Why are these things so complicated???

You would think that all this computer stuff would get easier but it doesn't seem to be the case.  I bought a tablet (my first) with a camera that takes totally awful pictures.  And rather than post with craptastic pics, I've been trying to hook my camera up to this annoying tablet.  Without success so far.  However, I did manage (after hours of effort) to link up my tablet with my pc -- hooray!  yippee!  happy dance time!  what a tremendous waste of good stitching time!

And so without further ado, I finally have a stitching update.

First up is Acorn House from Jeannette Douglas.  This is my April ornament for the Halloween ornie SAL.  April's subject is owls.  I love this little house with it's spooky neighbors.  I did make an adjustment to the pattern by changing the border.

Next is The Way to Happiness sampler.  I hand stitched (because sewing machines hate me and the one I own is pathetic) a border around it.  This is only the second time I've tried this type of finish.  There are some problems / errors with it but I'm happy with the end result.  The directions call for quilting along the seams but I think I'll pass on that step.  I finished this last weekend but my fingers are still a bit tender.

I also joined the Stitching Smalls SAL over at Lotus's blog.  The small I chose for March is a cute little hardanger angel by Rita Tubbs.  The little lady on the left was my first attempt.  She's a bit off along the bottom ruffle but rather than ditch her, I made a little adjustment so it isn't quite so noticeable.  Of course, I didn't notice my mistake until the blanket stitch border was done.  The lady on the right is correct except for the little bodice.  That's a slight addition to her dress.

 

I'm afraid I'm late posting this picture for the Smalls SAL but hopefully there won't be a repeat for April now that I'm getting better with this tablet.  I just really wish they could make these things easier to use.  In hind sight, I wouldn't get one.  I think I'd go for a little lap top instead.

 

Take care and here's hoping Spring makes it to my backyard sometime before June.

Here comes the snow ....

I just looked out the window and the snow she is a fallin'.  We're supposed to get lots of the white stuff today -- it'll be our first real snow of the season -- and if we do, I'll be spending the evening shoveling.  Yuck!

I didn't get to post my last ornament before Christmas so here he is, Santa with Drum, a gift for my brother, the drummer (perfect, no?):

The original pattern called for lots of shading and tiny color changes (which are all very pretty) but I didn't feel like being that "fussy".  Instead, I decided to limit the thread colors, thereby making him somewhat plainer but none the cuter. 

I also finished the Christmas SAL by Carole (Thank You Carole!):

I changed the colors significantly and am happy with the results.  (For some reason or other, I don't like stitching with the traditional Christmas colors.  It isn't that they aren't pretty, I just prefer not to stitch them -- color me weird.)  While working on Carole's sampler, I 'discovered' a 3-color combo that I am absolutely smitten with and plan on using in an as yet undetermined future piece.

I'm  not a real purple-lover but I do love this purple.  It's very understated and seems to go well with browns and other fall colors.  Plus, it looks great on tea-stained fabrics.  I've used it a few times now.  The first time was with Harvest Angel a few years ago:

And then just recently with one of the Christmas ornaments for this year:

I guess you could say it's one of my new favorite colors :-)


YIKES!  I just took another peek outside.  The road outside my window is covered with snow now and more is falling.  Guess what I'll be doing tonight.  Hopefully, I won't put out my back or hips or knees or whatever.

Take care everyone and have a happy Wednesday!

WIPocalypse update for November

I was driving home last night under a gorgeous full moon and remembered it's WIPocalpyse time.  Most of November was spent stitching for Christmas with a little Adriana thrown in just for yucks.

First up is Adriana.  I back stitched the birds' legs, beaks and some of their wings.  It's almost finished but I may not make it for this year.

The big hurrah! for November was finishing the Advent Calender and picking out fabric for it.  I plan to make it into a small wall hanging.  I really want to get it done before Christmas but am not sure that will happen.  Doing this kind of finishing is new to me -- I only did it once before -- and need to be nice and calm and relaxed before attempting it.  Right now, that's not my mental state.

The other Christmas stuff I've been stitching are presents for various friends and family and are on the top burner right now.  I forgot to get the designer for the Santa with drum but he's from an old issue of Country Cross Stitch Magazine.  The Stitching Sisters isn't finished yet.  I may remove the gold thread and replace it with something darker.  I like the way the spools show up but the individual strands of it aren't so visible.  And what can I say -- I just love that little angel.  Last Christmas I stitched a forest of trees, this year I stitched a sky full of angels. 

Have a great weekend!

IHSW - such that it is.

Well, I didn't get much stitched over the IHSW.  Actually, the only stitching I could get in was on Friday evening.  I started a little angel:

I just love this little lady with her curly-q dress and shapely wings.  When finished, she will be a Christmas ornament for a friend.

Check out the other IHSWers for their progress.

And Happy Thanksgiving for those who will be celebrating it Thursday.   Eat lots of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie (my personal favorite).       YUM!

Enjoy!

Poor Stormy

Yesterday was just awful!  My little brown dog was in pain.

At breakfast he didn't bounce for his meal, at lunchtime he was trembling and obviously hurting, at dinner time he wasn't any better.  So off we sped to see our favorite doggie chiropractor, Dr Dave, only an hour drive away, in the dark, with lots of really BIG! trucks going really FAST!!, deer waiting at every corner to JUMP! out at our unsuspecting selves .... what speed limit?!? ..... it was white knuckle driving all the way.  But we made it.  Whew! 

Nothing wrong with his knees and his back is okay. Turns out the little dude has a badly bruised or pulled rib or something.  Probably the result of slamming onto the a-frame at the agility trial last weekend.  He and I are getting too old for this crap!

Needless to say, my planned evening of grocery shopping and stitching went down the interstate.  Here's what I was planning on stitching:

Isn't she pretty?  She's from La-D-Da and though her title is Harvest Angel, her original dress of black and brown made me want to call her Cemetary Angel .... so I decided to change her dress to more cheerful colors.

Unfortunately, I have a Beagle Club meeting tonight and groceries that still need buying, so Miss Harvest Angel will be alone again this evening.  Bummer!