A Whole Lotta Stitchin'/Strollin' Going on....550-557

I have been a very busy bee since last time we met. I am trying to be industrious and work off nervous energy through needlework. Some days it works....some days it doesn't. I am still mainly staying home with weekly grocery shopping and a couple visits to Hobby Lobby. I did get my haircut the other day, which was interesting, but doable, with a mask! We are going to venture up to Baltimore tomorrow to see my parents; we haven't seen them since the beginning of February.  It'll be a day trip, so a lot of driving for a short visit. Do we hug...wear masks the whole time??? I don't know, I just feel we need to see them in person and they see us. 

I have a lot to share this post and it will be photo heavy. I'll try to be brief about each project, but if you have questions just leave in a comment. But be sure you have an e-mail listed  and aren't "no-reply blogger" as I can't respond personally to you if that's the case. I've been hopping around a lot--this is what it looks like next to me on the sofa:

First up, I've been cutting more rectangles for masks for a local Richmond group. I figure I've cut up about 75 yards of fabric into 6 X 9 rectangles so far. This is my latest batch:

 
Next is my progress on my SAL's:

iStitch Designs  Burgandy Sampler Band SAL

Peppermint Purple FB Blackwork SAL

Learning Stitches (Jeanette Douglas) SAL with Sassy Jacks

I had a couple birthdays I stitched gifts for:

Stand By Your Peeps by JABCO

Sampler Stitching Tote by Noteworthy Needle   This is on a tote bag that was available last year at Target. Stitched with #5 Perle cotton.

These are cute little holders for your perle cotton. The bottoms open up and you can store the little balls inside and "pull" up through the top.
 

Pearl (that's how it was spelled on the chart) Cotton Nestler by Patricks Woods

 This was a non stitched gift but I fell in love with it when I saw it..and yes, I had to get one for myself!!! Bay Dreams by Spartina wallet...in case anyone is interested! :)

 Then I had some finishes for me...first up is A Fish Tale, a shop exclusive for Salty Yarns designed by Hands on Design. I decided to stitch this in honor of my grandson, James (he likes to fish and crab), so I put his initials on the top of the pincushion.

A little out of season but here is Autumn Blessings  by Noteworthy Needle, stitched on a foam pumpkin.

This came about with a little help from my friends...one lent me her chart and one sold me an extra silver ring..... Bee Pin Ball by Carriage House Samplings. I think I'm going to replace the ribbon with a silver chain.

And, I had to do a set of nestlers for myself!!!!

These two were finished by others:

Silk Sampler by Birds of a Feather framed by Patti Nicolosi of By My Hand Needl'werk's

PSS Retreat 2020 Bag finished by Faye Riggsbee (Carolina Stitcher) design by The Spinning Monkey

WIPS: 

The Berry Thief by It's Fine-ally Finished

And last, but not least...a finish not yet FFO'd:

Fourth of July Sampler by The Humble Stitcher

Whew!!!! I think that's it for today. Thanks for strolling along with me..hope you enjoyed the ride! I'm off to see what's on the agenda today.....STITCHING...what else???

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

And we're still hanging in there.....

I haven't been counting the actual days that I've been self isolating, but I know it's going on two months. You would think the time would be dragging, but I feel every day/week is going by so fast....perhaps that is a good thing!!! I keep busy with my stitching and I've been cutting fabric for masks for a local group in Richmond while my sewing machine was in the shop. I managed to get a haircut from the girl that does my daughter's family and my hubby's hair. She came to my daughters garage...mask and antiseptic in tow...I feel much better now. So basically, I stitch while binging some show after I've done any chores. I watched 5 seasons of When Calls the Heart and am currently watching an NBC show called Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist...on the suggestion of my younger daughter...it's rather quirky but lots of musical numbers, which I love. A retreat I was going to has been cancelled a second time and I miss seeing my stitching buddies and sharing our passion. I have been texting daily with a small group of friends and we're sharing our projects that way.

 So, now on to what I've been working on. As I said above, I've been cutting yards of fabric into 6X9 inch rectangles to be made into masks. At last count, I've cut up about 45 yards. Here is one days worth:

I've also made about 100 masks for family and friends. That put my machine into a tail pin and I had to venture out to the repair shop. Luckily, it was only about a 10 day wait period and I have it back, as I finally got three of the Brenda Gervais project bags to make for myself. 

I'm a week behind on my SAL's. The weekly installment for the blackwork piece is a long narrow band where you are supposed to put a quote of some kind.. Since I'm doing mine on banding, it won't fit. So, I will have to improvise a bit. I'm thinking about just dong the graphic element alone or starting to do single boxes down one side and doing my quote vertically. Hmmmm...any thoughts? Here is where I am to date:

I am now two weeks behind in my iSTitch band sampler, but you will see why shortly.

I have started a mini SAL with two friends. We are starting the Berry Thief by Jackie du Plessis. I was lucky to find a complete kit for sale on FB recently and snatched it up. I haven't gotten too far but at least it's started. (Sorry, couldn't figure out how to get photo bigger)

Berry Thief Needle page

I decided to put in an all out effort to get Seeking Refuge by The Scarlett House completed. It took about a month to stitch. I chose to stitch it on 46 count Vintage Buttercream linen (it's much more golden than photo) with a combination of Victorian Motto, WDW and GAST fibers, heavy on the VM's.  I made the checkerboard borders two toned, changed the bunnies from white to brown and substituted beehives for the dogs. I meant to move the dogs down to where the birds are....but forgot, so birds it is! I love this piece and the saying was perfect for these crazy days.

 I will close with a Happy Mother's Day wish for all and hope that you can visit in person (at a safe distance) or virtually with your Moms and/or children. Here are a couple photos from our garden to end with. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi

Scotch Broom

Our 'mini' wildflower garden

 

Hanging in There.....549

The days are blending one into another.....I venture out once a week to do my grocery shopping and hubby and I are trying to hike/walk a few times a week. We try to support a local restaurant one day of the weekend and order curbside pick up or delivery.  I have made 70+ masks for family and friends, but am running low on elastic, so on hold for a bit. Other than that I am home and stitching away!!!

I have been doing a little retail therapy...a couple charts, some shoe buttons and I rescued a scrimshaw piece by Marcy Pumphret off Ebay.

A cute little buff from Zappy Dots....

So, on to what I've been working on.....I hope the photos will stay put.  I noticed the ones on my last few posts were deleted somehow and I just spent quite a bit of time reloading them. Fingers crossed!!!

Up first are my SAL's.........

Peppermint Purple SAL..up to date

iStitch Burgandy Band SAL....up to date

Learning Stitches by Jeanette Douglas (on line class through Sassy Jacks) up to date

Next, works in progress:

A Fish Tale by Hands on Designs 

Seeking Refuge by The Scarlett House

A quick little Easter finish...a little kit I got at JoAnn's.

 

 

Now, a little exciting news....even though the PSS had to postpone their retreat in April, they still had a virtual merchant mall. Le Shays shaker box company had a drawing for five items for anyone who made a purchase at the sale. I was one of the lucky five winners and received this lovely shaker tray. It is an olive green color..now to find a project for it!  I am so thankful and tickled!!!

I'm going to end now with a photo I captured of a little friend visiting our phlox. Please be safe and stay well everyone. We will get through this hopefully with new appreciations for the things we have always taken for granted. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

 

Okay, So I almost had a major meltdown.........

 

 
....at the Food Lion this morning. I had a truly surreal moment...... that literally hit me in the face..... as I spied my image in the store windows donning my homemade mask and wearing bright blue plastic gloves (that ripped in half when I took them off). Who'd have thought this was possible a few weeks ago??? I quickly pulled myself together, did my weekly shopping and hightailed it home to sanctuary!!! There I pushed through a good cry!!! I miss my family and grandkids, I miss the soccer and baseball games, I miss going out whenever and wherever I want, I'm missing the retreats I was scheduled to attend...and ones I'm sure will be cancelled/postponed soon. But, then I tell myself I can do this..it's not that bad..it could be worse....pull on your big girl panties...suck it up buttercup!!!!

And now on to our regular scheduled programming......here's what I've been working on...and yes, I have been jumping all over the place.

18 more masks ( a different design) for my family and a friend.

 

Burgandy Sampler Band SAL by iStitch Designs --working on week 14 and 15..... it's a big block of Assisi work.

 

Up to date on the Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple.

 

Moving along on A Fish Tale by Hands on Design but needed a break from all the pink and green.

So a pumpkin came out .... I know I'm way out of season..but this was perfect for my back porch.....Autumn Blessings by Noteworthy Needle. Using one strand of #5 perle cotton, colors I had on hand. I had drilled this back in October!!!

 A new start...a perfect piece for today...Seeking Refuge  by The Scarlett House. The saying rings so true for me, and I'm sure many of you.
" When the world seems to be out of control, I find a way to nurture my soul
  Seeking refuge wth needle and thread, The angst and anxiety no longer I dread."
I'm doing this on 46 count Vintage Buttercream by Lakeside Linens with some of the original fibers, but filling in with Victorian Motto shop colors. 

Here's my teeny, tiny start.... 

Please stay well, my friends, and we will come out of this on the other side! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi