Warm and Cozy

I'm finally going to slow down XXXX fingers....maybe until Christmas. We are enjoying a new Buck wood stove insert which puts out alot of heat once it gets going!

The hum of the blower is putting me into a relaxing state.

Going to see what's on for Christmas movies in a few.

 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday and repeat again. I do think this will be a good investment and lower utility bills by half. We have plenty of trees and wood naturally. Just takes a little time to get it started. When it reaches 700 degrees the blower turns on and it's heaven.

I sold something to get this as times are hard. At first I didn't think I would like it. Now, I love it.

 

And guess who also loves it? Miss Abbie!  I made her a fleece easy-peazy blanket up from 60 % off fabbie from Joanne's. Since she is so small, a yard wraps around her 10 times but she loves it.

The print is like this:

 

 

 

A pink, girly Sock Monkey with hearts.

It's her early christmas present.

She needed it last night when the electricity went off from 11pm to 2am due to high winds out here.

SO glad I had the wood stove already heated up good!

Oil lamps lit and just silence. To think. To slow me up. To  hault my overdrive brain from a long day of work.

 

So at 2am when the lights came back on, off to bed late. Again.

 

 

My scarf progress is here:

 

 

 

I'm having to learn to add in some chunky stripes/sections to lengthen it.

I have one and 1/2 skein of the brown left and underestimated the length for Mr. Darcy so:

 

 

 

Next lesson for me is to learn how to add another color in for several rows.

 

He definitely will need this for January and February here.

 

If anything he can use it outside at home.

 

Well, folks, it's 80 degrees now on the inside thermometer. I think I can crank this wood stove down a little now but it is 43 outside. Furnace hasn't cut on one time. I think it was a good investment to lower the utility bills.

 

Warm and cozy,

Jennifer

Playing with Color and Fabric

 

The goodies for the Freedom Fall Giveaway came in the mail yesterday! Here are a closer look at the Kelmscott small stork scissors. One pair in a beautiful blue (I've got to order a pair now) and one in primitive. If you order from 123 cross stitch, their shipping time is zipping fast!

The sampler is also here and ready for the Sept 16th drawing.

 

 

 

 

 

I am dabbling in stitching on some old gold muslin fabric I got at a quilt store. Tight stitching for sure but just going to try it. This is a start on Aaron's sampler for this year. I'm using DMC colors; however, I might use some Crescent color silk for some of the flowers, still not sure yet.

 

 

And Abbie in motion!!!!!

 

 

Pork Roast for dinner

Peach Cobbler for dessert.

 Finally got some juicy peaches while at the grocery today. A simple recipe fix and 45 minutes in the oven with Vanilla ice cream on top will be happening at the homestead.

 

I've been pretty lazy this weekend so far but we all need days like these.......just to recharge.

Enjoy your Sunday evening!

 

Strawberry pin cushions, fat quarters, and matching totes

Today's adventures rambling about with some finds. One I needed, the rest, well.....you know the stash has to grow......

this lighted tree has been in my kitchen since Christmas. I saw these Strawberry pin cushions with the black ball pins  (the seeds) and for 50 cents, they add a little Summer to the kitchen.

and they made my skirt fly up............

I've enjoyed this little tree but sadly when the lights go out, they are OUT~so enjoying them while I can.

Mark down on the record I haven't dreamed, smelled or perused through a quilt store in over a year.

So I spent some quality time in an old Victorian quilting store with rooooooooooooooms of colors and picked up these fat quarters to live with my other stash members.

This one I just loved the colors. It's flannel.

Then met with a friend who owns her own business for the past 25 years and knows I'm blogging about this adventure. I went in there to get a duffel bag because this girl has been "on travel" alot these days. My other ones broke the zipper.....soooooo.............she engraved my name Jennifer Ann for free.

The Black thread didn't contrast well but I didn't want anything that screamed at me.

So the duffel, good for an overnight adventure with a little bag to match.

And you KNOW I had to get this bag. It even would be a great cross stitching tote and the engraving is FREE. Takes her about 10 minutes.

She has great prices. This bag has room for a waterbottle, a zipped top and even a little zipped pocket for scissors or other notions.

So, the much-needed day out of the house was well worth the adventure.

By the way, these backs and free monogramming are at Vickies on the square in Dahlonega, Ga.

She amazes me with her machine how straight, how fast, and adept she is with them.

And, if you really are into monogramming, i.e, sheets, pillowcases, shirts, even panties........this lady will fix you up. She has all colors.

So now when I travel, I will not look mismatched together and another plus is these are not too heavy by themselves, a must for ole timers like me. :P

I hope your day was with some peak of fun, a dash of a friend's stories, a Taco Bell, and a good

Cherry Lime Spritzer in this heat!

Till later,

Jennifer

Starting Summertime, Fabric, and Colonial picture

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 

I've got lots of designs and ideas for samplers on paper but my computer is not working right of which I work on them. I hope to have that fixed by next week!

I would recommend Gentle Art's shades of blue for this design.

Stitched 1 over 1 on linen could make a nice tag insert for luggage and the colors could be changed to blend in with browns and tans for our troops.

Peace to all.

My Memorial Day weekend is junkin' it at thrift stores just for fun and to replace some things. This Colonial picture of Mother and Child was just beautiful I thought. It is on canvas as well not print paper.

This red ticking fabric, with cute girl and puppy scenes, was too hard to resist for little of nothing I found this in a pile and is 4 yards of it.

Looks like a good way to freshen up the house for Spring. I could even make a shower curtain with this.

I love the little pics on the red ticking.

I think she looks prescious.

speaking of that...............

yup, pretty red ticking for Summer.

I have made some more progress on the sampler, My Everything, by the Sampler Girl.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

We are definitely welcoming Summertime.

Stay cool and till later,

Jennifer

Home Tweet Home~~the Birds are singin'

I love going to a big city once a year but always glad to be home by the 5th day at least!  It's such a great contrast to the balance of the world, fast and slow. Moderate and stagnant. Green and cement. ;)

I had some really great meals while I was there and just had a very good time this year on a business trip for Women's Health.

I went a day early this year to explore some favorite spots in Washington, DC and Alexandria. I think I rode about every public transit you could find, just getting lost in a good way actually, being spontaneous with the time I had which was limited.  My third visit ever to In Stitches was ever so exciting as usual!! Patricia was very nice and helpful and I wanted to bring everything home, but this is what I DID get for my stash!!

They have a great blog, by the way, and if you look on my side bar you'll see it.

She showed me many of the latest Nashville recent designs and just was very pleasant to me. The models are intriguing in there!

My camera is hanging on a limb hinge that is loose so here goes with the pics.

Actually this first one is Coverlet Birds progress that I took with me. The Scarlett House is the designer. This is the first time using Needlepoint Silks and I love it. Although they are not varigated in color, I think it was a great designer choice for the replication of a coverlet pattern. Why do I love birds so much????   I don't know but it seems to be a theme of things I got and working on right now.

I did some frogging on the plane today. Finally got the head count straightened out.

I hope to frame this piece in a black frame as on the cover. I think this looks best!

I am stitching using 32 ct Earthen Belfast linen 2 over 2. I almost used 1 over 1 but, I think with in keeping with the coverlet texture, the 2 over 2 is better. NPI silks as called for in the design.

now, for other items from In Stitches shop in Alexandria.

My Dear Friend book by Blackbird Designs

The sampler on the right "Love One Another"........ I had the threads pulled and have the linen at home.

I love this and will definitely be stitched and in the homestead this year.

Gentle Art's Mulberry is what is called for, a monochromatic, beautiful deep red.

A sewing pouch, rather large, but I love the colors and the sampler fabric.

The pockets are very unique. This is by Shepherd's Bush.

Strong snaps to close

This is probably my most favorite find. This is the last one they had in the store.

These threads are for one project in the BBD book. It's a small finish and the new color Polliwog is very neat in contrast to the other two colors for it.

Little House Needleworks Christmas Ornament that I saw in January and knew, just knew this would be one to stitch for Christmas 2012 because this Christmas will definitely be a pleasant contrast to the last one I hope. I feel so blessed and ever since this one came out, I loved it.

This one by Charland Designs. It's a new one and I plan to stitch it in a different color, Chester Blue silk instead.

More luscious colors!

And a finger nail file too because I broke a nail running from place to place getting there. Honestly. LOL

A large piece of Lakeside linen for this project:

I only got 1 of the 3 parts but the linen for all 3. I think I have enough to do for awhile. :)

And some Kelmscott Daisy scissors for the Spring and Summer stitching.

I hope your weekend went well and you got an Irish kiss on Saturday!!!

Hope you have a wonderful Monday tomorrow!!!

Till later,

Jennifer