Happy Dead Presidents Day

Happy birthday to George and Abe! Living in the "Land of Lincoln" I cannot remember a grade when we didn't study Abe in school. I've visited the capital city (Springfield IL) many times to do the Lincoln Sites. It's a great place to take kids and teach them about history. Lincoln has a new Presidential Library in Springfield that I am anxious to see. But those not to be missed are his house (the only house he ever owned which is pictured at left in XS) in downtown Springfield that is now run by the US Park Service. Lincoln was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, where a 177 foot (54 m) tall granite tomb with several bronze statues of Lincoln was constructed by 1874.

New Salem Park, was a settlement where Lincoln lived when he was growing up. This grove of restored cabins is a great place to take kids and turn them loose for a day. Born February 12, 1809 in KY, Abe will be 200 years old in two years.

Happy BD to you to George.....

More Fun Hearts

On the left is a tartan papermache heart with barbed wire wrapped around it. It was a gift from a friend of mine a few years back. On the right is a beaded heart that I hung from my chandelier in the dining room. Time to put them all away for another year and drag out the Shamrocks.

Another Blackbird Finish

Tis' Halloween was taught at the Shepherd's Bush retreat in Park City Utah in September 2006. I know what drew me to this piece was the date they used in the design. It was the year my mother was born so I stitched this piece for her and finished it last week on her 75th birthday. With yummy crescent colors it was a joy to stitch. Thanks go to a friend who enabled me to stitch this since I wasn't in the Blackbird track.

Happy Valentines Day

After several days of having the CRUD and being totally MIA, I wasn't really into the sweet holiday this year so it's good I managed to do a tiny bit of decorating a couple weeks ago.

Here you see a couple of my red Longaberger baskets and some "heart day" things I've stitched.

The second piece from left (heart and key) was a gift from a dear friend in Singapore 2.5 years ago. Thanks Choon Chew.

At the top are pics of DH and I in Hawaii and at Big Bear Lake CA and a model of the car he had when we started dating and a collection of Nantucket baskets. The framed piece at right is the top of Little Paradise Sampler. I have two more fun Valentine pieces to share with you, (totally non-stitching) but that has to wait because I'm off to dreamland with my drugs.

Blackbird Weekend

Pictured at left is the Shepherd's Bush version of Quaker Garden that I have all kitted up. I love pink and I love purple, so it doesn't get much better than this for me.

I'm almost finished with the Blackbird design that was taught at the Shepherd's Bush retreat last September, (Tis' Halloween) so I hope to start Quaker Garden this weekend. Then there's the DT gameboard and that ornament I need to do this month.

Inside the Wooden Treasure Chest

When last we met, I was going to spend my weekend having a go at the wooden chest that holds my stash that is out of sight and out of mind. I managed that before life went into overdrive and here's what I found. There were distinctly two groups, one of kits or of things I've kitted and not yet started. The rest were pretty much unfinished obsessions that I hope to finish one day. They are now all nice and neatly arranged and I hope to dig something out of there from time to time now that I know how to find things. The small piece I finished during the SuperBowl was a kit that I kept out to work on, so there's hope.
I hate to have to admit that I have a large blanket basket to dig into one of these weekends that is also full of stitching, and there's a drawer in a bookcase and OMG where does it end.

KITTED: (waiting to be started)
Miniature Samplers IV/Homespun Elegance (with 28 crème cashel)
2006 Cross Stitch Calendar/EEF
Such an Undertaking/Amy Mitten (Kit from 2006 SB retreat class)
With the Same MO: Victim #2/Amy Mitten Kit
With the Same MO: Victim #3/Amy Mitten Kit
Secrets of a Queen/Amy Mitten (Kit from 2004 SB retreat class)
Friends are Angels on Earth/Hearts Content Kit
Preamble Sampler/Feeling Stitchy
Elizabethan Necessaire/Charland (Kit from 2004 SB retreat class)
Terri’s Needle Case/Lori Birmingham Kit
Jessie Burnett Sampler/Aspen Ridge Threadworks (Vikki Clayton silks)
The Ann Carter Sampler/Scarlet Letter Kit
The Mermaids Sampler/Forget-Me-Nots in Stitches Class Kit
Roses & Ruffs/CatsPaw Designs Kit (from 2004 class)
Summer Jubilee/Blackbird Designs (32ct Tombstone)
Quaker Garden/Blackbird Designs (SB conversion)
A Thread Fold/Mary Garry’s Sewing Cabin Kit
My Heart is True/Gail Bussi Kit
Adam & Eve/The Marking Sampler Kit
Americana Sampling/LHN Kit
Les Lys/Cousines et Compagnie Kit
Women of the Mayflower/Sarah Ullman (32ct Sand Dune)
Stitching Chair Necessaire/Hillside Sampling Kit
Atalie/Le Coeur Atalie Kit
Scared Stitches 2006/SB Retreat class kit
A Secret Garden Needlework Necessary/Forget-Me-Nots in Stitches
Happy Hearts Sampler/BOAF (32ct Meadowlark)
Feb Heart Fob/Needle’s Content Kit
Spring Garden/BOAF (32ct Flamingo)
Mermaid 2002/Sarah Ullman Free Design
Rhine Castle/old JCS
Celtic Cross/Elizabeth Designs Kit (charm & fibers)
And They Sinned/Examplar Dames (Elegant Bean & GAST)
Scattering Seeds/Barrick
The Announcement/EFTH
Halloween Costume/BOAF free design
Dandelion Sampler/DT (from JCS June 94)
Be A Witch/SB
Christmas Elves/BOAF
Valentine Holiday/BOAF

STARTED: (waiting to be finished)
Bonjour/Mariska (32ct white Belfast)
Noah's Ark Sampler/The City Stitcher (Birth Sampler for Tanner)
Autumn Sewing Roll/Needles Content Kit
Tis’ Halloween/Blackbird Designs (from 2006 SB retreat class)
Random Thoughts/Drawn Thread
My Son/Indigo Rose
Linen Lace/Drawn Thread
Ring of Stitches/Earth Threads Kit
Charm Garden/Just Nan
Mermaid & The Sea/EFTH
Celtic Christmas/Lavendar & Lace
Plimouth Plantation Sweete Bag/Examplarery
Happy Happy Day/SB (free kit from 2004 SB birthday party)
Le Quaker á 6 Mains/Free Design (28ct white cashel & Medieval Mulberry
Witches Pocket/R&R (kit from 2006 SB retreat)
2006 SB Retreat Welcome Kit Necklace
Come Tarry/SB (2004 SB class kit)
Sampler Necessaire & Scissor Keeper/DT
Too Tiny Too/DT
Generosity/DT
Desiderata Sampler/Indigo Rose
Quaker Huswif/Sampler Cove (32ct Lakeside Vintage Luna)
Pocketful of Posies/JCS Apr 1998
Letter “A”/M Designs (28ct Attic Lace & Nan’s Mulberry)
It Was Once…/Free design by Annick Abrial
Cinderella/Mirabilia (Sarah’s)
Hannah Bingham Sampler/Joanne Harvey from SANQ
Noel NeedleRoll/M Designs Kit
French Lesson/BOAF
With The Beatles/Sotu Inc
ESSY:
Rose of Hope/Indigo Rose
Circle of Hope/Brightneedle
Feelin’ Groovy/Ladybug Lane
Rays of Hope/Milady’s Needle
Cure Tree/M Designs
Lend a Hand/Charlotte Dudney
A Giving Heart/DT
In the Pink/Midsummer Night Designs
Dreamers High/Lavender Wings (28ct blue linen)

SuperBowl Score

I scored a finish during the SuperBowl last night. This free design USA/Sunflower Samplings was kitted up with this adorable frame and linen and all I had to do was pull fibers. Susan B. Anthony (she's the size of a quarter) on the right shows you how small this piece really is.

JANUARY ORNAMENT/Spruce Fob

My January Ornament. This is Spruce Fob by Heart's Content to be done over one, but I did it over two so I can make it an ornament rather than a fob. I met Maureen Appleton in 2001 while at a retreat in TN and she signed my chart while we had a nice chat. This kit was a gift from a very special friend in Italy. I can't wait to do the finishing as I adore the backing fabric for this piece.

DT Gameboard Progress

I think I'm behind where I projected for Feb, but life has gotten in the way bigtime lately and I could not stand doing one more house, so I started the alphabet which goes all too quickly, just like Cathy said. The scissor fob and scissors were a gift from my friend Debs last summer. It's another DT design so beautifully done.

20 houses-22 motifs-border 1/2 done