Summer House - Little House Needleworks

Summer House - a freebie from LHN - colors that were called were Crescent Colors, and since I really wanted to get this stitched ASAP, I couldnt convert the colors to DMC. So I ended up going to SB&B to get as close of enough DMC colors. For the following CC floss to DMC I used-

Joshua Tree - 522; Old Blue Jeans - 793; Ruby Slippers - 304; Bamboo - 746; Timber - 3799

I finished this adorable design on a piece of natural looking color of 14ct aida. Hope to finish it into a pillow.

Ever since I saw this freebie on Hoffman's site (which the freebie is no longer there..) I just had to stitch it! Ive fallen inlove with the Little House Needleworks, and Im sure that my collection is going to be growing when I go to The Stitching Bee in Green Bay this coming Wed, and when I go LNS hopping with the girls from ILCS in Omaha.

Firetruck Quilt COMPLETED!

This is the Firetruck Log Cabin that I had finished recently. I bought the fire truck squares on ebay and just knew that I would be making a quilt for my nephew Conway. Conway is just addicted to firetrucks at the moment, and I found out that his mom would like to decorate his room in firetrucks! So I made this quilt for his bed.




I had Laurie Jean @ Golden Needle Quilt Studio quilt this for me. She quilted flames into the quilt using a red thread. I really love it!

For the backing I chose a Flame material that I found. I really like the look!





I picked up the quilt from LJ yesterday, got home and got right to sewing the binding on to the quilt. I sat outside for awhile and got the binding hand sewn onto he quilt.

Conway will be 2 on Tuesday (July 11), so I will be taking the quilt with me when I go down to Green Bay on Wednesday.

Hope to get a pic of Conway with the quilt.. cant wait to see his reaction.

Presenting...

My completed models!

If you follow my blog, you may have seen recently that I finished a model (actually 2 models.), and said I would post a pic of the model when Im given permission to release it.

Well, I have been given permission from Patty at Moonflower Designs to post the models I have stitched for her to be released in the near future.

I first stitched the orange/redish color daffodil first, sent it back to the designer, and she asked if I would be interested in stitching the same design, but with a different color. The orange/redish finish took me a week to stitch, but I was alittle slower time to stitch the brown daffodil, as I was working on a friends quilt project, so the stitching got put on the backburner so to say.

Below are some additional pics of the models - just click on the pics to make them bigger :)

ILCS Retreat Nametag Finish

In prep of the retreat that Im attending with my stitching friends from ILCS in Omaha, NE next month, we were giving a name tag pattern to stitch for the retreat. I started this cute finish last night, which was designed by one of the members. I had to chart out my name. Of course I just had to have the "-"'s.. LOL. I backstitched all around and it really brings it all out! I have a tag holder that this nametag will be placed in, so I can wear it at the retreat. WOOHOO, one month and 5 days left!

I WON ILCS Survivor!

I belong to a Yahoo cross stitching group called ILCS. During the month of June, a birthday bash was held for the 2nd birthday of the group being formed.

As a celebration of the birthday, ILCS Survivor was played. Everyone (there was 17 that played) that wanted to play sent $5.00 worth of newly purchased stitching goodies to the group mother, who also hosted the game. Back at the beginning of June there was a question and the first person to answers the question correct had immunity and could not be voted off. So a poll was held and the person that had the most votes each time was 'voted' out of the game. It was a hard time, as I hated voting for anyone. Then there was several questions and polls given, and a person voted off each time. I was lucky enough to win immunity once. Well it came down to me and 2 other stitching friends. Well, Im shocked to say I won! The last vote was to pick the person you wanted to win the goodies that was sent earlier, and to receive the money for a gift certificate for a ONS or LNS to spend.

I was aware of the stash that Im receiving, but I found out today that Im receiving $50! I have requested that the group mother umm hand me the $$ when we get to Omaha! - so I have some stash $$ to spend when we go shop hoppin! I will post a pic of the stash when it arrives.

Im just so thankful for the people that didnt vote for me during the game, and for the ones that did vote for me in the final round... they made one happy person here!

Below is a picture of the stash Im going to be receiving in the mail soon. :)

*Happy Birthday America*

Wishing you a Happy 4th of July!

God Bless America!

Happy 230th Birthday, America!

Room Reserved!

Yea! Just called and made my reservations for a room in Omaha!

Only 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day till the retreat!

Acorns & Pines

This is a design from Little House Needlworks - called Acorns & Pines. I had seen it in a finish album of a friend, and just had to stitch it! I stitched it on 14ct fiddlers aida, with DMC floss.
Im hoping to make it into a little tuck pillow.

I had to work the past 4 days, and I had a weekend that I wish it doesnt repeat in the future! It was sooooo bad! We have a resident that is having a hard time, and well its hard on all of us. And I guess I take it personal when I have difficulties with them. So when I came home in the evenings - all I wanted to do was stitch, and get my mind on other things. So I started this design Saturday night, and finished before noon today.

Star Spangled Sampler Finish

This is a design from Heart In Hand called Star Spangled Sampler. I stitched this on 32ct clay belfast linen, with DMC floss.

I actually had it finished last errrr, early this morning.. LOL about 2am. I was bound and determined to get it done before bed. So I have a finish for the 4th of July!

Another Model Finish

You are probably thinking.. why post a finish if you cant see the finished design. LOL Well I just finished my model for Moonflower Designs, and Im not allowed to show the finish till its framed and published by the designer. But I wanted to show a picture. So here it is!

I will post a pic of it when its published.

Now its off to stitch on my Star Spangled Sampler from HIH.
So Im hoping for another finish. The weather outside is wet. It was raining hard earlier, and Brian was mowing the lawn right before it started. He is now out there mowing the wet grass, and its a struggle.. Men! Well atleast its getting done, so I should complain.. LOL

Quilt Show

The quilt show was today, and was a success! There were over 80 quilts entered, and about 100 people walked thru the show. I entered 8 of my quilts. Amy's Quilt (won 3rd place in the baby quilt catergory), Let Freedom Ring, Northwoods Wreath, Northwood's Discovery (won 1st place in the First Quilt catergory), and my WIP - Northwoods Yellow Brick Road, Firetruck Quilt, Northwoods Log Cabin, and Cross Stitch Quilt (which won 1st place in the WIP catergory).



It was alot of fun putting the show together.. cant wait till next year! I will be posting some more pics to the Golden Needle Quilt Studio website soon.. just to tired!.. LOL

I had the total surprise of my parents attending. They drove up this morning (150 miles) to just to attend the my first quilt show! I was totally surprised, and I was very proud to have them there to see what I have been doing. Brian and his mom were there to see the quilts, and really enjoyed themselves. My BIL & SIL - Jimmy and Lisa, even came to check out the quilt show.

Also some exciting news! Im going to NEBRASKA! Brian, my Mom, and myself are going to Nebraska in August! Im going to attend the get together for the ILCS group. We are having a retreat from Aug 11 - 14th. We are going to be driving down, so we will leave on Tuesday, and hope to get back the following Tuesday.

Another person's stash..

is another person's delight!.. LOL I was lucky to grow my Weeks Dye Works floss collection. (I only had about 6 skeins before this). Missy was offering the floss for sale, and I took the opportunity to help her out (THANKS MISSY!)

Now I have to find some designs that call for the colors. I have a really cute pattern picked out, but of course the WDW it calls for, is not what I have. I was talking to my Mom this morning, and she was mentioning that she was going to a convention in Green Bay in July, and told me the dates of her convention.. just happens to be that I took 3 days off that week, and it falls during the time she is at her meetings. So I'm planning on going down and spending a couple nights with her! Get to The Stitching Bee .. which is my LNS (Local Needle Shop).. and its only like 80 miles away! I was there once before, but I had Brian in tow, and didn't get much time to drool over all that was there to see. So I'm going to be saving up my pennies for stash shopping!

Im still here...

I have finished a quilt - but Im unable to post pictures. Im working on a model for a designer, and Im working. Life is good!

Going to be in a quilt show on Sunday, in Iron River, MI. Im excited about displaying my quilts. I only have 4 to display, but I have made a few for others. I will post picture from the quilt show next week.

Learned a lesson...

tonight while stitching on a model, I was merrily stitching along and thought, this is going too good! Well I went back to start off the other stitching that I had just finished. Come to find I had stitched an extra ROW! Those 7 stitches, just made me rip out about 2 hrs of stitching - which was about 4oo stitches! I had to rip all the way back to the extra row. I took about 30 minutes to get back to the extra row. So, now I'm making the other stitches along to make sure I'm on the right row. Good thing that this model is only 2 colors!

Update on me... I'm about 80% finished with a quilt - will have to take some pictures of it soon. Working on this model, which I'm enjoying (even since I had to restitch the ripped out stitches!)
Monday, we planted the garden. I hope the tomato plants survive, cause as I was pulling the wagon to the garden, I turned the handle, and over went the wagon! All 20 tomato plants hit the ground, luckily all of them survived the fall, will just have to see if they survive the growing life.. LOL

Hi from the neighbor's house!

Here I am again... over at my BIL & SIL's house, watching the kids. SIL needed to go the E.R. for her arm, as the pain was awful. I'm here on their computer, with the satellite beam up to the sky, enjoying the luxury of the fast internet.

Only bad thing is.. all my bookmarks are at home on the laptop.. LOL

Did bring the stitching along, but its too dark in here to stitch, and it was hurting my eyes since Im tired. Probably will be here for another hour or two.

5 Things

I was tagged by Melissa - so here are my answers. Tag your it! :)

5 Things:

5 things in my fridge -
Milk
Bread
Butter
Cottage Cheese
Eggs

5 items in my closet ('my' closet)
Holiday decorations
Extra quilting material
gift wrap
sewing machine
cross stitch stash

5 items in my purse
Wallet
Checkbook
Keys
Hand Sanitizer
Work stuff (name badge, pen, keys, chapstick)

5 items in my car
Cds
loose change
Jumper cables
lawn chairs (never know when you are going to need them)
emergency blanket

Nothing like..

getting your hands dirty! Tonight I got home from work (I worked the 9a - 5:30p shift) and well, my flowerbeds have been getting neglected cause I've been so dang busy lately! Seems like the days are going by so fast. Feels like I wake, and in no time its time to go to bed (which is always pretty late).

Within two hours from 7pm - 9pm I was able to shape the flower beds next to the house into "normal" looking flower beds.. LOL. I don't have any annual plants planted in the flower bed yet, but mostly hosta, tiger lilies, and daylillies. So I had to tackle the weeds that are just taking over the flower beds by the house. So I started on one end, and worked my way to the other end of the house. I was jamming to the radio and keeping up with the beat.. LOL Even had niece -inlaw over helping. She was such a big help!

So now on Saturday, I will be going to the garden center and get plants for planting and vegetable plants to plant in the garden. Yes I know its late to plant, but dang this was the first day I would be able to get in the garden, cause of being so busy.

So after being showered and feed, I'm happy! I'm blessed that I'm able to do the things I can. Gods in charge of the flowers, I'm in charge of the weeds!

The air is on!

Today we finally had the chance to go anywhere and get an air conditioner! Yesterday I had off, but I needed to go to Iron River to work at the Quilt Studio with Laurie Jean. I was there 5 hrs, since Brian was to have plans for the afternoon (he was going to play music with his brothers at a relative's house - but of course it fell thru). So I got Brian up earlier this morning (go Me!), and we were on the road by 10am. We have a 40 mile drive to the nearestWalMart, which is in Iron Mountain, MI.

With a stop at McDon's Supper Club for the McChicken lunch.. LOL We went off to WalMart. I thought when we entered the door that we should just go get an air conditioner right away. (Even prepared for it, as we got two carts.. LOL) Well good thing we did, we went to the aisle that had the fans, figuring that is where we would find the air conditioners. We saw one, the right size, but it was smaller BTU that ww wanted. So I thought I would go looking for the associate working in the department. Walked up to the associate and asked if where there air conditioners are. And his response was, "well we only got Uno", jokeinly. Know what we did!?! After looking at Brian, we went back to the fan aisle and put the air conditioner in the cart.. LOL. We did also purchase one of those wind tunnel fans.. Dang its almost cold in here now.. LOL

So, all is well here now :)

ARGH!

Tonight when I got home from work, Brian announced that our air conditioner died! He said that earlier this evening he noticed that it was humming and wasn't throwing that much cool air out of it (its one of the window ones). He turned it off and waited awhile. He turned it back on, and all it does now is hums and doesn't throw cold air :((. I had him turn it on while I went outside to check the fan on the air conditioner. The fan is not running. So it means we gotta get a new one :(. (I think it would be cheaper just to get a new one.. and we can see about getting the dead one repaired, and maybe put it in our bedroom or something.) But we really need an air conditioner in the house. I'm very sensitive in the heat.. too much gets me sick. I have had heat stroke in the past, and since then I get bothered by the heat (if its too hot - like it can get in the house at times). So I guess we gotta add air conditioner to the shopping list for this week!

If a don't...

Hear from me for a bit.. means I'm either busy working on a "sssshhhh" quilt project, or working on another model or working (which I gotta do the next 3 days) (The model is one I already stitched - but with a different color this time.) Well I should get to bed... need my beauty sleep, or I'm going to be ugly in the morning.. LOL