Helping out my mother.

"If you have a mother, there is nowhere you are likely

to go where a prayer has not already been."

Robert Brault

I am very fortunate to have the kind of mother that was always there for you.  I grew up in a very normal, average American household. My father worked, my mother stayed home. She was the girl scout leader, the PTA  mom, the dressmaker, and everything in between. She sewed a lot and did some knitting. We had a few homemade crewel embroidery pictures she made (don't know why they were always avocado green, rust and gold) along with the many homemade holiday items. Her knitting was mostly afghans. She made my dad a sweater and it was so big he couldn't wear it. The sweater she made for me in grammar school finally fit in middle school. When I married my husband who is 6'5" my mom pulled out the sweater and gave it to him. He thought the sweater could have been custom made for him.  Thirty years later it is still his favorite sweater.  One thing my mom never did was cross stitch. She has done many projects with plastic canvas. If you are not familiar it like cross stitching on a number 5 count linen. Only it is plastic and you use yarn and only do a half stitch. 

When I went to mom's house awhile back she for some unknown reason had decided to take up cross stitch. She had ordered two patterns, one was a kit for a pin cushion done on 14 count Aida and the other was a Sweetheart Tree fob, you know the kind done on 32 count linen. She had started the pin cushion and boy was it a disaster. First the pattern had tons of half cross stitches and her hands and eyes are not what they use to be. She gave me the piece and said see what you can do with it. I took it home where it has been sitting for awhile until last weekend when it make it to the top of the to do list. Here is my mom's finished pin cushion.

It was a nice kit (except for the Aida). It came with the wooden holder and threads (oh did I tell you for some reason my mom tied the ends of the thread together). She was very happy last night when I took it to her. It really is the least I could do for all she had done for me. I will try and get the fob done soon.

"Mother, the ribbons of your love

are woven around my heart."

Arthur Unknown.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Finally some Finishes

" I like living. I have sometimes been wildly,

despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow,

but through it all I still know quite certainty

that just to be alive is a great thing."

Agatha Christie



I have had the last few days to myself since my husband is off on one of his backpacking trips. I had hoped to get a lot more done but I am very happy to check off a few things from my list.

First let me say "Thank You" to all the kind suggestions on "Grumpy".  I tried adding grass but just couldn't get it to look right so I took the easy way and just left it. I bought one of the cording tools and boy did it help when I made the cording to go around it. Normally I was twisting the floss by hand (that's OK with doing a small ornament) but I am in love with my new toy. Here is "Grumpy" ready to leave to it's new home.

I told my nephew that when I posted about his pig sale I got new followers, but when I posted a picture of my brother I lost a couple. He thought that was the funniest and said well chicks love me ( I wish that boy had some confidence).

My daughter loves to wear aprons. Once a month she helps serve at our Seniors dinner at church and wears a apron to match the season. She wanted one for September. Here she is modeling her newest addition.

                                It is all done in school theme. She too is lacking in self confidence.

I bought a pattern for a key chain holder and thought I could replace the back material with a cross stitch. Didn't really realize how small the back panel was so I was limited to how big the stitched area could be. I need four "Thank You" gifts for an upcoming event so this is what I came up with.

This is the pieces stitched. The design is only 1" by 3".

They can hold a chap stick, USB stick, money or anything you want to carry with you.

When I attended the Stitching Retreat last fall in our goodie bag was small samples of linens. I had this small square of orange and a Doodles pattern for scraps and made this floss ring. This was my first eyelet, there must be a easier way to put them in.

She is about a 3 1/2 inch circle. She is backed with the same material she is sitting on.

In reading blogs last night several were on the east coast and experienced to some their first earthquake. Living in California that's all I know. Don't get me wrong I know they can be devastating but I will take a earthquake any day over your tornado's and hurricanes. I like that you get no warning and after a few seconds of shaking you straighten out the pictures possibly picking up a few items and then you are on your way. I would not like hearing for a week it is coming, boarding up windows, and stocking up on supplies. I do not want to find my belongings five miles down the road in someones tree or have everything soaking wet.  For those getting prepared for the hurricane my heart goes out to you. I hope those who felt the earthquake yesterday and calmed their nerves. We all have some kind of natural disasters that we must overcome. Stay safe and live life to the fullest.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

I'm getting something new

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come

as a result of getting something we don't have, but 

rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

Frederick Keonig

I do very much appreciate all that I have. I have truly been blessed. But I can't help but be very happy with a change that is coming.

(I know this is a bad photo but you see it getting on the freeway, I told my husband slow down as much as you can so I can get a picture. He can be so kind some times.)

I know I should be grateful the old Michael's is 4.51 miles away and is very old. This one is 1.27 miles away and will be totally new and clean. The word out it is going to be top of the line. My old Michael's is now having a sale and the new one should be here the first of September.

My husband is leaving on a week long hike so I should be having some stitching pictures to post soon. I am off tomorrow to get some fabric to finish "Grumpy" and for a few other items.  I saw I lost a follower, I hope "Grumpy" didn't offend anyone.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

A Wonderful Relaxing Weekend

"I still find each day too short for

 all the thoughts I want to think,

all the walks I want to take,

all the books I want to read,

and all the friends I want to see."

John Burroughs

I would also add all the charts I want to stitch. I did have a very relaxing and wonderful camping weekend. We were only about 10 miles from home but when I looked out my trailer door you felt like 100 miles away.

It is a small man made lake where I watched boats just go round and round in a circle. On Saturdays no boats are allowed only jet skis. If you look in the middle back behind the white wall is the freeway so we really were not far from civilization.

In the peace of the weekend I worked on "Grumpy". Here is Grumpy.

Of sorry that is the real Grumpy by brother who wanted me stitch the peace. I just walked up and took his picture and he looked at me and said "What's that for". I said "I don't know maybe for my bloggers". My nephew started laughing saying watch out my pig and I made her blog. I don't know why my family is afraid to show up in a blog. OK here is the real "Grumpy"

I have tried 3 times to get not going sideways. Oh well here he is anyway. My brother wants me to make it a flat fold. My question to you is, would you put some kind of boarder on first or maybe give him some ground to be standing on? He just looks a little plain to me. I will put some matching cording around the flat fold and am not sure if that is enough.

I see during the weekend I have some new followers. Welcome, don't let "Grumpy" scare you away I am now going back to my regular stitching.  I am trying hard to reply back to my comments and leave more comments, but I am out there reading them. I am just a work in progress and am trying to get better every day. I do appreciate all your visits and comments.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

A Change of Attitude.

"Be miserable.

Or Motivate yourself.

Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."

Wayne Dyer

Miserable was pretty much my attitude when my brother asked me a simple favor. I only have a brother and he is the kind that would help you out with anything. He said he had been on EBAY and saw a cross stitch pattern for "Grumpy"  and was just wondering if it was something I could do. "Grumpy" is my brother's nickname and at times fits him to a tee. Don't get me wrong I love to go to Disneyland as much as anyone, and I love a good Disney movie. I just don't like to wear, stitch or decorate with Disney characters.  So I went on EBAY bought the pattern. It was one of th0se after you buy it they send it to you to download. (No I am not real sure of the copy right law in this, it was coming from China) On Saturday I just couldn't get my heart into it, I started, I walked away, I try again, left to go cleaning I was so desperate not to stitch it, put in a few more stitches, go to bed instead. On Sunday morning I woke to my quote of the day that gets emailed to me daily (it's the one above). I took this as a sign I needed to change my attitude and do this one small thing for my brother. Since it is a cartoon type picture and I have a stock pile of Aida (and my brother won't know the difference) it became my fabric of choice. Here is my progress on "Grumpy". 

Not sure how he wants it finished. Maybe a pillow.

On a much happier note, I got my first letter from my pen pal. Parsley at Seasons of my Mind thought it would be fun to receive old fashion hand written notes. She started a pen pal exchange. My pen pal wrote me the most wonderful note. She has beautiful handwriting, I feel sorry for my pen pal hope she can read my chicken scratches. In my letter she included skein of Sullivan overdyed floss. It is so lovely, I can't decide what to make just yet. This is the first time I have seen Sullivan floss.

I also have a new addition to the family, actually several. I was on Crafty Stitchers blog and they make the cutest dolls. When I saw the nurse one I knew it would be perfect for a friend of mine. Then I saw the little fisher boy and my heart just melted. He will sit in my trailer. While emailing her I asked if she had a school or patriotic one, and yes they had both. So the teacher with her books will join my September back to school decorations and the patriotic one will be a raffle prize at an upcoming event I will be hosting.

"Say Cheese"

Aren't they the cutest. They sent me the cute little one as a thank you.

I am off to finish packing up the trailer. We are going with our camping group for the weekend. It is only about 10 miles away but will seem like 100 as we sit and enjoy the scenery of the lake and enjoy being with friends. Yes I will be taking "Grumpy" with me. My parents and my brother with his family will be camping also, maybe my brother will have some finishing ideas for me.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Lazy Days of Summer

"Deep summer is when

laziness finds respectability"

Sam Keen

Well I have definitely been hit with the lazy days of summer. My stitching has not come to a halt but has slowed down tremendously. I have done a couple of pieces for an exchange but can't reveal just yet. I did manage to stitch this little Mill Hill pin yesterday. It will be leaving in a couple of days for a journey across the ocean.

I don't think I have ever introduced you to my stitching companion. You will most likely always find her watching me stitch. She likes to lay in the bed of my stitching room while I stitch away in the rocking chair. Lately she has taken a liking to my new toy. Just try and lay out some material and she is there always willing to help,. Here is my not so little Annabelle.

I will give you a little bit of my past. For about 15 years I worked at a small chocolate factory. I hand painted  and dipped chocolate all day. Yes of course I sampled. I was always bringing something different in to work to try and dip. Sonia was not only my boss but my friend. She has written her first chocolate book and just started a blog. Go visit Chocolates by Imagination and see what I use to do. I did have fun working there and never really thought of it as a job.

Don't let the lazy hot days of summer get you too bad.

Always keep love in your stitches,
Teresa