I Won!

Just read Bonnie's blog and discovered I've won her giveaway! I'm thrilled - she's going to make me a beaded scissor fob and I'm really looking forward to seeing it. The ones she has made before are gorgeous. I'm also very surprised - I don't win draws as a rule. Thanks Bonnie!

Hanging Head in Shame

It's the last day of the month and I should be posting a picture to show the progress on my Oldest UFO for the SAL, but . . . . . .  there isn't any! Another month has gone by and I haven't touched it. Once more, maybe, hopefully, next month will be better. SIGH!!!!

Spoiled

Had to open Sisters Saturday morning, but not until 7:30 instead of 6 which is nice. Had a fair amount of paperwork to get through as it's end of month but then I got to visit with the members who dropped in and get some stitches in Gladiolus.

And then I got taken to lunch at Cow Bay Cafe, which is probably my favourite place to eat here in Rupert. The food was incredible and brightened my whole day.

And the weekend started perfectly with craft night Friday. Cynthia was crocheting a gorgeous baby afghan in white, yellow, peach and green and I started Gladiolus. We went through 2 pots of tea, so it must have been a good night.

Made It!

Well, I got through all the blogs. What an incredible range of patterns, colours and finishing techniques. I'm blown away and inspired at the same time.

Only a bit of stitching done - ancestry.ca kept calling. But that will be ignored for a while - I've run into a problem and am not sure how to sort it out as I'm back in the 1730's and don't have a lot of places to check for additional info. There seems to be an extra generation and I don't quite see how it fits. Oh well, I'll let it stew in my subconscious and maybe I'll get a blinding flash of insight. LOL

In the meantime, on to the EMS Gladiolus!

Well, I had lunch, got home and went back to blog reading. I'm a little over half way now and must stop. My wrist is saying enough and I need a quick nap. Getting up at 4 a.m. is very hard on this old lady! LOL

So Many Blogs!

I opened Sisters this morning and after I had finished all my work (and there was a lot of it today) I started checking out the blogs of everyone else who had "hermitted" this weekend - 122 of us. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the list but I need to stop for a bit. I'm determined this month to visit all of them - there are some gorgeous projects out there. Like I need to be enabled some more!!

Fabric is ready and floss gathered for me to start work on the EMS Gladiolus. Since it should be craft night tonight, hopefully I will get well started and not have to worry too much about the deadline. Once it's done I will start on my special project(s) for Annabelle alternating with my Oldest UFO. I am in a SAL after all!

Got no stitching done at all yesterday - got lost on ancestry.ca filling in all sorts of tidbits of information off the last set of documents Iris sent. As a result, I have a WHOLE bunch of new leaves to check out. It really is fascinating - and confusing at times! LOL

IHSW Over For April

Well, IHSW is over for another month and I did not get in as much stitching time as I had hoped. I did finish Winnie the Pooh. He's a free kit from the British magazine World of Cross Stitching, May 2001, Issue 45, stitched on 14 count Aida.

And I got a little done on the sidebar of CS #10. Hardly enough to show off, but it was just one of those weekends. Hopefully May IHSW will be better. And not to mention all the stitching days in between!



So, I started with Winnie the Pooh since it was so close to being done. And I just have the back stitching now.

And I may start a new one - all my floss arrived on Friday, so there is no reason not too! It's my last project with a deadline - an Ellenn Maurer-Stroh design "Gladiolus" from the Flower of the Month series. It's a freebie, so check out the whole year here. This one is for another love quilt.

Jenny Kissed Me

Jenny kissed me when we met,
Jumping from the chair she sat in.
Time, you thief, who love to get
Sweets into your list, put that in.
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad;
Say that health and wealth have missed me;
Say I'm growing old, but add --
Jenny kissed me!

Leigh Hunt
1784 - 1859

It's IHSW!

Well, it's the start of Hermit and Stitch Weekend and I'm still not certain what I'm goint to work on. So, here are my options.

This is where Square #10 of my Patchwork Sampler belongs. I just finished Square #9 yesterday and am looking forward to the last 3 squares.

This is my Oldest UFO. This is where I was as of 29 February 2012 and it hasn't been stitched on since as I was working on projects with deadlines plus wrecking my wrist for a week at the end of March.

And here is my Winnie the Pooh small stitch from World of Cross Stitching magazine.

Do I concentrate on 1? Do I work on all 3? I"m not sure at the moment, but whatever I do I'm hoping to post "after" pictures on Monday - or Tuesday at the latest.

Yeah!

Did it! Square #9 is done! Feels good.



That leaves 3 more squares to finish the whole Patchwork Sampler. Considering I started it in 2008, maybe just maybe I can get it finished this year.

Worked on Sisters books this morning. Entered some sales receipts, paid some bills, reconciled with the bank statement and prepared our HST payment. The reconciliation went without a hitch, which is always nice. They're not always so smooth!

Got to work on my Patchwork Sampler yesterday afternoon and got a nice lot of back stitching done. If I get a few more hours today, should be able to finish Square #9. That would feel so good.

Got some more family history from my aunt Iris, so I will have to get back to my tree and fill in what is new. It's all fascinating.

Abou Ben Adhem

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An Angel writing in a book of gold:

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?" The Vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the Angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."

The Angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And, lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest!

Leigh Hunt
1784 - 1859

IHSW

And it's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend coming up! I'm SO looking forward to it. Last month I got some serious stitching done on Katherine's grad picture, this month hopefully my EMS flower if my floss arrives. If not, I have my Oldest UFO, my Patchwork Sampler or my little World of Cross Stitch kit. Or I could start something new! Decisions, decisions.

Stash!

I opened Sisters yesterday as Michelle had an appointment in Terrace, so I have today and tomorrow off. Once I got all my work done, I did some stitching on a small free kit from the British magazine World of Cross Stitch. They are so easy to carry around - little piece of fabric and usually no more than 10 colours if that many. I have one last piece with a deadline (May 31st), but I'm waiting for some floss to arrive before I can start it. Bad planning on my part - I was SO sure I had all the colours. I also want to work a bit on my Patchwork Sampler - I'm sooo close to finishing another square.

Got my SEP (Stash Enhancement Program) parcel from Traditional Stitches yesterday - a small Jeanette Douglas kit (Sweet Tulips) with fabric and floss, some silk ribbon and silk floss and a couple of free charts. As well, Janice added some extra charts I had ordered - Cherries Jubilee, Plum Pudding and Grasshopper Pie from Glendon Place - and the charts are as luscious as the desserts they are supposed to represent. And finally an Eva Rosenstand bellpull kit called Native Costume. It has the flag of Norway at the top and then 8 couples wearing the costumes of different regions of Norway. I plan on making it for my craft partner Cynthia who is very proud of her Norwegian heritage. The design is about 6.25" by 49.25" but there are only 39 colours, so hopefully I can stitch it in good time - either for Christmas or her next birthday. The only difficulty I can see is that the instructions are in 10 languages and finding the English is a bit tricky.

I also got my fabric parcel from Silkweaver - ones I had ordered from their weekly "auction" on their Facebook page. Such gorgeous colours with all the edges neatly stitched.

The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna

Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note,
As his corse to the rampart we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot
O'er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night,
The sods with our bayonets burning,
By the struggling moonbeam's misty light
And the lanthorn dimly burning.

No useless coffin enclosed his breast,
Not in sheet or in shroud we wound him;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest
With his martial cloak around him.

Few and short were the prayers we said,
And we spoke not a word of sorrow;
But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead,
And we bitterly thought of the morrow.

We thought, as we hollow'd his narrow bed
And smooth'd down his lonely pillow,
That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head,
And we far away on the billow!

Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone,
And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him --
But little he'll reck, if they let him sleep on
In the grave where a Briton has laid him.

But half of our heavy task was done
When the clock struck the hour for retiring;
And we heard the distant and random gun
That the foe was sullenly firing.

Slowley and sadly we laid him down,
From the field of his fame fresh and gory;
We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone,
But we left him alone with his glory.

Charles Wolfe
1791 - 1823

Well, things did not go quite as planned yesterday, but almost. We didn't make it to the jazz quartet, but I did get to Cynthia's. We found the fabric and trim for the pillows - in HER stash of course. Supper was fantastic - how do you beat homemade soup with homemade biscuits? And then we had a crafting evening. Or at least I did - she spent most of her time do back-ups on the computer as it's having problems. She did manage a bit of crocheting though.

Got a fun day planned if everything goes right. Cynthia should be over early this afternoon and we'll look through all my fabric to see if we can find the backing to make the 2 grad pieces into pillows. If there is nothing appropriate here, she'll go through her stash. And believe me, her sewing stash makes my stitching stash look like I'm a rank beginner.

Then we're going to go and listen to a jazz quartet down at the Performing Arts Centre, back to her place for a homemade pea soup supper and a craft night. Now how does life get any better? Fingers crossed that nothing screws us up!

And back to the poems. I've been very slack lately!

To Night

Swiftly walk o'er the western wave,
Spirit of Night!
Out of the misty eastern cave,
Where, all the long and lone daylight,
Thou wovest dreams of joy and fear,
Which make thee terrible and dear, --
Swift by thy flight!

Wrap thy form in a mantle gray,
Star-inwrought!
Blind with thine hair the eyes of Day;
Kiss her until she be wearied out,
Then wander o'er city, and sea, and land,
Touching all with thine opiate wand --
Come, long-sought!

When I arose and saw the dawn,
I sighed for thee;
When light rode high, and the dew was gone,
And noon lay heavy on flower and tree,
And the weary Day turned to his rest,
Lingering like an unloved guest,
I sighed for thee.

Thy brother Death came, and cried,
Wouldst thou me?
Thy sweet child Sleep, the filmy-eyed,
Murmured like a noontide bee,
Shall I nestle near thy side?
Wouldst thou me? -- And I replied,
No, not thee!

Death will come when thou art dead,
Soon, too soon --
Sleep will come when thou art fled;
Of neither would I ask the boon
I ask of thee, beloved Night --
Swift be thine approaching flight,
Come soon, soon!

Percy Bysshe Shelley
1792 - 1822

Another Deadline Met!

And here is the second grad piece. This one is done on 14 count lambswool Aida with a few colour changes so that it's different from Katherine's. On to the finishing process!

8 April 2012

Mostly a putter about day. Was on the computer, did some stitching, tidied, worked on some crossword puzzles. Then Brian came and picked me up and we headed over to their place for supper. How I managed to find a craft partner who is also an incredible cook I don't know, but Cynthia is truly that. Had a most scrumptuous liver, bacon and onion dinner. I know, not a usual Easter dinner but I savoured every mouthful of that cut-with-a-fork tender meat.

Then we got down to some serious crafting - I stitched of course and Cynthia worked on more dish cloths as she has depleted her stock by sending some off in Easter parcels. And I got an Easter basket!!! I haven't received one of those in at least 15 years, maybe more. Such fun! Some sugar free chocolates, a little stuffed puppy, some oat crackers and 2 silly little ducks that are meant to "hug" planters. I'm going to put one on my cactus and one on my basket garden. It felt so good to know she thought of me. Didn't leave until after 11 - such a lovely evening.

Weather is still gloriously sunny and has warmed up some. I hope this lasts for a while longer.

The cats were not impressed with me leaving them alone again, but all was forgiven by the time I got into bed. They were not about to give up their warm, soft snuggle spots just so they could ignore me.

Did my income tax return this morning. It's always such a relief to get it finished and I don't know why I don't do it earlier. Somehow I always seem to be working on it Easter weekend. I should get a bit of a refund, so that is always good.

It's another glorious sunny day - 3rd in a row. Not particularly warm, but who cares. It's just so beautiful.

No Cynthia for crafting last night, so I have to assume, at this point, that she will be showing up tonight. I'll be stitching no matter what, but it's always more fun when she is here.

5 April 2012

I thought I would show a picture of the finished quilt. According to the ladies who delivered it, pictures just don't do it justice. The block with the writing says "Our family is like a patchwork quilt, with kindness gently sewn. Each piece is an original, with beauty of its own".



I had a wonderful day. I borrowed Denise's vehicle and went to Terrace. The weather was so fantastic - glorious sunshine for the drive there, the whole day in Terrace and the drive home. I actually took my jacket off and left it in the car. Shopped for myself and a couple of friends - Canadian Tire, Super Store, Walmart, Fabricland and had a scrumptuous lunch at Mr. Mike's. Even spent some time just sitting by the Skeena watching the river flow and enjoying the contrast of the blue water and the white snow that is still on the banks. The one thing I forgot to take with me was my camera and I missed some really lovely shots. Coming home took a little longer than planned as there were two road construction sites and between them both I was stopped for more than an hour. Not really such a hardship in the sun. People got out, stretched their legs and we visited up and down the row of vehicles. Sunshine just puts people in a good mood. However, it did mean that I got home much later than planned and that hooped craft night, so we're going to try again either Friday or Saturday night, depending on Cynthia's schedule.

The cats were NOT happy with me. That made 4 days in a row I had gotten up fairly early and left them alone all day. Us humans are just so hard to train!

Stitching Again!

I have been doing some stitching the last couple of days and it feels so good. I use a wrist brace and don't go for too long, but some nice progress is being made on my second grad piece. I'm surprised I'm enjoying restitching the same chart, but I am.

The quilt for Gail was delivered yesterday and she loves it. It's such a relief to have it safely in her hands.