Home safe and sound

After 5 very long days on the road we are home, sweet home. The best part of being home was the hugs from our kids and grandkids. They were worth every single mile.

When I got home there were a couple of lovely things waiting for me. My BFF Beatrice I saw right away and she gave me this wonderful project bag that she made. Don't you love the fabric.

She also gifted me with this lighthouse chart of Point Loma from her trip to San Diego. She knows me well (smile).

I worked away on my Fairies in the Garden in the car and in the days since. I have all the top half stitched and have started on the backstitching. I want to do the back stitch on the top part before I get to the bottom or I will be doing that part of  a veeerrrryyyy long time.

Yesterday, I stitched on Snowflake Serenade for my stitchalong with Cheryl. I did not have to rip out any stitches. That is a miracle. Believe me, with this piece, it hasn't happened too often for me!

Remember my Jardin Prive SAL and the missing 931. Well, when I got home I went right to my threads here and would you believe no 931 there either! I had a couple of very partial skeins but nothing that I would consider using for such a large piece. I am sure it is a conspiracy!! Oh well, it will have to be put aside until I can resolve this issue.  ( I have received an email that some 931 is on it's way from Las Vegas!)

I have had several requests for information on that piece. It is called Sampler des Bouquets and comes in Part 1, 2 and 3 and can be purchased as a pdf. from www.jardineprive.com . Go ahead - order it and SAL along with me!!!

I bought myself a cover for my Kindle just before I left Arizona and well, I bought the wrong one.
It is too big for my Kindle. Perhaps it will fit yours. If you are interested in this cover (it is purple leather) and it will fit I would be happy to send it off to you at no charge.  Just let me know.

That's it for this week one and all. Our youngest grandson is here for the week and we are enjoying the snuggles and cuddles he dishes out.
Until next time I hope you can be cuddled by someone you love too - be it human or animal!!!

Yesterday, I slipped and fell -------

Last week, I packed and packed and packed. And then, I wondered - how did I accumulate all this stuff and how is it going to fit into the van. Well, it all fit but we are loaded almost to the roof. And isn't DH happy about that! NOT!
In the little amount of time I found, I worked on and finished Andie's Mirabilia RR. I chose Winter Queen. I think she fits the theme well.

Here is her RR to date.

I finally managed to make a little progress on Snowflake Serenade. Here it is after working on it today in the car.

Yesterday, I slipped and fell into a new start. I really tried hard to resist this one but ------ I was not too successful. Just what I need -  another new start. But then, I realized I finished Royal Holiday, my Santa Stocking and my Lighthouse RR so far this year. And I have that lovely new project bag that Annette gave me.

And so here is my meager progress on this one.

I really enjoyed it but have a small snag. I don't have any 931 and both Michaels and Joann's didn't have any either. I will have to wait till I get to Canada to see if it is in those threads. If not the call will go out to my local stitchers looking for that color.

I'm off to check some emails and curl up on the bed in front of the TV in Effingham, Illinois. Tomorrow - Toledo, Ohio and then home on Wednesday.

Then to find a place to put all the things that are in those boxes. 

Until next time, keep on stitching.

I WON!!!!

Remember her!  Well, look at her now all decked out in her new ribbons.

 I entered "Royal Holiday" in the Yuma County Fair and won! 

The top ribbon, the Grand Champion Rosette and the Cash Award!!

It has been a busy week for me. I finished the second "I Spy" quilt top. You can see a picture in the previous post. They are basically the same.

Last Monday was my SAL day with Cheryl. Here's what I accomplished - before I start again today. The frogs stayed away and so I was finally able to enjoy stitching on this one.

I am also working on Andie's Mirabilia RR. Can you guess who I am stitching? There is no prize for guessing right.

And in the mailbox this week, this wonderful gift from Annette - project bags from The Attic in Mesa. It took me two seconds to fill the larger bag.

I don't know if I will be able to update my blog next week. I am presently packing up my house in Arizona and heading back to Canada on Sunday. I will have my stitching in the car.

My husband laughs at me. I treat the front seat of the car like my living room. I have my books, my snacks, my needlework and my Kindle all around me. The miles fly by as I work away on whatever catches my fancy.
It takes us four 10 hour days to get home.

Until the next time, keep those needles flying and don't forget to smile every once in a while. It's good for the soul.

TUSAL, I Spy and other stitches

First of all, thank you so much to everyone for your wonderful compliments on the lighthouses. I really appreciated each and all. I smiled all week.

Today is TUSAL and here is my martini glass with a few less but just as inebriated threads.

Most are from the Lighthouse RR, several are from Snowflake Serenade ( also known as The Rip and reStitch piece) some from the latest Mirabilia RR and some from my "UFO to finish" project - Fairies at the bottom of the Garden.
Here is my larger ort container.

This is 3 months worth of stitches. I will add what few I accumulate in the next two weeks and then will start a new container. We are heading back to Canada on April 17th and so for the next 6 months I will accumulate my threads there. Let's hope that along with the threads I leave the blasted frogs behind.
My pathetic attempt at Snowflake Serenade is below.

I stitched the entire bottom section - lovely branches and needles only to be out 1/2 stitch. So most of my time was spent ripping and restitching. I don't know what it is with this piece. I think it may be the fabric. I just cannot seem to count down without missing either 1/2 or a full stitch. Hopefully, next week will be better.
 Now that the lighthouses are complete I have picked up my next focus piece.

This is poor, neglected "Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden". I will work on this one until it is finished.

Before:

After:

Umm, I did not stitch that much in the past week. There must be another before photo somewhere. I did finish the top left leaf, add the fairy and butterfly, yellow flowers and join the two sides together.
My plan is to work on Snowflake on Mondays, the latest Mirabilia RR on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Fairies the rest of the week until it is done.

And when I got tired of stitching, I quilted. Here is the quilt top for one of my grandsons.

This is called "I Spy with a Twist". It was great fun to put together. Now to make a second one for my other grandson.

Until next time, keep those stitches crossed and orts drunk in a martini glass ROFL.