Not Quite Finished

I worked on Debby's RR again tonight, unfortunately its not going to get in the mail for tomorrow's deadline but I should get it in the mail on Wednesday. Those silly willows took all evening to get the trunk and branches put in. I'd have to say right now they look like my big willow, not a leaf on it!

Tomorrow is weigh in, as usual I'm apprehensive. This is the first time since I started WW that I've used almost all of my flex points in a week. So it'll be interesting to see if there's a loss and how small or how bit it'll be. I'll share tomorrow!

Some Stitching and Stash

Well I have to say this past week there has been very little on the stitching front. Today I finally had a chance to sit and work on Debby's RR most of the time... well at least when Hunter didn't want to be on my lap. For some reason he wanted to play the lap cat, and I didn't think Debby would appreciate some black specialty fibres.

Also I got my Silkweaver grab bag on the weekend. I got lots of lovely fabrics in descent sizes!

Back to the grind of the normal world tomorrow!

An Afternoon at the NAG

Did that title make you take a double check? Yes today my Mum and I (I was off work for Easter Monday) went to the NAG... The National Art Gallery (of Canada). I haven't been there in at least five years, so it was nice to go and wander through the general collection! We couldn't even get through all of it. We looked at the European art (lots of big names... Rembrandt, VanGogh, Degas, Renoir, Monte, Klimt, and more that I'm sure I'm not familiar with) its amazing to find out what's in your back yard! Just the European art took us two hours! We were too stimulated to go and see the Canadian or Contemporary galleries. Those galleries we'll save for another day! Also we had a nice late lunch/early dinner in the Market. It was a nice day out!

Of course because of this lovely day out ... not much stitching got done! Here's my progress on Debby's RR as of quitting time tonight.

Tomorrow's weigh-in day at WW. I honestly won't be surprised if I don't see a loss from this past week. I stayed within my points but I wasn't eating the best foods all the time (I've got 100 calorie goodies in the house)... or at least it felt like it! So I'll be shocked if I have a loss to report tomorrow! So I vow for week 5 to eat as well as I did weeks 1-3... except for on Thursday... my birthday! I'm sure they'll have a cake at work (they always have) and if Todd does something shocking like take me out for dinner (some of you may recall last year I sat at home BY MYSELF on my birthday until 11pm and I was most displeased) its going to be butter chicken, rice, and nan!!! Oh yeah baby!

Debby's RR On The Go

I had a nice day working on Debby's RR, its one of the houses from Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I'm finding this very enjoyable to stitch. I still have windows and doors to finish up, a fence, grass and two willow trees. I picked this square because I have a willow just off of my property line behind my house and I love it!

Model #5 Done and Progress Pictures!

Well fair readers, I'm back home safe and sound. The laundry is done and my lunch is made... ready to go back to work after being off for a week. I tell you its never long enough!

Saturday by lunchtime I finally finished Model #5! Yay boy was I glad to see the end of that piece of stitching. I have one more to go, but I won't be starting it just yet. I figured with wrapping up that model... to celebrate with a little shopping at Ann's shop, Knowledge and Needles. Then, it was time to pack up and start heading East on the 401. I made it safe and sound to Christin's parents in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day an we enjoyed a walk out in the fresh air. I can tell you Brighton and Kingston have WAYYYY less snow that we do in the Ottawa Valley! Despite warmer temperatures I was sad to find we have much of it still left!

Saturday night I decided to work on a piece I started mid last year, and haven't really touched. The poor thing keeps getting set aside for everything else and wouldn't really take long to finish.

Cats and Baskets

Then this evening I pulled out Debby's Neighbourhood RR and got a start on it! I'm stitching the house from house 11 on Houses of Hawk's Run Hollow. Once this RR is done I'll go back to the model stitching... this means at least for a little while I'll have stitching to share with you.

Well its off to bed, and back to work in the morning... at least I can look forward to two things : a four day work week, and the Foo Fighters on Wednesday night!

Round Robin HD

While I was on Christmas holidays I worked on Rowyn's Neighbourhood RR, however I wasn't able to complete it because I had to pick up one last skein of GAST that I didn't have in my stash, nor did my local stitching friends. Luckily it was in stock at my LNS!

For My Friends

c2006 Charlotte's Web Needleworks

JCS 2006 Ornament Issue

Stitched with DMC & GAST

Today I got together with my latest stitching friend (I always like to make new stitching friends) Manon. We stitched all day today! It was GREAT! I managed to get a lot done on my model, now I feel like I'll be able to make my deadline! Yay! Thanks Manon for a great day and I'm sooo glad you started CDC! Yay!

Here's my photo of the day with my new camera! This is the willow at the back of my property with the sun rising behind it.

Stitch-O-Rama!

Its the end of day two here in Brighton, and boy did I stitch!

Today was a much calmer day here at Ann's we stitched up a storm today, and that's pretty much all we did (could you ask for a more perfect day?). We settled into Ann's sunroom with our stitching and watched the birds flitting back and forth from the trees to the bird feeders. Today we were treated with a male and female pair of cardinals. Boy the male is so pretty and vibrant. Again, thank you mother nature for a beautiful backdrop!

I spent the first half of my day almost wrapping up Rowyn's Neighbourhood RR, its all done except for one colour of GAST, Bayberry. Can you believe I don't have that one in my embarrassingly large stash? Nor did Christin, nor Ann's shop but I've lucked out and my contact at my LNS spotted a skein for me and has it set aside at the cash. I'll be popping in mid next week to pick that up and completely finish that RR. So here's where I'm at until I get that thread.

After getting as much done as I could on the RR I pulled Moonlight Guardian back out. I made great strides on this piece, the whole top boarder is done and I've made a good start on the left hand side. What you can't tell from this picture is that except for the outline on the border and the star and moon, this is all done in Kreinik #4 braid and the colours are just fantastic against the Blue Spruce linen.

Tomorrow guess what Ann and I have planned... more stitching! (Tell me, are you really surprised?)

Having Fun In Brighton

Whew! What a day I'm pooped! I found myself this morning at 5:30 am not able to get back to sleep, after Todd's shuffling around the house to get ready for work woke me up. After trying to go back to sleep for almost an hour I finally gave in and got up. Which allowed me to get a few more things done, and on the road an hour earlier than planned/expected! I had planned to stop to photo graph two spots on my way here, the first was this huge inukshuk and I have to say mother nature set up my photo beautifully with mist in the background! The second spot is an old stone church but I overshot it and traffic on the highway just wouldn't allow me to turn back. Hopefully I'll be able to stop on my way home.

My drive was uneventful (which is always a good thing) and I arrived in time to have a bit of a visit with Ann before the Thursday stitchers showed up! Today's group was a real treat, a full house of 16??? I never really counted but there were a lot of stitchers there, I can assure you there was more talking than stitching going on but it was fun!

I got to see some good friends like Beatrice, and her mom Adriana. Adriana is the most inspiring woman you will ever meet, and every stitcher wants to grow old as gracefully and beautifully as she has! Imagine at 91 to still be able to stitch? Not only stitch, but stitch on linen as beautifully as she does. Adriana has done a lot of beautiful, large projects since I first met her a few years ago. Beatrice frequently showcases her Mom's work on her blog.

Sharon also came in to stitch today as well, when she read on my blog that I was going to be here, and she wasn't working today she got in touch with Ann to see if she could come and stitch too! There was also Judy, Barb and Marie-Paul in attendance who I've also gotten to know fairly well over time. I always look forward to the few times of the year when I can come to Thursday stitching. Its such a wonderful group and everyone inspires and enables each other (it helps that Ann's shop Knowledge and Needles is just in the other room!)

Beatrice finally got her fabric for Moonlight Guardian today and she got started on it right away!

Once everyone left we had dinner then it was back to work, stitching, Beatrice also came back to stitch with us. Dan, Ann's DH had requested a quick haircut if you read her blog you may recall she's a barber.

I worked on the latest RR, and will be almost done tomorrow, except for one thread I will have to pick up at my LNS next week. No point in sharing a picture now when I can do that tomorrow with the almost completed piece.

Tomorrow Ann I and just plan to sit and stitch! Hmmm... what shall I work on?

Oh if you're wondering why there are no pictures of Ann? Well she was so busy in her shop (two new customers to boot!) that she barely had time to stitch until everyone was gone!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year readers!

Today I got to empty my ort jar. It was filled with a year's worth of fibres and memories from all the projects I stitched this year, but now its empty and ready for a new batch of fibres, projects, and memories.


Todd and I had a lovely New Year's Eve out at Rebecca's home with her husband and children. It was very low key and relaxing. LOL we didn't even notice when the clock struck twelve!!!





Rebecca and I stitched all evening once the boys were in bed. I started out with Rowyn's Neighbourhood RR but decided that wasn't the best piece to work on after my first adult friendly beverage! So I tucked that away and pulled out Mini Cottages 5 I figured aida cloth and bright colours would be the safest bet, and I worked on that until just after midnight. I did start to have a bit of a Moonlight Guardian crisis around 10pm (my New Year's start), I pulled it out and after a good fondle I was calmed enough to put it away and continue on my Michael Powell. However at midnight MG did make an appearance, I got in maybe 30 stitches then we all hit the hay.


This morning we woke up to a lovely surprise... MORE SNOW... that's right. We've had at least another 10cm today. It made our drive home a lot longer than it needed to be as well, and we would of stayed longer at Rebecca's for a leisurely morning. Our 1.5 hour drive turned into a 3 hour drive, Todd was a brave man and he white knuckled it home, and I worked on Mini Cottages to keep myself distracted and my mouth shut so he could focus on the road. I have to say there weren't too many idiots out there we only ran into two vehicles in the ditch on the whole trip.


Once we settled in at home I stared working on Moonlight Guardian in earnest. I had to stop for a few hours, I could feel a headache coming on so I took a power nap and that did the trick.

I really want to pick this project back up tomorrow, so far even just the border is so enjoyable! However I'll be a good girl and stick to my SAL schedule and pull out Paradigm Lost for a full day of love and attention. I know that once I put that needle to thread I won't want to put it down.

After a relaxing day at home by myself tomorrow I'll be heading off to Brighton to visit with Ann! I'll be arriving in time for her Thursday stitchers where I'll get to see Beatrice and the gang! I can't wait.

Stitching Updates

Alrighty, lets hope you all find this post much more interesting than my weekend report. Not up to my normal standard was it? Sorry about that!

Let's see what has been going on stitching wise, my Fair & Square round 3 was received by Pokua and I'm glad to see she's very happy with it! Mine is on its way and I can't wait to see it!

Full Moon (freebie)

c2000 Elizabeth's Designs

The Alphabet was added to increase the height of the design

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

Using GAST, WDW & Whisper

Earlier this week I finished the first panel on the Pomegranate Needlebook by Jeannette Douglas. I'm really looking forward to getting back to this and trying out her finishing instructions.

Also this week I started Heather's RR, her theme is Farm and I'm stitching up Dragon Dream's Of Farm and Field. I should be able to finish it up tomorrow night! (my part is bottom right)

Finally, on Tuesday of this week I'll be starting Paradigm Lost! Finally! Kathy says she'll be crossing into the US that day and I wasn't allowed to start until she crossed. You can follow our progress and that of our SAL mates (some are stitching Cirque des Cercles) at the Snowbird's SAL blog. If you'd like to stitch one of these two projects or have it started you're welcome to join us. Just send me an e-mail for an invite to the blog!

Yehawww An RR Done And Dusted!

Finally! There has been delays in the Sweetheart Tree Round Robin I've been in. I did receive the last installment a few weeks ago but I was in no rush to get it done... I guess because no one seemed to be in a rush to work on mine and send it on. I now know that mine is finally at the last person and hopefully will be coming home soon.

I decided it was time to get Marjean's stitched up and back out the door. Marjean had a particular colour scheme in mind. So I took one of the Teeny Tweenies which was done in blues and completely changed the colours to match Marjean's scheme.

Moody Blues

c2003 Sandra Cox Vanosdall

The Sweetheart Tree

Here's the whole thing...

I think I've picked out what I'm going to stitch for the biscornu exchange I organized on Needle and Thread BB. I've also got some ideas for the next round in the Fair and Square exchange for my partner Pokua. But for the rest of tonight I'll be working on The Castle.

Finished Von's RR!

Finally! Its done! Between my travels, work and life, and getting Fair and Square done, its taken me about two weeks to get Von's Neighbourhood RR stitched up. It took some thinking to pick something for Von's RR as she wanted a English Cottage theme. I knew I had nothing in my stash of charts, so I pulled out my magazines. I got lucky and pretty close to the top of the stack I found a pattern in an old Just Cross Stitch Issue. This is actually a part of a larger design with a fox hunt but this small section was just too perfect!

I put in the final back stitches tonight! If I hadn't been so exhausted from work I probably could of finished this on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Hunt

by Angela Pullen Atherton

Just Cross Stitch October 2005

I hope you like it Von!!!

Truckin' Along

Sorry for no blog entry yesterday... I was exhausted.

I've been plugging away at Von's RR and hopefully should finish it by the weekend. Even if its not done by the weekend, I'll have to set it aside so I can get my Fair & Square exchange done. For some reason I thought the deadline was a little later in September instead of next Friday. I've picked a design I think my partner would like... but its a challenge because she's not a blogger so I can't go and read entries to get to know her tastes. I can only go by the brief blurb she gave. I need to make sure it'll fit the parameters set out by the rules and pick floss colours. The fabric selection is a no-brainier seeing as it has to be a 32ct linen in a neutral tones.

Exciting things are coming up for me socially. Yay! As I recently mentioned I've got my long weekend visit coming up with Kathy. I like to get in as much time with her as I can as she's a Snowbird and will be off to Arizona around Thanksgiving (the Canadian one). I can look forward to March though, she's invited me out for a visit again during March Break. Now to find the right priced flight. This time I'll go direct to Yuma, instead of stopping in San Diego for a few days (unless I find a flight to S.D that's such a steal that it makes renting a car worth my while).

Tomorrow evening me, my Mum and Christin are going out for a lovely dinner and to see The Phantom of The Opera! This will be my third time seeing Phantom (but its been more than 10 years since I saw it), Mum's second, and Christin's first. Fingers crossed that she'll be as awestruck with the production as I have been.

September 15th my Mum and I are going to see Genesis.

October I have two getaways planned. The first is a (I hope) long weekend getaway for me and Todd to the Ganenoque Inn. We've not been away together, just the two of us in a long time... we're overdue.

Then a few weeks later I'll be going back to that self same Inn, for the Cross Stitch Cupboard's Fall retreat where I'll be taking a class called Pomegranates and Pears from Jeannette Douglas.

Then finally, there's November when Ann of Knowledge and Needles holds her B&B retreat. This year instead of just one night, it'll be two. I'm so looking forward to all of these events.

I have to say the one I'm looking forward to the most is my long weekend getaway with Todd, I only just booked it today. I think Todd is looking forward to it too, its very hard to get him to agree to do anything or go anywhere. This time I just took the decision out of his hands, that an he has no excuse not to go.

Happy Birthday Kathy

Boy, a lot of my firends have had birthdays over the last few weeks! This time its Kathy's birthday she's enjoying Cirque Du Solie with family tonight, what a great gift!

Kathy and I met a few years ago through Ann. We've become fast friends over the last two years! She's had a very busy summer and I can't wait to see her next weekend!

Coincidentally, I finished Kathy's Instant Gratification Round Robin today! A nice little giftie for you Kathy! I've already got it tucked away in my stitching bag for next weekend.

Ornament from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

Well Chrisanne has gone home but we had a great 24 hours of visiting and stitching. We stayed up until 2am Friday night stitching.. we just didn't notice time flying by.

This morning when we got up I decided I would take "a few hours" to stitch up an ornament. It arrived in the mail a few day's ago it's Juli's selection from the Ornament RR I'm in. Honestly I thought it would be a quickly. It wasn't! I had to re-do the left hand spiral 3 times! It was a wily thing but the ornament is finally done (and it was a pain to photograph as well!)... I can pick Noah's Sub back up for a day or two. I got Kathy's Band RR today so I'll look through my stuff and pick something to start in a couple of days.

Shimmering Snowfake 2

c Cross-Stitch Christmas 2002

28ct Nordic Blue Linen

DMC floss, Mill Hill Beads/Treasures

Quilts n' Gardens HD

Here's yet another RR for me to share with you all! This one is set up through my stitching BB, Needle and Thread (new members always welcome). This one is band samplers, and the owner, Jodi her theme was quits and gardens... we each have two bands to add to it. Mine are the pink flower and the star quilt squares. Besides Jodi in this RR I'm doing it with my good friends Chrisanne and Kathy! This RR just has to go to Kathy and then it can go back home to Jodi! I'm hoping in the fall to propose a new RR on my BB... I'm thinking a Quaker themed RR... I really like the ones I've seen being produced on the blogs.

Pink Flowers & Quilt Squares

c Better Homes and Gardens

2001 Cross Stitch Designs

Now I can pick Noah's Sub back up :-D

Start of Another RR

On Saturday when I went to stitch with Chrisanne, she passed onto me the next Instant Gratification Round Robin on the Needle and Thread BB. I had selected what I was going to stitch last night and had time to start it this evening. Jodi's theme is quilts and gardens and we each have two bands to stitch. Both of the patterns I've picked are from the Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. I've got a good start on my first band.

I also did some finishing tonight! I've been reading a lot of blogs over the last few days and I've just been so inspired to do some finishing. Some of you bloggers do amazing work! I think blogs have been a fantastic motivator and inspiration over the years. A number of weeks ago you may recall I bought a few blue fat quarters. I had bought them with the intention of turning my blue Hedgehog Quaker into a pillow... I had an idea for something slightly different. Finally I did it, and I'm very happy with how it turned out!

I think I'm going to go through my finished-unfinished project bag and find something to try out a flat fold... I haven't made one of those yet!

Tomorrow night I won't get any stitching in... I'm meeting up with Christin, Chrisanne and her daughter Lindsay. We're taking Lindsay to her first concert (shhh... its a surprise). We're going to see Nickleback, Puddle of Mud, State of Shock and Daughtry. Should be a fun night as long as the rain holds off... its an outdoor concert.

And Another Round Robin

Yay! Another round robin is done and dusted! Lately that's all I feel like I've been working on. This one is the Neighborhood Round Robin I'm in that just started. This one belongs to Cindy and her theme is country cottages and colonial houses.




I went through some charts and decided to stitch a modified version of house 7 from Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I stitched two of the four houses in the block... and in the area that was left I put in the hot air balloon (I loved it!) but without the bird sitting on top. I'm very happy with the results and I hope Cindy is too.

Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

House 7 (modified)

c Carriage House Samplings

Stitched on 32 ct Days Gone By Joblean (Silkweavers) with DMC

So ... now for the moment, until something else shows up in the mail I can pull Noah's Sub back up... perhaps tomorrow I'll treat you with a progress pic as I did work on it two weekends ago.


Since I haven't been blogging much lately I should update you on what I've been up to (stitching related and of interest of course!


Two weekends ago (that would of been June 9/10th) was Todd and mine 15th anniversary ... we're not married so that would be when we started dating. How did we celebrate you may ask. In all honesty we didn't. I went to a weekend stitching get together with some Eastern Ontario stitchers and he went to the cottage to fish. I have to say I needed that weekend away! I was the first to arrive at Lynn's house on Saturday morning, but no more than half an hour later Rebbecca arrived. This was my first time meeting Lynn and the second time I met Rebbecca. Once lunch and visiting was done with we got down to some serious stitching. I started an over one monogram... which I have to embarrassingly tell you I trashed this week. I realized I was stitching the wrong letter! I wanted to stitch someone a thank you for sending something on for me and what did I do? Get names mixed up! Instead of starting over I trashed it, in the meantime I've come up with something else for a thank you but I won't share until its been received. Once I was sick of over one, Noah's Sub came out. Late afternoon Chrisanne stopped in to join us for a few hours and I got to take her new car (or putt putt as she puts it) out for a little tour. Its cute! Lynne put together a fantastic dinner for me and Rebbecca and in the evening Pam (if I recall correctly) a friend of Lynn's joined us for more stitching! Sunday consisted of breakfast, stitching, lunch, stitching and heading back home. I have to thank Lynn for hosting a very relaxing weekend and feeding us the most excellent food! I hope we can do it again!



This past weekend was the annual quilt exhibit at the Country Quilter in Richmond, for the third year in a row my Mum and I went to check it out. I have to say this year they seemed to have so many more quilts and they were all just fantastic! I wish now I had take some pictures for you. Its such a fantastic setting, the Country Quilter is run out of a nice old house so in the yard they put ropes between all the trees and hang the quilts in the yard. Its just fantastic with the sun and the breeze! A bonus of course is the 20% off sale they have. My Mum and I both bought some fabbies. I was very good and kept myself in reign. I bought 3 fat quarters, two that will work with my blue Hedgehog Quaker one was just too cute to stay there! After the Country Quilter it was still too early for lunch so we went to The Running Stitch and finally onto lunch.



So those are the "interesting" things I've done lately.

Another RR Bites The Dust!

Yay! I just put in the last bits of BS (not that there was a lot of it) in on Chrisanne's Band RR. This will be it for at least a few days... maybe a week when one of the Neighbourhood RR's get here.

Chrisanne's theme was Floral ... so I dug through my magazine and found an Apple Blossom chart. I used my computer to print out a chart of the reverse so I could stitch two of them curving in opposite directions. To fill things in I added some garden critters.

Apple Blossom, Bee & Butterfly

Quick and Easy Cross Stitch

June No. 88

Stitched on mystery fabric using DMC

Tomorrow... I should be able to pick up Noah's Sub!


The iris for today is : Supreme Sultan!

My Neighborhood Is Ready To Go!

Well its taken quite a bit of work, between first the basting, next the outlining and finally stitching my block.... my Fantasy Neighborhood RR is ready to go in the mail for Friday's deadline!

I agonized for quite awhile how I was going to set up this RR. With there being 9 participants (including myself) there really wasn't too many options. At first I thought one long piece of fabric... well at 70x70 blocks that was going to be massive! My next thought... 3 rows of 3 blocks. Nah, too boring. Then it was two rows of 5 blocks... I was set on that for awhile. Then late one night I came up with the layout I used... I have my best thoughts at midnight! I came up with a great layout for Kathy at midnight last Friday, she's in a different group of the same RR that starts in a month and a half.

As I'm sure I've already complained, the outlining took forever! My piece is on 32ct Queen Ann's Lace Joblean from Wichelt (can't you tell I love this fabric). This piece is what's left over after I cut a chunk out of a yard for Paradigm Lost which I'll be stitching with Kathy, Christin and Beatrice starting in November. The outlining is all stitched in Needle Necessities 161 (fools gold I believe), which at first I wasn't sure about but now I'm very happy with my choice. In my center box I stitched the words "Once upon a time, in a far away land... " using the font from Teresa Wentzer's English Cottage Sampler.

Saturday I started stitching my castle for the RR, I would of finished it last night but our appointment with the insurance company lasted hours! So I finished up the last bit of backstitching this evening.

Build A Castle - Teaching Piece

c2001 Dragon Dreams

Stitched with DMC & Kreinik braid

Unfortunately Noah's Sub has been ignored for weeks and it'll be ignored for a little longer. I want to get Kathy's ornament RR stitched up (which I made a start on a few weeks ago). I also have Chrisanne's Band RR... depending on where I am with mail out dates I may take a day or two to work on my poor neglected Sub in between RRs!