Day One

Well, here we are at Day One of the People, Places and Things that I Love Month of Blog Posts.  And you know that I have to start off with this guy.  Sure....I joke about him in my blog, but the fact is:  He's an all around wonderful man and I love our life together.  He actually doesn't mind that I poke fun at him, that's how good-natured he is.  And believe you me, he can give as good as he gets.  Sometimes I get a good zing in, but usually I'm the one being zinged.

The Many Seasons of Dave

And because this is really a stitching blog, I'm going to show you some stitching that I love, also.  Since my stitching output is rather pathetic lately, I'll probably pull from the daily feeds to my Google Reader. 

Today's lovely and lovable stitching comes from Carol, my friend over at Stitching Dreams.  This bit of stitching is one of my favorite January themed pieces.  It's tough to still be in a snowy mood after Christmas, but this little piece captures the beauty of January without continuing to pound us with holiday themes.  And as usual, Carol has stitched it beautifully.

January Monthly Series by Waxing Moon Designs

Finally, it seems that I'm not the only one who wants to talk about what they love. I got a note from my stitching bud over at Thread and Fabric and she's doing something similar.  Pop over there and say hello!

Gotta Get My Groove Back

Really.  It's been 18 days since I visited my own blog.  I thought I had lost my blogging groove earlier in the month.  Now I know that I did.

I'm blaming it on the pain medicine.  I take as little medicine as possible, because it makes me really, really stupid. I wish I was funny-stupid when I take that medicine,  But I'm boring stupid.  I've been doing things like standing in the grocery store in front of the Mac And Cheese display and staring at it for 15 minutes because there are too many choices.

OK, so...it seems that to get back a writing groove, one must simply write.  Just start.  And I've decided that I'm going to start with a self-created meme for February - you know, the month of love and Valentines.  So my plan is to write about things I love for the 28 days of February.

I'm calling it a month of People, Places and Things that I Love.  I tried to make an acronym of that, but it comes out PPTTIL, and if you try to say that it sounds like you're blowing raspberries at someone.  So we'll stick with the long version.

And don't think I'm going all sentimental on you, because I think my plan for March will be inspired by March Madness and will be 31 days of things that drive me crazy.  As in mad.  Get it?

While we're waiting for February to begin, you can look at three little Valentine smalls that I've been playing with in January.  I'm also working on a fourth and will have pictures eventually.

Thanks for visiting!

Where has it gone?

I can't find my blogging motivation.  I sure hope that one of you found it on your doorstep and now you're posting and stitching and taking pictures like a maniac.  I'd be very happy to know that it has found a good home, so if you have it, please let me know.

Sigh...

Anyways, I think it's interesting that almost all of the people who wrote or commented about their oldest charts or kits dated their answer to the early 80's, with one or two in the late 70's.  No one had anything older than that. 

I wonder where everyone was buying their needlework in those years.  Back then every Five and Dime had a little craft section.  You know - back when Five and Dimes existed, like Woolworths, Kresge's, Ben Franklin, Murphy's, and McCrory's, to name a few that I remember.  I even remember going to JCPenney's and buying a couple kits.  We could buy needlepoint, crewel embroidery, and stamped pillowcases, dishtowels and tablecloths in any one of those stores.  I don't remember many counted thread kits though.  Not until a Piece Goods store came to town in the mid-80's and my-oh-my, I thought I was in heaven.  I still have some of those Leisure Arts charts, which, by the way, is my answer to the SBQ.  My oldest chart is a bread cloth chart, bought in the early 80's.  I still love it.  I still love my bread cloths!  I've given away older ones, but I've always held on to the bread cloth charts.

Hey, does anyone remember the painted fabric kits for pillowcases and sheets, etc?  I remember that my mom and a set.  She had paint in tubes with roller balls - a lot like a ball point pen.  And she'd put her pillowcase in a hoop that had a solid center and she'd color over the X's.  That would have been in the 60's.  Does that ring a bell with anyone?

OK, enough of my trip down memory lane.  I have one lonely finish to show you - a gift for my walking buddy, who has a tuxedo cat.  She loved it.

From A Prairie Christmas, PS Book 10

Stitched with DMC on a scrap of unknown linen and backed with the fabric you see here.

Changed color of the kitty to black and gave him tuxedo markings.

Now it's time to decide if I should keep working on the Christmas stuff that I didn't finish in 2011, or put it away and give it a good effort next year.  I don't know...Christmas seems so DONE.  But I also need to feel like I've finished something. 

Decisions, decisions.  

January SBQ

Here's a great way to start your New Year - with a Stitching Bloggers' Question! 

Many of us are taking stock, counting and organizing our stash at this time of year, so CinDC's question for this month is super relevant.

What's the oldest pattern in your stash? (Either the one with the earliest publication date or the one you bought the longest ago.) What's it's story? Have you stitched it?

I may have turned the corner

This neck/arm/hand thing has been feeling better for the past day or so.  The pain is down to a dull ache most of the time - much better than the roaring pain I had been feeling for the past three weeks. 

I actually sat and stitched for a bit last night.  It was really weird holding a needle with a numb thumb, but I managed a couple of rows of stitches and it felt like a huge accomplishment.  Heck, just sitting here and typing this seems huge, too!

Maybe I'll be back to my normal and idiotic post-writing self soon.

Ouch

I'm not stitching much lately. I have this very annoying pinched nerve in my neck. Usually it goes away in a day or two, but this SOB is not cooperating with me. The doc says to "keep moving", but I seem to alternate between moving and being completely immobile. Like a statue. I'm not good at dealing with pain and I'm cranky as all get-out.

But anyway.

I had a wonderful, wonderful visit with my friends Carol and Linda on Friday.  We met for some shopping and lunch, and then we were headed to a local library to stitch, but when we asked our waitress for directions she told us to use their empty side room.  Perfect!  So we sat by a big picture window and stitched the afternoon away. 

And there were a couple of surprises!  Our Linda had been antique shopping and found us these wonderful scissor frogs!  Now my scissors can live in beauty.  They were getting tired of the suppository mold.  Isn't it pretty?

And Carol, our Over One Queen, stitched these ornaments for Linda and me.  Linda and I both agree that Carol is the touchstone when it comes to over one stitching.  In my stitching history, I've seen lots of models and finishes, but Carol's over one stitching is absolutely perfect.  As you can see....

And here is where it lives on my kitchen Christmas tree!

Well my bloggy friends, this is the limit of my computer time. My neck, shoulder and arm are screaming at me already. I have so many comments that I want to leave on your blogs - everyone's stitching at this time of year is so gorgeous. But I promise to catch up with all of you after this bugger resolves itself.  And I'll catch up with you so much that you'll be sick of me!

Till next time!

HSE Freebie

This is the 2011 Homespun Elegance freebie, generously shared by Sandra on the Plain and Fancy Merchant blog.  I changed the colors a little bit, using light grey for the windows and dark grey for the roof shingles where she used dark browns.  I also used my HDF silks in place of the GAST and some of the DMC.  And I sure wish you could see the gold sparkly flecks in the fabric! 

Thank you everybody, for the nice things you said about my new kitchen.  If only I could have you all over for a huge dinner party now! 

December SBQ!

From the fabulous CinDC over at Pencil Crossings, here is our December Question of the Month.  You can use this as a writing prompt for your own blog post or you can leave a comment.  It's totally up to you.

Name your favorite designer(s). Have your tastes changed over time?