Starting and revising the Abigail sampler tonight

Putting needle to fabric with different variations of Crescent Color and Weeks threads on this 32 ct Bo Peep pink linen. Started this tonight after a long day of running errands and shopping. So far, I'm pleased with it. I've already changed a few minor things as I stitched and there will be another row of something between her name and the second line. This is really alot of fun!

Calling it a day though as I'm tired and ready for some shut-eye.

Jennifer

Friday Flutters and other sundries

Sometimes I feel like a butterfly, fluttering around the many places and things I get started.....it's way too beyond ADHD but necessary right now at this part of life.
But, anyway, after work tonight and a lovely dinner of a bag of Chips, salsa, sour cream and cheese all microwaved on a plate twice over a great conversations of our days at work, Body Guard and I laughed at what needed laughing.....and said OMG, and what needed OMG! LOL
Our back porch is usually the grounding spot for us after a day's work where we can relax for a few before we get into our own ventures.

It really makes for an interesting dinner conversation at the end of a day. Law Enforcement and medical all wrapped into one. Sometimes, it's just plain wacky conversations.

After that, Miss Abbie thinks my job is to hold her 24/7 and she wants me to make up for that when I come home. However, she is getting adjusted to being held only 2 hours at night instead of 5 or 6 and by 10:30pm she is ready for bed. Sleep time for Miss Abbie.

Friday is when I remember what I forgot all during the week on my to-do list.

I have some things that needed to be mailed 2 weeks ago and I know for sure this will be mailed tomorrow.
I packaged them up and also wrote notes I needed to get out in the mail.

I also did a happy dance to clear off the kitchen island, our hot spot of clutter, and plopped down for a few with this that I got yesterday. I LOVE Country Sampler magazine. I can look at it 52 times and always find something new to either make or dream about. This is the Fall issue.

And is it ever good!!!!!

And I am definitely looking at making some prairie curtains now. Have no pattern but I really need to do this for Fall. Hubbie is amazed at how often decor changes at home, going along seasonally, but he goes with the flow.

Right before this I plopped a nice size tart melt onto the melting tin and cinnamon is filling the house making the reading even more inviting for Fall weather. I'm trying to meditate for it to come early this year.  I know we have a little bit more of Summer to go but I get so excited for Fall.

I also pulled out my linen I had in my stash and started the Abbie sampler, The Dog Days of Summer.

I had some 32ct Bo Peep Pink, Belfast linen. It's the palest of pink, really pale and I like it with the sampler for her.

I'm working my way through the color process and the first colors I chose, I have changed already because I didn't have several in my stash. So, these are the ones I'm working with now.

Let's just say I really like Belfast linen. Weeks is very stretchy to me although the colors are nice.

I still have The Sampler Girl's pattern, At Home with Jane Austen in my large Qsnap and in the Needlework frame and working on the house.

Not much progress because of work.

Of course, Abbie is white with a little really light tannish spots, so I will use antique white probably for her coloring with CC country lane in her marking spots.

I picked up this green as it's really a better blend for the lettering (other than her name).

Her name I'm stitching in CC Secondhand Rose. It really goes well with the Bo Peep pink linen.

I have never stitched with this brand before but someone who knew I loved stitching found a bag of threads at an auction for very little and she gave a bagful of different ones to me. Many perle DMC which I have never used and then this Neede Necessities Inc. overdyed thread. It's a big hank of thread and my favorite of pinks so this will contrast nicely as well.

I also got this pattern in the mail this week with the accompanying backing remnant. Getting Away with Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl. Actually, I think I had it earlier.....the weeks since Ren passed has flowed one to the other, anyway, I do have it. I had planned to stitch this while in Chicago on July 4th but we never made it to a vacation due to the circumstances so I will still have this one for Sept when we do get to go again.

Can you believe Sunday is August 1st????????

I hope to get finished with the At Home with Jane Austen sampler before I begin this one.

You know how things change....I digress.

I also have some Fallish fabbie cuts to put in the Shoppe soon so stay-tuned for your Fall finishing needs.

Till later,

Jennifer

My journey yesterday led to a great book passage

Yesterday someone crossed my journey and made an impact on my life~~again. It was too much coordinated to be just a coincidence. Anyway, without the details, she told me about a book that was sooooo good. The year before when I saw her I recommended The Shack and she told me it was great, she read did read it!

This year she said, "get the book Redeeming Love, I just read it and it's wonderful". So, on to Walmart after work to search for the book. Well, the book was not there, so I will have to order on Amazon. However, I noticed the new book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I think the movie with Julia Roberts will be out in a couple of weeks.
I picked it up and it opened automatically to pages 184-185 first. Caught me off guard as it was a list called
Instructions for Freedom

The list that follows in the book reads:

1. Life's metaphors are God's instructions.

2. You have just climbed up and above the roof. There is nothing between you and the Infinite. Now, let go.

3. The day is ending. It's time for something that was beautiful to turn into something else that is beautiful. Now, leg go.

4. Your wish for resolution was a prayer. Your being here is God's response. Let go, and watch the stars come out---on the outside and on the inside.

5. With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go.

6. With all your heart, forgive him, FORGIVE YOURSELF (was written in caps in the book) and let him go.

7. Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering. Then, let go.

8. Watch the heat of day pass into the cool night. Let go.

9. When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go.

10. When the past has passed from you at last, let go. Then climb down and begin the rest of your life. With great joy.
~~~~excerpt from the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I felt so at peace reading this and knew exactly what this meant for me. Isn't it great when you know that God really is there and he works in your life in very mysterious ways???

I ended up buying this book and look forward to reading it through.
Hope your Friday journey crosses a friend with a distinct message of hope.
Till later,

Made a blanket for Abbie tonight

My mama made me a thick cotton blanket out of puppies!  {{Abbie}}

Yep, today I went fabbie hunting at lunch in between a very busy day at work and I saw this new flannel material with puppy dogs on it and I came home and found some cotton batting and used some fabric I got from the Boston trip to back it. I have no idea how to make a binder but I tried and if it ravels........she won't mind at all. It's kinda heavy which is good because she claimed our sofa quilt as her own each night.

Now she has one for herself.

I was actually still playing with my sewing machine and used one of the zigzag stitches for a couple of rows each end to secure the pieces together and boy, did that use a whole spool of thread!!!!  LOL

Live and learn.

She likes it though and loves playing with her toys on it because it's soft.

I definitely need to add a quilt footer to the list when I go to the city again for sewing thick layers.

I know we don't need flannel for the weather, that's for sure! It's quite hot and humid here in the mountains.

Hope your Thursday is soft and cuddly too~~~

A very unexpected letter today in the mail

When hubbie came home today he brought the mail in and I had this letter opened, thinking what in the world is from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at The University of Georgia.

I read this and was so impressed with the thoughtfulness and my heart was touched.

His doctors donated a monetary fund in memory of Ren to further the development of animal studies at the University.

There was a big Wow factor and then tears.

We miss him alot. He touched alot of lives and his memory will live on.

And because of his life, further research in Vet Medicine will be benefiting other animals.

A Summer Abigail Sampler

The inspiration this afternoon.

after working with the basic ideas this is the colors I came out with here.

Because she is light tan and white, mostly white (ecru), I think I would choose a 32 count darker Belgian linen to work with but haven't started on it yet.

Just dabbling and playing, kinda like her today.

Her tail is a bit plumish, but it is in real life.

I put a smile in the pink heart contrasting 2 shades of pink.

The top border is a blend of CC Cottage Green and Pink Peony

Again, I'm just taking rough pics from the computer monitor.

And the bottom part.

She has an old black Dutch tin that I use to fill with doggie treats. She knows after play she gets a treat.

If you want to see her pink ears the largest, just say the word treat! I put her initial on her treat tin. ;)

I'm going to pull the colors (hopefully I have them) and see if they jive and play with it a little.

While I was away at the computer, she hopped on the sofa and literally shredded my printed color copy of the first one, so I guess she didn't like those colors.....LOL

Glad there is a SAVE button on the computer!

Hope your Tuesday went well today and your staying cool in your neck of the woods.

Till later,

Jennifer

A Different Kind of Needle

I mosey downstairs  after a couple of sips of coffee to the basement level where there's an ever ending cleaning project lying around everywhere to look at the new sink in the mud/laundry area, and where Miss Abbie enjoys a lavender bath and massage weekly! ;)

Both the furbabies liked baths, but Abbie likes hers more than Ren ever did.

After I wash Abbie now, she dries to the resenblence of a Chia pet, because she has such thick, thick hair!

She now has a plume for a tail.

Then I moseyed over to look at which section of the basement stuff I wanted to go through today. It's a never ending project when the two of us are pack rats. But it's soooooooo much better.

Being a music lover, I cannot seem to give, sell, or use my old albums. To buy an album back in the day at our house was a fine luxury and then in college, well maybe for holidays, so I have mine stacked and collecting dust.

I brought them up to the kitchen in better light to go through them and to me it was like flicking the TV channel in my brain.

 This is already a Twisted Tuesday.

Brings back the way we used to listen to music with a different needle.

This was one of my prized possessions in the late 70's.

oh yeah, I can remember these guys.

This was a favorite and treasured album of mine. I loved Kenny Rogers.

I think I got this album as a Christmas gift the year I graduated from high school.

His music is still dear to me.

Oh yeah, here is one of my first albums. Mickey mouse.

I played this on my plastic record player about 2000 times before the age of 10.

I was about 5 when I got this one for Christmas. Goofy was my favorite. Think of that! :)

OMG! I stole my dad's Christmas album!  I must mail it to him, if he remembers way back yonder The Ray Connif Singers. To be in my collection, I guess I must have been pretty bored at one time or needing Christmas music. Better yet, I'll keep it till he comes to see us. Ha!

 

now this is one of my faves and I really hate to admit it because at the office, I know one particular person who definitely makes fun of all of us Barry Manilow, 1970=80's crowd.  LOL

It's kind of funny. But he did have some touching songs and I sang them with vigor through the years.

Somewhere Down the Road and Even Now----my faves.

He was the only concert that I could go to in high school or college. Simply couldn't afford a concert. But one year we got a discounted ticket and I went with a friend to see Barry in Concert with his shining white piano on a rotating stage seranading me through dreamland.

Chicago--speaks for itself.  And what do you know?  I married someone from Chicago, Illinois!

I still love all their songs too.

Remember Wham?  So 80's.  Gag with me a spoon, 80's.

Just joking. They had some good music too.

I remember it vividly as I got whammed alot in the 80's while I was wearing my leggings and spiral permed hair.

I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I got this waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day.

I still have this on CD somewhere and listen in the car.

Ahhhh, and this one I got in London, England in 1981, September when I was on a mission trip with our church and we had a few days to shop in London. I was enrolled in college through music scholerships and was a Music Major for a short time. I loved Chopin.

Ok, the cookies are almost gone by now.........

A few more here.

I absolutely think Elton John's music is unlike no other. There is not even one song of his that I do not care for. I love them all!

Nor this man either. I forgot how many of his albums I had.

Ok, I admit, I had a crush on Kenny Rogers.........LOL

yep, funny how many Kenny Rogers album I collected. I opened this one and remembered how I used to think this was the picture perfect family. Dogs were allowed in the house, the man and woman were touching each other, pictures all around, something that was foreign to me in my early years.

 

I wonder if this is worth anything?

I forgot I even had this one.

I remember doing some serious dance routines in the living room with my kids as toddlers, in my tight leggings and spiral -permed hair. How funny!  They probably don't even remember.

Unfortunately, my X took a hammer and crashed it once when he was mad, completely tearing the record player up. He told me it was that or my head.  That ended record-playing.

And know now that the life I always wanted is here now. Safe and peaceful in the mountains.

You just never know what life will bring ya.

This was a gift to me in 2000 before I moved here by a dear friend who knew I loved the mountains.

Thomas Kinkade's End of a Perfect Day, my favorite of his paintings.

I even bought the pattern to stitch in a specialty shop many years ago but never did. It is in the Nest Feathers Shoppe now.

Well, best get back to some dance moves to get on with the day of a list of twenty things to do by 5pm. I think I'll go put on my skinny jeans now and whistle a few tunes.