March and April....... A Year in Chalk

I have been on a roll with these designs from A Year in Chalk by Hands on Design (thanks Syd)! They are a fun, quick and easy stitch. I've been using the called for colored threads, if I have them in my stash, or substituting ones that are close. One thing I did change out was the white fiber. I had read on some ladies blogs that it was tough to get the white looking nice without railroading and/or fussing. So I decided to use one strand of DMC #12 white perle cotton. It is working wonderfully.......though I may not be as particular about flat stitches as others. By the way, these are being stitched on the called for 30 count  Weeks Gunmetal linen.

So, here you go...two more in the series.....which makes me 1/3 of the way done!

I've got everything ready to start on May tonight!

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

Stasi

Edinburgh Reticule

So I have a finished piece to share; I feel it's been awhile since I actually got something put together. I took this class in June 2014 at Salty Yarns from Betsy Morgan. I was particularly interested in this class since I had been to Edinburgh in 1994, though I was not as ardent a stitcher back then and didn't pay heed to any needlework I may, or may not, have seen back then. Shame on me!!!

But, here is the Edinburgh Reticule in all its glory for me to treasure and share.

fronts

 Note the thistle scissors from Uncommon Scissors and the beaded edging around the bag.

backs

That's it for today!

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

February A Year in Chalk

This blizzard has been a boon to my stitching time, but not as much as I would have liked. I keep getting distracted by other projects, like going through our old photos, and getting rid of ones we don't want, so I can organize the ones we do. This has me going off on tangents of "remember when this was taken", "awwww....... look how cute we all were back then " and the biggest one "who the heck is this?????" Luckily the hubby is helping and he's not as sentimental as I am and can better discern what to keep and what not.

Here is the piece I got stitched the last couple evenings.   I really like these!!!

A Year in Chalk  February

I have been working on getting  a Betsy Morgan class piece finished during the day and will hopefully be back tomorrow to share that. I just have a couple tassels and the scissor fob to put together. 

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

Stasi

And the Blizzard of 2016 is over...............

I am happy to say it is sunny today though still very cold. I think the snow will definitely be around for awhile. 

This will be a quick post with pictures speaking louder than words! Suffice it to say, we survived with a lot of periodic shoveling to keep up with the massive amounts of snow falling.

Figuring our average was around 36 inches

Our deck

one of two walls of snow lining our driveway

It's as tall as I am!!!

Our lovely chalet

I did manage to get one small piece stitched in between the shoveling--very appropriate don't ya think???

January--A Year in Chalk by Hands on Design

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

Stay warm and safe --especially if you are recovering from Jonas! Hopefully a productive stitching/finishing week ahead!

Stasi

Gearing up for the BIG snow!!!!

I thought I'd try to do a post before I started into my "stitch-a-thon" which I know will be interrupted by frequent "shovel-a-thons", so we can keep up with the 25-30 inches that are being predicted. I love the snow and have always enjoyed shoveling--it's usually so quiet and peaceful at that time. However, I'm  starting to dread the shoveling, especially when it gets so deep it's hard to pile up. Our plan will be to do frequent sweeps so it doesn't get overwhelming, but it will be the overnight stretch that will be tough. Ben Gay...here we come!!!

We have plenty of food, gas for the generator and chopped wood for a fire. Who could ask for anything more? Why me of course!!! Last week at Salty Yarns, I got a magnifying lamp (thanks S&S) that is battery operated and now I can stitch if the power goes out! Hoping that doesn't happen but I will be ready!!!!

Speaking of Salty Yarns, I had a wonderful time last week with the mid-Atlantic EGA ladies. They were approximately 170 strong and passionate about their needlework. It was such fun to help them with fabric selections, see what their projects were and just "talk the talk". We even had some snow on Sunday and the beach and boardwalk were covered with about 2 inches. Not a lot, but enough to make it beautiful and fun for the locals. I saw kids riding bikes up the boardwalk while pulling their friends on a toboggan--very clever since there are no hills!!! Her's a pic as the snow was just starting:

I thought I'd share some pics of Salty Yarns since I'm always jabbering about how great they are, and let you see for yourself the wonderful treasure trove of charts, fibers,  fabrics ..oh my!!!

Newer kits (take a peek at the boardwalk
 on the right)

Racks of charts

more racks of charts

fiber racks

needlepoint fiber wall

display of finished smalls

small section of frame selection

lovely boxes and pincushions

fabric wall (where I spent a lot of time)

portion of hand-dyed fabrics

knitting/ yarn section

Hope you liked your virtual "tour" and can see why I love visiting there so much. If you are ever in the Ocean City, MD/ DelMarVa area, it is definitely worth the stop.

Oh, I almost forgot! I got another row stitched on Nova!

Be safe, keep warm and, if you are in the path of the blizzard of 2016, hope you squeeze in lots of stitching time.

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

Stasi

Reporting from Ocean City, MD

A quick post before I head down to the cutting table. All is well here at Salty Yarns. I spent yesterday cutting fabric and mingling with stitchers--always an enjoyable experience! More of the same is on the books for today.

I've managed to get in walks on the "boards" both mornings and here are a few pics. They tell a totally different story than when I'm down here in season.

Empty boardwalk except for a few walkers/bikers

Storm off the coast making for large waves

Little black dots are surfers braving the icy waters

 Even though it's overcast and the sun can't make up its mind if it wants to come out...or not, it's always a wonderful day at the beach. Wish you all could be here!

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

Stasi

A Couple New Finishes......

I managed to get a couple of the Shepherds Fold pieces finished the  last couple days. I happened to have a white Lone Elm box on hand ( they did theirs in a purple one) so I put A Full Heart in the top of that. I used a thick batting to make it stand up higher.

Then I finished the pincushion, Goodness and Grace.  It's a pretty hefty pincushion and takes up quite a bit of space in the box. I'm second guessing whether I should have done it over one like the scissor fob. Oh well, too late for misgivings; I just hope the rest of the pieces all fit.

 I did line the box with some cute fabric with tiny flowers (hard to see....but look close). I didn't put it in permanently, so if I decide to change it out I can. On to the next project, a needle case.

I'm going to be heading down to Ocean City, MD to Salty Yarns for the weekend. The Mid-Atlantic EGA is having a retreat in OC and I offered to help cut fabric at SY. So, if you're reading this and down there for the weekend, be sure to say "Hi"!

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

Stasi

Inch by Inch, Row by Row............

.....gonna make my Nova  grow (sung to an old folk tune, Garden Song). I knew I remembered this piece being addictive; one week in and I'm three months into my goal---I can't stitch just one!!! Still going strong after 49 new squares!!! 

I have spent this past week cleaning/organizing my craft room (as noted in last post). I did a little every day and worked my way around de-cluttering and reaffirming that I have WAY more projects than I can ever imagine completing. So next will be the hard part...deciding what I can live without. It's an overwhelming task because I truly wish to make all these wonderful projects, but reality is setting in and an honest evaluation must be made!!! I'm going to hate this!!! I know a lot of other stitchers are in the same boat..... Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy...can you help me with suggestions and/or support???

I do feel good about the clean-up and thought it time to share my craft/sewing room with you....now that it's presentable! :) I am blessed to have a room, dedicated to my craft, with wonderful windows and storage. Let the tour begin!!!

Sadly this first picture looks dark since I was shooting toward the window! That's my grandmothers cedar chest with the basket on it; I keep all my linen in there laying flat.

Here is my sewing machine wall and a close up of a gift my daughter and her hubby made. It's old yardsticks  they mounted hooks on---I use it to hang some of my threads.

Next is my Ikea  storage wall with my bookcase and storage units. Yes, my ironing board is always set up...I use it to work on a lot!

On the last wall I've utilized an old TV entertainment center and a wonderful find from Goodwill. I found the metal file cabinet, when I lived in Cincinnati, at Goodwill for $15.00. I spray painted it green (though now I'm kind of digging the original golden color).  The drawers slide out and the top three have a "front" that slides down to close them up (when you don't want to see the mess inside). The three binned piece on the top I got from a country store that was going out of business. It was a display case for potpourri and essential oils. It was already green!!!

So there you have it--the fruits of my labor for the week. Now I'm off to stitch some more squares and keep that momentum going.

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

Stasi

A New Year Begins.............

......a time for resolutions, setting goals, pondering what was and what is coming. I've decided not to make any resolutions this year; I rarely keep them and then get down on myself for not having done so. I know what I want to try to accomplish in 2016 and I'm just going to do my best to "get 'er done" and not fret if I don't. Wish me luck!!!

Hubby is out taking his first "ride" of the New Year on his motorcycle. I think he's nuts with as cold as it is, but he's bundled up and obviously enjoys it.

Me, I've been busy in my craft room organizing, down-sizing, cleaning and simplifying. I planned to work a couple hours in their each day, but stumble across misplaced treasures, long forgotten "starts" and languishing UFO's. This all keeps distracting me from my task at hand!!! By the way, one of my big plans for the new year is to do this room by room throughout the house---my daughter keeps telling me I'll feel much more "free" if I get rid of things I don't really need. Problem is I NEED them....or at least I think I do. There's definitely a need for a major mind set realignment here!!! Anyway, I have boxes with items to donate, sell on E-bay/FB, offer to friends and just throw in the trash. I'll get there; it will just take me longer than expected! :) Here's what part of my craft room looked like after the holidays. Ugh!!!

Last year I committed to finishing And They Sinned  and am happy to say "mission accomplished". Today I uncovered Nova by Genny Morrow and that's going to be my "do or die" piece this year. For those not familiar, it is 396 squares with a "calico" look. I started mine in March 1998 (boy is this embarrassing) as a SAL with some ladies at Twisted Threads. I'm doing it on 24 count congress cloth, so the squares are 1/2 inch each and the overall size will be 9 x 11. First on the agenda will be to re-stretch it and then replace the fibers which I've raided over the years. It's done with DMC, Anchor and Eva Rosenstand floss. I have completed 186 squares so have 210 left. I figure if I do a row a month, I'll be done by the end of the year. I may, however, move more quickly because, if I remember correctly, this piece was fairly addictive!

I am almost finished with Goodness and Grace, part 3 of the Shepherds Fold series. I've been working on that while watching The Fall on Netflix. This turned out to be a great show--it does move very slowly, but sure kept hubby and me captive for a few nights. Downton tonight--can't wait!!!!

Glad I could squeak this post in today--thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship! Happy New Year all!

Stasi