My March Answer

I actually have a favorite Celtic or Irish piece of needlework. Even though there's not a drop of Irish blood on my side of the family, my parents took two trips to Ireland in the early 80's, and instantly fell in love with everything they saw. So whenever a stitched gift was in order, my choices were made easily.

So here's a photo of my favorite Irish piece. Since my stitching is hanging in my mother's house, I had to use this photo from Eileen Bennett's website.  It's one of her Very Victorian series, called Shamrock Sampler.  Specialty stitches, some delicate over one bands, a bit of pulled work...Clearly my eyes were much stronger 25 years ago because I enjoyed every minute of this sampler.  Not that I wouldn't now - it would just require a much more lighting and magnification and some (self-inflicted) stress.

As a matter of fact, I have many, many Sampler House designs and I think that one of them fits perfectly into my Older and Better Birthday Month project.  I'll talk more about that in another post, though.

I want to answer the second part of the March Question, too.  Although I don't have a family tree type sampler, I did stitch a family record years ago and it still hangs in my living room.  I think I've shown it before.  Its title is Guarnieri Sampler 111, published by Imaginating in 1983.

Not a very good photo, I know.  But it has our wedding date and the kids' birthdays.  I actually stitched and framed it before my daughter was born, then had the framer take it all apart so I could add her initials and birthday later.  Don't ask me why I had it framed that early.  It was silly to do it that way, but framing was so much less expensive back then and besides, you know I'm not very good at the whole delayed gratification thing.

We had several inches of snow yesterday, but now the sun is shining brightly and I can smell Spring in the air.  Come on and get here already, Spring!

March Stitching Bloggers Question

There are many good March themed questions to put out there, but my helpful buddy Jennifer had a wonderful idea for us.

Do you have a favorite Irish or Celtic stitched piece?  If you don't, what about a piece that represents your heritage?  Or maybe a family tree style sampler?  Think about it, then tell us the story of your piece and show us your photos, if you have them.

Older and better

March is my birthday month.  I'm not saying this to garner lots of presents (although cake would be nice - you know about my love affair with cake), but because I simply can't freakin' believe that I keep getting older. 

I think I've had a blessed life.  Nobody's life is perfect and we all have our problems, but I wouldn't change a day of it.  Hopefully life has made me more gracious towards my friends, family and strangers. 

I know - you're thinking, "Blah, blah, blah.  What does this have to do with stitching?"  Well, here's what I have on my mind.

In order to keep reminding myself about the whole "older, wiser, more gracious and better" thing, I'm going to do a little stash diving and pick one design that has been around since my very early stitching days.  You all know which ones I mean.  The ones that you bought in 19whatever and loved and never got around to stitching.  And every time you decide to weed out your stash, you wonder why you never stitched it.  Well, I'm going to choose one of those.  Maybe update the fabric and thread choices a little, but at heart it'll still be an oldie but goodie.  And I'm going to try to finish it before my next birthday.

Does anyone want to join me?  If you want to and if you tell me about it, I'll put your name, birthday month and project over in my sidebar. 

How about it?

January and February 2011

I did it!  Another Favorite Posts page.

It's a new year and I have many new favorites.  A quick note:  Many bloggers posted fantastic year in review type pages in January.  You all had some truly amazing stuff. I didn't include them here, though.  It was just too overwhelming for my little brain! The same thing happened in December 2010.  I was a real slacker about posting, but no...your creativity never went slack.  I have loads of December posts starred in my reader though.  If I remember, I think it could be fun to revisit those holiday themed posts later in the year.  Like when we're all complaining about the heat.

Click here for my January/February 2011 page

My new little friend

I know that many of you are lamp and light fiends like me.  Some people collect stamps, records, cars, or coins.  I collect lamps.  From flashlights to floor lamps to floodlights, I love 'em.  There is nothing that completes a room and sets a mood like a good lamp or collection of lamps.

Happily, my stitching hobby is another perfect excuse for lamp collecting.  From a simple around the neck style flashlight (purchased about 15 years ago when my presbyopia first started to kick in), to my most recent Mighty Brite floor lamp with magnifier (also dubbed The Electron Microscope by my husband), there's just something about the thrill of the hunt when it comes to finding perfect light accessories for stitching.

So now let me introduce you to my new little friend!

Smaller than a deck of cards, with 12 LED's and  powered by three AAA batteries, this little lamp will fit right in your purse. Or if you want to be ready to whip it out for stitching at any given time, you can use the belt clip on the back.  It retails for $20, but it was on sale for half price at JoAnn fabrics last week, and I had an additional 10% off coupon, so I splurged on it for $9.  It's just plain fun to have.  I do have one idea to make it better though - rather than a belt clip, this little light would be more useful with a fold out stand. 



It's almost the smallest lamp that I own. 







There.  Now they can keep each other company.

Enough with the silliness. 

I made more progress on my Peace sampler last night while we watched our Pitt Panthers beat the WVU Mountaineers.  Amazingly, I made very few counting errors last night. I must be getting better at this!

Relaxing

I'm moving along with my Peace sampler. It's so calming to stitch. Carol just wrote about stitching that made her calm, too. It made me think of this sampler right away.

Like most of you, I have a small wish list with new things from the Nashville market. I love the CEC seasons series, and I'd love to get my eyes on the new BBD book. And as you could probably predict, there are a couple La D Da's that I need.  Can I hold out until April?  Of course not. 

Short little update

I put some stitches into Dandy Dreams over the weekend. This is a really fun piece. When I wrote last week about feeling like things would never get finished, I didn't mean to make you think this little sampler was drudgery, because I'm enjoying it a lot.  I meant lots of other things in my day-to-day and by that I mean mostly work.

You know what it's like to be working and trying to finish something and then you get stymied and there's nothing to be done except wait?  That's the kind of week I was having.  Foiled at every turn!  Waiting for the next piece of information, waiting for the next part, waiting for a phone call....it was so aggravating.  Especially if you're an impatient semi-control freak like me.

Anyway, here's my progress.

Silver Creek's Dandy Dreams

I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed my Prom Dress ramblings last week.  Some of you are much funnier than I am though, so I decided to publish your comments here and here.

And now Prom Dress season is over.  I tried to extend the festivities to include Wedding Dresses, but so far I'm not coming up with any truly bad wedding dresses.  Denise sent me a link to a wedding dress catalog, but they were all very pretty and the more I surfed through, the more I found myself wishing I was 23, smooth-skinned and thin again.  (Virginal may have been too much of a stretch.)  But by all means, if any of you come up with some truly funny wedding dresses, don't hesitate to have fun with them!

Oh, and another thing - a few people have asked for a tutorial for the money/gift card holders.  I'll try to put something together with my very meager photography skills. 

My daughter, on the other hand, takes very nice pictures.  She's been posting some of her gluten-free baking adventures on her blog.  Here is a nice chocolate chip zucchini cake, and here are some banana walnut pancakes. 

And now I'm too hungry to write any more.  Lunch!

Gently - - - Blov?

Have you ever had a period in your life when you think that you'll never finish anything?  Even something simple like a "W"?

Pathetic

It's a beautiful day here in Southvestern Pennsylvania.  Yesterday the vind was really crazy, but today the vind has stopped bloving and it's lovely.  I'm going to finish up my vork as fast as I can and go sit by a sunny vindov.

Last Installment of Prom Parade

I have a couple things to say before you all read my last 2011 Prom Parade Post.

First of all, these photos really are from Prom Fashion catalogs and websites.  And they are absolutely listed as prom dresses.  Some are just bad dresses, but some are downright inappropriate for anyone whose name isn't Cherry Stripper Devine.

My husband totally did not believe me when he saw the photos.  He said, "No way are those prom dresses for high school girls."  I assure you - they are.  I'm not just looking around for smutty dresses and labeling them as prom wear.  And believe me, I've seen similar fashions on young ladies in our school's Grand March.  Mind now...not on lots of them - maybe two out of one hundred. Regardless, there are always a couple of girls dressed like this.  Or undressed.  You decide.

So here are my final two selections for your enjoyment:

I know I used to have pajamas like this. We called them baby doll pajamas. Except I wore them when I was like...ten years old.

Honey, if I was wearing this dress, I'd be slumped over, too.  It must have been hard to dance on prom night, what with having to hold your left hand over your lady parts all night. 

Of course, if you want to move your hand, there's always the option of facing a wall somewhere. 

Maybe you're wondering about the inspiration for this dress?  Well, the geniuses who designed this dress said that they used this Britney Spears outfit as their inspiration.  (I'm SO not kidding.  The website is quite clear about that) Because we all want our daughters to emulate everything that Britney Spears represents. 

You readers had some great comments to add to my other posts.  I'm going to edit those posts later so that everyone read your nuttiness, too!

To my Valentine

There are very few people about whom I can say this. My husband happens to be one of them.  Happy Valentine's Day, darlin'.

Meine bunte Tortenwelt 

(which I think means "My Colorful Cake World")

And Happy Valentine's Day to all of you, too!

You are so super nice with your comments about the money card Valentine that I made for my daughter.

The whole pocket card thing started when I had joined a blog called The Monthly Finishing Challenge and in July 2008, scissor pockets were the challenge .  The blog was discontinued shortly after that, which was kind of disappointing because it was removed after only a couple of months, despite a good number of very interesting entries each month.  But whatever. I suppose if I was that into it I could have started a new challenge blog myself. 

Anyway...

Back to the history of my pockets.  I stitched the blue and yellow one for the challenge, then went on to stitch another for a good friend who I was trying to convert to the mania joy of scissor collecting.  I know that this type of scissor pouch wasn't my idea first.  I probably saw it on the challenge blog, but since the blog is gone, I can't go back and credit it to the proper person. 

Later that year, I purchased this design for my mom - a Pine Mountain tuck pillow kit.  And the next Christmas I needed a $10 exchange gift for a Ladies' Auxiliary party.  This saying was on my mind, but not everyone out there in gen pop appreciates a tuck pillow.  So I reduced it by stitching it over one and then used the same concept as the scissor pocket.  (Tucked a $10 gift card in the pocket)

And then you've seen my daughter's two Valentines.  And I did it again later as a birthday card for my daughter's friend.  The design is an older LK freebie.

Can you tell that I think these are really fun?  In the right situation and for the right person, they're a blast. 

Soon I'll have the final installment of the Prom Dress Parade.  One of the dresses will blow you away.  Really.

Now I can post it

My daughter received her Valentine in today's mail, so now I can show you the picture.  I loved this design by Beth Twist (Heartstring Samplery).  Pop over - she has a new Truly Thankful chart out for March.

Anyway, if you've been hanging around here long enough, you'll know that I've done this before.  So here is this year's version.

Except now that I look at last year's photo, it seems that I was more generous this year.  Inflation and all that.

Prom-enade, Part 2

Today we'll look at the Just Plain Silly (or Unfortunate) category.
 

"Why yes, I've just come directly to prom from my spinning class. How did you know? Is it my blowing hair? Oh...it's the bike shorts?"  Or from Colleen:  She's practicing her power-stance for when she visits the Amazon in her very authentic jungle-suit.

Shoppers at the Super Walmart were puzzled when they found all of the toilet paper gone from the shelves. And it wasn't even snowing.

"Bow...BOW at my feet I say!" This is one of those that I'd just call unfortunate. Between the awful camera angle, the really bad hairdo and the scowling model, this poor dress never even had a chance.  Although Kimmie has a different take:  The one in the pink/yellow/white is cranky cause she looks like one of those toilet paper cover dolls.

Let's call this one Bride of Lambchop. And why is she leaning on nothing?  Is she in the middle of singing I'm a Furry Little Teapot?  Please, for the love of God, tell us what's going on here!

"Is this a prom or what?  I came here to dance!  So let's dance!"  (actually, the dress isn't all that awful.  But what a pose.)  Or from RuthB:  she's practicing her judo moves--- oh no! She's with Ultimate Cage Fighter: The Model Fights Back edition!

And finally...

Is something holding your dress up, or is your butt just glad to see me?  Or from Carolyn NC:  I saw this ON a window, and couldn't resist...Or from The Queen Bee:  See, the girl in red needs to use the toilet, so her girlfriends are in the stalls on either side (standing on the toilets and reaching over the walls) holding the dress up. She's preparing to back into position. Looks like fun, doesn't it?

Tomorrow I'll have our final installment.  That is, unless you all come up with some zingers you'd like to add.

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Part One

Yes my friends, it's Prom Dress Catalog Time!  It's time for the many designers of formal wear to trot out their most absurd and tasteless creations and dress their lovely models. Then they photograph them in questionable poses and place them in ridiculous scenery.  If you have even one single solitary snarky bone in your body, you have to love prom dress catalog time.

Last year I didn't do a Prom Dress post, because my daughter (and partner in sarcasm) was away for college and my heart just wasn't in it.  When she was in high school and living at home, I'd run home from the post office with the latest catalog and then we'd sit at the kitchen table and cackle like maniacs. It just wasn't the same without her.

But now?  I'm doing it.  And if she'd care to comment on any of the photos, I'll bet she can outdo my sarcasm easily.

Shall we start?  I think we should begin with the ever-popular Animal theme. 

Here we have a lovely animal print....um....dress?  With it's matching red belt and it's short tutu skirt, you'll be the fun party girl of the prom.  Look, even the model can't stop laughing.  (WTF am I wearing?  Where's my safari hat?  Ha, ha!  It's all just tooooo funny!)

Or here's a caption from my daughter:  Ahaha! My stylist forgot to spray-tan my hands! Ha! That is so hilarious! Oh! And my crotch is showing! Hahahahahaha!

We all know what she's thinking. "Damn cat.  I had to climb up on this ladder and it still did a number on my dress.   But then I made this fierce face and it went away.  Grrrrr."

And this next one is just wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I don't even care about the dress.  I'm too terrified.

*********************************************

Now that we've sampled the Animal theme, let's appreciate the Inappropriately Sexed-Up for Prom theme.

Wait....you mean this isn't a stripper pole?  Because I'm ready to work it.

Yes, these are my breasts.  And gentlemen, my eyes are up here.   Of course, all I need to do is give this golden lasso a tug, and my breasts can be winched closer to my eyes.

And I've saved the best for last...

"I have the most perfect and bulbous butt in the world.  It's so perfect that my butt crack can exude glitter.  It's real easy for the glitter to dribble down.  But getting it to spray upward and create a fan effect?  Only a butt like mine could manage that trick.  Please don't try this at home.  I am a professional."

New Start

This was my new start from last week's retreat. It's been on my mind since November when I saw Barb stitching it - Mary Garry's Peace Sampler.  There are lots of great Quaker samplers out there (and in my basket), but I loved the deep rich colors Barb chose.  So call me a copy cat.  Go ahead.  I don't mind.  Why mess with a good thing?

I think I want to start something bright and springy, too.  This is the second year that I've noticed that many of us are in the doldrums over winter weather and it's spilling into our stitching lives, too.  I'm going to try adding something with a kicky color palette.  Lots of yellow, I think.  Yellow does it for me.  And pink.  And maybe I should finish putting those winter decorations away.  (Notice that I didn't say "Christmas".  That would be too embarrassing.)

What color brightens your mood?

Finished another La D Da

Sometimes I like finishing these La D Da designs, just because it means I can start another one. 2010 and 2011 are shaping up to be love affair years between me and Lori Markovic. It's love from afar, but still...

 32 ct. Lakeside Linens - Bittersweet

WDW Americana

WDW Sky

CC Ye Old Gold

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish-finish this yet. It's darn close to being exactly 4 X 6, so a ready made frame might work.  But I like the way it's finished on the chart, also. (photo from HDC)
Decisions, decisions.

Tomorrow I'll show you what I started while I was in West (By God) Virginia. Oh, I should have explained better in my last post...Even though I took three projects to start, I only actually started one.  You'll see why when I show you its photo tomorrow.

I'm not crying too much about the Steelers' Super Bowl loss last night.  The best thing about the playoff games and the Super Bowl game is that we get to have parties and excuses to entertain during some of the most dreary months of the year.  It's like a second Christmas.  So really, if your team makes it to the Super Bowl, you've won already.  We went to an awesome dinner party last night (man, that lady can cook) and we had a fabulous time.  So I'm still happy.  Fat, but happy!

Phew.

Is it possible to have a stitching hangover?

I'm just back from a 3 day stitching retreat and I'm feeling a little like I've had too much of a good thing.  I can barely get my act together today.  I've been laying around the house like a slug since I got home.

It was a really nice time - one of those very laid back retreats.  We did as much or as little as we liked.  Some of us stitched constantly.  Some watched movies.  Most of us watched the Pens game.  Some went for walks.  I think everyone enjoyed the fellowship and the laughter and encouragement.  And we our cabin was a beautiful facility (follow this link for photos)

I'm not even going to tell you about the food.

I finished two pieces.  I can show you one tomorrow, and the other I'll show you after a certain someone receives it.  And I started a new project that has been on my mind for a while.  (Should I tell you that I took three projects to start?  I obviously think I'm superhuman or something.)

Hmm.  Maybe I should go get my stitching out again.  Maybe it'll be kind of a "hair of the dog" remedy.


See you tomorrow.

Nothing to show today

I'm working on something, but I can't show it yet.  Maybe after February 14.  Does that tell you something?

I like to read Gretchen Rubin's blog, The Happiness Project.  Maybe it's her propensity for using lists, because I always like a good list.  But anyway, a couple of days ago she posted a quote by William James that made me laugh.

"Nothing [is] so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task."
--William James

Really William James?  Why don't you come visit my needlework closet?  You'll be so fatigued, you'll pass right out.

My February Answer

Here's is my answer to my own question! Sorry for the really bad photos.  We're having another dreary day with no sunlight and I'm trying to avoid using a flash because of the glass.

Anyway -

This will always be one of my favorite "love" samplers. I had been stitching lots of the Told in a Garden little Amish designs, and then spotted this one - Family Treasures II - and fell in love with it immediately.

While I was stitching it, I remember thinking that the "eyes were strong" line was a little silly.  I was 29 years old and I could practically stitch in the dark. Little did I know that in 20 years I would need gazillion watt lighting and magnification!

I'm a little concerned about the framing.  I don't remember - did give you a link to this page before?  Julie M, a stitcher and custom framer, wrote a post about taking apart an older cross stitch picture and what she found underneath was not pretty.  Now, look closely at the mat bevels in the photo above. 

Orange.  Probably acid mats.  I think I care enough about the life of this one to have it redone.  It's should be an easy decision, so why am I dilly-dallying? 

February Stitching Bloggers Question

And yes, I'm early! Better take a picture - I'm never early for anything!

But February is a short month and the first Monday is late in the month.  AND it'll be on the day after the Super Bowl, and I'm bound to be bleary-eyed after:

a) Partying too much after the Steelers win
or
b) Crying too much after the Steelers lose.

Anyway, here's what I've come up with for our February Question.  And of course, it's loooooove related.

We like to stitch things for people we love.  Show us and tell us about one (or more) of your favorite needlework projects that expresses your love for someone.

I already have my answer in my head.  How about you?