Nan's Needlework Notions

Valentine's Day

2012-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Long Weekend to Me.....and hopefully you!

I think this is the first time in years that I've actually had the opportunity to celebrate President's Day at home instead of school. We've had a very mild winter and so far no snow days. My plan for the long weekend includes many hours of stitching.

I have been a busy girl since my last post and have lots to share with you so,

on to Valentine's Day!

My friend Karen and I decided we would do an "unfinished" Valentine's Day exchange.

Karen knows how to spoil a girl when it comes to exchanges.

Here is the exchange Karen sent. Harley had to check out what his Aunt Karen sent.

Fabric, Candy, Scissors, Pincushion, Ribbon, Needle minder and much more!

Here are the Valentine's Day pieces Karen stitched for me.

Cutie, cute, cute!

Here is how I finished them.

Look at this super cute Valentine pincushion.

Love It!

Here is the exchange I sent Karen.

Here is the stitched piece I made for her.

Love Always

Homespun Elegance

And here is how she finished it.

Thanks for a great exchange!

I loved stitching for you and I love everything you sent.

I haven't done much seasonal stitching this winter but I

did manage to finish one Valentine's Day piece.

February Word Play
With Thy Needle and Thread

Stitched on Zweigart 40 ct. Autumn Blush

Recommended Fibers

LK Flora McSample 2011 Ornament

Wilchelt 28 ct. Milk Chocolate Linen

Recommended Fibers

And 3 little ornaments. I fell in love with these ornaments the first time I saw them.

I made a boo boo when trimming the fabric and thought I'd ruined all of them.

I managed to salvage them, I think. Considering my boo boo I think they turned out ok.

Time is flying and February will be over before we know it. I think it is time to turn my attention to St. Patrick's Day now. I don't have many stitched things for St. Patrick's Day so I hope to add a few this year.

Thank you for stopping by and your sweet comments.

I love hearing from my stitching friends. Have a great weekend!

Keep on stitchin'

Nan

A is for Altemeyer

2012-01-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends,

Yesterday was a glorious day...14 hours of peaceful stitching.

I took my dog to the groomer at 8:00 a.m. was home by 9:30 and parked

my caboose on the couch until about 11:30 last night.

During my marathon stitching session I finished the "A" from M Designs.

I was inspired to stitch this piece after seeing Yvonne's "S".

This piece was one of my many starts in 2011. Deciding to dedicate some of my time to finishing those "starts" I decided to tackle this one first. I really love this design and have a perfect place in my living ready to display the finished product.

The problem is...............Now that it is finished I'm not so sure I like the colors.

Has this ever happened to you?

I think my problem is the fibers I chose. All the color variation makes an already busy design TOO busy. The picture tones it down a bit but the gray variations run rampant. When I finished I held it up for my husband to see and asked him if he could tell what it was. He looked intently begging for an imagine to appear before his eyes so he wouldn't have to say he couldn't tell what it was. Bahahaha! Poor man. I finally cracked up laughing and let him off the hook.

Now my dilemma is whether to frame this piece. I'm hoping it will grow on me....

M Designs "A"

I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2012.

It is hard to believe that January is almost over.

Thank you for stopping by and your sweet comments. Hearing from you makes my day :-)

I did want to let you know that I try very hard to respond, thank or just say hi to anyone who comments on my blog posts. If you don't hear from me that means your reply is set to "no reply blogger" and if I don't already have your email address I can't reply back.

Regardless, please know that I appreciate the time you take to stop by.

Keep on stitchin,

Nan

Look Out.....I'm on a ROLL!

2012-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday Friends!

I finished stitching this cutie patootie JBW design last night.

It was a quick stitch and turned out super cute (I think ;-)

I'm on a stitching and finishing roll this weekend. If only I could stay this motivated.

JBW Winter Collection

Snow Hats

28 ct. White Jobelen

Suggested Fibers

I added the pom poms on the top because these hats

remind me of one a had when I was little.

My hat had a sparkly ball on the top.

I hated wearing that hat when I was little but it brings back fond memories now.

Thank you so much for stopping by and your sweet comments.

I love hearing from you and appreciate you allowing me to share my stitched pieces with you. Have a great week and I'll be back soon, assuming the stitching mojo continues.

Keep on stitchin'

Nan

January Finish

2012-01-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings Fellow Stitchers,

I have my first finish for the new year! I've noticed this design on many blogs and I'm delighted to share my version of it with you. I've decided to stitch the series separately and can't wait for each new month. I've already kitted February and can't wait to see March.

I'm sitting here in a quiet, peaceful house this evening so I decided it was a perfect time to work on finishing this piece. I cut fabric, ironed, adhered batting to the cube and sat down to start pinning. Wouldn't you know it.....I had about 10 pins, it usually takes about 25 for a cube this size. So, I called my neighbor who sews and has a craft room to die for. Surely, she would have some pins I could borrow, nope. So she called her mom, nope. Her sister, nope. I couldn't stop now so I hopped in the car and trekked the 15 miles to the nearest wal-mart. I went directly to the pins and picked up all 5 containers of satin pins on the shelf. No way I'm running out of pins for a very long time. As I turn to go, low and behold......the fabric got me. Of course you can't go into the fabric dept. and not look. So in the process of picking up pins I also found some finishing fabric I liked even better. (I also picked up some Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day fabric while I was at it. ;-)

While I was on a roll I decided to cruise the ribbon selection. I found the cutest sparkly snowflake ribbon to finish off the design. I guess my trip to wal-mart was worth it after all.

I like this finished product better than what I had planned on using.

Now, I need a good camera.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate your sweet comments. I hope the new year is off to a great start for you. Next weekend I am off to a stitching retreat in Ohio.

I can't wait to see the girls and spend some time stitching and stashing. Until next time......

Keep on stitching,

Nan

A Final Finish for 2011 (The Year of Good Intentions)

2011-12-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve!
It is hard to believe that another year has come to an end. I've been incredibly blessed this year. I hope that 2012 brings you many blessings and of course, lots of time to stitch.

I have been busy finishing the first of the Prairie Schooler Limited Edition Kits.

I have long hoped to stitch the entire series.

This is my final finish for 2012 and a great way to end the year.

The year 2011 was apparently the year of good intentions. For years I have only stitched small pieces. I have several larger pieces I have framed and hanging on my walls but I haven't started a large project for a long, long time.

I think I like to stitch small things because I like to do my own finishing.

This year I have broken my dry spell and started several large projects.

Take a look at what I've gotten myself into.....

This is the retreat piece from Jan at Tree of Life Samplings.

It is absolutely beautiful and has a place reserved in my stitching room.

Hopefully 2012 will bring a finish to this piece.

How well I remember my good intentions with this piece. I ordered this early in 2012. I fell in love with Rose Quaker and had my friend Karen go to the attic and pick out fabric and silk fibers. This piece was my first attempt at over 2 on 40 ct.

I fell in love and stitch mostly on 40 ct. now.

I made good progress on this piece but haven't worked on it in a while.

This is another of my delusions of grandeur.

One Nation is absolutely beautiful.

I am stitching it over 2 on 40 ct.

I started Gem Show 3 this Summer.

I didn't make very much progress but still have high hopes.

Here is my Lizzie Kate Halloween piece. I've finished 3 blocks.

I'm stitching it on 27 ct. stitch band with hopes of finishing it as a bell pull.

And.....my last big project of 2011. Christmas Quaker Bellpull.

I started this piece late in November. I haven't made a lot of progress on this one either.

The good thing is as I pulled these pieces out to take pictures I realize that I still love each one as much as the day I started it. I see big accomplishments for 2012........

Here's to a productive, healthy new year,

Nan

Gobble.....Gobble.....Blah!

2011-11-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Turkey Hangover Week!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. I love this time of year when we spend time with our family, relax (hopefully) and eat til our pants no longer fit. Thanksgiving was a time of overindulgence for me. I know I will be miserable after the turkey, noodles, rolls, sweet potato casserole, ham, pumpkin pie, etc, etc. I just can't stop myself until I feel, well....BLAH! Thank god for elastic.

During Thanksgiving break I was able to finish this little cutie.

Thanks to Karen for the idea to finish the box off with a bow.

Turkey Love

Plum Street Samplers

Now I'm off to start on Christmas.
I absolutely refused to start a holiday until one is finished.
Therefore, I probably give the appearance of being behind.
I started on Stickideen von der Wiehenburg's Christmas Quaker Bellpull this week.
I'm fairly certain it won't be complete this year but I've loved every stitch so far.

Thank you for stopping by to visit and catch up. I appreciate your visits and comments.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

I Made it Home in Record Time...

2011-11-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a ticket, I didn't speed (much) but I'm pretty sure I made record time getting home with my stitched pieces.

The First Thing I Did...
when I came home with my framed pieces today was actually hang them on the wall.
I have been waiting on these pieces since September and was so excited to finally have them in my hands that I couldn't wait to get them up so I could admire them every time I walk by.
The two framed pieces are designs that I stitched this summer. I started free bird at the OOE retreat and purchased Bless This House on the way to the retreat. I think these two pieces are part of the reason I haven't had many blog posts this summer/fall. It took quite a while to stitch them and then off to they went to the framer.

La-D-Da

Bless This House

Plum Street Samplers

Free Bird

The frame is actually a very deep red that matches the fibers in the design.

The camera doesn't quite capture the real beauty.

~Thanksgiving~

Thanksgiving is a favorite of mine. I love to stitch for Thanksgiving and

I am delighted to have finished Thankful Quaker.

Bent Creek
Thankful Quaker

Bent Creek

Thankful Quaker

My holiday shelf is starting to fill up. I've combined Autumn and Thanksgiving.

One day it will be full for each holiday. *Crossing fingers and stitching furiously*

I hope the upcoming holidays are joyous for you.

It is hard to believe that it is time to stuff the turkey and deck the halls.

I came across this picture on a friend's facebook page and found it refreshing and hilarious.

Every year I am amazed at how retailers try to out do each other.

I notice that a lot of Black Friday sales are starting at midnight Thanksgiving night.

Will you be joining the millions of people trying to grab the deals?

I'll be back soon with more finishes. I dedicated most of the Fall to preparing for the Pals Fall Fling. I have pictures to share of friends and finishes but they are on another camera and I can't find the cord.

Until then...

Keep on stitchin,

Nan

Harvest Moon

2011-09-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I have been inspired by the Fall like weather and have

been stitching away on seasonal designs.

As my weekend draws to an end I have one more finish to share with you.

Harvest Moon

by: Threadwork Primitives

Tree of Life Fabrics ~ Double Dyed Cocoa

Victorian Motto Chenille ~ Pastel Gold

Suggested Fibers

I couldn't wait to stitch this cutie.

Thanks for stopping by.

I, like most of you have spent the day remembering and honoring the memory of 9/11.

God Bless America,

Nan

Halloween Expressions

2011-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I'm sorry for the long absence, but any educator can tell you how packed the first few weeks of school can be. I'm off to a great start at my new school. The kids and teachers at the school are great! It's hard to believe we've already got a month of school under our belt.

In between the long work hours I've been trying to fit in some stitching.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays for stitching.

Here is my first Halloween finish for the year.

Halloween Expressions

The Stitcherhood

Stitched on 40 Newcastle Linen

Days Gone By ~ Zweigart

GAST ~ Onyx

These little halloweenies stitched quickly and I love how they turned out. They make me want to get the rest of my Halloween decorations out. Do you think it is too early?

I'm not sure what has gotten into me lately but I seem to have found a love for bigger projects again. I've started several bigger pieces recently so I'll be back soon to show progress on them.

Thank you for stopping by! I apologize for my lack of visits to your blog. I plan to spend the afternoon catching up on everything you've been doing the last few weeks.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

We Clean Up Purdy Good

2011-07-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I hope this finds you cool, happy and finding lots of time to stitch.

I wanted to let everyone know that I updated my sale page.

I've been trying to spend my last days of "freedom" cleaning and organizing. Please send me an email if you are interested in anything on my sale page. Thanks!

So,

The last time we had true family pictures taken my step daughter was in 7th grade.

She is now 21 years old. So we bit the bullet and had pictures taken along with Kayci's six month pictures. I think they turned out pretty good. Thanks for letting me share a few of my favorites with you.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Traveling Stash goes to..........

2011-07-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to apologize for the delay in announcing the winner. I have no excuse except to say, I plum forgot. So without further delay...............

Beth

you are the winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Swing on over to follow Beth's blog if you are interested in having the traveling stash visit your blog.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

One Hundred Years

2011-07-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

I picked up Lizzie Kate's 100 Years from the framer yesterday.

It is now sitting in my office at school ready for everyone to admire.

Apparently I am a big fan of this frame. When my husband saw it he says,

"How many pictures are you gonna have framed like that?"

I was completely unaware that 2 other pieces I've had framed have the exact same frame.

I guess next time I'll have to step outside of my framing comfort zone.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

4th of July Finishes

2011-07-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

In my last post I promised to show my 4th of July finishes for the year. Well...I didn't make it back on the 4th. An impromptu cookout stole my attention that day. We had a very relaxing day with friends and I hope that everyone had a safe, enjoyable weekend also. God Bless America!

So.....
Better late than never. Here are the 4th of July finishes for 2011.

4th of July Bird

Heart in Hand

My dear friend Karen and I did a private exchange. Look at the beautiful box I received from her.

She included lots of patriotic stuff in her package.

Before I could get a picture it seemed to disappear into my working stash.

This is what I stitched for her...

Old Glory

Chessie & Me

Happy Flag Flag Day

the Trilogy

Patriotic Melons

Stitchy Kitty

This piece gave me fits to finish. My original plan was to turn it into a wall hanging. I don't seem to have any bell pull hardware laying around so I tried a few things that didn't work out. After a few hours of ripping seams and a few naughty words I ended up turning it into a pillow. Said pillow does not make me happy. I'm not sure what it is that I don't like about it but I'm pretty sure I will once again start the seam ripping and therefore, the naughty words will probably follow. Maybe today while I'm out and about I'll pick up some dowel rods to serve as bell pull hardware.

Last week I was meandering through Hobby Lobby, lost in my world of crafty "what ifs"

when I stumbled upon this shelf. I have looked for a very long time for a shelf to sit on a bare wall in my kitchen. When I saw this shelf I knew it had to come home with me. It will now be my centerpiece for my holiday stitching. It still has plenty of room for more 4th of July pieces so I'll have to get busy and fill it for next year.

I received a call yesterday that my Lizzie Kate 100 Years is framed and ready for pick up.

I am anxiously awaiting 9:00 a.m. so I can pick it up.

Thank you for stopping by to share a part of your day. I love hearing from you and find I renew my enthusiasm for stitching every time I have something to share with you.

Thanks for keeping me motivated.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Traveling Stash is Ready for A New Home

2011-07-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!
I received the traveling stash from Lynn and have thoroughly enjoyed looking and taking and replenishing.

NOW.....
It's your turn! If you are interested in receiving the traveling stash leave a comment on this post. I will draw a winner on Saturday July 9th so don't delay.

The rules are simple. If you receive the traveling stash you pick what you want, replace what you take and a little more if you want. When you are finished looking, taking and replenishing you put the stash up for grabs on your blog and send it on.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

The Best Thing About Stitching Retreats....

2011-07-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Is seeing old friends and making new friends.

I was so glad that Yvonne and Karen were able to attend this retreat.

I met them last October and we've been stitching buddies since.

I had the privilege of meeting some wonderful new stitching friends.

As you can see they were all busy stitching away.

As the days went on the pictures got goofy. Seems as though I had a fondness for holding out the camera and taking lots of pictures of myself. I've uploaded all the silly pics to my flickr account. If you are interested in more silliness you can check them out here.

Another of my favorite things is acquiring stash. Jan packed up lots of stash from her shop and had it set up in her suite for our shopping pleasure.

I think it's safe to say I spent time in her suite each day.

As you can see I'm not the only one who gains happiness from stash shopping.

....Look at the smiles.

On Saturday it came time to total the "pile" of stash I accumulated during my visits to Jan's room. As you can see it was quite a total and although it appears that I'm sad in this picture I soon got over it when I carried my bag out and got to play with it.

I came home with lots of Tree of Life Samplings designs and fabric.

As I wrap up the Only One Ewe 2011 retreat I want to leave you with 2 more pictures.

Below is the finished box from Vonna's class. Inside the box everyone attending the retreat signed their name. This is definitely a keepsake that I'll always cherish.

And last but not least.......

I have had my LHN traveling stitcher finished for a couple of

months but had yet to make the pocket.

My new friend Brenda had her traveling stitcher with her at the retreat. After eyeballing her pocket during the weekend, I was confident that I could make my own. So, after returning home I got busy and this is what I came up with. I'm so happy I finally finished it.

:-) Thanks for the inspiration Brenda.

Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me share the retreat fun with you.

I love hearing from you and appreciate you sharing a part of your day with me.

Tomorrow I'll be posting my patriotic designs I've completed this year. Until then.....

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Only One Ewe Retreat 2011

2011-07-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

I've been a busy girl the past week. Last Thursday I headed to Terre Haute (Haute rhymes with coat), Indiana and attended the Only One Ewe Retreat. The retreat was hosted by Jan from Only One Ewe Needleworks and Tree of Life Samplings. Jan's Tree of Life Samplings pieces are absolutely beautiful and pictures do not due them justice. She not only designs but has a great line of yummy hand dyed fabrics. If you haven't discovered Jan's work you definitely need to stop by and check it out.

Jan designed this piece and it was kitted and given to us in a fabulous fabric portfolio. Vonna already has this piece stitched and ready to frame and she has some wonderful pictures of the piece on her blog.

Everyone who attended the retreat was excited that Vonna would teaching a finishing class.

Jan sent this exclusive retreat piece to us ahead of time and everyone stitched it in their favorite color.

When is was all said and done we ended up with a beautiful wooden box.

Vonna is not only a talented stitcher and finisher, but a very patient teacher.

One of my favorite things about cross stitch is exchanging.

We had a Christmas ornament and smalls exchange.

I managed to get 2 ornaments and one small stitched and finished for the exchanges.

I stitched Oh Joy in the top right corner.

...and the needlebook in the bottom of the pic.

...and Merry Xmas in the top left corner.

Here I am proudly holding the three pieces I received in the exchange!

And last but not least I leave you for today with a picture of our fearless leader Jan. Jan worked so hard to bring us all together she deserved to put her feet up for a bit. :-0

In the next installment I'll share some of the silliness that went on and introduce you to some wonderful people I met. I've also got lots of pics of exchanges I've stitched and finished that are reaching their new homes so I'll be able to share those with you soon.

Thank you for stopping by and I so enjoy your comments. Until next time.....
Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

And the Winner is.........................

2011-07-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

natalyK

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to enter my blogaversary giveaway.

I also apologize for taking so long to draw a winner. I've been off to a wonderful stitching retreat and I'll be posting pics soon.

Congratulations natalyK!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads out there!

Father's Day at our house will consist of lunch with my stepdaughter and the baby! Then I will so kindly allow him to lay around and watch racing and golf (while I stitch of course).

Last week I received this lovely Summer exchange from Faye. As always, Faye knows how to spoil a girl! I love anything ladybug so this Summer design is just perfect. THANKS FAYE!

Below is the Summer piece I stitched for Jennifer.

Summer by the Stitcherhood

28 ct. Evenweave

Stitch with my choice of fibers

I didn't think to get a picture of the goodies I sent with the exchange

but you can check those out on her blog if you so desire.

It is only 4 days until my Blogaversary so don't forget to swing on over and sign up for my giveaway.

I'll be drawing a winner on my Blogaversary!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

T-Minus 12 and Counting..........................Blogaversary!

2011-06-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

I stopped by to visit my own blog and realized that I have my 1st blogaversary coming up in 12 days!!!!!

So... to celebrate I'm going to have a giveaway for my faithful followers. Please comment on this post to be included in the drawing. Its a surprise.......but I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one :-)

I have enjoyed sharing my stitching with you over the last year. I never imagined the world that was opened up to me through blogging. I've made so many stitching friends and my stitching and finishing has grown by visiting your blogs. Thank you so much for sharing the last year with me :-)

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Happy Flag Flag Day

2011-06-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Howdy friends,

I love stitching for the 4th of July. Here's my latest edition to my patriotic collection......

the Trilogy

Happy Flag Flag Day

28 ct. Linen Remnant

Suggested Weeks and GAST fibers

Here's the fabric on the back of the cube.

I really enjoyed stitching this. Now I'm off to start another 4th of July piece.

Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words.

I am now in full stitching/finishing mode because of your encouragement.

I'll be back soon with some more 4th of July finishes to share.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

I Love Stitching in my Pajamas til 2:00 p.m.!!!!!

2011-06-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Friends!

My first official Monday of Summer break was spent in my pjs stitching until 2 p.m.

It was a great way to start the week but I am reminded how horrible daytime television is.

Today is much of the same.....Stitch, stitch, stitch

...............................................until its time to take the dog to the beauty shop.

He looks like a shaggy mutt and appears to be a bit depressed with his appearance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I haven't had alot of finishes to show lately partly because I've lost my mind......

I started Rose Quaker by Stickideen ven der Wiehenburg.

I'm stitching it on 40 ct. linen using au ver a soie.

The reason I say I'm losing my mind is...

1. 40 ct?

and

2. I never stitch anything this big.

So far I am absolutely loving every stitch of this piece.

I hope I can keep my motivation and finish this piece before the next ice age.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now to brag on my friend Karen.......

I received this RAK in the mail on Saturday. Karen was so thoughtful to send this book of beautiful designs as a congratulations on my new job.

Thanks BADONKADONK!!!!!!! You ROCK!!!!! LOL! ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In just 16 short days (not that I'm counting) Karen, Yvonne and I are heading to Terre Haute, Indiana for

the Only One Ewe stitching retreat. It is sure to be a fabulous time. Jan, owner of the Only One Ewe Needlework Shop and designer of Tree of Life Samplings, designed the beauty below for us to stitch ahead of time. The one and only Twisted Stitcher, Vonna will be teaching a finishing class with this piece. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Well friends, I'm off to watch Housewives of Atlanta, The Price is Right, Judge Judy, The Talk, and Days of Lives.......Geez!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

At Long Last........

2011-05-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,
It has been a whirlwind Spring. I'm sorry its been so long since my last post. The end of school is always crazy but adding the transition to a new position next year threw me into a tailspin. It is amazing how much "stuff" you accumulate in 12 years of teaching. So now that I've got that under control I hope to resume my faithful blogging. I appreciate you sticking around to see if I'd come up with anything new to share. Thanks to Michele for giving me a kick in the bahonky to get back to it.

Even though I lost my blogging mojo for a while I have been stitching up a storm.

Ah...Tis Spring

Notforgotten Farm

LHN Traveling Stitcher

Lizzie Kate

One Hundred Years From Now

A while back I was the lucky winner of a great give away from Nancy at the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I received these two lovely charts. Thanks so much Nancy. I love them. I also indulged in some of her yummy chenille trim and ric rac. If you haven't been by to see Nancy's wares you should check it out.

On a completely non stitching note....

Here is my hubby's race car for this year.

#22. I really like the color scheme of the car this year. Hope he has a great racing season.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I salute the members of our military, their family and friends.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”

~Arthur Ashe

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

A Couple of Stitchy Gifts

2011-04-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

I don't have any stitching of my own to share BUT..........
Look at what landed in my mailbox the last couple of days.
There is nothing better after a long day of wranglin' kiddos than to come home to gifts in the mail.

My Lizzie Kate exchange arrived today. Elisa stitched and finished this cute Spring Boxer for me.
It is resting comfortably on my Spring shelf. It feels right at home among its friends.
Thanks for a great exchange Elisa!

On Saturday I came home to a great big box sitting on my front porch. Karen had been cleaning out her craft room and sent me several texts asking if I want this....or if I would finish stitching that.....

Well when I opened the box I was in awe of the stitching goodies she sent me. There were charts that I wanted, aida fabric that she said she would never use, some unfinished kits she said she would never get around to finishing. I'm sure I'm forgetting to include something that was in the box.

WOW is all I can say. I guess it pays to have good stitching buddies doesn't it?

Along with all the goodies was this cute Spring pillow and some Easter goodies.

Thanks for the box of goodies my friend.

Thanks for stopping by and your sweet comments. I'll be back soon with some finishes.

I have Notforgotten Farm's Ah! Tis Spring stitched but

I'm having trouble deciding how to finish it.

Hopeful inspiration will strike some time soon.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

A Random Thought, A Request....And Some Good News!

2011-04-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

The plural of sheep is sheep....right? Is there any other word in the English language where the plural is the same as the singular or am I just wrong and its actually sheeps? LOL!

The plural of goose is geese and foot is feet.

Oh wait.....the plural of deer is deer. Are there others you can think of?

Ok enough of the random thoughts.....

I'm so sorry that I have been more or less absent from blog land. I've tried to stop by and see what you are up to and leave a few comments but the last couple of weeks have been a busy whirlwind.

A couple of weeks ago I got a call for an interview for a Principal's position. To make a long story short....(a two week long story) I GOT THE JOB! Next school year I will be principal at a great school in my current school district. The school is a rural school close to my house. I couldn't be more excited. I have a feeling I'm in for a busy Summer. First off I have to figure out what to do with all the stuff in my classroom. :-) Get settled into my new school. Find time to golf and play tennis and of course stitch. I'm not asking for much, am I?

Now for the important stuff....The reason my mind is stuck on sheep.

I stitched Sophie's Sheep for a dear friend who works with students in my classroom. She has been an absolute life saver the past couple of years and I won't know what to do without her next year. Her birthday is coming up in May and she recently remodeled her kitchen and her accents are sheep.

Sophie's Sheep

Plum Street Samplers

32 ct. Zweigart Lugana

Recommended Threads

Here is a quick little stitch I whipped up in the hustle and bustle of the past couple of weeks.

A Spring Day

Heart in Hand

32 ct. Zweigart Lugana ~Choc. Vanilla Swirl

Now for the request.....

I've got the cutest little wooded box that needs a design.

It is made from beautiful cherry wood (I think).

Anyway, I was thinking about a nice quaker-ish design but I can't find what I'm looking for. Since my stitching friends have always come through for me I'm asking for recommendations for a design. It needs to be no bigger than 90X90. If you've got an idea you can leave it in the comments section or email.

Thanks for your help!

Thank you for stopping by and leaving such sweet comments.

I hope to be back soon with more stitching soon.

Have a great week and always....

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Finished and Framed.....Now, Where to Hang It?

2011-04-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Little House Needleworks

Home of A Needlework

I was so delighted when I walked out of work Wednesday and had a

message that it was ready to be picked up Naturally I ran right to the frame shop.

I love how it turned out.

I'm sorry my comments on your blog have been so "sparse".

I have been catching up on blog reading this morning.

Isn't it a shame that time passes so quickly?

I'll have some more stitching to share soon.

I think I might break out the sewing machine this afternoon.

Thanks for stopping by and your sweet comments!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

I Love My Stitching Friends

2011-03-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

You have no idea how much I love my stitching friends.

Look what showed up in my mailbox today.

Faye the Carolina Stitcher was my partner for the Friends Stitching Through the Season Exchange.

She sent me this awesome package for our first exchange this year. She stitched Tis Red by La D DA from the JCS ornament issue. She finished it into a cutie, cute pincushion with the most fabulous trim.

She also included lots of goodies. Finishing fabric, fibers, springy note cards and journal, organizing bags, her favorite batting. Thanks so much Faye....you're a doll.

Earlier this week I received a surprise from Peg at Lightning Fingers...Not

She had a birthday giveaway. She sent me an email that I didn't win the giveaway but she took notice of my comment about having always wanted a scissor frog. She sent one to me just because. Wasn't that the nicest thing. I so appreciate your thoughtfulness Peg. The scissor frog is perched nicely on my stitching table holding my antique scissors.

I am on Spring Break this week. The weather here has been calm but cold. Tomorrow is supposed to hit almost seventy. I can't wait. Seems like the week is going by way too fast. Appointments and errands seem to occupy too much time. I have managed some stitching. I'm almost finished with my Home of a Needleworker by LHN. Just a little more on the border at the top and off to the framer it goes. I hope to finish that tonight. Wish me Luck!

Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments. They keep me motivated to do what I love, STITCH.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Spring~A~Ding~Ding

2011-03-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Repeat after me.....

I will NOT complain when the temperature is 98 degrees.

That is the way I'm feeling right now. My body is craving some vitamin D, it needs to sweat, it needs some fresh air. I am so ready for Spring.

Our school's Spring Break is in one week. Kind of early for a Spring Break don't ya think?

I will make the most of it even though our temps will only be in the 50's.

So... to pass the time until Spring officially arrives, I've been stitching Springy things.

Luck to You!

Spring Things~Lizzie Kate

Peep

Lizzie Kate

Peep was one of my market purchases. I couldn't resist stitching it as soon as it arrived.

I also couldn't resist a few of the new BBD patterns. I think I might start on Breathe of Spring soon.

Thank you so much for stopping by to share in my love of stitching.

Your encouragement and kind words mean the world to me.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Punch Needle Designs For Sale

2011-02-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

Punch Needle Designs for Sale
These are all new, unopened printed fabric patterns ready to punch.
Each pattern is $6 which includes shipping within the U.S. The price is more than half off retail.
If you would like to purchase any of these patterns please email me at dianealtemeyer@gmail.com
I can send you a paypal invoice or you can pay with check through snail mail. If you pay through paypal I can usually get them in the mail to you the next day.

Popular designers: Lizzie Kate, Prairie Grove Peddler, Myrtle Grace, Waxing Moon, Brittercup.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Easter Sampler

2011-02-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hippity Hop!

This is just a quick drive-by post to say hi and record my Easter Sampler in blogland. I had to do a quick stitch to keep me motivated. I am working on a larger design and started losing my stitching mojo. So, I thought a finish would help me back on the stitching wagon. Does that ever happen to you?
I envy the stitchers I see working on huge projects.....I have finished a few but my attention span seems to be getting shorter as I get older.

Heart in Hand

Easter Sampler

I decided to frame this one.

My craft room runneth over so my motto right now is to use what I already have.

In the words of my husband (who is very tolerant of my stitching habit and its expenses)

"How much of this S#*T will you ever really use?"

The mat was a cream color which wasn't working for this pattern so I covered it with scrapbooking paper. Which in the end gave it a nice finish.....I think.

Thanks for stopping by. I love hearing from you and reading your comments. You have no idea how much they mean to me.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Patiently Waiting for SPRING!

2011-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Stitching Friends,

We have had some unseasonable warm weather this week in Southern Indiana.

Of course that has me ready to break out the flip flops and suntan oil. :0)

But, I think it will be short lived as the temps will drop back into the 30's this week.

So....to help Spring along I broke out the punch needle this weekend. I don't get the "urge" to do punch needle very often but I had lots of time on my hands this weekend to do crafty things. Last weekend I started LHN's Home of a Needleworker. This is the biggest project I've attempted in a long time. I've made good progress on it in only a week but I like having finishes to keep me motivated. I'm hoping to finish Home of a Needleworker by next weekend so I can get it to the frame shop :0). I've got Springy things that need stitched so I've got to keep moving.

"Spring Cottage"

Lizzie Kate Punch Needle

Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog. I love reading your comments and they keep me motivated to do what I love. Have a happy week and...

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Valentine

2011-02-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is enjoying this day of love.
We successfully celebrated our Valentine's Day on Saturday evening with a trip to our favorite local tavern for pizza and then a trip to Wal-Mart. Wow! Did I just say that.....LOL!

Any who.....Here is my Valentine stitching for the year. The flower pot was a gift that I received at a retreat in January. The finishing idea came from our hostess Barb at Keepsakes. The pattern is a freebie from Gigi Online.
I really enjoyed finishing this one.

We had a great day at school today. Imagine 26 first graders anticipating the $2000 worth of sugar sitting there all morning. We had so much "stuff" it took us 45 minutes to pass it out.

I don't know how they held it together waiting for the party but they did.

We had so much fun passing out Valentine's and enjoying our treats. A good time was had by all.

Happy Valentine's Day

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Votes are IN....And It Is Finished!

2011-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

And the winner is.............. The Tree Fabric!

I think it was unanimous!

Thank you for giving me feedback on the finish of my Lizzie Kate design.

I can now mark another one of my Crazy 2011 Challenge! Whoop! Whoop!

I loved reading your suggestions and appreciate you taking time to help me.

I thought it was fun and hope you don't mind if I pick your brains again.

Happy Valentine's Day Tomorrow!

I hope to be back with another post on my one and only Valentine's Day finish for the year.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Your Vote Counts......On My Finish!

2011-02-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Calling ALL Stitching Friends...

I am having a hard time deciding on which fabric to use to finish my Lizzie Kate Snowman '10.
My intention is to sew it into a pillow with the fabric running down both sides and add a hanger. I think he will look adorable hanging on a door knob or maybe a cabinet.

SO...
Since I can't decide on which fabric to use you get to decide for me. Please vote in the sidebar poll. Majority wins and finishing will take place on Sunday.

Thank you so much for helping me out. I finished stitching this snowman over a week ago. Usually I have a clear vision of how I want to finish a piece. I'm not sure why this one has been so difficult to decide on.

Snowflake

Trees

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Just a Little Stitching Update

2011-02-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hello Stitching Friends,
It seems like I've had so little to post about stitching lately.
Two of my exchange pieces have reached their new homes so I'm excited to share them with you.

But first......

Let me share with you the lovely pieces I received for the Lizzie Kate & Seasonal Exchange.

Pirjo received my name for both exchanges. How crazy is that?

These pieces came all the way from Finland and they are just adorable.

Thanks for sending such great exchanges.

And...

Here are the two pieces I stitched and finished for exchanges.

Brrr..... ~Winter Crazy

Lizzie Kate

XOXO

Heart in Hand

The day of LOVE is quickly approaching. I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Snow White

2011-02-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Stitchin' Friends!

I can mark another finish off my Crazy 2011 Challenge list!!! Whoop! Whoop!

Snow White

Little House Needleworks

The fabric is much darker than the photo shows.

I think I need to quit buying stash for a while and invest in a decent camera. (Who am I kidding?)

The Superbowl is just hours away. I don't have any interest in the actual game but am looking forward to the commercials. I hope they are good this year.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I love to hear from you. You keep me motivated to do what I love.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

And She's Off to................................

2011-02-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

First, my apologies for the delay in announcing who will receive the pattern. It's funny how life gets in the way at times.

So.......Without further ado. The pattern will head out to the state of Washington to.....

Michele

Alrighty Michele.....we are all going to be on the lookout for your finish :-)

Thank you to everyone who entered!

And I hope whomever you root for in the Super Bowl WINS!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Traveling Pattern.......Where will she be off to next?

2011-01-30T13:19:00.000-08:00

The Traveling Pattern

My Needle and Floss They Comfort Me

Waxing Moon Designs

28 Ct. Lugana ~ Purely Primitive

DMC & WDW as suggested

I was the lucky recipient of the Traveling Pattern from Lisa V.

I have successfully finished stitching her and found the MOST perfect frame.

She is now ready to be on her merry way. It was so much fun to stitch this design knowing that many before me had enjoyed it. I'm excited to see where is will end up over the years.

So.......

If you are interested in participating here are the rules.

* You need to leave a comment on this post if you would like to be the next recipient of the Traveling Pattern. Please leave your email address if it is not readily available on your blog.

* I will draw a name on February 4, 2011. I will post the winner on my blog.

* The recipient of the Traveling Pattern must stitch it (within an acceptable time frame), finish it and display the finished piece for all to see.

* Then the recipient must offer up the Traveling Pattern for another stitcher to use and it will be off on its travels again.

So far this pattern has traveled to the US, Australia and Germany.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Love Is In The Air.....

2011-01-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Stitching Friends,
I have decided that it is time to move on.....
Most of my stitching this month has focused on Snowmen and Winter themed designs. It has occurred to me that I may be leading Mother Nature to believe that I actually enjoy snow. So, I've decided to fool her into believing its time to move on by starting on some Valentine's Day stitching.

I found this lovely FREE pattern on primitivebettys blog. She is so generous with her patterns and I've got a few more printed and on my to do list.

The colors are a little off in this picture. The writing and flowers in the fabric and fibers are a really pretty fuchsia color.

"Love Me"

primitivebettys

28 ct. white even weave

GAST Cherry Wine

This was my first attempt at this type of pillow finish. I didn't leave enough even weave around the design so I had to improvise. Although I will always know the flaws are there, they will disappear when I display this with my other Valentine's Day designs.

Now I'm debating on whether to put away my snowmen for the year, or......I could just keep stitching.

Thanks for stopping by. Your visits and comments keep me motivated to do what I love.

I hope if you are in a snow covered area that you are warm and safe. I think tomorrow I will venture out and do a little window shopping and some errands.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

A Finish & A Prayer

2011-01-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Dear God,

Whomever you put in charge of the "snow" button please tell them it's not funny anymore!

Amen

Today was another day spent inside watching it snow. No school today (or tomorrow) so I busied myself finishing these cutie patooties. I've had this pattern and buttons for several years but never found the time to stitch it. Last weekend I headed to Hueston Woods State Park for a retreat. I started this design while I was there and finished it today.

Snow Fence

Raise the Roof

28 ct Zweigart Lugana "Blue Breeze"

Suggested fibers and JABC Buttons

Thanks to my dear friend Beth for suggesting the tool for cutting styrofoam. It took a little trial and error but I think it turn out well. The tool I am referring to is called a styro cutter plus. If you like to do cube finishing its a great tool to have.

Now.....more about the retreat at Hueston Woods. It was hosted by the lovely Barb from Keepsakes in Cincinnati. I got to stitch, catch up with old friends, make new friends and increase my stash substantially. I'm already planning for next year.

I was so busy having fun that I forgot to take any pictures but you can see some at Jenny's and Marsha's.

Thank you so much for stopping by to see my finish. I appreciate you spending part of your busy day with me. Your comments keep me motivated to do what I love.....stitch :-)

Now..............what will I get myself into tomorrow?

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Chocolate Box

2011-01-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

I hope that everyone is staying warm. I read today that almost 70% of the United States is snow covered including the mountains in Hawaii. I thought that was an interesting fact. All I know is that I've seen enough snow this winter. We are out of built in snow days in our school calender as of today. That means any days missed now will be tacked on at the end of school. I'm praying I won't be going to school in June.....

I wanted to drop by and show you how productive I can be on a snow day.

I finished stitching LHN's Chocolate Box last week but couldn't find time to finish it until today.

Chocolate Box

Little House Needleworks

28 ct. evenweave I received from my friend Patti

Stitched using suggest fibers

I love how it turned out but forgot how hard it is to cut styrofoam.

Does anyone have any tips on cutting styrofoam?

I also want to thank everyone for your kind comments on the birth of Kayci.

Kayci and momma are doing great.

Thank you for stopping by to read my posts. I appreciate you spending part of your busy day with me and it makes me happy to share my cross stitch finishes with you.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

Introducing Kayci Grace

2011-01-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Our family was blessed with a new bundle of joy this week.
My step daughter Kati gave birth to

Kayci Grace

1-3-11

6:43 p.m.

6 lbs. 13 oz.

20 1/2/ in

Momma Kati & Kayci

Proud Papaw Scott

...And of course that's me unwrapping the package to inspect the contents.

I couldn't let this moment pass without a stitched treasure to mark the occasion.

Kayci's nursery is brown with pink and green polka dots.

This kit was perfect but I changed the colors to match the nursery.

Mama and baby are doing well and everyone is ready to spoil this kiddo rotten.

Thanks for indulging me by letting me share our new addition.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Last Day of 2010...........Really?

2010-12-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Happy End of 2010 my Dear Friends,

It seems so hard to believe that tomorrow will bring a new year. My, how time flies.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2011.

To wrap up 2010 I have a few things to share with you.

Christmas at our house was very quiet and enjoyable. We went to my sister's house on Christmas day. I was showered with lots of stitchy goodness. My sisters and niece gave me all the patterns you see pictured below. How spoiled am I?

My sister also gave this great Ott Lite.

I've wanted one for a while and am tickled pink to have it.

(My sisters are in the picture next to the Ott Lite...I'm in the middle)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next up is this great package that arrived in the mail. Tricia at The Stamper's Stitches had a giveaway to celebrate the beginning of her stitching blog. I was so delighted to win this awesome giveaway. It included LHN "Tree of Life", Threads and Linen. I think I know exactly who I'm going to stitch this for. Thank you so much Tricia!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Am I Crazy?..............Well.....Yes!

Here are the patterns I've picked for the Crazy 2011 Challenge

I have decided that I'm going to have to modify the Challenge a bit. The challenge was to pick 15 patterns. On the 1st day of January start one of the patterns and continue to start a new pattern every day for the first 15 days of January. On January 16th you will have 15 WIPs.

I can't do it.....I really think that having that many WIPs would drive me crazy. I generally try to finish one before moving on to another. Does that sound OCD to you? ;-)

So, my plan is to put them in my stitching basket beside my chair and pull them when I'm ready to start a new project.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And last but not least.....

My last finish of 2010. One more ornament for my tree.

"Happy Skater"

Little House Needleworks

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2010

Thank you for stopping by my blog. It has been a great year and I've enjoyed getting to know you all. I appreciate the time you take to read and comment on my ramblings. Cross stitch is so enjoyable for me and I love sharing it with you.

We are off to a friend's house later this evening to ring in the new year. I hope that however you spend your evening that it is enjoyable and safe.

Happy New Year,

Nan

Christmas All Year

2010-12-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Stitching Friends,
I hope you are finishing all your Christmas decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking......does it ever end?
I have had a little extra time to get things done this year due to the winter weather Southern Indiana has received this year. We had 2 snow days this week and (2) 2 hour delays.

During this time I've been developing an idea for a Christmas stitching blog.
Please allow me to introduce
The All Year Long Christmas Stitch-A-Long blog.

I've always enjoyed reading the blogs where people post their finished pieces. I realized that..... 1. people generally post Christmas pieces at Christmas and 2. There is no blog that I can find dedicated to Christmas finishes. So......I got busy and created one.

Christmas is my favorite holiday to stitch for and I stitch for Christmas year round. I hope you'll come and join me at The All Year Long Christmas Stitch-A-Long.

Please feel free to share with your stitching friends and on your blog. The more the merrier!

Merry Christmas,
Nan

A Productive Snow Day

2010-12-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

School was cancelled today due to the weather so I've been finishing a few stitchy projects.

I finally decided to pull out my sewing machine and try a pillow finish. I love seeing everyone's pillows but had never stitched a piece that I wanted to finish as a pillow.

I stitched Parson Brown over 1 and it was still too big for an ornament so I decided this was a good piece to try as a pillow.

I loved Parson Brown the moment I laid eyes on the chart. When I got him home he went right to the top of my "waiting to be stitched" list.

The instructions called for severe tea staining of the finished piece. I've tea stained fabric before but have never stitched a piece and then tea stained it. I was so nervous thinking I wouldn't like it after I stained it and all that time stitching would be wasted.
Well....here he is and I think he turned out OK. I still need to find a ribbon or something to go around the pillow but I'm delighted with my first pillow.

The finishing fabric I used was from my friend Faye. She sent this fabric to me as part of a giveaway I won on her blog.

Parson Brown

By: Notforgotten Farm

Stitched over 1 on 28 ct white lugana with

suggested threads

Here is Parson before I tea stained the piece.

Here is a little ornament I stitched yesterday.

This little one is staying here to hang on my tree.

Vonna's finishing inspired me to try to create something similar. Vonna finished the ornament showcased in the JCS 2010 ornament issue. I knew I would have to stitch it as soon as I saw the magazine.

Merry And Bright

Country Cottage Needleworks

JCS Ornament Issue 2010

Stitched on 14 ct pink aida using suggested threads

Thank you for stopping by to spend a part of your day with me. I hope you are staying warm today. It is currently 16 degrees here and there is about 5" of blowing snow. I think I will go see if I can clear off a spot for my doggy. He so short that he can't get any "ground clearance".

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Stitchy Goodness!

2010-12-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

My Pals Secret Santa package arrived today and it was full of stitching goodies!

Miss Shelleen sent this lovely package.

Inside were 4 fat quarters of fabric, a nice piece of 28 ct. linen, a Lizzie Kate and Prairie Schooler pattern, John James needles and an adorable Star Santa Tart Tin Kit.

Shelleen sure did her homework and really did a nice job of putting together these items for me.

I LOVE IT ALL and can't wait to dig in and start stitching and finishing. I think the Star Santa ornament may make it onto my tree THIS year.

Shelleen said she asked Santa if I was on the naughty or nice list. She said Santa reported that I was a little naughty but mostly nice. Hmmmm.....Shelleen may know me a little too well. I think I must have been exceptionally good for this package to land on my doorstep.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Thanks you for stopping by to share part of your day with me. I love hearing from you!

Does anyone else see funky labels on my page tabs? On my computer it shows something like amp&39

Anyone have any ideas on how to fix that?

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

I've Found My Christmas Spirit

2010-12-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hello stitching friends....

I just wanted to drop by and share a few finishes with you. I've been busy working on exchanges and a few of them have reached their new homes.

Here is a cutie patootie little penguin I stitched for a card exchange. I'm really starting to enjoy making cards. I don't really scrapbook anymore but I've had fun putting my scrapbook supplies to use. I'm thinking I might even finish some of the pieces I keep for myself as cards. Then I can use the card/photo holders I found at Kohls to display them.

Below is my Secret Santa Pals exchange. I had so much fun shopping for the Christmas items I found. This package found it's new home in Arizona with Meg.

I have to give credit to my friends Karen and Michele. I pilfered their pin cushion idea. They were kind enough to give me a cute little pin cushion at the Pals Fall Fling. I loved it so much that I decided to brush the dust off my sewing machine and give them a whirl. Thanks for the inspiration girls.

And last but not least....

Here is a little ornament I included with the Secret Santa exchange. It's the first ornament that I've stitched over one. (Thanks again Karen, the over one queen :-)

I have definitely found my Christmas spirit. After visiting my house 4 days in a row the UPS man made the comment yesterday that someone was going to have a Merry Christmas.

I hope that you are finding your Christmas Spirit this holiday season. Someone once told me that Christmas is for kids.....all the more reason to never grow up.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

How To Waste a Sunday

2010-11-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

...Mess up your blog.

And boy did I ever. I spent yesterday afternoon getting in the Christmas spirit.

I put up Christmas trees, went through boxes of decorations and in general started the holiday "house" stuff. This morning I sat down with my computer to browse the blogs I follow. I decided my blog needed a little Christmas spirit. Well one thing led to another and before I knew it my blog was totally messed up. But I persevered (about 5 hours total) and finally got it back to the way I wanted it, Christmas spirit and all.

So now that my blog is back to normal I wanted to share my cross stitched Christmas trees. Last year I finally had enough ornaments to hang on these small trees. This year the trees are bursting with ornaments. Hopefully next year I will have enough to graduate to a big tree. Many of the ornaments are from my cross stitch pals, or ones that I have gotten from exchanges. The rest are ornaments that I have stitched. If you've been my partner in an exchange I hope you can see your ornament on the tree :0)

My Christmas Tree in the Living Room

My Christmas Tree in the Basement

The Christmas tree in the basement is my Snowman themed tree.

Every ornament on the tree is some sort of snowman.

I've collected snowman ornaments for several years.

I switched trees this year and put my smaller one upstairs because it was getting too full.

I guess that means now that I have the bigger tree for my snowman I can buy more.....right?

Christmas Stitchin'

I took some motivation from my friend Faye at the Carolina Stitcher and became a weekend warrior. (Thanks for the motivation Faye) I have been busy stitching and finishing and will hopefully be able to share some with you very soon. Lots of exchanges going on right now so I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone.

And last but not least.........
Another head for the basement. My husband is an avid hunter and was overjoyed with this buck. We always try to send 1 or 2 deer to the local food pantry each year so this one will be going there before he starts filling our freezer for the year.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate you spending a part of your day with me.

Here's hoping that you find your Christmas joy!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

2010-11-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

Gobble Gobble

I love stitching for all the holidays. Most of the stash that I buy is somehow related to holidays.

BUT...this year I realized that I had nothing for Thanksgiving. No patterns, no stitched pieces....nothing.

Well, maybe a couple of patterns but definitely nothing stitched.

So...I set to work. I bought and stitched, and bought some more, and am glad to say that I now have Thanksgiving covered. I've even got a few patterns stashed in case I want to get a head start on next Thanksgiving. Several of the Thanksgiving pieces I stitched went to new homes but I just had to keep these goofy guys for me.

Bent Creek Photobooth

Pilgrim Pals

WDW & Gast Fibers

Linen included w/pattern

Bent Creek has an entire series of photobooth pals. I think the next one will probably be the Easter Surprise Photobooth. I have very little stitched for Easter so I'll have to get an earlier start on that holiday. In the meantime I'll have to resist the Christmas, Snowman and Valentine's bear photobooth cuties.

Thanks for stopping by & I wish everyone a

Happy Thanksgiving

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Thanksgiving Surprises!

2010-11-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

I had so much fun putting together my Thanksgiving "Giveaway" packages.

I stitched two pieces to send with the packages and I tried some new finishing techniques. Sorry that the recipients had to the guinea pigs but I think

they turned out OK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blessings

Heart in Hand

Easel finish

This was my first attempt at an easel finish. It is very similar to a flat fold finish but much quicker and easier.

I think I will be using this finish more than the flat fold from now on. If you are interested in a tutorial for an easel finish click here. I also used piping for the trim, another first.

Turkey Flatbed

Bent Creek Zippies

This little turkey was so quick and fun to stitch. I decided to try a pin cushion finish. After seeing my friend Karen use crushed walnut shells for "stuffing" at the Pals Fall Fling I was inspired. I used Rainbow Gallery's Wisper thread to sew him up. I was surprised at how easy it was to use. The only draw back is I had to spend a lot of time pulling out the fuzz after I finished stitching. It flattened and was stuck inside but the end result was what I was going for.

Here are the rest of the surprises I included in the packages.

I hope Deborah and Calamity Jr. enjoyed their Thanksgiving goodies.

As I contemplate all the things I have to be thankful for I realize that I am very lucky and blessed. I have a healthy, happy family, a great job and everything I need.

This year I am especially thankful for all the stitching friends I've made. I am so glad that I got to meet so many of you in person this year. You've been a great inspiration to me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

2010-11-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

And the winners of my Thanksgiving Giveaway are...............

Deborah & Calamity Jr.

Congratulations! Please email me your address so I can get your package in the mail.

Thank you to everyone for entering my Thanksgiving Giveaway. I appreciate you stopping by to read my cross stitch ramblings. I love, love, love you all!
Happy Thanksgiving and.........

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

I Can No Longer Say..."I Never Win Anything" :-)

2010-11-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

The Carolina Stitcher rocks.................

I want to give a great BIG thank you to Faye at the Carolina Stitcher for her great giveaway. I was the lucky winner and received this great package in the mail today.

Inside were some great stitching goodies.......Linen, Fibers from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, Finishing Fabric, Hemp Rick Rack, and St. Noel from With Thy Needle and Thread.

I was fortunate to have met Faye at this year's Pals Fall Fling. She's an awesome stitching buddy and she provides me with endless inspiration when it comes to cross stitch finishes. Thanks Again Faye!

I can't wait to get busy stitchin' St. Noel.

Thanks for stopping by....be sure to check out Faye's blog if you haven't already.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

I'm In The Mood..............................

2010-11-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Glitters

-

IT'S A "THANKS"GIVING GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The season of giving thanks is upon us and I am so thankful for all of my blog followers. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and share part of your day with me. So, to say thanks I'll be sending out 2 packages. To be entered to win please leave a comment on this post only. The last day to enter will be Saturday Nov. 13th. I'll be drawing names on Sunday so I can get your package out to the lucky winner in time for Thanksgiving.

Now...........you may be wondering what the lucky recipient will receive. The package will include something stitched and finished by yours truly and a few surprises.
Thanks again for letting me share my stitches with you!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Loves Me Some Lizzie Kate

2010-11-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa, I Can Explain...............................

I came home to a lovely exchange package today. I received these awesome Lizzie Kate pieces from Kathy. She stitched the dec 25 ornament from the 2010 JCS ornament issue. She said it was smaller than she thought so she stitched Dear Santa, I can explain...... to go with it. I love them both and I'm thinking I'm ready to skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas. She packed her stitched pieces in a cute stocking and Christmas fabric bag. What a nice thing to come home. Thanks Kathy.........I can't wait to display these beauties on my tree this year!

The piece that I stitched for this exchange was Lizzie Kate's Turkey Time.

I started and finished stitching this piece at the Pals Fall Fling. I finished it as a flat fold/pinkeep. You can't see it in the picture but it does stand up. I really enjoyed stitching and finishing him. I realized that for all my love of holiday stitching I don't have anything for Thanksgiving so I may just have to stitch one up to keep. :0)

Thank you so much for stopping by.....after years of not having anyone to share my stitching with I get so excited when I have something finished to share. I really do appreciate your comments and you taking the time to share in my accomplishments.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

OMG!!!!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!!

2010-11-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

MY FIRST FRENCH KNOT!!!

I have been stitching for 20 + years and have never been able to do a french knot.

For some reason I decided to try it again tonight and Voila!

(In case you can't see it, it's the bright pink dot in the top left chocolate) It worked!

I was so excited that I just had to jump on here to share it with people who could appreciate it. My hubby was less than impressed....MEN!

In the past I've always gotten by with using a bead or just putting in a regualar cross stitch if I could get away with it. No more faking it for me.

I'm currently working on LHN's Chocolate Box. I have the perfect finishing fabric and I received a perfect piece of linen to stitch it on in my grab bag from the Fall Fling.

Can't wait to finish it!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my new accomplishment!

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

2010-10-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to share my only two Halloween finishes for this year. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to stitch for so I'm a little bummed to only have two pieces finished.

Scary Halloween

Cherrywood Design Studio

Stitched on WDW Cashel Linen ~ Pumpkin

WDW & GAST Threads as Charted

I started Scary Halloween while at the Pals Fall Fling. I finally finished it this morning and started right in on the finishing. It took me 4 hours to finish this little beauty. I put the clothespins on to hold it down while the glue dried and went outside do some yard work. I came back in, took the clothespins off and realized I had the pieces on the wrong sides. To my horror it read WEEN! HALLO- HAPPY.

So what's a girl to do? Well......I started trying to pull it apart. I was able to get it apart but in doing so I stretched the fabric. I glued it back together and here is the end result. It's a little whopper-jawed but I'll have to live with it. I still love the design and will proudly display it in my house.

I decided to join a cross stitch Halloween card exchange. Here is the card I made. I had fun finishing this card and will probably do more. I hope it made someone smile on Halloween.

I've been working on more exchanges and will have more to show you very soon.

I think tonight I'll start on a Little House Needleworks I've been waiting to stitch. I received some linen that is perfect for it in my grab bag from the fall fling.

Thank you for taking time to look at my stitching. I love sharing it with you and thank you for stopping by!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

If You've Never.................Well, You Should!

2010-10-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

If you are a stitcher the Pals Fall Fling is like heaven on Earth. I don't have any friends who stitch in my town so it was such great fun to be around a group of like minded ladies. If you've never been to a cross stitch gathering, I highly recommend it. Stitchers are such a great group to be around and in my opinion PALS are the best!

Look at this table full of goodies. On Friday night we had our grab bag and Christmas ornament exchange. For the grab bag exchange we had to fill a "container" with cross stitch goodies. When our number was called we got to go to the table and choose a "container" or we could steal a container from someone. It was quite interesting to see which containers were stolen the most. The trash can and Santa's butt were very popular.

When it was all said and done I got the cute beach baby can that is in the first picture. It was full of great stitching stuff: fabric, threads, needles, a pair of antique scissors, a thread sorter, a Vera Bradley coin purse and many other useful supplies.

Friday was a busy night! We also participated in a Christmas ornament exchange. Here are the two ornaments I received. I was so excited about this exchange I forgot to take pictures of the two ornaments I stitched and finished. So if anyone out there in blog land received my ornaments, I'd love to have a picture of them. :-)

This little beauty was stitched by Robin. The design is from the JCS 2007 Ornament Issue. It was stitched on Silkweaver Reflections "Angel Song" 32 ct. linen. I love the effect of the fabric and think I'll be getting some soon.

This little cutie was stitched by SusanNC. I love snowmen and he caught my attention immediately. I'm not sure of the designer but he seems familiar. I'm thinking he came out of JCS Ornament issue.

We were blessed to share the convention center with a group of Miley Cyrus lovin' Mary Kay ladies and

X-CON.

The Mary Kay ladies were hard to ignore but the X-CON people were surprising inconspicuous, except for Saturday evening when they invaded Myrtle Beach for their Zombie Walk.

On Saturday night we ended our evening with one last exchange. Here is a cute little piece from Michele (aka Mavis).

Michele told me this was her first attempt at beads and I think she did a great job. It looks perfect sitting in the basket on my stitching table.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Fall Fling. My goal for next year is to take more pictures. I was so busy enjoying myself that I often forgot to capture things with my camera. I guess I'll have to go blog stalking and steal some pictures from fellow Pals. :0)

Thanks for letting me share my Myrtle Beach trip with you. I appreciate you stopping by and I love reading your comments.

Currently I am working on a Halloween piece that I better get busy on or Halloween will come and go. I'll be excited to share it with you when I get it finished.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

Back Home Again in Indiana.........

2010-10-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

The PALS Fall Fling was a great way to spend four days. We stitched, we participated in exchanges and games and on occasion laughed until we cried. I met some great new friends and had a wonderful time. Thanks to AmySC at Down Sunshine Lane for organizing the event. She worked so hard to make sure everyone had a great time.

I didn't get as much stitching done as I thought I would. I brought about 10 projects with me and got one and a half complete

(apparently I'm easily distracted).

Our base of operations was the Springmaid Beach Resort on the very South end of the Grand Strand. Here is the view from my room.

Wednesday was a day of stitching and getting settled in. I checked into my hotel, got some snacks for the room and then spent the evening stitching.

Thursday evening was the Fall/Halloween exchange. Here is the piece I stitched and finished for the exchange.

Beth (aka hipgrammy) chose my piece from the table.

There were lots of beautiful designs to choose from for this exchange.

It didn't take me long to choose my piece from the table. Karen (aka Badonkadonk) stitched and finished this lovely pillow. I'm not sure who is cuter......us or the pillow. :-)

I'll be posting more from the Fall Fling soon. It was a fun filled 4 days and I can't wait to show the other goodies I came home with. Stay tuned!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Pumpkin, Pumpkin On the Vine........

2010-10-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall Y'all

I am so excited to finally be able to share some finished pieces with you.

I am slowly but surely sending off exchanges and once they are received I can post. :0)

Here is a little pumpkin I sent to Patty C.

I found the wooden pumpkins at Hobby Lobby and knew I would have to find a way to use them for cross stitch finishes. I have one more so I think I'll have to work one for me. :0)

Here is a pinkeep I stitched for Lynn . While viewing her blog I discovered she was a quilter. I found this cute little chart in a fall quilt design. I enjoyed stitching it and finishing it as a pinkeep.

I received this pumpkin ornament from Najima. The stitching is so tiny. I think it is done over 1 on 40 count linen. I've never tried stitching on 40 ct. I bet frogging would be nearly impossible.

Thanks for the lovely Najima.

I'm off to Myrtle Beach this week for a cross stitch retreat. I'm so excited to spend the week stitching and making new friends. My only problem is how to get all my stitching stuff in my suitcase. I'll be posting pics when I return.

So, until next week.........

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Candy Corn

2010-10-03T12:46:00.001-07:00

Lizzie Kate Candy Corn

Punch Needle

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I don't like the cooler weather but I do enjoy all the Autumn colors and decorations. I especially like stitching for the Fall Season.

A few years ago I learned punch needle. It is an enjoyable, easy to learn craft. I stitched this piece a long time ago and put it in my stitching basket. I had forgotten about it until today when I cleaned out before mentioned basket. I finished it using the background fabric you see in the picture.

It's turned cold and dreary here in Southern Indiana. I think I'm finally in the mood to finish decorating my house for fall. Finishing this little pretty might give me the motivation to get going on that.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Look At This Little Beauty!

2010-09-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

I love getting mail! When I opened the mailbox this afternoon and saw the package sitting inside I instantly got that little kid feeling of Christmas morning mixed with too much sugar. I grabbed the mail......sped up the driveway (the longest 1/2 mile ever) and ran in the house. Inside was this beautiful exchange piece from Patty C. for the TTE2 pinkeep exchange. Not only is she a great stitcher....She's got mad finishing skills! :-)

Thanks for being so thoughtful Patty! I Love It!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Pssst!!!!!!! I've Got Secrets!

2010-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
It's been a long time since my last post and I wanted to drop by and say hello.

I've been secretly stitching on gifts and exchanges. I'll be so excited to share them with you when they reach their new homes. They have kept me busy and I haven't been working on anything for myself. I love to participate in exchanges. I love stitching pieces for other people. It gives me the opportunity to branch out and stitch pieces I might not normally pick up. I love finding out what people like and trying to find the perfect piece for them. I also like receiving pieces from my exchange partners. It's like Christmas!

Here is a little pretty I CAN share with you. My niece got married last Saturday night and I stitched this wedding record for her and her new hubby.

The wedding was beautiful and I feel so blessed to have been a part of their special day. They are perfect for each other and will have a lifetime of happiness.

~Best Wishes Kegan & Erin~

I also want to share the great prize I won from my friend Amy. I successfully guessed the correct answer to a question on her blog. She sent me these wonderful charts I had on my wish list. A great BIG thank you to Amy! I can't wait to start stitching these awesome designs.

Well friends.............it's back to my secret stitching projects. I'll be back soon to show you what I've been working on.

Happy Fall Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

More Fobs

2010-09-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Purple Heart $9

Dog Lover $9

Puppy Paw $9

Elephant $9

Pink Butterfly $9

Scissor Fobs

2010-09-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

These handcrafted scissors fobs will keep your hands busy stitching instead of couch cushion surfing.
The has a clasp that makes it easy to move to any pair of scissors.

They make great gifts for the stitcher who has everything....or to add to your stitching "stash".

Price incluces shipping inside the U.S.

Please contact me for a shipping quote outside the U.S. (dianealtemeyer@gmail.com)

Payment can be made through paypal (dianealtemeyer@hotmail.com) or by check. Please email me for a payment address.

Sunflower $9

Silver Leaf $9

Blue Heart $9

Cat Lover $9

Green Butterfly $9

Frogging Needles

2010-09-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

When the unthinkable happens and you have to "Rip It" "Rip It"

The one thing that every stitcher dreads is having to undo stitching because of a mistake.

These handy thread pickers will help ease the pain.

No more searching for needles that have flipped on the floor.....lost to the carpet gods forever.

These needles are easy to hold and easy to find when needed.

They make great gifts for the stitcher who has everything.....or to add to your stitching "stash".

Price includes shipping inside the U.S.
Please contact me for a shipping quote outside the U.S.

Yellow Sunshine $5

Pink Ribbon $5

Pink $5

Dragonfly $5

Shell $5

Schoolgirl Lessons

2010-08-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow stitchers & friends,

I just wanted to stop by and say a quick hello and show you my latest finish.

Little House Needleworks ~~~~~~~ Schoolgirl Lessons

I took the liberty of changing the last word from Stitching to Arithmetic. I wanted the traditional saying Reading Writing Arithmetic cause this little beauty is going to find a home on my desk at school.

Below is a picture of the original pattern.

Now.............I just have to find a clean spot on my desk.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

The Back to School Giveaway Winner!!!!!!

2010-08-24T16:05:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the back to school giveaway. As expected the first few weeks of school are always crazy. So without further delay..................

THE WINNER IS......................................................................

kym

Congratulations to kym! I hope you enjoy stitching the Lizzie Kate pattern and find the scissors & fob useful. Please email me at dianealtemeyer@gmail.com with your address so I can get it in the mail.

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and entered the drawing. I've finished a few more pieces I'll be adding shortly.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Back To School Giveaway

2010-08-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

~Back To School~

Well my friends, Summer is officially winding down for me. So in honor of a new school year I've decided to give away this adorable Lizzie Kate pattern and scissor combo. The scissor fob was handcrafted by yours truly and the scissors are great for stitching.

To all the dedicated teachers out there.....Have a great school year and remember you have the most important job in the world.

If you are interested in entering this giveaway give a shout out to your favorite teacher in the comment section. (No matter how many years it has been :-)

Last Day to Enter is Saturday August 21.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

♪ Fa La L a La La ♪

2010-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've been on quite a Christmas stitching binge this Summer. I saw this cute design the last time I visited my LNS and of course, I'm a sucker for Lizzie Kate. This is the first cube finish I've attempted and I'm pleased with the way it turned out. As it turns out I had to do 3 cube finishes, quite a task one day. Vonna at The Twisted Stitcher has a great tutorial for cube finishes if you are interested in trying one.

I had so much fun shopping for the materials to finish this project. Trying to decide on ribbon, bows, and just looking through all the Christmas craft items for ideas was a great was to spend an afternoon. I could not find a material I wanted at the usual places like JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby, I even looked at Wal-Mart. No Luck.

As I was driving to my favorite place in the world (Sonic) to get my afternoon slurpie pop I took the back way in and drove past the local quilt shop. Now, my caffeine starved brain must have been screaming keep going.........keep going.... because I almost dismissed my thought of stopping in lieu of the all mighty Route 44 Diet Cherry Coke.

Never having been in the quilt shop before I wasn't sure I would find much. Wow, was I surprised. Wall to wall material. $45 later I walked out with a bag full of remnants and assortments perfect for finishing my small projects. What a great find. They even carry some fibers. They will definitely be seeing me again, probably in the all too near future.

I have been gearing myself up for the approaching school year. That means my unlimited stitching time is coming to an end. I'm looking forward to a new year and a new batch of kiddos. I guess that means I had better prioritize my stitching projects....I think that will require more caffeine.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Retro Christmas Ornaments.........Finally!

2010-07-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't think that a little set of ornaments would take so long to finish. In reality it only took 2 weeks but I had envisioned them taking a few days. I found the patterns in a Cross Stitch Christmas book I checked out from the library. They caught my eye immediately and I couldn't wait to stitch them. I'm not sure exactly what it is about them, but I adore the design. I think they remind me of a set of pink ornaments my mom had. My sister now cares for them and they are a favorite of ours.

I faced a hard decision when starting to stitch.....aida, perforated paper, plastic canvas. I had plenty in my stash to choose from but I pondered it heavily. I had started referring to myself as a linen snob after discovering linen several years ago. I love to stitch on linen and most of my current or just finished projects are stitched on linen.

So....back to my decision. 14 mesh plastic canvas it is. I had never used plastic canvas to cross stitch. But can you think of a better medium to use for "retro" work. I'm pretty sure that no other fabric would convey the feeling these ornaments bring about.

And the verdict is.................
I love stitching on plastic canvas. I've use perforated paper many times and have enjoyed the results but I think there is a noticeable difference in how the stitches lay on canvas.
I love trying new things in my needlework and I'm so pleased with the way the ornaments turned out. I will definitely use plastic canvas again for ornaments or that special project.

Now I have another difficult decision to make..........What to stitch next?

~Happily Ever After~

Before I end I want to wish my two good friends Marcus & Katie congratulations on their recent wedding. They married a couple of weeks ago on a beach in Hawaii and their mainland reception was last night. A good time was had by all. I know they will have a happy life together!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

We Have a Winner!!!!

2010-07-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to MommyDearest. She is the winner of the Trail Creek Farm Summer pillow kit.
I want to thank everyone for their interest in my blog. Stay tuned... another giveaway is coming soon.

I have been working on a set of retro Christmas ornaments since my last post. I am getting close to finishing and can't wait to see the final results.

Today I decided that it was time to clean out my office/craft room. What was I thinking? I have managed to make more mess than organization. Maybe tomorrow will bring more motivation.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

My Focus Never Waivered................ Beaded Summer Magnets

2010-07-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Mill Hill Spring Bouquet Beaded Magnets

As I've said before I am easily distracted! These quick to stitch magnets were so cute that I maintained my focus and finished them in a couple of days.

Shades

Flip Flops

They are now at home on my refrigerator. My husband even noticed the new addition which was validation to just how cut they are.

Beads are a great addition to cross stitch projects. The Mill Hill Kits are a great way to get started and see how you like beading. The kits come with everything you need to get started. Perforated paper, floss, beads, needles, etc. (Now I need to contact Mill Hill about receiving kickbacks for promoting their products :-)

Bead work goes very fast as seed beads only use a half cross stitch to attach the bead. Petite beads which are smaller usually use a full cross stitch. Bugle beads (long tubes) use an elongated stitch.

I have never been able to complete a french knot successfully so I often use petite beads instead.

A Tacky Bob is a great product to assist you with bead work. It resembles a small cd case but on the inside it is sticky. The beads stick lightly to the adhesive and won't move when you stick the needle in the bead. You can simply pick up a bead and keep stitching.

My next project~

I found a pattern for some cute retro Christmas tree ornaments. I'm stitching them now on 14 ct. mesh plastic canvas. I've never used plastic canvas for cross stitch so I'll let you know how they turn out.

On another note...........

My 9 year old Miniature Schnauzer got to come home from the "hospital" last night. He's been dealing with an illness for about 4 weeks now and ended up staying at the vet for a week. I missed him terribly while he was gone, hence all the stitching projects I completed in my attempt to keep busy. Hopefully he's through the worst of it. I find I stitch much better when he is laying in the chair with me. He's missing hair on both legs and his belly and the rest is matted but he's still a site for sore eyes.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Trail Creek Farm Summer Pillow Giveaway

2010-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

This super cute Trail Creek Farm Summer Pillow kit could be yours. Blog followers can enter to win by typing Summer in the comments section of this post. Don't delay................last day to enter is July 14th. New friends are always welcome so start following my blog today.

Have a great day!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan