KO'd by the Flu!

I have just spent the past four days either sleeping in the recliner (during the days) or in the bed (at night). I had so little energy that I didn't even feel like thinking about stitching, which will give other stitchers a good idea of how sick I was. I feel more like myself this morning, but I just keep looking around at all the cleaning up that needs to be done and getting tired again! My sweet husband, Bob, took care of all the stuff that had to get done this past weekend, but there is still a lot to do. So it will probably be another couple of days before I pick up my needle again. :(

On the positive side, I've recently won some goodies, which has helped me keep my stash buying to a minimum. First was Cherries Jubilee, by Glendon Place, which I won in a bingo game at The Stitcher's Village:

Then, CherryWood Design Studio was having a giveaway on Facebook, and I said that I would love to stitch their chart "Moo" and make it into a scissor fob, because that design always makes me smile when I see it. So, they sent me "Moo", and, an added bonus "Merry", which I plan to make into an ornament:

As part of the Online Needlework Show, Ship's Manor also had a giveaway on FB, and from Erik's designs I chose "Dance of the Butterflies", which I should be getting this week:

Now I just have to make myself get some housework done, and then finally get some time to work on some of these beauties!

Pincushion Fairy Got Some Love!

Most of my stitching time has been spent on Karen's model (which is pretty big and intricate), but I took a small break to work on Nora Corbett's Pincushion Fairy. This poor little fairy was started almost two years ago, and has been languishing in the Bucket o'WIPs ever since. Here is where she had been when I picked her back up:

And here she is after a few hours of love:

She's such a little cutie! I have all of Nora's Stitching Fairy patterns, and someday they will make an awesome collage on the wall of my craft room. So far, Floss Fairy is up there all by herself; so lonely! ;)

But for now, it's back to the big one. Hope everyone has an awesome stitchy week!

This post is for Valentina, and all the other cat lovers out there!

Valentina recently left a comment on one of my posts, asking for more pics of my cats. Of course, as any proud fur-mommy would do, I am happy to share more pics; the only problem is choosing which ones! I have hundreds of pics on my computer, so I'll just throw some out that I love the best. :)

The first one is the only picture of all four of my "original" cats (those I had before my mom "gave" me three more); this is as close as they ever get to each other. Clockwise from top left they are Maxie, Tailor, Gracie and Callie (who has the cutest brown spots on her little pink paw pads!):

This is Maxie, hanging out in her favorite spot on a sunny day:

Here is Tailor, taking over the dog's bed and toys:

Gracie, who likes to lay in the sink after dishes have been done, as it stays warm for a while:

Callie is my youngest, so she's usually pretty active, but she really knows how to sleep when she's ready! (Those are Maxie's ears behind Callie):

The three cats that my mom left with me when she moved into her apartment are named Mei-Ling, Keishu and Sabrina. Mom actually only got Sabrina about two weeks before she (my mom) ended up in the hospital, so Sabrina has been my cat for longer than she was my mom's. She is almost 13 years old, and the woman who owned her was getting rid of her because her boyfriend was "allergic"; she would have had no chance at a shelter! She is the only long-haired cat that I've had:

Here she is with me, just so you can get an idea of her size:

And here are Keishu and Mei-Ling, in a pic taken when they still lived with my mom:

Wow, I have a LOT of critter pics to choose from! This has been a nice introduction, though, so I'll stop for now. I'm definitely going to have to post some more in the future! But for now, my fur-babies and I will say "Goodbye, and happy stitching!"

Halloween Rules Update

Just thought I woud share a pic of my HR, completely up-to-date. Three more panels, a bit of border and it will be done!

I've also edited my April 4 post about my Liebster Award, and added three new blogs that I gave the award to; please check them out!

Hope everyone is having a great stitchy weekend!

Fun at stitch group!

Yesterday, my husband was working from home, so even though our son is home for spring break, I was able to head up to The Stitching Bee in Green Bay for some stitcher-bonding time. The shop is about a 60-mile round trip, so I don't visit as often as I might if it were closer, but I really enjoy it when I do go. Kendra, the owner, hosts a stitching retreat in Door County towards the end of October, and I'm hoping to be able to make it this year; I went a couple of years ago, and it was just so much fun!

I took my L*K Halloween Rules with me, as the model I'm working on is a bit too large to be portable, and I was able to complete the ninth panel; three more and it's finished! I haven't taken a picture of yesterday's work, yet, but here is one I took before I went:

Here is a closer shot of my most recent work, although the block under the black cat is now complete, and says "Brew Some Fun":

It's getting hard to put this down, now, with only three blocks to go; I'm thinking I may have it finished by the end of the month. It'd be nice to be able to cross off another WIP!

A Small Finish

Towards the end of last year, a kind member of the 123Stitch MB had a giveaway for a Mill Hill kit of a little gray Christmas kitty. She asked people to leave a comment on why Christmas was special to them, and she chose my reply, in which I said how thankful I was that my mom and her four kitties were now safe, healthy and living with us at our house. I recently pulled that kit out, so I would have something easy to work on at the laundromat and during a movie at my friend's house, and here is the result:

Also pictured is a Mill Hill Tiny Treasured Diamond ornament that I stitched last year. The kitty actually came with a pin backing, but I prefer him as an ornament. :) There are some great people on the 123Stitch MB; if you ever visit, my board name there is chloerose.

So now, it is back to the model. It is a pretty large piece, and contains quite a few fractionals, so I find the need to take a break from it once in a while and work on a simpler piece. I pulled out my L*K Halloween Rules, and next time I'll show you a progress pic (and it's even on my WIP list!).

I've received a(nother) Liebster...

I am editing this post, as I have now been given another Liebster, this one by Jocelyn at Stitchy Minds Think Alike; Jocelyn is another Nora Corbett addict, and has some gorgeous finishes on her blog. Thanks Jocelyn!

My first Liebster was from Leslie at Stitching Under the Sea ; thank you Leslie! I am really enjoying sharing my stitching with others who understand my obsession.

Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, favorite or beloved. Liebster Awards are given by bloggers to other bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help newer bloggers gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions:

1. Choose 5 up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.

2. Show thanks to the blogger who awarded the Liebster to you by linking back to their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving awards to, with links to their sites, and comment on their blog to let them know that you have given them the award.

4. Share five random facts about yourself that people don't know.

I was having a bit of a problem choosing five other blogs right now, for a few reasons. I don't follow very many as of yet, and of the ones I do follow, they have either already received the Liebster, or they have too many followers! I originally gave away two awards, but now have found three other blogs to give them to, which have now been added below.

The first Liebster goes to Rachel at What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. She already has a lot of followers, but that is because she has a great sense of humor and shares everyday stories along with her terrific stitching.

The second Liebster goes to Karen at My Stitchy Ramblings. Besides sharing beautiful stitching, Karen has a gorgeous kitty, and every Friday she picks a new hunky guy to share!

The third Liebster goes to Nikki at Nikki's Crossed Stitches. Nikki's blog has a great combination of stitching, a bit of cooking, critters and just everyday stuff, as well as wonderful art works showing stitching being depicted throughout history.

The fourth Liebster goes to Stephanie at Stephanie's Stitches. Besides her beautiful Mirabilia projects, you have to take a look at all four of her finished Joan Elliott Seasonal Fairies; I am green with envy! ;)

The fifth, and final, Liebster goes to Amanda at The Stitch Menagerie. Amanda is a great contributor to the Mirabilia group on Facebook, and has just started a new blog; I am looking forward to seeing her blog grow.

Now for five things about myself:

1. I can name every state, in alphabetical order, in less than a minute.

2. I think I would have gotten better grades in college if I had gone to a smaller school (but Go Illini!).

3. I have every Nora Corbett/Mirabilia design ever printed.

4. I go through life feeling like most people were given a rule book that I never received.

5. I have a bad tendency to laugh when I'm nervous, which is usually in situations where laughing isn't appropriate!

Phew! This post took quite a bit longer than I thought it would. I was going to share a couple of small finishes, but I think I'll wait and post them in a few days. Until then, hope you have a lot of stitchy time, and no visits from La Grenouille!

Give your mom a hug!

For once, I don't have any stitching pictures to share, quelle horreur! Except for a small Mill Hill beaded ornament that I took to the laundromat with me, all of my stitching time has gone to a model that I've had in my possession since last October. That is when my life took a bit of a turn, and it has taken six months to get back to what feels like normal.

Last September, the day after her birthday, my mom ended up in the hospital with double pneumonia. I won't go into details, except to say that after she had to be intubated, the doctor told me she had a 50/50 chance of getting through it. But get through it she did; two weeks in ICU, another three in a rehab hospital and then she came to live with us. And just last week she was able to move into her own apartment, only 10 miles from our house (instead of 170 miles away like her house was). Here is a pic of Mom and her Sadie, not too long after she came to stay with us:

When Mom moved in here, so did her four cats and Sadie; added to our four cats and dog, it made for quite a menagerie. Here is a pic of what critter dinner time looks like in our household (there are seven kitties in the pic, and Sadie's eyes are glowing at the end of the counter!):

Mom can only have two pets in her new apartment, so she took her dog and one kitty; as I now have seven cats, I think I qualify as an official Crazy Cat Lady!

So now that my life has pretty much returned to its "new normal"; I'm hoping to really buckle down and get this model finished. Karen was kind enough to send me a project that she had no immediate need to have returned, but now I just really want to get it done. And then it is time to slay another WIP! ;)

I'm Doomed...

...DOOMED, I tell you! Nora Corbett released two new Pixies today, and I love them both! Here is Tulip:

And, my favorite of the two, Maidenhair:

And as if wanting to start these wasn't bad enough, there is a new Passione Ricamo design being released (which is already in the mail to me!) that is really calling to me, as well. It is called Medieval Enchantment, and I just love the rich colors:

Back when I stitched Laura's Poinsettia Fay design, I submitted the finished photo to her Stitchers' Gallery, and in the note I mentioned that I would love to see one of her larger designs with a similar combination of reds and blues; looks like I will finally get my wish! Here is Poinsettia Fay, just to give an idea of how pretty the colors look together:

It seems that no matter how hard I try, I cannot get my WIP pile any smaller! Oh, woe is me...  ;)

Thinking A-HAED

A large part of the reason that I decided to make 2012 the Year of the WIP was because I purchased my first HAED chart, but I would have almost felt guilty making such a huge start when I have so many WIPs around. Back at the end of December, I bought all the floss I needed for the HAED; it uses 89 different colors and requires 190 total skeins. A few days ago, I sat down and got the floss organized, as it was taking up quite a bit of space:

Someday, hopefully, all that floss will be transformed into Foxglove Ball, by Aimee Stewart:

The stitch count of this design is 625 x 833, so it will be 25" x 33.25" on 25ct linen, stitched over-one. I'm thinking I would have had a better chance of actually finishing this if I had started it 10 or 15 years ago! ;)