Weakness

With all the packing, moving, and unpacking, I've really been missing my crafties. *sigh* It seems that I browse ONS sites, blogs, and bulletin boards on almost a daily basis, longing over new projects and pretties. So it was only a matter of time before I stopped in here..... It is a lovely little shop, although it is a bit slanted toward quilting rather than cross stitch. But still, how wonderful to have a shop nearby where I can find, at the very least, specialty fibers and beads!! (Those are 2 things I hate to order....it usually feels like I pay more for shipping than for the merchandise.) I chatted with the very kind store owners, oohed and aahed over another customer's quilt, and ended up getting invited to the local EGA chapter's meeting! Sadly, they meet at 10 am on Mondays, which means I'll almost never be available. BUT! Labor Day is coming up...it is a Monday....maybe there will be a meeting then?? I'll have to drop by the senior center where the meetings are held and see.

Of course, I couldn't leave without buying SOMETHING -- it seemed only fair. hehehe So I found this is their 50%-off bin. I do love a good Halloween design....That is "Bugs & Hisses" by Plum Street Sampler. I also grabbed a skein of GAST for the pumpkins...the rest of the over-dyes I'll substitute and/or improvise! Or else I'll go back to pick up some more.....

I still really want the LHN/Crescent Colors "Reading" collaboration pack, and I've had my eye on the Shepherd's Bush "Mermaid" design as well. But this quiets the Stash Monster, at least temporarily!! LOL

I LURV my framer!

Earlier this month my mom and I dropped in at the LNS with some pieces to be framed (or in one case, reframed). Today I went to pick them up, and boy oh boy, are they ever gorgeous!!! So, without further ado, here they are.

First, the "Marsh Marigolds" that Mom had reframed. I stitched this several years ago and had it framed at Michael's...the job they did was less than stellar. The oval mat in a color that was too close to the fabric (blue fiddler's cloth aida) actually de-emphasized the stitching!

Before:


...and after:

The "Old Books Sampler" from the Cricket Collection (I really love this one!):

And finally, Something in Common's "Woodland Sampler." This one is DH's favorite...I tried to pick a mat and frame that would keep it from looking too "Christmas-y," so maybe some day he can hang it in his office (assuming he HAS one!). You can't exactly tell, but the frame reminds me of weathered fencing, which I thought was especially appropriate.

Other than picking up my framing, I was very good in the LNS...just picked up a pack of Mill Hill petites I needed for the knotwork piece (ugh, isn't it DONE yet??). That's not to say that I didn't fondle lots of things, but at least I didn't BUY them! Oh, but last night I picked up an issue of Cross Stitch Collection magazine, because it had a lovely Renaissance lady pattern in it. Of course it is by Joan Elliott, the designer of the evil knotwork... *sigh*

Speaking of the knotwork, I'd best stop typing/surfing and get back to it for a bit!

What a wonderful weekend!!

(Well, with the exception of the clogged toilet this afternoon....yuck!! Especially bad when you have only one toilet in the house and your husband doesn't feel compelled to fix it ASAP. Grrrr.)

Friday night I cleaned up around the house a bit - since my parents were coming Saturday - and then I did a bit of finishing so I'd have a stitched doo-dad to display in my "new" bedroom. Here is Lanarte's "Classic Woman," finished as a little flanged pillow.

I did this with fabrics I picked up eons ago in the remnant bin at Wal-Mart...let's just say that I learned WHY they were less than $1/yard. They are truly cheap fabrics, and my sewing skills aren't good enough to compensate for the cheapness. I had some real problems getting everything to behave nicely. Even ironing this stuff -- specifically the burgundy, which was a sheer synthetic blend fabric -- was frustrating. I DO think the finished product is cute, but I freely admit that I need more practice! It wasn't supposed to look quite so "ruffly".....

The visit with Mom and Dad was great. They arrived around 10 AM, and then Mom and I headed to the LNS!!! She brought a piece I stitched for them several years ago because she wanted it reframed. The original framing was done at Michael's, and the oval mat that was used was 1) too big and 2) not quite the right color (it was a speckled blue, and the piece was stitched on blue fiddler's cloth aida). At the LNS, we decided on a rectangular double mat in shades of green. I'll definitely post a picture when I get it back, and in the meantime I'll try to find a "before" pic, too (I'm sure I have one in a folder around here somewhere!).
Mom also treated me to some framing of my own pieces, too!! I tried -- albeit a bit half-heartedly! -- to talk her out of it, but she was adamant that my pretty stitching should be displayed. Soooooo....the Woodland Sampler that I finished last summer and the Old Books sampler that I did earlier this year will both be on my walls soon! AND Mom bought me some patterns from the 50%-off bins. I told her about the Neighborhood Round Robin project I'll be embarking on in July, and casually mentioned (hehehe) that I didn't have a lot of house patterns in my stash (well, that's NOT a lie!). So we found The Trilogy's "Cottage in the Meadow" and Hillside Samplings "House Samplings" that could have potential.
Mom, Dad, DH and I had lunch at a great little Irish restaurant and pub, then went back to our place to relax. Dad went over some investment possibilities for us to consider, then he took a nap while DH and I demonstrated the Nintendo Wii to my mom. Dad woke up in time to see some Wii bowling, and then got completely into the whole thing -- I was floored!!! (My dad has always insisted that video games are a giant time waster.)
We did end up going to Pizza Hut for dinner - DH could eat a slice or 2 of pizza, as long as he cut it up into little bits first and chewed carefully. Then Mom and Dad headed home.

Today I did some of my typical "ADD stitching" -- where I switch projects so often in one day that any progress I make is difficult to see. Here is Just Nan's "Wintry Mix" (most of the stitching on this one was done Thursday at the oral surgeon's office).

And here is more on the Neverending Knotwork wedding gift. More backstitching, and I worked down the left-hand side a little bit.

Shopping with Crabby Lady

I forgot to mention in my last post that I ran out to my LNS on Saturday, hoping once again to drop off the baby bear piece for framing. Well, the vague "limited hours" sign was STILL in the window, and the "closed" sign was showing, but the lights were on and as I was pulling into the parking lot I saw a lady leaving. So I figured "what the heck" and barged in the door myself. The shop owner was in there, limping around, and looking quite put out that I'd entered. I apologized, and then asked politely if I could just drop off a piece to be framed. She agreed, and as we looked over the frame choices, I asked what had happened and how she was feeling. She said she'd fallen and broken her ankle, and it was healing very slowly. She told me she was supposed to stay off it, but she had to open the store SOME of the time, and walking on the ankle made it swell and hurt..... I was appropriately sympathetic, and then asked if I could just pick up some beads (I'd driven all the way out there, after all!). I wanted to peek around for some of the Nashville charts, but she was hovering and limping around after me -- totally silly, since her store is not that big, I know where everything is, and it isn't like I'm going to steal anything. Heck, she could have sat on her stool at the counter the entire time, and I probably would have spent $20 or so on patterns and doodads. As it was, I grabbed 2 little packs of Mill Hill petite beads, plopped $2.50 on the counter, and left feeling very frustrated and unsatisfied. *sigh* Oh well. I won't go back there until she calls to say that my framing is ready - hopefully by then she'll be open her regular (still crappy, but at least regular) hours and I can paw through a sale bin or 2.

It is a good thing none of the online shops are having any sales right now, because I'd probably look to them to quench my monthly stash craving.....

You know what they say about frying pans and fires.

Well, I lost the bid on the pattern I was looking at (now that I don't have to worry about mentioning it here and having one of my blog readers outbid me (!!), I can tell you that it was a Cinderella pattern I'd never seen before, by Bluebell Cottage. I wanted it mostly for the border, which I thought I could modify and use with one of the Lavender & Lace Celtic Maidens!).

BUT.....after living in this town for 5 years, I finally made it to my LNS for the first time on Saturday. The store hours are from 10-3 Monday thru Saturday, so Saturdays are really the only day I can get there. Also, my stitching coworkers told me that the woman who owns the shop was not very friendly, so I never made much of an effort to stop in. Anyway, it wasn't the most extensive shop I've ever been in, but it was nice! And the owner, while she was a bit "prickly", seemed nice enough once I demonstrated a bit of knowledge about stitching. She asked me what kind of patterns I was interested in, and I casually name-dropped..... "oh, Teresa Wentzler, Marilyn Leavitt-Inblum, Nora Corbitt..." hehehehe As I was browsing around, another woman came in and started talking about "working on the darned huge moon in that fairy pattern." My ears perked up, and I chirped from across the shop, "oh, you mean Maria van Scharrenburg's "Night" fairy? She's lovely!" Man, I was IN after that. *big grin* Also, there was woman in there who was evidently making her first foray into stitching. She picked out a little Lizzie Kate square pattern, and as the owner was getting her some fabric and floss, she asked me what I was looking at. I just happened to have MLI's "Baby in a Basket" pattern in my hand, and I said that if I knew someone who was having a baby, I'd love to stitch it. She peeked over my shoulder, then said, "my grand-daughter is pregnant...hmmm. How much harder would that be?" The shop owner and I both assured her that the principle was the same, but since she'd never stitched before, jumping into an evenweave or linen might be a bit intimidating. I'm such an enabler!!!!!

Anyway the damage to my wallet.
- TW's "Storyteller" chart. (the SAL over on the TWBB inspired me to look for the pattern!)
- Serendipity Designs' "Tapestry Dreams" chart. It was in the 50% off bin, I got it for $4.
- Just Nan's "Wintry Mix" chart pack.
- Just Nan's "Butterfly Lace" chart (also 50% off, cost me about $1.25).
- the Flutterbead charm that goes with the Butterfly Lace pattern.
- an end cut of green/brown hand-dyed 28-count lugana. Good for dragons and such!
- an end cut of 28-ct. flax linen - for the Just Nan patterns.
All told, I spent about $35. I guess that wasn't TOO bad.....but I won't be going back for a while! (and she does framing......yay!)