Amy Stitches...

Monochrome Month?

2012-01-24T14:01:00.001-05:00

I have been stitching a bit off & on all month while listening to "The Fiery Cross" (Outlander Series) by Diana Gabaldon. (GREAT book btw - it's much better than #4 was!). It appears January is to be Monochrome Month for me. Actually, it appears that 2012 is going to be Monochrome Year by looking at my "to stitch" list!

I finished this about a week & a half ago - it's "Let's Sew" by Imaginating. It's stitched on 32 ct Antique Ivory or Light Sand (it wasn't labeled!) with black DMC. I think it's adorable! It was a super quick stitch & when I showed it to my mom a week ago Sunday she liked it so much that she wanted to stitch it too! I have finishing plans for this one - so stay tuned!

Next up is my "revised" Personalized Sampler by Stephanie at Nouveau Encore Designs. She designed the sampler in 2007 (I think?) and I had a fairly decent amount done on it (not quite 1/3, but a good bit). I picked it up last year & decided I no longer liked my color or fabric choices & that I no longer liked the border I had chosen in 2007. It was just "too busy". So, I contacted Stephanie & she did another border, much more simple this time, and I like it a lot better! This is almost all of page 1 (out of 20!). I'm stitching it over 1 on 28 ct with Anchor #22. I'm already in love with it!

And thanks to Paulette (Plum Street Samplers) and all of her pictures she posted from her trip to The Attic a week or so ago, I found several more samplers I HAD TO HAVE.... one is on the way, one I'm looking for (anyone have Threads of Gold Sarah Munday they want to part with?) and this one (below) we sell via DSL and have for quite a few years! It took the picture on Paulette's blog to make me SEE it though - isn't that always the way? And dear Paulette is happy to take the blame for all of this & THRILLED to have made me spend $$ - she actually said so! :-) Isn't that so ~~typical~~ sweet of her? ;-)

Anyway, this is one of two designs in Le temps qui passe by A Mon Ami Pierre. I'm stitching it on Lakeside 36 ct Vintage Light Examplar using DMC 815. I'm LOVING it too! Actually, Nicole was here Saturday & she said this sampler was "so me" and that I had to stitch it. Just a slight nudge, but it was enough! ;-) Then she suggested that with my ~~UFO's~~ WIP's and the sampler I have coming and my plans for it, that with these, I can make a really nice Red/Brown Sampler wall when I'm all done. I think that's a great idea - don't you? ;-)

And speaking of Nicole, she came to visit last Saturday - I had a wonderful day chatting & stitching with her. And she brought me a truly LOVELY gift - isn't this pretty?

It's Garden Pleasures by LHN and she stitched it over 1. I love it - thank you again Nicole for such a wonderful gift! And your finishing is fantastic!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to post progress on SOMETHING soon. I'm a bit under the weather so far this week (sinus infection and today, I woke up with my hip hurting pretty badly - geez, I know, pitiful huh!).

I have several sewing projects in the works too - along with a pile of red/aqua fabrics I ordered after doing the "bundle" (see post below). I'll share those next time!

Have a wonderful day/week.

Happy stitching & sewing!!!!

My Sunday Projects....

2012-01-08T23:23:00.001-05:00

I had a fairly productive day with my sewing today!

I joined the Sweetwater "Label Crew" a couple of weeks ago & asked them to send both the Dec. & Jan. projects. I made the Dec. project today - a journal cover. I love their iron on labels (aren't they cute?) and I thought this one was perfect with the "Etchings" fabric I decided to use for the squares. The lining is from a line called "Inkwell" - how's that for a journal? ;-)

And I've need some new potholders for several months & couldn't find any I liked. I used this Waverly fabric to cover my kitchen chair seats and I also have placemats out of it. I decided to make my own potholders using the fabric after I ran across it while I was getting out Christmas decorations last month. I finally got around to it today - I made eight. Yep, that's a lot, but it should do for awhile, don't you think? I used Insul-Bright (which is heat resistant) and a layer of cotton batting. Simple but still pretty I think.

I stitched some yesterday on a piece called "Let's Sew" by Urslua Michaels/Imaginating. I hope to get back to it tomorrow. We're doing a very informal SAL in the Pals group. Can't wait to see how creative everyone gets with theirs.

Thanks for stopping by - have a great week ahead. Happy stitching & sewing!

Fat Quarter Shop "Bloggers Choice Contest".....

2012-01-07T00:53:00.002-05:00

I decided to enter a contest via Quokka Quilts Blog for the Fat Quarter Shops Bloggers Choice Bundle - click the link for more details. I know what colors I would love to buy if I could just go & spend whatever I wanted - these are my choices. We were to pick 12 prints & 3 solids. I didn't want a solid white, so I choose the one with the little red dots, it's "close" to solid.

I love the reds/aquas together and think these would be really fun to work with. I don't have a chance in the world of winning, but it was a fun way to spend some time on a Friday night - now I want to buy a ton of fabric.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to visit Quokka's blog - and visit the Fat Quarter Shop as well! :-)

My first finish of 2012!

2012-01-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you notice the "Santa Sack Swap" in the side bar, but that bag is the one that Carol made for me & I carried it as a purse from Thanksgiving until a couple of days after Christmas and I loved it. And I had quite a few nice comments on it as well. So, I decided to make a few more similar to it.... the pattern is by Stephanie of Loft Creations. I made my own version of it by cutting 2.5" squares for the top section, and have plans to make at least 2 more - both different than the original or this one. :-)

And a bit closer (don't look too closely - it's NOT perfect!)......

Anyway, the fabric is the new Moda "Chemistry" (from a charm pack that my dear friend Jeanne sent me at Christmas) and Moda "L'Amour" from a year or two ago that I had in my massive fabric stash. I think they blend well together. I love red/brown together & the pink thrown in doesn't hurt it any (it's not baby pink! lol). I used a magnetic snap instead of the loop & button, though I may use that on another - we'll see, and I left the pocket off. I thought with all those squares & all those prints, the pocket might be a bit "much".

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful week & happy stitching & sewing!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:05:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope 2012 is the best year ever - for all of us!

I finished up a stitching project last night. I started it on Dec. 10th but just didn't have a lot of free time to stitch in December, but I did finish it last night. This is "Naughty or Nice" by Lavender Wings. I've had this in my stash for a few years & I've always thought he was so cute. There is a Mill Hill Gold Star treasure that goes at the end of the gold at his hat, but I can't find it. I'll get one ordered next week. I think he's cute.... (though he does need to be ironed, this is straight off the q-snaps!)...

And these are the contents of my Secret Santa Sack from Carol! Isn't everything just wonderful? She made the cutest little zipper bag and pincushion and stitched/framed LHN's Blossoms & Blackbirds and sent all of those goodies (pre-cuts, buttons, scissors, needles, patterns, a die for my GO! Baby, etc) from Sept. through Dec. I love it all Carol - thank you so much! Hope we can do this again in 2012!

I entered an "ornament finishing" contest hosted by Sue Hillis in December. It was supposed to be creative finishing and I decided "why not". There were two chances to win, the designers choice and one that was to be voted on. Anyway, I entered two ornaments..... My "Peppermint Tree"....

And this design is from a JCS magazine and I think it's also in one of her newer leaflets. The buttons are mother of pearl and it took over 100 to go around the ornament...

And a side view....

The "Button" Tree won the designers choice & I received a $50 gift certificate! I so rarely win ANYTHING & I was shocked and happy. Sue Hillis, if you see this, thank you again! :-)

I have lots of hopes to do a lot of stitching and sewing in 2012. More than anything I just wish for peace and health for my family & friends!

Happy New Year to all!

Happy December...

2011-12-12T16:19:00.001-05:00

Time sure has been flying by around here - is it just me or is it that way for you as well?

I've done a bit of stitching, sewing & finishing, but not as much as I'd like. Isn't that always the way? Most of it I can share.....

Stealing the idea from Karen (thanks Karen!), I made two mini bottle cap pieces for winter. The designs are little motifs from Lizzie Kate's "Winter Alphabet". I left the sled off the snowman & added more "snow". I still haven't made them into ornnaments OR magnets - still thinking about it. Oh, and they're stitched over 1 on 25 ct..... The bottle caps are 1".

And I also stitched the Little House Joy & Peace on the same fabric over 1. You can see it next to the 1" bottle caps..... I still need to "finish" it as well.

I stitched a Sue Hillis design that I just love! What do you think of my finishing? The ribbon is sort of like a "velvet" that came from Michael's and it's the perfect shade of red and the perfect width to fit the ornament. I didn't use all the colors that Sue charted it for - but I love how it turned out.

And I found these little guys (and gals) at Michael's a month or so ago. As soon as I saw them I knew they'd make darling Christmas pincushions, so I made these for friends. They all have them now, so I can share. :-)

I've also made a bunch of Christmas cards, some of which I've already mailed - I NEED to get the rest of them in the mail - don't you think? Here are some that haven't been sent yet.....

And last but not least is a Shepherds Bush that I finished last Sunday. It's just laying in the Jill Rensel mats - it hasn't been ironed & laced yet. I just wanted to see what it was going to look like. Cute huh?

The last stitch-in of the year at The French Hens was this past Saturday. We had a smaller than usual group but I had a ball. It's great to spend time with stitching friends and we were able to have conversations that included the entire group, which was nice for a change. Thanks to those who came - I really enjoyed the day & hope to see you all again in March! If you're interested in details - email me - amycspals@yahoo.com.

I have lots of other things "in the works". I'll share when I have pics. Thanks for stopping by. Happy stitching & sewing!

Exchanges & Gifts from the Pals Retreat.....

2011-11-23T16:14:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm slow to get things posted. I kept planning to take pictures & post, but it seemed there was always something else I needed to do as well. Anyway, here we go - finally..... ;-)

First, this is the Grab Bag I took to the retreat. I made a tote bag from this cute fabric which apparently was a good idea because it was "most popular" (traded the most) and I won a prize (2nd pic!)....

These were donated by Karen AZ, she sells "Thirty One" items, which are wonderful!! Thanks again Karen, love them!

And this is the grab bag I came home with! Isn't it great? It was made by my wonderful friend Judy - hand appliqued and it's just amazing! I'm totally thrilled with it! The inside is lined and she did an amazing job - inside & out!

And not only did I get Judy's grab bag, she also made a special gift just for me - isn't this lovely?

It's wonderful - I do so love pincushions - and it's sitting on my "lazy susan" that I bought (and will show you in a bit) to hold my needles & marking pins. Thank you again Judy - I LOVE IT!!

Next we have the Christmas Ornaments. I made 5 this year... and the first pics are of the ones I made & took to exchange (not too much red is there?):

And these are the ones I bought home (from Toni, Fiona, Judy (again!), Linda and Myra. Aren't they all wonderful?! Thanks to all of these wonderful ladies & dear friends!

Then we have the "Stitched Exchange" - I made a pincushion. I stitched a Jardin Prive' design over 1 on 25 ct, put it in a round wood box and I also make the marking pins that are in it. Several ladies told me they really liked it - hope the recipient did as well!

I received this lovely pin pillow made by Sheryl from IN, who I just met this year. Isn't it pretty? I'm 99.9% sure it's a Beehive Needlework's designs. Thank you again Sheryl!

Next are the two items from the "Sewing Exchange" that was done sort of last minute. I had two items, but I don't have pictures of them. One was a Huswife and the other was a pincushion. I came home with these two cuties - a frog pincushion by Fiona and a Needlebook by Becky (whom I also met for the first time this year!). Both are great aren't they? Look at all those little tiny strips on this Needlebook - Becky, if you're reading this, it's wonderful, thank you again! :-)

I think I'll name my frog "Fi" after Fiona.... she's a Scottish frog and you just don't see many of those in SC! Just look at that face.... ;-)

I did one Halloween item for the Thursday night exchange - and I cannot remember what I made... sad huh? This is what I came home with - and it's SO TRUE!! This was made by my dear friend Myra!

(sorry about the glare on the glass).

And last but not least, a couple more handmade gifts - this journal cover was made by my friend Toni from IL. And if someone else reading says "hey - that looks familiar" - it's because Toni made several I think... I was just very lucky that she gave me one too! CUTE isn't it? :-)

And last but not least (for today) is a lovely bag in gorgeous Paisley fabric that Fiona made for me. Fiona has been coming from Scotland for many years now & it's great to see her every October. We've become great friends & I so enjoy spending the week with her. Thank you again Fiona, I love it! I just have to keep my sister from trying to take it everytime she comes over... ;-)

If you're still reading, thanks for stopping by. Hope you've enjoyed looking at all these pretties!!

Happy stitching/sewing!

Stitching & Sewing.....

2011-11-14T09:22:00.001-05:00

I have been doing a small amount of stitching & sewing in the past week. First is my finish of Carol's Mystery SAL - love it Carol - thank you again! I have to get the box ready to mount it on... will do that this week sometime! If you want to purchase the chart, you can find it here......

Next up is an ornament all ready to finish. This is by Sue Hillis from one of her new leaflets. I love anything with peppermints for Christmas. I used fewer colors than was called for & back stitched in the red or green instead of gray - I think it's cute.

This weekend I stitched this design by Country Stitches (A Stitcher's Purse pattern) - and indeed - "My soul is fed with needle and thread" - perfect right?

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to see what I could do with these....

First, I sewed together 35 charm squares.... LOVE this Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs!!

And after cutting out the squares using the Lil' Twister Ruler, this is what I had......

(yes, from 35 5" square, it was down to this! lol)

And surprise, I made myself yet another zipper project bag!

One side.....

And the other side......

I LOVE it! I can see all kinds of possibilities using this Lil' Twister Ruler!

Next I will have to post the pics of the exchanges to/from in Myrtle Beach.... :-)

Happy stitching & sewing!

The Cross Stitch Pals Retreat.....

2011-11-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been a few weeks now since the retreat, but I've been crazy busy since we have been back. I do want to share some pictures with you though..... hope you enjoy.... (I THINK the pictures should be clickable for a larger view)

The group of stitchers from all over the USA & Scotland (or most of them at least!)

Stitching - if it were daytime, you could see the ocean....

The lights outside the window are on the pier at the resort.....

The grab bags set up & ready for the taking.... ;-)

and more grab bags.....

Do you see one you'd like?? Or two, or ten? ;-)

And here are the participants - ready start "grabbing".....

Stephanie FL is on the hunt for HER favorite - Steph is my wonderful right hand with the games, exchanges, etc. She is SO creative & I appreciate her help every year - more than I can say!

They are all playing so nice aren't they? Watch out - some of these sweet & friendly stitches can be pretty ruthless... ;-)

That was fun! ;-)

And we had so many beautiful stitched Christmas ornaments to exchange on Friday night....

And that wasn't all of them..... but wanted to give you a glimpse of how lovely they are!

And some of us spent time this year making Christmas Cards for soldiers. Stephanie works for Michael's and all the cards made will be sent overseas this Christmas season. She brought lots of supplies & there wasn't too much fighting over the glitter tape or those really cute snowman stickers... ;-) Thanks again Stephanie (sitting in front, dark hair wearing white w/pink shirt), it was FUN!

I wish I had taken lots more pictures. It seems that every year I have great intentions, but I never seem to get more than a few taken. Luckily Ray was helping on Friday night & he managed to take all of the ones above - thanks Ray! :-)

I wish you could ALL join us. We really do have a lot of fun. I hope to get the info for 2012 up this weekend sometime. You should join us.... there is room for only so many.... ;-)

I'll also be back this weekend with pics of the exchanges I took and the items I brought home. I SCORED!! ;-)

Have a great weekend!!

SC Stitch-In, Saturday, December 10th - JOIN US!

2011-11-05T20:23:00.002-04:00

Join us at The French Hens in Manning on Sat. Dec. 10th to stitch the day away! We'll be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's $10 and includes lunch with dessert and beverages (paid to The French Hens!).

Hope you can join us! (and it WAS the 3rd but I had to move it out a week, sorry!).

If you plan to attend, please let me know.
amycspals@yahoo.com

More Sewing Finishes....and QUICK & cute ort bucket project.....

2011-10-31T16:01:00.002-04:00

I had more tote and zipper bags to make & deliver in MB (by special order), here are pics of them...

I LOVE this set & have the same fabric in my stash for a lap quilt (one of these days Jeanne!).

This Christmas Set was her favorite she said... (and she now has 4 sets! LOL)....

This tote was for my dear friend Susan who LOVES blue. It is very pretty in person!

And last fall I ran across this fabric in Susan's fabric stash that she was purging. I had to use it to make a zipper bag for our friend Char. ;-) Now Char is the proud owner of a one of a kind construction worker zipper bag to carry her stitching projects in. She hooted with laughter when I gave it to her & I do believe she slept with it on the pillow next to her each night... (I so wish she had a blog! LOL)

And now for a SUPER simple project......

This little "ort bucket" is just the cutest idea, and if you want one but don't want to stitch something over one to put in the pail, just use any fabric you like. All I did was measure the pail, cut the strip just over twice the diameter of the pail. Iron heat & bond to 1/2 the strip, then iron the other half to it so it's double sided. Put it inside the pail and trim if needed. For the top, I traced the lid on a piece of very stiff paper (not cardboard, but paper like you find in a picture frame), and cut out the circle. Cut a fabric circle a bit larger and sew a running stitch around the edges (like you're making a fabric yo-yo), slip it over the stiff paper and tie off. I put a magnet on the back so it can be removed, and there you go. A cute and super simple "ort bucket", and best of all, you can easily change the fabric for each season or holiday. The pails are available at most craft stores like Michael's, AC Moore, etc. I used the smallest one above because it's just CUTE, but you can use any size. You could also use pretty scrapbooking paper if you prefer, but I just have a "hoard" of fabric & don't have the paper. :-) You can also use this as a gift container.... especially for a stitcher so they can use the container as their ort bucket!

Thanks for stopping by - and more pics coming soon.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

What a blur October has been..... and Halloween Finishes!!

2011-10-30T12:55:00.001-04:00

I have been so busy the entire month of October, but especially the past two weeks, that I hardly know which end is up. It was LOTS of fun though......

We've been to a couple of shows, Franc D'Ambrosio and Pam Tillis. Yes, VERY different but both VERY good! We were also hosting the 14th Annual Cross Stitch Pals "Stitching at the Beach", which was great fun. I only have a few pics from the retreat, but I do have pics of the things I stitched/made to exchange and the things I brought home in return. I will share those with you in a later post.

First I want to share with you a few I've made for Halloween since Halloween is tomorrow. These have been finished for several weeks, but I haven't had time to post anything to my blog.

Remember the post several weeks ago where you only saw bits of Halloween Fabrics? Well, this is what they were, halloween project bags. I used my GO! Baby and the new Halloween die for the cat & bat - they're pretty cute huh? (if I do say so myself, right?) ;-)

Using the same die, and my addiction to tote bags, I made this cute bag (again, if I do say so myself) and it's SUPPOSED to be a freebie download-able pattern on the AccuQuilt website, but despite me submitting all the info they asked for, they still haven't uploaded it. If you want the pattern via email, just let me know - amycspals@yahoo.com

I know, it's a bit late this year, but you can always use it next year. Love AccuQuilt's products, but don't know if I have anything positive to say about "trying" to work with them on anything else!

And I think I saved the best for last....

I think I posted a pic awhile back of my "Goblins on Parade" when it was a WIP.... now it's finished!! That's a penny in the upper right corner to give you an idea of the finished size. It's 28 ct over one and it took awhile, but it's so cute I think. It's stitched with black DMC on a piece of hand-dyed fabric from Crescent Colours that has been in my stash for a very long time.

And ta-da............ here it is in the "pail".....

.....pics all the way around! I just love it! I didn't do the top - and still haven't decided if I will or not. I quite like the fabric that Susan sent me that matches it so well & my Witch Hat Needle Nanny by Puffin & Co to hold my needles. What do you think? ;-)

Thanks for stopping by! Check back soon for some retreat pics!
And "Trick Or Treat".... ;-)

My "Santa Sack" for Carol....

2011-10-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

I just realized I never posted the "Santa Sack" that I sent to Carol last month.....

I know Carol loves polka dots, so when I started looking for a Christmas fabric, I found the polka dot fabric in this line (Christmas Candy by Riley Blake Designs) & went from there. I think it's pretty cute if I do say so myself. I made the pattern up as I went along, very simple but I still think it's cute. It's lined with the polka dots too. Just thought I'd share.... :-)

Santa Came to Visit..... (Santa Sack Swap #2)

2011-10-09T09:32:00.001-04:00

Carol sent me another tote bag as the first wasn't "big enough" to hold everything (her words, not mine!), she's so generous! Isn't this cute? And she made the pattern up, she did a great job. I especially love the buttons sewn around the top of the bag - love buttons and these are the perfect touch! And tied to that candy cane package is an adorable peppermint tape measure!! Don't you love it? Thank you again Carol - it's getting harder now to wait to open the pkgs, but I will do my best.... ;-)

I have been busy sewing, stitching a bit & trying to get ready for the retreat that's coming really quickly. Looking forward to it, but have so much to do! I'm going to try & share pictures of some of the things I've made - maybe later today. Check back soon....

Have a great day & happy stitching & sewing!!

Guess what?!?! For those coming to the retreat in Oct.....

2011-09-20T00:08:00.001-04:00

Stitching at the Beach 2011

One month - and counting.... wooohooo!!!

Guess who will be joining us???? :-) :-) :-)

Paulette

AND

Tanya

AND

Marie of Blackberry Lane Designs

Don't you want to join us too? :-)

I Can See (almost!)..........

2011-09-17T16:06:00.002-04:00

I have been stitching - FINALLY! I went to the eye doc (again & again) and this past Thursday he put a contact in my left (and "new") eye for me to see close up! NOW I can see to stitch, sew, and anything else close up. The only issue is then that I can't see a thing past 5 or 6 feet. Oh well, I'm not going to complain about that - it's much better to be able to see the computer screen, my stitching & sewing, my food, etc. than seeing the TV or a car driving by! ;-) All I have to do is take the contact out & then I can see at a distance. Amazing how ridiculous all of this has been really..... but I'm happy at the moment, so we'll leave it at that for now.

I have been stitching and sewing a little - this is parts 1 & 2 of the MSAL going on from dear Carol at iStitch - she's so talented & I love so many of her samplers. I have parts 3 & 4 done now too - will update with a new picture later. :-) Thank you again Carol, can't wait to get the rest of it! :-)

While I couldn't really *see* to stitch, I did manage to do this Pine Mtn. kit since it's on aida (16 or 18 ct?). I think it's cute - and some of you will see it again.... ;-)

And I have been working on getting things ready for the retreat in Myrtle Beach in October... but I really can't show much of that - but here is one thing I can share.....

I'm SO ready for 4 very long days of stitching & fun with friends in that wonderful-fantastic-amazing ocean front conference center!! I just wish I had ANYTHING ready - personal or otherwise, but I don't. Oh well... fingers are crossed that it all gets done, wish me luck! You'd think with this being year #14, it would be "easy" by now, but it's NOT, it's WORK! It's a lot of fun though, so I guess it's worth it. :-)

And I have been in a "Halloween" mood lately - here are a few sneak peeks - - -

Hmmm, wonder what these could be - and yes, they are "something" other than fabric...

And so is this.....

And this is my progress (FINALLY) on Blackberry Lane's "Goblins on Parade". I just love this and it will be so darn cute when it's finished into the little "ort bucket" - what a clever idea Marie had! Now one thing to keep in mind - the q-snaps are the 6" size - it's over 1 on 28 ct. The fabric is an orange by Sharon (Crescent Colours) from years ago when she was still dyeing fabric... cute huh!?

I'm getting there... as I keep saying, finally - now that I can see again! :-)

Oh and before I forget, I got a new die from AccuQuilt last Friday evening, the new Halloween "Cat & Bat" (which you can see a sneak peek of above) and let me tell you, the new "two tone foam" is wonderful! I wish they were all like this!

Here's a note from AccuQuilt about it:

Two Tone Foam – An AccuQuilt Innovation

The efficient and accurate way to cut fabric with GO! Fabric Cutters just got even easier! In response to customer feedback, the Tried & True die collection features two-tone foam, an AccuQuilt innovation, which makes it easy to see where shapes are on the die board. No more need to mark your dies—dies are ready to use right out of the package. The shapes are easy to see making it easier to layer fabric over just the shapes you need to help you minimize fabric waste. For more information, on the new Tried & True die collection, click on the below link. In addition, download 22 Free Patterns simply by signing up for AccuQuilt emails. You’ll also gain access to numerous patterns for all skill levels, ability to earn AccuQuilt Rewards Points, and the opportunity to participate in fun and inspirational sweepstakes and giveaways!

http://www.accuquilt.com/go-shop/new-products.html

And that will do it for today! If you're still reading, thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend & happy stitching and sewing! :-)

My "Santa Sack" is here!!! :-)

2011-09-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

I'm in the Santa Sack Swap 2 that's being run by Carol at Carol's Crafty Creations (she's SO talented!) and Carol & I are partners (woohooo!). If the "sack" looks familiar, it's because it's her blog button that you see in my sidebar. Now let me tell you, the "sack" is more cute in person than in the pics, and that's saying a lot. :-) My sister thinks I should use it as a Christmas purse & she's right, it's perfect for that!! Problem is, we're supposed to leave all the wrapped gifts in it until we open them at Christmas. Hmmm.... I think I can leave the gifts wrapped until then (though it won't be easy and my sister swears I can't do it! LOL) but I think I might just have to put them in something else, because that ~~"sack"~~ purse is going to be going with me when I go Christmas shopping and anywhere else! Do you ever find it hard to follow the rules too? lol Thank you again Carol - LOVE it! :-)

Ray & I put the top down on the t-bird yesterday a.m. & drove to Florence. I found out there is a new Joann's over there & I'd never been to one. There is also a Hobby Lobby I've been in a couple of times. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a nice large quilt shop or a cross stitch shop with lots of models to look at. Oh well.... ;-)

We stopped & had "brunch" at iHop & then went to Kohls first and then on to Hobby Lobby. I was very good - only came out with 2 wooden boxes for Blackbird Designs pieces and a cut of fabric with peace signs to make my niece a cover for a journal. She found one in her school fundraising book that she begged me to buy for her, but it was $8! It was just a spiral bound composition book that she would have used up in no time.... I just knew I'd be able to find similar fabric to make her something she could use until she was tired of it and I was right! Now to get it made.....

Then it was on to Joann's..... They do have A LOT of stuff don't they??? I wasn't overly impressed with their fabrics to be totally honest - I'm too used to Moda now... ;-) but I did get a few little cuts for some Halloween applique that won't be used a lot, so they will be fine for that. Geez, I've turned into a fabric snob I'm afraid. Shame on me, but it's true. :-] Once you use the "good stuff", there is no going back I'm afraid! I also bought the new limited edition Ginger Scissors (so pretty) and some threads. See, I was VERY good! That's what happens when you have as much stash as a craft store.... lol

It was great to take the day off & get away. The weather was gorgeous & I even got a tiny bit of sun on my cheeks & arms during the long ride there & back. Today I have lots & lots of things that I have to do around the house. My mother-in-law is coming for a visit at the end of the week. I think she is staying 10 days or so. Don't know how we'll keep her entertained for so long, but we'll do our best!

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead & I hope to be back soon with some pictures of stitching and sewing! :-)

I'm still here....... and a PIF.... ;-)

2011-09-08T20:52:00.001-04:00

YES! I am still here - and I have a few things to share with you.....

First, back in July I won a contest (imagine that, *I* won something!!) on Simone's blog. I received 2 patterns from Loft Creations right away (the Oak Park & Haliee bags - they're great btw - highly recommend them both!!) and also a charm pack that Simone had to mail to me. And look at those little shoes and the "Love" tag she included - Simone is from the Netherlands and I love to get something so adorable from another country, don't you??? Thank you again Simone, you are very kind! :-)

Back in June (I think), I signed up for a PIF with Terry at Terry's Treasures - and it just came!! When I opened the pkg, this is what I saw....!

And this is what was inside of the fat quarter "wrapping" - what a lovely Table Topper!

She also sent along a handful of DMC floss too - thank you again Terry - everything is just wonderful!!! :-)

And now I need to host my own PIF..... if you would like to receive "A Squishy PIF" (as Terry put it!), here is how it works: I need 3 great bloggers that would like to get a handmade gift from me in the next year. Then you will pass along the PIF to 3 people & it should continue on. I'm going to be extra busy for the next several months, so please allow some time for me to get something made for you. If you're interested, please leave a comment to this post only. If you don't have your email listed in your blog profile, then you must leave a way for me to contact you. If I have more than 3 people interested, I will draw names on Sunday evening & let the 3 PIF participants know that they are going to be getting a little "gift" in the mail sometime in the future! :-)

And last but not least, I wanted to share some pincushions that my friend Judy made and showed me last Saturday. Judy & her sister Donna came and helped me with some things for the stitching retreat in that's coming up in Myrtle Beach - woohoo - can't wait! :-) Anyway, after seeing/hearing me talk about the AccuQuilt GO! Baby cutter, Judy decided she needed one and smart lady that she is, she bought some wool felt & made these - aren't they cute?

Love them all, but the heart has to be my favorite! :-) I'll see Judy again soon, she's coming back for another visit! Looking forward to it Judy, and say hello to Donna for me!!

I went back to the eye doctor today... my second home this year (I really need my own parking place, seriously) and I have a new pair of Rx readers for stitching. I have mono vision now - near sighted in one eye, far sighted in the other. I'm not having anything done to the other eye - not for years & years unless I start to lose my vision totally, so I will have to learn to live with it. Problem is, according to the doc, that it's HARD to fit glasses unless I wear a contact in one eye. UGH! So he said we'd start with the readers & see how they do and if I can get used to them, then we'll go from there. I've already spent far more than I can stand to think about with all of this "eye stuff" & he's trying to "help" I know, but it's SO frustrating. Anyway, I'm getting ready to go turn on an audio book on my iPad & put those readers on & see if I can stand to wear them. My sister was here earlier & she put them on for about 10 secs & was instantly sick at her stomach. That's what usually happens to me too.... so we'll see! I SO want to be able to see to stitch & sew again.... so cross your fingers for me, will you? I am so far behind with my stitching it's not even remotely funny and I MISS IT! I hope they will be okay....

And if you will, please keep my sister in your prayers. She just turned 39 this week & her birthday "gift" was being told she is testing positive for RA. :-( She's waiting to get an appointment with a rheumatologist now. I pray that the test was a false positive, but they did do it twice. :-(

Thanks for stopping by - I'll have more to show you VERY, VERY soon!! Happy stitching & sewing...

Are you a Floozie too???

2011-08-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

A Fabric Floozie or a Floss Floozie that is? ;-) If so, one (or both) of these might be for you...

Who wouldn't want a shirt to proclaim their ~~addiction~~ love of fabric or floss?? ;-) If you're interested in having a "floozie" t-shirt, tote bag, market bag, etc. monogrammed, contact Carol at cjackson136@sc.rr.com and she will fix you right up! I'm sure she's able to monogram other things on these items for you as well, but what's better than being a fabric and/or floss floozie? Have a great weekend one & all.... happy stitching, sewing and collecting!

AccuQuilt Newsletter + 22 FREE patterns....

2011-08-10T12:29:00.000-04:00

Would anyone be willing to sign up for the AccuQuilt free quilt patterns & newletter via my blog? This link is "special" for me & gives me points, which in turn gives me credit towards msde. They have a sale on something I really want through the end of the week & with enough help, I can earn enough to help cover a good bit of the cost. Pretty Please? You will get 22 free patterns & they have some great ideas and some fantastic products - take a look at them if you aren't familiar with them!!

I would sincerely appreciate it your help!

The "button" is on the top left - it says Get 22 free patterns......

Busy few weeks.....

2011-08-07T15:33:00.000-04:00

Hi - how are you - remember me? I've been so busy the past couple of weeks I feel like the world bas been passing me by! I had cataract surgery (left eye) this past Thursday a.m. It's amazing how BAD that eye was and how bad my right eye still is. Long story, but I can already see better and hope that once I get new glasses in a week or so, that I will be able to see even better! We aren't going to do anything on the right eye for awhile - we'll see how it goes. It's actually worse, but as I said, long story that I'm sure no one is interested in hearing.

Yesterday we had a stitching gtg at The French Hens here in town. I met several new friends and got to spend time with a lot of "old" friends too. :-) I wasn't able to stitch (still can't see well enough), but it was fun watching & chatting the day away. Here are a few pictures.....

Myra & Chris from NC were here for the first time and also Beverly from Savannah and Karin from the Aiken/Augusta area joined us. We missed some of the "regulars" who couldn't come for one reason or another & will be looking forward to seeing them here next time - likely the first Saturday in December. First we have the "Stitching at the Beach" retreat in Myrtle Beach! I'm happy to share that Tanya from "The Scarlett House" will be joining us!! I've been following her blog for quilt awhile & can't wait to meet her and to see all of her new designs in person. We still have some openings - join us if you can!!

Myra brought me a new friend who's decided to "nest" by my sewing machine. Isn't she cute? Very colorful huh? Have you seen a bird called "California Dreamin" before? ;-) Thank you again Myra!

I haven't stitched in two weeks, but before that, I did manage to stitch up several small items & started on more.....

This is by Jardin Prive' and it's stitched over one with DMC. Some of you might just see this again.... ;-)

And this Triquetra is by Jamie of White Willow Stitchery - thanks again Jamie!

It's stitched over one with DMC floss as well.

There are a few other small things that I don't have pictures of - will share them later.
Thank you for stopping by - have a great week ahead - happy stitching & sewing!

The AccuQuilt GO! Baby WINNER is.....

2011-07-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

A screen capture of the random number generator - - -

And counting down to #34, we have Myra....

Congratulations to Myra - I know she will LOVE the GO! Baby Cutter!!

Thanks to all who entered. I really wish I could give a GO! Baby to each of you!!

Happy Stitching & Sewing & have a great week ahead.....

AccuQuilt GO! Baby Cutter & Dies Giveaway.... Enter to Win!

2011-07-20T18:55:00.000-04:00

With a big thanks to AccuQuilt, I am able to host a giveaway for a GO! Baby Cutter & 3 dies of your choice! It doesn't get much better than that!! :-) Here are the very simple rules:

1. Go to AccuQuilt - here and pick your 3 favorite dies - the ones you can't live without!

2. Come back here & leave a comment to THIS BLOG POSTING ONLY with your name, the 3 dies you want if you're the winner, and a way to contact you in case you are the winner. If you don't have the email showing on your blog or if you don't have a blog, then you must leave your email. If I can't contact you if you're name is drawn, then another winner will be chosen.

3. Optional - Become a Follower & leave a another comment that you are a follower (or if you're already a follower) for a 2nd entry to win.

4. Optional - Post about this on your blog & provide a URL for your post for a 3rd entry to win.

Only comments on this post will be included in this giveaway so please don't leave a comment on the AccuQuilt Facebook page.

The Giveaway will end at midnight est on Saturday, July 30th and the winner will be announced on Sunday, July 31st. Good luck to all - this is a wonderful addition to your sewing/crafting - trust me!

The AccuQuilt GO! Baby Cutter is WONERFUL - EDITED 7-20 - And the Winner Is...

2011-07-20T16:17:00.000-04:00

The winner of the zipper bag (posted below) using the Random Number Generator is....

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 28

Result:

Number 11 is Judy! Thanks to all who entered, I wish I could make each of you a zipper bag!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've finally gotten a chance to use the AccuQuilt GO! Baby cutter this weekend - and it's AMAZING! Let me show you what I've done so far...

First, the materials - the Go! Baby cutter, the die (I've used the "Fall Medley" one for this project), the cutting mat, fabric pieces with Heat & Bond ironed as according to directions - and we're off....

This die cuts 5 difference shapes, so I was able to cut what I wanted from each of the fabric by trimming them to the size of the design... here are the large leaf & pumpkins - getting ready to add the fabric for the acorn pieces & the other leaf....

The next picture was blurry (sorry), but you lay the cutting mat on top, lay it on the cutter, crank the handle, and it comes out with these shapes - almost like magic - and easy as pie!

Now how is that for fantastic? Super quick, wonderfully clean lines, easy as pie, and you can cut one or several at a time. I only did 2 layers at a time because of the Heat & Bond, but I might try 3 & see if they still come out as great as these did.

All you have to do now is peel the paper off the back, place them on your project (for me, it's not a quilt, or wall hanging), I wanted to make a couple of zipper bags.

As you can see, I used all of the shapes on the green bag, and on the 2nd one, I only used the pumpkin and the acorn. I just love how quick & easy this was to do and can't wait to make more!

I use these bags for my cross stitching projects, embroidery projects, in the suitcases when we travel - and small ones in my purse. I'm sure you could think of many more great uses.....

And speaking of that, I want to give one of these away! Leave a comment to THIS POST ONLY telling me which one you like best, and you just might be a winner. I'll draw a name on Wednesday night, July 20th. If you want to tell your friends via your blog or facebook, leave a comment with that link & I'll give you not 2 but 3 chances to win. :-)

And stay tuned for my AccuQuilt Part 2 pictures - coming soon..... below is a sneak peek!

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching & sewing!

OH, and go here to get 22 free patterns from Accuquilt!

Sharing some sewing finishes.....

2011-07-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening I *finally* finished 2 tote bags with 2 matching zipper bags for each one. These are for my friend Kathy (no blog). I sure hope she's happy with them. I love the fabric - it's Blackbird Designs "Wild Rose" and I think it's gorgeous!! The pattern for the tote is in the Fancy Work (Jane Timmers) Maderia Sewing Set pattern. I have a few other finishes & will share them later, no pics yet.

Thanks for stopping by & happy stitching & sewing!!

Exchange Gift from Carol!

2011-07-12T18:21:00.000-04:00

Hi & happy Tuesday! I thought I'd already posted a picture of this great bag from Carol, but I don't see it. Guess I've lost my mind - what little there was left of it at least! Anyway - isn't this GORGEOUS!?!

I posted a picture (below) of the piece I stitched & finished on the box for Carol, and this is what she sent me. I'm a "bag junkie" and she decided to add to my collection! I love all of the fabrics and the style, it's really cute huh?!? And she filled it with goodies - a couple of cross stitch charts, a pair of scissors (for sewing, not stitching!), some rick rack & trim, buttons, some mini charms from Moda and a sign that says "Stitching Girl" - she knows me so well!!! Everything is just great Carol - thank you again! :-)

I have been stitching and sewing - it's too hot here to do much else. I'll share some pics with you soon.... so do check back, won't you?

Happy stitching & sewing!!

My Exciting (to me!) News.... :-) (edited 7-8)

2011-07-07T15:30:00.002-04:00

Look what the nice UPS man dropped off at my house yesterday afternoon....

with 3 dies of my choice - LOVE these - don't you!?! :-)

All compliments of Carolyn at AccuQuilt! Yes, I actually have my own now - woohooo!!! And I will be doing some "testing" and "reviewing" soon and then, guess what?!

I will be giving one away - WITH 3 dies of the winners choice!

I also bought 3 other dies - the Tumblers, Hexagon and Value - oh my - I see a new addiction!

I had to try it out - and let me tell you, I can see this being one of the best things since sliced bread!! I cut out over 100 "tumbler" pieces in just minutes - it's really amazing....

Now, to get them sewn up & see what I can find to cut out next.... ;-)

See, I told you it was exciting - to me - and to one lucky winner when I host the giveaway at least! :-)

Check back (hopefully) soon for more details.

Thanks again to AccuQuilt - LOVE it already!!

**Edited to add - I didn't actually "win" this - it was sent to me directly by AccuQuilt to test & reveiw - and I get to keep it & give another one away. Just wanted to clear up any confusion!

Happy Independence Day.....

2011-07-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

Happy July 4th and a big thank you too all who serve this great country - you & your families are much appreciated!

About 6 weeks ago I ran across a blog post that touched me by Carol of Brown Quilts. You can read it here - http://brownquilts4me.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-always-say.html. I emailed Carol then & though I'm a bit slow, I finally have a box of pillowcases to send her - finished them up today. If you have time time & ability, won't you please send a pillowcase or two (or 16!) to Carol for her friend?

I do have some stitching to show you, but I'll wait on that. I also have some *exciting news* to share soon. :-) You'll just have to wait a bit & see what it is though... stay tuned!

Happy stitching/sewing/quilting.... :-)

SC Stitching GTG - August 6th!!

2011-07-04T11:31:00.002-04:00

Come spend the day stitching in SC - we'll be at The French Hens in Manning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 6th. The cost is $10 which includes lunch with beverage & dessert. Just bring your stitching & have a great day stitching & chatting. Email for more info - amycspals@yahoo.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

What a Wonderful Giveaway..... x 2!!!!

2011-06-29T09:54:00.001-04:00

For those who quilt/sew, check out this super giveaway by Kathy at Quilting Along The Gorge.
I would so love to win this.... cross your fingers for me, will you?! (I never win anything, so I'm NOT holding my breath! lol)

AccuQuilt's Baby Go! and 3 dies of winners choice! Yes, I need one, I really do!

And here is another chance for the same item - wow - double the chance to win - how cool is that?

Check out Craft Buds as well... great blog - you should really check it out!!!

Have a happy Wednesday one & all!

Stitchin' At The Beach - October 2011...

2011-06-28T07:37:00.002-04:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - four days from 8 a.m. until midnight - ocean front - great views, great people! Won't you join us? ;-)

For those who are planning to attend but haven't sent your registration yet, this is just a quick reminder to do so. We are past the half way mark on #'s - so don't wait too long. You don't want to miss out... we're going to have tons of fun, as usual! :-)

Stitchin' At The Beach - October 2011

Colleen & Jon Lee - email me if you'd like - amycspals @ yahoo.com - remove the spaces!

A Finish To Share....

2011-06-26T15:00:00.002-04:00

Stitched on 32 Vintage Buttercream by Lakeside Linen using the GAST that the design calls for.

This design is from the Blackbird Designs "A Stitcher's Journey" book & I stitched it for Carol. We decided back before Easter sometime to do a private exchange and this is what I decided to make for her. USPS shows it was delivered yesterday afternoon, so I thought it was safe to share a picture now. I sure hope Carol likes it! This is one of my two favorite designs from this book & I plan to stitch it again for myself. The fabric used in the finishing & the pincushion is by Blackbird Designs as well... which is my all time favorite. I decided to use different fabrics on the inside, as you can see.

I didn't stitch earlier in the week & night before last, I decided to pick up a new, small project. I hope to finish it tonight - we'll see! :-) I'll be back soon with more to share.

Thanks for stopping by & happy stitching!!

**Edited to add - the first picture makes it look like the fabric on top isn't smooth around the edges. It is, it's the rick rack trim around the outside edge that makes it look that way from the top. Here is another picture showing that part a bit! :-)

Update on Birds of A Feather Mystery SAL....

2011-06-17T09:23:00.001-04:00

This is as of yesterday afternoon - June 16th. I just started part 2, but I have something else I need to work on for the next several days, so this will be put away until I'm finished with it. It really is straight - I just took the picture from the side! :-)

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful weekend!!

Stitching and more stitching.... and a fun day! (*Edited June 5th!)

2011-06-04T21:52:00.001-04:00

First, I want to share my "newest" start - the Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler. I'm stitching on 36 ct Meadow Rue by Lakeside with the suggested WDW's & I just love how it's turning out so far. Not much progress, but I'll get there. :-)

Last June, Karen, Faye, Nicole & I started a "Friendship RR" using Prairie Schoolers "Friends" & "More Friends" leaflets (they're both OOP, sorry!). We each picked the designs we liked best and did our own little "spreadsheet" of who was stitching what for whom so it would be "right" when finished. All of us other than Nicole used Lakeside Vintage Buttercream - Nicole used Lakeside ?? (Can't remember - Vintage Light Examplar maybe?) We got together at the stitch-in at The French Hens today & "delivered" the finished product to each other....

This is a picture of the 3 I stitched...

And individually -

And these are the 3 I received:

Aren't they great!?! And yes, I think we all picked 3 of the same ones - we have great taste - what can we say? ;-) I still have to stitch the one with the house for myself - you can see it below.

And here they are all spread out.... Karen is the only one who has stitched the one she choose to stitch for herself - SO FAR! I want to get mine done - I plan to stitch 2-3 more for myself... (I know, I always have big plans don't I?!)

And the 4 of us (I HATE having my picture taken - ugh!)

Left to right Karen, Amy, Faye, Nicole

And here are a few pictures of the ladies stitching..... a fun time was had by all I think! :-)

I didn't get pics of everyone - sorry - I was too ~~lazy~~ busy stitching to get up & take the pictures! ;-) I'm worn out tonight from all the stitching & chatting & laughing... think I'll read for awhile & get to bed early!

Thanks for stopping by....

Have a great "rest of the weekend" & Happy Stitching!

***Edited Sunday a.m. - Several have asked how I plan to finish the Friendship Squares - my plan is to make them into a "book". Faye actually came up with the idea while we were discussing the RR - and I loved it! I even have fabric already & am anxious to get started. :-) I just need MORE squares stitched. :-) Trust me, I'll share when I make any progress on it. :-) Thanks for asking - have a great Sunday!

A bit of sewing.....

2011-06-01T21:08:00.004-04:00

I have been doing a bit of sewing and a bit of stitching... thought I'd start with the sewing & share something I made for myself this past weekend (well, Monday afternoon actually). Ray told me if I was going to spend time sewing, I'd better make something for me for a change. I don't know why he thinks I don't make things for myself, but I decided to take his suggestion & make this "Grommet Grab Bag" - the pattern is from Indygo Junction. I used California Dreamin' fabric that I just fell in love with - I know, it's not my usual colors - but I like it anyway (even if it isn't red!) :-) My mom came over Sunday while I was cutting it out & she said it reminded her of rainbow sherbet. It just makes me think of summer & the 70's. I was a "child" in the 70's, literally, not a flower child but a child. And it reminds me of a Spirograph, which was one of my favorite toys growing up! ;-) Maybe it reminds me of being totally innocent, but I just had to have the fabric & had to actually USE it and not just "hoard" it. Sometimes that's a problem with fabrics, at least for me! I saw this bag made up while on vacation (though it was different fabric) & bought the grommets at the quilt shop there for one. There were two "handle" choices, I like the one with the "braided" handles. They use 1/4" nylon "rope" covered in fabric & then braided. The bag measures something like 15" wide I think - not small - but I need something to carry the kitchen sink in anyway according to my dad (and he's almost right). :-) I'm quite pleased with how it turned out & will probably make another one someday.... maybe for fall. :-) Just love the grommets - will have to find something else to make using them again.

Soon I'll share some pics of what I've been stitching! But to show you something (or rather "someone") cuter than any of that, we visited my brother & his family Sunday & got to see Abigail again - she's growing! Look how sweet.....

Aunt Amy & Abigail....

She'll be 3 months old on the 10th of June....

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching & sewing!!

Memorial Day...

2011-05-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

I ran across this website tonight and found this very moving - thought I'd post a link to the website & post this to make sure you read it -

"This weekend I am going to do something different. I am going to buy some carnations each day and go to one of the nearby cemetaries and walk through the sections for soldiers. When I find a grave that has no flowers, I'll leave one and say a prayer for the family of that person, who for some reason could not bring their soldier flowers. I will pray for our country and all who serve or have served. For their families, who also serve by losing precious days, weeks and months spent with their loved ones who are off serving, preserving peace and the freedom we have in this country. I'll pray for the families who paid the ultimate price, who's loved ones died, or were taken captive and never returned. I'll pray for anyone who may still be held in captivity and thinks perhaps they are forgotten. I do NOT forget.

I'll say a prayer for every person on the Internet who takes a moment from their time to come to sites like yours and be reminded of what this holiday really means. And I'll say a prayer of thanks and ask God's richest blessings on you.
Thank you again.... and God bless!
Sylvia Mohr"

God Bless.....

For those that sew..... Sew Cherry....

2011-05-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

Found a giveaway that you might be interested in at Cutie Pinwheels blog - (found it via Carol - thanks Carol!)

Can't wait to see what the winner gets - it's bound to be something cute!! I wish there were more hours in the day.....

Happy stiching/sewing/stashing!

Stitchin' At The Beach - October 2011

2011-05-20T16:01:00.000-04:00

The 14th annual Pals Fall Fling in Myrtle Beach, SC - Oct 19-23, 2011 - FOUR days of stitching 8 a.m. to midnight in an wonderful ocean front conference center - what a view! - with some exchanges, games & giveaways thrown in for fun. Details found at the link above. There is also a yahoo group for those who are planning to attend - link is at the bottom of the page here. Email with any questions!

Pass the info along on your blog if you will..... thanks!

Looking for a Blackbird Designs chart....

2011-05-19T08:29:00.002-04:00

I know it's a long shot, but does anyone have Blackbird's "Strawberry Garden" that they'd like to sell or trade? If so, please email me! amycspals@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Amy

Edited to add - I do have a few very early BBD Loose Feathers - including #1 that I'd be willing to trade....

Stash Shopping.... (and then some!)

2011-05-14T18:53:00.005-04:00

Before I start talking about all the fun some of us had shopping at the beach, I want to thank Carol at Carol's Crafty Creations (she's SO talented!) for the mini charm packs I won in her drawing - aren't they great! I can't believe I actually won - that so rarely happens! Thank you so much Carol - I just love these!!

And speaking of fabric.... we hit one quilt shop 3 times (or maybe they hit US, in the pocketbook!)....

I LOVE fat quarters - think I picked out enough this time? The bottom left is "Sunkissed", and two up above that is called "California Dreamin" which I had been looking for. I was thrilled to find it & now wish I'd bought more. Oh well... The two beside of CA Dreamin' is Lilac Hill, which matches the mini Charm Packs above... :-)

Some are just misc. pieces I wanted - some for Halloween finishing & some that I have planned for gift items. Others are "just because" pieces and a few were from the $2 sale "row" that they oh so smartly had built all the way across the front of the counter. How can you pass them by while you're standing waiting to pay? Shame on them.... ;-(

I could have spent 6 more hours & $1000's of $$ in there if I'd had it.

As you can see, I don't buy a lot of "large" pieces because I like making/finishing small items most. I do buy yardage fairly often, but usually only when there is "plan" in place for it. With a few exceptions - see below......

I have a "brat" friend to thank for these - don't you love the penny rug prints on the right? And browns/reds, who can resist? And the REDS on the right - gorgeous! The one in the center is paisley - but the pic isn't very good. They are clickable for a closer view.

Thank you Ms. Brat - love ya bunches! :-)

And Michelle told me to bring home the rest of her fat quarters I made her Huswife's from....

And a few more things I "needed" - love the grommet bag. I'm sure I will use reds/paisleys. And the little wallet kit was too cute to pass up. The fabric is from the fabric line in the pic just above - the green is the same actually! :-) And I had to buy the lime & fuchsia ric rac - haven't seen those colors around to buy!!

And below are a few things I had Ms. Brat to order from me from fabric.com when she was placing an order and she delivered them to me at the beach. The paisley is from the Gallery In Red II series - I have tons of that line from last year, even have USED quite a bit of it. The Full Circle charm packs I LOVED & had to have! So much fabric - so many ideas... anyone know where to find an extra day of the week just for playing with fabric and or actually making something from all of it? ;-)

And we also went two two bead shops - one of them only three times. Yes, I know, but between the 4 of us who actually went shopping, we did well. Next time we'll show EVERYTHING we buy before we leave the parking lot. That way, we won't have to make 3 trips to go back & get what the other one bought.... ;-) Oh and a few of these things came from Michael's as well....

I also used a few of the things I bought and a few just aren't in the picture. I made two fobs, the red/black "crown" and the one with the sandcastle charm while at the beach. Now about the sand castle charm - I bought that charm & a few of the shells on the fob LAST YEAR in the same bead shop. (I LOVE sandcastles!!). I just didn't get it made until this trip... (yes, slow, I know!). I needed more things to make the fob, so I found the Jasper Cross (both of the crosses are Jasper) and the brown shell bead at the top was bought at the "other" bead shop. I think you can click on the picture for a larger view if interested. The fob on the right with the turquoise was made by Michelle KS. She made one for each of us - wasn't that sweet of her? Love the turquoise!

I also saw some of the most gorgeous beaded snowflakes in the display case & "fell in love" on the spot. They had one book in-stock, so it found it's way in my hot little hands & came home with me as well. I didn't take a picture, but you can see it here at Amazon - Beaded Lace Snowflake Ornaments. They are BEAUTIFUL made up!! I have to order some beads & get some made - before Christmas of THIS YEAR! ;-)

And we went to a craft show on Friday before we left. I bought one item and it was from the best booth there imho - look at my leaf (or angel wing, or feather) - whatever you want it to be - isn't it gorgeous!? This was hard carved out of solid walnut by Paul of Whittlers Roost. You can find him on facebook and on Etsy. All of his work is just amazing - just gorgeous! I love Black Walnut & I love the hole in the side, which goes all the way through. Isn't it pretty?!

It's Saturday evening & my plans now are to go & stitch.... let's hope I can do that without falling asleep. I'm worn out after this week....

Have a great weekend & happy stitching......

By the Sea....

2011-05-08T15:21:00.009-04:00

I'm home - did anyone miss me? I was gone you ask? ;-) Yes, I spent the past 7 days at the beach! It was wonderful. When we left, we didn't know how long we would stay, but with the beautiful beach house we rented, the friends, good food & fun, we didn't want to come home after the week was up! We stayed in a lovely oceanfront house - and here is the first pic I took from our balcony last Sunday a.m. just before the sun came up.....

And several more..... (probably on different days - I was up EVERY morning to see the sunrise!)

I think the sunrise over the ocean is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen....

I know this one was from the downstairs deck (house is on stilts of course)

And this was taken on Friday from the bottom deck. I wish we'd taken more pics but we were having too much fun to think about pictures I guess.

and the house from the beach...

This is what we all stitched last week....

From the "A Stitcher's Journey" booklet by Blackbird Designs

I used 32 ct Vintage Blue Whisper and GAST Freedom

And here are the others - all but one, Donna lives there & wasn't staying in the house with the rest of us & we didn't get hers in the picture. (pic should be clickable if you want to see a larger version)

Four of us finished & Susan got fairly close. Aren't they great!?!?! The 3 on the bottom were the same fabric, but different thread colors. In order they are mine, Michelle KS, Susan TN, Debbie OH, Char OH & Laurie NY. We each added everyones initials & they were done over one. You'll see several variations on each one, but that makes them unique, right?

We all had a fantastic time & were all NOT ready to go home. I think we were all shocked at how quickly the week passed by. Now I almost need a vacation from my vacation! ;-) Susan brought her sewing machine & I also 7 Huswifes for the gals while there, started 2 tote bags for Susan & Michelle, we played with beads & I made a couple of scissor fobs (will share pics later). And SOME of us shopped.... we hit 2 bead stores (one of them 3 times!) and the quilt shop (also 3 times -oohhh, I came home with LOTS of fabrics!), and the other "usual" shopping. We went to the movies one afternoon & saw Atlas Shrugged. The four of us who chose that movie all loved it. Laurie & Mason (her dh) went to Fast Five (right name I think?) and they loved it. Char & Debbie just napped & stitched that afternoon I think.

I'll try & post more pics later this week of all my great purchases and gifts. Being in a quilt shop is dangerous for me & my Visa...

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching!

Calling all "Fantasy" Stitchers....

2011-05-01T08:21:00.000-04:00

My friend Terry has set up a blog for those who like to stitch Fantasy designs - you can find it here. http://fantasycrossstitch.blogspot.com/?zx=874e5fe50f05ae6b

Join in if you like - Terry is wonderful & she sure does love the fantasy themes !

Happy stitching!!

Happy Easter - (and more!)....

2011-04-24T20:30:00.004-04:00

I hope you & your family had a very happy & blessed Easter. Ours was very quiet - didn't even open a door and the phone hasn't rang a single time. That can be good sometimes, especially after a busy week!

First I have to show you what my mom found for me at a yard sale a week ago - never thought when I told her to look for one that she'd actually find one for me -

Yes! It's an old printers tray & it's in great condition (though it needs a good dusting!). She called & asked me if I wanted to pay $30 for it - I was like ummm, YES! I already have plans for some of the openings - just have to find time to get busy stitching to fill it up. :-) If you haven't seen one - take a peek at the ones here - scroll down - http://virade.du.coeur.free.fr/index.php?General

They are great aren't they? I'm just thrilled to have one!

Last Sunday my brother called & asked us if we wanted to come see the baby. What a silly question that was! He called our sister too & she got there about 2 minutes before we did. :-) This is a pic Ray took of all 3 of us. I think it's probably the only picture that are 3 of us are in together in probably 8-10 years. And none of us were looking at the camera - we were much more interested in Abigail. They'd both have a fit if they knew I was posting their picture. My sister wouldn't even let Ray take a picture of her - she'd just gotten out of the shower & put her hair in a ponytail with it wet - she was in a hurry to get to see the baby. It was the first time for her since the baby was in the hospital for so long & then my sis had the flu & pneumonia at the same time & then her daughter got sick - they had to stay away. I was nice & let her hold her for all but just a few minutes - it was hard, but I did it! ;-) Abigail is still having some health issues, but we hope she'll soon be better.

And here is Hannah holding her new cousin for the first time! They're both beautiful girls...

Our niece Hannah was out of school last week for spring break, and we played hooky on Tuesday and took her to have lunch at Five Guys (yum!), go to the museum and then we went to Baskin Robbins. Wish we had all that in town here, but we don't. It was a fun day and the weather was gorgeous. We all enjoyed ourselves! On the way home, we stopped & rented a movie from a Redbox & watched that. I think she'd have stayed longer, but my sister said being with us for 10 hours was enough for one day. ;-) We didn't think so, but she went home anyway.

We took a few pics at the museum of something I just fell in love with - look! We weren't supposed to take pics, so shhhh..... They're not the greatest in the world, only one has flash, but I think you can get the idea. Now who wouldn't LOVE to have this next to their chair... I've seen a lot of antiques but never a table quite like this one. I would love to have one.... (the pics should be clickable for a close up view!

Isn't it great?

And last but not least for today - I finally finished up a few more Huswife's that I started a week ago - I was so close, but didn't quite have them finished. LOVE the red/white....

I have been stitching a little - very little - but at least it's something. I know I won't be finished with anything anytime soon, but I'll share when I think to take a picture of what I'm working on. I have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks, hope I can get some stitching in though.

Thanks for stopping by & happy stitching!

SC Stitching Day....

2011-04-15T08:05:00.002-04:00

The next SC Stitching Day is planned for June 4th....

Come spend the day stitching in SC - we'll be at The French Hens in Manning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4th. The cost is $10 which includes lunch with beverage & dessert. Just bring your stitching & have a great day stitching & chatting. Email for more info - amycspals@yahoo.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Sale Blog Updated....

2011-04-11T17:45:00.002-04:00

Thanks for looking - - - - http://amyssaletradeblog.blogspot.com/

A finish from last weekend.... and more!

2011-04-10T11:06:00.006-04:00

This is "Summer Sachet" from Blackbird Designs "A Stitchers Journey" book.

I stitched it last Saturday (the 2nd) and finished it on Sunday a.m. I had planned to post it all week, but never got around to it. I used a little oval box and no, I didn't "paint" it, I liked it this color. Since it's for me, that's good, right? ;-) It was a quick stitch & an easy finish. I have other pieces from the book picked out to stitch & hope to pull the threads later today. It's small, but at least it's a finish & I like it! :-)

We spent Friday & Saturday in NC. We went to Rockingham to the Drag Races yesterday. It was COLD! The high was only in the 50's, it was windy & very cloudy & misted rain a little bit (and it felt like the 30's!). It wouldn't have been so bad had we been prepared for the weather, but it was supposed to be in the 80's! And today is supposed to be around 90 and it's maybe 60.

Anyway, we've never been to the drag races, so it was a new experience and I have to say, it was FUN! It was also loud & smelly - all the burning rubber, but it was still fun. We will, however, find a different location to spend the night. We stayed at a B&B that looked great online - NOT! It was really terribly rundown and the breakfast was not even edible at all. UGH! Other than that though - it was a good time & nice to get away, even if it was only 48 hours. :-)

And here are some "Huswifes" I made last week as well. I'm slow at getting things posted. These are like the one I won in Mermuo's drawing. They were fun to make & will make great gifts I think. The pattern is from one of the books in a previous post. I enjoyed making them & have plans to make more.

Thanks for stopping by - have a great week ahead & happy stitching!

Beautiful Baby Abigail....

2011-04-03T16:26:00.001-04:00

This is my new niece, Abigal Grace and we were able to go & visit her today! She was born March 10th & just got to come home from the hospital on March 31st. She's a beautiful baby & is already so alert. My brother made her smile over & over, and they say little tiny babies don't smile? I beg to differ! And if you look closely, you can see my brother already wrapped very firmly around those little fingers. ;-) He says he can hardly stand to put her down at all. He did go the first 3 weeks of her life hardly getting to see/hold her at all, so I can understand that. Anyway, here are some pics.... :-)

Abigal with her Aunt Amy - who hopes to spoil her rotten!

She never stops moving, even when she's asleep!

Ray caught most of a smile - and tried to get others, but missed!

She certainly knows who daddy is - and will listen to him so intently already. Let's hope she listens in 15-16 years! ;-) Geez, let's hope she listens in 3 years! lol

She has a lot of thicker dark hair on the back of her head and has blue eyes like the rest of our side the family. From the nose down she definetly looks like her mom & big brother though. She's a pretty little girl and still pretty small, though she had hit 6 lbs on Thursday when they brought her home. She goes to the doctor on Tuesday - I'm sure all is going to be okay though. Thanks for letting me share. I LOVE babies, and her being my brother's baby makes her more special!

PS- I'm sure my brother wouldn't be happy at me posting the pics with the "mess" in the background. They had a kitchen fire on Christmas morning & he's still trying to finish everything up since his wife wasn't able to do anything really. I didn't even notice most of it until I saw the pictures - I only had eyes for Abigail today! :-)

Super Saturday!!!

2011-04-02T20:40:00.002-04:00

First, before I talk about my day, I want to thank Merumo for this lovely Huswife she made & sent me! I won one of her "Second Chance" drawings for donating money for the victims in Japan. Isn't this just lovely? I adore it & thank you to sweet Merumo for such a lovely gift!

And here it is open with one of my favorite pair of scissors, some floss I'm currently using and a needle. Isn't this handy - and so very pretty!?

While perusing Merumo's lovely blog, I saw her talking about a book that I ended up NEEDING - and the pattern for the lovely Housewife/Huswife is in it. How neat is that?! I'll have to give it a try one of these days. The book is shown below - Remembering Adelia - with a couple of other books I had to add to my massive stash. The Blackbird Book has a gorgeous xs sampler and beautiful monograms in it as well. You can see pics of those by clicking here.....

Today Nicole came for a visit & we went to Sumter to Five Guys for lunch (YUM!) and to Michael's to spend a few $$. They share a parking lot - who can resist either one? ;-) Afterwards, we can back & stitched for a few hours before she had to head home. It was a fun day & I enjoyed it very much. Nicole is on quite a roll with several large & beautiful samplers - she's making me feel guilty since I haven't stitched hardly at all since my "Heaven Doth Ask" sampler. I started a little project while she was here & it's almost finished - I think I have a dozen or so stitches to put it. I hope to do the finishing on it tomorrow & then I'll share a picture of it - and maybe of another that I stitched on March 30th. :-) Before I get to that tomorrow, I'm going to my brother's house to see my new niece!! She is finally home after spending her first 3 weeks in the hospital. My mom says she's beautiful and I can't wait to see her!! :-)

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful weekend!!

Happy stitching!

Saturday, March 26th - Spring or ??

2011-03-26T19:08:00.001-04:00

It's supposed to be spring, but it sure has turned off "cool" and it's raining this evening. UGH! We really need the rain though, so I won't complain too much. I don't think I've ever seen so much pollen in my life as we've had this year. And I don't know the last time the wisteria was so abundant - see? It's like this all over, but this was pretty amazing. I wish it were across the street instead of 1/2 mile or so away! It's GORGEOUS! I absolutely love wisteria! The yellow jasmine is blooming like crazy too along with lots of other plants/trees. It's a colorful spring, no doubt about that!

I received the cutest gift in the mail from Diane - she is thinking of spring as well. Isn't this the sweetest pincushion? I've seen several more on other blogs - looks like Diane has been thinking of more than one of us this Spring - she is just too sweet! Thank you again Diane for being so kind!

And this is the birthday gift from my dear old friend Donna that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago (camera batteries had died) I taught her to stitch in high school (20+ years ago) and FINALLY, she has stitched something just for me!! I never thought it would happen - lol! ;-) (It's okay, she's knows I'm teasing her!). She even mounted it in the wooden box all by herself! I'm terribly proud of her and I adore my gift. Isn't it pretty?

I haven't been stitching or sewing much at all. Probably not more than 6 hours total the whole month of March. My elbow & shoulder have just been giving me fits. The doctor told me it's from over-use & to rest it. How do you rest your right arm when you are right-handed? My mailman has the same elbow trouble & we've been discussing it lately. He bought an elbow strap and told me today that it really helps, so as soon as he drove away, I went straight to WM & bought one. I was tempted to buy a sling too, but didn't! :-( It's really that bad sometimes. Anyway, I came home & took it out of the box & have had it on for 6+ hours. I lifted the pizza stone a bit ago & didn't even realize I'd done it. AMAZING, since lifting a glass of water makes it hurt. SO, it's working to some degree. I need to go to a different doctor I know.... I just don't want to. :-( Anyway else have really bad elbow pain? If so, what do YOU do for it? If it were just my elbow it wouldn't be so bad. But it's also my shoulder and my arm from my elbow half way to my wrist. Stitching really doesn't make it worse. The pain just puts me in the mood to not feel like picking it up, period. On the upside, I have read quite a few good books this month..... ;-)

Hope you are having a good weekend & happy stitching/sewing to one & all!

PIF Friends..... and they are....

2011-03-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

I used the random # generator (http://www.random.org/) and it came up 6, 1 & 3.

That would be 6 - Sue, 1- Fiona & 3 - Lorrie. (And I'm glad it picked Lorrie or I would have felt really bad - seems she REALLY wanted to join in. I think I'd have had to pick as a runner up if it hadn't hit #3! lol). Anyway, I will send all 3 of you something this year sometime - (hopefully sooner rather than later) and in turn, each of you need to post a PIF on your blog & pick 3 to mail something handmade to. I will need each of you to email me your mailing addresses - amycspals at yahoo.com

Thanks to all who entered. I wish I had time to do something for all 9 of you. If you will check the blogs of these 3 ladies though, maybe you can get in on one or theirs!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Pay It Forward.... (Edited 3/25)

2011-03-23T14:04:00.002-04:00

I was chosen by Carol as one of her lucky PIF recipeints, so now I will pick 3 people for a PIF gift handmade by me. If you would like to be one of my 3 PIF friends please leave a comment. The gift might be anything handmade - stitched, quilting, sewing, embroidery, etc. I will look at your blog/likes & try to come up with something just for you. :-)

If you are chosen to be one of my Pay It Forward Friends you will need to PIF too by posting on your blog paying it forward to 3 friends. Again, it can be anything handmade - stitched, sewn, quilted, embroidered, etc. Would you like to join in?

I'll pick a winner using the random number generator if there are more than 3 who would like to be a part of this (fingers crossed that there are at least 3!).

Thanks & happy stitching!!

Edited to add - I'll pick the PIF friends tomorrow, Saturday March 26th!

Lovely giveaway for a wonderful cause....

2011-03-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

My heart has been breaking for the people of Japan - it's just all so terrible. I've been in a major hurricane, and it was bad enough. But what the people of Japan are going through - there are just no words. :-( Merumo is having a giveaway and if you make donation, you have a chance to win her giveaway. Please visit her blog and if you are able, donate what you can. I never win anything & don't expect to this time, but it's for a very worthy cause.

Thank you Merumo for what you are doing and thanks to all who make donations!

Show & Tell? ;-) Lots to Share....

2011-03-17T16:51:00.002-04:00

The past 2.5 weeks have been very busy/crazy/hectic. The weeks after Market are always busy, and that's a good thing. A lot of other things also happen around here in March and this year has been no exception! And in no particular order..... here goes!   We had a surprise birthday dinner for my dad, my brother, me & Ray on March 9th. It was a surprise because it wasn't planned, just a spur of the moment dinner my mom decided to do, which was nice of her. My brother's wife was due to have a baby any day, and we all wanted the baby to arrive on the 10th so she could share my dad's birthday, AND, for a very "odd" story for those who haven't heard it already....

My dad has two brothers. My sister's only child was born on his younger bro's bday and my brothers first child was born on his older bro's bday. (Kinda odd, right?) So, this baby (his 3rd & last grandchild) *should* be born on his birthday, right? We all thought so!
And guess what?!!   Just after 7 p.m. on the 10th, my new niece, Abigail Grace was born - on her grandpa's birthday, much to every one's delight. She weighed 5 lbs, 2.3 ounces. She's a beautiful baby with lots of very dark hair and long fingers & toes for such a tiny little thing.  Below is a pic of her at one day old - they weren't able to hold her right away as she had to be put on oxygen, so it was almost 24 hours before either of them were able to hold her. Ray & I were watching through the window and it was very sweet. That was last Friday evening. She has been on IV meds since Friday as well and only my bro/sil and our mom/her mom have gotten to hold her.

Well, today, they moved her from our local hospital via ambulance to Children's Hospital in Columbia. They are going to be doing a spinal tap. They will be keeping her at least a week no matter the results I'm told, and depending on the results, possibly longer. She has to be on the IV meds for another 8 days my brother says. When we got the call this a.m. that they were moving her, Ray & I ran to the hospital to see them before they left, and I got to see her (not through a window) and I got to hold her. She's so tiny! Please keep the baby, my brother & his wife in your prayers, as well as the rest of the family too. It's hard on everyone.   (isn't she adorable?)

And the rest of what has been going on isn't as earth shaking as a new birth in the family... but I have had a birthday (this past Sunday) and received a few gifts from lovely friends:

Karen stitched this adorable HIH Bunny Pillow for me - isn't it cute?! And she made the card - they're always so precious!!

Nicole said she wanted to get me something she knew I didn't have - and she did!! Isn't it pretty?!

I don't know why she didn't fill it with scissors - does she think anyone can ever have enough? ;-) Actually, I know for a fact she doesn't! lol That's okay though! I haven't added nearly enough to it yet, but I *probably* have enough to fill it up. IF I don't, I know where to get more!! ;-)

This adorable gift is from Deborah NC (no blog). I think it's the cutest thing & will work well for the retreat "notes, lists & details" I have to keep. It holds a legal pad & I certainly won't have any problems finding it in my tote bag. :-) Didn't hurt that Carol had already monogrammed an "A" & put it on it! I love the super bright colors. I know, strange that I love it & it's not red huh? What is wrong with me lately?

And speaking of colors - I know what some of you will say (that I AM ill), but I fell in love with this new Vera pattern, Folkloric! The motifs & vines remind me of sampler patterns for some reason. The colors are really NOT my usual taste (I hear you Karen! lol) but I really do love this. I think it will be great for Spring! This is a gift I bought for myself because I knew that no one would EVER consider buying me anything in this fabric! :-)

And while at The French Hens for the (wonderful!) stitching get-together last Saturday, Carol was showing us some of the new things she has in. I just loved this tote - and she can monogram anything you'd like on it, I just chose my name. There are other patterns/colors, but I liked this one....

Yes, I know - not my usual taste, but it's just CUTE! And it matches some new shirts I bought for spring/summer. I'm really into fuchsia this year for some odd reason. Is fuchsia the new red for spring? ;-) I guess it is at my house! Anyway, if you're interested in a tote bag or a "basket" like I bought from Carol in Dec (click on Dec. for the pics of that one!) - You can reach Carol at cjackson136@sc.rr.com
She'll be happy to help you!

I have another gift from a friend but my camera batteries are dead. :-( I'll have to share it later. I forgot to take any pics at the stitch-in this past Saturday but we had 19 ladies & we had a great day. (See Nicole's blog for a few pics that she took). It's always fun to get together with friends to stitch & chat - and lunch thrown in doesn't hurt either. The next one is set for June 4th and we'd love to have you join us. I'll keep you updated, but jot it down on your calender & come on down to SC. It will be nice & toasty warm by then! :-)

And if anyone would care to "browse" my stash for sale blog, the link is in the post below. I need to sell it not only to get it out of the way, but also because I ordered furniture for our "spare room" and I need to come up with some extra $$ to help pay for it! lol I can't wait for it to arrive - but it will be a few more weeks I'm afraid. I LOVE it - it's PAISLEY - and many of you know how much I love paisley. We ordered it via Ashley Furniture in Sumter, but you can see pics of it here IF you're interested. (please ignore the prices, I know that's tacky, but it wouldn't let me copy or save the pics. Remember, we didn't buy it here!) Anyway, we're getting two loveseats & an ottoman, which will still leave room for everything else in the room but still give us a nice, comfortable sitting area. I am so excited & can't wait until it arrives!!

If you are still reading - thank you for stopping by. A lot of other things have gone on, but I think this is more than long enough for one day. Oh, and I really haven't been stitching or sewing at all lately. I have read a few books.... and I hope to get my stitching mojo back soon.... wish me luck! Thanks again & happy stitching - have a great weekend ahead!

STASH FOR SALE!!!

2011-03-15T14:14:00.001-04:00

My sweet sister typed a list of all the stash I have for sale and it's posted here http://amyssaletradeblog.blogspot.com/

If you're interested in anything, just send me an email. Thanks!!!

SC Stitching GTG reminder! March 12th!

2011-03-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminder that we're having a stitching day in Manning, SC March 12th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The French Hens. The cost is $10 & includes lunch - payable directly to the French Hens - not to me!
:-) If you have any questions - email me - amycspals@yahoo.com

Hope to see lots of you on the 12th....

First finish of 2011.... (MAJOR Happy Dance!)

2011-02-28T17:23:00.003-05:00

Heaven Doth Ask

Brenda Keyes/The Sampler Company

Stitched over 1, 25 ct with DMC

I made my goal & finished "Heaven Doth Ask" by the end of February - woohoo!!! Needless to say, I LOVE the sampler & I'm THRILLED that it's finished!! It may not look like much, but the 80,000++ stitches in that bottom section (not including the border) was something. I thought I'd never get the sky filled in! Did I say I'm happy that it's done? :-) :-) :-) I picked it back up on Jan. 21st (I think?) and started with the words "Weak though we are" and finished it right around midnight on Feb. 27th. Not too bad considering I can't stitch 10 hours a day! ;-) The pic below was taken after I'd started stitched the first line of words - look at how much of the border was stitched then (not much!). ;-)

I hope to have another UFO finish to show you by the end of April - fingers crossed! I do have some other things (sewing mostly) that MUST be done by then as well, so I imagine I won't have quite as much stitching time - we'll see. The UFO I will work on next isn't over one - that should help a bit. :-)

Thanks for stopping by & Happy Stitching!

Update on Heaven Doth Ask.....

2011-02-08T09:34:00.005-05:00

This is the progress as of last night - but I only stitched about 15 minutes, so it's really the progress as of Sunday night. I honestly have to say I can't believe I've gotten so much done in such a short time, but let me tell you, audio books sure do help me to get some stitching accomplished. I HOPE to have it finished by the end of the month, and it may not look like much, but over 1 on 25 count & that bottom is solid stitching (well over 80,000 in just that section).... it will probably take longer than I'd like. I'm DETERMINED to finish it though, no matter how long it takes! :-) See the post below for the previous progress pictures.

Thanks for stopping by & happy stitching!!

Stitching Updates.....

2011-01-26T18:18:00.003-05:00

Hi & Happy Wednesday! Just thought I'd post a quick update on my little bit of stitching I've been doing this month. Actually, it feels like quite a bit of stitching to me, but it doesn't look like a lot of progress. I guess it is though.... it's hard to "see" it sometimes when you're doing it yourself and you're not "finishing" anything. First up though, is a narrow scarf I crocheted almost 2 weeks ago. Nicole came up and was trying to teach me how to knit (that's HARD!) but I ended up with one of her crochet hooks & made her a dishcloth, then that night & the next I made this scarf. Yes, it's PINK - HOT pink, not pastel pink... there is a MAJOR difference! ;-)

And this is where I was last time I posted a pic of Drawn Thread's Open Heart....

And this is my progress as of last Thursday night (the 20th)..... not a huge amount, but it's better than nothing, right? It's so pretty, but I have to admit, with the 34 ct that I'm having problems seeing and all the speciality stitches, I decided to put it down for awhile..... so.....

I decided to pick up Brenda Keyes/Sampler Company's "Heaven Doth Ask" and get back to it. I was stitching the row of words shown below when I realized I hadn't taken a "before" picture, so here it is...

And this is as of last night - Jan. 25th. This is 25 ct over 1 and though I LOVE it, it really seems as slow as "An Open Heart". The border is super slow going, but I've done quite a bit since last Saturday night. (No stitching last Friday after the concert, I was too tired!)

Here are the pics side by side - guess I have done a bit more than I thought.... maybe that's because I've spent MANY hours listening to Diana Gabaldon's "Voyager" for the past 10 days - it's only 44 hours long - finished it at 2 a.m. this morning. I'm going to miss Jamie & Claire, but I've got to get some sleep before I start the next one.... ;-)

I'll probably keep working on this, at least for a couple more nights. Nicole is coming Saturday I think... so no telling what I might get into after that! ;-)

And aside from the stitching, I spent MANY hours over the past two weekends purging & trying to organize my personal stash. Let's just say I need a 2nd shop..... seriously.... It feels good to have it almost done though!
Now, who wants to buy the whole lot of it??? You'll need a Uhaul.....

Thanks for stopping by & Happy Stitching...

PS- Can you please say a prayer for a dear friend of mine "G"? She has found a lump her in breast and it's going to be a short time before she has any news. Please keep her in your prayers that all will turn out well! Thank you!

I was Hooked On A Feeling but Raindrops Kept Falling On the Head of my Suspicious Mind.....

2011-01-21T22:11:00.001-05:00

Hey, that title doesn't make much sense does it?

Well, not to you I'm sure, but it did to me after the BJ Thomas concert that Ray took me too tonight! LOL Yes, BJ Thomas. Hey, he has 5 Grammy's - and he came to the TINY town we live in, so I had to go & see him didn't I? After all, how often do 5 time Grammy winners come & sing in a town that rolls the sidewalks up at 5 p.m. daily & doesn't unroll them at all on Sunday?! LOL Besides, I like BJ and his songs, and he really sounds great, even after all these years! Seeing as how he had his first hits before I was born, and he's been married just 1 year less than I've been alive, he wasn't my hearthrob when I was young, but OMG, there were enough other ladies there who were ready to swoon! ;-) It was a good show & I had a good time. We were in the 11th row & here are a couple of pics I asked Ray to take for me....

Just thought I'd share my "excitement" for the week. ;-) "I Just Can't Help Believing" that I'll get to stitch this weekend...

Have a great weekend and happy stitching!!

SC Stitching GTG - March 12th!

2011-01-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

The next SC Stitch-in at The French Hens is Manning is scheduled for March 12th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost (paid to The French Hens that day) is $10 for lunch/beverages. Bring your stitching & come for a day of fun with lots of wonderful ladies!

If you're planning to join us, please email me, I need a head count. amycspals@yahoo.com

Thank you & hope to see you in March,

Amy

First Stitching Update of 2011....

2011-01-04T18:37:00.000-05:00

I'm working on Drawn Thread's Open Heart, which I actually just started on Dec. 23rd. The first picture is my progress as of Dec. 31st and the second as of January 3rd. I'm hoping to stitch on it tonight. It seems to be pretty slow going, but I love the design, the silks & all the speciality stitches!!

As of Dec. 31st....

As of January 3rd....

Oh and a PS - the 2nd picture is much more true to color, not sure what happened to the first picture!
Thanks for stopping by....

Happy Stitching,

Amy

Last finishes of 2010 & a lovely gift...

2010-12-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

I had planned to post these pics last night, but after we ate dinner, I didn't feel so good. I think I ate too many "goodies" yesterday! ;-(

First, let me share the lovely gift Karen gave me yesterday..... I ADORE it! She had stitched the same design (different finish) for an exchange at the Pals Fall Fling. I went nuts over it then, guess she remembered! Thank you again Karen, I LOVE it! And it was packaged so cute I hated to open it - well, almost! ;-) Karen also makes the cutest cards/tags, and the gingham on the card matches the finishing fabric on the back - too cute!

Isn't it great!!

And this is what I stitched yesterday afternoon while chatting Karen's ears off. I would have had it finished before she left, but I left out 4 stitches in the middle of the scissors - had to rip it out & fix it. I did that & finished it up within 45 minutes after she left. It's from Pin Pokes I by Homespun Elegance and a QUICK stitch. It's on a 32 ct Lakeside small cut using GAST's floss (yes, I changed the colors a bit - what's new?!) Not sure how I'm going to finish it yet, but I'll decide soon. This will be the last finish for 2010 because I hurt my left arm and don't think after working all day on the computer that I'm up to stitching tonight. Might have to watch one of the movies Karen & talked about on my iPad via Netflix... that way it won't "bother" Ray since he's busy tonight.

And last but not least is JBW Designs French Country Angel. I finished this just before Christmas & I will make an ornament out it - maybe tomorrow afternoon. It's on 25 ct over 1 and I changed the word from "Angel" to "Believe" using the word from a freebie - I'll have to look for it & edit the post later. I LOVE how it turned out. One can never have too many ornaments - or angels!

Thanks for stopping by & hope you have a happy, healthly & very blessed New Year!

HAPPY STITCHING!!

Up For A Challenge??? ;-)

2010-12-29T17:26:00.005-05:00

Okay, I decided to join in the "Up for a Challenge" blog this year, and according to Karen, who was just here for the day, she thinks I have the right idea! ;-) Poor Karen got all nervous seeing all my pile of WIP's/UFO's. She's promised to *encourage* me this year to get at least some of them finished. I'm hoping she'll be able to help - though she might have to use some *tough love* at some point - I'm ready though. I can admit I'm not getting too far on my own with these projects. :-( Sad but true.....
Here's the list I posted on the "Challenge" blog -

If I can finish 5 of the things from my list in 2011, I'll be quite happy!

Here's my list - and I reserve the right to edit! ;-)

1. Stoney Creek - The Lord's Prayer
2. Shepherd's Bush - Holy Night
3. Prairie Schooler - Snowflake Tree (from Christmas Trees I leaflet)
4. Rosewood Manor - And A Forest Grew
5. Brenda Keyes - Heaven Doth Ask
6 - 10. Drawn Thread - Spring Arbor, Summer Arbor, Autumn Arbor, Winter Arbor
11. My Big Toe - Be Not Forgetful
12. Just Nan - Queen of the Needle Sampler Sewing Case
13. Bygone Stitches - Quaker Virtures (3 pages!)
14. Drawn Thread - Open Heart
15. Victoria Sampler - Count Your Blessings Etui

And not started but hopefully a finish in 2011 -
Shepherd's Bush America

Nothing small, nothing even halfway finished! I've lost my mind - and this is just a drop in the bucket....

Okay blogging friends - I hope you will all help me with my goal - 5 items from this list finished by Dec. 31, 2011. Okay, enough laughing at me. I'm being serious here!

Have you stopped laughing yet? Hello..... is anyone out there? Please get up off the floor........ hello???? Will someone please answer me????

PS-I'll be back later with a couple of pictures! :-)

My Christmas Tree...

2010-12-24T00:10:00.000-05:00

Ray took some pictures of our Christmas Tree this evening. Yes, it's full, but that's okay, I love it! :-)

Pics should be clickable for a larger view if you're interested!

We have all types of ornaments on our tree. Some are older than me and many are handmade. You'll see lots of brass ornaments that are engraved with our names. We have one from every Christmas we've been together - since 1985. There are ornaments I made as a child in school, church & girl scouts, some my mom bought before I was born, some I remember helping her make, etc. Some were bought at the craft shows we used to do, or given to us by other crafters we were friends with. The crocheted bells, angels, snowflakes, etc. were made by either Ray's dear Grandmother or myself. She taught me to crochet not long after Ray & I started dating. She was a very special lady & we both miss her a lot. Seeing the ornaments she made every Christmas brings back lots of special memories of time spent with her. A lot of the ornaments are also gifts from my online friends, especially all the snowmen! :-)

Here are a few "close-up" pictures:

The ornament below with the cardinal was made by my mom with my "help" when I was 5 or 6. She was in a "craft of the month" club & I so looked forward to those coming in the mail. I remember being totally fascinated with these, it was a set of 3. One had a snowman, one a deer & this cardinal. She still has the other two on her tree - but she gave me this one many years ago. :-)

The red ornament to the left was made when I was about 7 in Brownies. I can remember that night very well too... I have 4 of these & my mom still has several as well. LOVED making these then, and they're still special to me.

My mom was the assistant troop leader the entire time I was in scouts, and always in charge of all craft projects. She & my dad were co-owners in a stained glass shop that also carried all types of craft items until we moved to SC. She was always making something & we went to craft supply stores on Saturday's fairly often. I LOVED those trips. Hmmm, I think I still do that now & then, but it's not as much fun as it used to be! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

More to share....

2010-12-22T21:30:00.001-05:00

The mail on Monday brought more lovely gifts! Above & below are the goodies that Diane surprised me with!! Wasn't that sweet of her? We met in Myrtle Beach in October at the Pals Fall Fling, but we had chatted online a bit before that. She's a lot of fun & so very sweet to think of me with such a thoughtful gift - and it's all RED!! (well, almost, but I don't know that Altoids would be edible if they were red!) ;-) She did a very creative finish - with lots of painting too! Isn't it great? Thank you again Diane, I appreciate it so much!

And look at this cute ornament from sweet Vonna! Cute huh? Great timing as I had pulled it out to stitch, it made it here just in time! :-) It's now hanging on my tree for all to see! Thank you again Vonna, it's wonderful & very kind of you to make it for me!

This is the amazing "Road to Bethlehem" by Blackberry Lane Designs that my dear friend Char stitched for me earlier this year. It's 40 ct over 1, with a full x, just absolutely stunning!

I've had it for awhile & Jill Rensel did the mats for it. Blue suede with Jills *famous* hand painting..... isn't it stunning? I looked for a frame for awhile but just didn't want a "gold" frame. Finally decided on this simple wood molding & Ray finally got it framed, just in time for Christmas. It's going to hang by my computer year round. After all that work, no way am I going to store it with the rest of the Christmas decorations... it's bad enough to have to put away all my wonderful Christmas ornaments.....

And speaking of ornaments - here are all but my large tree..... I'll share it tomorrow, have to get a decent picture of it first.

**I think all of the pics are clickable for a larger view in case you're interested!
This is in the dining room by the buffet. As you can see, it's covered in stitched ornaments... you might see something you made if you look close.... ;-)

This is an ornament tree in my bedroom. Once again, all stitched ornaments... see any that you might have stitched? ;-)

And a couple more views of it....

This one is on the dining room table and is mostly smaller ornaments. There are a few snowmen on this that aren't stitched. I know, shame on me huh? Couldn't resist though....

I'm going to have to do more ornaments for this little tree, that will give me a good excuse to stitch more ornaments. Maybe over 1 - what do you think?

Again, a couple more views to see more of the ornaments....

And this is new this year, don't you love it? I DO!! My mom found this Jim Shore Nativity set at a sale a couple of Friday's ago, new in the box, still in plastic - and she paid a whopping $2.00 for it! Someone had obviously lost their mind I think! I'm thrilled with it... who wouldn't be!?!

If you're still reading, you're probably saying I certainly have enough stitched ornaments. I keep telling you I'm an ornament addict. I'm not really sure why, but I sure do love them. My mom does too, and she doesn't help when she finds "one more" that I must have. ;-) It's all good though!

My dear "old" friend Donna was here a couple of weeks ago & the first thing she said other than hello was "I don't think you have enough ornaments, you need more" - and she wasn't even trying to hide her sarcasm. I told her she was right, and I would continue to collect! ;-) She was being honest though, I sure do have a lot.... and by this time next year, I plan to have even more! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by - check back tomorrow for MORE pics....

Happy Stitching!!

Lots to share...

2010-12-18T16:14:00.001-05:00

Hi & Happy Saturday! It's cold & raining here. If the temps drop much, we might have sleet or snow. UGH! I know, it's *almost* Christmas, but I don't like cold at all!

I wanted to share a few more embroidered pillows/ornaments I've done, almost all are gifts. I've done a few more that I gave away without taking pics, but I'm sure you get the idea from the many pics I've already posted....

First - more birds...

And more snowmen....

Next are a few zipper bags that I made for a few friends. Hope they find them as useful as I do! I just LOVE this back fabric, wish I could find more of it.....

And here are some lovely things that were given to me this week....

First, from Jeanne in IL, one of my very first friends on the Internet, (14 years next week) - this came in today's mail!!! She knitted two cotton dishcloths in my favorite colors and sent me a Willow Tree Friendship Angel ornament! Thank you so much Jeanne - she is already on my tree, just love her!!

Next is a wonderful (and oh so useful!) zipper bag that Myra made - don't you love this fabric? It's called Williamsburg Sampler (I know because I have a small amount in my fabric stash cause I love it!). Thank you again Myra, I appreciate your thoughtfulness so much!!

And last but certainly not least are two Mill Hill Bird ornaments that Kathy made for me. (You can see Kathy in the Dec. 4th Stitch-In pics below - she has the black/bright green tote!). Aren't they just the cutest little birds you've ever seen? I adore them Kathy - thank you again! They went right on my tree as well. I thought my mom might try to sneak off with them yesterday when she stopped by - she loves birds as well!

Thanks to all of you for being so kind & thinking of me this Christmas season, I really appreciate it!

Things this year are a bit sad - knowing friends that have lost or are losing loved ones, the bad economy & worry about what's to come, more things that need to be done than there is ever time for, and the list goes on. BUT I'm still trying to be/think positively. I've decided not to put too much pressure on myself trying to make everyone else happy & to try do just what's *right* and good, and to let the rest go. I guess you could say I just want to do the best I can and hope that it's good enough. I think it will be for those who really care!

Off to see if I can get some gifts wrapped before supper. My sister was commenting this a.m. that my tree was lovely, but there were certainly NO gifts under it! lol I need to take some pictures of my tree as well. LOTS of new ornaments have been added this year - most of you know by now that I ADORE Christmas ornaments - almost to the point of obsession... I can't help it, and they make me happy, so I'll continue that obsession! :-)

Thanks for stopping by - happy stitching!!

And the winner is.....

2010-12-18T08:38:00.003-05:00

Hi & Happy Saturday!

I used the random number generator to pick a winner - and for the first time in MY use, it came up with #1, so Nataly, you are the winner! Thanks to all who entered! I have more to share today, but I have to get some work done before mail pick-up, so I'll be back this afternoon!
Thanks to all who entered!!

Have a great Saturday & Happy Stitching!!

PS- Marie (NC), will you please email me? I don't seem to have your address handy for some reason!

L@@K at this pkg from my Secret Santa!!

2010-12-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

I received a big box of goodies from my Secret Santa last week and I wanted to share! This was via the Cross Stitch Pals group & Toni IL had my name - look at all of this... just fantastic isn't it?

First, the way she had it packed..... isn't he too cute!!

And all the "loot".... everything is just great, but you can see that for yourself!!

And my FAVORITE is this beautiful ornament that Toni made....

And the back...

I love it - and it's one that I did not have & wanted! Wonder if a little elf told her that? Someone must have told "Santa" that I've been pretty good this year to get such a wonderful surprise package from my Secret Santa - I was blown away by all of it. Thank you again Toni - it's all wonderful! :-)

Don't forget about my drawing - see the post below!

Thanks for stopping by & Happy Stitching!!

See, I have been stitching! And a GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-12-10T14:51:00.002-05:00

I have been doing some stitching and some embroidery over the past few weeks. Here are some of my finishes......
First are two ornaments by Jardin Prive' - I like this one so much I've already stitched it twice, once as a gift & once for the exchange at the stitch in last weekend. Nicole has that one and the gift was mailed today! I think they're cute... love this design & I plan to stitch it again!

Next is the 2009 Santa from Homespun Elegance, which I stitched for myself. I like how he turned out and he's on my tree! (the red isn't really as bright as it looks - the pic is a little "off").

And here are two things I made as gifts - the recipients already have them!

Lizzie Kate's Ho Ho Ho Scissor Case (and scissors!)

Shepherd's Bush "Our Hearts" (the back is stitched too!)

Last but not least we I have made more than a couple embroidered ornaments, all have been given away so far & I have several more to finish & get mailed - better late than never, right? I have enjoyed making them & I hope the recipients will like them as well. I have one "extra", and I am going to give it away to someone who would like to have it, so if that's you, leave a comment that you'd like to win and I'll draw a name from the entries next week. It is a snowman if that helps at all!

There has been lots going on here with business, family, the holidays, etc, so I haven't spent much time on blogs keeping up. Hope you are all well & having a great December so far. Check back soon for more pics!

Happy stitching!!!

Down Sunshine Lane Blog....

2010-12-07T18:32:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd already posted a link - not sure where my mind is lately!

http://downsunshinelane.blogspot.com/

Stop by - drawing later this week for followers!!

Happy stitching,

Amy

Items for Sale - from my sister!

2010-12-07T16:40:00.003-05:00

My sister has some items for sale. She is VERY trustworthy - you can check her ebay feedback if you like. She does have pets in the home.

If you are interested in anything, please email her - lorievarn@yahoo.com

**Postage will be added to the totals.

She will accept PayPal or postal money orders. She's very quick to ship & she'll respond to your emails quickly as well. Here is her list -

All items are NEW!

Pine Mountain Designs "Tie on June" Tie One On Kit -$10

Pine Mountain Designs New Love New Joy Tie One On Kit - $10

Shepherd's Bush Grow Love Kit - $7.50

Shepherd's Bush Snow Child Kit - $18.00

Bent Creek Land Of Liberty Zipper Kit OOP - $15

Mirabilia Christmas Tree 2006 Kit - $36

Lizzie Kate Happy Hoppers Happy Easter Pocketbook Kit OOP - $14

Just Nan Whimzi Limited Edition Horrified Chart & Ornament Frame with Pumpkin - OOP & Rare - $22

Just Nan Ginger Joy Ornament Kit & Ginger Joy Pewter Frame - OOP & RARE - $45.00

The Hearts Content Kit #48 1995 "Annual Ornament" OOP - $13.00

Fun Day Yesterday....

2010-12-05T09:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the SC Stitch-In, and we had a great time! Or at least I did - I think the rest did as well. We had 16 or 17 - a few had to cancel & we're sorry you did. You missed a fun day. We'll do it again in Feb. or March, so watch for a date after the holidays. Here are some pictures for you....

I don't think there was a time when EVERYONE was seated! LOL We did have fun though! There is no telling what kind of pics you might see pop up on blogs - many of acted silly while pics were being taken. I don't know how much stitching was actually done, but I heard a few comments about me - that I'd gotten more done than expected - that I'd actually threaded a needle - hmmm, I think these gals know me quite well...... ;-)

And while we were at The French Hens, Carol, who has a business called "CJ's Creations" based in the cafe was put to work by some of us. Look at our great new stitching totes -

This is Yvonne holding mine - it's brown w/red - I (heart) Cross Stitch. Yvonne's wasn't ready yet, but you can see it in the pic below - it's really cute!

This is Kathy with hers, which was a gift from Debbie - that lime green on black looks great - Kathy LOVES Halloween so this is perfect for her.

Below are 5 of them - are they're great. Click on the pic for a larger view.

If anyone is interested in one, they're about $28 (I think?) and Carol will ship them to you. You can have anything you like monogrammed on one.... the I (heart) Cross Stitch is saved in her files now. You can reach Carol at cjackson136@sc.rr.com

I do have some stitching pics to share, will post those later!

Thanks for stopping by & watch for a date for the next stitch-in. She can seat up to about 40+, so the more the merrier next time.

Happy Stitching!

A few more items for sale.....

2010-11-24T17:24:00.010-05:00

Little House Needleworks Thead Packs Peace. 5 skeins of Crescent Colours floss included. $10 + postage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Readers Digest Big Book of Cross Stitch Designs - Hardcover - 320 pages - Retail $29.95 - asking $18 plus book rate postage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lorri Birmingham Butterflies & Hearts Tin Cover Kit - OOP

Kit includes White Monaco, Silk Mori, Overdyed Silk Floss, Floss for cording, Blending Filament, Pearl Beads, Needles, Photo, Chart & instructions. Asking $7 + postage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kreinik Collection #8 - Gingerbread
New, unopened kit. Asking $13.00 + postage.

The set includes: Cord (021C), Very Fine (#4) Braid (003, 021, 022, 100), Japan Thread #7 (021J), and 1/8" Ribbon (332).

The Gingerbread man cross stitch pattern is designed by Pam Kellogg.

This Gingerbread-Metallic Gift Collection is new and factory sealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kreinik Christmas Tree Globe Kit - asking $13.00 + postage.

This delightful Christmas Tree design can be framed or finished as an ornament. It's perfect for snow-globe collectors!

Boxed kit contains everything you need:
• 40-count framed silk gauze
• stitching needle
• Kreinik silk and metallic threads to stitch the design
• complete instructions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All items are new & from a smoke/pet free home. I'm trying to clean out my stash a bit, check back soon for more items! amycspals@yahoo.com

Jim Shore - FOR SALE!

2010-11-22T09:54:00.004-05:00

I have the following Jim Shore peices for sale - all brand new in box, never displayed. I purchased them last year a gift & then found out that she doesn't "like" ornaments. Go figure! I think they're great & can keep them, but I'm saving up for something "big" for myself - so thought if I could sell them, I'd be one step closer to MY purchase!!! :-)

4014455 Roly Snowman with Snowflake - price on box is $14.99 http://www.oldtowngifts.com/jim_shore/4014455.htm asking $12

4014456 Christmas Tree Hanging Ornament - price on box is $14.99 http://www.oldtowngifts.com/jim_shore/4014456.htm asking $12

105184 Square Quilt Ornament Holder - TWO of these - price on each box is $11.99 - bottom left on page - http://www.oldtowngifts.com/enesco_jimshore/heartwood_creek_ornament_holders.htm (NO ornament included) - asking $10 each

Again, all of the above are brand new - never displayed.

Postage is extra & will be based on weight. Will send anywhere.....
Email if interested - amycspals@yahoo.com

A few finishes....

2010-11-16T22:01:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not, I've been doing a little bit of stitching/sewing lately and below are a few of my finishes. This is LHN's Joy To The World, one of my favorites by Diane. I made it into a small pillow instead of an ornament. I love this one!

I've been wanting to do some embroidery "just because". I found a pattern in a quilt shop during the Pals Fall Fling last month that had 8 or so little snowmen all done in red. It doesn't get much better than that - so here are my first 4. I haven't done any embroidery since childhood - it's fun! And boy is it faster than stitching! I did these 4 on Sunday & I think they're pretty cute if I do say so myself. I have a few more traced onto fabric - some are for gifts - hope the recipients will like them!

I do have a few other items stitched but they aren't finished yet, so I'll save them to show later.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stitching!!

SC Stitch-In - December 4th!

2010-11-08T08:37:00.001-05:00

The next SC Stitch-in is set for Dec. 4th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $10 & includes lunch (at the French Hens - payable to them, don't send me $$!) and beverages.

We are going to do a small Christmas Gift Exchange - a stitched/finished Christmas Ornament and something stitching related (gadgets, threads, fabrics, etc. valued at $10) included in the gift bag. You don't have to do the exchange if you'd rather not - you can just come for the day to stitch & have fun.

I WILL need a head count, so if you are coming or planning to come, please let me know. amycspals@yahoo.com (for those who have already let me know, can you please email me again? I shredded the list by mistake - oops!)

For those who can't make the drive in one day, there are 5 nice hotels within 2 miles or less from the location, so you can spend the night if you'd like. Hope to see you in December!

2010 Pals Fall Fling - Part 3 - Lovely Gifts....

2010-11-03T21:56:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share the lovely gifts that were given to me this year at the Pals Fall Fling. First up, the hand-made goodies from my Pals!

This cute pin cushion & fob were made by Karen AZ & Michelle WA. They are great Pals & we are glad they were both able to come again this year. We are looking forward to seeing them next year as well! Thanks gals for these goodies - one can never have enough pin cushions OR scissor fobs! :-)

Next is a lovely stitched piece by Charlene in SC. I just met Charlene in August and didn't get to spend much time with her at the beach, but I will get to see her again in Dec. at our next Stitch-In (see post below - join us!). This is a wonderful design that she stitched OVER ONE and in RED - it doesn't get much better than that! Thank you again Charlene - I appreciate it so much!

And next - this is from the ever thoughtful Faye NC. I don't think she ever visits (anywhere!) without a gift for someone. She's just so sweet! She made this wonderful piece for me - can you see all the TINY buttons on it? It's so cute anyway, but the buttons just make it. There are even buttons on the back - she has some better pics on her blog if you'd like to see more! :-) Thank you again Faye - it's wonderful!!

Oh and if you haven't seen any of Faye's packaging (the way she gives her lovely gifts), nows your chance. She's SO creative!!

This beauty is from my friend Toni in IL. She's been to 3 of the Pals Fall Flings and she's already planning to attend in 2011!! Isn't this just gorgeous? I love it Toni, thank you so much!!

If I've missed anything from anyone, it's because it's still packed away. I still have a box or two that we brought home from MB that I haven't gotten around to. I hope to get the rest put away this weekend!

And I have to show you a gift *I* bought for myself - I fell for this at first sight! Kind of like "you had me at hello" - well, this one had me immediately. I fought with myself as it was not something I really needed, but I wanted it so much! I'm just thrilled with it - I think it's truly LOVELY! My dad has always worked with wood, as his dad, and his grandfathers, and great grandfathers - all the way back as far as we could trace my dads side of the family have been carpenters. Ray also does A LOT of woodwork (which many of you know). Anyway, I appreciate the amount of work & the craftsman ship of something like this - AND it had a burled walnut top - it was impossible for me to pass it up (and I really did try!). Anyway, here is my Shaker Sewing Box - made from Cherry & Burled Walnut. Isn't it LOVELY!?!?!?

Open, with the tray out -

and with the tray in...

Again, I just had to have this & don't regret buying it for myself at all!! Several have asked me what I'm going to use it for. Well, for now, it's too look at. To me this is "art" and though I know it can (and should) be used, for now, I'm just going to admire it! :-)

To Roberta - the group photo from the Pals Fall Fling is two posts down....

Thanks for stopping by & don't forget about the December Stitch-In here in SC - the info three posts down - do join us - it's lots of fun! HAPPY STITCHING

2010 Pals Fall Fling - Part 2......

2010-10-31T19:01:00.005-04:00

What a busy week I've had (not complaining - just saying......). Spending almost a week at a stitching retreat at the beach IS truly WONDERFUL, but catching up from being away for almost a week is hard to do! Anyway, here I am back with more pics from the Pals Fall Fling.... these are from the exchanges we did.

Below are 2 pics of my "grab bag" from this year. Thanks to Susan & Charlene for both taking pics of it & sending them to me. :-) (I didn't get any pics this year, as I think I said in the last post). I decided to do a " bolt of fabric" and the bolt had "stash" in it. Ray took the end off, cut the bolt down, filled it with the stash & put the end back on. Then we folded the 3 yards of this lovely Moda fabric into 1/3's & rolled it onto the bolt. It was fairly popular - it came in 3rd for being "stolen" the most - not bad out of 60+ grab bags! Yvonne ended up with it & I sure hope she was happy with the contents. :-)

Next is the grab bag I got! Can you tell what it is? Of course you can! It's a basket in the shape of the state of SC! Isn't that tissue paper really cool too? It was shrink wrapped with a SC sticker on it too - but of course I had to open it so that came off really quickly! It was from Karen SC & filled with all kinds of great things (lots of threads, buttons, beads, fat quarters of finishing fabric, a tuck pillow, stork scissors with a blue beaded fob w/a SC state flag charm, marking pins she made to match - and the list goes on!) The thing that really made my day though was the paper you see laying on top (it was under the tissue paper when I got it, of course!). Karen has a rubber stamp of SC with the Palmetto Tree & Crescent Moon (our state flag) as you can see, and if you scroll down the the next picture you can see a close up of what it says....

The "mark" on the map is Down Sunshine Lane & it's a Gift Certificate to DSL. Karen, you have no idea how much this means to me. Not the GC (though I do thank you for that as well!), but what you wrote on it. I'll be saving this - and I won't forget it! :-) Wasn't that super sweet of Karen? If you know her, you know that's the kind of person she is. If you don't know her, you really should - she's a wonderful person and I'm so happy to call her my friend! :-)

:-) :-) :-)

Next up we have the two Halloween Exchange items from Thursday night. First is this adorable witches hat by Patti OH - isn't it cute? She did a great job with both the stitching & finishing - it's really adorable! I don't know who the designer is, but it's just super cute...

And next is this wonderful Blackbird Designs stocking complete with beaded hanger by Yvonne. She did an amazing finishing job on this cutie - I was thrilled to get it! :-) I knew it would be gone by the time I got to choose - so I was thrilled when it was still there & it's ALL MINE! :-)

Next - since my camera was blinking that the batteries were about to go, is a group shot of the 7 Christmas ornaments I received on Friday night. Aren't they all lovely? I just adore each of them!!

The first one, the tree on the top left is from Donna K. in SC, the hardanger heart was done by Laurie from NY, the biscornu is from Char OH, the center design is from Toni IL, the bottom right Peace Tree is from Donna H. SC, who I taught to stitch while we were in high school - and I've FINALLY got something she stitched - after all these years! ;-) The bottom center is from Susan TN and the Peppermint on the right is from Faye NC. As I said, I adore all of these ornaments & also all of the ladies that stitched them!
Click on the image to get a closer view of these beauties...

If I can remember, I'll try to get some close up pics of these soon - they're all really lovely!

And last but not least, this is what I received in the Stitched Exchange on Saturday night!
It was stitched by Fiona from Scotland - isn't it pretty? There are 3 pics so you can see the whole piece. It's really pretty I think, don't you agree? :-)

Open - and she included needles and a needle threader to match!

And open so you can see the front/back..... so pretty!

I do have another post to make to show you the gifts that were given to me - but I think they deserve their own post. Look for Part 3 to come.....

Thanks for stopping by & HAPPY STITCHING!!

2010 Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling!!!

2010-10-26T19:08:00.003-04:00

I'm back from a week at the beach & the 13th annual Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling! That's part of why I haven't posted in so long - I've been SUPER busy. I had a great time & enjoyed seeing all my "old" friends & meeting MANY new friends. I didn't get to stitch much but I stayed plenty busy! The new location was FANTASTIC & the dates are planned for 2011 - Oct. 19-23, you'll have to join us! :-)

I have lots of pics to share of stitching & goodies, but I will split it up into several days.... and here's the "first installment"..... MY stitching for the fling....

These are my "Halloween" exchanges for Thursday night - Wicked & Spooky -

This is a picture of the 6 of the ornaments I took for the Christmas Ornament exchange on Friday night -

The top/right 3 are from Zweigarts Christmas Redwork, the botton is a Poppy Kreations design, the left is a Lizzie Kate and the center is a Renato Parolin design. I don't know who got any of them other than the red "ornament" - but I do hope they will enjoy them.

I made a couple of others & kept them for myself - another "Be Merry" by Poppy Kreations and a LHN that I made a few changes on - including the colors - I LOVE how they both turned out! :-)

This is a kit that I've had for several years that I had thought to use in the Fall Exchange, but after I got it done, I decided to keep it & use it as an "ort box". It's stitched on 32 ct linen over 1 and box was a part of the kit. Isn't it cute?

And last but not least (for this post!) is what I made for the Saturday night "Stitched Exchange" - Little House's "Needle & Thread Bed". My friend Laurie from NY got to take it home and she has LOTS of scissors to put in it too! :-)

So that's a bit of what I've been doing. I'll post soon with things I received in the exchanges!!

Happy stitching!!

SC Stitch-In - December 4th....

2010-10-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

The next SC Stitch-in is set for Dec. 4th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $10 & includes lunch (at the French Hens - payable to them, don't send me $$!) and beverages. We are going to do a small Christmas Gift Exchange - a stitched/finished Christmas Ornament and something stitching related (gadgets, threads, fabrics, etc. valued at $10) included in the gift bag. You don't have to do the exchange if you'd rather not - you can just come for the day to stitch & have fun.

I WILL need a head count, so if you are coming or planning to come, please let me know. amycspals@yahoo.com

For those who can't make the drive in one day, there are 5 nice hotels within 2 miles or less from the location, so you can spend the night if you'd like.

Pinkeep Story : lever de rideau!

2010-09-23T16:04:00.001-04:00

I ran across this earlier today & had to buy it - love the designs/designers and the $$$ goes to Unicef - it's 16 euro for the PDF version & of course more if you wish to have it mailed to you. It's WELL worth the $$$$ - some lovely designs! Check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed - 12 designs by Blackbird Designs, Little House Needlworks, Jardin Prive, With My Needle, Isa V., Marie Suarez, C Mon Monde & more!!!! Pinkeep Story via Gigi....

HAPPY STITCHING!!!

And the winners are.....

2010-09-17T08:39:00.001-04:00

Here is what I won -

and my mom won this -

Many of you guessed right on me winning the Ott Light - and more of you said you hoped I won it! Can you believe it? LOL I couldn't. My mom ALMOST won the $10 gift card but at the very last second, it slipped past the little knob & ended up on the science kit. Hannah is thrilled to have the science kit though - she's planning to work on it this weekend! ;-)

So, the winners are:

JeanneIL for guessing I won the Ott Light (Random.org picked 8)

Nan for guessing my mom won the Science Fair Kit

AND

Karen for being the one person who guessed them both correctly!

I didn't use Random.org for Nan & Karen - just thought I'd send them both a little something! :-)

Thanks to all for playing along! Will the winners please email me? I'll send out prizes as soon as I hear from the winners!!

Happy stitching!

Truly STUNNING.....

2010-09-16T16:01:00.002-04:00

Blackberry Lane Designs "The Three Wisemen"

Stitched OVER ONE on 40 ct Newcastle w/DMC

Isn't this GORGEOUS beyond belief? My dear friend Char stitched this for me. It came in the mail today & I'm just speechless. I told her she needed to keep it, but she is going to stitch it again for herself - she is going to do the series of 6 over one and make a bellpull out of them. I've already been in touch with Jill Rensel about framing mine!! Can you imagine - 40 stitches in a an inch - 1600 in a square inch? It just boggles my mind. I don't mind stitching over 1, but on 40 count? Geez......

I've known Char for 12 years and she has gifted me with several beautiful stitched gifts - they just seem to get better & better!

And changing the subject - I'll have the drawing for the winner of my contest (below) tomorrow!!!

Happy stitching!!!

Edited to answer Missy's question - she stitched it with full x's! She said after she'd gotten a fair amount done she wishes she'd used /'s though - it got a bit "bulky" even with one strand - but it's still GORGEOUS!

What a week.... (and a giveaway)!

2010-09-13T00:01:00.003-04:00

This past week hasn't been pleasant - to say the least! We took last weekend off for Labor Day & got a lot done around here - including what I posted about in my last post on Labor Day. That night, I got SICK! I had a go round with Vertigo, and it's still not completely gone. I can't remember the last time I crawled into bed & just stayed there for almost 2 full days. I had to get up to go to the doctor and the meds have made me feel almost as bad as the rest of it. She said it is sinus infection and inner ear trouble. I'm still feeling woozy & sick at my stomach and only have one more day of meds left. UGH! I sure hope I feel better after I finish these meds! I don't want to have to go through this again.

Yesterday I spent the day with Nicole. She's been away most of the summer & I sure have missed her & her visits. Hopefully she will come back again soon. Thanks again for all your help yesterday Nicole, I sincerely appreciate it! :-)

A new Michael's store opened in Sumter and today was the start of their grand opening week. I wanted to go & so did my mom, so off we went. We had lunch at Five Guys which shares a parking lot with Michael's, don't you LOVE their burgers & fries? I sure do! I didn't buy too much as I really didn't need anything - did get a couple of small gifts for my mom & niece, a couple of little things for my grab bag for the Pals Fall Fling, some felt to finish some ornaments, couple of things from the dollar bins, and registered for a couple of drawings. When we were about done, it was time to spin the prize wheel! (I need one of those for the Pals Retreats - wish they weren't so expensive!) I had looked at what was on the table (and on the wheel) & to be honest, it was mostly "junk" imho - did not look as good as what was listed on the prize wheel. I had the chance to win a pretty "ugly" jewelry kit, yarn in either pastel pink or baby blue, some paint brushes and paints (not to be given away together!), a kids Science Fair kit, a pair of jewelry pliers, a magnet, Crayola Markers, a couple of things that I THINK had something to do with Cricut or some sort of scrapbooking, a $10 Gift Card and a small Ott Light. So I took my spin - and guess what I won? No really - Guess! This is what the giveaway is all about! ;-) (Hint - It obviously wasn't the items that had to do with Scrapbooking! LOL).

Make a guess by leaving a comment to this post with what you think I won & I'll pick a winner later in the week from one of the correct guesses. I've told two people, so sorry my friends, but your guesses won't count. What will you win? It will be a surprise - but you can tell me if you prefer something stitching related or fat quarters for sewing/finishing if you're the winner! ;-)

Hope you have a great week ahead - Happy Stitching!!

PS- My mom also had a spin on the prize wheel. You can make a 2nd guess in your post as to what she won if you'd like - I'll pick two winners later in the week!

I've been sewing....

2010-09-06T18:42:00.001-04:00

I've finally gotten around to making myself a tote bag! I have about a dozen different fabrics/ideas for one, and this is what struck me on Saturday evening when I went to pull out "something" to finally make one for myself..... I LOVE how it turned out - red and paisley - can't get any better than that. The lining is the red paisley like the bottom/handles and there is a double pocket on the inside. I'm going to make a couple of matching zipper bags to go with it - soon! ;-) I started it Saturday night & finished it up yesterday afternoon.

Picture is clickable btw, just in case you can't see it well!

We took a ride to Sumter yesterday a.m. to go to the new Michael's that just opened and it is a nice store, though it seemed a bit smaller than the one I shop in at the beach. It's okay though, it's only about 30-45 minutes away (depending on traffic), so I won't complain too much! :-) Then we stopped at the grocery store for a few things on the way home. I spent the afternoon/evening finishing my tote bag & stitching. I have LOTS of finishing to do & plan to get started on that in just a few minutes. I didn't get as much done as I'd planned on this "long weekend", just had too much else to do. Tomorrow is my sister's birthday so we took Hannah (our niece) to Wal-Mart & she picked out a giant chocolate chip cookie (instead of a cake) & we had "Happy Birthday Mama" put it on it and she also picked out a card & a couple of other little things for a gift. We took it to my parents where my bro-in-law met us & then I had my mom call my sister to come over. She was shocked to see us all there & I think it made her feel good, or at least I hope it did. I know Hannah was thrilled with the "surprise party" for her mama! ;-) My sister is having constant migraine headaches and just can't get any relief & I'm worried about her. Then she came over this afternoon & we chatted for awhile while Uncle Ray took Hannah for a ride with the top down. She enjoys it more than *I* do, that's for sure! I don't think I'd want to go back to being 10 years old, but wouldn't it be nice for the "little things" to be such "big things" again? ;-)

Okay, off to do some finishing - wish me luck. Each time I start, I have to stop for some other reason.... so crossing my fingers I have more pics to share in a few days!! Happy stitching & Happy Labor Day!

An apology.....

2010-08-27T08:18:00.001-04:00

I wondered why no one had commented on any of my posts lately (though there have been very few posts!) and this a.m. when I went to post about the Renato Parolin book for sale (below), I saw that somehow, comment moderation had been turned on (NOT BY ME!). :-( I just went through & added SOME of the comments, but on others, I hit the wrong button & deleted them. :-( I'm really sorry.... it wasn't intentional - I have never done this before - and I clicked the wrong button (which I have done before, just not on this blog!). :-(

I'm going to figure out how to turn this comment moderation off now (I hope) and thanks very much to those who visit & to those who post. Look for a giveaway very soon...... August has just been a busy month, and with the Pals Fall Fling about 6 weeks or so away, it's going to stay busy I think! ;-) Looking forward to seeing many of you there, we have a great group this year!!

Thanks again, happy stitching & have a great weekend!!

SALE PENDING!

2010-08-27T08:09:00.001-04:00

I ordered this for someone & they won't pay me for it, so I'm offering it up for sale. The cost is $45 + postage and I can take PayPal, CC's or money order for payment. If you're interested, send me an email.

Here are the details -

L'abécédaire fleuri

Renato Parolin gives honor to the beauty of flowers, their infinite forms and colors. He proposes you some deep red embroideries for a marvelous cross-stitch sampler where flowers and letters mingle together in a very elegant way.

96 pages.

Thanks,

Amy

amycspals@yahoo.com

Next Stitch-In Date Set....

2010-08-16T13:09:00.001-04:00

For those of you who wanted to know when we're going back to The French Hens for a stitch-in, it's set for Dec. 4th - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We'll have a nice lunch, a great time stitching and we'll do some sort of small Christmas exchange since it's in December. Mark it on your calenders now - giving you PLENTY of notice!

And don't forget the Pals Fall Fling Stitching Retreat in Myrtle Beach in October. It's almost full now, but we might still be able to squeeze in one or two more. You can find the details here - http://crossstitchpals.com/convention.html

Marie of Blackberry Lane Designs & Louise of Cherished Stitches will both be there. Louise is going to teach a "Halloween Quaker" themed class on Saturday - can't wait for more details on that. They will both be bringing their models for a "show & sell" (selling patterns of course, not models!), can't wait to see those in person!

Thanks for stopping by & Happy Stitching!!

Another WONDERFUL Giveaway-

2010-08-15T19:00:00.002-04:00

This one is from Belinda at Blue Ribbon Designs - and aside from the giveaway being really nice, SO is Belinda! :-)

ENJOY - http://blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com/

SC Stitch-In Last Saturday....

2010-08-13T08:54:00.002-04:00

I had a great day last Saturday with a bunch of stitching friends. We got together at at a small cafe here in town & spent 6 hours stitching & chatting & having a wonderful lunch! I took a few pics and here they are....

Donna, Myra & Lynn

Kathy & Debbie

Charlene, Deborah & Carolyn

(l to r) Judy, Donna, Karen, Yvonne, June, Susan & Carrie

and in that middle table on the right, there is Nicole, Faye & Linda. I managed to delete the pic of them together & couldn't get it back, sorry my friends!

Hoping to do this again in EARLY December - maybe you can join us!

OH, and the pics are clickable to see larger images if you'd like...

I hope to get some pics taken this weekend so I can share some of my stitching pics... yes, I've been stitching a little bit! :-)

Have a great weekend & HAPPY STITCHING!

A Stitch-In, NEW Stitching T-shirts, BIG discounts, GC Drawing and a bit of stitching....

2010-08-05T16:18:00.003-04:00

Think that was a long enough title for such a short post? ;-)
I've had a busy summer - and it's not over yet! ;-) The SC Stitch-In is this Saturday - it's not too late if you want to come, just send me an email for details!! We're going to have a great time!

And I have to share the new t-shirts we just got today - I think they're going to be a big hit -

And you can visit here to order and to see the other 4 designs we have as well. They're all really cute & really popular (and this is MY new fav!)... who doesn't need a new stitching shirt?

Oh, and we just added HUNDREDS of items to the Down Sunshine Lane Sale pages - 25% - 40% and 50% off. I'm sure there is something you MUST have from one of the these pages - so come on over & check them out. There are new releases added too of course.

I've been stitching a bit off & on - hopefully will have some stitching to share with you soon. I'll try & catch up next week...

Have a great weekend coming up.... hope to see many of you on Saturday....

Happy stitching to one & all,
Amy

Another great giveaway - esp. if you like MODA...

2010-07-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

And let's face it - who does like Moda fabrics?? ;-)

Check this one out from 44th Street Fabric - CLICK HERE - and register for a chance to win one of these -

Happy stitching & sewing! :-)