WEATHERAye-Aye-Aye!! All across the midwest has been hammered with snow in the past couple of weeks. So far in February, we here in northwest Illinois have gotten 15" which is 9" above average for the month. Yet we're still 8" below average for meteorological winter. Last week, I headed to work and got about 12 miles from home before deciding turn around and go back home. It took me an hour round trip! Heavy winds caused white out conditions. The rain from the afternoon before had created an inch (or more) of ice on the highway and then it snowed on top of it. Two days later, I woke up to 4.5" of snow on my driveway. Starting at 4am, I cleared snow... and more snow... and more snow. Two and a half hours later, I went to work. By the time I got home from work, there was another inch or so that had to be cleared off. Now forecasters are saying another snow storm is headed our way. Snow shoveling counts as strength training, right?
STITCHY NEWS
Even though I've been working on Welcome to My Home, it doesn't seem (to me) to be much progress so I'm holding off on a photo for another week or so. Since I had a "snow day" on Tuesday, I took advantage of my day off by stitching on Japanese Garden. I've made quite a bit of progess. Thirty more minutes of backstitching and I'll have the entire top section of JG finished except for the beadwork. Here's what it looked like when I left off last November:
And here's what it looks like now:
I started a Hardanger SAL over the weekend. I'm blaming it on Pam, lol. I've only done a little bit of Hardanger so I thought this might be a good way to become more familiar with it. The frogs hit full force. I had originally stitched the center parts in a dark and medium purple, but after seeing it I didn't like how it looked. Throughout stitching the project, I kept having to rip out and redo stitches. It was not fun :( I only have a lazy daisy flower left to do in the upper right corner.
Not sure why the photo looks pinkish. The thread is actually DMC 211, which is lavender. The fabric is white. Not bad for my foray into hardanger.
That's all this week.
Until next time,
37 comments:
Super sweet stitching..
Sending you warm hugs and sunshine x
Sure, I'll take the blame for enabling you, lol! Your Hardanger piece looks great to me. JG is gorgeous too!
Someone must have tried to trick Mother Nature again because it's 54 here today. Not looking forward to another snow storm tomorrow.
You bet it is strength training!!
Lovely stitching Meari.
JG looks great Meari! You made lots of progress on it.
Love your new piece and can't wait to see it stitched up.
Your stitching looks gorgeous!
Wow! Lots of snow in a short period of time. I hope you are not too sore. JG looks beautiful. The hardanger looks lovely too.
Meari don't despair - you still have 3 days to get those missing 8'' of snow in February. Unless you want to save those for March - lol!
JG is really looking fabulous and I also like your hardanger SAL - it looks lavender to me.
Tara
Your Japanese Garden looks great! That is a very pretty Hardanger piece, the colour does look very pretty, even 'tho you say it is not quite right.
K.`````
You've had more than your share of snow this season...we continue with rain! Japanese Garden looks beautiful! I didn't know that you did Hardanger.
I agree! No more snow!! I've certainly seen enough of it this year! I am so looking forward to spring.
Japanese Garden looks great! I love the hardanger piece too. I've never done a hardanger SAL, but it sounds fun. :)
That's a lot of snow, Meari! JG is looking awesome!
Karin in CA
Great progress on JG! You'll have it finished by the end of the month, right?
Your Japanese Garden really looks nice.
We are going to get some more snow tomorrow night and hope you do not get too much more.
I like your hardanger piece as I have not done any more since I did it with Rene.
Marl
Shoveling snow is most definitely strength training! JG is gorgeous..nice work on your hardanger, too!
Great efforts. That hardanger ( or hard anger) has always been a challenge for me. CJ in OK
JG looks fabulous and the Hardanger is really pretty Meari.
Hi Meari -
Wish you could send the snow our way. We were supposed to get a little yesterday but it headed north. Love you hardhanger.
CJ
Looking Good Meari! Love both the Hardanger and JG We're getting rain here right now, supposed to be freezing later....
Mary Louise in IN
The Hardanger looks beautiful. I never have attempted to do this, looks difficult to do. Your stitching is beautiful as well! I hope the snow is not bad your way this week. Ohio has seen way too much this winter as well. Thank heavens I have a teenage son that helps me out with the shoveling. Have a good week
Sorry about all the snow shovelling here it's dust and more dust. Well done on the hardanger.
Wonderful progress on your Japanese Garden, Meari--can't believe how detailed that is!! You must be changing colors with just about every stitch... And your hardanger is pretty, too.
Can't believe how you have been hit with the snow this year. We've had very little so I can't complain at all, but boy am I ready for some sunshine and spring breezes :)
Meari
Your japanese Garden looks wonderful :)
I really like your hardanger piece too
Tinna
Meari, I am sorry you are having so much bad weather and that you have to do all your own shoveling. Your shoulder must really be taking a beating. Just remember to take a hot shower and rub it down with some sort of analgesic........
I love, love love your JG....it looks fabulous! Can't wait to see it finished.
Your hardanger looks great for your first try? My goodness; you would never know! Love the lavender! One of my favorite colors.
Hugs,
Sue who is going out in the nasty rain and wind! LOL
You need to invest in a snow blower :-) We used to have winters like that but the past couple of years we have seen less and less snow every winter. I am waiting for a good old fashioned snow storm.
The hardanger looks really good! I'm envisioning the colors in my head; they sound beautiful.
JG looks gorgeous as always!
- Lisa N.
Japanese Garden is gorgeous! Your Hardanger piece looks very nice!
I can't even imagine getting up at 4am to shovel snow. Ack! Hope the snow tapers down and you stay warm. Love Japanese Garden and that's great you did a hardanger tutorial. I think it came out great!
JG looks great.
Stay warm.
Not bad at all - You are always up for an adventure.
Stay warm and safe - I really love the snow, but it can make driving so dangerous.
I haven't been able to read your blog for a bit, and I'm glad to get caught up. JG looks great. Your cupcakes from last week look yummy. Eight Immortals looks like it's going to be beautiful.
Sandy in NM
Your JG looks fabulous!
I do believe that shoveling counts as weight training. It's a good workout. Sorry about all the snow. We missed the second one that went through this week.
You're a brave woman Meari. I can't bring myself to try Hardanger. Too scary and stressful.
The snow sure does not sound like fun, especially if you had to drive up and back in it. But it sure did give you lot of time for the great progress on JG. It looks lovely. Love your hardanger too. Does not look like you had to struggle so much at all. Looks very neat
Meari -
Your stitching looks great! Glad that you were able to stitch on your snow day from work. I wish that we could get those. Good luck with the hardanger, that is something that I have never tried before. Good luck with the snow storms. I know that we got back from Flordia this past Monday morning, and we are now getting snow.
Marge
Good work! congrats on your first Hardanger :) I keep thinking I need to try it...but I have enough trouble working on what I'm already doing..ha!
Sorry for the snow...but better you than me. (How's that for sincere understanding and pity?). I do honestly hope you get a break from shoveling soon, though!
Japanese Garden really grew by leaps and bounds during your day off, and the hardanger is lovely. I find it great fun to do, but I haven't done much of it.
So sorry about the snow; I *so* don't miss that from my years in Wisconsin. It rarely snows here in London, and I'm grateful.
That Japanese Garden looks a challenging piece to stitch Meari, it’s beautiful.
Your Hardanger piece is lovely too. I’ve only ever ventured into Hardanger once and a friend of mine made it into a cushion for me because I’m afraid I’m sewing machine challenged and can’t sew a straight line to save myself. I enjoyed the stitching of it but the scary bit was cutting some of the threads, I was convinced I was going to mess it up.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and I look forward to seeing what you get up to next.
Happy Stitching!
Sue
Yes snow shoveling counts as strength training in my book. JG is gorgeous!!! Never tried Hardanger. Yours looks great!!
Betty in AZ (ILCS)
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