SBQ - Freebies Galore

Do you have a system for organizing freebie charts in your stash? If so, what is it? Do you print out copies of all of the freebies that you find on the web (that you think you might actually stitch) or do you maintain electronic copies of them until you are ready to stitch them?

I have a very “loose” system of organizing freebies that I find on the net. First I have an email to myself that lists all the freebie sites I’ve heard of or come across. Second, I’ve printed off some that I think I might do and put them into plastic page protectors and then into a 3-ring binder sorted into subject categories. Third, others I saved to my computer’s hard drive, sorted into subject categories. Fourth, I’ve burned some to CD.

Friday Feast 3/30/07

Appetizer: What are you proud of?

I am proud of many things! Proud that my parents raised 4 children to be productive, good people in society. Proud that my nieces are each unique and beautiful in their own ways. Proud that after much perseverance, I am finally getting a college degree!


Soup: What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?

Recognition as a talented photographer. Otherwise, I don’t usually win anything.


Salad: Name something you do that is a waste of time.

Watch TV


Main Course: In what year of your life did you change the most?

There is not any one year that stands out where I dramatically changed. I’m constantly evolving, learning about myself, and changing (for the better, I think!).


Dessert: Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?

Nature preserves, wooded areas... Just me, and the quiet sounds of nature.

More Friday Feast

First Flat Fold

I finished this on 3/2/07 but wanted to wait to show it until the recipient received it. This project was a dual effort between Berly and I and was sent to Wanda in Canada as a RAK gift. Berly did the stitching (Isn't it beautiful?) and I made it into my first ever flat fold using Kim's instructions and doing a little tweaking on my own. What do you think?

Friendship Grows

Here's a needlebook I finished on 3/3/07 as part of Stitchers Timeout needlebook exchange. This exchange was different than others I've done in that all the needlebooks are sent to one central person, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. The coordinator then 'exchanges' needlebooks and sends them out.

I stitched 'Friendship Grows' by Lizzie Kate on 14ct baby pink aida with Six Strand Sweets floss, and embellished it with tiny pastel buttons. I put two pockets on the inside to hold packages of needles, needle threaders or small scissors. It took me 5 hours to stitch the design and another hour to assemble it into the needlebook. The book is tied shut with pink satin ribbon.

What's Your Element?

My Element Is Earth

You excel at planning and strategizing. You could be a champ at chess or Survivor. Well grounded, you are able to be realistic and rationalize. On the inside, you have a hard core. It's tough to phase you. You are super productive, and you are able to think anything through. Focused and super charged, your instincts are a good guide for your next step.

What's Your Element?

Monday Update 3/19/07

Movie Monday

Over the weekend, I watched The Departed starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg. Both the mob and the police have moles on the "other" side, yet neither knows who they are. The suspense comes in when each side suspects, and gets closer and closer to figuring out who the mole is. Very good movie, but has lots of violence so it wouldn't be a good "family" movie. Surprising ending.


Monday Madness

1. How many times do you wake up during the night? The number of times I wake up depends on what kind of stress I’m under, how much liquid I drank right before bed (LOL), or whether I’m sick. Usually, though, the answer would be none.

2. On an average, how many hours of sleep do you try to get? I’m worthless if I don’t get at least 8 hours of sleep.

3. What day of the week do you do your "major" housecleaning? I don’t have a specific day. I do a little each day, or whenever I have time. Housecleaning is not at the top of my list of things “to do”.

4. How often do you move your furniture to clean behind it? Maybe once a year, if that.

5. Do you do your dishes by hand or do you own a dishwasher? By hand. I don’t have the room for a dishwasher, otherwise I’d have one.


Stitchy Stuff

I didn’t get a chance to stitch at all last week. *sigh* I finally shipped Freedom to the father of the soldier killed in the Iraq War. Much to my surprise, the young clerk is a stitcher, as well as her mother. She complimented me on Freedom and said it was "gorgeous". She also said that if I entered it in the county fair, I'd definitely win. I hope they packaged it well enough so that the glass in the frame doesn't get broken.


Weekend Happenings

I had a date on Saturday with S. We had lunch, went bowling, then to Barnes & Noble, dinner, then a DVD (The Departed) at my house. I actually beat him one game of bowling (by two points!) It was a nice time.

On Sunday, I spent the day doing homework for my meteorology class. The entire class didn't do so well on the latest quiz, so the instructor is allowing us to re-take it this week. I attribute it to having Spring Break the week before.

I also managed to do some laundry, and clean the house a bit more. Exciting stuff, eh?

CSE Spring Exchange

I made this "Hello Spring" scissor fob for Eva in the Netherlands as part of the Spring Exchange on CSE. The Lizzie Kate design was stitched on 14ct sky blue aida with DMC varigated threads. The cording was handmade with DMC floss. The cording drill I got at a consignment shop last summer comes in really handy! I took the stitched piece to JoAnn Fabrics to choose a coordinating fabric for the back. The clerk thought the piece was "really cute!" On the back of the fob, I made a little pocket to store needle threaders. It took me about 4 hours to stitch the front and another hour or so to make it into a fob with the cording. I actually finished the project on 3/2/07 but didn't want to show it until after Eva received it along with the other items I chose for the exchange.

Here's what I received from Eva:

A dutch pattern book, a pink ornament frame, a pink purse, a piece of 28ct evenweave, "Smile" chart by Sam Sarah, and a nice card. Thank you, Eva.

Monday Update 3/12/07

Cough Cough
After three weeks of dealing with the never ending cough that just won’t die, I went to the doctor. She put me on a 5-day stint of antibiotics. Today is day five. My tonsils are huge and the look on her face when the Dr saw them said “Oh my god!” LOL I’ve taken two sick days in the past two weeks due to this nasty-whatever-it-is. Quite frankly, I’m sick of being sick. Enough is enough!

Stitchy News
I’m still working on Mime. There’s a progress pic in my UFO album. I’m finally up to the collar. Yay! I started a new *gasp* project last week. It’s called Victorian Pansies scissor fob by Textile Heritage. I’m about 3/4 done with it. On Sat, I went stash shopping! Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. It was for the stitching buddy exchange on CSE. I also created my container for the Spring Kit in a Container exchange on ILCS.

Aquarium... Still a WIP

Back in January, I found a deal on a fully loaded 29-gallon aquarium for $15. It was in need of a good cleaning. When I was done, it shined up like a new penny! It's still a work in progress, but I finally have it up and going. Here's what it looks like now:

The bright spots are sun spots. Beautiful sunny day, today! I have six fish who are quite entertaining. When I walk by the aquarium, they get all crazy and start swimming willy nilly all over the tank. I want to get a tall "something"... maybe a plant?... to put in the middle of the tank, and more fish of course.

New Needleminders

Just wanted to show off my the latest additions to my stash gadgets... Needleminders!

Here's the heart one shown with my 8" qsnaps.


Close up of Heart Needleminder


Froggie Needleminder


Dice Needleminder

SBQ: Rip-It, Rip-It

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you haveto frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

If it's only a few stitches, I'll use the needle to unpick them. If there are a lot, or if it's a mistake in the middle of a bunch of stitches that are ok, I'll use a tiny pair of scissors and carefully cut the offending threads. If it's a mistake that can be worked around, I'd rather do that than unpick it. Be gone frogs, be gone!

Man Hacks Wife Up - What the....!

Holy cow! An argument gone bad...

Michigan man admits to hacking up wife.

Monday Update 3/5/07

Finally, the weather is nice (cold, but sunny)!

Saturday, I woke up with a migraine that lasted almost all day. I finally started feeling better around 3:30pm. I still have a bit of a cough, but it’s less frequent than the past two weeks. I’m hoping another week and it’ll be gone (Please... please... please!).

I was supposed to have a bowling date Saturday, but since I wasn’t feeling so great... it was postponed until Sunday. Wouldn’t ya know that the bowling alley had leagues on Sunday. We checked two others – one had leagues, the other was closed. So we went shopping, to a movie, and out to eat. The movie we saw was Zodiac. It had some pretty graphic scenes, and was LONG movie - 2½ hours. Twice now, S has volunteered to pump gas into my car for me. I thought that was nice of him. Especially since I don’t like doing it. LOL He seems nice, and is funny in a boyish kinda way, but sorta rough around the edges when it comes to dating.

It’s spring break for my meteorology class, so no quiz this week. Woo Hoo! I plan on doing some reading ahead and reviewing for next week’s quiz, as well as working on next week’s assignment.

I received an email today from Dominque that she’ll be putting my Je Brode needlebook on her website today. How cool is that? In total, I had FOUR - Yes, four finishes this weekend! I did a second needlebook, a flat fold, and a scissor fob, in addition to Je Brode. Can’t show the others yet, because the recipients haven’t gotten them. I’m itchin’ to show them off, though!! I did a bit of stitching on Mime, too. This week, I plan to finish framing Freedom. All I have left is the brown paper on the back of the frame, and the hanging wire. I’m hoping to get that mailed off to the father this week. I’m gonna miss that piece sitting prominently on my dining room table!

I think my cell phone is on its way to the great cell phone heaven in the trash dump. Three different people have told me they hear extremely loud static when they talk to me on my phone... in addition, there’s intermittent ability to hear me talking! I’ll be making a trip to the cell phone store today. Could it be that I dropped it one too many times? I didn’t drop it this weekend, though!

First Needlebook Finish

Finally a finish that I can show off! (I've had two other finishes but can't show them yet) I did my first needlebook tonight. The french design came from Dominque who started Operation "I Embroider". My version of Je Brode was stitched on 14ct fiddler's cloth aida with DMC linen floss, which I really like btw! It took me 8 hours to do the stitching and another hour to put it all together. The cover of the needlebook was stitched with the french version, and the back was stitched in english.

I sort of used instructions from Quilters Cache to put the book together, but made my own adjustments based on ideas I'd seen from other people making needlebooks.

On the inside of each cover, I put two pockets for packages of needles or needle threaders. I attached felt pages for loose needles. Snaps hold the book closed. I thought it turned out really good for my first try. Happy Dancin'!

I received an email from Dominque telling me that she was putting my project on her blog. Look HERE. How cool is that?!!

SBQ - As The End Nears

Today's SBQ was suggested by Danielle and is: Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

I don't think I stitch faster, but I do become more excited about finishing the project. It's incentive for me to spend more time stitching in order to get it done.