Wow, its been a long time

My energy level seems to be at zero these days, I go through one treatment session and by the time I start feeling almost human again its time for another round. I feel like I'm missing out on everything. Not much on the stitching front this past month, some days the needle just seems to heavy if you can believe that. I've been working on Giraffe Family which was my day 5 pick from the crazy challenge way back in January. The top half is done and the bottom has way less stitching so hopefully one day soon, I'll be scratching off another one.

I got a wonderful surprise yesterday, a lady that I have just met has decided she can not stitch anymore and she gifted me with all of her stash. Once I have it sorted I'll posted a few pics.

Sam's Stocking and more ....

First of all I would like to say a big heart filled Thank you to everyone that left a kind comment and took the time to email me, it means the world to me knowing I have such caring friends. The Doctor figures we wont have the results for another week or so, so still waiting. But the good news I'm hopefully done my pity party for the moment anyway. So back to living, here is my TUSAL update a few days late not a lot added this month.


All of my stitching the last couple of weeks have been on Sam's stocking, not that there has been a lot of stitching happening. All of my family's stockings have been from the heirloom stocking series from the old "Cross Stitch and Country Crafts" magazine. Sam's stocking is called "Home For Christmas" and it isn't looking very manly so far but hopefully by next update on it will be.



Think I'm going to take a break from the stocking and pull out one of my other challenge pieces for awhile.

Sabrina coming to life

Not much of a stitchy update, poor Sam is going through a colicky faze so not much stitching or sleeping going on here. Poor Sabrina looks more like a figurehead on an old sailing boat then the fine lady she will one day be.



I made a few changes to her already, her eye was suppose to be brown but I changed it to a green to match my daughters eyes. I was suppose to use 3 strands to back stitch around her eye and I thought this made her look quite trampy so I frogged it out and used only 1 strand which I think looks much better.

I mentioned in my last post that I doubted I would get all of my crazy 15 done this year and I was planning on changing my rotation around again. The only piece I really care about getting done is Sam's stocking, Santa needs something to put all Sam's treasures in next Christmas. So my new found plan is stitching on Sam's stocking every other week and filling in the free week with which ever piece calls out to me the most. If in a couple months I haven't made enough progress on the stocking, I'll switch over to it full time. I swear this boy knows every time I pick up my fabric and needle, that is always when he seems to want me.

Hope everyone has a great week

Stitching Slowly on Sam's Stocking

The top is almost done, if I can keep a certain 3 year old out of my floss, I would be laughing. So I'm off to the LNS to pick up the 3 colours that have magically vanished so I can finish up the letter blocks.

This week I'll be working on Sabrina, I've come to the conclusion that I will more then likely not get all of my 15 projects done by the end of the year, so I will be switching my rotation plan again.
I received this wonderful prize package last week in the mail from Cath over at http://stitchinchicken.blogspot.com/

I knew that I had won the floss and fabric but Cath kindly added other goodies to the package including a new pair of scissors (a girl can never have to many, a cute little notebook, and a yummy chocolate lamb. Thanks again Cath for making my day a little brighter.

I quick note of apology I'm so far behind in my blog reading and commenting. I'm sorry if I'm missing important things I'm trying to catch up.

Late as usual

I'm getting use to that, it doesn't look like a lot of progress on Fishing Buddies but seeing as I had to start over I can not complain. Hard to believe this is almost 4000 stitches, this is back in the basket and Monday I pulled out Sam's stocking to work on it. Check back later to see its progress.

Oh and I almost forgot we had a new moon and here is my TUSAL for the month, its growing but more from frogging then stitching.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week filled with many stitches.

A late Monday update

Before we get to the stitchy stuff. I've had a lot of comments about finding time to stitch and blog and being a new mom. Its all an optical illusion I'm afraid, to tell you the truth. My blogging happens during Sam's 3 AM feeding so forgive my spelling errors and typos, also forgive me if I do not always leave comments I have the best of intentions on coming back to post one. My stitching time usually happens after Sam's 5:30 feeding but unfortunately at 5 the frog happens to pay a few visits. Yesterday I had a grand total of 1 stitch put in by 10:30 at night. So like I said its all an illusion that I have it all together cause to tell you the truth my life is unraveling faster then unserged fabric.

Here is my progress on Christmas from last week.

I had hoped to be further along on this one, oh well back into the crazy basket for another project and this week its "Fishing Buddies" a dimension kit. I was so looking forward to working on this one, until I got it out and was looking at it. I just could not figure out what looked wrong about it then it hit me I had started stitching it in January the wrong way on the fabric, so instead of stitching tonight I have been ripping. Darn old frog, oh well more bits for the TUSAL jar.

I'll be back later in the week with some updated pics of Samuel for those that are interested.

Got to love the mail man

Warning picture heavy post. I've been blessed with awesome mail lately, you have to love blogging friends. Last week the mail man delivered a lovely parcel from Denise at riversidestitching, she was kind to send a baby gift for little Samuel.

and a picture of Sam wearing the sleeper.

I just love the little feet on the sleeper. Thank you Denise, your friendship means a lot to me.
Then I received the most amazing RAK from Chris at alwayssmiling here is a picture of what she sent.

I adore the sweater she knitted for Samuel, seems Sam was born on the same day as her son was.

I've always been afraid to try a needle roll so I was delighted to see this and will treasure it always.

She also included this cute little kit for making a card.

I did warn you that this was picture heavy, so if your still reading one last picture my feeble attempt at stitching for last week. Frosty and feathered friends has not grown very much.

Hopefully will have better luck with this weeks rotation, which was day 10 from the crazy challenge "Christmas" by Jardin Prive. I forgot just how little stitching time you have with a newborn.
Thank you everyone that stops by and leaves comments.

Thread Gathering

I was hoping this would have been a happy dance, but I spent so much time this past week getting of DD stuff ready for her trip. She will be landing in Toronto in another hour then a short 2 hour wait and she will be off for 8 days to Paris, France. I wish it was me but I'm so excited for her and she's bringing me French Stash so I'll be happy. So Thread Gathering gets put back into the basket until its next turn in the pecking order.

Mondays and Tuesdays are my Christmas Sampler and I'm happy to report that I have almost all the stitching done but I haven't picked out my beads yet. So this weeks rotation of the crazy 15 is "Feathered and Frosty Friends" it might be getting an early start unless I go out shopping tomorrow.

Another one off the list

This weeks crazy piece went very well. All that's left to do is to decide on finishing. If I frame it I will add the charms to it, at the moment I'm leaning towards making it into a throw pillow. So here is Charmed Water Garden by Hinzeit design. The dragonfly's wings show up better in person, still thinking about back stitching around them so they show up better.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, I'll be back on Wednesday with the Christmas Sampler.

Monday I think

WOW, forgot just how tiring being a new Mom can be, forget tired exhausted is more like the right word. I think I'm feeling my age. Well Sam is getting a schedule sort of figured out which means a little more stitchy time for me. My rotation piece for this last week was the Giraffe Family I pulled it out of its happy home in the crazy basket and stared at it. I love the design do not get me wrong about that but just couldn't get motivated to stitch on it. Then it came to me it was the fabric, I use to be an aida girl but not no more some things I still use it for and I'm trying to clean it out of my stash. So after much thought, well not really the started Giraffe Family from January 5th got tossed back into a plastic tote to be frogged at a later date. Which meant a trip to the LNS, so with a much happier feeling here is the Giraffe Family stitched on Linen where it deserves to be.

Well I'm sad to see this piece packed away again for awhile, its on to a new week. So I'll be back on Wed with an update this week on my Christmas SAL piece, then the rest of the week will be the "Charmed Water Garden"
Wishing everyone a wonderful start to their stitchy week.

Another one off the list

I actually finished this Friday morning but was just too darn tired to post it. So here is Snowflake Serenade all stitched up. All that's left is to think about how to finish it.

So seeing as I had 3 days left in my week before i switch back to the Christmas Sampler, I had a problem what to do to fill in the days. I just got my silks for Sabrina the other day and she was pouting, so I decided to free her from the basket for a couple of days.

I'll be working on the Christmas Sampler beginning of the week come back on Wednesday for a peek if you want to. Wishing everyone a safe and warm week.

A crazy January update

So last week I decided I needed to start a rotation to get these projects worked on instead of jumping around on them like a jumping bean. I will keep working on my Christmas SAL on Mondays and Tuesday but the rest of the week will be devoted to 1 of my crazy challenges. Last week I started at the beginning of the list with Inviting Holiday wreath, in case you forget here is what it looked like after the first day of stitching back on January 2nd. Not much to look at is it.

And after the weeks work:

Looking a lot better in my opinion, so off to stitch on my SAL piece before I go for another round of poke and prod with my favorite Doctor, and no still no baby news yet. I'll be back on Wednesday with an update on the Christmas piece or sooner if I can pry some info out of my Doctor.

Lazy Mondays

Don't I wish, I seem to be going around like a chicken with its head cut off. If I could stay focused on one task it might be OK but I seem to jumping around with my cleaning today. I'm hoping tomorrow the Dr will give me an exact date that he plans on inducing me, it will be a lot easier doing things without this beach ball in front of me.

I was hoping to post this as a happy dance and cross another off my list but it wasn't meant to be. So this is my progress on Day 4 of the January challenge :



All I have left is the snowman in the "Frosty the snowman" block then there is a block under that to do then the border. So maybe later this week you will see it finished unless another piece screams at to stitch on it. I really need to figure out some sort of rotation for the rest of my 15. Seeing this is Monday and I'm suppose to be working on my Christmas Sampler SAL on Mondays and Tuesdays, I'd better get some stitches in.

Join me on Wednesday, if you would like to see an update on the Christmas piece. Have a wonderful week everyone.

3 Down .....

12 more to go, this crazy January challenge might actually be a doable thing for me, I said might. I finished this up last night, now I just need to do some frame shopping. Excuse the wrinkled fabric, I actually pulled my iron this morning to make my pic look spiffy. My iron decided not to co operate so if I have time today I'll be shopping for a new iron as well, I've needed a new one for awhile. So the question day which of the 12 to work on next.

This was my day 6 start from the Crazy January Challenge, it is "Tribal Seahorse" from White Willow Stitching. Stitched on 18 count white Aida using DMC Color Variations 4240 Mid Summer Night



Hope everyone has a safe and warm weekend filled with many stitches.

Where Did January Go

Did I blink and miss it. I remember when I was younger when time seemed to almost stand still, a weekend would seem to last forever now it seems that time has a mind of its on and can not or will not be slowed down. Am I the only that feels like this, before we know it the year will be over. I should have posted this yesterday but was just too darn tired, this is my weekend's progress on Tribal Seahorse, it was my day 6 start for the January Crazy Challenge. There isn't a lot left to do but I figured I had better get back to my Christmas Sampler before Cat and Wendy come after me.


I'll be back tomorrow for my Wednesday day SAL update pic. See you then hopefully.

Happy Dance

I finished this on Friday but just got around to taking a pic and posting it. I just need to find a frame hopefully this week. Then I will give it to my Doctor as a thank you gift for taking care of me so well during this difficult pregnancy.



This is my second finish from the crazy 15 challenge, hopefully the other 13 go just as well. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

International Hermit and Stitch Day

Kim (http://kim-demeter83.blogspot.com/) and Joysze (http://joysze.blogspot.com) came up with the idea of International Hermit and Stitch Day, so I thought what the heck and threw in my stitching to join them. I figured with my due date being moved forward I'd better get my butt in gear on the baby feet sampler. So on Saturday morning this is where I started on baby feet.

By Saturday night I had the second foot almost done:

I decided to make it a weekend advent and DH took the kids out for breakfast then to swimming, so I got a lot stitched yesterday morning. Then everyone went to bed so I stayed up late stitching some more.


I'm very happy to put this piece down and work on something with some colour to it.

1 down and 14 to go

Yes you heard right finished one of my 15 from the crazy challenge, its a small finish but a finish is a finish right. Here is the completed Winter Greens from Little House Needleworks. This was stitched on 28 count fabric 1 over 1 with the recommended colours.


I have a couple more sampler ornaments that I want to stitch up then will decide how to finish them up after that. Now on to finish Thine Is The Trick And The Treat if all goes well will be back in the next day or 2 with that finish. Well guess I will visit with you tomorrow for my Wednesday Update on the "On Christmas Day Mystery Sampler"

Have a nice day and happy stitching.

Day 15 and the challenge is over

Actually guess it is just begining, the true challenge will be trying to get these 15 projects done by the end of the year. As I mentioned in an earlier piece my fabric that arrived for my last piece was the wrong fabric. I wasn't sure if I sure pick something else or wait for the right fabric to arrive, well I picked door number 3. I went to the local craft store and paid our outragous Canadian prices for fabric, still can not believe that it cost more the twice the price as ordering on line. So here is what I managed to get done last night on my day 15 pick.


After almost 200 stitches it still looks like a blob of brown, but one day it will turn into "Sabrina" by Nora Corbett a Mirabilla Design. I fell in love with this piece the moment I laid eyes on it but truely knew I had to own her once I saw Pumpkin's progress here pumpkinpatchandco.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-girl-wants-to-party.html
So now to draw straws to see which piece wins the fight to be stitched on first.

Day 14

And yes another long story. I knew as soon as I found out I was pregnant that I would be stitching another Christmas stocking after my last miscarriage I wasn't going to be stitching anything for this baby until I was close enough not to worry about anything. That hasn't stopped me from looking for ideas and looking at all the stocking patterns that I already owned. So when the crazy 15 challenge came up I knew that 1 of my picks was going to be a stocking, as several of my online friends can comment on I have become obsessed with stockings. At 1 point I had over 30 on my list to pick from, so I finally narrowed it down to the 5 I liked best then got DH opinion on the matter. His response "Your not doing one from the same series as the other kids have", so there went my 5 picks and I went back to my pile of old "Cross Stitch and Country Craft" magazines and pulled all of the stocking issues. We are pretty sure we are having another boy but still haven't picked a name yet. Seeing as they all start the same I thought I would just do the top border of the stocking, will put this away until after the baby is born and named. My progress on day 14's project.

I will be back tomorrow with my last start to share and seeing as it is already 10 PM here , I can promise it will just look like a brown blob.