Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I Have a Couple of Announcements....


Hello, Everyone! I wanted to announce that I am going to be having a couple of giveaways. When I reach 100 followers (I have 87 now) I will be having one giveaway to give away several sizes and shapes of wooden embroidery hoops. I will have a second giveaway that will have some patterns, and maybe some floss and a couple of other things. Have not completely decided yet. Will let you know more about both giveaways when I reach 100 followers.

Here is the progress I have made on Irises this week. You can see the flowers much easier since I did the backstitching around them. I now have the length of the project completed. I don't think it will be too much longer before I am done with this project. For the most part it has been a fun stitch. I went and tried out some of my newer threads in the stitching. A blue satin and a yellow light effects. I think they turned out great. The satin threads are very soft, but not hard to stitch with.

I saw some scissors on nordic needle that are specifically made to cut metallic thread. I am thinking of ordering them. Do any of you have a pair meant for metallic threads? Are they worth the price? I was thinking about getting them because I have found myself stitching with metallic threads here and there and don't want to ruin my scissors.

I am getting a pattern of red roses in a vase or bowl of some kind from a fellow stitcher. I am excited. My daughter-in-law loves red roses and I have been looking for a pattern I could do for her. When I saw this stitcher had a pattern, I asked about it. They are sending me the pattern and I sent them a gift certificate to 1-2-3 Stitch. I don't know how big this pattern is but I am sure I will love doing it.

I need to start on 'Creation' cat for Jan. I want to get that done soon, but I also want to finish Irises for Mary-Beth and even the elephant for my Uncle. And then there is the HAED pattern, but I still need to get a printer that does more than scan. So many projects to do!

Irises is the only thing I stitched on this week. I wanted to get back into my routine of working out at the YMCA. I have been doing that. I haven't gone everyday in the last seven, but I have gone several. On Friday I swam 32 laps. That is only 4 laps shy of one mile. I wasn't feeling the best yesterday, but made myself go. I ended up walking on the treadmill. I didn't go very far (only about .84 of a mile) but I can say I did work out. Today I swam 23 laps.

My niece, Danielle, had a baby boy last night. She named him Khaleb and he weighs 7lbs 10oz. and is 21" long. I just spoke with Danielle and she sounds wonderful. She said the labor was relatively easy. From the time of arrival at the hospital to the time of birth was about three hours. She said he does eat a lot. She will be staying at the hospital tonight too, not because anything is really 'wrong' with either of them but because her doctor wants her to be able to rest a bit before going home. Daniele has a 13 month old too.

Sarah went to the eye doctor last week and ended up needing a new prescription. We got one pair that day because I paid for them but we also ordered what we are calling 'the back up pair' because the ones the insurance will pay for are not going to be here for 6 to 8 weeks. Sarah's glasses had broken and she needed a new pair now, that was why I paid for the first pair. I really need to see about getting me a new precription too. I have been able to tell for the past while that I need new glasses.

Jack is doing okay. He made the front page of the local paper last week. The article was about how the city has helped disabled people improve their homes to make it easier for them to get around their homes.

I intended on being home when the reporter was here, but we were having car trouble at the time and so I wasn't here. The night before the reporter came over, we ended up at the Emergency Room with me. I was transported via ambulance. Jack was worried that I was having a heart attack because of where I was having sudden pain that wouldn't go away and having a hard time catching my breath. The hospital released me a few hours later. They did run all the heart related tests and said I did not have a heart attack. When Jack and I went to the car after my release, it would not start. A friend of ours happened to be visiting a friend of his. He took us home. I got a ride back to the hospital the next morning and security tried to jump the car. It would not come to life. I hjad it towed to the shop. They replaced the starter which got the car running and then also fixed the master cylinder, which made my brakes work properly again.

Rachel started practicing with the jazz band after school last week. She will be playing the piano in this band. She is pretty good. She has been playing the piano off and on since she was six. She plays the eliptical in the regular band.

I joined the bell choir at church last week. We practice every Wednesday night at seven o'clock.

Well that's about all I have to announce this week. Hope everyone has a wonderful week. Take care!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Been Stitching to My Heart's Content!

Hello everyone! I have been busy stitching. Not every day, but trying to do something, even if an hour, here and there. I finished "Control Cat" a few days ago. I love how he turned out. This is the first one completed of the three patterns that I am being paid for. I am thinking of delivering all three at the same time. This pattern did not take me very long to complete, once I got started. The 'method of stitching' I used was what I have observed being done with the HAED that I have watched come together from fellow stitchers. I wanted to practice the technique, because I did buy my first HAED pattern a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to get started on it yet, but hopefully I can soon. I need to buy a new printer, because we got the scanner part of our printer running, but the printing part is uncooperative. Until I get a new printer, my HAED and any other pattern I want to print, is just going to have to wait.

I need to start on the second cat, "Creation Cat" and will in the next day or two but I wanted to stitch colors other than brown, blacks, greys for a few days.

I have been stitching a little bit on "Irises" since I finished "Control Cat". Can you tell that these are flowers? When I showed Jack last night, he said he couldn't tell that they were flowers. I think that the backstitching on this project is going to make these irises really pop out. I am so tempted to do some of the backstitching now so that the flowers are more noticeable.

I haven't touched my elephant pattern for quite awhile. I am not really happy with the way the half stitches are laying. Now I am wondering if I just stitch the bull elephant part of this pattern instead of the entire pattern, would that be alright? I am almost done with the Bull Elephant and that thought came to me. I just don't like the way this material is. I'll probably just keep plugging away at the pattern instead of giving up on it, but boy am I frustrated with this one! The elephant is a full 'X' but the scenery is half stitches. You may be able to see where I started some of the scenery at about tusk level on the right side of the elephant. Can you see what I am talking about in the way the half stitches are laying?

I forgot to mention in my last post that my cousin's wife sent me all of her cross stitching supplies at the end of last year. Thank you, Donna! She and my cousin David were the recipients of the first cat project I finished ("Nobody"). Donna sent me everything from DMC threads to hoops, a lap stand, pattern books and material. I am thinking of trying to do some sort of game with a prize or giveaway of some of the stuff because some of the stuff I just wouldn't use. I'd hate to have it just sit in my closet. Any ideas about how I should go about it? Donna use to cross stitch all the time but was forced to stop because of medical issues.

I have received several birthday cards and floss in the first couple weeks of January. Thank you, Everyone!

Both of my girls received their second quarter report cards. Well, actually Rachel was given hers and Sarah's was mailed because the high school takes finals and calculates them into the grade, where the middle school doesn't take finals. Rachel received A's in all but two classes. In those two classes, she received B's. She, once again, made either the Honor Roll or High Honor Roll. This has been the norm for Rachel her entire school life. Sarah, with her finals calculated in, received a couple of A's and the rest B's, if I remember right. Either way, we are proud of both girls and their grades.

The position I was hoping to get has been postponed. My heart kind of sank when I was told this. But, that just means I need to put my head high and keep looking. God will put me where He wants me, when He wants me there!

I bought some goggles and a swim cap with some of my birthday money. Last week I swam 32 laps for the first time ever! I have always had to get out of the pool before I reached that far because the chlorine was burning my eyes badly. I'd end up with blurry vision and sometimes my eyes would swell after my swim sessions because of the chlorine. Last week, when I swam I was using my goggles and swim cap and had no problems because of chlorine. The next time I swim (hopefully tomorrow) I hope to make it to 36 laps. Thirty-six laps at the YMCA pool (where I swim) is equal to one mile. I am not the fastest swimmer, but I get the job done. (Like my stitching!) What slows me with my swimming is my right side paralysis. I cannot kick as well with my right leg or make the motions with my right arm as big as with my left side. But, I can swim!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and hope to give you another stitching update in the next week. Talk with you later!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

The OVERDUE Update!

I know, I know, its about time! Sorry it has been so long since I updated my blog. I have been wanting to update to the point that I was probably driving Jack crazy. Sorry it has taken so long to update, the last time I updated was a week or so before Thanksgiving, but I really wanted to be able to post pictures with the blog. My printer/scanner was acting up and I don't have a decent camera, so I was unable to take or scan pictures myself.

This picture, "Looking Down" cat is the one I did for my cousin and his wife. I finished it about a week before Christmas and mailed it to David and his wife and asked them to e-mail me. They were very pleased with the picture. They sent me the picture right around my birthday but Jack had been telling me he was going to see about getting my printer/scanner fixed, so was trying to wait till I could post more than one picture. Just yesterday Jack got the printer/scanner to the point that it will scan pictures again. It prints, but not properly. The color is all askew. This means I won't be able to print out my HAED that I bought, which is disheartening. :( I have other things that need printing too, but those of you who have done or are doing HAED know how important it is to print out those patterns. This is a actually true for any patterns you buy on line.

I still do not have a picture pf the Precious Moments finish I gave to my niece. I am hoping she will send me a picture of it soon. When she does, I will post the picture, I promise!

I have been working on three other projects since my last post as well. I worked some more on the elephants for my Uncle Curt. I am actually almost done with this bull elephant. When he is done, the project is probably close to 45 or maybe even 50% done. The other elephants and then the trees and bushes in this pattern are very small in comparison to him. I am doing the elephant on 28ct, which isn't a problem, but it isn't the type of 28ct I have used before and it almost seems like the material is not 'uniform'. It is very frustrating. I like the evenweave much better than this stuff. I am concidering stopping the elephant where it is and then starting all over on a different piece of material. I started to do some of the background bushes (which are a half x) and it looks like I have pulled the stitches wrong somehow, but I know I haven't! GRRRR!

Another thing I have been stitching on is some irises for my long time pen pal and friend who lives in Rhode Island. We started writing each other as pen pals through Girl Scouts when we were in fifth grade. Several years ago I stitched her and her husband a wedding announcement. A couple of years ago they ended up in divorce. She asked me if I wanted the wedding announcement back. I told her no. I told her I'd be happy to make her something else. That was when she told me that she likes irises. A couple months ago I bought a book from a fellow stitcher which had irises in it. I think I am around half way done with this picture. Not sure, exactly. I do know that I decided to use some light effects in both the yellow and blue flowers. I was thinking of doing the same thing for the flowers that require DMC 340 and 341, but I do not have the proper light effects color and do not know what color to buy. I like how it has turned out so far. I think my girl friend will be happy with it.

The third thing I have been stitching is the first of three cat patterns that I am being paid for. I think I am somewhere between 45 and 50% done with this one. This one is called "Control". He is splayed out on a rug stating that he cannot be controlled.

My Thanksgiving was quiet. It was just the four of us for most of the day. Our good friends in town came over after they had eaten at his mom's house and stayed for a couple of hours, but other than that it was just us.

Christmas was quiet too. That was okay because we don't like to make a huge fuss about Christmas. We did have a nice ham for dinner, but we don't go way out on gifts and the like. Jack and I bought ourselves a television for our room with the money my parents sent us. We actually combined it with the money my SIL sent. We had to. The television took up all the money from one and so we used the money from the other to pay for the thing to put it on the wall and everything that entailed as well as the fee of the person installing it. He was reasonable, but still...I also got some pajamas, a coat, a hat and some perfume.

My birthday has been spread over several days. We had a family game night on the actual day, we had the cake and gift the next day and two days after that Sarah took me to get my nails done. I received my parents gift today in the mail (five days after the actual birthday). With the money my parents sent me for my birthday I bought myself a new swim cap and goggles for my swimming at the Y. I have been wanting/needing to do that for awhile and I just did it. I also bought some stitching supplies.

I need to sign off for now. I promise, I'll update more often now that my scanner is working.

Take care everyone!