Introducing Moonstone Garden

Having to return to work after the snow days has drastically cut down on my stitching time! One of the topics on the cross stitch boards has been the idea of a Bucket List of projects. I started thinking about this, and the projects that would be on my list, but are not in my rotation, are the gorgeous mandala designs by Chatelaine (Martina Weber). To rectify that, I pulled out the mini mandala, Moonstone Garden, and have been stitching on it this week. I had some of the center done, but I have added much to it this week. I am using the called for threads, except I am substituting HDF silks for the DMC called for in the pattern.

I would be ashamed to admit how many Chatelaine projects that I have kitted up and languishing in a plastic tub - I now plan to work more on those projects.



Here also is the completed Part 8 of Graphic Sampler.




And, here is the completed Part 6 of the Seba Blackwork Mystery Project.

OK, back to Moonstone Garden!

Happy stitching everyone! Margaret

Valentine Heart and More Blackwork Mystery

I found this freebie, fell in love with it and had to stitch it up last night. The chart can be found at Le Gernier de Zoe, along with many other great freebies. I used a piece of scrap linen, and HDF BeFrogged and Enchantress silk floss. My photo doesn't capture the colors very well - again, the result of my lack of photo skills. I feel like an overachiever this year - two hearts for one holiday!



And here is my Seba Designs Blackwork Mystery Part 5. This is a fun project - each installment is small enough that I can complete it in a day, and I like the sense of accomplishment from completing each part.

It is a beautiful day today, but sadly, they are predicting more snow for Maryland tomorrow. This doesn't put me in the mood to do anything but sit by the fire ( oh, I might also be tempted to take a peek at the previews for the Nashville show) !

Happy Valentines Day, Margaret

German Group Mystery and Graphic Sampler Mystery

I am posting updates of two projects that I am stitching with the Marquoir Yahoo Group. the top photo is the Graphic Sampler, stitched through Part 7, courtesy of design Angela Czygann. I am stitching it in Brass Tacks 3455 and Plumage HDF premium silk on 32 ct. Maritime White Lakeside Linen. I wish the photo showed how beautiful the Plumage silk is - the blues, greens and turquoises are just gorgeous!

The second photo is the German Group Mystery, completed through part 8. This design is courtesy of Kelly Searles. I am stitching it in Crushed Berries, Kodiakerry, BeFrogged, and Old Maid of the Hive HDF premium silk on 32 ct. Maritime White Lakeside Linen. This piece is also fabulous! I made some changes to this part - it was designed without the letter "O", and missing letters drive me crazy unless it is a reproduction sampler, so I fiddled with the letters to fit it in. I did not unstitch any letters; but inserted the "O" and modified the "P-Q" so they would fit.

I went to work yesterday, but ended up working at a satellite location; but are still semi-house bound - many roads have only one lane open and the parking lots have huge snowpiles, so I will just stay home and feed the pellet stove. I am relieved that my outside cat has reappeared - the cat is wild, so I can't bring it in to the basement or anything. I put food outside for it - the crows and the foxes also indulge. I enjoy watching them.

I need to go and do some relaxing before my son's hockey game late this afternoon. I will need my energy to cheer the team on!!!!!

Happy stitching! Margaret

Valentine 2010

Hi, this is the heart I stitched for Valentines 2010. This is a freebie from Aury. It stitched it with HDF regular - Zumaque, BeFrogged, and a D-Bag pink on Vikki's 35 ct. ecru linen. I love the design - but I think the pink is too pale; and my tension is too tight for this soft, loosely woven linen. Maybe I'm too critical of my own work. My long term plan is to collect a bunch of hearts to decorate my Norfolk Island pine for Valentine's day.

We had more snow yesterday - they cancelled the Winter Storm warning in favor of a Blizzard Warning. In Baltimore, only emergency vehicles were allowed on the streets; and in Montgomery County, the road crews had to stop clearing the snow because it was too dangerous. We are out of work for the fourth day. Now, I love to stay home and just putter (DH doesn't understand this); but I have been home since last Friday, and I am ready to get out and go somewhere! The concept of eating at a restaurant is immensely appealing.

Well, it's time to feed the pellet stove, pour a cup of coffee, and settle into my stitching chair!

Happy stitching, Margaret

More Blackwork Mystery progress

Here is the completed Part 4 of Seba Design's Blackwork mystery. I stitched this last night during the Superbowl. I am a Saints fan (from way back when they were the "Aints"), so I was thrilled that they won. However, you can see some tight stitches that I put in while I was stressed when Peyton Manning was on the field! I was in school when Archie Manning was QB at the "other" university, so I have casually followed the careers of the three Manning sons in recent years. Peyton Manning is an amazing quarterback! However, the Saints figured out how to thwart the Colts in the second half - what a great game. Thank goodness the game and the halftime show were good, because I thought the commercials were TERRIBLE! I think I will give up Doritos and Budweiser products! What can Anheuser-Busch be thinking, when they have those adorable Clydesdales - and they only show them in one brief commercial????

Oh, how I would love to be in New Orleans this week - it is extra appealing when we have two feet of snow here in Maryland.

DH and DS ventured out today for groceries - however, they are having trouble finding a road leading to a grocery store that is passable. And they're predicting 5" more tomorrow. Think we'll get another snow day?

Happy stitching! Margaret

Enough snow already!!!

We have had tons of snow (literally); and I have had plenty of time to stitch (how often do you get to say that?) Here is a fuzzy picture of a completed needlebook and scissor fob that coordinate with my Roberta scissors. The pattern is from Cross Stitch Happy. I started this project a long time ago. I pulled it out yesterday, and finished stitching and assembled it. The final product doesn't pass a close inspection; but I plan to actually use it. Sometime in the future, as my finishing improves, I will be able to look back at these smalls and see how far I've come (I'm ever the optimist)

And now, for some blizzard 2010 pictures:





I seldom show pictures other than stitching, but today I am including a few snow pictures. The top one is taken from my family room - yesterday we couldn't get out on the main floor, so DH and DS cleared a spot outside the basement doors for an improvised Labrador potty. They also cleared a "lounge area' for themselves! The poor old dog is so old, they had to carry him down the basement steps so he could go out. The second picture shows the new and improved dog place - late yesterday afternoon, they cleared an area outside the garage - no more hauling the dog up and down the steps.

The third picture shows the front of the house. We estimate that we received 2+ feet of snow - I am from the south, and I have never seen so much snow in my life. I read a book this winter entitled Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton - think it was an omen of things to come????- BTW, it was an entertaining book - light reading, a nice read for Christmas break!

Oh, and before I forget - tonight I will be cheering on the Saints; but no Superbowl parties here - no one can travel!

Well, that's all for now. Happy stitching, everyone! Margaret

February Ornament

Hi! We are having a big snow storm, well, they're predicting a blizzard actually in central Maryland. In anticipation of the snow, almost all activities for the weekend have been cancelled. Being chicken about being out in the snow, I took the day off from work and stayed home today, and stitched my February ornament. Well, I started it yesterday, and finish-finished it today.

This is the Holly Ornament by the Sweetheart Tree from the 2009 JCS Ornament magazine. My friend Carol so kindly included the ruby cabochon heart in the Christmas box of goodies she sent me - that I just had to stitch this ornament. (Thanks again, Carol). I used a mix of threads and beads for this one. This is my first flat fold ornament, and it doesn't hold up to close scrutiny. I'm hoping the next one will be better, and not take quite as long.

Well, I'm back to watching the snow fall. It is just now turning cold enough for the snow to stick - I'm looking forward to waking to a winter wonderland tomorrow!

Happy stitching all, Margaret

More snow; and Blackwork Mystery Part 3

I am still working on the Blackwork Mystery by Seba Designs. This is the completed Part 3. I love the purples, blues and greens in the silk thread. They are my favorite colors.

Last week I also started Ann Taylor, a sampler by Heartstring Primitives. There's not much to show, I am just working on the border outline - just to make sure everything lines up before I get too many stitches into the project.

I am also stitching on some projects with a German Marquior group - however, I am not sure whether it's okay to post pictures of the projects. So for now, I will hold off on posting photos.

We are having a snow day today in Maryland. School is closed for DS, and I am working from home for a few hours, and then just relaxing the rest of the day. No complaints from me!

This afternoon, I plan to begin my February Christmas ornament - I joined the ornament a month challenge, and am determined to succeed this year, after failing miserably last year!

Happy stitching everyone, Margaret