannah finished by the end of September, but at this point, I just don't know if Hannah and I will make it bv then. The rest of the stitching left on her is simply a mirror image of what's above. But my work schedule for the rest of the month is a bear and I already know there will be limited time for her. Maybe her finish will come with the first cool dry morning surely to arrive in October.......<br />
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I think I've mentioned before how lovely the blossoms on our annual okra plantings are. We've had a bumper crop this summer with all the rain in July and the intense sunshine in August. Such fun to watch! The transformation goes from buttery yellow blossoms with deep velvet centers....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPcSn79a0T2oKqeJ5AZmRW3TpLB88mfVOmHb8nbUhVYfbH8gy7Pcgq8o0QFd3JOsmEI0sND4jGw4aui9LwuIq2FXpjPhzZYI06GvS8U-gRhGLEBnwhFNWMlU4pVvvQ76i2PARVcbP6hTT/s1600/okra+blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPcSn79a0T2oKqeJ5AZmRW3TpLB88mfVOmHb8nbUhVYfbH8gy7Pcgq8o0QFd3JOsmEI0sND4jGw4aui9LwuIq2FXpjPhzZYI06GvS8U-gRhGLEBnwhFNWMlU4pVvvQ76i2PARVcbP6hTT/s640/okra+blossom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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to brilliant green okra pods, ready for picking....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP21RsXily7UXDUZlcvcj5_vqJiLUqIucbx-3Jxgc0I6nEOedPamclJ41hgmPO0tKzIMT4ZaXS66e2tZHNIZ23TZVWguILMvs2p7PTS6S0WVHqobYT04faPWFQH-tPIq921ELwMJdoX58/s1600/okra+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP21RsXily7UXDUZlcvcj5_vqJiLUqIucbx-3Jxgc0I6nEOedPamclJ41hgmPO0tKzIMT4ZaXS66e2tZHNIZ23TZVWguILMvs2p7PTS6S0WVHqobYT04faPWFQH-tPIq921ELwMJdoX58/s640/okra+.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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...to a favorite southern delicacy - okra pickles! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKrcOB_bW8ukqbnrxdWolxF5S2Qbu8aVS6V-yzUwmWrnIJeeWe2ef92bGyQlCxUVQTCfEdxn_puvL-Kj8CUCbhXMSCYHbByt-ft62ji5itUWqdZ0BpvCga0zPhQnAixJ6vuaGWY8qlFJJ/s1600/okra+pickles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKrcOB_bW8ukqbnrxdWolxF5S2Qbu8aVS6V-yzUwmWrnIJeeWe2ef92bGyQlCxUVQTCfEdxn_puvL-Kj8CUCbhXMSCYHbByt-ft62ji5itUWqdZ0BpvCga0zPhQnAixJ6vuaGWY8qlFJJ/s640/okra+pickles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other spots of color to be found include fire spike, which attracted humming birds all summer long, as well as a bevy of butterflies each morning....<br />
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Spanish petunia, which always reminds me of strolling the neighborhoods of Key West....<br />
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...and Beauty Berry, which ripens to deep purple as surely as autumn does approach.<br />
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So as my thoughts turn to fall, I'm hoping the weather mellows along with them. Here's wishing for a cool and dry Labor Day to all.<br />
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Thanks for stopping to chat!<br />
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-85071745986572447282015-08-16T17:25:00.001-07:002015-08-17T03:55:59.674-07:00Planning AheadHi! I was so tickled earlier this week to sneak a look at my blog at lunchtime and find I'd gained some new followers. Welcome!! Knowing the blogging world has down-sized somewhat since I first signed on, I'd more or less accepted the fact that my list of followers wasn't going to be very extensive. It's a thrill to know that there are still new folks out there who've decided my intermittent ramblings are worth keeping up with. I love blogging! It makes me think more carefully about my stitching and keep track of others who do the same.<br />
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So on that note, let's catch up since my last post. ....<br />
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Actual stitching time has been devoted exclusively to Hannah Pepper, who if all goes as planned, should be officially graduated by the end of September. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAQpVqE87l2AYChFt4BgxRyf0EfkDad2QHoMwxynLRA9ohTNgG66-bR9uI1WqrjBTNoz8Ph59DRbIqLcP2iyI9F6GR_OK1zXfRIcon7AJ09uz7Ivf0gf494buYaRHJ7Qy6t6JP2SP_3Vm/s1600/progress+August+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAQpVqE87l2AYChFt4BgxRyf0EfkDad2QHoMwxynLRA9ohTNgG66-bR9uI1WqrjBTNoz8Ph59DRbIqLcP2iyI9F6GR_OK1zXfRIcon7AJ09uz7Ivf0gf494buYaRHJ7Qy6t6JP2SP_3Vm/s640/progress+August+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think the last time I shared a status update on Hannah, the bottom border was complete, but not much was underway as far as those bottom potted plants or life sucking grassy knoll they all sit on. As you can see some of it has changed since then. Here are some close ups.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC58PObWTVkwNqkNd3AvihXbDazAvWFG9hfbj0_Do59LZuIJGqDr7gQRUhl_V2-SHsNvdrz-laFGCYzOaYE9TRlfqbOVT_ZzPc0uk0AU4uXmDzlb_z8jtzunsI_sGjthwXKYD6Zj9G56Mv/s1600/right+flowers+in+urn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC58PObWTVkwNqkNd3AvihXbDazAvWFG9hfbj0_Do59LZuIJGqDr7gQRUhl_V2-SHsNvdrz-laFGCYzOaYE9TRlfqbOVT_ZzPc0uk0AU4uXmDzlb_z8jtzunsI_sGjthwXKYD6Zj9G56Mv/s640/right+flowers+in+urn.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
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Love the little crown detail up in the corner! But I'm sorry, those big bottom blooms might just be be Venus fly traps. Don't think I'm put my fingers too close to them.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPxrZIkO8OrZNI0vLdUFz0PyLmNqbLMpTH_iWHxknb3z1FwPXYpp6-Cx66YBF9eQbLiuwPE1NX-f5roN3heoQjSxTMzzBlDDbwC_IVzE_YQtGj6r7hFrX1eqia5q10kE9wPP3gbTuAJw/s1600/right+citrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPxrZIkO8OrZNI0vLdUFz0PyLmNqbLMpTH_iWHxknb3z1FwPXYpp6-Cx66YBF9eQbLiuwPE1NX-f5roN3heoQjSxTMzzBlDDbwC_IVzE_YQtGj6r7hFrX1eqia5q10kE9wPP3gbTuAJw/s640/right+citrus.jpg" width="422" /></a><br />
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Following the flesh-eating potted plant is a lovely basket of citrus and what I think must be a lion on a leash. Gotta put him on a shorter leash once all is said and done because the original one looks a little droopy at this point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVOq_lRH83lwdDE0fmtO8QkwPedfWrx-ODzLnBN9WSNvcMbLTwF7YSfdz86YaZxYQe5SFK6qn9ZPooG9Wtlh8U6B_4OBHRnzw4pPXdZ_v4Y1JzARtJ8Jmwz_WZCRK54ok_vOFvRcEYYXE/s1600/bottom+center+urn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVOq_lRH83lwdDE0fmtO8QkwPedfWrx-ODzLnBN9WSNvcMbLTwF7YSfdz86YaZxYQe5SFK6qn9ZPooG9Wtlh8U6B_4OBHRnzw4pPXdZ_v4Y1JzARtJ8Jmwz_WZCRK54ok_vOFvRcEYYXE/s640/bottom+center+urn.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This bottom grassy knoll has been kicking my behind! Not so much because of the solid stitching but because of those somewhat random brown patches. Those of you who are working on Hannah but haven't reached those point - a word of advice: chuck the chart with those fuzzy little symbols side by side and just go with the picture and your gut. In the end, it won't matter one tiny bit if your finished Hannah's grassy knoll isn't identical to the original. But it will matter that you're still sane and breathing, your eyesight is intact and your Hannah hasn't been incinerated.<br />
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Don't you just love that little doggy on the side of the urn? Can't tell if he's a dachshund or a beagle, but just like my three girls, he's most definitely following his nose. Who knows, maybe there's cheese or even just a dirty plate under that urn.....<br />
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But with Hannah's end so impending, part of the motivation to get her done once and for all has been in planning ahead to what comes next, I have quite a bit of travel for work coming up in the next few weeks, so I thought I'd figure out something small and portable to work on in hotel rooms. Diving through my stuff this weekend turned up one I've actually stitched before. I'm sorry to say the stitching of it was lovely, but I completely mangled it in a crude attempt at finishing. Remember "The Angel of Tulips" by Good Huswife?<br />
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I already have a bit of linen and the left over silks to give her a second chance at life.<br />
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I just need to remember that if I love her enough to give her another shot, I also have to love her enough to let Faye do the finishing.....<br />
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And I've also been considering starting another Quaker piece when Miss Hannah is all done. Something that would compliment Ann Grimshaw and Sarah Tatum without being too similar. And the perfect piece for that would be Raggamuffin 2 by Shakespeare's Peddler. I've been in love with this gentle sampler since I first laid eyes on it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5_jMikvXSpMHDN8NvvF_GzLUEzurwKIV1kGurYUDif5QigFYIQyGmWb627eUTxtN6msqdy2n5CRgns8gjwVTvcMVapPeMgKlfFF1PSByAUy7MXRepH_0pAhIPhpCqBUAZr9X7l12BSyZ/s1600/picture+and+silks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5_jMikvXSpMHDN8NvvF_GzLUEzurwKIV1kGurYUDif5QigFYIQyGmWb627eUTxtN6msqdy2n5CRgns8gjwVTvcMVapPeMgKlfFF1PSByAUy7MXRepH_0pAhIPhpCqBUAZr9X7l12BSyZ/s640/picture+and+silks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I ordered up the silks for this beauty thinking I already had the Light Examplar linen needed for it. But a ransack through the linen box yesterday determined anything that was the right size wasn't the right thread count of color. Also when I did put the silks on the tiny little bit of light exemplar I did have, I think it looked a little too pink for what I was picturing. Not sure at this point what to do about that. Suggestions for an alternative?<br />
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Finally, let me show you some funky little tweezers I happened to stumble across recently while trying to keep myself entertained as Halley loaded her cosmetics basket at Ulta. Aren't these cool?<br />
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I have to admit, those pretty beach colors are what caught my eye. But on closer examination, I love that they are small and precise, perfect for picking thread remnants (and dog hair) off stitching repairs. And they come in their own awesome little leather sheath. just like they were intended all along to be needlework tools!<br />
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No doubt football season and cooler weather will be on the horizon for at least some of you very soon. Where did the summer get off to? As always, thanks for checking in!<br />
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.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-51784345973135293052015-07-26T14:21:00.000-07:002015-07-27T18:34:48.734-07:00Shoving OffIs everyone one staying dry and cool? I have to remind myself that not everywhere in the world is the weather wet, humid and spongy as it is here right now. Mushrooms pop up overnight in my yard like a town of fungal prairie dogs....eewwww! Wishing for some cool, dry breezes but there are absolutely none to be had.<br />
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So I thought I'd post a quickie on my finish of 7 Sailors, which will be shoving off for Ms. Faye's mountain hideaway tomorrow morning. She's promised to do something unimaginable with them and a cigar box. The waiting is going to kill me!<br />
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But here they are in all their rugged manliness....<br />
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I had so much fun with these dudes, wish I'd finished them sooner than I did. Gotta love a sailor in a dress...<br />
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You'll notice the water isn't a solid stitch as indicated on the original chart. That one had the waves stitched in solid bars varying in different shades of blue. I wasn't really planning to do anything other than that, but since I was using overdyed threads anyway and each bar was stitched in alternating shades, the simplest way to go about it seemed like skipping every other stitch and then going back a second time. Are you with me on that? <br />
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But what I found was that I like the openness of it rather than the density of the original solid stitches. It tended to pick up on the same pattern from the rigging and the crow's nest, yet the variegation of the thread itself still gave enough color changes. See what I mean?<br />
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Haven't quite decided if that's a dog or a cat on board, but whatever it is it cracks me up.<br />
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Work has also been underway on Ms, Hannah Pepper, but it's mostly been a slog on the endless pasture at the bottom. How can a solid span of grass be so boring and yet so nerve wracking at the same time? So I've decided to spare the gritty details of that for another post when there will be a little more excitement to be shared on Hannah's behalf. Let's just hope mushrooms don't start springing up in there as well...<br />
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Thanks for stopping in!<br />
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shovmh OffMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-48433915367066440052015-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:002015-07-13T04:10:20.333-07:00Heading Into the Dog DaysThe middle of July in Florida means a turn into the dog days of summer. Thunder, lightening and more rain every day, tropical humidity and steaming temperatures, power outages at the most inconvenient times.....lovely! It can only be that hurricane season is a few short weeks away. But dog days this summer also come with a greeting and an enthusiastic waggle from Renny, who's managed to prove in a very short time that alpha dogs come in all shapes and sizes. <br />
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So, let's do a stitching update, shall we?<br />
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Lisa, I sooo loved your last comment that Hannah Pepper has become my sanity piece. Truer words were never said. Hannah has been a very faithful friend this summer, one who lets me wonder off from time to time, but always welcomes me back when I'm ready. Funny, now that her end is beginning to seem like it could actually happen, I'm starting to savor each stitch along the way. Here's how she looks - not all that different from last time, but surely moving along. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPl-UEXdZCFDNbPprjyDFh3hc3Kt9NPQZvO5p8Tj6rrffQZRyDVNlgkhGwEC05a4jaiceZJQZBcH7z6Vp6XJx5i_upDmtqkl4yGHHHNQoZ8SzU9_CoLknDmIOGQIwlF5jNhaqbpT8xAiB/s1600/bottom+progress+July+12%252C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPl-UEXdZCFDNbPprjyDFh3hc3Kt9NPQZvO5p8Tj6rrffQZRyDVNlgkhGwEC05a4jaiceZJQZBcH7z6Vp6XJx5i_upDmtqkl4yGHHHNQoZ8SzU9_CoLknDmIOGQIwlF5jNhaqbpT8xAiB/s640/bottom+progress+July+12%252C.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
And speaking of a momentary wander away from Hannah, remember this little Milkpaint Sampler ditty I knocked off earlier this spring?<br />
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Well, I mailed it off to Faye and am absolutely astounded at <a href="http://carolinastitcher.blogspot.com/2015/07/milkpaint-sampler-kit-comes-to-life.html">what she transformed it into</a>. Check this out - it was sooo beyond anything I could have even imagined.<br />
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But as if this wasn't enough, the really special parts are what she added inside. Like this beautiful needle park, with all the perfectly chosen shades and tiny details....<br />
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....and the most perfect addition of all, a replica of the tiny stitched pink blossoms hand appliqued on an inner pocket. <br />
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Thank you so much Faye! You created a very bright spot in a dreary place for me.<br />
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And in case you're wondering what might have taken me away from my sanity piece (as I'm sure you were, weren't you?!), I've been spending some evenings with 7 different men...sailors to be exact.<br />
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These little dudes will eventually find their way into the lid of a cigar box, but they may also have one last voyage to Ms Faye as well. Once they set sail, it's back to the ever faithful Hannah.<br />
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So that moves me into the end of July and the start of the real dog days of summer. Here's hoping your stitching is good, your summer is easy and your dogs are all alpha.<br />
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<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-7440100984002968362015-06-22T16:33:00.002-07:002015-06-22T17:01:08.674-07:00Moving Forward, Looking BackA very, very heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to comment or send a message after my last post. It really did make a difference. Funny how I thought I was prepared for the day, but when it actually came, I was still caught off guard. Anyway, there's been progress on the ever-present Miss Hannah, which I'm happy to share now! It's been a blessing to have her.<br />
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You'll notice a slight change for the original I decided to make as a sanity saving measure. Namely, I changed the row of tiny little over one birdies that divides the bottom third of the sampler to a reverse of the floral border beneath the name and date line. Much as I love those little birds, I knew it was either me or them! Someone wouldn't make it to the final finish, and speaking strictly for myself, I have a lot more time and patience invested on Miss Hannah's final end than they do. So with that tough call finally resolved, I'm moving ahead down the homestretch. You just wait Miss Hannah, your days are numbered....<br />
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While I was with my sisters after Mom passed, we spent a bittersweet morning going through her remaining quilts, her sewing tools and jewelry. I came back with some beautiful keepsakes, including my great uncle's CCC ring. earned by planting trees in Oregon during the Dust Bowl years of the early 1930's.<br />
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I also was so touched to find this little pocket I stitched for Mom one Christmas, complete with embroidery scissors and one of Halley's sweet beaded fobs. When this was given to Mom, there was a gift card to her favorite local coffee house tucked inside. Since that was missing, I can only hope that she thought of us and enjoyed it thoroughly! .<br />
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Turns out my mother was also the collector (hoarder?) of other people's quilts, but I'm not one to lay blame for that, especially when the ones she gathered were such treasures. These were all hand pieced tops that she came across and decided to rescue. The two finished ones were hand quilted by a local group of Amish women. Don't know what on earth I'll do with the unfinished one, but the acorn really doesn't fall far from the tree - I had to adopt these beauties and bring them back to a new home with me.<br />
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But looking forward, I'm so pleased to note we have a new family member. Meet Heavensent Give Me Serenity, known around this house as Renny!<br />
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She's still settling into the pack and learning to let go of some of her county dog ways. But she's as mellow as Ruby and Molly are high energy, so the hope is that they all will be a good influence on each other. I've spent the time since she's come to us doting on her like a gramma and then wondering if all sanity has abandoned me. 3 dogs - really?!<br />
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So that brings me up to speed for now as we move into the second half of the year. Just finished a revisit to "The Mist of Avalon", so my pagan spirit is running wild with the summer solstice..... <br />
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movomg Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-56856095710935919152015-06-08T16:19:00.000-07:002015-06-09T15:40:58.782-07:00And Feed Them on Your DreamsFor a long while, I've pushed myself to turn the last corner on Hannah Pepper. It seems I've been with her for ages, lingering on her rich colors and tiny details, while sometimes neglecting her for selfish periods of time....... <br />
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....but always returning to the next panel, the next verse, the next corner, and then on again I knew her time was passing, but she was always there, no matter what other flights of fancy and knots in the thread came along. And she was always full of life, joy and color.<br />
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So was my mother. I lost her very recently, and just like Hannah, I knew her time was slipping by. Until the very last, she was full of life, joy and color. She was also happiest when she was surrounded by her children.<br />
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My mom taught me so much, it was hard to even know how to take stock of it all. <br />
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She taught me to keep my best face forward and look things straight in the eye<br />
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....even on a bad hair day.</div>
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She taught me that learning starts early and never stops.</div>
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She taught me that even my brothers will be my best friends.</div>
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She taught me that while the king may sit on the throne, the queen rules the domain.</div>
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She taught me to recognize my gifts.....</div>
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...and to express them with passion.</div>
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So I'm going to move on with Hannah Pepper and think of my mother, as I did the night I sat in her chair and turned Hannah's last corner. Thank you Mom, for showing me the way.</div>
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-18514848887287839572015-05-10T12:31:00.000-07:002015-05-10T17:24:31.013-07:00Mother's Day at HomeHere's wishing a Happy Mother's Day to everyone with a Mom! Hope the day if full of time with the ones you love. I've just finalized details for a visit coming soon with my own Mom. Can't wait to see her again. It's been awhile since my last post, and there's lots going on to share.....<br />
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First things first though, a stitching finish! Remember last time, I was just getting started with this little sweety?<br />
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I'm so glad I decided to make the time for it, because the whole little piece has been a delight from start to finish. Here's the finale.<br />
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You'll notice I decided to pass on the surrounding hemstitching. It didn't seem to add too much to the final look of it and I was afraid putting it in might make the finish finish on it a little sketchy. <br />
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Found out I'm in love with the Milkpaint silks, While their colors are all soft and muted, the fiber itself just glows on the linen. Wonder if there's a conversion for them with AVAS? It would be so much fun to stitch a full sized sampler with them.<br />
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So this little treasure will soon find its way to Faye for the final finish it truly deserves, and I'm back at work on the nagging harpy Hannah Pepper. Hopefully there will be a little more progress on her by the next time I post. <br />
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This time of year, Jim and I are usually spending a day each weekend soaking up the sun and surf at one beach or another. But this year for a number of reasons, we're keeping a little closer to home. That's OK though. One great thing about living in Florida is that the beaches will always be there whenever we do have the chance to return. Instead, we've been focusing on a back yard project - a new deck! And Jim, in all his attention to detail, has turned it into wonderful place to enjoy all the birds and beauty in our own yard. Want to take a look?<br />
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These are the balustrades going in. Eventually the entire deck will be surrounded with them. I just love all the Spanish moss hanging from our live oak trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ecgye5zixLOgivhJqC9RK4xLyLcbvpPHNWKXhUGDKIx4Ag9LnBSqi-G4iTRzvnR9MrQG2QEPDmFh6buXOd5rTxehpISpoo0s9_IQgZ5NogevVXbEP0rafzLGGWd2dk0iNdKRYmrWffmK/s1600/table+and+chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ecgye5zixLOgivhJqC9RK4xLyLcbvpPHNWKXhUGDKIx4Ag9LnBSqi-G4iTRzvnR9MrQG2QEPDmFh6buXOd5rTxehpISpoo0s9_IQgZ5NogevVXbEP0rafzLGGWd2dk0iNdKRYmrWffmK/s640/table+and+chairs.jpg" width="640" /></a>'The new patio set is my Mother's Day gift! You can tell by my stitching laid out where I'll be spending my time. As work progresses, all the framing you see will be filled with balustrades and then stained to finish.<br />
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And finally a spot for my Key West wind chimes! These make the most magical, gentle chime tones, but they've never had a good position in the yard for the breeze to strike them before now.<br />
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This southern girl loves her okra. Its potted just around the other side of the deck and will soon be too high to reach the pods. <br />
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Margaret at <a href="http://daysofasamplerlover.blogspot.com/">Days of a Sampler Lover</a> thought enough of my blog to nominate it for a One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you for the shout-out Margaret! In response, I'm doing a modified version by not passing the nomination forward and just going straight to the fun part - 7 little known facts about myself. My life is pretty much an open book, so let's hope I can muster 7. Here goes:<br />
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1. I have 6 brothers and sisters. Yes, my parents were very traditional Catholics! As the oldest girl in the brood, I'm certain they spent all of 10 seconds deciding on my name.<br />
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2. My amazing husband Jim is my first love and my high school sweetheart. <br />
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3. My awesome daughter Halley was named for Halley's Comet. Naming her for a celestial event that only comes once in a lifetime seemed fitting.<br />
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4. There is nothing - good, bad or indifferent - that isn't made better with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio.<br />
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5. Ditto for a plate of cheese.<br />
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6. I'm extremely left handed and right brained. I kick with my left foot, listen with my left ear and chew on the left side of my mouth. As a lefty, I always stitch from right to left. Meanwhile, my right hand mostly just holds my purse.<br />
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7. I'm learning Spanish! Reading it is easy, but speaking it takes some coaching. Lucky for me, my coworkers aren't shy about correcting my pronunciation.. Muy bueno!<br />
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So there you have it for Mother's Day 2015. Thanks so much for stopping to visitMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-47015612959618269892015-04-19T14:27:00.001-07:002015-04-19T14:33:01.560-07:00Headed SouthHappy Sunday, happy mid-April.....happy finish to report!<br />
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Birds in the Bower is finally done and is about to fly south to the framer's. Did everyone hear me straining to get those last tiny stitches in last night? It wasn't a pretty sight, but I'm pleased with the final result.<br />
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I do think I caused the black row of stitches at the very bottom to bleed a bit when I pressed it. Can you see the shadows there? I'm just not going to let them bother me though, because trying to fix it will probably only result in disaster. Instead, I'll just choose to think of it as part of the overall charm of the piece. How's that for rationalization?! A few final details...<br />
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...and the bottom right, second time around.<br />
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All that over one on the right side was what had to be painstakingly picked out and re-stitched a second time with the correct lines of the verse. Enough to make me a little nutty, but sadly it probably won't be the last time! I'm considering the possibility of a mat on this one, once it actually lands at the framer's. Since it's not that large and isn't a reproduction, a mat might be a nice way to draw it all together inside a frame. More than likely it will also depend on the frame molding I settle on. <br />
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And for once, I have a new start on something not huge, in fact, almost a small! I think I must still be dragging my feet on another rendezvous with Hannah Pepper. But since it is the year of reckless abandon and the urge to give this little sweetie its final due was so hard to resist, I decided not to fight with myself over it. Does anyone remember these little "Remember the Ladies" sets Kreinik put out several years ago to market their Silk Mori?<br />
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I'm fairly sure I collected most, if not all of them, then stacked them neatly in my stitching closet and put them out of mind. When I'm honest with myself, I know it's because they all are fairly small projects and I didn't want to be stuck with a cute little piece of finished stitching and no hope of actually turning it into anything more than that. Well, now there's Faye and hope has returned for them. Check out my start. <br />
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As it turns out, the Milkpaint colors just glow on the linen, so it's been a thrill to have even this much of a beginning. And since the Birds have flown the roost and are no longer in competition for my attention, I'm also hoping it won't be too much of a time sink that delays the eventual return to Hannah Pepper by a long shot. Or who am I kidding...maybe that's exactly what I'm hoping for?! Poor Hannah....<br />
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So that's how things are in my stitching world right now. How are things in yours?<br />
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Oh yes, one more quick update...It's been a very long time since I've mentioned anything I've been listening to, but I've had the great pleasure recently of finishing an amazing audiobook. Can I share?<br />
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The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KOCBUV4HvTMycg0Ra0TFbyl66QMGcNCXmJBOKp7NC31Uw59ArjmQeNnDW4DhXShquyxEjU1pcY9VZsB_lNlsagMDc5LQlGdGyfJ_EG9jr2gfLiZtN8qHqebpwy75o1r_QgImvv8sn2w_/s1600/Lacuna.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KOCBUV4HvTMycg0Ra0TFbyl66QMGcNCXmJBOKp7NC31Uw59ArjmQeNnDW4DhXShquyxEjU1pcY9VZsB_lNlsagMDc5LQlGdGyfJ_EG9jr2gfLiZtN8qHqebpwy75o1r_QgImvv8sn2w_/s1600/Lacuna.png" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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This one could quite possible be the best book I've ever read. I've had mixed feeling about the author's other works. They're always beautifully crafted and thought provoking, but can occasionally get caught up in moralizing too heavily. The Lacuna is Kingsolver at her finest - beautiful prose and imagery, a complex story that raises difficult questions and a historical setting with characters that are relevant to a current reader. I have always been compelled by the art of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo What a joy to meet them on a different level as central characters of the story.<br />
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As always, I'm hoping this finds you stitching and caught up with all the things and people you love. Thanks for coming to visit!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-39565859820244506512015-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:002015-04-05T15:21:48.211-07:00Bird Brain!Today is Easter - how on earth did that happen?! The time of year seems right for it and my calendar seems to agree. But my slow moving brain just hasn't caught up yet. Wasn't Christmas last week? Anyway, my apologies for the length of time between posts. <br />
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Why is it that with all stitching projects, no matter what size, difficulty and number of thread changes required, I always reach the point somewhere in the lower right corner where <strong>I just want the darn thing done. </strong>Case in point: Birds in the Bower.<br />
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No really - shouldn't this be done by now?! Seeing how I started it as a brief escape from the epic border on Hannah Pepper, it's not all that large, there is nothing but cross stitches on it and I've already stitched it once before......this thing should have been done weeks ago, right? Well, not so much. <br />
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The bottom row of birds went in easily enough....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z8UpGQYbHHHVYuO1mgxeUISKjpygChga-QXNP1clhV1IWGEPMaOmcdtzMeHk5HHxn7DooaeDXgFXWlDwdA7ST-D6kfMalMqO4QrsMwaFPR2uhZbwKIKJaVQKaZ9FQ3OZjk6Gj_WApoUr/s1600/bottom+birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z8UpGQYbHHHVYuO1mgxeUISKjpygChga-QXNP1clhV1IWGEPMaOmcdtzMeHk5HHxn7DooaeDXgFXWlDwdA7ST-D6kfMalMqO4QrsMwaFPR2uhZbwKIKJaVQKaZ9FQ3OZjk6Gj_WApoUr/s1600/bottom+birds.jpg" height="308" width="640" /></a></div>
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I even noticed a cardinal had stopped in for a visit. He must have come this way after spending time with <a href="http://stitchingdream.blogspot.com/2015/02/february-finishes.html">Carol.</a><br />
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Turning the bottom right corner and mapping out the scallops did take a fair amount of fiddling, but they do seem to be on their way now though.<br />
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So what exactly is the issue? Well take a look at this.<br />
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Notice anything suspicious looking at what should have been a delicate line of over one verse? Yep, that's right. 2 full rows of tiny over one stitching - never my favorite, even the first time in - filled that space and then had to be removed because this bird brain didn't read the chart right. No excuses here, I've even stitched this piece before and still got it all wrong. I'll save you the painful details of this senseless tragedy, but let's just leave it to say that when I checked the photo of Teresa's piece and then verified it with the one on the chart, I realized I'd put the lines in the wrong places. Leaving them that way would only cause much worse problems further along. Nothing to do but pick them out one tiny stitch at a time - <strong>aaacck!.</strong> What remains in the picture still will be this afternoon's chore. So you can see now why <strong>I just want the darn thing done.</strong><br />
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While walking this morning, I was trying to decide what else I could post about that might be somewhat Easter related. Then I remembered that many many years ago during my Drawn Thread period, I'd stitched up The Easter Egg Sampler, then promptly packed it off to limbo once finished. Here's a picture of it resurrected this morning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzPKuYOVfNOG1wQ9W8DG9UAOMXnCPTQuXqgWUN7dw1kw3ZWBmirvj6Pm4NbN5ksX9XomRVz5iDoT3hcDXMpRX0FC3bnXw4gV7spjuu3wjOttCGTswqYYDIWdevz8nbmFZP0xqN2EVGyJA/s1600/EasterEgg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzPKuYOVfNOG1wQ9W8DG9UAOMXnCPTQuXqgWUN7dw1kw3ZWBmirvj6Pm4NbN5ksX9XomRVz5iDoT3hcDXMpRX0FC3bnXw4gV7spjuu3wjOttCGTswqYYDIWdevz8nbmFZP0xqN2EVGyJA/s1600/EasterEgg.jpg" height="640" width="466" /></a></div>
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Seeing as the date I'd stitched at the bottom of it is April 8, 2000, it might be time to actually do something with this little sweetie. But therein lies the problem. If I'd really wanted to go to the bother and expense of having it framed, I'm sure I would have done so by now. But it doesn't really seem like the sort of thing to be fabric finished, even by the skillful hands of our favorite <a href="http://carolinastitcher.blogspot.com/2015/03/welcome-spring.html">Faye</a>. What would you do with it? I'd love to have some ideas!<br />
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OK, so I think that brings me up to speed for this Easter Sunday. Hoping yours if full of spring and celebration! As always, thanks for stopping by to visit.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-29762348704937597472015-03-08T10:07:00.001-07:002015-03-12T15:15:20.325-07:00Fledging the NestMoving well into March already - can you believe it? I'm fully aware that so many just north of our state line are thinking spring will never come. But it's been here in Florida for awhile now and is already beginning to warm toward summer. This spring I've had a much greater sense of the time passing. So many important things are about to fledge very soon, not just the babies nesting with their mamas in our oak trees this spring. Funny, I even seem to have picked up that feeling as the birds in my latest stitching project have taken wing.<br />
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You'll remember from my previous post this is "Birds in the Bower", an old Goode Huswife design I'd stitched several years ago for my sister. I'm loving the chance to return to it again.<br />
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There has been a lot of color changing along the way, but that's the price paid for such a chorus.<br />
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One more lower branch of songbirds to add in and then it's on to the verse and the bottom scallops. As ever, Hannah Pepper is mostly a background noise, like a drone from a bag pipe. More about her later, but for now I'm focusing on things that are about to fly.<br />
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Which brings me of course to my own fledgling, Halley. This is her just before she began her school days.....<br />
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...and one as she has her degree in sight at the end of the month. <br />
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The girl has always sported a hat with a true sense of style! But she's also been single-minded about her goals and where they'll take her, in spite of some formidable obstacles at times. I couldn't be prouder of you Halley! You've become the woman this mama raised you to be, and now you're ready to spread your wings. <br />
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Molly will of course always keep an eye on your shoes.<br />
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Thanks for checking in!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-66772732443542568232015-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:002015-02-15T11:50:42.347-08:00Re-TweetingSpringtime shows up early here in Florida and it now seems to be bursting out all over. Our azaleas are in full bloom. The live oak trees in our backyard are all either dropping their old leaves or putting out new ones. And birds are everywhere! Hummingbirds are passing through, hawks are nesting, sand hill cranes are swooping in and the usual chorus of jays, mockingbirds and redbirds are showing their colors and raising a racket every morning.<br />
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With all this springtime bird commotion, it seems quite fitting that when visiting with my sisters and mother last month, I had the chance to take another long look at a piece I'd stitched several years ago for my sister Teresa.<br />
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This is an old one from Goode Huswife called "Birds in the Bower". You'll have to forgive the yellowish background in the photo, courtesy of my phone's camera. When Teresa lived in Minnesota, she had an apple tree in her yard that attracted songbirds all through the summer. This design seemed like the perfect piece for her, a way she could enjoy her songbirds even through the long Minnesota winters. Since then, she's moved further south more than once, but each time her songbirds have found a place of honor. It was a thrill to see them again in her new home outside Dallas. I decided then and there it was time for the Florida branch of the family to also have its tree of songbirds. After all, it's the year of reckless abandon. Why hesitate to re-stitch - re-tweet? - this little treasure?<br />
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So here's the first attempt at re-tweeting.<br />
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I quickly noticed that something wasn't quite right with this first redo, though it took a while to figure out what the deal was. I was using the exact same overdyed thread conversion I used on the original. While the linen might not have been exactly the same as the first, it wasn't different enough to account for what was bothering me. The it dawned on me.....it's been such a long long while since I'd stitched anything with more than a single thread of floss that I hadn't even considered the possibility of using two on this re-tweet. And it's been just long enough that more than likely the original piece for Teresa was the last one I'd done that way. Fortunately, the piece of mystery linen in play was long enough that I could just turn it upside down and avoid any soul crushing stitch removal. A quick reversal of fortunes and the second re-tweet was underway. See the difference?<br />
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In the spirit of reckless abandon, I'll just stitch these songbirds until my ongoing commitment to Hannah Pepper thaws back out. And yes <a href="http://stitchingdream.blogspot.com/2015/02/february-finishes.html">Carol</a>, one of these tweets is going to appear as a cardinal!<br />
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All is not lost - again - on Hannah Pepper. I think she's just gone back to the frozen north for awhile, as it seems her progress along the bottom border was moving at a glacial pace. Here's where we ground to a halt.<br />
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I put this same picture as the cover photo on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mlreed1">my Facebook page</a>, mostly as a nag to myself that Hannah <strong>still</strong> isn't done. Funny thing is, now I mostly just don't go to my Facebook page for not wanting to be shamed by the photo!<br />
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How cool is this?<br />
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Not many people can witness a NASA rocket launch just by walking down to the neighborhood park a few minutes before lift-off and watch it all happen in real time. Jim and Halley did just that last week after work when the Space X DSCOVR went up from Kennedy Space Center. Seeing how the actual launch site is two hours away from us, the view was rather spectacular!<br />
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As always, thanks for taking the time to visit. Hope wherever you are that springs finds its way to you soon!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-11601717641439858252015-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:002015-01-27T03:19:15.726-08:00Not So Reckless After AllWell, after throwing caution to the wind and declaring all sorts of new things as a New Year's resolution, everything since then, at least stitching-wise, has been a little short of reckless. Isn't that how it always goes? I gave myself permission to go a little crazy. I even made a few purchases, namely the silks for Mary Bate.....<br />
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...and the linen for His Eye Is on the Sparrow. But as the holidays faded away and time got back to the usual limits, it was just plain easier to stick with what was already underway, namely Hannah Pepper. <br />
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Since this picture was taken, I've turned the bottom right corner completely and have been progressing sedately along the bottom border She'll be a beauty when she's done, but at this rate Miss Hannah isn't going to see a finish any time soon. But that's OK. Next weekend is Super Bowl Sunday and maybe then I'll take a walk on the wild side.<br />
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A big reason for the lack of time - other than work and life in general - is that I've been traveling since my last post. My sweet mom turned 86 last week, so my family gathered in Dallas for a Texas-sized birthday bash. I think Mom might still be pooped from it, but she looked pretty happy on the big day. <br />
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Best of all, the visit meant a girls weekend with my sisters. Here we all are - from left to right is our niece Gracie, then Teresa, Jane, Judy and myself.<br />
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You can bet there was non-stop chatter and very little sleep all weekend long! While the big get-together was in its planning stages, we all though it would be great fun to bring along a little hand made gifty for each other. We are a pretty clever family after all, and Mom is always an inspiration. So let me showcase the goods. <br />
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I quickly rounded up some little PS fruits I'd stitched a long time ago, then sent them off to the ever resourceful<a href="http://carolinastitcher.blogspot.com/2015/01/proud-moments-and-more.html"> Faye</a> to see what she could do with them for the girls. Since we're all big tea lovers, she didn't disappoint.<br />
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Teresa is a knitting goddess, whipping up beautiful little lacy shawlettes for all. Mine was knitted with 3 Irish Girls custom "Gulf of Mexico".<br />
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Judy is big into beaded bracelets and rosaries. I feel like a little bit of Judy's style has rubbed off on me every time I look at my wrist now. <br />
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And Jane, never one to be out-done by her older sisters, showed up with lovely hand coiled baskets for each. Mine is now safely ensconced on my stitching table, perfect for holding embroidery scissors and other needful things.<br />
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I had a wonderful visit with all my family, but it was still good to be back home. I think I was missed, at least by Ruby. What a sweetie she is!<br />
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So I'm hoping this finds everyone safe, warm and ready for another week. As always, thanks so much for taking a few moments to stop by!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-34099837017783613882015-01-01T14:18:00.000-08:002015-01-02T17:27:03.124-08:00The Year of Reckless AbandonHappy, Happy New Year! 2015 has gotten off to a contented start so far - a good walk, a good book, a good dinner in the works and still time ahead before the vacation bubble bursts and it's back to <strike>the rat race</strike> reality. How has your new year begun?<br />
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First things first though. Here's a huge heartfelt <span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Thank You!</em></strong></span> to those who took the time to watch "Remembering Yesterday, Celebrating Today", shared on my previous post. My mother has always been a unique and gifted woman. It means all the world right now to share her quilting with others who can appreciate it. The holidays this year have brought a heightened sense of time passing when I think of my Mom. Sharing her through this video has been a way to hold on.<br />
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It's been so much fun the past few days to see everyone's "Stitching Year in Review" posts! As for me, I'll give some credit where it's due and take a quick glimpse at what's been accomplished with my own stitching. It's fun to go back to the <a href="http://allmyscatteringmoments-mary.blogspot.com/2014/01/i-mean-it-this-time.html">last New Year's post</a> to see if I met my goals. You'll recall that I only had 3 of them:<br />
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1. Finish Ann Grimshaw. Check!<br />
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2. Finish Frances Eden. Got 'er done.<br />
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and 3. Finish Hannah Pepper. Not so much......<br />
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In spite of not meeting my finishing goal with poor long-suffering Hannah, I can at least say she was the last project I worked on in 2014 and the first one in 2015. Surely that's got to have some kind of powerful mojo for getting her done....sometime? I think you can see from these photos where my extreme aversion to any more over one stitching came from.<br />
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But I do take some comfort in the fact that even though Hannah is still a thorn in my side, Sarah Tuel has crossed over to the finished side and is now patiently awaiting a framed afterlife. Thank you Jesus!<br />
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Other than finishing Miss Hannah, I've decided that rather than making strict, specific goals for myself like I did last year, I would instead proclaim 2015 as "The Year of Reckless Abandon". Basically that means a few simple things. <br />
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1. If I feel like stitching on it, I will.<br />
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2. If I feel like starting it, I will.<br />
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3. If I don't feel like working on it, I won't.<br />
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4. If I worry that too many projects are in the works, I'll pour a glass of wine.<br />
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See what I mean? Reckless abandon! And to kick off TYRA - yes, The Year of Reckless Abandon - I didn't even wait until January 1 to throw caution to the wind. Somewhere in mid-December, I started something new - because I felt like it! Here's progress to date on The SL Scottish Band Sampler, which so far has been a lot of fun.<br />
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These ornate letters have more festive curlicues on them than all the Who's down in Whoville. <br />
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So that's where things stand on January 1, 2015. Tomorrow the mail lady will bring the silks for a start on Mary Bate. The linen for His Eye Is On the Sparrow is in a dye vat somewhere, but hopefully it will turn up without too much delay and I'll start it too. Who knows where they'll stand next post?!<br />
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Wishing you all the brightest and best this new year!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-29610403439695652302014-12-27T12:47:00.001-08:002014-12-27T12:49:08.176-08:00Remembering Yesterday, Celebrating TodayHi! I have something very special to share, a gift from my brother Dan. <br />
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Those of you who've ready my blog for awhile will remember what I've shared about<a href="http://allmyscatteringmoments-mary.blogspot.com/2013/06/lifes-beach.html"> my mother and extraordinary quilting accomplishments</a>. Our family has been the awed witnesses and grateful recipients of her creations, always wondering what would spring forth next as she hummed away at her machine. At times we were mystified by terms like "Stitch in the Ditch" and "Fussy Cutting", but in the end we were also amazed at the stunning result. And even more amazing, mom used each of her quilts as a spur for making the next one that much more exquisite.<br />
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Mom moved to Texas this summer, which was a bittersweet life change for her. However my brother Dan had the foresight to spend some time with her ahead of that move, asking about the quilts and what she felt and thought about as she put them together. . He captured her essence perfectly I think. Please click on the link below to see the video Dan produced. <br />
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I'm very proud to share my mother and her quilts.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/115458177"><span style="color: blue;">https://vimeo.com/115458177</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617078957766029430.post-46683240862457838172014-12-21T10:01:00.000-08:002014-12-24T06:56:10.186-08:00And Now For Something Completely DifferentHello and Happy Holidays! I'm hoping this finds everyone ready for the Christmas home stretch. Mercifully, my office is closed for the next two weeks and we have no big plans for the time off. So other than cooking some decent meals and walking every morning, I intend to stitch my way into the next year. Sounds like a great holiday vacation, doesn't it?<br />
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So after finishing off Miss Sarah Tuel a few weeks ago, I was ready for something completely different....something with silks, vibrant colors and no over one stitches <em><strong>anywhere.</strong></em> Now the logical place to start would have been to choose a project from my stitching bucket list, right? And maybe I did, even though I didn't officially add this sampler to the roster. This likely candidate has been biding its time - fully kitted, I might add - in my stash for a shameful length of time. To make the announcement official, I started in on The Scottish Band Sampler from Scarlet Letter. <br />
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Talk about a big change of pace for me, being much more the faded color, American school girl stitcher that I am. But the SBS has been on the brain - and in my stash - ever since I saw it finished by one of the ladies in my old stitching group. The eyelet bands and flame stitch bottom glowed to the point that it was hard to take my eyes off them. And somehow the jewel tone greens and reds even of the border and top alphabet seem a lot like those in a festive holiday piece. How could I resist?<br />
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Around Thanksgiving, I did also showed a little more love to Mary Goodburn, who I started earlier last summer. Don't know how well you can see it on this picture of the chart, but she stole my heart with her little ship at the very bottom. <br />
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While Miss Mary is much more in keeping with my typical sampler style, she has a bit of a personality problem. With all her muted putty, dove and faded pink alphabet letters to this point, she quickly becomes a very dull companion.<br />
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I'm sure I'll wander along with her off and on because she's so straightforward she's easy to take up with whenever the need for stress-free business arises. Maybe the pace will quicken with her once I'm done with the top alphabet portion, but getting to that point is putting me fast asleep!<br />
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One of my favorite things about the holidays in Florida is that all the seasonal plants that are usually found blooming on table tops and wind sills up north actually thrive outdoors down here. Jim brought this hanging Christmas cactus home last year and as soon as it was done blooming, we stashed it on a corner of the patio and completely forgot it. The only water or attention it ever received was what came its way during summer rainstorms, and yet here it is in full glory again as of this morning.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot about my mother lately and wondering what the next year will bring for her as she turns 86 in January. It seemed very special this year to give a place of honor to my nativity set, which is always the centerpiece for her Christmas season. <br />
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I love you Mom! Wherever the star leads, I know you have the faith to follow it.<br />
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Merry Christmas and as always, thanks for taking time to stop in and say hello. God bless us, every one!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856065062552237404noreply@blogger.com10