Spring's Coming

Hey, Friends!

It was a very busy work week, and with a little vertigo thrown in to put things ‘off kilter’ it seemed even more rushed!  There are no finishes, but a little stitching was done this week.  I’m still enjoying ‘A Wish for You.’  I’ve changed the door’s initial to an ‘S’ and lightened up on the trim and windows with Weeks Parchment.  Hopefully the weekend will see it completed.

It was a fabulous stashing week!  My LNS – The Stitch and Frame Shop – came back from ‘Market’ with loads of beautiful and fun stuff, so I grabbed my list and headed off.  The BBD girls had been busier than I remembered reading about – there were several pincushion rewards that I couldn’t resist, including this one, Breath of Spring, plus the great Stitcher’s Journey book. It is really fine and there are some great photos of it all around that I'm sure you've already seen!

I found several charts I’ve been ‘needing’ for some time on etsy, too.  Someone had some items for sale without a blog, and I picked up this lovely book from the Charleston (South Carolina) Museum, Samplers and Embroideries from Charleston and the Lowcountry.

AND I received the prize, Blessed are the Needleworkers, I won from The Wooley Stitcher's Blog.  It not only has the great chart, but also the silks to stitch with!  Thank you so much, Kim!

I hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine as much as I am today.  It’s still cool, but tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70’s.  How great is that? 

Spring must really be on the way – the guy who cut my grass last summer came by this morning to see if I still want to have his service this year.  Ha, ha, ha…  I loved it!  Not having to spend a part of the weekend doing yard work – of course!!  I also noticed the Tulip Tree is showing its color…

Thanks for stopping by, and I’d love to hear your comments or your favorite finds  this week!

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching 

Charlene♥SC

Happy Stitching!

Hey, Friends!

The question was asked on Ranae’s blog the other day about when to toss a needle with lots of various responses. 

This got me to thinking… why don’t I throw away needles?  Well, as I say over and again – my very favorite needles in the world – that I’ve tried so far – are Bohin needles.  They flow through linen like silk.  Sometimes there will be a little bend in my needles  and it took me the longest to figure out why, but because 99% of the time I use Q-snaps to hold my linen and still want to use the sewing method of stitching.  But that little bend doesn’t make me throw them out – they’re just getting broken in by then! 

And then there’s the fact that I usually have one needed threaded for each color in use on a project.  Yep, I’m usually a ‘one project at a time’ stitcher, and I thread a different needle for each color.   I have one of those gadgets especially made for this, but what works best for me is fun foam pinned onto a painter’s canvas.  I print a copy of the symbol and name of the color fibers a project calls for, then pin this down on the ‘pallet’ and it’s ready to go.  The reason for the painter’s canvas is to give space for the needle without making marks in the table top –I started using this before my side table was topped with glass.  See all the accoutrements that I need for stitching?  Yours looks similar, I'd bet! 

Surprisingly, as I continued along my blogging path, I ran across this article about a Japanese tradition “to thank their worn out needles and pins for good service.”

I’ve started the fourth BBD Anniversaries of the Heart series, A Wish for You.  Since this is the March piece, and it mentions health and has a rabbit, it will be dedicated to my Dad.  Here’s a photo of the three completed pieces to date.  I was sort of hesitant to start this, to me, BAP, but so far I’ve enjoyed each and every stitch!

The third in the series of Specialty Stitches was the French Knot.  I chose to do these in a thread from Sassa Lynne labeled as Perle-Fine, named Damask.

Feeling a bit of pull on the heart strings, I stitched Be Mine from the Love is in the Air Blackbird Designs booklet.  It’s on 34 count creamy white linen with a couple of color subs for those I didn’t have on hand – CC – Jakey Brown for GA Clover and CC-Weeping Willow for GA Avacado. 

Time to go blog surfing and see what you’ve all been stitching!  Thanks for dropping in, and leaving your comments and thoughts!  See ya’ soon!

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC

February Sunshine

Hey, Friends!

We were lucky enough to miss the predicted snow this week – and I hope you were, too!  Just 20 miles SE – yes, South East – of us, the report was ground and trees covered with a blanket of white, but it certainly didn’t last too long.  The predictions for the weekend are up to 60~ at some point.  That’ll be nice – just seeing the sunshine for a few hours will be nice, too!

During my stitching this week on the Blackbird Designs Bonus Chart I realized that the small ‘L’ was omitted.  I mentioned it on the BBD Yahoo Group, and someone pointed out that the small ‘W’ was as well.  I looked over at the BBD blog, but could find no mention of it being intentional.  I know that has been done with reproduction samplers to make them more authentic, and just wondered if there was a plan in this design.

I did a bit of online shopping this week, and was SO happy when my package arrived so quickly from Brenda at Country Stitches.  As I told her, I will be a lot more likely to shop with her again because of the lovely products and the quick arrival of the items. 

** Rant * There’s just something that really puts me off about having to wait, and wait, and wait for an order.  I’ve had two orders in the last few months that I thought may have been lost.  I do realize there was bad weather in many parts of the country, and did allow for that.  Then there’s the issue of backorders!  Would it be such a huge task to mark the items that have sold out – not that you couldn’t order, but that you’d know it will be a while before they’re available?  If it’s on the list of items, I think you have it in stock.  **

I have been negligent in visiting everyone lately.  I’ll try to get around to see you very soon!  Thank you for continuing to visit with me, and I really appreciate your comments!

PS:

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC

Ground Hog and TuSAL?

Hey, Friends!

I’ve been working with a bit of stitching thrown in this week!  Oh, and I went to my first Zumba class on Tuesday night.  I was worried that they’d be way ahead of me, but it wasn’t as ‘structured’ as it might have been.  I was pooped when it was over, but that was the intent – to get this ole body moving a little.  Looking forward to next time, but won’t wear fleece again!

They say the Ground Hog predicts an early spring – is there anyone out there who isn’t ready for THAT?  I don’t think so!!

There’s a Pre-Superbowl sale at my LNS – The Stitch and Frame Shop today, and I need to run by the Office Depot to pick up some more tape for the label maker, so… I’d just as well go by the shop, too!  Don’t you think?  Of course!!  I’ve got a few things on my list, and I want some of that Butter Cream linen I’ve seen you all stitching such lovely things on.

This week I finished the BBD Valentine Rose, which I modified to honor my maternal Grandmother, for whom I was named, Rhoda Bell who was born in 1902.  Victorian Sampler’s Button Up Birdies November Chickadee was a quick and fun stitch!  I also did part 2 of the Specialty Stitchers’ Tree of Stitches - the Smyrna stitch that I chose to do in orange.

Last night I wasn’t ready to start a new project, so I went in there and gathered up all that DMC that was hither and yon…  Decided while I was at it, I may as well put some labels on the drawers that I could actually read.  One cabinet is reorganized – half way with the new labels – ran out of tape.  I’ll get the other one done this afternoon while doing laundry.   

So, I’d better get up and out the door or it won’t get done.  DS is coming this evening and we’re going to Nan and Pop’s house for BBQ ribs.  Yummmmm….Thanks for coming by today.  I look forward to hearing your Needler’s Point and checking in to see what you’ve been up to lately!

* Reminder:   TuSAL is in the side bar this year à

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC