Rain - and lots of it!

It is raining.  It has been raining on and off since Sunday.  That isn't so remarkable.  The remarkable part is that it is supposed to keep raining for another 5 days.  And when it rains - it doesn't joke around.  It comes down in buckets.  And it still hasn't warmed up.  I guess it's a good thing that I didn't get the pea seeds into the ground last weekend.  I think they would have rotted.

I have a photo of my son's Brandywine tomato plant.  He wants to document it's life and how much it produces over the course of the summer.  So far so good.  Not a great picture - remember it's raining outside.  But we do what we can.

From Garden

Plants don't smile but this one looks pretty happy - especially compared with some of our indoor seed-starting efforts in past years.

The rain this week is discouraging mostly because we had great plans to be outdoors building raised beds.  At this point the kids are trying to figure out a way to still plant the seedlings this weekend in high hills and then build the walls of the raised beds around them.

On the stitching front, I hope to do some more work on Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll today.  Maybe not on Mr. Rabbit, maybe some more dress sections.  I also need to start Poppy from the Pixie Couture collections for a little girl's birthday coming up.  And - I really want to stitch the fruits from Samsarah designs for myself.  They're really cute.

April 22 came and went

April 22 came and went and Mr. Rabbit still isn't done.  I did make progress but not as much as I'd hoped.  And due to a whole bunch of goings-on, I haven't picked him up since Easter.  Hopefully, things will start to calm down soon and I can get some stitching done.

From Midnight Stitcher

Even baseball isn't conducive to stitching this year.  We have so many games that we aren't having practices and the games are actually interesting and fun to watch - so no stitching then either.  There has been at least 2 fields trips a week between the two kids since the middle of April.  Plus, we're dealing with broken bones (not my own) and a terrible accident involving local teens.  It has been hard to focus on something like my stitching.  (I am so ready for summer vacation.)

So, not that I've been able to work on it, but I did finally choose a piece to work on during baseball season.  It is a nice small piece and I chose it in honor of the baby birds who took up residence by our front door.  A nest appeared there in April and the little birds spent their days flying to and fro and working on their nest.  Then we noticed that the little female bird didn't leave during the day.   Aha!  There must be eggs!  She stayed there for days - almost two weeks.  Then, one morning I checked and I didn't see her head (the nest is up high so I can't look down into the nest).  A few minutes later, the male came swooping in and bunch of little beaks popped up.  It was so fascinating to watch them that even when the school bus came and went, no one moved.  It was also amazing how quickly they grew (and what a mess they can make).  From the time that they hatched until they flew away earlier this week was only about 3 weeks.  Our little bird neighbors were a type of finch rather than chickadee, but I chose to start on Chickadee - a Little Friends design from Valerie Pfeiffer.  It's really cute and I should be able to finish before school's out.

Our seeds have all sprouted and are coming along nicely.  The garden itself is a wreck.  We've been invaded by mugwort which has been impossible for us to control.  And, somehow over the winter, an ornamental strawberry seems to have spread over a large portion of the garden.  Their bright pink flowers are really showy and pretty, but they're hanging out where the tomatoes are supposed to be.  But the asparagus is wonderful and the rhubarb is on the menu for Friday night.  The peach, pear, apple and cherry trees are in full bloom and overall it is just gorgeous!

So, it's too bad about Mr. Rabbit, but I won't put Fairy Idyll away this time.  I think I have a little girl in mind who will really love it when it's finished.  So there's a little incentive to keep going.

Prayers for those being affected by the historic flooding along the Mississippi and its tributaries.  For the rest of you, enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring!

School Vacation and ...

Rain.  I am guessing that in June when it's 95 degrees and we're sweltering through a little league game this week might look more appealing.  But right now it just looks soggy and chilly.

I haven't made much more progress on the rabbit in Fairy Idyll but I do have plans to work on him today - a lot. Easter will be here in just a few days and I would really like to have him done.

We did spend yesterday planting seeds and a few plants.  The soil is still really cold but some things have started poking through the ground.  The daffodils are already up but even some perennials are showing signs of life.  I have a terribly invasive "weed" that has already started spreading even further.  I know some people intentionally grow mugwort but I am open to any suggestions as to how to get rid of it.  Even the family of rabbits that were out in the garden yesterday haven't kept up with it.

So far this spring we have planted parsley, tomato seeds, pepper seeds, eggplant seeds and potatoes.  We have big plans for the garden this year and we were so looking forward to working out there this week.  Instead we're inside testing just how important it is for the soil to be warm for a seed to germinate, what happens if the soil is too dry or too wet, and do the seeds need lights over them to germinate (some do, some don't).  And, we are very impatiently checking each day for signs of asparagus.

Thanks for visiting.

Good stitching weekend

It was a good relaxing weekend and I had a fair bit of time for stitching.  The rabbit on Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll is still coming along.  Now he has part of his belly and most of the gold ornament in his hands.  I think I'll work on some of the green garland that he's holding just for some variety.

After stitching that gold ornament for a while, I remembered how awkward it is to stitch with #8 braid on 32 count linen.  I guess I'm used to stitching with #4 braid instead.  If I hadn't already started with the #8 braid, I would have used #4.  Since the fatter braid is well, fat, and the metallic in it is abrasive, I don't want to frog it. I'm afraid it would really damage the linen.  Note for next time: Use #4 braid on 32 count linen.

For Christina who asked if this is the chart that was discontinued by Mirabilia - This chart is still available. We sell it at NeedleartsGallery.com if you are interested.  I think the chart that you mentioned or were thinking of might be Seaside Kingdom that had a boy and a girl building a sand castle.  That chart has been discontinued which is very sad.  It was a beautiful design and one of only a few with a boy in it.

Thanks for visiting.

Slowly but Surely

Well, little league baseball has started in earnest now.  Fairy Idyll is really a bit large to take with me and stitch while waiting during practices.  I still want to finish the rabbit before Easter - and with school vacation coming up I should be able to do that.

I do need to pick a new project to work on during practices.  Something that isn't too big and doesn't required beading as you go.  It is way too difficult to manage the beads while sitting behind the steering wheel.  Beading at home after the regular stitching would be ok.  And, it really can't be a huge project.  Last year I did the Boo! Club from Lizzie Kate and that worked out well (It seems I never posted those photos - put it on the To-do list). I'm considering Christmas Rules from Lizzie Kate or maybe Keys to the Kingdom from Rosewood Manor.  I also want to stitch Poppy Pixie Couture from Nora Corbett.  Hopefully I can pick one this weekend.

Here's my Mr. Rabbit as he stands today.  The parts of the fairy that are complete were stitched some time ago.

Thanks for visiting!

A Little Progress

I've made a little progress - very little - on Mr. Rabbit.  I've had a sick kid home with me for nearly a week now.  It's hard to stitch with a little boy (not so little) on your lap.  I did get to see lots of Phineas & Ferb episodes though.

Here's where we were this morning.

From Midnight Stitcher

Slowly - very slowly - but surely.  I better hurry up though.  The snow is melting and I know I'll be outside as soon as I can work in the dirt.  Then there will be no hope for Mr. Rabbit until it rains.

Mr. Rabbit

So, here I am again.  It's been a long time.

I am working through my UFO's and my current focus is Fairy Idyll.  I do really love this piece.  I think I keep getting hung up on the fact that I have no idea what I will do with it when I finish stitching it.  I don't have any little girls around  - which is a pity because this would be perfect in a little girl's room.

My goal is to have all of Mr. Rabbit in this piece done by Easter.  I figure if I post it here I'll feel a little more accountable.  And if I meet my goal, I'll be on a roll and will want to keep going.

So, without further ado - Here is Mr. Rabbit. - Yes, he's very small so far.

From Midnight Stitcher

Organizing cubes

Here are pics of my huge work area constructed from the cubes meant to organize scrapbooking materials. These are the cubes that you can get at Michael's and I think I have even seen them at Target. They are made by a company called Jetmax.

So far (it has only been a week) I love these. The finish is really durable. The kids' glitter glue came off easily and the finish didn't mar when I accidentally dropped one cube on top of another.

There are only a couple of drawbacks so far and they really are very minor. The first one is that they aren't really "cubes". If they were cubes, they would be the same size on each side - but they aren't. That is really only an issue if you try to arrange a large table like I did and different cubes are facing different directions - eventually, the sides won't match up.

The only other challenge I had with them is that the back side of the cube is not MDF like the other sides - it is much thinner board. Since the backs are thinner, you cannot attach the desktops to the backs of cubes, only to the sides. So, as you can see, I had to fill the center of my table with more cubes instead of just using desktops. On the other hand, now we have even more storage.

These pics were taken before I shimmed the all the cubes to make a nice level tabletop. As you can see, the kids started moving in their stuff right away.

Stitching pics next time! Thanks for stopping by.

The best laid plans

I never actually said the words "I'm on the wagon" but I kind of kept it in the back of my head that I have more stuff than I can possibly use in my lifetime - but even worse, I have run out of space to put it all. So, I have really been pretty good for the last 7 or 8 months. I have tried not to purchase anything if I didn't already have a place for it - storage-wise. I even spent weeks this summer cleaning out and organizing my pantries and linen closets. The shelves are even labeled to prevent anyone (mostly me) from stashing something else in a temporarily open spot.

Over 12 weeks or so I have been purchasing those modular storage cubes from Michael's so that I could build a big desk/storage area and get back the cabinets that were being used for the kids' arts and crafts materials for the last 10 years. (It takes a long time if you keep waiting for the coupons). Anyway, it is done! The kids now have a huge (56" square) area for their projects, puzzles, whatever plus a ton of storage space. And I got two kitchen cabinets back. That's when things went downhill.

See, I figured I had new space to fill - because you certainly can't have empty cabinets. So off I went enhancing stash and getting lots of cool little tools. Now - of course I don't keep my stitching stuff in the kitchen, so I had to kind of rotate stuff from other places. Wouldn't you know it! Once I moved all the placemats, tablecloths, and other kitchen-y thing from their various places all over the house into the newly-freed kitchen cabinets, there really wasn't any space freed up anywhere else in house! How can that be? Boy did I mess this one up.

Now I think I need to stitch a few extra hours in the day to free up some stash space. I wonder how that idea will go over with the family.

Anyway, I do love the cubes from Michael's. One cube came without the required hardware and their customer service sent it out to me. I had it in 3 days. None of the cubes came with any chips or dents and they were all easy to put together.

I did get some stitching done - but not a lot. I do plan to have the Boo! Club finished this week.

And a little more...

Thanks for visiting!

Unofficially Fall

I hope everyone had a pleasant, safe Labor Day weekend. I think nearly everyone in the U.S. is back to school now. The local private schools started today. Most of the public schools around here started last week - a few even started the week before last. The leaves are already beginning to change, the pick-your-own apple orchards were all busy this weekend - and its only going to go up to 68F by Thursday. Its un-officially fall.

We had a relatively laid back Labor Day weekend. The kids have been in school for 4 days and already one of them was sick. I guess he picks things up quickly! I hope that applies to everything else at school as well. So, the kids and I stayed home for the weekend.

I did get some stitching done - but I also had to do quite a bit of frogging. Complete lack of focus. Hopefully, I'll get my act together again soon. I really like the Crescent Colours floss.

Here's one of the last hurrahs from my garden. I believe this is Champagne Elegance - a reblooming iris. This is the first time it has ever bloomed even though I have had it for 4 years. I'm not sure I love it - but this year I am happy to see anything doing well in the garden. It definitely seemed like the summer that wasn't.

It sure feels like Fall

It really does feel like fall. The temps have been in the 70s during the day. It was actually 49F at night this week. The kids are lucky - they started school this week with perfect weather. Given how chilly the first part of summer was, we were worried that everything would start to average out now and it would get really hot for the end of summer. Instead, it feels more like October except that the leaves haven't changed yet.

With the kids back in school I thought I would have all this extra time on my hands. Instead, I seem to have jumped headlong into the various projects that I had hoped to get done over the summer but didn't. I think I'll have the basement all cleaned up and organized and well-lit just in time to drag out all of the Christmas decorations and make a general mess of it again. Then there's the huge box of daffodil bulbs that will arrive here early next week. I forgot I even ordered those until the shipping email came. Then there's the conversion of the "living room" (really just another room to dust) to the kids' work/play room. That's my current project. And I can't wait until its done.

I've been falling asleep too early at night to get much stitching done. I did finish the "Black Cat" design on my Boo! Club piece. Hopefully I'll get some stitching time tomorrow.

Have you seen the new Victoria Sampler house?

Have you seen this new Gingerbread Stitching House from Victoria Sampler? Plus - there's a coordinating scissor pocket design that will be in the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue.
This is definitely on my list of must haves. Of course, I stitch so slowly that I wouldn't have it done for this Christmas - but I could have parts of it done. Even just the scissor pocket for the JCS Ornament issue is adorable.

Merry Christmas to me!

Jordan (Julia) all done!

I finished the finish work for Jordan (which is actually a gift for Julia - so I call her Julia). I finished it as a journal cover. It covers the journal book just like the bookcovers that we had made back in school only without the grocery bag or scotch tape.

I took these pics with the cover on a different book so I could press it without melting anything important. This project definitely made me appreciate having a great iron and a great little detail iron. On the real journal, the cover fits more snugly and everything blocks out a little better.

This is a pic of the journal cover open before sliding it on to the book.

This is the cover on the "pressing book". So, off I go to press it off one last time and then get it wrapped up for the birthday party (nothing like finishing at the last minute).

Thanks for visiting.

Summer Project for Halloween

This is my summer project for Halloween. If I get it finished quickly, I should have just enough time for a small Autumn project for Halloween. I've been eyeing some designs from the Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue from last year that I never quite got around to. Actually, I really love the new Sleepy Hollow design from Glendon Place - but that's not my idea of a small Halloween design.

This is the Boo! Club series from Lizzie Kate. Each design seems easy to stitch. Once I have them all stitched, I'll finish them into a banner.

Tonight I need to finish up the finish work on my Letter J. I'll be making a journal cover and using the Letter J on the front of it. The stitching is all blocked and stabilized and has its border applied. The rest should go pretty quickly. Pics tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting!

I'm back!

Hello out there! I'm back. I feel like I temporarily fell off the face of the earth. Climbing back on has been a lot of work (I suppose its good exercise though - or character-building, or something.)

In the last few months I have been to countless Little League games, practices, fund-raisers and other baseball-related activities. I have driven to and from various camps on countless days. And I have stitched.

Also, I have worked on the website (no, don't rush over there - you can't see the changes yet). I've been working on new navigation, new color scheme, and just overall update. I'll be making those changes live in just a few weeks. Be sure to stop by when they go live - I'd love to hear your feedback and there will be a celebratory sale as well!

I have also started a blog entirely dedicated to the New and Newsworthy at Needlearts Gallery. It will be updated with some of our most popular new releases. Be sure to stop by or subscribe in your RSS reader -

Subscribe to News at Needlearts Gallery

As far as my stitching goes - you know what they say about the best laid plans ...

Hopefully, I'll have my Halloween project stitching completed in the next week so I can get it finished. I've already purchased the fabric for the backing, I just need to finish the stitching.

First, I need to finish a birthday present before this weekend. The stitching is finished, I just need to get into the finicky, thread-counting part of the finishing, and then the rest of it should go pretty quickly.

I don't remember taking the picture at such an extreme angle - but apparently I did.

So welcome to my stitching blog. Thanks for visiting!

P is for Princess

Isn't this design adorable. I think it would be perfect in a little girl's room. Maybe in a box top or a little pillow. Of course I have little boys. Actually I have one little boy and one medium-sized boy.

This design is P is for Princess from The Sweetheart Tree. It is the most recent design in the French alphabet series. I was thinking of a young-boy inspired French Alphabet - can you picture D is for Dragon and B is for Baseball done in this style? It would be interesting.

P is for Princess from The Sweetheart Tree

The best part of these designs (besides being adorable) is that they come in a kit. The kit includes everything you need except for a hoop or frame AND the materials are quality materials - DMC floss, Summer Khaki Cashel linen - not the inferior materials that you get in some kits. AND the kit comes in a little clear plastic box which is so handy. The box holds everything so you can just drop it in a bag making it the perfect little travel project - especially since this design doesn't really have too many beads. I stitched Blackberry Jam a couple of years ago which came in the the same box and now I use the box for a travel sewing kit. I have wished for more of those boxes at least a dozen times for all sorts of purposes.

I think I'll stitch this when I finish Letter J. It looks like it will be a quick stitch.

Happy stitching everyone!

More Jordan

Letter J - Jordan - from Nora Corbett. We had a pretty good snow day yesterday - hopefully the last one for this winter. We got lots of snow but it should melt pretty quickly with the sun being higher in the sky. I did get a bit of stitching done on letter J. I wish I could figure a way to show all the sparkle on this. There are a lot of beads!

J - Letters from Nora

Keep looking for signs of Spring!

A little glass and a little thread

Isn't it amazing what a huge difference just a little thread and a little glass can make? I did some backstitching and some beading on Letter J. It was really very little stitching and beading yet it made such a huge difference.

I've been working on lots of finishing for customers for the last week. I just love finishing pieces for other people. So many times I don't finish my own pieces because I am tired of looking at them by the time the stitching is done. Finishing other people's stitching gives me a chance to look at a piece from a new perspective and frequently I get to finish pieces that I wouldn't have chosen to stitch myself which makes it even more fun.

Looks like we're getting a ton of snow tonight which means no school tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have time to stitch some more on Letter J and Boo! Club.

Happy Snow Day folks!

February Vacation

It's been a vacation week. Kids at home. Day trips. Play dates. Not a whole lot of stitching.

I did get a little bit of Letter J done. She's a joy to work on and an easy stitch - I just haven't been able to dedicate any time to her. I stitched even less on the Boo! Club. Hopefully I'll have something recognizable to show this week.

Then Shepherd's Bush released Scatter Luck - I just have to get this one and get it stitched by St. Patty's Day. Preferably this St. Patty's Day.

Fairy Toes

J - Letters from Nora

Yes, those are fairy toes - and fairy knees too. And those fairy toes and knees are stitting on the swirly part of the letter 'J'. This is coming along nicely. I like the colors more than I expected and I really like stitching with the Crescent Colours. The other nice thing is that this piece is relatively small - it should just fit in my 8" Q-Snaps so I can even bead as I go. Now I'm looking forward to the other letters even more.