Quick Post

What a day already! The couple came to tear up the floor. After less than a minute, the guy says he can't do it. The vinyl is glued to particle board that is very glued to the floor. So the decision was made to put the porcelain tile on top of the vinyl. So nothing is going to be done until next Monday. We are saving the expense of tearing out the floor. Joe the contractor has had a look and feels fine with doing it that way. He picked up and brought by the tile I ordered. It was nice to put several tiles down and see how the colors of the counter top and backsplash go with the tile. It looks good.
I spent most of yesterday's free time finishing off the Lucet Holder. I put cording on the front then I put cording on the back. The back cording looked much nicer and had a tighter twist. So I took off the front cording and redid it. Now it looks better. I did so much hand sewing that I wore a hole in my middle finger! Ouch. Now the only thing left for the Lucet Holder is to make 44 inches of cording.
I want to finish up some little jobs today like sewing some more buttons into my Button Lover's Brag Book. Then I can clean up a bit of the mess on my sewing room floor. I'd love to start one of the accessories, like the tape measure cover, for Home Sweet Home. I want to see if the fabric is going to work and if I should back it with some muslin or not.
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer is nearing an end. Today we have two JBW Designs that are too big for ornaments. There is a daisy "A" and a sweet bunny.
My goal today is to make the cording for the Lucet Holder and be done with it. Anything else is gravy.
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Great Mail

I got the book I ordered from Australia in the mail yesterday. It is so fantastic. I just sat and drooled over it. I am gathering all the stuff I need to stitch it. It is an etui in the shape of a cottage. It is darling and has lots of accessories to stitch. I got some fabric (40 count lambswool) and some ribbon (sheer organdy for the windows) and I am ready to start. It is a huge project. It is mostly embroidered. But I'm wondering if I can use my new PCStitch program to turn part of it into cross stitch. We'll see.
I am one-third the way through the book I am reading, The Affair by Lee Child.
I worked on one of my Christmas presents yesterday. It is a necklace by Rovaris. I love the charms on it. I am putting in one more row of the background color so it will look neater when I attach my initial to the necklace.
I made the little bag that goes inside the Lucet holder. I am sewing on the cording on the edge of the front. So close to being done-done!
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer continues with free Drawn Thread design (birds on a plant), a stitch in time (Prairie Schooler? Cricket Collection?), a sampler with beads and silk ribbon roses and an old-fashioned pansy bouquet.
Dq, I sent your chart off this morning. Congratulations!
We're waiting to hear from Joe about starting the floor. Soon I hope!
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It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

We woke up to snow today. Nary a flake on Christmas but now we have at least an inch. It really is pretty if you don't have to drive in it. I didn't go to exercise this morning as there was no substitute last I heard for our regular leader who is out of town.
I worked a teensy bit on Winter Cottage. Slow progress there. Then I went looking for all the pieces of the Lucet Holder. I read the finishing directions. I was putting off finishing it because I was afraid I would mess up the eyelets. But I soldiered on and they turned out fine. I'm hoping to finish it all up today.
Since I didn't find the sleeves for the smocked baby dress, I cut out new ones. That is another thing I'd like to finish today.
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer continues with a white heart, an alphabet cherry and two small designs.
The winner of the L'Atelier Perdu The Magic chart is dq! Please email me with your address dq and I'll send the chart on it's way. threadinhandamy@gmail.com
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Countdown to 2012

I had a great Christmas. I got all the stuff I ordered! I got a cross stitch design program (PCStitch Pro) that I need to play around with and see what I can do. I wish there were books that told how to do everything. Is there a PCStitch for Dummies? I got two charts: Drawn Thread's new design Sisters + Friends and Giving, a Brooke's Books Heirloom Bride's Tree Ornament 12 of 12. I haven't started them yet. I just worked on Winter Cottage yesterday. I was very happy to get the front done - mistakes and all! I started on the back. I am going to do Townhouse the right way, on congress cloth and on a frame and see if it goes better when you follow the directions.

I got some more Hand Dyed Fibers threads of the month. I just love getting those. I'm going to clear out a drawer in the thread cabinet just for them.

DH made a huge mess. Joe the contractor is coming this week to put in the tile on the kitchen floor. So DH cleared out a lot of the kitchen and mud room. There is junk everywhere. Where the heck is the garbage can!?!?!? I should take down the Christmas Tree just to have room for all the junk from the pantry. I'll be glad when we are finished with this craziness!

I got a darling necklace kit (just like Jenny's!) to stitch. It will be quick to put together. There is too much fun stuff to do when what I have to do is clean the bathrooms. I got a new nano and earbuds that are comfortable. I can clean to music or books or podcasts or radio. I love it.

The baby is due in two weeks. I'm getting anxious now. Son #2 and DIL got me a "Grandma's Brag Book" to fill with pictures.

The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer includes a snowman from a kit and a heart. Both could be ornaments if finished.

I think this is my bloganniversary. I started this blog a year ago. I should have a contest. Whoever wants a chance to win L'Atelier Perdu's The Magic just leave a comment on this post.
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The Sun

The sun is shining. I've been to pilates.
I worked on the smocked dress and made good progress. Right now I am trying to find the sleeves. I'm sure I cut them out when I cut out the dress but, alas, I can't find them. I'll just cut out a couple more. I still don't like the dress but it is much closer to being finished. The smocking doesn't show up very well. It gets lost in the design on the fabric.
I finished up Mountain Flowers yesterday. I like how it went together and that no raw edges show. It is a clever design. I am really happy with it. It was a lot of work since is stitched with one ply floss over one and has specialty stitches. It turned out great and was worth the effort.
I took a look at Winter Cottage trying to remember where I was when I put it down. It is not my cup of tea. It is so much more a needlepoint piece than a cross stitch piece. I am not happy with the one ply coverage. It is more work than it should be. Does that make sense? But I really do want to stitch it and furthermore I have the Townhouse to stitch too.
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer continues with a sweet design from the internet of a bird and an alphabet. Then there is a large Shepherd's Bush kit, Fair Philomel. I don't like that lost r that should be on the end of sample. It is a shame not to do something with it though.

Today I want to work on Winter Cottage and see if I can get close to finishing the front.

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas Eve's Eve

Things are quiet here and not a flake of snow. DH just got back from grocery shopping. I started the finishing for Mountain Flowers. All the stitching is done and I have cut up the pieces and interfaced the front and back. Now for some hand sewing. Wouldn't it be great to finish this today? Isn't the lining fabric perfect?

I tried smocking on the baby dress. I haven't smocked in forever so I was trying to remember how many ply of floss to use.(I used 2 premium silk floss strands, I think I use three of regular floss.) There isn't a set pattern so I am making it up as I go along. The first two rows are meant to look like hearts. I'm still not thrilled with it but I will finish it. I taught a class in smocking at our local needlework store 25 years and at least 3 owners ago. I didn't know what I was doing! I was self taught.
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer includes Drawn Thread's Lily of the Valley sampler. I like it. There is a ladybug design that is cute but turned out way bigger than I expected. I wanted little and cute. This is sweet but huge. Then there are two little garden designs. They were fun to stitch. I think I like to stitch flowers.
I'll show you my progress on the smocked dress tomorrow.
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Floored

I heard from Joe the contractor. He can put in the tile on our kitchen floor next week. But first the floor needs to be totally torn up. What sounds like a simple project turns into a ton of work. DH is wondering where we can move the fridge. He thinks we should move the fridge to where my desk is and that means cleaning my desk it off. This project is mushrooming already. But it would be wonderful to have this kitchen redo all done this year. Next week is likely to be kinda crazy.
If I buckle down today I think I can finish the stitching on Mountain Flowers. I only have 4 or 5 diamond motifs to go. I spent last night reading the rest of Tea Time for the Traditionally Built. Since I am now done with it, I can start another book. I'll probably start The Affair by Lee Child.
The Stitching Tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer continues with (surprize!) Shepherd's Bush's "Bloom" and a small sampler. There is an angel from a Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue (I think) and Victoria Sampler's "Crown". I think I am going to sort the Unfinished Drawer items into piles. One pile will be for ornaments that need to be finished. I don't know about the other piles yet.
Another thing I want to work on today is a smocked dress for the new baby that I started about 2 months ago. It wouldn't take that much to finish it. I sort of lost interest in it along the way. I'm not sure I really like the fabric. But maybe it will be sweet when it is finished.
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Good Night Moon

Sometimes my sister calls me and says she has nothing to talk about and we proceed to talk for an hour. Since starting this blog I have feared having nothing to show or talk about. It has been almost a year and I have posted everyday except when I was gone or it was Thanksgiving. The Stitching Tour has helped me to have something to show everyday. I worked just a bit on Mountain Flowers but it doesn't look like much although I am getting close to being done. I read a little bit yesterday. I am half way through Tea Time for the Traditionally Built. I am anxious to start two of the new books I have (The Affair by Lee Child and Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James). I still haven't finished Cutting for Stone. So hopefully, I will read some today. Things are quieting down and very few things are left to do for Christmas. I am very excited about a book I bought. I got "Goodnight Moon", the recordable one, so I can read it to the new baby. I have to practice reading it aloud and then record it. I'll take it to her next month after she is born along with the little dog I made.
It is sort-of fun for me to go on the Sewing Room Stitching Tour of the Unfinished Drawer as I have forgotten about a lot of things in the drawer. Here are two hearts, a Shepherd's Bush egg and a free design I got off the internet. Again, I don't know what to do with them.
It is foggy on the first day of Winter.
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Picky

I'm picky. I know what I like and what I don't like. Sometimes that trait is a curse. I got the mystery I ordered in the mail yesterday. I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to be a stocking design. It is not. It is a rectangle. I don't like the words. I don't like the person figure. I don't think I'll stitch it. Next time remind me not to order something sight unseen. I probably won't like it. I'm picky.
I got Arby's again yesterday for Dylan. But this time I asked for a bun with no seeds and I got ham and cheese along with a chocolate shake instead of Jamoca. But when I picked up Dylan at his classroom his teacher said to go to the office as his Jimmy Johns lunch was there. I remembered that in October Dylan told me he had won lunch from Jimmy Johns. His name was picked from the hat of kids who had perfect attendance during testing week. Yesterday was the day he got his free lunch of a ham and cheese sub. So I struck out again. He ate the Jimmy Johns sub and drank the chocolate shake. I think the universe is telling me to give up already. We decorated the gingerbread house. It was fun and we enjoyed it. Although at the end the roof was sliding down. Next year I should take some long pins or something to hold the roof in place. Anyway, he opened his gifts and liked them. He made me a Christmas card, It was very sweet. I finally remembered to take my camera so I could take some pictures. He has long hair.
I am making very good progress on Mountain Flowers. I can see the end! Only 10 more diamond shapes and I can put it together. There is also a needlebook that goes with it.
Today's tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer includes some small designs. Two should be finished into Christmas ornaments. The one with cat and snail is supposed to be a needlebook that matches a box that is in the Curio Cabinet. One of these days I'll get to it.
We went out to eat last night. It was fun. But now I have to be good!
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I made good progress on Mountain Flowers. Today I want to finish the bottom half. That is only 3 1/2 more diamonds.
I made more caramel corn yesterday and some more fudge. For some reason I can't seem to get the fudge just right. I cooked it just a bit too long and it is a little crumbly but it tastes great. I am trying to resist it.
I signed up on My Fitness Pal to track my eating and I can already see that it is the snacks and candy that put me over. It is recommending a 1200 calorie diet - to help me meet my dietary goals. Not a lot of leeway there. I have to behave myself. I threw away a whole bin of gumdrops. I know, there is more stuff I need to throw away. One step at a time. I also put a lot less sugar in my coffee today.
Here is a picture of the Christmas tree and also one of my mini tree. I am the Queen of Excess. I like a tree with way too much stuff on it. After 40 years, I have way too many Christmas ornaments.
I dusted off my pleater and put the pleating in the baby dress so I can smock it.
I'll get back to the tour of the Unfinished Drawer tomorrow.
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Feeling Groovy

I'm feeling good today as I finished all my goals for yesterday. Clean kitchen floor. Yes! Christmas tree decorated. Yes! Dog done. Yes! Several diamonds on Mountain Flowers done. Yes!
I finally feel all caught up with my life.
Update: When the UPS man backed into my driveway the other day, he delivered an envelope. Yes, just an envelope. We have one of those Ipod nanos that will be replaced because of a faulty battery. So Apple sent us an envelope to return it in. As this nano is very old, I am wondering if it will be replaced with a newer version. That would be nice. We'll see.
Wow, Christmas is so close. DH suggested making the next batch of caramel corn today. I need to gift wrap the small things I have for Dylan. It will be fun to decorate the gingerbread house tomorrow.
I am thinking I should finish up some WIP's in my sewing room. There is a half made dress for the future new baby. Also, the Wandering Vine afghan is so close to being finished, I need to just do it. I am wanting to start something new but I know that I have great things coming in the mail so the best action is to finish up some projects instead. I should work on Winter Cottage too.
Today's tour of the Sewing Room's Unfinished Drawer continues with a couple of snowmen. There is a strange stripe in one snowman. Maybe it was stitched with overdyed floss. I have the noses for these snowmen somewhere in a little tiny plastic bag. There is another one of those Country Cottage houses. Then a sweet Shepherd's Bush sampler. What to I do with all this stuff? I just don't know.
Goal for today: Have fun and read for half an hour.
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