Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How did I miss that?

My mother and I were watching Twilight tonight. I finally got my mother to read the book and she wanted to see the movie. In one of the scenes where Bella and her father are at the diner, Stephenie Meyer is at the counter!?!?! LOL The waitress brings her a burger and says something like "Here's your burger Stephenie!"

How in the world did I miss the fact that the author of the Twilight books had made a cameo in the film?!? Who knows?

Until next time!

WOW!

Look what I got in the mail today!


Fabsnaps by Joei!!

Aren't they gorgeous? I can't wait to use them this weekend :) My aunt and I are going by Saps in Satsuma to see if I can get Harvest Blessing framed for Mother's Day and then we are going to Pensacola to their LNS. I am on the hunt for an Christmas angel design from either Mirabilia or Lavender & Lace. Hopefully I can find something nice to stitch up ^___^

Thank you Joei! Your Fabsnaps are beautiful.

Until next time!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Book sale goodies!

My mother, aunt, and I went by the Friends of the Library book sale this morning. It was fun. I found many cross stitch books, 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardcover books!! <- You can't beat that!!




Several of the books were previous library books that I had checked out and wanted to purchase eventually to stitch up some of the projects so it was nice to get them today!


Aren't these neat? The cookbook is from 1907 and the other book is from 1957! LOL I can't wait to look through these :)

I also purchased three books on Microsoft programs! LOL I'm sure you don't want pictures of those!! It was nice to get those for 50 cents a book since computer books are always expensive O_o"

Until next time!

Floss tag finish!

Well, I just finished my first floss tag!


Design: Flower design from Stitch Ideas vol. 5
Thread: DMC 601
Fabric: 32 ct Belfast Zweigart
Finished: 4/19/09 (stitching) 4/25/09 (finishing)


The opposite side of the floss tag has my friend's initials on it, 'AW.'

I have a question for my cross stitch readers! I was having such a hard time whip-stitching around the corners. I had trimmed the corners according to the directions I had, but it didn't really help. The corners had too much fabric to whipstitch comfortably. LOL So I trimmed some more....then I had fraying edges. Good grief.

Does anyone have some advice for stitching the corners on floss tags? I think perhaps I stitched too small of a design for a floss tag....the same thing happened with the edges on my mini-biscornu!?!?

LOL I will have to tell my friend that the floss tag was a first attempt. And the biscornu was the first tiny one I've finished ^___^

Until next time!

Friday, April 24, 2009

More French charts

I got another Anagram Diffusion chart in the mail yesterday.


Isn't it pretty?!

I have no idea when I'll get around to stitching this one, but hopefully in the future :) Along with this order, The French Needle sent me a freebie chart by Anagram Diffusion....I guess because they felt bad that they sold out of a chart I wanted :*( I'll have to take pics of that little freebie and post it!

I'm so glad it's the weekend! It has been a long week at work. Tomorrow is the library book sale; I'll post if I find any neat books!

Until next time!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

In Memory


Benjamin Mader, 1982-1999

To my best friend, I love you and miss you everyday!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Lots of goodies!

As promised, I have some pics of the brooches that I purchased this weekend! I also just got home and had cross stitch goodies waiting for me :)


Sorry, I couldn't really get a good pic of this pin! Isn't it fun? I thought it would be great on a blazer :)


A beautiful filgree brooch with a blue-green stone. I wore this brooch today with my blue sweater. This is an older brooch as it has a C-clasp on the back. I think antique filgree brooches are gorgeous!


My first 'bar' pin! I think it might have had a small stone in the center, but I still think it's nice for $5. It is another older pin with a C-clasp backing.


I have no idea how old this locket is, but I couldn't resist the tiny cameo surrounded by flowers ;) Not a bad selection of brooches for $35.


Fun cross stitch goodies! I had ordered some patterns from Down Sunshine Lane since they sell French designs too. I also got Kruissteekjes II by Annie Oldenziel. I got it on eBay for $6. LOL Don't you like the design on the front of the book?! Very fun!

I hope everyone has a great week! See ya ^___^

Busy, busy, busy

Hi, everyone! Sorry for not posting in a while. I had all intentions of posting over the weekend, but I was busy with yard work and housework. Not to worry, it wasn't all work and no play. My aunt and I went to the antique show on Saturday; my sister went with one of her friends. I bought some new brooches and my aunt found an beautiful four-way locket brooch, which is perfect for pictures of her kids and granddaughter :)

I stitched for a little bit yesterday and then did some cleaning and went back to the stitching. I was going to start on one of the designs in the Les Samplers en rouge et blanc book, but I was disappointed with the look of my stitches on 32 count fabric when the design in the book was on 18 ct. I might have to wait until I can purchase some 18 ct fabric! So instead of starting that adorable bunny design, I went with a small stitching project. I am using one of the designs in Stitch Idees to make a floss ring tag. I've never finished a project like that before so it should be fun! I was hoping to finish it up last night, but I didn't have any interfacing or batting so I'll have to wait until the weekend to get back to it O_o"

In other news, I read some more of Rosaline....yes, I know it's taking me forever when it really shouldn't! I only have a little bit more to read and I'll be finished. I think I might be able to get some reading in tonight since it isn't AI night!

Until next time! (Hopefully, I'll have some photos of the brooches to share!)

P.S. Guess what's happening this weekend? The Friends of the Library group in Mobile is having a book sale to benefit the MPL!!! Woohoo! You know my family and I will be there! Nothing like browsing secondhand books ^____^

Friday, April 17, 2009

Happy B-day!

My sister's b-day was on Tuesday! She's the big 25!! LOL That morning she I had some fun banter back and forth in text messages! I started it by calling her 'old.' ^__^


The spread of goodies!!


Key lime cake!! It was delicious! A lady at my aunt's workplace made it ;)

HAPPY B-DAY, little sister! Love ya!

A lot of cross stitch goodies!

Hi, I think I've been in a crazy cross-stitch buying mood!! I got several nice cross stitch goodies in the mail this week!


A Japanese craft book on antique French cross stitch patterns!


And two Anagram Diffusion charts from The French Needle.


Today, my aunt and I went to Barnes and Noble for coffee and we both came away with craft magazines, cross stitch for me and knitting for her :)


When I got home, I had a lovely surprise! I got the book I ordered from Amazon.fr in the mail :) I can't wait to look through it! One of their charts was featured in one of the volumes of Stitch Ideas and I had to get the book!! (LOL It featured bunnies!)

Tomorrow, my sister and I are going by our local Shriner's Temple. They are having an antique show. The show comes every three months so you know I've been waiting for it for a while :) Hopefully, I can find some lovely brooches!!

Until next time!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Snowman table runner

I finished up my Snowman table runner.


Design: Snowman Table Runner, Fairway Needlecraft Co.
Threads: DMC Threads
Finished: Started sometime in 2007 and finished 4/12/09


The other side looks the same as the picture. LOL You can see it in the background! I started this one in 2007 and put it aside for other cross stitch projects and finally got back around to it! I wanted to finish it for this year's Christmas. It is a present for my mom, which she already knows about since we will use it for decorating!

See ya!

Happy Easter


Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a great Easter with their friends and family! My aunt is coming by tonight to have dinner with us.


My aunt got my sister and I 'adult' Easter baskets! Can't you tell we love our holidays? I got bunny chocolates and garden-themed chocolates :) YUMMY! LOL She also got us Starbucks cards! Feeding our addiction O_o"

With thoughts on Spring and gardens, our garden is going well. We have several cucumber, carrot, and lettuce plants starting to come up. My sister's tomatoes are going strong and she even has a pepper growing! I can't wait to eat some home-grown veggies. Nothing compares to your own produce.

In other news, I picked up some more toile this weekend!! I thought I'd share some photos!


Black and red toile ;)


Some gorgeous upholstery red toile!!

Stitching news: I finished my snowmen table liner today. I was stitching the snowflakes yesterday and today. I just washed it and now I'm waiting for it to dry so I can iron it. I'll have pics hopefully tonight or by tomorrow.

Until next time!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The Young Victoria


Period drama loveliness!

Why, oh why, does the U.S. have to be the last for every good period drama film? I’ll tell you why, because the UK produces a mass majority of them so they always come out there first and sadly, we get them on DVD unless they feature a cast of Hollywood stars like Pride & Prejudice in 2005.

I saw a trailer for The Young Victoria and I desperately want to see it, but the official website does not give a release date for the U.S. It makes me wonder if they are going to release it to DVD here and bypass the whole idea of releasing it in theaters. (sigh)


Emily Blunt (The Jane Austen Book Club) plays Queen Victoria.


Prince Albert is played by Rupert Friend (Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Wickham).

Let all my fellow period drama lovers who read this blog cross their fingers and pray that we get this film in theaters. LOL My luck, it won’t even release in Mobile. (Egads!)

Until next time!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Harvest Blessing

I was determined to finish stitching Harvest Blessing by tonight and I finished it this morning as I was waiting to clock-in. I have to say that I quite like the designs from Country Cottage Needleworks and Little House Needleworks.

I had bought this design last year, but didn’t get a chance to buy the appropriate linen for it until the Christmas holidays when I stopped by to order frames for some other pieces I had finished.


Design: Harvest Blessing, Country Cottage Needleworks
Threads: DMC, Crescent Colours, and Gentle Art
Linen: 28 ct Light Mocha Cashel Zweigart
Finished: March 30 – April 7, 2009


This little cute design is a present for my mother for Mother’s Day. I thought I’d finish it early since I need to take it to be framed. My aunt has heard that there is a nice framing store in Satsuma that is quite reasonable so we will make a trip one of these weekends.

In other news, I ordered Isabella Vautier's Les Samplers en Rouge et Blanc online. I saw a lovely design in Stitch Ideas that was taken from that book and I had to have it ;) I can't wait for it to come in. I am grateful that Amazon has instructions in English on how to order from their French site ^___^

LOL Do books count as additions to stash?!?!? I guess they would....oh, well! I was bound to break my rule on buying more stash eventually ;)

Until next time!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Finally a finish!!

I finally finished up my biscornu today! I went by Joann's Fabrics and picked up some DMC 601 thread.


A mini-biscornu along side my bunny bag that holds my thread/needles.


Design: Heart design from Stitch Ideas vol. 5
Thread: DMC 601
Fabric: 32 ct Belfast Zweigart
Finished: technically a day! (but in my case a day +)


I also bought some other goodies while at the craft store: some fabric and buttons!


I was looking for some cute buttons for my biscornu and came away with the heart buttons that I did use for the biscornu along with an assortment of pink buttons and really COOL British themed ones!! You know I was going to buy those when I saw them, didn't you?! They have one of the Underground logo! Mind the Gap!! LOL

As much as I liked stitching up the design, the actual finishing of the biscornu was a bit hectic! Since this one is a tiny biscornu, I had trouble with the whip stitching and getting the edges to form.....LOL I should have read the directions I got online for finishing! You are supposed to cut the fabric closer to the backstitching when you come to the corners if your biscornu is small!!!!

Now on to the fabrics!


I didn't get this one at Joann's. I bought this at Wal-mart last week! I was so busy that I didn't have time to post about it O__o" But isn't it lovely?! I thought my aunt would like this toile since it has a farm design! Possible pillows in the future?


I couldn't resist this gorgeous Easter egg fabric at Joann's. Sadly, I have nothing stitched up for Easter this year, but I'll find something to use it for next year ;)

This morning I also ran by my local Barnes and Noble to look for the new Somerset Marie magazine, but they didn't have it :**( Luckily, one of booksellers looked it up for me and said he could probably order it into the store since it was in their system. He said that people would definitely buy the magazine if they got it!!! Woohoo! I'll keep my fingers crossed that he can order that mag!

In other news, my family and I worked in our garden today and got everything planted. We have tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, onions (yellow and green), sweet corn, Blue lake green beans, cauliflower, carrots, pumpkins, and cantaloupes. I'll have to take some pictures of everything once we get some results! The only things growing right now are the cauliflower, cabbage, onions, and my sister's tomatoes! (I think she's been secretly singing them show tunes because they are huge!)

Sweet dreams!