A Confession and a New Start

I have to confess, I didn't actually start my new start on Sunday this week.  It took me until Tuesday to sit down and chose a project pull the threads and pick linen for my new piece.  I really wanted to start something for my mom.  She is an accomplished seamstress, I always remember her sewing clothes when I was growing up but she doesn't stitch.  She prefers to collect my stitching for her walls.  I haven't given her anything in quite a while.  Don't think I am a bad daughter, she seriously has as much of my stitching in her house as I do in mine ;-).  Here's my evidence and this is just one wall, she has pieces I've stitched for her over the years in almost every room (Maria P. Oliver, several Paula Vaughan's, Betsy Stinner, a couple more Blackbird pieces, and at least 5 or 6 others I can think of...).

  

The last piece I gave her was Blackbird Design Willow House as an anniversary sampler for her and my father.  I hesitate to actually include my dad in the gift giving because when I show up with a framed piece he normally walks around muttering about holes in the wall, LOL.  

I decided to stitch the bonus piece from the last Loose Feather chart for her.  I am going to put either my grandmother's or great-grandmother's name on it.

I didn't get a lot done because I've been stitching on a fundraiser for the Sampler Guild I belong too.  It's too cute but everything is secret until it's revealed to the guild :-).  I hope I can get back to the sampler for my mom soon.  

I thought I'd share a picture of my sweet puppies, Chloe and Sophie, just because I haven't in a while and I think they are just too cute, LOL.

So one more new start this weekend.  I have it kitted and ready to go, hopefully I will make lots of progress on it.  I really want to get back to a few other things in the next couple weeks.  Elizabeth is calling my name rather loudly :-). 

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog!!!!!

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

The Attic and New Starts

Attic Needlework Sampler Symposium Projects (Catherine Theron  piece missing, I didn't get a good picture of it)

What a fun weekend!!!!  I was blessed to spend the last few days with good friends, I so needed some girl time.  I haven't laughed that much in forever.  The Sampler Symposium was wonderful and I enjoyed all the workshops. Every morning and the occasional afternoon I made a Starbucks run.  It was a necessity for me, we all stayed up late and got up early, LOL.  I shopped at the Attic, went to the Symposium and had such a good time.  One of the highlights of the trip was going to Tanya's house.  She has finished the most gorgeous pieces, I left her beautiful home just wanting to stitch, stitch, stitch so I can cover my walls in samplers :-).  The Attic Needlework is a sampler lover's dream.  It's just wall to wall eye candy everywhere you look!!!!  

Paulette took this picture of me, she thought it was hilarious that I could drink my coffee and concentrate on stitching and shopping.  I feel the need to add that she went with me every morning to Starbucks ;-), LOL.  If you'd like to see more pictures of the shop, she has posted some on her blog.  

It goes without saying my stash was greatly enhanced!!!  I won't bore you with a list of what I added to my collection but there are few special finds I'd like to share.  When I saw Jean's model, I knew I had to stitch my Blackbird Designs Peacock Pinkeep just like hers, isn't it gorgeous???

I also added The Traveling Stitcher, E. Bloeser to my stash and much to Tanya's delight I decided to get 45 count linen for it.  Jean suggested I try Ball Pt. Bead Embroidery needles with a tapestry point.  They make stitching on the higher counts so much easier.  This piece is so special to me because all my friends stitched a few stitches on it.

Finally, I've been wanting to journal my stitching time so I got Needlework Press Book of Days 2012 to keep track of what I am working on.

Besides starting E. Bloeser at the symposium I also started my new piece for my January Challenge with Laurie, Plum Street Sampler's Eulalie Long.  I just love the colors, they are so bright.  

I only added a few stitches, Elizabeth is still my number one girl especially after seeing the model at the Attic and Jen's piece in person.  I am just in love with Miss Sheffield.

Attic Needlework's Elizabeth Sheffield Model

I am so grateful I was able to spend the weekend with friends I love and who are all so special to me!!!  I hope that everyone is finding lots and lots of time to stitch :-)!!!  Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog.

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

Margaret and Elizabeth

I am from good British stock, my maternal grandmother was born in Northern Ireland.  She lived there until she married my grandfather, who was from Oxford.  My mother left England when she married my father.  On my dad's side of the family my grandmother was born a Wallace and married a Brown :-).  I think because of my heritage I love old-fashioned English names, Margaret, Elizabeth, so my projects for this week are very dear to my heart.

My second January Sunday start was Margaret Cottam.  I am doing a January challenge with Laurie, we are starting a new project every Sunday this month.  I worked just a tiny bit on Margaret at my Sampler Guild meeting.

Margaret Cottam, started 8 January on 35 count WDW Cocoa with WDW threads

 Besides having a super busy weekend, I didn't get much done on Margaret because I am completely smitten with Elizabeth.  She's just gorgeous and I absolutely love her!!!  I wish I had more time this week to work on her but I did at least get my big green bird stitched and I am fast headed to the over one blue bird :-).

Scarlet Letter's Elizabeth Sheffield on R&R Straw stitched with Attic's Needlework's conversion

I will be back next week with my third January start and an update on the Attic Needlework's Sampler Symposium.  I can't wait!!!!  I've told my DH if he gets sick while I am gone I will smother him with a pillow, LOL.  Seriously, he is feeling great otherwise I wouldn't go.  Thank you all for the sweet comments on my last post.  I hope everyone is having a great 2012 and finding lots of time to stitch.

Happy Stitches, 
Katrina

A Look Back at 2011

Gosh has it really been 5 months since I updated my blog????  I don't know where to start, do I start at the beginning or work my way back through the year????  I normally don't share a lot of personal stuff on my blog but I don't know how to talk about this year without revealing something of my life.  

The year started happily, our son got married in March and we welcomed a sweet daughter-in-law to our family.  They decided to to do a weekend wedding in Las Vegas since JD was deploying in May.  They are settling into married life, JD is a Load Master in the Air Force Reserves and Krystal is a Pharmacist so they are busy with work and fun :-).  This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of them.

JD and Krystal

In May I finished Anniversaries of the Heart!!!!  I still love to look at it :-).  I sent it to Jill Rensel for framing and as always she did a beautiful job.

In June we got the call everyone dreads.  After a long battle with ovarian cancer, my FIL's wife had died at only 52 years old.  Cathy and my FIL would have been married 28 years today, they were such a devoted couple.  I loved her dearly, she was such a smart, wonderful, happy woman.  I miss her so much and honestly I still can't believe she is gone.  

Meggie, my DD, crushing grapes with Cathy, Cathy loved Halloween, my favorite picture of her and my FIL and a pretty picture of Cathy!!!!

Through the rest of the summer, I did manage to work a bit on some projects, Jane Tindall, Melicent Turner and the new Loose Feathers piece.

In between everything else my DH, Jeff, had been having steadily worsening issues with his gallbladder so in September we started going through all the testing and appointments to get it removed.  Unfortunately two days after the referral for the surgery was approved, several stones blocked his bile and pancreatic ducts causing pancreatitis necrosis.  He was admitted to the hospital in the beginning of October and 4 weeks later he was finally released to come home.  I won't go into the nitty, gritty details except to say he had numerous complications, lost over 40 lbs, and ended up with a very badly damaged pancreas.  It was very scary month for us.  The beginning of December he was readmitted to the hospital because of a high fever.  After a bunch of test we got a good news, bad news diagnosis, thankfully the pancreas hadn't gotten worse but his gallbladder was more inflamed.  Fortunately, we saw all the same doctors who had been with us through the entire ordeal after the original hospitalization and after another week in the hospital and a three hour surgery to remove a ruptured gallbladder he is on the mend and feeling much better.  We can see God's hand through all of this, we were blessed with wonderful doctors, a miraculous recovery, and the help of family and friends, things could have been so much worse!  Because Jeff was very ill and I was so worried and at the hospital almost all my waking hours I didn't get much done stitching wise.  When I could concentrate enough to pick up my needle I tended towards small projects.  I have lots of new scissor fobs ;-).

Thankfully things have calmed down a bit and I found time to start a new project on Christmas weekend!  I fell in love with Examplars of the Heart Dames Boarding School after seeing it on Paulette's blog.  Her mom, Marsha, stitched it for her.  I only made a tiny start on it, we had my DH's parents here for Christmas along with my parents, our kids and friends so it was a busy weekend.

I am hoping and praying for a much quieter 2012!!!!  I have sorted through my projects and prioritized things for the new year :-).  My friend Laurie has convinced me to start a new project every weekend in January.  This weekend I am going to start Elizabeth Sheffield.  I love how bright the colors are and the sweet colonial couples and birds.  It's just gorgeous.  I am using the Attic conversion on a gorgeous cut of R&R Straw.

Next weekend I will share my progress on Elizabeth and my new start.  I also have several gifts I've received through the year and one I made for my friend Karin :-).  

Praying a wonderful, happy, stitchy 2012 for everyone!!!!!  I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your holidays.

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

Hodgepodge, Mishmash, Patchwork...

I am a little bit of a perfectionist and I like when things "go together" which means my posts generally have a theme :-).  I have had such a busy, busy summer I haven't had a chance to update my blog so this will be a bit all over the place as I try to play catch-up!!!!

First up is framing. I've received two boxes from Jill Rensel in the past few months and as always everything is completely gorgeous. 

Reproduction Round Robin

Blackbird Designs Where My Heart Blooms

Blackbird Designs Summer House

Shepherd's Bush Quaker Heart

And last but not least, the pièce de résistance, my Anniversaries of the Heart!

In between trips, my DH and I went to Tampa and Miami and I went to Breckenridge for a stitching weekend, company, friends from Germany and my MIL, and just the general busyness of summer I have managed to stitch a bit and acquire stash :-).

I've been dying to start Jane Tindall, I decided to do my own conversion to overdyed GAST, WDW and Crescent Colours along with the Gloriana Silks as charted on 40 count Lakeside Vintage Meadow Rue. 

I also started Melicent Turner, what a fun piece.  I am seriously considering committing Sampler Sacrilege and changing the name and intitial.  I'd love to use one of my great-grandmother's names.

I love mystery samplers so it goes without saying I couldn't resist the With Thy Needle and Thread Birds of Feather piece.  I had a fair start on it and decided to change from 40 count to 35 count linen.  I love the WDW linen in the 30 and 35 count but I think the 40 count is a bit flimsy and I don't enjoy stitching on it. 

On my "I want to start it now" list is the new Loose Feather!!!!  As you can probably guess I think mysteries are so much fun :-).  I am going to use 35 count WDW Parchment linen.

And wow if you've stuck with me this long, thank you!!!!!  I promise will do my best to update more often :-).  I hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their summer.  I will leave you with a picture of my funny puppies and what they were staring at out the living room window, LOL.

Hugs,

Katrina

Anniversaries of the Heart Finish!!!!

I have loved this piece so, so much! It was such a joy to think about my family as I stitched on each section. I also thought it was so much fun waiting and wondering what the next chart was going to look like. It's bittersweet to see it come to an end but I think it is time to move on to a different project :-). I stitched this piece as charted on 40 count R&R Olde Town Blend. I've blogged about several of the blocks previously but I wanted to do a quick rundown for myself, don't feel badly about skipping it and just looking at pictures, LOL. 

Snow Garden is dedicated to my FIL, his wife and parents. He is just the sweetest man and I love his wife Cathy so much. I also included his parents intials and the year he was born.

Valentine Rose honors my maternal great grandmother, Elizabeth McCully, and my great Grandfather John Gibson.  They owned a farm in Northern Ireland near Belfast.

A Wish for You has my son, J.D., and his new wife's initials and the date they married. I am still getting use to the idea that I am someone's MIL, LOL. I couldn't ask for a sweeter DIL, we just love Krystal to death :-). I thought it was perfect piece for them.

Pink Hill Manor was stitched for my paternal grandmother, Audie Pearl. So many of my childhood memories center around visiting her in her little pink house :-). 

Farm House is stitched to remember my maternal grandfather, Sidney Frederick and his parents, Annie and Edward. He was an English soldier during WWII and met my grandmother when he was stationed in Northern Ireland. I always remember him coming home with candy for my sister and me. 

Happy Birthday was probably gave me the most difficulty when it came to personalizing a block. Nothing felt right. When I found the saying, 'Two hearts, one soul." it finally fell into place. I stitched it for my DH and me. I am so blessed to be married to someone who understands me completely and loves me in spite of my weirdness, LOL.



Swan Lake is for stitched for my MIL, Jacque. I included the year she was born her initials. Her father, Jack Pershing Wilbur died when she was a small child and she never had a chance to really know him. I wanted to honor him as well so his initials are stitched in this block too.

Clara Allen was stitched for my maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Allen, she was a funny, lively Irish woman :-). I stitched year she was born and married to my grandfather and my mom's initials.

Moonlight Visitor is dedicated to my daughter, Megan Kathleen. I love this block, it reminds me so much of Colorado. We have a Miller mother migration every year and pine trees in abundance.

Pumpkin Farm honors my DH's Granny and Paw. Another funny story about them, for years and years they lived on a property they named Belliacres up in the mountains. The first time we went to visit them I was so surprised to see a toilet in their yard, they used it as a planter, LOL. It was just too funny :-).

Evergreen Lane is dedicated to my parents, Grover and Sandra. We are so fortunate to have them living close by. We get to spend lots of time with them which is so much fun.

Elizabeth Jane was stitched in honor of my paternal great grandmother. She was born Delilah Francis but went by Peach her whole life. It's funny to look at the old census forms, she is always listed as Peach. I also stitched my great grandfather's initials on it, his name was Moses Ezekiel Wallace.

Finally, the last block has the dedication and also includes all my pets' initials.  After all they are a big part of my family too.  There is an S for Shelby, and S for Sophie and a C for Chloe :-).  I am crazy about my girls, LOL.  This project is hands down one my favorites ever.  I hope Alma and Barb decided to do another mystery piece.  I loved the aniticipation of waiting on each installment, checking their blog for pictures, it was so much fun.

I am so excited to see what Jill Rensel does with this piece.  Truthfully I normally just send my project and wait to see what comes back.  I think that I am going to make a special request for AotH.  In my mind's eye I can see a painted mat, the top mat being a color similar to the linen. 

I hope you all are happy and healthy and finding lots of time to stitch ;-).  We've been very busy, my DH has been traveling a lot for work, we married our son off in Vegas and my friend Karin surprised me with a visit while Jeff was gone.  The summer round of visitors and vacations and my DH's travel promises to make for a hectic summer. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to celebrate this finish with me, I so appreceiate it!  I have been happy dancing for two days now, LOL.

Granny and Paw and Anniversaries of the Heart

I have really loved stitching Blackbird's Anniversaries of the Heart!!! It is such a fun piece. I am still waiting on the Evergreen Lane chart, I've been haunting my LNS :-). My DH has been traveling a lot so I took advantage of not needing to cook to stitch, LOL.

Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart

This is a closeup of Moonlight Visitor, I love it because it reminds me of Colorado where I live. Every May we have a huge Miller moth migration and there are pine trees everywhere. I still haven't decided how I want to personalize this particular block. I think I know but I want to wait to see the December chart as well as the last bonus design.

Midnight Visitor

I had no trouble deciding who I wanted to remember when I stitched Pumpkin Farm. My DH's Granny, Annette, was born in October and she married Paw in October which made this block perfect for honoring her and Paw. She was a young widow with three small daughters, including my MIL, when she married Frank McLellan. They went on to have a fourth daughter and have been married 65 years in October. My DH's grandparents are wonderful, they are both fiesty, funny and artistic and a joy to their family and friends.

Pumpkin Farm

Granny and Paw's 60th Wedding Anniversary

The Cake (isn't the picture gorgeous)

A Painting by Granny

I think that I am going to get the Primitive Needle's A&E out and finish it and by then hopefully I will have the next AotH chart in my hot little hands, LOL. I hope everyone is finding lots of time to stitch and you are all happy and healthy :-). Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my blog.

Hugs and Stitches, Katrina