Another October Post

Yes, it is a lame title, but I sat here for quite a while and came up with nothing better...

Before I forget, if anyone has stitched or is stitching The Blue Ribbon Sampler by Olwyn Horwood could you please contact Nicola at Stitching By a Cornish Sea Shore? She has a couple of questions before she starts and please don't wait too long, I can't wait to see this one stitched!

I know lots of you have beautiful Halloween displays throughout your homes.  Me?  Not so much.  DMom sent me these and they are the only Halloween items I have out, but I think they are very cute.  The owl's lantern is lit but it doesn't really show due to the bright sunshine in the background:

And just because it is my blog and I can...  Despite having two, almost identical, chairs in the den, the cats only seem to sit in one.  The Hubs sent me this picture the other day of Salem and Spot:

Please ignore Spot's glowing eyes I promise they don't glow, not even on Halloween but she seems to be saying, "DAD!! Make him move!!"

I am not thinking too highly of the weather right now you would think that after living here for five years that I would be used to how variable October weather is as we are back in the 70s during the day.  It is so strange to have those temperatures, see people in shorts and then see trees that look like this:

 This is "Yellow Flower Meadow" in the early fall.  The reddish tree is some sort of oak, the yellows are gums and tulip poplars.  The yard is NOT that dark a green, the photo was taken just as the sun was coming over the trees on the other side of the house so it is not well lit.

This is a farm just up the road from me.  I just loved the contrast between the tree and the fences, clouds and buildings.

As I predicted in my last post, I did not get as much stitching done on Chatelaine's Winter Watergarden as I did on Twilight of the Tsars but Twilight has no speciality stitches nor blackwork, but I am happy with what I did get done.

Here is Winter Watergarden before:

And after:

It is difficult to see, but I finished filling in the area between the darker outer border and the middle mandala and lots of Rhodes and eyelet stitches in the middle mandala. I'm stitching on white Belfast with all the recommended fibers and beads.

I have The Nutmeg Company's Parma Violets and Chatelaine's Hawaiian Garden on the to-do list this weekend.  I don't know how much time I will have for stitching as it is The Hubs' birthday tomorrow and I have no idea what he wants to do but I am sure it has nothing to do with mowing the yard one last time or cleaning out the basement.

That's more like it!!

I was able to sit down and stitch for hours and hours last weekend and finally have some decent progress to show on a project.

Here is Dimple Designs' Twilight of the Tsars before my stitchy weekend:

And after:



This is stitched on 32-count Smokey Pearl Belfast with DMC - cotton and rayon threads, Kreinik, and Mill Hill beads.  The fabric color is actually about half-way between that shown in the before and after photos - it's a blue-grey.  The white flowers are DMC rayon which was not my favorite thread to stitch with but not as bad as I thought it would be.  I have put off doing most of the stitching that requires blending filaments I really dislike blending filament - love the results - but despite trying all the tricks I never enjoy the process but am quickly reaching the point where I have no choice.

Chatelaine's Winter Watergarden is going on the scrolls for this weekend.  Doubt I will have as much progress as last weekend, but it is so nice to have my mojo back again and the time to be able to take advantage of its return.

Doors Closed

The title really has nothing to do with much of anything except that I just watched an episode of "NOVA" that was sort of "everything you wanted to know about elevators but were afraid to ask".  Did you know that the "doors closed" button doesn't work?   I only use the elevator at the office if I'm going more than 3 flights up or down but on the few times I have actually ridden the elevator and used the button it certainly didn't seem to do too much.  Of course in my building, it isn't really a surprise when something doesn't work as expected.

We are expecting our first extended cold snap starting tomorrow.  I don't mind the cooler weather and I do hope that it decides to stay cooler.  The temperature ups and downs are very frustrating.  Dressing for the temperatures in the morning is sure to have you overdressed for the afternoon. 

Thank you to my new followers.  I have been very lax in my blogging and blog commenting - I have been reading (you are all an amazing group of stitchers) and really do hope to get back to a more regular schedule of reading, commenting and blogging.

Before I forget, Donna at By the Bay Needleart is hosting another freebie stitch along.  This one is an autumn themed one done in four parts.  One part will be released each Wednesday.  The really nice thing is that it is sized to fit a 5"X7" frame when stitched on 28 count fabric.  I have my fibers pulled but have not started stash diving for fabric.

As this is supposed to be a way for me to keep track of my stitching, I should probably show some...

This is Ink Circles' 99 stitched on an unknown company's 32-count Golden Walnut fabric with DMC:

Before

After

Just Nan's Christmas Elegance stitched on 28-count Antique White with DMC, Kreinik metallics and beads.

Before

After

And this is Mirabilia's Santa's Magic.  It is stitched on 32-count opalescent Amertrine from Silkweaver's with DMC, Kreinik and Mill Hill beads.

Before

After

Twilight of the Tsars by Dimple Designs is going on the frame for this weekend's stitching time.

Twice in one month!

Hopefully this is a start to getting back to my pre-slump blog posting - something about a journey and one step...

We have definitely taken a step towards autumn, the tulip popular trees have started turning yellow/brown - not very pretty but a sure sign of the changing seasons.  The other sure signs are the horde of hummingbirds have started their migration south.  There are still a couple that are coming in but nothing like the two dozen we had a couple of weeks ago and the blue jays have returned.  I am definitely looking forward to the slower pace of autumn and winter this year.

One advantage to the length between my posts is that I have a lot of stitching to show in each post.  So here is my "lot of stitching".

This is Snow Girls from Country Garden Stitchery:

Before:

And after - the colors in the "before" picture are much more true to life:

County Garden Stitchery's Snow Girls
Stitched on Silkweaver's 28-count Mulberry Mix with GAST

 

This is Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden:

 

Before:

 

 And after:

Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden
Stitched on Silkweaver's 28-count Carol's Meadow with recommended fibers and beads

 And this is Blackbird Designs Summer:

Before:

And after (these colors are much more true):

Black Bird Designs' Summer
Stitched on R&R Reproductions' 30-count Irish Creme linen with recommended fibers

 I plan to finish filling in the flower and then spend the rest of the weekend working on Ink Circles' 99. 

Enough all ready!!

No, not stitching but this heat and humidity!  The yard and "gardens" are looking very sad but it is just too uncomfortable to be out for more than a few minutes at a time.  I will have ask that you all remind me of my tantrums about the weather this winter when I'm complaining it's too cold and according to the Almanac it is supposed to be a very bad winter.  DFIL told me he read a report saying that the weather patterns are exactly as they were three years ago when we had that crazy, snowy winter - the only plus if it turns out the same is that we now have a 4X4 and would be able to get out of our driveway!

First - welcome and thank you to my new followers!  Given my sporadic and rather whiny postings recently, I am surprised that anyone is even stopping by anymore, but I do appreciate it. 

Speaking of previous posts, I finally figured out that my mojo was still hanging around but it was being overpowered by my stitching ADD.  Fortunately, I seem to be overcoming it, as I was able to sit and stitch for almost two hours the other day yes in a row with no interruptions!  I know, for lots of you, that's nothing, but for me in the last few months it's a miracle!

Second - hop on over to the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe blog for an amazingly wonderful giveaway.  I should warn you that Nancy has some beautiful fibers and trims as well as patterns.  Please do not hold me responsible for any uncontrolled stashing that may take place just saying. 

Now that I have said my stitching ADD is getting better, I suppose I should show you.

This is Papillion Creations Eightsome Reel.  It's stitched on 28-count Chai Tea Jobelan with HDF silk conversion.

Before:

 After:

 

This is a Mill Hill Buttons & Beads kit Tree Farm.  It's stitched on 28-count Natural linen with DMC and Mill Hill beads.

 

Here's where I started:

 

 And here's where I stopped:
The fabric color in the "before" photo is correct.

 

Next up is Carriage House Samplings Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow.  It is stitched on 40-count Sand Dune from Lakeside Linen with NPI silks.

 

Before:

 

And after the colors are more correct in this photo: 

 

And finally, Blue Ribbon Designs Countdown to Christmas.  It is stitched on 40-count Magnolia from Lakeside Linens with Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.

 

Before:

 

And after unfortunately I have reached the boring part on this one as all that is left on this part is stitching the grid for the calendar.  

 

 
Country Garden Stitchery's Snowgirls and Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden are on the stand for this weekend.

If Found Please Return

If you find my mojo, for just about everything, would you please send it home?  I really do miss it and am tired of being in this funk.  Stitching and other things are getting done, but I'm not able to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time.  I sit down, take a couple of stitches and then think of something to do or get distracted by something on TV which is VERY unusual for me and then it's an hour or so before I sit back down to stitch and repeat so while I have stitching pictures to show, there isn't a lot of progress. 

So rather than try to remember what I've been up to since my last post, I'm just going to go right into stitching pictures:

Before:

 And after:

Holly by Mirabilia
Stitched on 28-count opalescent White with DMC, Rainbow Gallery PTP, and Mill Hill and Delica Beads

This one is actually a finish!!!

Before:



Summerhill House by Debbie Mumm for Mill Hill
Stitched on 28-count Bluebell Jobelan with DMC and Mill Hill beads

 As is this one!

Before:

And after:

Summer Mystery SAL by By the Bay Needlearts
Stitched on 32-count Lavender Swirl from Silkweaver Fabrics with DMC

Before:

After:



New England St Nick by The Goode Huswife
Stitched on 35-count Onyx from Weeks Dye Works with NPI  

 And finally:

Before:

And after:

Japanese Octagonal Box by Chatelaine
Stitched on 32-count Light Blue Belfast with NPI, Petite Treasure Braid, Gloriana, Wildflowers and Delica beads

 I have already started thinking about my 2013 stitching plans.  They will certainly feature fewer projects but I am enjoying the structure of my rotation just as I am enjoying all the projects that I have in it, but I would like to see more progress on fewer pieces than just a little on a lot.  It is going to be difficult to decide which pieces to leave and which to put "in the wings".

It was a WHAT?!?!

As you may have read on other blogs or heard on the news there was an amazing line of thunderstorms that hit Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia about a week ago.  Come to find out it wasn't *just* a scary thunderstorm with lots of wind, it was a derecho.  A derecho you ask? Well you may not, but I sure did.  According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, "A derecho is a fast-moving windstorm that is made up of thunderstorms that repeatedly develop along the leading edge. These lines of storms can move very quickly and produce widespread straight-line winds over long periods of time. Derechos can move anywhere from 35-70 mph and last 8 hours or more. Most derechos that produce severe weather move at speeds greater than 50 mph. Warm season events probably move a little slower than cold season events." Seems the up- and down-drafts just keep feeding existing and creating new thunderstorms. Whatever you want to call them, they were scary.  The wind just would not let up, and I honestly kept waiting for something to come down on the house or the house to come down on something. We were fortunate that we did not lose power - it flickered but never went completely out.  We have several large branches down in the yard and a tree that came down, but no damage to any buildings.  As soon as it cools down some probably October the way this summer's going we'll get out and clean things up.  That is one of the advantages of living in the middle of not a lot, no homeowner's association to make a fuss if we don't pick up immediately.

So what else have I been doing since my last post?  Oh yeah, I was in Detroit for a week.  It was a very nice trip as I only had to speak once and basically hang around for questions/discussions the rest of the time.  DSister and DBIL were wonderful hosts.  Picked me up and dropped me off at the airport and trekked into Detroit to take me to dinner a couple of times.  I was able to take a couple of days off and see the rest of the family so all in all a good week.  Probably the only bad part of the trip was the building the hotel was in.  The hotel was in the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit and while it's a very beautiful building it is near to impossible to get around in!!  You could see where you wanted to be but could not get there.  The building is four towers connected by walkways - here is a photo from one of the walkways:

The tan/beige walkway is tile and it actually looks like a tire tread General Motors is headquartered in one of the towers.  It was definitely one of those places that you did not try a new way to get somewhere, figure out once and don't deviate!!
I did get a little stitching done in between travel and work.
Chatelaine's Winter Watergarden. Stitched on White Belfast with recommended fibers.

  

Before

After

It is really hard to tell what was done but if you look really hard you may see some additional filling stitches just inside the outer border. I *did* say a little stitching... 

Next is By the Bay Needlearts' Summer SAL.  It's stitched on 32-count Silkweaver's Lavender Swirl with the recommended DMCs.

Before

After

I think I am going to push through with this one as I'm so close to finished.  I took tomorrow off and Friday is my regular Friday off so I am hopeing to get some good stitching time in.  Chatelaine's Hawaiian Garden and Mirabilia's Holly are both moving back into the rotation.