Oldest UFO SAL Update

And it's another "nothing" report. If I'm not careful, it's going to become a UFO again!

On the positive side, I'm about halfway through Square #12. I'm really hoping this weekend will see the end of it and therefore a happy dance for Patchwork Sampler. I would cross my fingers, but then I can't stitch!

Not a Happy Day

Just found out this morning that a friend lost her husband yesterday after a valiant, 6 month struggle with pancreatitis - Mark was only 49! So, so young.

I got introduced to Jane through an on-line cross stitch group we both belong to and then I met her in person when I went to her home in Squamish for a stitching day. It was a Saturday near the end of a business trip and what a wonderful, re-energizing sort of day. Don't remember a lot of stitching being done, but I do remember a lot of laughter and I got to meet her family and one of her friends. And now she's alone to finish raising their two sons who are about 10 and 12. She has two older children as well who are  in their late teens/early 20s I believe. Jane is a strong woman, but you can only handle so much. My heart aches for her.

Another Square Finished

So here is #11.

Finished it late yesterday morning and did a little happy dance. One more to go!

I've Been Blog Hopping

Well, I've been to all the blogs and am blown away another month. So many terrific projects and such beautiful stitching and more things added my "I'd like to stitch that" list. At this point, I'll have to live to be at least 350 to do it all - and 250 would be just for the stash I already have. Or more correctly, SABLE.

For some reason, 104 blogs didn't seem like so many - maybe I'm just getting faster! I'm going to revisit the ones that had no updates on Saturday and hopefully there will be something new.

IHSW - Progress, But No Goal

Well, I didn't get it finished, but I made good progress. Here's where I am now. And I've been asked about the designer of Patchwork Sampler. She's a young Canadian designer named Catia Diaz. Check out her website.

Didn't get in quite as much stitching time as I had hoped on Saturday, but it was a good IHSW. Can't wait to start reading blogs and seeing how everyone else did.

Saturday I was at my Cancer Support Group and what a fabulous time! It is a group of the most incredible women - survivors, working on being survivors and being treated - and we REALLY enjoy getting together every month. We didn't break up until a little after 2 p.m. (we start at noon as it's a lunch get together) and that was reluctantly but people did have other plans.

And So It Begins!

IHSW begins today and here is where I am with Square #11 of my patchwork sampler.

And my goal is to finish this square and maybe even start #12 - the last one. We'll see where I'm at Monday morning.

It's Done!

Finished Square #10 this morning! Happy dancing!

I want to get #11 started this afternoon and see how far I can get by Friday evening and the start of IHSW. There are just the 2 squares left and I really, really want to see this project finished so I can enjoy it properly. I'm SO close.

It's Coming!

June 15 -17!!!!!

Another weekend to curl up and stitch to your heart's content! WOOO HOOO!! My focus is going to be on my Patchwork Sampler. I should have Square 10 done by Friday (I only have about 1/3 of the back stitching left) and hopefully Square 11 started. Goal - have Square 11 finished by end of weekend. Reasonable I think, as I only have one thing that I HAVE to do that requires leaving home. Other than that, the weekend is mine!

And if you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about, go to Joyce's blog, click on IHSW and see what's happening.

I will publish a before picture on Friday afternoon and an after on Monday morning - I hope. LOL

Been Spoiled

On Thursday, Denise took Bev and me out for a belated birthday supper (Bev May 31, me May 16) and we went to Cow Bay Cafe, which is my favourite restaurant here. The meal was incredible as usual - I had the duck breast with port and raspberry sauce - and then we each ordered a different desert and shared. The company was as good as the food and it was just a super, super evening.

And yesterday my June SEP (Stash Enhancement Program) envelope arrived from Traditional Stitches and in it was a kit to make something called a fandangle. The kit I got was the blue one and I've just ordered the green, purple and turquoise. I just love finding out what Janice has included for each month's goodies because you never know ahead of time.

This weekend is Seafest and it's always fun. I'm going to miss the parade - it's at 11:30 a.m. and I'm at Sisters until 1 p.m., but after I'll wander around downtown and hit the street food vendors and then go down to the waterfront activities. I'm annoyed though - I forgot to bring my camera with me.

Another Small

Another of the free kits on World of Cross Stitching, this one from the Christmas Issue, 2001.

I have a lot of time on my hands at Sisters these days - our membership has dropped considerably and most of the women who are coming in have been around for several years and don't need all that much help. It's great from a stitching point of view, not good from the business point of view!

There's some sunshine coming through the window which is great - natural light for my stitching this afternoon.

Not Quite As Planned

Well, yesterday didn't quite go as planned. First, I slept in! That may not sound like much, but I am a terrible sleeper these days and with cats who think 6 a.m. is breakfast time, it's a rare occurance. And I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Then I had to tackle the laundry which I had lazily been ignoring for 2 weeks. 5 good sized loads later, drawers and closet are full again. And today I stripped the bed and washed both the mattress cover and the quilt. The cats are totally UNIMPRESSED - they don't know why I still haven't learned that the bed is their domain and is not to be disturbed no matter what.

Then there was computer stuff that had to be finished and with one thing and another, no stitching. BUT, there was stitching on Saturday. I got about 1/3 of the stitching on Square 10 done and I should get in at least a couple of hours today. Some days I need to be triplets - one to stitch, one to do housework and one to do the computer work.

Bah Humbug!

I am so tired of this wretched weather! Yesterday it was cold - okay, very chilly - and raining and today it's very chilly but not raining and it's supposed to be June - hot soup should not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're thinking of supper!! Isn't this the month summer comes? I'm still using my electric blanket at night and the cats are very careful to choose sleeping places that are either above the baseboard heaters or very close to them. We had a couple of sunshine days in May, but they weren't warm, just bright. So I repeat BAH HUMBUG!

Okay, enough of that. I'm about to go have lunch and then I've planned a stitchy afternoon. Square 10 on my Patchwork Sampler will be the focus but I may stitch a little on my current small project as I'm almost ready to back stitch. That should make me feel much better.