Stitching Away!

This picture was taken after working on the elephant project two weeks. I have not worked on the elephant for the past couple of weeks but did make quite a bit of progress between pictures of it. The first picture was taken after one week. That picture is on my post of November 2. Remember how I wanted to give you a picture last time updated but was having issues? This was one of the pictures I wanted to show you. This one and the first picture of the cat, seen below.

In the past two weeks I have been stitching solely on the cat for my cousin and his wife. I just have so many patterns I want to stitch right now that I had to start on the cat too. The first picture of the cat was taken by my friend, Jan, last week. She didn't get around to mailing me the picture until yesterday though and so I ended up doing a lot more stitching on the cat this week. Thank you, Meari for somehow getting the picture the proper direction! I have two friends who offered to help me get the second cat picture to cooperate with me. I sent it to both of them. I opened Meari's first and it worked, so thank you Rob too! I am so glad I have both of you as friends! I have more of the cat's head done now. Last night I finished his right ear and the right side of his face completely, put the black in his forehead, and started on his eyes. I also stitched a little more of the black extending his back.

(Nov 23) Yesterday, after my original post with the sideways cat, I finished his face completely. Now as far as hid head goes, I have just a few stitches on his left ear and the all important backstitching. I also stitched on his back and body. I only used DMC 3022on his back and body last night, but that part of him is starting to look better. Not sure how much I can stitch today since I have to clean the house I do once a week and then of course to the store for a couple of Thanksgiving items.

I have been told this week that I am hired to stitch a couple more cats. This excites me. I have been told for the longest time that my stitching is good enough that I should sell my work. This will be the first time anything of mine has been sold and they are hiring me to boot! She will be taking me to the store to get the material she wants, purchase any thread, etc., I need and then after it is done will pay me for my labor in stitching them.

I got some stoney creek books in the mail this week (thanks Ellen) with some patterns I'd love to stitch. Especially the deer and some flowers. Need to stitch a Noah's Ark pattern for my niece. I also bought my first HAED since my last blog update. So many things to stitch so little time!

Well I need to be going. I wish I could somehow get this picture to face right, but I can't! Happy stitching everyone!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Honest, Progress was Made!

Hello Everyone!

I honestly wanted to have this update with a picture of my elephant progress. Tomorrow will be one week since I updated last. I think I have made a fair to decent amount of progress. But, my scanner is not cooperating. My printer, for whatever reason, will not bring up the tab that says, "download camera or scanner". Thus I cannot get my scanner to work at all. I even had Wes look at it, to try and trouble shoot it for me and he is as confused as I am. I guess I feel good that I'm not the only lost one on this one.

I have done a great deal on the trunk and face of the Bull Elephant, as well as quite a bit of stitching on his left ear. The artist created the pattern on 14CT Adia. I am stitching it on Countfrn Old Lace 28CT. I think it is looking pretty good. I did not have a piece of Adia the proper size for this pattern and I really needed to stitch on something. Thus far in the pattern, I have used five different colors. I have added a couple of the grey type colors, more the colors I think of when I see an elephant than dark browns.

One of the biggest reasons I needed to stitch was I am still trying to quit smoking. I have been successful to now, but I do struggle from time to time and find if I am stitching on something I think of smoking less. The last time I had a cigarette was September 19. I started using the nicotine patch and started phase two (of three) on the patch last week.I really have wanted to quit smoking for quite a long time, some of you may remember when I have tried before. At any rate, I am successful thus far, this time. I honestly think I have the habit kicked, but I want to finish the program. I am stitching and chewing gum as well.

Sarah and Wes are at a movie right now. They are spending as much time as possible together before Wes must report back to the Army. He has to report back on Friday. He will be shipped over to Korea next week. I am uncertain how long he will be there, but I hope he knows how much we love and appreciate him and how much we will miss him. Sarah has told me that they are no longer together as a couple. I am honestly not sure if she is trying to convince her dad and me, herself, or both. They sure seem like a couple, if you ask me!

I have to transfer a load of clothes from washer to dryer and maybe look into some sort of dinner and check on Jack. He has been asleep for a couple of hours now, if not more. It was so good to get him out of the house today for even a couple of hours. I know he said the prosthetic leg was hurting him, but I think just getting out breathing fresh air has got to be good for him. Jack and I went to the church "Drummer Boy Bizarre" and had lunch.

Talk to you again next time. Maybe I can get my scanner working!

Ka-ching! Horsey Girl Hits Jackpot

Sarah has had a very good start to her seventeenth year to life, I'd have to say. The Monday after I returned from California, she got a call from Subway. She had put in an application with them in August. They wanted to interview her. She had me take her to the restaurant for the interview. She was hired and started the next day. Her Dad took her to the Secretary of State's office and she was able to get her driver's license, without taking any tests because she had done so well in Driver's education and had everything in order. The next week was her birthday (October 18). We got her a laptop to keep her off of my computer.

Her dad and I had discussed that Sarah needed her own vehicle to get around, especially now that she had a job that she needed to get to. We decided to make it a very early Christmas present. Jack had been looking around for quite awhile for her a vehicle. She had said she wanted a pick-up. We went to a Car Auction and found her a 1990 Ford F150 4x4. It has some rust on the bed above the rear tire area on both sides, but what can you expect for Illinois? The rest of it was nice and clean. We bid on the truck and got it for $850. With Auction fees it was $945. We didn't feel that was too bad. It did end up having some brake problems. Jack replaced the front brakes himself but then we took it to a shop to have the rear brakes replaced as well as a new brake line installed. It turns out that the brake line that was there had a major leak. Everything is good on it now though. It is a safe vehicle for her. I don't have a picture of it yet, but I'll post one later. We want to get it detailed out so the paint isn't dull. Maybe I'll take and post the picture after that is completed.

Wes is home right now, he has to report back on November 11. He has helped with some things related to the truck and has bought a new stereo for it and is going to be putting in bigger speakers today when Sarah gets home from school. She has to go to work at 5:00 today and work til 10:00, but then doesn't work again until Monday. She was called yesterday because someone had called in sick, so she ended up working 4:00 to 10:00 last night. Though she really didn't get off til closer to 10:30.

Last week Sarah got her first check from Subway. It was only for her first week of work there, which was only 11 hours, but she was still in shock about how much it was. She was very happy.

While Michele was here I did some beautification of my yard. I planted two light purple mums in the front and 5 mums along the driveway side of the house. Two of those mums are a dark purple and three are yellow. I am not sure how well they will fair, as my dad is really the herbologist. I have always wanted flowers, but my thumb is more brown than green. Hopefully I will not kill these plants. I know I'm suppose to do something to these plants for them to be able to revive this spring, but am uncertain what. I also planted several tulip bulbs in these flower beds. Yes, I did roto-till and weed both beds before I planted anything.

On the stitching front I have been doing an elephant that I am going to give my Uncle. I had a frustrating time at the beginning, I had stitched quite a bit of the first color and moved on to a second color. Then I realized I had gone up three instead of two on a particular row, so I had to frog probably half of what I'd put in. I did get all that corrected. I am stitching the biggest elephant in the pattern. This is the only one "facing". The others are side view. and further back. I am not sure how long it will take to stitch this, but I don't think my Uncle Curt is in a huge hurry for it. I know that he wants it as a memorial for my Aunt Jane. I may see if I can give it to him on what would have been her birthday next year. That gives me quite awhile to work on it. It is a pretty big pattern. Three pages total.

I also want to stitch a cat pattern for my cousin David, a Noah's Ark pattern for my niece's baby due in January, and a couple of others I have in my head to stitch. I found a HAED pattern that I love and want to stitch.

A stitching friend in one of my groups is selling me some nature and animal Stoney Creek pattern books. I have a couple out of those I'd like to stitch as well. Sounds like I will be starting a rotation of some kind.

Rachel's cheer leading season is over. This past weekend there was a cheerleading competition and her team came in third in all categories. She is uncertain at this point if she wants to cheer next year or coach. Her dad and I would like her to see if she could get on the school cheer leading squad.

Well, that's about it for now. Take care everyone!