Going on vacation!

And I will be back on July 18. Meanwhile I will leave you with a little photo fest of recent works, including 4 finishes!!! First of all, This is the Day!



This is the Day

Hands to Work

32 ct. Vintage Exemplar

My own mix of Crescent Colors and Gentle Art Sampler Threads

A Place We Call Home

Country Cottage Needleworks

28 ct. Country French Latte

called for list of sampler threads

Flower basket stitched on flour sack,pattern by Aunt Martha's

OK, this technically doesn't count as a finish, because this is part of a quilt with 5 flower baskets on it. I officially finished the first one!

Grandma's Tea Towels

Crab Apple Hill

stitched on kona cotton with DMC thread.

Political Statement Ahead!! Caution!

Please forgive me, I know this blog is not about politics. But I am so appalled and shocked today I cannot be silent. Those who know me well, know that I am pro-life. I am for life in every case. I feel abortion is selfish and murder. So there is it.
The New York Times is publishing an interview with Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, our out-going supreme court justice. This article is so telling about her politics and radical feminism. Please people! We have to understand the link between abortion and eugenics!! Don't know what eugenics is? It is the ideology embraced by Hitler, in which society is "perfected" by the weeding out of "undesirables"! Here is what Ruth Bader-Ginsberg just said:

"Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of."

This is eugenics people! This is the same idea that drove Hitler! This is what Margaret Sanger-the founder of Planned Parenthood believed in! If you don't think this affects you, you are wrong! Our country has embraced infanticide and its all downhill from there! All people deserve life! All! PEOPLE are not undesirable!


OK, I'm sorry to burden you all with this, I am just so shocked to find out that this is the belief system of someone making policy in our country.

Happy 4th of July!!

Quaker Primitive in milk paint colors!!

Check it out here!

A little progress

OR...a VERY little progress! I have mostly been model stitching, which I can't show, yet!. Here is a little I have gotten done on This is the Day:

Not much to go, just filling in the white and the over 1 words in the box!

And here is a little bit more of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I wish I had more time to work on this! I am loving it so much now that I have switched to 32 and 2 strands. I took it with me on vacation, but you know how THAT goes!!:)

Tea

First of all, thank you for all of the dear comments about our beloved dog whom we lost this week. I appreciate your sentiments so much. He will be missed, and after 17 years it is just weird not to have him here! There is definitely an emptiness without him.

I love tea! I love to make myself a pot of tea in the afternoon, sit down and pick up my latest embroidery. I do not have a nice tea set, what I do have is a mish-mash of tea components that do not match! I have a silver tea tray(not real silver), a blue floral tea pot, a little glass creamer, a pink floral tea bag holder(which I usually use to set my spoon on) and a set of real china tea cups from Japan with a gorgeous rose pattern(which my mother-in-law brought from Japan when she came here and has now given to me). But I enjoy this little collection almost every day.I am saving up to buy this tea set:


I really like these:
I have ordered the pattern and intend to make these for myself. I love the Crab Apple Hill patterns-they are all so cute! Do you ever do this type of stitchery? I like it as a break from cross stitch once in a while. I goes very, very fast. It seems I always get the urge to do this type of stitchery in the summer.
And almost every August I get the urge to work on a quilt.I never finish any quilt though, maybe this will be the year! I have one started from last year, a Blackbird design. I should really drag it out and get started on it.
Well thanks for putting up with my meandering thoughts. :)

Sorry to have been so remiss...(long post!)

Wow! I have really let thew time get away from me!I have been very distracted lately. May was insane, and then all 3 of my younger kids had different last days of school this year. But they are finally all out and we have been trying to get into a summer groove, but it has been hard!

Last weekend we went to visit Loras college in DuBuque Iowa. Chelsea has decided she wants to teach theology, so that is one of the schools we are looking at. We loved it! Who knew DuBuque was such a charming city? It's right on the Mississippi river so it is very hilly and scenic.

After our college visit we went to Wisconsin Dells to frolic away the rest of the weekend. It was really fun, but I am still recovering! I am so tired this week! We haven't had any sunshine since we got back, and that doesn't help! L to R: Lucas, Chelsea, my hubby Gary,Isabel and Aidan
And of course if you go to the Dells you have to have a hardy lumberjack breakfast at Paul Bunyans! Here is a pic of the kids with their grandmother! She is amazing! 83 and still kickin!
I am still working on new releases! I have one finished and going to the framers tomorrow. It is called Colonial Gardener. Here is a sneak peek!

RIP Jippy! :(

We had to put our dog down yesterday after 17 years. He seemed to have a stroke, the right side of his body wasn't working anymore. He has been one of the family for so long, it is very sad to see him go. It is especially hard on my kids, as he has been around as long as they can remember. We love you and miss you Jippy!
Jippy

July 1992

June 2009

Rest in peace Sha-poopie!

The Graduates!

This is why I haven't posted in so long!! We have had a busy week with graduation, and getting everybody finished with school, planning the summer and every thing else!! Whew!BRAG ALERT!!!Here are Lucas and Brittany(his girlfriend-can't claim her as mine!) on graduation day! We are so proud of both of them! They both graduated with honors, were awarded with scholorships, and Brittany, she was standing there for like 20 minutes while they read off all of her accomplishments!
Gary and I were quite astonished when Lucas won the Greg True award! This is a great honor at his high school and is given for academic and athletic achievement, sportsmanship, grade point average, and leadership, among other things. The trophy is displayed at school and will have his named engraved on it. So exciting! This is a picture of Lucas with my brother.We are so proud of him! And on a stitchy note, this is as far as I have gotten on This is the Day, before I put it aside to do some model stitching. I am close to a finish on this one but, duty calls!

Free chart!

Quaker Primitive
Click on image to print!
Suggestions for stitching:
30ct. Colonial Pumpkin linen from R & R.
2 strands of Hickory Sticks from Crescent Colours.
1 strand of Hickory Sticks for the over 1 portions.

Thank you for reading my blog!!

Edited to add:
This design cannot be stitched on aida cloth. Due to the over 1 portions you need either linen or evenweave.

For a great explanation of stitching over 1 go here!

Happy Mother's Day!

I woke up this morning to a tray of beautiful flowers for my garden! My girls put this together for me and it is so sweet!!

Prom 2009

Sorry to bore you with pictures of my guy. This is his senior prom. He took the same girl last year when he was a junior. As a matter of fact, they just celebrated their 1 year anniversary last weekend! Aren't they cute!!!
I don't have a good full length shot because Lucas kept squinting, even though it was overcast? (?)
Lucas and Brittany

Senior Prom

2009

More This is the Day

I got quite a bit done on this over the weekend, and was able to accomplish quite a bit of yard work as well. So it was a good weekend. I am really loving the way this is turning out. I hope to finish it this week, as I have got some new designs to work on, so I need to get stitchin"! But its been nice to take a little breather and work on this.

Early Works Mercantile

Some of my friends have put together a new selling blog to sell their primitive wares. If you love primitives, or like to decorate that way, check out this new artist group! Click HERE to go there.
Keep Stitchin'!~Annie

Happy May Day!

Today is May Crowning at my kids grade school, and for the first time in about 15 years I am not going. This is a picture of Aidan and Isabel at May Crowning 2 years ago. Its so funny because that was when Aidan was in 8th grade, and now he is like 6'4!
I am exhausted today, as I have been running around like a crazy woman the last 2 weeks. We just have a lot going on, with one of my kids about to graduate, prom is next week, I just finished up all of my orders for the Online Needlework Show, and today the high school is closed due to an unconfirmed case of swine flu. So I've got 2 teens at home (sleeping of course as it is still early), and one of them has been a little sick, so I am on Mom Alert-level orange!!!This whole swine flu thing is s c a r y!

Yesterday I went to my LNS to deliver an order and of course I COULDN'T RESIST stashing just a little! Here is what I got: I heard a rumor at my guild this week the Birds of a Feather is no longer designing. I don't know if it is true, but I took a long hard look at all of their charts to decide which ones I need to get before they become scarce. I already own a lot of them so I just made a mental list for later, but they are definitely in my radar! I am still working on This is the Day, I don't want to work on anything else until I finish it, because I am determined it WILL NOT become a WIP! LOL!!(and by WIP I mean, "wither in pile"!)

Quick update on This is the Day

I worked on this at my guild Tuesday night, and after dinner last night. Its coming along...
OK, I'm off to run errands! Going to my LNS to deliver an order and TRY to resist stashing up!!

Stash up!

I recently had a chance to add some charts to my stash!Plantation Sampler~Canterbury Designs, A Ball at Netherfield~Stitching Parlor
Ida Mae Crow~Goode Huswife, Cape Cod Girls~Primitive Needle, Haunting Mermaid~Carriage House SamplingsMost of these were influenced by blogland. I have seen some great things being stitched lately-oh! to have the speediest needle and unlimited time!!!

Hello!!

Hello my friends! I have been MIA for the last week, packing and shipping orders from the Online Needlework Show. I had a very good show, and now I am ready to start some new charts. Ah! I love the feeling of starting out fresh again. I have some ideas I can't wait to work out, so its back to the drawing board!

Here is my progress on This is the Day! I've been working on this consistently, but because I chose threads from my stash and I'm stitching 2 over 2, I keep running out! So I have to make a trip to my LNS this week and stash up. But I am happy with this little sampler, the colors on this linen are gorgeous!

Some close-ups and This is the Day

Here are some close up pics of my 2 new charts. First off is Our Love. My hubs and I are going to celebrate our 25th anniversary in October this year, so I guess I'm feeling sentimental. Of course 1808 is the year we met! Ha! Ha!(seriously we met when I was just 15 so it does seem a century!!)



Next is my little box, Be Ye Kind and True. I just love covering these craft boxes with fabric, I have quite a few around the house holding all sorts of things.The pattern comes with instructions on how to cover a box yourself. Look for an upcoming tutorial on how to do this, is really isn't that hard, and the way I do it they are really nice and last forever.
And last but not least my start on This is the Day. Wow I am loving this sampler. I haven't worked with overdyes in a while so it is really fun. And its working up quickly which is nice. My colors are really different than those I've seen around the web. I do love my rusty reds, so I am happy with my choice of chili pepper for the buds.

2 New Charts!

Click on the pictures for a really great close-up view!
Be Ye Kind and True

DMC on 32ct. Cafe Mocha

Our Love

"Our love is like a rose that blooms, Tho it's beauty never fades"

AVAS silks on 32 ct.Antique White Belfast

Premiering today at the Online Needlework Show!