Froggie went a stitchin....

Froggie went a stitchin..he did sing ...rippp.ripp......Froggie went a stitchin he did sing rippp.rippp.....

I have been stitching and ripping on the celtic knot needlebook now for 2 days and boy... I thought I could count ... but apparently I can't.  I have stitched huge parts and then ripped them out (carefully cause I love this beautiful hand-dyed floss).  I had hoped to have another photo update to post, but hanging head in shame - and needing to go back to 1st grade to learn how to count  I have not progressed very much. I am on a mission to finish this (both knots) and get this thing whipped into a Needlebook before I start anything else.  And Fridays are UFO day, so I will be working on my Monopoly Board UFO. 

Mondays I will be designating to my Victoria Sampler - Hearts of America.

I did get the floss for my newest Lizzie Kate piece - Dog Lessons for People.  Since my two sons are grown and my at home "kids" are furbabies - Cocker Spaniels - I fell in love with this piece.  Here is a pic of the chart.

 
I ordered the Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colors Hand-Dyed floss from Joanne at 123Stitch.com and she is so on top of it.  I placed the order on Tuesday and got the threads today (Thursday).  I will stitch it on 32 count "Natural Light" Linen, 2 over 2.  I can't wait to get started on this.  LK also has
this chart in "Cat Lessons for People"
for you cat lovers out there.

Needlebook

Needlebook WIP
9.29.10

I took a short break from my VS Hearts to work on this needlebook design I found on Inkcircles Tutorials 
I am stitching it according to the pattern using Carrie's Creation Hand-Dyed Floss in the Tropical Rainstorm color.  I had forgotten how much I dislike stitching on black fabric, but the bright multi-colors of this wonderful floss reall do "pop" on the black.  So far, I have had the little frog visit this piece 2 times.  I did decide to stop stitching on the border and stitch the geomatric "knots" first so maybe my stitch count will be right on that part.  If I could just count the threads right on this dark fabric, I would be half way through with it.

Sunday - September 26, 2010

VS - Hearts of America
Pennsylvania

Today was the day for Football and cross stitch.  My Hunny B is a football fanatic and therefore, the  TV on Sunday is dedicated to the pigskin. I spent the day stitching up my 3rd Heart (actually #2 in the series) Pennsylvania. 

A little about the Great State of Pennsylvania as described on the Victoria Stitch chart.

Pennsylvania was the second state ratified by the Federal Constitution on December 12th, 1787.  Its nickname is "Keystone State" and its motto is Virtue, Liberty and Independence.  The Mountain Laurel was designated as state flower in 1907, after over 3,000 women signed a petition endorsing it.

The Liberty Bell, a symbol of freedom and independence for all of the States hangs in Philidelphia.  In the stitched piece there are two keystone shapes which refer to the nickname which was adopted to show the "key" position of Pennsylvania in the economic, social and political development of the US.  The featured Victoria Stitch represents the wide variety of trees in the woodlands which cover at least half of the state.  At the bottom of the heart are symbols reminiscent of the Pennsylvania Dutch Hex signs with which the Amish decorate their barns and homes for good luck and protection.

VS-Hearts of America - Delaware

VS - Heart of America
Delaware

I'm on a roll !! Finished the Delaware heart (#1) today (Saturday-9/25). These little things are quick and fun to stitch.  The specialty stitch for this heart was the "Arrowhead" Stitch.

From the Victoria Sample pattern, a little about Delaware.

Delaware was the first colonial state to ratify the Federal Constitution on December 7, 1787.  It's nicknames are "The Diamond State" and "The First State. Its Motto is Liberty and Independance.  The Peach Blossom was designated as the state flower in 1895 when Delaware was known to have over 800,000 peach trees in her orchards.  The Blue Hen chicken, the state bird, is a symbol of the valiant bravery of Delaware men in battle.  The Arrowhead Stitch in blue, represents the Delaware River, a mainstay in the state's commerce and transportation.  Finally, the Diamond Eye stitch at the bottom of the heart, denotes the nickname "Diamond State" which was, according to legend given to the state by Thomas Jefferson, because he descried Delaware due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

Chief Seattle's Testimony

Tobie, from one of my cross stitch message groups wanted me to share the words from this piece as they are too small to read. So here they are....

We are part of the earth and it is part of us.
The perfumed  flowers are our sisters;
the deer, the horse, the great eagle,
these are our brothers.
The rocky crests, the juices of the meadows,
the body heat of the pony and man
all belong to the same family.

So when the Great Chief in Washington sends word
that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us.
...we will consider your offer to buy our land.
If we decide to accept, I will make one condition;
the whte man must treat the beasts of this land
as his brothers.

I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.
I have seen a thousand rotting buffalos on the prairie,
left by the white man who shot them form a passing train.
I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking
iron horse can be more important than the buffalo
that we kill only to survive.

What is a man without the beasts?
If the beasts were gone, man would die from a great
lonliness of spirit.  For whatever happens to the beasts
soon happens to man.  All things are connected.
This we know. The earth does not belong to man,
man belongs to the earth.

This we know.  All things are connected like the blood
which unites one family.

All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

------Chief Seattle's Testimony in 1854---


I just love this piece.  Although I am not of Native Amercian descent, the words are so moving and true.  We as humans must do everything we can to preserve this great world we live in. 

Happy Dance !! September 24, 2010



Chief Seattle's estimony

 Oh Happy Dance, Happy Dance !!! I have FINISHED my oldest and one of the earliest cross stitch pieces.  I think I started this one in the late 1989 or 1990 and it had been rolled up one of those plastic tube things that Charles Craft used to (anh may still) sell fabric in.  I thought it was a new piece of ivory Aida..and what a surprise when I unrolled it to find this piece about 3/4 completed last month.  I began stitching on it on Fridays (ie: UFO Friday) and just finished it.  I think it is really nice.  Now to wash and press it and block it and mount it and get a mat cut for it and find a frame....LOL.... isn't it funny how one thing just leads us into another.  Now back to the Delaware Heart and the "Arrowhead Stitch".  Oh btw, I have found another project I want to do.  Found this darling Needle Book at Ink Circles and am waiting on he floss I ordered from Carrie's Creations - "Tropical Rainstorm" to arrive.  It is a very colorful over-dyed thread that goes from blue to read to yellow to orange and all shades in between.  I am going to try to stitch in on black fabric (if I can see it).  Making it according to the tutorial and pictures at Ink Circles.. (a rather nice Blog)

Finished !

VS Hearts of America - Tennessee

Well, this little ditty sure stitched up pretty ... and quick!  I couldn't sleep last night so got up at 2:00 and finished this up by 6:00.  Also watched the new Hawaii 50 and Chase that I had TIVO'd. 

So, as I post each of these little hearts I will add an American History lesson with each one. This one will I am sure be the longest lesson as Tennessee is MY state, and I know a lot more things about it.

Tennessee was the 16th state to ratify the Federal Constitution on June 1. 1796. It's nickname is The Volunteer State", it's motto is Agriculture and Commerce and the state flower is the Blue Iris.  The Blue Iris defeated the reigning state flower, the Passionflower in 1933, which is now the state wildflower.  The Mockingbird is the state bird.  Taking wording from the VS chart " ...the little musical notes symbolise the music of Nashville.  The dark parts of the Chinese Rice Stitch represent the mountains, and the blue centers symbolize the meandering rivers and streams and lakes which bring forth life to the ripening fields.  The little yellow flowers at the bottom of the heart represent the blossoms of the Yellow Poplar or Tulip Poplar, the Tennessee state tree....."

So now you know a little about my state.  Another couple of tidbits.  Memphis (my city) is known as the home of the Blues as well as the birth place of Rock'n'Roll.  Elvis Presley recorded his first single, and most of his early recordings here at Sun Recording Studio. W. C. Handy and BB King are famous blues singers from here and Beale Street is sometimes compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  Memphis also hosts Memphis in May every year which is a month long celebration which honors a different country each year It begins ... uh... the first weekend in May and ends usually on Memorial Day Eve with the Sun Set Symphony, on the banks of the Mississippi River.  The song "Ole Man River" was written about the Mississippi River and has been the "headliner" song at the symphony every year.  Smack in the middle of the month of May is the "Memphis in May Great Bar-B-Que Cookoff"...famous the world over.  Can't find BBQ any better than Memphis !! (I've tried, and found some really good BBQ in Hot Springs, AR.. but they had won the MIM Cookoff several years in a row.. so it is still MEMPHIS BBQ!!!)

Tennessee is a rectangular shaped state in the "Mid-South" of the USA.  Memphis is situated in the south western most tip of the state and Bristol is in the north eastern most tip.  Nashville sits almost in the middle.  If you flew from Memphis to Bristol the mileage is greater that if you flew from Nashville to the Canadian border!  Look at a map of Tennessee sometime... it is really long....

Now on to Heart #1 - Delaware ...

Till next time ....Stitchin'n'smilin

Wednesday - September, 22

VS - Heart of America
WIP 9.22

VS - Hearts of America
Picture

Today I started yet another project.  I bought the entire collection of the Victorian Sampler's - Hearts of America about 7 years ago.  My intention was to stitch them (ha! all 50 of them) and make them into a patch work quilt.  Well TODAY I finally pulled out one (the Tennessee one - since I live in Tennessee) and egan sttching it.  I think these will go fairly fast, as they are small.  Each state features a Specialty Stitch...Tennessee's is the Chinese Rice Stitch.  I spent about 5 hours stitching (along with doing loads of laundry between) and got the state flower done (the Iris).  Here is a scan of my WIP on it.  I think the flower turned our really pretty!. 

I usually don't stitch kits as you can't always predict the floss quality, but I believe these have DMC cotton floss which is what I usually stitch with. 
The chart has the colors listed as DMC and it feels like DMC. 

Last night I worked on my Monopoly Board piece that is about half finished.  It began as a Round Robin I did back in 2003, but we had 3 people of a 8 person RR drop out so it has been in my UFO box.  While chatting with a fellow stitcher, she commented on the military piece she had done for her brother (I have the Army Emblem about 3/4th finished that I am doing for my son) and her Monopoly Board that she did for another family member.  This got me to thinking about my pieces, so I got them out.  Last night I finished the "In Jail" corner.  Whew ... had to frog a bit on the piece also as one stitcher started the big MONOPOLY emblem in the center and I discovered it was not centered correctly.  I hope there won't be a dark spot where I had to pull black threads out of the white fabric after it is washed.  I must remember to use Oxyclean on it.

Tea Cup RR - 2010



It's Already Monday! Time is flying by.  Soon it will be the holidays and I haven't even THOUGHT about Christmas gifts yet.

Since my last post I have completed my section on my RR piece for the 4 person robin starting sometime soon.  Have the participant list, just not the mailing dates yet.  My theme will be Tea Cups.  I have stitched a cute little one that has petite pink beads on the roses.  I am including patterns of 5 or 6 other teacups (Orange Blossom, Blackberry, etc.) to choose from along with petite beads to accent each square.  I think it will be a cheerful piece.

Signature Round Robin

This piece I completed on Saturday.  It is a Round Robin that will be a "Signature" Robin.  Each participant in this RR will stitch their name or "signature" somewhere on the piece.  I am not sure how many participants there will be in this one.

Chief Seattle's Testimony
WIP 9/14/10

It's Tuesday 9/14/2010 and I have just about finished my oldesr cross-sitch UFO.  Chief Seattle's Testimony.  I got all the back stitched lettering done and one small section of the bottom border.  Since I found this piece about a month ago digging in what I thought was my fabric drawer, I have designated Fridays as UFO days.  And by concentrating on this piece for 4 weeks it is almost finished !! Maybe another week.  I have also finished another ornament for the Stitching Corp, which will be 2 pairs so far.  I would like to at least make another set before the mailing deadline of November 10th.  I think that should be fairly easy to do. 

MailArt Exchange Piece

 I have also almost completed my "MailArt" piece with the exception of the recipient's information which will come later.  That exchange isn't full yet so I don't know who my partner is. The finished project will look like an "envelope"  with the main corss stitched piece on the back.  I will add a lining fabric and then the bottom section of the piece will be folded up to make the envelope pocket.  That is where my swap partner's name, address, city state & zip will be added.  The top section will be folded down and I will stitch my "return" address information.  I have two little star buttons  and some nice gold tiny cording that will be added to hold the top flap down. 

Here is a link that is a great tutorial explaining MailArt.

MailArt Tutorial



September 11, 2010

Has i really been 9 years since the tragedy that shook Amercia ?  I still remember where I was (parking to go into work) when I heard those first radio reports about the "accident" at the World Trade Center.  Today I think I will pull out an old UFO that is a patriotic collage and has one space left as one stitcher dropped out.  This is what I will stitch on as I remember and pray for those that lost loved ones 9 years ago today.  Will post a picture of the piece when I get some new batteries for my camera. For some reason the rechargeable batteries have given up and won't hold a charge anymore.

Is it Thursday ..already ?

I can't believe the weekend is almost here and another UFO stitching day (Friday) is upon us.  I will continue pushing on with the backstitch lettering on my Chief Seattle's Testimony.  This is the oldest UFO I have (in fact it was buried in the bottom drawer of my the dresser I have in my stitching/sewing room rolled up in a plastic Charles Craft fabric tube.  I thought it was a new piece of fabric until I unrolled it.. then what a surprise !!)

I got quite a bit of stitching done this week.  Finished the Halloween Ornament for the exchange.

I also completed 2 onaments for the Stitching Corp.  (sending these to service members that are deployed). 


ABC Ornament





Santa's Rest Stop Ornamens


Also am also almost finished a third ornament for this worthy cause.  With a son in the US Military, I am always looking for ways to honor him and his service.  With this group, we stitch pairs of Christmas ornaments.  One is sent to the service person that is deployed and a matching one is sent to his family.  Tina, our coordinator is a peach for hosting this every year.

Another Sunday (9/5/2010)

Well here we are at another Sunday - and the pre-season football games are still on ... so I suppose I will sit and stitch and watch football.. (I guess you can tell it is my favorite thing to watch...

I did finish up stitching on a little Halloween ornament that is for an exchange.  I still have to assemble it which I will probably do today or tomorrow - will add a picture to PhotoBucket in a few days to allow Darlene time to receive it -- don't want to ruin the surprise.

September 4, 2010

Chief Seattle's Testimony

 

Jean Farish - America

Here are photos of pieces I began several years ago and now have put in UFO/WIP status. I plan to designate Fridays as UFO day and will rotate these two pieces to and attempt to move them into FINISHED PIECES..!!.. I think if maybe I concentrate on these pieces one day a week I will see some real progress.

I worked on the Chief Seattle piece yesterday and got finished with the buffalos that are background and got 2 more lines completed in the saying...  I think in another couple of weeks, maybe this one will be finished...

I have also just finished a cute Acrylic Coaster for an exchange  with Kay S. on CrossStitchRoundrobinMad message board and am working on a Halloween Ornament I will be exchanging with Darlene V. from the 123Stitch message board.  

Other projects I am working on are Ornaments for the Stitching Corp group, that will be mailed to active service men & women in our Armed Forces.... this one is very close to my heart as I have a son that is in the Army and it makes me smile to think some stranger might be doing something nice to show their appreciation for the sacrifice he makes every day for our Freedom.

I have also just started a 4 person RR that is soooo.. cute.The title is "The Usual Suspects" and it is five dogs in a "Line-Up".  I will stitch 2 of the dogs as the group is only 4 people, but the piece is darling.  Can't wait to see it stitched up.  

Another RR I am starting is a "Signature" robin.  I am stitching a little saying in the center of the piece and then will be mailing it around for the other members to add their name/signature.  I think it will be a real nice piece to add to my collection of things that need to be framed...LOL...

The last piece that is in my "current projects" box in a MailArt piece that will be exchanged with someone on the CrossStitchRoundRobin group.  I have the mail chart selected but am waiting on some Kreinik threads to be delivered that I need for the piece. 

I think that's about all for now. Gonna go stitch a bit before hubby gets back from his racquetball.

September 1, 2010

Hi everyone. This is my first attempt at a blog so I hope this will look nice and be easy to follow.


I am a 50 something year old female living it Memphis, Tennessee. I have 2 boys age 37 & 30.


My oldest in a Sergent in the army and in a few weeks will be going to "selection" to try to be in "The Green Berets" ... He has been in the Army since 7/2001 (two months before the World Trade Center & Pentagon attacks, and has been deployed to Iraq 3 times so far.


My younger son is a Store Manager for a major home improvement chain and lives in Kentucky. He just married about a year ago.


I also have a grandson ( 15 years old) and a granddaughter (10 years old) and 6 "furbabies".


I have been cross stitching since I was expecting my youngest in 1980, and have participated in some 15-20 Round Robins and Exchanges between 2000 & 2004. I have been on a stitching hiatus for about the last 5-6 years due to health issues, but am BACK!!!