Happy Fourth!

Land of the free because of the brave.

Happy Birthday, America!

Give-away Little House Needleworks--Heart of America--used chart good condition

I usually keep all my patterns in case I stitch them again. This one in particular I know that I will not and want to share it with a friend. If you like Little House Needleworks and are patriotic, you will absolutely love this one!

I could easily sell this on Ebay but I really want it to go to a special home. My finished piece is hanging right by the front door and is a constant reminder to me how much we are lucky as Americans to still be free.

thank goodness for Random.org for picking the winner of this free chart.

Ok, here goes the facts about it:

1) Only post here once if you are interested in being part of this because I am using the random computer generator to select a winner. This is for the chart only. The floss is Crescent colors and the frame can be ordered separately through your LNS or online.

2) you must be a follower of this blog or join now to be a follower and then post

3) international is accepted

4) only one entry per person please.

5) This is a used chart, therefore, folds or creases in the pattern are there but nothing that would intefere with the reading of this chart.

6) If you are truly interested in a second entry for the random computer generator and a better chance, then post a second posting here that you have shared it on your blog.

7) The deadline for entries is March 25th at midnight. A name will be drawn on or about March 26th.

8) Join me in celebrating this period of time when Brandon comes home to US soil!!

Thanks,

Jennifer

For Richer, For Poorer, in good times and bad.......

Yep, right when I typed about our anniversary, I guess you could say that the Little House Needleworks Heart of America may have been grounds for divorce as we were definitely trying to get this piece straight with those black lines. He cut a very thin piece of wood. I skipped making it look puffy part and then we straightened and tightened as much we could before putting brads in the edges. I thought he was going to duct tape it for a minute there because he thinks duct tape is the answer for everything......LOL anyway, my wrinkles did not come out with ironing and stretching tight, so I'm ok, if I don't turn on the light in the foyer........
After that fiasco, I'm whining that it's still got the wrinkles and he says.......please, just let it sit until tomorrow and then we will look again............and so we are staying married now and will sleep on it.......LOL. But you better bet I will be checking it out again tomorrow evening....... ;)

This is my new start, This Too Shall Pass, by My Big Toe. I have to laugh now, because I really didn't put my pics in here to blend so well after a painful framing project together..........but it fits.

Be Still and Know by The Sampler Girl. Old WIP, new snowflakes today. My lunch work.

Ok, it's about CNN time and time to work on some of this stitching.

Finishing pieces definitely lends to some sense of accomplishment.

Heart of America--finished--unframed

Here's a sneak peak at the frame. Just placed above it. I thought I had a large enough mounting board but it was still too small. So, tomorrow night, hopefully, will finish working on the delimma.


When the kit puts in 1 skein of English Ivy floss........this is how much is leftover at the end. I was sweating bullets that it wouldn't be enough until the very end. yep, 2 cm is left.

The buttons are not sewn on yet. I did press it good. I will give another good pressing before framing tomorrow night and will sew the buttons on right after I do the final press.

So, here ya go!

Heart of America

Little House Needleworks

30 Count Creek bed Brown R & R

Crescent Colors threads

Just Button Company

Crescent Color Frame

I'm headed for bed. Still not feeling so good but was determined tonight to finish this piece.

Thursday Thrift Thoughts

I'm so excited because I'm almost done with Heart of America. I finished the letters and now after finishing the vine at the bottom! Done.....well, I actually after ironing have to put the ceramic buttons on it, which are beautiful.

I already have the Crescent Color frame but because this is a larger piece I'm debating my framing technique or taking to a framer.
I need to save so I'm going to attempt framing myself first.

I'm so excited!!!!!
Well, back to work.
Got a flu shot yesterday and I usually don't have a problem with them but this time, spiked a fever last night of 100 and ached all over. Still don't feel so great. So trying to get through the day.

Midnight progress Heart of America

The last block is started and I'm so glad I had enough black thread. Here are the colors for the vines and leaves and the letters for Land of the Free.

Then, I can face the challenge of framing in my beautiful frame suggested by Crescent Colors.

Midnight progress Heart of America

I took this off the frame to unroll and here you have it........I just have the long section that goes across the bottom and says Land of the Free.

By the way, this is Little House Needleworks design Heart of America. Finished this block tonight. The instructions encourage to personalize the piece with your own initials. The piece originally had a place here for another date. I put the date already in another block, so I put my initials here.

And frogged out the initials of mine in this block and put Brandon's.

So, on to fixing the crock pot before bedtime. Here's the hamhock that finally made it here! LOL

Good piece too.

Take a look at those beans. They have changed a bit. Time to put in crockpot with the other ingredients. I will cook at slow speed until morning.

Hope you are having a restful evening!

Nite, nite,

Jennifer

Block 5 complete, scrolling on........

My progression........at first.........

then

to here

and finally here tonight...............

I'm sure you've heard of Thomas Kinkade, the famous artist and how his paintings just light up in a gallery. Well, this block didn't light up for me until I added the Antique White around the windows and door and it just popped.

I'm fixing to scroll and rewind my frame down to start Old Glory. Every time I see that phrase the hymn comes to mind, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.........My Eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord......Glory, glory......The truth is marching on............

Reminder of the Give-A-Way and more

Hope you got to see the PBS special Frontline on Afghanistan update last night. If not, the entire episode can be viewed at PBS.com and pull up the program, Obama's War.
It's worth seeing what you are supporting as a US citizen.


Reminder of the Give-Away for October Breast Cancer Awareness. Ends midnight Friday October 16. Drawing on Saturday the 17th. Good luck! I'm envious at whoever gets those scissors!!! ;)

I probably have the world's record at slow stitching on this Heart of America piece but believe it or not, after work tonight I'm putting on the roof.....3 more rows and I'm moving on to Old Glory!

It's been a good piece to stitch but so ready to move to something new. I'm resisting the urge to put it down and start something new, encouraged to finish so I can frame and put in my stairwell with pictures.

Is it only Wednesday? Oh, my! I feel like tomorrow should be Friday.

This week is going by very slowly even though my hours are filled with things to do.

Today I paid for a lost library book. I gave up on looking for it and didn't think having my husband arrest me for an overdue book or fines was a good thing.....LOL......so, caved and paid for it. I'm serious. I checked it out during the time of the car windshield leaking on me at work episode of drama. And during that week of changing cars, I lost a library book, my employee parking thingie that hangs on the mirror, and my head probably if it wasn't attached!

So, I evened out that today so that no arrests were made. HEHEHEHEHE My dishes are clean tonight (he is sweet). BG did not have to arrest me on that account! LOL LOL

However, in thinking, just to share, check out your local library. It's a great free (usually) resource in these economic strapping times (unless you are like me and can't remember where you left the book!). You can even rent great movies for free there!

ok, back to stitching and one more dreaded chore before I get ready for bed. Hint: it has something to do with a dryer............shhhhhh~
yep, laundry

Later,

Jennifer

Progress on Peace Block--Heart of America

Quiet evening tonight. Welcomed home by the fireplace already started and I love it! Took a little snooze after supper.
We cooked breakfast for our supper.......cheese grits, scrambled eggs, and toast.
Just a good night for that, rainy and gloomy outside.

I worked on the peace block and got some headway. Hope to finish that one tomorrow and on to the Old Glory block.

The Heart of America. As I am stitching this and watching the news, it has a whole different meaning right now.

I learned to roll my linen the other way on the frame.


This is one tall house. Reminds me of the flats in England.

Peace........what a thought and coincidence this week.

Well, off to bed. So sleepy now. The fireplace just tantalizes my mind and makes me want to curl up with a quilt.

Bordering the Peace

Bordering~~~~~~

Bordering the Peace block tonight

I watched too much O'Reilly Factor and didn't stitch fast enough but did get most of the border done. I can't wait to get to the house in it. I love to stitch houses.
My goal is to have it completed and framed by Halloween.....let's see if I can make that goal......

Interesting to watch all the news on Afghanistan as I stitch the Peace section. This will be a mark in his presidency folks so I have a sampler to prove what I was doing while the President made the decision about Afghanistan which on either way of sending troops or not to send will put him in a predicament. Maybe one day while I'm in the nursing home and reading through my stitching journals I can say, Yep, I remember that one. That's the one that was a critical decision in AFghanistan.
Well, on to another day of the week tomorrow, Thankful Thursday. I will post what I'm most thankful for tomorrow. It's a strategy I'm trying to stay with to ignore the things I cannot do anything about. Stay tuned.

Peace~~~ a so long desired concept that we really need in our country right now.

Before my son went to Afghanistan I was not a political person. Now, I'm gaining more insight at the political world......yeppers, Peace. Peace is what we want at Christmas and say that it will last all year but does it really?

There are concepts that I deal with daily that zap that peace right out. I have to work on coping with that and moving on to fun things like stitching and friends and chocolate, and oh, I am rambling.....time for bed :)

A Stitchy Kind of Day

I started out the day going to Hawaissee, to the Dogwood Patch. It was a steamy, cool, day. The trees are starting to change.

I went through Helen. This is a good bakery. Helen was quite busy for the middle of the week, I guess because of peak Octoberfest season.

The folks behind me in my car probably cursed each time I just stopped in the middle of rode when I wanted to snap a pic..........

I finished block 5 of Heart of America tonight. I'm loving the colors and can't wait to move on to

another block......hmmmm which will it be? well, right now I'm leaning towards the 1st block to the left and then downward with a final finish at the bottom.

That Honor block took me twice as long as I thought it would but so worth it! The colors are gorgeous.

The directions say to put your own initials in this block........I almost put Brandon's there.

The earlier part of my day was a trip to my LNS, the Dogwood Patch, soon to be changed to another location to Buford, Georgia and renamed The Stitch Store. Terrie is such a cool friend. We had Daniel's buffet for lunch and everything they have is wonderful! Then got some goodies for a friend of mine to start stitching and I will post a pic of it when she receives it, it's a surpise.......and also I gathered some special items for a give-a-way.

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we all know at least one person who has touched our life with breast cancer. Current evidence shows that 1 out of 8 women in their lifetime will receive a diagnosis of breast cancer. My give a way pics and post will be posted most likely Thurs or Fri. so stand by for a chance at some goodies.

Over 40 years of age, mammograms are recommended yearly. I encourage all women reading this blog to stop this week and take a few minutes to call your GYN health care provider for scheduling that routine mammogram. October is a good time to remember yearly as many advertisements and products promote their pink labeling due to the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In my own practice, breast cancer has touched the lives of many people, most get an early diagnosis and are doing well. Digital mammography has come a long way now and detects early signs.

In my personal life, I have had one friend I especially remember in October each year. Her name was Dianne. Dianne was one of my first Women's Health Nurse Practitioner clinical instructors and she had a late diagnosis and unfortunately died for the disease. I think of Dianne alot because she taught me so much of the obstetrical background of my graduate program.

Look in your local papers if insurance is an issue because during the month of October, many mobile units offer mammograms at reduced costs.

Of course, I can't go to Terrie's and not come home with another project or two but most of the afternoon we spent on learning some basics and helping her set up a Google Blogger.

So stay tuned for her new stitching blog called Sprinkles!

The goodies and giveaway will be posted at a later time this week.

Tomorrow after work I unfortunately have to attend a viewing. One of my coworkers close friend, died last night of a heart attack. He really was a good man and I'm very saddened to hear this. Margaret, you are in my prayers!

Well, I have to run now type a letter for work and then on to snooze time for that 6am awakening............

Ren has had at least 3 bowls of frosty minwheats, 2 hotdogs, a piecs of fried chicken and a roll.

The dog is living it up! LOL

Things he will not eat include dogfood of any type, green beans, celery, snow peas, bread with it lightly toasted. Ok, I know he is spoiled. I take the blame for it! ;)

Block 4 complete and on to block 5--Honor

Heart of America, Block 3 complete

Here is the completed block 3. I spent 3 hours finishing this one. I had to frog the bronzie color because I was one count off. But all in all, it's finished.

On to another block.

We built a fire tonight and it's really toasty inside now. We went out on the porch for a bit and heard a screech owl tonight!

Hey, pop over to this blog.....

http://dipdiddlydesigns.blogspot.com/

for a great generous give-a-way of a very cute Halloween design!!!