Quaker Diamonds is DONE!

Actually, I finished it last week right before we left on a fun little road trip to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary! I planned to post this while we were away, but I just never got around to it.  Anyway, I finished re-stitching the letters fairly quickly and pulled out Shores of Hawk Run Hollow to work on the last three blocks, but didn't get much done there either. LOL

Then I realized that July is almost over and I haven't started thinking about my Christmas stitching yet! So, the Christmas Panic has officially begun. I'll try not to whine about it too much, but I really have to get busy.

But I have another project to take care of first. I have to beef up my inventory of needlework bling.  My friend Elaine from FigtreeBoutique on Etsy has convinced me to give a local craft fair a shot. She has quite a bit of experience doing them and is sure that there are lots of knitter, stitchers, and crocheters attending craft shows. So we'll be hawking our wares the Saturday of Labor Day weekend at the Oak Island Craft Fair. If you're in the area, stop by and say "hi".

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Just a Short Break from Quaker Diamonds

Well, I finished Quaker Diamonds...sort of. I spent several evenings "proofing", that is, looking for all the little individual stitches that I'd missed the first time around. Finally, I pronounced it done, did the "happy dance" (which you do NOT want to witness for fear of wetting your pants from laughing so hard). Then I realized that I had stitched about two thirds of the alphabet in ...wait for it... the wrong color! Shoot me now. I knew it was one of the dark colors and I just picked up the wrong one. Sooooo, I'm frog stitching and re-doing them in the correct blue-black. C'est la vie.

In the meantime, I needed to stitch a little something for my sister, B., for her birthday next week. So I picked up one of the many heart designs from Sweetheart Tree which I have had in my stash for at least 18 years! They make great little gifts. It probably took me almost as long to assemble as it did to stitch. But it's cute and she loves blueberries.

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How Much Longer Can It Take!!!?

I look at the big picture and I feel like I'm getting sooooo close, but there are so many little motifs to complete! And frankly, as much as I love this piece, I'm ready to move on. I'm not used to working so slowly. Hopefully, you'll see something different here by the first of August.

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Do You Love Bargello?

Most people think of Bargello as a family of stitches for canvas work, but lots of designers use it in their samplers on linen. And I became fascinated with it several years ago. You may remember the needlebooks I made for gifts for my stitch group last Christmas. So many patterns and variations allow you to indulge your creativity. Anyway, I discovered. this site dedicated to bargello and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy. You should probably bookmark it because you'll be coming back time and time again.

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Just Chillin' and Stitchin'

Oh, I do so love to be at home in my stitching nest just enjoying whatever project I'm working on. And that happens to be Quaker Diamonds ... STILL. But I am getting closer. It's amazing how much progress one can make when you actually have time to stitch. Unfortunately, my shoulder is acting up a little so I haven't been able to stitch for hours on end like I used to. But it's still so wonderful to see the piece take shape.

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Oh boy! I found another stitching blog to follow! Eat*Stitch*Love

And the bonus is she's having a Christmas in July GIVEAWAY! 

Check it out!

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I am an American

On the eve of American Independence Day, I am so grateful for the gift of freedom. Freedom to pray, to disagree with our leaders, to read whatever catches my fancy, to speak out in favor of something politically controversial, to go where I want, to live where I choose, to befriend whomever I like, to work at something I love, to write a silly blog about my hobby. It's all important. Remember that when someone tries to take it away. Thank God for those who were, and those who still are, willing to die to protect the freedom we enjoy.

Like most Americans, I take it for granted and probably don't appreciate it as I should. Which is why holidays like the Fourth of July are so important and special. I still get chills every single time I hear the Star Spangled Banner. My heart gives a little jump when I see our service men and women in uniform. As corny as it sounds, I love to see the stars and stripes waving in the breeze.

 

 

So I say it with pride. I am an American.

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