EH 1875 Wk 11 & 12

I am not sure how I managed but somehow I did some major stitching on this piece, even with all the shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, laundry.  Not sure how I managed it, but hey every page gets me closer to the end.

These are pages 25-30.

Maybe my next post, I will have completed 31-35, will be able to post a picture of the entire sampler and already talking about me next project!

I must have been a good girl!!!!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hannuka, Feliz Navidad, and a Wonderful Joyous New 2015 to all!!

The shopping is done, the meal was wonderful, and we have leftovers that are delicious.  I could live off of turkey sandwiches.  It's not all that often that I can have my children all together, so I savor those times.

My husband and my children were very good to me this year, and bought me my all time most favorite things to have.  Cross stitch supplies.  My sister, even pitched in, with all the DVD's of Antique Sampler magazines.   I will have a fun time looking through those!!!!!

Every stitcher I know is always trying to be more organized regarding their supplies, and I am no different.  I use the bag system for my threads, and have been happy with that.  Somehow, the little cardboard spools have never peaked my interest.  And what exactly do you do with that piece of thread that is still long enough to use somewhere.  Using the baggie system, I could just shove it back in the back, problem solved.  But, even though I keep my threads in numerical order for DMC, and alphabetical order for hand-dyed, I could never find a box large enough to hold the binders/rings. My thread always looked like a "hot mess!"

But my problem is now resolved, because I got this for Christmas!

I purchased blank 3"X 5" recipe cards, and have been inserting them in each of the bags, to give the baggies some additional stability.  This cabinet is actually for CD's, but it's perfect for my threads.  So happy with this addition!

My children and my hubby also bought me charts, fabric and threads.  I am a happy camper!

EH 1875 Weeks 9 & 10

I had to skip a week in posting.  Just way too much going on with Christmas!!! The tree is finally finished decorated.  It turned out beautifully!   But, then again I think that every year of every tree we have.

I think I have one more large package in transit to be wrapped, and then I will be really, really done.  Staying away from all further stores so that there will be no impulse purchases.  I think the kids will be pleased.  I even bought presents for the cat and the dogs.  No one's going to be left out.

We purchased our turkey a few weeks ago, and did a big grocery store shop, but there will be that last minute grocery store visit for fresh fruits and vegetables.  Christmas Eve, meal is planned, so I think I'm all set.  These next couple of days will fly right by and Christmas will be over, and the day after will consist of recycling boxes, and wrapping paper, eating leftovers and the worse part is not hearing a single Christmas song on the radio.

I try to get the kids to make up a Christmas list, so it's a bit easier to shop.  But., sometimes I have to make suggestions to the kids what they can buy for each other, and my mother is here, and I have to think of ideas for gifts from her, plus wrap her gifts to others, and wrap all the gifts from me and the hubbie to the kids.  Relatives get gift cards!  Worst part is wrapping a gift to me from my mother to me, that I also have to wrap.  I sort of like the surprise of Christmas!

With all the activity I haven't stitched as much as I would like, but to be honest, there is never enough time to stitch.  I completed 2 pages a week.  Currently working on page 25 of a 35 page chart.  These pictures are of pages 21-24.

I have so many completed cross stitch pieces, that I try to get one framed a month.  I just recently picked up the Rosewood Manor American Quilt Sampler.  Turned out quite well, and I already know where it's "home" on my walls will be.

EH 1875 Week 8

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to one and all.  I hope you all had a wonderful day, spent with family and friends.  I had a lovely day, with my three children, and the oldest son's girlfriend, plus my hubby and my mother.   The meal was terrific, and it will be the exact same menu for Christmas.

Somehow between all the meal preparation, I still managed to finish 3 pages.  Not quite sure how that even happened!  But I'll take it!  Anything that gets me closer to page 34!

Next week, I'll probably venture out to start the Christmas shopping.  I never shop Thanksgiving weekend.  Can't stand the craziness and crowds.  Actually the more shopping I can do via my laptop, the happier I will be.  But there are always those impulse purchases, that you can't do, without actually being in a store.  Plus, our local mall has become large enough, that it will take my mother and I several days to go from one end to the other.  Have to do things a lot slower since my lovely mother turned 93 in October and her legs, while always short (downside of being 4'11") she just isn't as spry!  Course for that matter neither am I.

EH 1875 Week 7

Another week has flown right by, and somehow I managed to get 3 pages completed this week.  I'm not really sure how that happened, and to be sure, that if I have more time to stitch, then housecleaning projects are not being done.

I celebrated my 60th birthday on the 22nd.  I had a lovely birthday.  Flowers from my oldest.  Late lunch, early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, with a piece of White Chocolate, Caramel Macadamia Cheese cake to come home with me.   Hubby, and my two youngest were there.  Life couldn't be more perfect.  I am blessed and truly a lucky girl.

It's hard to believe it's Thanksgiving this week, with Christmas right around the corner.  Shopping, decorating, baking, cooking.  Whoosh, I'm already exhausted just thinking about it.

The first 3 pictures are pages 15, 16, and 17.  The last page is at least the top of the sampler as completed so far.

EH 1875 Week 6

Another two pages completed.  I am happy with that progress, only because I know I completed other things at home that were sorely needed to be taken care of.

Plus, Saturday the George Herbert Walker Bush returned from it's nine month deployment.  I, my youngest two kids, and my son's girlfriend where there to meet the ship and my oldest when it returned to it's home base in Norfolk, Va.  Both the ship and my son were a sight for sore eyes.  The weekend went by too quickly and it was too soon to say goodbye, to the youngest two so they could return to college, and I had to return to Manassas.  Thankfully, my daughter will be home from college tomorrow to begin Thanksgiving break, the youngest returns on Fri., and Jason and his girlfriend will be with us for Thanksgiving!

I also managed to work on my take along project while waiting for the kids to show up, and waiting for the ship.

EH 1875 - Week Five and .....

Only managed to stitch two pages on my EH 1875 this week.  I know from here on out it will be slow going!  I've got too many house projects that need to be done, plus the holidays are quickly coming up with decorating and shopping.

I managed to complete pages 11 & 12

I also managed to put a few stitches in my take along project, which is the Family Name Sampler.

 This week was a very difficult week for our family.  We lost a member of our family!  One of our family dog's Sandy,    We had her in our life for almost 15 years.  She was a lovely dog, friendly, happy.  My father told me that that their passing, will break your heart and it does!  The house will be a little quieter, a little lonelier, with out her here.

On an uplifting note, my oldest returns from his nine month deployment on the George Herbert Walker Bush.  I and the kids are going to meet the ship, and be there for his homecoming.  This last week, will crawl by at a snail's pace!

EH 1875 - Week Four

I am a little late on this post.  I was hoping to finish one more page, to photograph and add to this post, but alas, I could only complete two pages last week.  First, my husband is gone and so I have taken this time, to do some deep cleaning, that isn't possible when he's home.  He works from home, and I never know if he's talking to himself, talking to a client, or dictating.  Running the sweeper, or cleaning carpets is totally out, during the day, and by the evening, I'm too pooped to clean.

Plus, page 11 is one of those pages where I seem to be making a lot of mistakes, and have spent time sewing, ripping out, and resewing.  Guess my mind is distracted.

But, I did get pages 9 and 10 finished.

I managed to take two more completed Christmas gifts into Michael's yesterday for framing, and take advantage of my 60% plus 15% coupon I received in the mail.  I was even more ecstatic, when I pulled a gift card for Michael's that I had gotten for Christmas last year and had yet used, to discover that the gift card was for $100.  Made my day, to get $100 off my framing costs.

I belong to several Facebook pages for Cross stitch.  I am sorely tempted by the beautiful projects I see.  One thing I can say about us stitches, we hold on to our stash, and sometimes it takes us years to get to those charts.  Recently, someone posted status of American sampler that was in the Treasures in Needleworks magazines from 1992 & 1993. There was charts in addition to the American sampler, but also a Dutch, English and Spanish Samplers.  I just had to have these and went in search for the issues, and was lucky enough to find all four on ebay.  Don't ask me when I will get to them, but I have them!

The bottom one is the Spanish one.

In addition, I had to run an errand in Alexandria, and of course, I couldn't miss the opportunity to make a side trip to In Stitches.  I walked out with 3 small charts, and the fabric.  My favorite sales lady, Patricia Eaton, was back at work after being out for surgery.  Glad to see her back.

The reason why the smaller charts, is that I like to have take along projects, plus I recently saw a picture of a sampler wall.  I want one of those!  But I realized that almost all my projects are about the same size.  So, isn't any excuse a good excuse to purchase projects?  I think so!!!!!

EH 1875 Week 3

Well another week has just flown by.  I didn't get much done around the house, and I do have a "to do" list longer than my arm.  But, I did get a lot of stitching time in.  I was able to complete 3 whole pages of this lovely sampler.  Though I was booking right along, which I guess I am, except when I figured out there is over 30 pages to this chart.   Oh, well it keeps me out of trouble, even if it does keep me from doing housework!

I also started a new take along project.  It's called the Family Name Sampler by Nancy Turner of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  I thought it looked very Moria Blackburnish, which is why I purchased it.  I tried to start it on Tuesday, when I and my partner in stitching crime, met with the cross stitch group.  But....I figured out that I can not stitch and talk at the same time.  I ended up ripping out the beginning of the border.  However, I did manage to catch up a bit, on Saturday, when it was such a beautiful day here in Northern Virginia, that the hubbie and I decided to just sit on the back of the boat.  I stitched.  

EH 1875 Week Two point One

After my previous post on Sunday, I spent a great deal of time having to "frog" out an entire motif, due to leaving the last row out from the motif above, throwing the count off.

Not to be dissuaded I pick out the wrong stitches and starting stitching again.  The picture below, is where I had hoped to be Sun. night, and that was to begin stitching the bottom border.  Crap really does happen, so you just rip and resew again!!!!!!!

EH 1875 Week Two

You know how they say "that pride goeth before a fall?!"  Well, BAM, I just hit the floor!  I was stitching along very merrily, happy with my progress.  Thought I was going to boast about the fact, that I had finished page three and four.  Even with having deep cleaned both of the college kids bedrooms.   I'm talking deep clean.  409ing all the wood work, polishing the furniture, cleaning off their fans, cleaning the carpeting. OPPS!  Not so fast.  I get down to the bottom of page 4 and realize that I'm off.  Don't know where I'm off, just know that the line of the border is not ending on the same line with whatever it is on the bottom right side of the chart.

Thoroughly disgusted with myself, I walk away.  Sometimes you just got to do that when you make that sort of booboo.  Look at it with fresh eyes.  Came back a little while ago, and I spotted the stitches that somehow I had just forgotten.  So, I'd like to post that I have completed page 3 & 4, but that would not be completely accurate.

I have, however posted a picture of 3 & 4 prior to the ripping out that I have to do.  Where is the mistake?  One line prior to the beginning of  the lady's head.  I left out a row of of about 8 stitches.
Oh, the joys of cross stitch!

EH 1875 Week One

Okay, I'm a little early on this post too.  But.....I recognize that the rest of my week is getting ready to be pretty action packed, and I won't have time to work on my project, and/or post.

It's parent's weekend at JMU. Both of my youngest two children are now studying there.  It's also the ring ceremony for our daughter who is a junior, and a football game, and tail gating.  Not to say, that I won't be stitching, I will!!!!  But it will be on my "take along" projects.

I have started my EH 1875 by European Reproductions.  I have had this chart for awhile, but didn't have the fabric.  In pulling out my stash, I decided I needed to start working on charts that I have had for awhile, and this is one.

I am using DMC and 28 ct., Lakeside Linen Antique White.      

Sabine Taterra's charts of European Reproductions, are wonderful.  She enlarges them, so they are so easy to read and keep on track with stitching.  However, the down side is, that there is no shaded area to show where one page overlaps to another.  Nor does the page start with the next row. I made a copy of page two, and then figured out where page one ended on page two, and highlighted the rows, I need to completely ignore on page two.    Now that I figured this out, going to from one page to another will be seamless!!!!!

Framed, Finish and Next

Well usually I try to post on Sundays, but so much to share since last week.  I got Through The Years Gone By back from Michael's yesterday.  Have to say, it's impressive piece even though I sewed it.  My husband told me that it's his favorite piece so far.

I, and my partner in crime have been attending a stitching group in the area.  We go every other week.  I decided the project that I was going to dedicate to just sewing there, was a Tavern Sign by Carriage House Sampling.   Because the ladies are so friendly, I wasn't getting much done on the piece, and decided I would finish it, so I can dedicate my time at home to the NEXT project, and from here on out I will take my souvenir cross stitch things with me to the sewing group to work on.  Easier to carry, and much easier to work on.


Here is my Tavern Signs Too by Carriage House Samplings done on 28 ct. Lakeside Buttercream Linen and using DMC thread.

And like any cross stitch addict I have already chosen my next project.  The fabric is ready,  I've pulled my threads, and with any luck I will be sewing on this tomorrow.

And what is it?  It's EH 1875 by European Reproductions.  I will be using 28 ct. Lakeside Linen Antique White and DMC threads.  This is one of my charts that I have the longest, (well except for those that I have now decided, I probably will never do!) and I am looking forward to sewing this.  Weekly updates will follow!!

Amish Life - Visiting the Neighbors - FINISH!!

Oh boy!  I put in the final stitches today, and am just ecstatic!  Glad to be done, happy to start another project.

Amish Life - Visiting the Neighbors - Week 4

I'm rounding the bend, I'm heading for the home front!  Well, maybe it's just my wishful thinking, but I'm seriously hoping by next week, I will have completed this one portion  of the three part series, and I can move on to something else!  Like the true cross stitch addict that I am, I already know what I'm doing next!  Sorry no hints!

If you don't like to back stitch or do french knots, this is definitely not the chart to put on your list. Even though I have been outlining as I go, it's ALOT!

I bought more stash this week.  Bad, bad girl!!!!But I couldn't resist.  One of the ladies in the stitching group that passed away, the other ladies are helping her husband liquidate her stash.  And she had some stash!  Talk about stitcher's heaven!  Charts, fabrics, threads.  I ended up buying some fabric on my first visit, and on my second visit, Sampler Threads.  For 1.50 a skein, I just couldn't help myself!!!  Thankfully, I am organized enough that I have my threads list on my I-phone, so I only picked out ones, that I didn't have.  Don't know if I will ever even use them, but they are so pretty, I may just frame them!