One little mermaid completed...........

I've finished stitching one side of the mermaid purse and am on to the second.

I'm on the hunt for the buttons that are called for; the company Sherri recommends has gone out of business. I'm looking for 2 small MOP fish and a larger one, but think something with a "beachy" theme also may work. If anyone knows of a good button store in Baltimore or on line, please let me know.

And....speaking of "beachy", I am heading off to Ocean City tomorrow for an annual stitching retreat with friends. We will shop the Salty Yarns super bowl sale and stitch to our hearts content. We always make Cincinnati chili one night and try to hit our favorite food joints the rest of the time. That can be difficult since most are closed at this time of the year, but we somehow never go hungry!

So I am off to pack and make Rich his favorite casserole for meals while I'm gone. Thanks goodness he is so self sufficient!!!

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Moving along and a new start..........

I'm moving along on my mermaid purse and the stitching with interfacing is "growing" on me. I am using a sharp needle, as suggested by a couple folks, and it definitely makes getting through the interfacing easier. However, you have to be ever so careful not to split the linen threads. So, it is slow going, but luckily there isn't a whole lot of stitching involved.

And, with this crazy cold weather, I just couldn't resist starting Hibernation Day by Heartstring Samplery. I had seen this back in the fall and fell in love with the saying as I do love the quiet of softly falling snow, a warm crackling fire, lounging in my pj's and curling up with my stitching....or a good book! I'm stitching it on 36 count Barn Owl from Birds of a Feather (that I happened to have in my stash) with some Gentle Art and Valdani overdyes. I debated one strand or two but settled on one. The fabric has a "greenish" cast to it (photo is not very accurate) and I'm using much more subdued colors. Here you go:

 I just read a new term on Facebook---procraftinating--working on craft projects when you should be doing laundry, making dinner or cleaning house. Love it....and so true!

Well my plans for the day have been cancelled due to more snow coming and a two hour drive for me. So, you know what I'm going to be doing!!! 

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Cold + snow = Finishing

BRRRR!!! It's been freezing cold here the last few days--most days only 2 degrees when we get up. Rich has had the pellet stove and fireplace going strong to supplement our struggling heat pump. I don't mind the cold(as long as I can stay in my warm home) and would much rather have it than high summer temps and humidity! It also creates the perfect storm for getting some finishing done as business is slow and I don't really need to go out.

So, I worked on my Betsy Morgan class that I took last June at Salty Yarns, Gathering for Winter Etui. I just love this piece as it embodies my favorite colors, time of the year and acorn motifs. It consisted of the 3-D etui box, pincushion, needlebook, scissor case and fob. The box is made using a cut mailing tube that we lined and covered with our finished stitching. The pincushion uses the same method to make, but is an old cylinder from an empty ball of perle cotton. Betsy is so very clever!!! The beautiful wooden acorn was hand turned by Mike at Sylvan Treasures and is a lovely addition (it was included with the class). I did cheat on the tassel as I had this one in my stash and it worked wonderfully with the colors...plus I loved its cap! So without further ado....here are some photos:

Overall shot of set

Etui front

Etui back

needlebook

pincushion

scissor case and fob front

scissor case and fob back

Uh-oh---just looked outside and it's snowing!!! Hadn't heard about this--guess we'll see what develops !Oh well, I took a quick lunch break and when I came back the sun was out and no snow!

Hope you are staying warm and cozy in your neck of the woods!!! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

I'm Swimming with the Mermaids......

Just a quick post to show my progress on the Mermaid Purse. This is stitched over one on 32 count linen with only two shades of blue silk. Lots of back and tent stitch with a few specialty stitches thrown in.These are two of the smalls, pyn pillow and needle compact.  

I do believe I may take the date out and restitch as it's not centered--darn!!!

Don't you love the mermaids pearl necklace and mirror?






There's a little bit of a learning curve going on as I've never stitched a piece with the interfacing already applied. It's tough to find the holes on the back. I've tried a sharp needle and a smaller sized tapestry and each has their own drawbacks. I've settled on a 28 count Bohin that seems to work best. However, I keep bending the eye trying to push it through the interfacing. I do like the substantial "feel" the interfacing provides, and I will keep plugging along (now that I've started it this way, I'll have to finish it this way). Time will tell if I ever use this approach again!

Now I have moved on to the clam shell purse--will post photos as I proceed.

I'm heading into my sewing room to straighten and organize a bit--gotta do that when the mood hits and it hit me like a brick wall this morning!!!

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi 

A New Year and....lots to do

Happy New Year--who can really believe it is 2014??? It is so hard to absorb how quickly time is passing! I really need it to sloooow down--I have so much I want to accomplish with my stitching..and other things in my life. I guess the old adage "one day at a time" comes in to play here--just concentrate on what you can get done and don't fret about the rest!

There are a few things I wanted to share. First, we had a wonderful Christmas with my family. We, and my daughter from NC, met up at my daughters in Richmond and were able to enjoy 3 days together. Here are a couple pics:

This one says it all---a frenzied blur!!!

My older daughter and her husband have started the process to adopt a child/children from Ethiopia so they took us out for dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant one night. I have to say it was a unique experience but pretty tasty--I had minced lamb. We had to eat with our fingers using a spongy type of bread called injera. There was a definite learning curve to figure how to scoop and lift to mouth without dropping all over the place! I have to say I was mighty proud of myself because I am a fairly picky eater! 

I also wanted to share a couple gifts my daughter made for her little girl that were just too darn cute.

This will store all her dress- up clothes. There are mirrors on both ends and it's on wheels.

diapers and wipes for itty bitty baby

I forgot to take a photo of this, but they made a "tent -in-a bag" kit for my grandson that included a large piece of camo fabric, clips, bungee straps and tape! Pops helped him build one right before we left!!!

I got a fitbit for Christmas and am hoping it will keep me motivated in the never ending battle of middle age "spread" Though I guess at 61 I may be past middle age!!!

Next up is a pic of something I made for friends for Christmas. I used the Erica Michaels  A Needlebook Collage as inspiration and made three different color versions. These were really fun to make; I searched my stash, Hobby Lobby and Michaels for items to use as embellishments. Now I just need to use my original kit and make one for myself!

I also managed to get an ornament stitched for a good friend who vacations in Hawaii every year. It's done on perforated paper but was quick to finish!

Hawaii Sampler by Mill Hill

Now on to my New Year start! I have two classes scheduled with Sherri Jones in April at Salty Yarns, so that will be what I concentrate on the next few months. I started The Mermaid's Two Tales  on New Years Day. Here is my progress so far:

You can see a mermaid, holding a mirror, starting to appear on the left. This is a monochromatic piece using just two shades of blue. We have to pre-stitch the piece and will learn the finishing in class. The other class is A Fine and Fancy Tulip Tray. That will be up next and I'll post photos when I start that one. So, as usual, a busy stitching year planned--just hope I can keep up!

Finally, I thought that since I started my blog two years ago on New Years day, that it was time for a giveaway! If you leave a comment to this post, I will add your name to a drawing for one of two items. There will be two separate winners--one for the kit and one for the needle case. The kit includes the chart and Kreink Silk Mori Milkpaint fibers and is called Dutch Sampler by Tricia Wilson Nguyen of Thistle Threads. It's one of the "Remember the Ladies" collection from Kreinik, The other is a Just Nan needle slide. I've never done this before so I'm feeling my way!

I'd also like to get my blog out there more, so if you have a friend (who's new to my blog) enter the drawing and they mention you referred them to my blog, I'll add another entry for you in the drawing. Just be sure they mention you or I'll have no way to know. I'll have my hubby pick the winner on January 6th and will post the winner on my blog the next day. I'll then have you contact me with your mailing info. If I don't hear back from the winners by the 10th, I will draw another name, so please be sure to check the blog on the 7th! Good luck all and Happy New Year!!!!

I'm going to end this post with a photo of my parents mantel all decked out in the small stockings I made--years ago-- for all my siblings and their families. Sadly, as the family has grown, I haven't managed to keep up...but who knows...maybe one day!!!

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi