As You Like It scarf progress-Doubled

As I have been stitching and pulling various colors at random for this As You Have It scarf, it's actually been quite therapeutic and I wanted to show my progress. The last time I posted a pic I had 7 squares done but now 17 squares. I have about 27 or so to go.    Yes it will be very long but I wanted it as a functional scarf, homey, practical, and will be able to wrap it three times with plenty of length. I can always remember I made this the week of our first anniversary.       This poem came to mind again as it often does when I do needlework in many colors. Just A Weaver

by Benjamine Malachi Franklin

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me, I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily. Ofttimes he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly, Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reasons why The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weaver's hand As threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.     Miss Abbie this morning says HI!   The Queen of Pillows     You can see my bag in the back where I accumulate all the labels used.   Abbie will definitely get here a scarf made as well to match.   This is not a perfect piece but has been fun to stitch. And that, my friends, is why we call knitting and cross stitching a hobby!   I hope there is plenty of blue sky in your life today!   Jennifer

Progress on a Quaker freebie

Good Sunday afternoon!

 

Mr. Darcy and I are going to watch Season 1 episodes 3 and 4 soon from the CD collection.

We had a great dinner. Last night I thought I would post my progress on this Quaker sampler.

 

 

Vicki was right on her guess! This one is on Liberty House Primitives freebie, Doing Right quaker sampler.  I love all her freebies. If you haven't checked her blog out, hurry over!

 

Previous photo is:

 

 

 

 

 

Abbie is chowing down on her "snack mat" a bone and enjoying every bit of it.

 

We had a good dinner of roast beef, rice and gravy, pinto beans, green beans and dessert in the frig.

 

 

 

Chocolate pudding with whipped cream.

 

While it's chilling nicely, we are going to chill with a few more episodes of Downton Abbey!

 

It's just one of those days to chill. :P

 

Cloudy, but still moderatatley cool temps and falling tonight to the 40's.

 

Bring it on Fall!!!!

 

Till later,

Jennifer

 

September and Other New Starts

 

September

 

The golden-rod is yellow;

the corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

 

The gentian's bluest fringes

Are curling in the sun;

In dusty pods the milkweed

It's hiddens silk has spun.

 

The sedges flaunt their harvest,

In every meadow nook;

And asters by the brook-side;

Make asters in the brook.

 

From dewy lanes at morning

The grape's sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter

With yellow butterflies.

 

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With Summer's best of weather,

And Autumn's best of cheer.

 

But none of all this beauty

Which floods the earth and air

Is unto me the secret;

Which makes September fair.

 

'Tis a thing of why I remember;

To names it thrills me yet:

One day of one September

I never can forget.

 

~~~~~~~~~Helen Hunt Jackson from Poems That Live Forever

 

Through my life there have been many memories in September, including days of starting school and days of sending to school: new paper, new books, new pencils, new looks.

Methinks I have way too many projects going on right now. Many new starts.

 

New start on Battle Hymn of the Republic by Little House Needleworks

 

 

I'm using the recommended linen from the pattern.

 

 

And starting in the middle with DMC 611--drab brown. Alot of drab brown it seems until I get to the beautiful colors at the top and bottom.

 

 

 

Abbie thinks so too.

 

 

 

Yep, this is LHN's finished pic on their sampler pattern. I hope to find or get someone to make a frame just like this one, as I love the model frame here.

 

The colors are pretty. I usually start at the top left of a design but I started in the middle with this one.

 

Whatever new starts in life you are presented with and with whatever direction you take, I hope and wish you peace and love!

 

Till later,

Jennifer

 



midnight progress on Love One Another

midnight progress on a finished motif on Love One Another by Blackbird Designs in their book,

My Dear Friend.

Onto the next tomorrow........

Red progress

Midnight progress here on My Everything sampler by the Sampler Girl. 3 more lines left! YAY@

Because I have tons lined up to do after this one.

Still don't know how I'm finishing it but have some ideas.

Many have asked where this frame came from.

I got this on on The Scarlett Letter website about 3 years ago. Its very finished, smoothed maple or birchwood I think, quite pricey but well worth it. I've used it alot and it seems not to be as heavy as the Q snaps.

Before

 Sometimes Abbie was bored with all the tasks we had going on.

Happy, fun times by all.

Around the house, the old Homestead is getting a facelift. The wood, all 5 layers of paint stripped completely all around the porch with 2 weeks of hard work and now red barn stain started.

All I can say is I LOVE IT. Matches the red tin roof but what a mess to clean off the furniture but well worth all this effort. Just started putting the stain on tonight and will do the rails next in the white as they are but need touching up.

It's come a long way, baby!

Cleaning furniture and painter the front door is next.

On the stitching homefront, speaking of red, it's sure close for July 4th and a giveaway time.

Stay tune!!!!!!!!

Erasing the old, making the new.

Good for the soul.

Hang in there, where there's a will, there's a way.

Jennifer

Summer Homestead Happenings!

This week has flown by very quickly and boy, what a busy one! The homestead is getting a porch facelift!

Instead of paint this time that peels by the end of the season, decided to strip the entire wrap around porches, just the floors, and stain it with a barn red stain, not paint.

WHAT a job but so well worth it!

For the most part all done after 3 days but the edges and that will be done by the end of the week.

What a mess!

About 4 layers of paint--------gone. YAY!!!

lots of shadows but looks like new wood in real life here.

I can't wait for the barn red stain to go on. Thankfully, the sun has been staying out and no rain in the past few days.

Of course, looking off the side porch at this, with a cuppa helps too!

Miss Abbie is spoiled as she can be still. Once this week she actually dragged out her soiled potty paper in her pan and started folding it with herself and I guess she watched me do that so much, she was just helping and hinting that it needed changing. :P

She also has been thinking her doggie bed is her boyfriend and has been "intimate" with it ALOT!

Shocks me. I thought she was "fixed". She is definitely a personality of herself.

But all in all, the peace and contentment, good food, and Mother nature and Father time are healing and nurturing us through the Summer this year.

My stitching has been less lately but I did throw in a few more letters to My Everything designed by the Sampler Girl. Oh how I crave to stitch more and have many lined up projects when I have more than a few minutes here and there this Summer.

Red seems to be my "almost" favorite color of late.

A real close second to pink. :)

Of course, reading and writing is a love at heart as well. But Summer is just full of so many long daylight hours and things to do, especially around the homestead of late.

Good eats this week made from scratch are:

Peach cobbler

Fresh strawberry shortcake

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (made with leftover smoked chicken)

Fresh tomato sandwiches with Hellman's mayo and salt and pepper

Cold Peach Treat wine from Habersham Winery, local 

Bacon and egg breakfasts with lots of coffee

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches, freshly toasted

Homegrown tomatoes just sliced up with fresh lettuce, salt and pepper

Hope your week is cruisin' along too with lots of Summer treats.

Miss Abbie has been doing a little training and she is definitely enjoying bacon treats as much as ever for rewards. She's my lump of sugga.

 The kitchen faucet finally pooped out and replaced with a more substantial and rustic faucet that I am lovin'.

Picked these twice now out of the yard and they last for almost a week in the house cut.

Every day gets a little brighter and this is a definite~~ good thing.

It's amazing what blooms given a nurturing environment!

( my aloe plant, it's growing like a weed right now)

Stay cool,

Jennifer

Still stitching in hand

This weekend has been full of fun and relaxation and LOTS of sleep! I slept 2 days in a row until 11am. Beginning to think I'm channeling a teenager or my body needs some sleep. The weather was beautiful, cool, low humidity and porch sitting was a major part of the weekend. We also watched some old movies, cooked and had but a few phone calls......a nice weekend.

I picked up my stitching for a bit and stopped here for tonight. Still loving that shade of blue!

~~just starting on some of the lettering.

Also designed another Dutch Proverbs sampler this weekend which was so much fun as it was about travel and home. To me, Dutch proverbs are very interesting and make for some good sampler-making.

Raven, one of our Labs says HEWO! Can you just not feel the hot dog breath? :p

And Miss Abbie, well, she got her routine shots and also had a rectal exam and has taken 2 days to quit pouting from it. Vet said she is fine, grown well, and at almost 2 years old, she is 5.1 lbs. Body Guard took her to the vet Friday and she was quite sore from her shots all day yesterday and got a bit better today.

I think she might be able to donate hair though. She's probably 2 lbs hair now.

She's thankful for low humidity.

She has a love-hate relationship with Flossie Mae. She needs a bath but I wouldn't dare until her hiney heals up from shots because she will let us know real quick that she just had shots in her side.

Well, till later, and onward to bed for Manic Monday tomorrow.

Midnight Progress on Dutch Proverb sampler

I actually sat still a couple of hours tonight to work on this sampler. I'm loving the Weeks Dye Deep Sea color on the 28 ct Cashel Sand linen!

Midnight progress on a Dutch proverb sillouhette, yet to be named.

Body Guard walked by me and said, "Is that really me?" ;)

Yes, I'm working on your mustache right now...........

Till later,

Jennifer

New Inspiration for a change--a monochromatic design start

Started a new design tonight while catching up on some TV. I designed this piece a month or so ago, inspired by my hubby and a Dutch Proverb. His sillouhette.

I got part of his head done tonight. Solid stitching, monochromatic piece on 28 ct Cashel Sand linen with Weeks Dye Works, Deep Sea (a beautiful blue).

This gives my eyes a bit  of a break with a darker monochromatic color on a lighter linen.

And~~his profile, mustache and all. ;)

The Dutch proverb reads " Agree, agree, for the law is costly".

This will be framed to sit by his usual comfy chair.

I decided to dig out my lap frame that I haven't used in a while. A long while.

Hope your stitchy week is going well and your Wednesday brings some inspiration to make your heart joyful!

Tuesday Chatter for things that Matter

Well, folks it's been one of those times in life when just about everything has gone wrong and you sit and wonder if God is calling my name Job now. If I'm whining too much, sorry but this has been a month from a hot place even though we've had Blackberry Winter (which is now officially over yesterday as it's hot and muggy now).

Some things I can blog about and some only God and 2 other people know about but I'm trusting that He knows these are major trials and to give some direction. Thank you to those who have written me, and had so many encouraging words. They bring tears to my eyes at the comfort and encouragement of people I've never met in person before but have a heart of gold.

Yesterday found out that there is a bump in the Soldier's Angels person they assigned me (of course)....and I have spent alot of time trying to find the right person and address. Sending out my first box filled with a funny DVD (What Happens in Vegas), a booklight, a book, and some of those beautiful pics from Easter with the old church and one with the flag in reflection in the old stained glass window and some of our local cows and a letter! LOL Hope he enjoys it. The program assigns me a mentor and we are trying to get a correct address at this time. I thank God for part-time work right now because of all the other things going on, each day is filled with something that has to be done.

My next project is finding a new laptop as this one has served it's time. I'm an avid writer and reader and for a 298.00 special at Walmart a year ago, the Compaq has definitely got it's money's worth.
I definitely need a printer. Hubs has one but it doesn't print all the time, just sometimes, and it's usually micro size, so if I want to print patterns I have to get out the magnifying glass with the magnifying glasses to see and therefore I'm picking up and putting down the sheet often which slows stitching. So printer follows the laptop find this week. Maybe it works for him but not me.

Last night while I was stitching, Miss Abbie again saved the day.  She kept hearing something we couldn't hear. Of course I was watching the first day of trial result of the Casey Anthony case and .....anyway, yesterday morning while I was getting ready for work, Abbie went upstairs to the guest bedroom and I could hear her romping from one end to the other. We both walked up there last night to see what she was trying to show us..........a leak that was dropping and splattering on the hardwood floors. It had been dripping all day.

yes she got lots of love and hugs and an extra treat for drawing us to this as we otherwise wouldn't have known for several days probably.

Evidently the cooling is not working in the (good unit we thought upstairs) that is only 3 years old and the compressor is leaking or something to that nature.

Our downstairs one has not been fixed after it's blow out 3 weeks ago due to high costs and we are going to get another estimate. Yes, we are.

So, yesterday I got some more done on A Princess Moment sampler:

I finished William's crown and the key is the key to Kate's heart that I'm working on now, next to her crown.

I designed this way before the wedding so colors may be different.  I do know I need some more Chili Pepper as I have next a row of sweet red flowers with garland to do.

looks like the actual finished design area is going to be about 7 x 11.5. I'm still looking at frames. I do appreciate all the feedback and I think Antique Gold is the winner!

I'm so enjoying designing this piece so I am aiming to finish this one in the next week to 10 days.

After it's finished (and I get a printer) I will offer the pattern for sale at The Shoppe blog.

I'm looking so forward to receiving in the mail some Vickki Clayton silks in beautiful purples for the Iris design. That one is most likely next.

Well, gotta run, the air conditioning man is here, thank goodness. Then I have another eye exam today. My eyes are still itching from the drops and depending on which side I sleep, evidently I wake up with one big fat swollen eye. Not a good reminder for me. I'll see what the next step is today. I had another ocular migraine yesterday and found out the med that works has been discontinued so, will see what the doc says today. I need eyes to see, oh my goodness!

Till later,

Jennifer

Twisted Tuesday--the colors of pink

I put a few more stitches in Pink Hill Manor by BBD.

This linen is 30 ct R & R Irish Creme

I can only work on this linen landscape as our 3 level cottage in the woods has thick yellow pollen everywhere, therefore I'm trying not to scratch my eyes out with ezcema this week but even with antihistamines.........it's kinda hard! ;)

The colors are beautiful and some are very close to the linen color itself.

My before pic for progress is :

~~~~~~~working on the windows when I had to stop and get some shut-eye

I think I better close in those windows tomorrow night.

 It's definitely peak allergy season for me right now.

Scratch. Itch. Scratch. Itch.

And I have to be in a formal picture tomorrow. Let's pray my eyes are not swollen shut and red.

Kinda like GA Old Red Paint.  :o

Progress on Pink Hill Manor by Blackbird Designs

Pink Hill Manor by Blackbird Designs

Work in progress as of last night

This is a pattern I picked up while at In Stitches Needlework shop on our trip. I just can't put it down now as the pinks are so beautiful integrated together. Of course, pink is my favorite color and I'm stitching this as  just one piece not in the large collection of the Anniversaries of the Heart collection together.

I have a special place for this piece. I've been meaning to order this one for a year now. Finally, I find it's just as much beautiful as the picture  : o

With the inspiration of pinks, I designed a couple of samplers as well. Can't wait to share!

Till later,

Jennifer

Hope your weekend was as restful and peaceful as mine!

A big THANK YOU and the stork

I SOOOO thank you all who commented on the last post, I will print this out and navigate through the map to see where we will be going through. Thank you again so much!!!!!

Last week at the quilt shop in Dahlonega Georgia, I saw these black and cream stork scissors and got 2 pair. Yep, 2 pair. I will probably save one for a giveaway in a few weeks. I think they are cute.

yep, they found a home in one of my stitching boxes.

I have no idea what the brand is as I eagerly took it off and they are sharp little things too.

Tonight we had a great dinner at the Chinese restaurant and got these fortunes.

Body guards:

And mine is here:

Oh how I laughed thinking of all the goodie stash builders that I'm planning to "invest" in...LOL

Interesting indeed for this week coming up!  We both had a good laugh.

Progress on this one tonight. A Debbie Draper freebie design I had in my stash for awhile.

Using CC Belle Soie silk

and 32 ct luscious linen (of which I didn't have labeled) but is a creamy color.

The fabric in the corner will back this piece.

And Pepsi, Abbie's cousin that passed away, his piece is almost done and will be made into a pillowkeep.

Much to get done this weekend, for sure.

Till later,

Jennifer