• Critters

    Bed Hog.

    November 29, 2012

    Recently I bought the hooligans a new bed. They used to have a blue one that Frieda and Jimmy bought for them, but the Yorkie wouldn't quit behaving inappropriately with it, so I tossed it. You just can't unsee some things. Even Frieda used to gasp in shock and say, "You're a naughty fraulein! That is very unladylike!"

    Tasha was the first one to take to the new bed. I figured she would, bc she will literally lay on anything, hoping to make a snoozing spot out of it. It can be a piece of lint, and she'll sniff it, turn circles, and faint dead away in slumber on top of it.

    She looked so cozy, I thought I'd take her picture.

     
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    And then the typical thing happened when I started snapping photos of Tasha.

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    By the way, see that look? It says, "The brown doesn't do it for me."

    And I'm totally okay with that, fraulein.

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  • Stitching

    Finishes

    November 19, 2012

    I got a few more emails recently from those of you who have finished some PSS designs.. thank you again for sharing them! It's always fun to see the color changes you make, or the different ways you finish them.

    First, I've never seen a finishing technique quite like this one, and I think it's fabulous! These are from Marielle fom France…

    This one is Hares' Halloween (available from your local needlework shop):

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    And this one is Hares' Haunting (available under the "freebie" link on the right-hand sidebar here on my blog, along with all of my other freebies):

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    Next is a sweet finish from someone whose email I've lost, so now I don't know who sent it to me! I am sincerely sorry, but I'd like to thank you for taking the time to show me your Hares' Haunting pillow! I love how it turned out:

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    Here is Cindy's completed Christmas Tea, stitched on Pearl Grey Belfast, with Belle Soie silk – very pretty  linen choice, Cindy!

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    And lastly, I asked Katrina's permission to post this here, bc it's too beautiful not to share with you all. Katrina is the assistant to the VP of Programs for the Sampler Guild of the Rockies, and she came up with this project for the guild members for next year. She did a gorgeous job on it (as she does with everything, I might add), and I can't wait to see it in person when I attend their retreat next June!

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    This design is a variation of the "Trifle for a Friend" complimentary pattern (again, located under the "freebie" category in the sidebar to your right). The original was charted for a single color, but Katrina added a few different colors and the result is wonderful!

    And take a look at what's inside the box…

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    (She stitched the scissors fob over-one!) Katrina, you've done an outstanding job, and I know the ladies in your guild must be very pleased with your dedication to finding the perfect year-long project. And I'm extremely flattered that you liked the pattern enough to work with it!

    Thank you all so much for sharing your finishes with me.. it's always a huge pleasure, and a dream come true for me to know that there are stitchers out there who like my designs. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  • Home

    Eliza Scattergood

    November 14, 2012

    I truly enjoyed designing my next release, coming out this week.. the name is probably my favorite part, which was suggested to me by my dear friend Katrina (who keeps me in a steady supply of sampler names.. other than Olga, she's named all of the "Russian friends" I've designed. What can I say? She charms me, and I can't say no!). I have, however, included an alphabet chart for your own name, if you decide you'd like to stitch it.

     
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    Rindy Richards stitched the model to perfection for me. I can't thank you enough, Rindy! Your stitching is so beautiful, and I appreciate everything you've done to help me get these patterns out in a decent time frame. 🙂

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    Here are the materials you'll need for Eliza:

    Fabric: 36 ct. Vintage Pecan Butter by Lakeside Linens

    Threads: Needlepoint Inc. silks in 998, 622, 725, 903, 963, 344, 346, 695, 767, 985, 973, 127, and 992. Or, if you'd prefer to use DMC, the threads you'll need are 310, 352, 355, 435, 646, 730, 830, 832, 975, 3023, 3781, 3858, and Ecru.

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    Miss Rindy is currently working on a Christmas sampler for me called Farmstead Christmas, which will be out some time in December. And if I can get myself in gear, I may have a second December release. Only time will tell if I can get it stitched up quickly enough, but if not, then be on the lookout for it in January. It's more of a winter-themed piece than a Christmas one. (Unless I make more changes to it.) (Which I tend to do.) (But maybe I won't this time.)

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    When I survey this work of mine,
    I'm filled with joy and dread.
    May Christ my life with His entwine
    before my days' last thread. 

    I hope you all are having a beautiful fall season, filled with your favorite stitching projects. See you soon!

    ETA: The stitch count for this sampler is 317 x 137. And yes, Diane, the verse is a "Paulette original." LOL – that made me laugh!

     

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  • Crazy Kids,  Critters

    XOXO

    November 12, 2012

    Sophie loves the Yorkie.

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    And the Yorkie loves her back.

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    Sophie also loves Tasha.

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    And Tasha loves her back.

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    Yorkie love can be a little persistant sometimes…

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    But Tasha love comes at you in all at once…

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    (I wouldn't do that if I were you…)

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  • Crazy Kids,  Family

    1880’s Meets 1980’s (Warning: Not for the Squeamish)

    November 2, 2012

    If someone would have told me in 1987 that my future children would dress up in clothing from my high school days, I'd have laughed and laughed and declared that the only era anyone would ever think was hilarious enough to dress from would be the 1950's.

    I was wrong.

    Not only did Sabrina and Connor decide to dress up as workout partners from the 80's, but they decided it would be best to put a zombie twist on it as well.

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    Sabrina tried talking Connor into going as Richard Simmons, but he was a little too apprehensive about donning short-shorts and applying QT all over his body.

    Here they are, stretching and warming up before their trick-or-treat marathon…

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    I don't recall ever dressing like that in the 80's, by the way.

    And then there were the Southern Gentleman and Southern Belle Zombies…

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    And these two wouldn't feel like they got their Halloween's worth of fun if they didn't act out their parts for the camera…

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    And then they joined forces with the Workout Partner Zombies…

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    I'm glad that one of the zombies remembered to bring their iPhone along, just in case a text from Frankenstein came through.

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    And it's good that the iPhone-carrying zombie remembered to do her stretches half-way through the chase as well…

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    Crazies, all of them.

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    P.S. When Sophie came back home that night, she said to me, "People kept telling me and Dad that we looked like some people from a movie who got carried away in the wind or something like that."

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