Merry Christmas!!

Just popping in to wish you a very Merry Christmas from my goofy family to yours!!!!

It's been too long...

Hello all, it's been quite a while since my last post and soooo much has happened.  In a nutshell, new home, new town, new schools for the kids, new jobs, new friends, new adventures.  Everything in my world has been whirling along nicely. 
I haven't accomplished much stitching as of late, but I have been playing in my vast collection of yummy yarns.  Cool weather signals the knitting bug in me and the pic here shows Di modelling a few of my latest knitty finishes.  I've got a couple of scarves in the works and am going to try my hand at socks soon.  Since I am a leftie, the double pointed needles scare me.  I am motivated my all the gorgeaous knitty things that I have seen on my favorite blogs lately, and I am determined to advance my knitting skills.

On the home frint, I have tons of baking to get to before the holidays and between my two kids, there are five concerts to attend.  We have Christmas parties to attend and lots of new friends to make.  It's a mad, mad world and I love it! 
Even though I haven't been blogging myself, I've enjoyed following my fellow bloggers adventures.  Thanks for the inspiration!

Miss Mary Mac's French Red Pincushion

I just finished a new design!  This one is Miss Mary Mac's French Red Pincushion.  It's stitched on 40 count Confederate Gray Linen from Weeks Dye Works with Weeks Hand Dyed Threads.  I love the way it came out.  When I was pulling threads I had a very clear picture of what I wanted the design to feel like stitched, and I achieved my goal.  There are a few simple specialty stitches throughout the design, which look really nice on the 40 count linen.  I filled it with crushed walnut shells so it has that wonderful floppy feel and it will join my other long pincushions in their little display basket.  I listed the chart at my Etsy shop if you are interested in stitching it.  Smalls are addictive, not a lot of time spent and a really pretty result.  I do have a large sampler that I have been ignoring that I will have to get back to, but not until the school year is completed.  I hope that everyone is enjoying some Spring weather, after the ugliness of last week, some sunshine is welcome!  Take care and thanks for stopping by. 

Miss Mary Mac's Sew & Sew Sewing Roll

It's a rainy day here in TN, thunderstorms all night.  The echoing thunder kept me awake most of the night.  I love a good storm, as long as there are no tornado warnings.  It has gotten a little brighter outside, and I did manage to get pictures of the newest sewing roll and here it is.  Miss Mary Mac's Sew & Sew Sewing Roll, stitched on 40 ct. Examplar from Lakeside Linens with Crescent Colours, Weeks and DMC.  I have the pattern listed at my Etsy shop.
I tea dyed the backing fabric and I love how it changed the look of the fabric completely.  Now it's all I can do not to dump all of my bright bits of cotton prints into the tea bath to see how they come out. 
The Miss Mary Mac series is a group of prim designs that aren't too primitive.  You can certainly make your pieces more prim by giving them the coffee grounds treatment or a nice tea bath.  Or, as my son suggested, leave them on the driveway on a rainy day.  :)  Today would be just perfect.  Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your day!      

Miss Mary Mac's Sew & Sew Pincushion

I just finished something for Spring.  It has bunnies so my timing is pefect.  This is the second design in the Miss Mary Mac series, my prim without being too prim series.  It's called Miss Mary Mac's Sew & Sew Pincushion.  It's a long pincushion stitched on 40 count Examplar Linen with Cresecent Colours, Weeks and DMC floss.  There are lots of Cornflower blue Smyrna Stitches and some sweet lazy daisy stitches.  I am almost finished with the matching sewing roll, which I'll post as soon as it's ready.  I just listed the charts in my Etsy shop.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful afternoon! 

A new chart

 You may remember my bluebird ornament from the JCS 2008 ornie magazine.  Well, I have finally released it as a chart.  The chartpack contains two versions of the design, a patchwork bird, aptly named Patchwork Red Bird and the original Bluebird of Christmas Happiness.  I've listed them in my Etsy shop if you are interested or you can email me.  Have a great week!! 

And now for something completely different....

It's a very grey and stormy day here in TN, they are predicting hail and possible tornadoes for this evening so I thought that I would post my brightest finish of late.  She is a lovely mermaid designed by Sandra Silberzweig, a Canadian folk artist.  When Di and I were shopping in Chattanooga a few weeks ago, we found a really neat bookstore with lots of folk art paintings displayed.  I couldn't stop thinking about the bright colors and fun style.  Then, while doodling around on Ebay, I found a seller that sells printed canvases based on works by various artists.  I went a little stash crazy and ordered several.  Printed canvases are a little harder to stitch than those that are stitch painted, colors print on top of one another sometimes, muddying the shades, so you have to think a bit more about your color choices.  However, they are a great deal less expensive than stitch painted canvases and I don't mind the extra color work.  Here is the entire design, it's 9" by 12", stitched on 18 count canvas, using mainly Rainbow Gallery Manderin Floss (a super soft bamboo fiber) mixed in with a bit of Kreinik Braids and black Rainbow Gallery Petite Very Velvet.  Soooo different, but so much fun to stitch!     

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I spend a lot of time stitching while waiting for my kids at their various activities and this piece received so much attention from others while I was working on it.  The teen girls at dance classes loved it, even some of the fathers commented on it.  The kids at orchestra thought it was neat as well.  I've had several young girls ask me where I get the "stuff" to make the things that I make, and I've painted up a couple of easy canvases and kitted them up for two young stitchers.  We had a mini class and they are both about halfway finished with their first pieces.  I'll get pics and post them when they are finished.  I do receive the occassional "Why would you spend time doing that?" comment and I've learned it's best to just smile pleasantly and keep stitching.  Taking the time to explain my love of the process just makes their eyes glaze over.  :)

Bottom line, for me, stitching is fun!  and this piece is a perfect example of my idea of stitching fun.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your visits and your comments.  Enjoy your day and have some fun!