Pixie and Family

This morning you can see what it's like to be a fur baby in this home. I tried to slip in on Pixie before she got up one morning, but she's audibly super sensitive. She sleeps with me, usually starting curled up around my legs or hips, but typically ends up on the pillow.

This is a photo of my immediate family. Some of you know that my DS has moved back in with me while he is back in college. Along with him came Kilo, about one-year old Great Dane. In July she and I had an accident. After walking her, we were playing with her tennis ball, and it took a bounce under the split-rail fence. Not knowing I couldn't 'hop the rail' she went for the ball under the rail, I stumbled, and my face went into the top rail. Yep, it ended with about eight stitches - well, not really ended. Under my eye is still puffier and sort of bruised looking, and the cheek bone area still has a few numb places, but all in all, it's better.

I hear you asking - no, I don't walk her anymore. She's too much for me to handle. Don't like to say that, but it's just a matter of physics, I suppose.

Yesterday, Saturday, DS and I spent about five hours cleaning house. Scrubbing the bathrooms, moving furniture sweeping and mopping, cleaning the stove - he's the chef, I'm the clean-up gal. It was SO worth it, though. I had been at the point of shame for visitors, but now guests are welcome. Well, except for my sewing room, but that's a day of its own. Everything is in turmoil in there from searching, pulling together, tatting trip, and just not keeping everything in its place. And my closet - big clothes, summer clothes, and now fitting clothes. The off season and wrong size clothes usually live in the closet in my sewing room, but with the change of size and season, they've all been mixed and so it needs major attention. Not today, though. I'm enjoying the rest of the house being in order!

Thread Binge

The friends who drop by my blog once in a while know that I'm an addict - a CQ addict. Did you know that being a CQ Addict entails lots of other addictions, as well? You've seen some of my button binges, fabric binges, and today I'm showing a thread binge!











Here is a sampler I won on eBay of Kreinik Silk in Antique





Below are photos of some beauties from Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers:



Amanda Robertson
















May Constable











Detritus Bag

Time to Share

~~Updated~~

So many of you kind folks have commented and asked 'How'd you do it' that I thought I'd tell the plan that has worked for me. Of course we all know that my plan won't work for everyone; you have to find your own that works for you. But if any little tip can help someone else, then that's what sharing is all about; right?

Here's a link to a note in April when things were getting started, and another in June. Since then, I've really just been keeping on. The typical day is breakfast - still cereal and skim milk, some coffee and Diet Mt. Dew along, then dinner. No, I don't eat lunch. I sit on my behind all day in front of this computer, as I told DS the other day, it's a waste of calories to eat lunch when I'm not working in the fields or doing ANY physical activities. I know many people can't do that with blood sugar issues and such, but it works for me. Back to dinner - usually chicken or fish with some veggies. A piece of fruit or pretzels after dinner is a sometimes snack, but do try not to eat after dinner.

It has almost been a year since I seriously decided I HAD to lose some weight. I think it was October of 2006 when I realized it was possible, and that it was most certainly time to do something! As I've stated before, you name a diet, fad or otherwise, and I've probably tried it. So, as I near my goal of losing 50 pounds (about four to go - and they may be the slowest), I decided it's time to show you the changes. This first picture was taken in April 2006, I think.

This was this morning, August 20, 2007. I'm not skinny, by any means, but don't intend to be.

Many of you have commented on the ticker across the title of my blog, and I thank you for the support. I also thank the Stash for Pounds yahoo group members, and especially Susan for their continued support - and for contributing to the Stash box I won for losing the most in the first six months!

It's been a long road, and I'm not quitting, just thought it was time to let you know how it's going!

RAOK

I got a lovely D.Morgan card yesterday with a baggie of goodies from Pat Winter. Is she telepathic as well as magically talented? I've been trying my hand at printing images to use on CQ projects, and there were several beautiful ones included. There were also the sweetest, tiny leaf charms, and some of her beautifully dyed silk ribbon. If you've ever gotten a package from Pat, you know the lovely scent each has that makes it even more special.

Thank you so much, Pat, for sharing these with me, but especially for being the generous, sharing, loving woman that you are!!

The Half-Blood Prince - *****

I finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and it was great. I had planned to go back to The Dark Tower, but now I've got to finish this series. The last one... I've heard it is VERY good, and I'm ready to know what happens. If you haven't read any of these books, you may think they're elementary. They are, somewhat, but I believe as the years have gone on, Harry and the gang have grown up, and so has the level of reading.

CQ Hearts

I went into the sewing room last night, and the next time I looked up it was 11:30. I was having a good time making hearts. Haven't done any stitching yet, but they're ready when I am.

Stash Enhancement

Over the last week or so, I've been really busy working longer than usual hours, and haven't had a lot of time for answering list group messages or blogging. Trying to do a little catch up today...

Found a package of 30 ink jet printing silk sheets at a very reasonable price!




Also got a couple of women images' CDs from Ephemeraplus to use for those silk sheets.



Some new threads I got in the mail from eBay

"Original: China Quality: 100% Silk with intense sheen Length: 20m per shein,20 skeins,about 400m.Colors:Rainbow of color." Chinese Art Online.


As you can see from the scan, these are a finer silk than I typically use, but they're very pretty, light, and cover well with two strands. You can see a little of the thread in use on my Fall Swap block.



"Silk Embroidery Floss Thread
10 skeins of pure silk floss. Rainbow of colors, no duplcate.This beautiful thread is similar to Soie Platte with intense sheen. 23m per skein, not the 5m or 8m small skein you buy in the store."
Little Cheribs Online.
I haven't tried these yet, but they appear to be even a little finer than the previous.






I also got a couple more skeins of the cotton from YarnPlayer on Etsy.com
"Hand dyed size 50 6-cord cotton crochet thread with color variation from red,pink,peach,yellow,light yellow-green,and bright green. I am calling this batch "Rhubarb Crisp". The base thread is DMC Cordonnet Special. I used Procion MX dyes to hand paint it. This is a lovely thread for tatting or other lace work."

Egyptian Blocks - Received

On the CQ for Newbies list, JK hosted an Egyptian Themed Swap. These are the ones I recieved.

Deborah H

I can see that you love turquoise - as the block I got made by you is mostly that in background fabrics, and it is lovely! The appliqued images across the block are very nicely done, and the center embroidered queen is beautifully done. Your stitching is very pretty and so neat and even. Very nice!

Sharon R

What a well done block. The stitching is so nice. Love the scene with Moses in his basket floating across the river. A nicely done ankh and a gold metallic Eye of Horus or Eye of Ra. Very nice, indeed. The metallic looks multi colored in the scan, but it is gold.

Thank you both very much for participating in this fun swap!

And thank you, JK for hosting this for us!!

Nice Matters

I am so honored that Ati nominated my blog for the Nice Matters award. Ati is one of my online friends - we drool over each others Crazy Quilt work, swap blocks and things, and are generally lovers of crafts. She seems to me to be the most calm and gentle lady, always has a kind word to say, and she truly leaves you with a good feeling. She is definitely deserving of this Nice Matters award. This friendship award was started by Bella Enchanted, so if you'd like to learn more about her thoughts, you can read more here. This is one of my favorite memes since it focuses on others - isn't that nice for a change? One of the suggestions was to list seven of my own Nice Matters nominations:

Gerry,

A real sweetheart of a woman. She snuggles right up and warms your heart - near or far.

Susan,

What a really nice woman she is. She is thoughtful, helpful, and generous to almost a fault.

Lesa,

A CQforNewbies listmom, who has talent, creativity, and the knack for inspiring others.

Candi,

A more recent friend who wouldn't let me slip away from the list where we met without keeping kind, sweet words coming my way.

Lillian,

Don't get to see much of this genuine lady anymore, but she is humble, kind, and a true woman of many talents - many of which have nothing to do with the needle.

Debbie,

Another online friend who is quieter now, but she is so inspiring with her lovely work. When she says, Gotta Sew, you know it means business!

Carole,

One of the lovliest ladies you'll ever want to meet. I speak of Carole Samples, of the "Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches' fame. No, I've not met her face to face, but her messages are so sweet, and her work is fabulous!! No, Carole doesn't have a blog, nor a web site, but do a Google search and learn lots more about her and the wonderful talent she shares!

August Heat

It's been a busy time at work, but I have a minute and want to share our local weather predictions with y'all. Too bad this display didn't include the humidity... but it's running about 50%. Oh, and that breeze... it feels like sauna air. Thus it's not so bad to be working, you see - better in than out. Of course, I'd rather be home stitching, but the mortgage must be paid!

July Full Moon

Wasn't the full moon beautiful tonight? After an evening of heavy rain, it cooled off some and cleared enough to see this beauty.

SOH - Share Our Hearts - Received

***updated 07/30/07***

Please accept my thanks for all your time and talent put into making these wonderful hearts for me. My son was here when I opened the package, and he said, are all these for you? They are nice - what will you do with them? I haven't made up my mind yet, but I know for a while I'll just fondle and love them. Thanks just doesn't seem adequate, does it? But I do sincerely thank you all.


I'm the July member of the Share Our Hearts group on the CQ for Newbies list. I will post the hearts as I receive them here. It has been so much fun making hearts for the others in the group, and there are several more.

Today was the bundle day! Linda sent my remaining SoHs, and is it ever a bag full of beauty!



This one is from Peggy - and is it not beautiful? Purple and gold were my high school colors - but this is far beyond high school! I love the fan with flower sequins and the ribbon bow with pearls. Just lovely! Thank you, Peggy!


This pretty green and purple is from Jaki. Love these colors together! The bead 'streams' on the right are so unusual and pretty, and the enhancement to the floral fabric with silk ribbon and stem stitching just sets it off. And the sweet butterfly in the peak is just the right touch. No way you're getting this one back, Jaki! Thank you!

This one came from Karen. Isn't it elegant? The middle paisley section is a deep maroon enhanced with stitching. The button trail is just elegant enough - perfect, and the motif on the right has a rose in it's center, and there is braid and beads along the center. The bottom is a silk ribbon spray - very nice. Thank you, Karen!

Karen also included these lovely goodies. I don't have any motifs like these, and there's also lace, silk flowers, and some pretty fibers, too. Thanks again, Karen!



This one came to me unsigned, but I guessed correctly - can you? See the beautiful mother and child print surrounded by silk ribbon roses and detached chain stitches? There's a pretty metal fan charm stitched down with pretty thread. There are silk roses, a plant button, stitching and breaid. Just lovely! Thank you, Linda C!




This sweet kitty heart is from Lori - he's cross stitched with colorful threads matching the other pieces in the heart! A real sweetie pie! And there are delicate stitches and beads all around, too. Thank you, Lori!

And here is another heart from Peggy. One of the members of this group was unable to fulfill the year, so Peggy did a make up block. It's in a peach and pale green color theme, and just lovely. Sequins, beads, motifs all come together to make a very lovely heart - so soft and warm feeling. Pretty work, Peggy. Thanks and double thanks to you!

Today brought another SoH - this one from Candi.

It is so pretty in purple! There's a print in the center with a fairy on the crescent moon - my favorite! A great gold web with spider, a lovely seam of beads with a butterfly charm, and some wonderful SRE roses. Did the sprinkle of 'stars' glitter come on the fabric or is that something you attached? Very nicely done! Loving it! Click on the heart to get as full effect as you can in a photo. 7/7/07

Candi also sent a sweet silver angel of Faith, Hope, and Love. I believe it is a key chain fob, but I may attach it to my purse or craft bag!

Thank you so much, Candi. Your sharing is just as sweet as your usual kind words.

Oh, boy, oh boy! Another SoH - from Susan. She had posted about my heart on her blog about a week ago, but can you believe I didn't peek? I wanted to be surprised!
Isn't it beautiful? The heart is made from Doupioni silk, and it has a delicate fern stitched heart outline with pretty little beads. The main motif on the heart is a silk ribbon bouquet of blue bells. It is so pretty, and I love it! I didn't even know Susan did much silk ribbon stitching! 7/6/07

Then there are these great extra goodies! Some very pretty motifs that look so lacy and dainty, two heart beads that may be cloisonne, and some of the YarnPlayers' thread that I failed to order and is now out of stock!! You're a sneaky one - Ms. Susan!!

Thank you so much - I really do love it all!

Today when I got home, there was a box in the mail. What did I order? Hum... It wasn't anything I'd ordered, it was a package from Gerry! My SoH - oh, boy!
Isn't this a beautifully stitched heart? I love the colors, and all the beading is wonderful. There are tiny charm insects, and even a "Gerry" spider. Click to see all the detail - it's great. 6/29/07

Along with the embellished heart, Gerry sent a coordinated pieced heart for me to stitch on, along with some lovely beads and charms, fabric, and laces. There is also a sun push mold, pattern for the spirit doll, AND one of the great pin cushions that she makes. I saw them on her site a long while ago and thought how wonderful it would be to have one... Did you know that Gerry is a poet? She included the sweetest poem. What a special gift from a special friend. I love it all!!

Thank you so much, Gerry.



Today I received the first one from Wilma. Wilma, you're on the ball, aren't you? Wilma is vacationing and I'm sure she wanted to get this done so she could concentrate on having fun! I hope you're having the best of times, and look forward to reading about it when you return!

6/25/07

I think this heart is so precious! If you click on the picture, you can see the little angel and the beautiful, delicate stitching Wilma does. She also included several little (which I like) lace motifs, beautiful glass buttons, and a post card from Arnhem in The Netherlands.







Thank you very much, Wilma.

The Kids

I've mentioned that my DS's dog, Kilo, a Great Dane pulled me into the split rail fence next to our house that made a gash on my cheekbone last week. I'm doing fine, just a few stitches and some loose 'gel' in my eye that is causing me to see floaters, but the doctor says it's ok.

She and Pixie are getting along fairly well, although Pixie has learned (or at least it's the first times I've heard her) to growl. She's not a mean or hostile girl, she's just so big and heavy that playing sometimes hurts. She is almost a year old, so I guess she's still growing.

Pixie is still a bit cautious!

Kilo likes Pixie's water better than her own, of course!

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter

I was telling a friend the other day about my button binge shopping spree, and she said she almost got an anxiety attack when she heard about threads or buttons and couldn't find them to buy. That sounds so familiar. I'm usually a bargain hunter, or at least a shopper. I have been looking for this book for several months, and finally found it at a price I was willing to pay. Now... Why do I 'need' this book? I don't. I have no small children or grandchildren, but I HAD to have it. Maybe there will be some images that I can use for CQ, or a quote, but it is here, it is beautiful, and it makes me smile. That must be reason enough!

Your Inner Blood Type is Type A

You seem cool and collected, though a bit shy. You are highly driven and a perfectionist, but that's a side you keep to yourself. Creative and artistic, you are a very unique person who doesn't quite fit in. People accept you more than you realize, seeing you as trustworthy and loyal. You are most compatible with: A and AB

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

Button Binge

~~~Updated 7/28/07 ~~~

I received some beautiful buttons from Wilma with my SoH birthday heart. Wilma, Wilma, you don't know what you started. It has been a long time since I had one of these, but... I just can't seem to help myself. I don't know nearly as much as I should about buttons before buying them online, but...

Still in the throws of a button binge! Here are some I got this week.

7/25

I got these in the mail today. 7/13

Silver luster
These extras came along with them!



I found these on Etsy!

Here are a few of the ones I've received thus far. This colorful group was described as depression glass, and they are lovely! 7/11

These were described as vintage clear glass and Lucite. Most are glass, but there are some that need a good bath. Got a good price for lots of buttons!


These are the medium sized ones



These are some with rhinestones and other shapes - need a bath!


Here are some sets with many multiples.


These on cards are vintage - .15 and .25 cents.