Merry Christmas!

Christian Clipart

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Crazy Quilt Supply Shopping

Saturday I went shopping at Pat Winter's etsy shop. Guess what when I got home today there was the package all ready. Granted we live in the same town but what service and what lovely things I did receive.

These are some of the extra that Pat included:


Here is one of the ribbon kits I purchased:


One of the bliss kits ribbons, beads, lace an image. I am thinking something Christmasy with this:

Then this beautiful Cross crazy stitch pendant. I am looking forward to wearing this:

I am still stitching away on my Christmas Quilt. Almost have the grid done in the middle.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

A trip to Needles Nest

Last friday(12/19) I took a vacation day from work and my daughter and I ventured over to Mishawaka, IN to finish up our Christmas shopping. I told her from the beginning if she was going we where stopping at Needles Nest first!! So off we went despite having a horrible ice and snow storm the night before we ventured over anyway. Of course Jan was deliteful and I had to pick up the following:


These are some fibers for a Something different pattern I had picked up at the House of Stitches statsh sale. I wanted to do it in pinks and greens.


I also picked up Christmas Quilt by Laurs J Perrin. I think it is such a simple yet beautiful Christmas design.
We headed over to the University Mall then and of course lunch and dinner before heading home. What a lovely day and a great company with my DD!!!
Yesterday was spent making fudge, a couple of other candies and cookies. Then I started Christmas Quilt. I was in the mood to do something for myself and something Christmasy and this was perfect. I got about half of the green diagonal stitches in the middle done. So I will wait to give you an update.
I think our Christmas will be a little more subdued this year. FIL will probably still be in rehab where thankfully he is making progress. I did get a few decorations up not as much as usually but it seems like we have just been running on the weekends. But how ever we celebrate I know it will be special!
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

HAED Update

Last night I finished up page three of my wolf haed project. One more page to go!! The wolf is really starting to come alive I think.

I pulled out the boston terrier piece this evening and put some more stitches in. Not sure how much I will get done in the next few days. Have lots of Christmas preparations still undone. Hard to believe that it is a little over a week away. How are your preparations going? Hopefully all is well.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

I have been tagged

Pat (http://gatherings100.blogspot.com) tagged me for a fun game.The rules of the tagging are as follows: 1. Link your blog to the person who tagged you. 2. Mention the rules. 3. Tell six quirky yet not boring, unspectacular details about yourself. 4. Tag five other bloggers by linking your blog to them, and lastly 5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment for them telling them they have been tagged.
1. I do not like ketchup on anything. Never have never will.
2. I love winter. Actually love the cold don't mind the snow but wish did not have to go to work in it would rather cuddle up and stitch.
3. I love football!! Go Bears!!! Probably all those years watching my favorite player my DS helped!!
4. I actually lived in FL when I was growing up. See number 2 as to why I left.
5. I have to turn my radio way down when I am trying to find someplace.
6. I love having alone time. I crave it actually. Nothing better then a quiet house, a good movie and my stitching.
bonus
7. I hate to clean house when someone is home.
Well here are the people I am going to tag:
Beth (http://crossedpurposes.blogspot.com)
Daisygirl (http://daisygirlstitching.blogspot.com)
Lelia(http://leliaevelynblogspot.com)
Jane(http://worldembroderies.blogspot.com)
Ranee(http://crazyxstitcher.blogspot.com)
Stay tuned for my PIF !!
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

A very Past Due Update

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Last Thursday my FIL fell and broke his hip. So after surgery, a real scare that we thought we would loose him, a few days in ICU he is now on his road to recovery. Today he was moved to the Rehab Institute in Chicago for therapy for a few weeks then he will be back home with out patient therapy for a few months. We will probably be spending part of each weekend will he is Chicago visiting him. This Saturday he will be 82.

I did want to share a finish that I had last night:

I knitted this baby blanket for a good friend of my ds whose wife is expecting there first baby on New Years day. The yarn is called denim I thought it would be perfect for there little boy also seems to be pretty warm good for a winter baby.

Last Tuesday was my EGA Chrismas party. My secret stitcher friend was Mel. She gave me these lovely gifts. I am sorry the picture is not better. She made me a beautiful pink and green braclet.


For the Christmas Ornament exchange I received this lovely ornament from Sandy:



This was part of the gift that I gave to my secret stitcher friend Sue. It is from the 2008 JCS mag. I forgot to take a picture of the other things that I gave her. But I do think I will be making this for myself.

This is the ornmanet that I did for the ornament exchange. It was freebie from Krenik.

I have been tagged a couple of time so look for that post in the next day or two. I was also picked for a PIF so I will be posting my PIF in the next few days also. Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

I won a prize!!

I wanted to share what I won from Tracy on the stitchers blogger list! The stitched reindeer is beautiful along with a bunch of finishing items.

THANK YOU Tracy!!

I have spent most of the holiday weekend stitching along with a few other chores. I hope that you all where able to sneek some stitching time in.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Happy Thanksgiving!! & What I have been up to

Wanted to wish all of my US Stitching Sisters a very Blessed Thanksgiving!
I have been stitching away over the weekend I finished up a couple of ornaments. I will have pictures of them after next tuesday because they are gifts for NANI Christmas party. I also made up a couple of more beaded ornaments. I have been working on my HAED wolf and it is coming along I am almost through page 3 (think I will continue working on it till done with page 3) then just one more page. I have also been knitting a baby blanket for one of my DS good friend he and his wife are expecting their first baby New Years Day so want to make sure it gets done.
Hope you all have plenty of stitching time this weekend.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

Update on Boston Terrier stitching

I have made a start on the black boston terrier. This is one of the ears and a start on down the face. Sorry the picture was not to great. Boy the color changes!!

Well I think I will stitch on my haed wolf now for a few days. Hope everyone is finding lots of time to stitch.

We have had our first snow here in northwest IN and they are calling for more tomorrow. Hopefully you all are having pleasant weather. I do enjoy the snow just wish I did not have to drive to work in it.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Some new Statsh

I just wanted to take a moment and share some of the new items that I have purchased. All of these items where bought at Pat Winters Esty shop her blog is http://gatherings100.blogspot.com

All of the ribbions are hand dyed everything comes beautifully packaged!! Aren't they yummy!!!! I am hoping to learn more and dive into some crazy quilting.

Until next time

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

What I have been up to

Sorry it has been so long between posts! But I do have some finishes to share. The first is the Bent Creek Big Zipper series that I finished up this week. Sorry the picture is not to great. I am really leaning towards finishing this in some sort of quilted wall hanging.


I have also done some more beaded ornaments. They are small ornaments from JoAnns then beaded with size 10 beads. I plan on doing some more before Christmas.

I have also finished up a couple of stitched ornaments but since they are for our NANI exchange I think I will wait to show them after our Christmas party.

Yesterday I attended a wonderful needlework event hosted by The Sycamore Ridge EGA chapter. First thanks for hosting it was a wonderful event!!! I rode down with Lelia from Stitches of Life, we were joined by fellow NANI members Sue D. and Terry T. also Cici . The event was taught by Eileen Bennett it was The Legend of the Underground Quilts. A lovely project and so much history was shared. Not only did I come home with a lovely project but some readings as well.

When I got close to home I hit or he hit me a deer. Fortunately not so much damage to my little saturn vue but enough that it will probably be spending a few days in the shop in the near future. I told my husband and son (both avid hunters) that at least I got one this year (they havent:( ) but they said it doesn't count because it got away.

On a side note Congratulations to Trine University(Tri-State) my son is an alumni. They are off to the division 3 football playoffs after winning the conference and going undefeated. Yes my son did play for them and we are so happy for the boys and the coaches.

Well dinner (beef stew) is simmering, the boys are hunting so I am off to stitch on one of the Boston Terrier pieces. Boy are there a lot of colors!!

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

What did I do??????

Well I was trying to change my background and somehow I lost my list of blogs I like to visit!! :(!
So I will be trying to get that back probably will not be done till this weekend though. I wish I knew how to add some of these cute backgrounds. If anyone knows please let me know.
Until next time
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

HAED Update

Thought I would share my progress on my HAED wolf from this past week. I put in 1,220 stitches since Wednesday.

I am rethinking my rotation schedule. I know I am going to keep rotating but think I will just be a little more loose on what day I change. I will be working on finishing up some Christmas ornaments in the next few days. I probably will not share pictures until after they are exchanged at my NANI christmas party.

Hope everyone's week is gettin off to good start. Remember to get out and vote to my US stitching friends.

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

More Stash!!!!

Yesterday I headed over to the House of Stitches in LaPorte just to pick up a few things!! Well the floss I ordered had come in so I needed to go!


The above is the floss I needed plus some fabric for a Lizzie Kate design I had picked up earlier.



I also got the LHN new angel to go with the ornament in the JCS issue plus fabric. Already had all the fibers. Also got the Country Cottage Pepperiment Lane fabric and floss. I love pepperiments.


Picked up Mirabilia Limited Edition 2008 Christmas Tree. Had to add to the other two I had gotten!!

Then I had to get the rest of the floss I needed and the fabric for the pattern my daughter picked out of for the two grandpuppies. Boy there are alot of colors in these two guys!!!

I had such fun!!!! Many thanks to Linda and the rest of the staff. They are always so nice and helpful.

On a side note the dh and I decided to go out to eat dinner last night. Had not been out for dinner in a while and there is endless shrimp going on at Red Lobster which the dh enjoys. So we get seated after a small wait order get our salad eated start to enjoy crab cake appitizer and the roof of Red Lobster catches on FIRE!!! So needles to say no endless shrimp for the dh. We ended up going to the Bass Pros Shop and had a nice dinner anyway.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

I won a contest!!!

I just wanted to share what I won on Cindy's blog http://didimrz.blogspot.com! I won one of her beautiful pink breast cancer fobs and some other goodies

The fob is already on my scissors and the candy will be going to work with me for my snack tomorrow afternoon. The floss will await a special project. Thank you Cindy!!

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Retreat Happenings and Update

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Some times life and stitching just gets in the way. My retreat was awsome!!!! So much fun, food, laughter and stitching!! Can not wait to go again. What a great bunch of gals and of course it is alway nice to spend time with others who share your love for the craft of stitching. Following are some of my pictures of the events. Sorry they are not in a very good order.

The previous two pictures are some of the statsh I picked up at Fancy Works. One of the owners Liz was on the retreat with us. I stopped there Sunday on my way home. What a sweet shop of course I did not stay on my statsh diet. One of the retreat attendes said these are souveniors (maybe it doesn't count then)

This is a picture of some of the dying we did on Sunday. It was taught by Coleen. I have lots of ideas for other projects with dying.

This is a beaded ornament that Liz taught. Everyone finished one! Some even more. It was fun not to hard. I am thinking of doing some more for some present toppers.

This is one of the ornaments I started over the weekend and finished up when I got back it is LHN contribution to the JCS ornament mag. I started two other ornments but need some more fibers to finish will be headed to House of Stitches next Saturday to get them.

When I am at House of Stitches I am also going to be picking up my supplies for my dd and her boyfriends cross stitch pic they picked out of their two boston.

This week I am going to be working on my haed wolf.

I also won a drawing this past week. So stop back later in the week to see what I won!!

Well off to check the laundry then stitch! Dinner is cooking and the house is cleaned!!

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Needlework Shop Finished!

Last night I put the finishing stitches into Needlework Shop!! I just love pinks and greens! I think I will be making this into a pillow. I picked up some pink striped fabric with roses on it that I think will look really nice. So stay tuned for that.

Tomorrow I leave from work to go on another stitching retreat!! I am going with the online Hoosier Stitcher group that I belong to. I can not wait to just spend the weekend with fellow stitchers and just stitch and get to know each other better. I am taking some Christmas ornaments to work on. Need to get some done for my EGA Christmas party.

Until next time,

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Seasons is Finished!

Drum roll please........

Yes! I finished Seasons. I actually finished it late Monday but last night I was at my EGA meeting so this evening was the first chance I had to take a picture and post. I am leaning toward making it into a pillow for our living room. Now I am working on the Needlwork Shop. I would like to have it finished up before I leave next week to go on a retreat with the Hoosier Stitchers Yahoo group I am in. That way I can concentrate on the Christmas ornaments I need to get going on while I am there.

Until next time

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Finished Finish

The sewing machine is back! Today I tried my hand and made two flanged pillows for the first time.





Probably will not win any awards but in do time I think I will get better at it. Believe me I have a pile of things that need to be finished finished!!! On the stitching front since I am going to be making a change in my rotation I am trying to get seasons done. I have one more block then I need do the outlining and then it will be finished. So stay tuned for an update in the next couple of days. Yesterday I made a trip to House of Stitches in Laporte to pick up some materials for some ornaments. Had to order some floss that they where out of so I will have to make another trip in a few weeks when they get in. Which will be ok since when I got home the patterns for the boston terriers had arrived so I will need to get some linen and probably some dmc to do those. Then I really need to go on the a statsh diet for awhile but of course the Mirabellia tree just came out for 2008 so I will probably need to get it.
On the blogging front sorry I have not been leaving comments I really need to get better about that but be assured I am reading them on a daily basis. Everyone is so inspiring!
Well I need to do some things for my ega meeting this tuesday, then I get to stitch and watch the Bears. Hoping for a win since it seems the chicago baseball teams are not having that much luck at all.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

Rotation Change

I guess I will be changing my rotation! First off I did put 1,540 stitches in the HAED wolf piece. Tomorrow I was going to start back in on the LL angel that I am stitching for my dd. But Saturday I get an email from her with two links saying I need these. What you ask where they links to? Cross stitch patterns one for a black boston terrier and one for a brown boston terrier just like she and her boyfriend have. So of course being the mom that I am not thinking about all the statsh I all ready have I ordered them. Talked to her yesterday and she would like to have me stitch those before the angel. So tomorrow I think I will work on my canvas piece hopefully finishing it up this week. I think I will go with one week HAED wolf, then a week of small items(need to get some ornaments stitched up), the terriers, then week of small. I have been thinking I really need to go on a statsh fast but there is so much out there:)!!!
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

Stitchy Retreat Update

What a fun weekend I had! I think everyone felt the same. Our trip started friday morning and we started by stopping at a couple of needlework shops along the way. Our first stop was at Designer Desk in Geneva,IL and this is what I picked up there:
Two Little House Needlework patterns, Time Passes with fibers and a cute little ort bag perfect for needlework classes. We also had lunch there (yummy), visited a beed shop and a chocolate shop (yummy,yummy)

We nexted traveled up to Welcome Stitchery in Crystal Lake, IL and I bought the following patterns along with the linen and silks for each.



After that we traveled up into Wisconsin to where we stayed at a beautiful Salvation Army Campground. Our accomodiations where great and we where feed very well. We stitched, ate and slept till Sunday noon when we traveled home:(. Well the guys missed me and I have another stitchy weekend planned in April with Hoosier Stitchers yahoo group can't wait.

Well I think I goofed when I was trying to upload some of my stitching picture. The wolf is what I will start on Tuesday as my rotation. It is my first HAED and so far I am enjoying it. It is over half done and I am stitching it for my DS.


This is what I stitched over the weekend and since I returned it is the Needlwork shop by country cottage. It is a fun stitch and I love the colors.

Well until we meet again

May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

A Finish!!!

I finished a small thing Wednesday night. It is a SB Autumn is giving. Looking forward to "finishing" it as a small pillow.



What a week it has been. We had a lot of rain over last weekend here in NW IN the result was that the major road between IN and IL was flooded and closed. Unfourtnately it is the road I travel into work so it was a long commute. Then when I finally got home last night 15 minutes later they opened it back up. Which is a very good thing.
Today I am off to a stitchy retreat with some ladies from my EGA group. We are going up to WI and staying till Sunday noon. We take off in a few hours and will stop at a couple of LNS along the way. Then after we get there it will be a stitchy weekend!!! Well I should probably be getting ready need to go to the bank (STASH $$$$) and get gas.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches!!
Karol

Season Update

I just finished up my week rotation working on my season canvas piece and thought I would show you an update:

I finished the bottom row this week just two more squares and then the outline. Tommorrow I will start a week of small item rotation. I am going to work on an autumn piece by shepards bush.

We have had lots of rain over the weekend. 12 inches according to our local paper. My prayers to those that lost loved ones in the local flooding. I pray everyone is all surviving and that the flood waters go down quickly.

Until next time

May you be blessed with stitches!

Karol

Can Fall be far away?

The evenings are cooler along with the mornings. I actually grabbed a sweater as I left for work this morning. I have also seen a few leaves with some very slight change. Yes I am crazy for the cooler weather and even winter. Give me a sweater, jeans and socks any day!!
An update on my Seasons I finished the middle block in the bottom row and started the left block in the bottom row today. This will be like a nine patch when finished so I have only 4 blocks left and then an outline. I still can not decide how I want to finish it yet.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

L & L Update

I did not get as much done on my Angel of summer as I had hoped this rotation. I did the wing but it gives me something to look forward to the next time I work on it.

This is what I will be working on in the coming week:









It is a canvas piece by Amybear designs called Seasons.
Besides stitching not much has been going on. Work has been hectic in that we are going through a data processing conversion and I will be so happy when it is done.
Happy to see that football has started and all my favorite teams won this week!! Good job CHS, Trine (Tri-State), Purdue, University of Florida and da Bears!!
Until next time:
May you be blessed with stitches,

Karol

Waving Hi!

Just a quick note to say Hi! This week I am working on a L&L angel. I do not know why I am having such trouble saying motivated with this one but I am. I almost jumped ahead on my rotation and skipped it. But decided against it and was suprised that it was almost fun to stitch on. So hopefully this week I will get at least the wings in.
Until next time;
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

Oh Well,

Well I could not get my lizzie kate "finished" this weekend after all. My sewing machine decided to give me fits. I think I will have to have it looked at. Hopefully I can get this done real soon. I did get some more finished on my haed design and also did some statsh shopping at the haed site because of their 25% off sale. Hope you all had a stitchy weekend.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

What I have been up to

Well, happy labor day weekend to all of my US blogging sisters!! We do not have to much planned for the last weekend of summer which is usually a good thing. On a side note my dh is a steelworker and he just walked in with the paper and an agreement has been made. That means NO STRIKE! yeah! The contract runs out Monday at 11:59 and their had been a vote to strike but an agreement was reached. That is a load off our minds. Back to the weekend I have some cleaning and cooking for our EGA meeting on Tuesday. I plan to do up my Lizzie Kate pillow also and will show a picture tomorrow. On the stitching front I have been working on my HAED design this week it is coming along really well.
Until next time;
May you be blessed with stitches,
Karol

Second Award

I received this from Vicky at Nutmeggers Stitchers' Work. Since I am not sure who is a dedicated reader of my blog I am going to give it to all the bloggers who do. So far this adventure of blogging has been great hopefully I am keeping some of you interested!



May you be blessed with stitches!
Karol

First Blog Award

Thanks to Lelia I have received my first award.

The rules of the award are:1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.2. Link the person you received your award from.3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.4. Put links of those blogs on yours.5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

I would like to nominate the following blogs:

http://spinsterstitcher.blogspot.com/

http://daisygirlstitching.blogspot.com/

http://upnorthxstitching.blogspot.com/

http://nswvml.blogspot.com/

http://thetwistedstitcher.blogspot.com/

http://threadheadsunite.blogspot.com/

http://michele11wa.blogspot.com

Until next time:

May you be blessed with stitches!

Karol

Lizzie Kate Finish

I was able to get this done yesterday. This weekend I hope to get some fabric and make it into a flange pillow (my first attempt). I think it such a cute little saying and a good excuse to spend more time stitching instead of cleaning!:)! I hope all of you are well!
Until next time:
May your day be blessed with stitches!
Karol

Lizzie Kate Update

Hello to all! I am over half way done with my Housework piece. I hope to finish up today and get a pic up then. It has been a pretty quiet weekend around here just dh, me and the grandpuppy. DS is down in Southern Indiana at a bachelor party for one of his buddies from college. He will be in the wedding in October. Looking forward to seeing him in a tux! I am off to a baby shower later today and dh is bring home supper on his way home from work. So a nice day! I think I will miss watching the Olympics it has been exciting to watch! Well at least it is is football season. Yes this whole household loves our football!
Until next time:
May your day be blessed with stitches!
Karol

Big Zipper Update

The newest installment to my big zipper is finished. I have been thinking of how I would like to "finish" it when it is all completed. It is so large I was thinking of almost a quilted like wall hanging. Anyone else doing this? How are you finishing? Tomorrow I am taking out the Lizzie Kate and starting that. Of course the Bears will be on my tv. Love football!! We will probably be back and forth to the olympics also they sure have been wonderful to watch.
Until next time,
May your day be blessed with stitches!
Karol

Just a quick note

Well we survived the puppy sitting and everyone is back home safe and sound. I did get some stitching done on my canvas piece not as much as I would have liked to but some. Moday I received my next installment for the big zipper project and have been stitching on that. Since this week in my rotation is for small items once the big zipper part is finished I am starting the Lizzie Kate "Housework never killed anyone". I think it will be a cute little piece for the house. Hope you all are finding time to stitch!Until next time:
May your day be blessed with stitches!
Karol

Midwest Stash Sale

Well I think a good time was had by all at the Stash Reduction sale. Kuddos to Linda and her staff. Here are the things that jumped from other stitchers stash to mine. (sorry my photo skills are not the greatest)

Well dinner is in the crock pot; the grandpuppies are realitively calm so maybe I can get some stitching in. Hope you are all having a beautiful weekend.

May your day be blessed with stitches!!!

Karol