Travel again

It has been a busy week, trying to get all loose ends caught up before going to class again next week. This time it's in Virginia, and I have scouted around and found a Jo-Ann's, a stitching house, and a needlework shop that are fairly close to the hotel.

I did join the Chains Of Hearts group. I don't have any to swap now, but thought I'd try to get a couple made up to work on at night while in Virginia. The Have a Hearts we made to swap for Hand-Embroidery List got me hooked. Thanks, Lillian!!

I did finish the second one - well, the one that will swap . I need to get those and the birthday swap baggy in the mail today, and maybe the half and half blocks as well. Can't post pics of them, yet.

Cross Stitch

It has been ages since I did any cross stitch, but wanted to make a couple of bibs for a little girl at work who is having a shower on Friday. Catch that, 'little girl'? It was fun for a change!



I've also finished the first heart and started the second.



Work has been busy since I got back from class, and it's been hard to keep up with all the lists. And there are so many blogs I haven't been able to keep up with... I also need a calendar to keep track of the projects and things that are coming due. I have to go to Virginia for another class right after Labor Day. Need to get those projects done this weekend!

Today while I was outside, I saw a weed growing up through the Wisteria (that has a few second blooms - and so does the tulip tree). The weed is a deep red/wine stem with green berries that turn dark wine/purple when they're mature. I meant to get pics of it, but I didn't get it done. I'm thinking it would be a pretty thing to embroider... The last time we went out, about 9:00 pm, it is so muggy you could see the humidity hanging around the lights.

I did take the pictures in the daylight...

Weekend

Problems? Yes, there is no water running from my faucets... What to do? Well... Now that's a deep subject - it is the well or is it the plumbing, as my son suspects. It will be a total inconvenience, but tomorrow will call a plumber! My folks live near enough by for bathing today.

At least I've done some stitching... and did a little tatting, too.

What am I doing up at 4:30 a.m.

I woke straight away this morning at about 4:00 a.m. with my son on my mind and called him. He returned the call a bit later, and all is fine with him - just a wacky mom!! I have forgotten to take my pm meds for two days in a row - perhaps that has my system off kilter?? I think of it now, when it is only a couple of hours until time for the am doses.

In a message today on the Hand Embroidery list I mentioned a book that talks about mourning quilts. The name of the book is Quilting to Soothe the Soul, "Create Memories for Today, Tomorrow & Forever", by Linda Carlson.

Catching up on a little blog hopping:

Lillian is showing her pretty paisley design and some silk blocks she's been working on

As always, Debbie R is doing beautiful work on HER 100 days

Janet wonders when 'enough is enough'

Looks like dd may have gotten her pink page back??

And now I guess I'd better go back to bed for an hour or so - the day will be long and busy tomorrow. We have our annual fall orientation meeting, and ALL employees were 'invited'. Our president is retiring in December, and I wonder if they have something planned? Just my speculation! Good morning, all.

Catching up with some Stitching

I've tried to catch up with some stitching, and made a little progress. Today I joined the Have a Heart Swap with the Hand Embroidery group. I couldn't wait to get home to find fabrics, so went ahead and put it together. There may be too much going on, but will have to study it a little more. It looks pretty good in the picture, but up close it seems busy. I do need to do a little edge straightening!! Comments?



These are my stitch challenge samplers for the Stem and Chain stitches that I did most of in Orangeburg last week. Not the greatest looking things in the world, but practice none the less.



And this is an embroidered fan I'm working on with new threads, Kreninik Soie Perlee. I'm loving them so far.

Home Again, Home Again

Seems like I've been gone for ages, and a week is a long time for me! I went to a class for work, and I learned a lot. The class was in Orangeburg, SC, which is a very small town that was quite hospitable. I took Pixie along, and that worked out quite well. I had a chance to go back at lunch time to take her out and check on her, and she was, as always, happy to see me in the evening! Did very little stitching, just a little on the stem and chain stitches.

The class finished early, so had a chance to do a short day trip - but didn't have my camera because didn't think there would be any time for fun stuff. That really shouldn't matter, should have it at all times - right? Yes, of course! Charleston is about 75 miles from there, so that's where I headed for fun. Pixie and I went through the outdoor marketplace, or City Market that was once the Old Slave Market. As the tour guide said, Did you ever by a farmer at the Farmers' Market? Well, no one bought slaves at the Slaves' Market. It is the place where slaves took what they made or grew in excess to make extra money. Seemed to be a lot of the same type stuff all over, jewelry and hand-made baskets, but it was very interesting - and lots of people! Then I went for a carriage tour that was very interesting. Got lots of info and to see a lot of the city without walking all over. I'm out of shape, and Pixie has never walked so much in her little life - but she did great!

I couldn't be that near the coast without walking on the beach, so we headed to Folly Beach. It was Pixie's first ocean experience, and she wasn't all that impressed. She ran back when the surf came up. It is a beautiful beach and I'd like to go for an extended visit some time.

So, today I'm washing clothes and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. I'll be working Warren's schedule this week - 8am - 7pm Monday through Thursday and off Friday. Those will be quite long days for me since I'm used to working 8a - 4p.

100 Details for 100 Days

I think I'll add completed days work of my Sharon's 100 Details for 100 Days to this post for a while...

Day 25 (Saturday) This was fun. I found another block in the drawer that had been pieced for a LONG time, but had NO seamwork or motifs on it. This day's work is made of chevron, detached daisey, and straight stitches, and I used Edmar rayon Nova.



This is Day 24 - (Friday) another variety of wisteria. I started on the right with Edmar rayon thread, but it wasn't showing up as I wanted, so I switched to Finca cotton 12 and liked it a lot better.





I'm not up to date, but have finished days 22 and 23.



The yahoo lists have been quiet the last few days - guess everyone is busy and hot. Today (August 3, 2006) the heat index was 104 here - whew!!

Finished the Peacock and Pixie

Thanks to the 15 Minute Challenge from our Crazy Seoul Sister of the Hand Embroidery list, I have finished the colorful peacock! Now I'll get on with the stitch of the month, the Stem stitch!



I jokingly told JK she should get her hubby to let her dry his feet like I do my pup's feet. When we come inside and it's wet or she has grass clippings on her feet, I say, Let me dry your feet, and she will hold up her leg to let me wipe them. JK said I needed to preserve that picture, so here it is. Pixie thought I was a little strange tell her to let me dry her feet when we hadn't been outside, but she did as I asked :-)

Catching Up to August

Wow - it's hard to believe it is August already - has it ever been hot. In the upper 90's is tough, but really should be ashamed to complain when others have been in the 120's for weeks on end.

Jonathan and Kilo (Great Dane grandpuppy) visited this past weekend. That little girl has feet almost the size of my palm. Her crate is bigger than one of my bathrooms!! My Pixie tried to shrink away from her as much as possible. Talk about Mutt and Jeff :-). She got to go for grooming on Saturday, and I think it was a relief for her.

Last week there was a real deal on DMC perle cotton size 5 for 25 cents a skein. I got lots of colors. It is pretty thick, but it will probably look good on cotton quilts. I notice Sharon uses size 5 on some of the 100 Details seams.

I'm going to try to do the 15 Minute Challenge with the Hand Embroidery group - stitch for at least 15 minutes a day. Right now a peacock, thanks to Pam Kellog's Kitty & Me Designs, is in progress, and it HAS to get finished, so that will keep me on target for a while. I need to get started on the lap quilt I intend to make for Mary Michael for Christmas and continue with the Travel quilt. Didn't I read a quote somewhere recently about crafters' good intentions?

See completed peacock ...


I just deleted a tirade on customer service that got started with the Postal Service last week. It is apparent that one more customer just does not make that much difference to many businesses in the marketplace today. Suffice it to say that customer service ain't what it used to be.

This is a white peacock from Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches that I stitched on someone's round robin block in 2003.