Class

I signed up for a class this week.  It is for the Sassenach Sampler by Forget Me Nots in Stitches.  It's not for a couple of months but I am anxious to make this sampler as I think it is beautiful.  It is only about 3.5 inches by 6.5 inches.  Small and delicate.  It was taught at Celebration of Needlework this year.

So then I was thinking of all the Forget Me Nots in Stitches patterns I have. I probably have twenty!  I went looking for a sampler that I got a couple of years ago.  I had just barely started it.  I decided to work on it a bit.  The top rows are all done in Forest Green.  That's not my color so I've been substituting other colors in, sort of like I did with Mistress L.  I had to remind myself about how to do the Montenegrin stitch over three.  This is what it looks like so far.  

The piece of fabric is three feet long so this is going to be a long sampler that will take a long time to complete. 

 I also went looking for another class kit, Book of Beries.  I found it but wasn't up to trying to find out where I was in stitching it.  I saw Marilyn's completed one in April,

  It is beautiful.  I really want to get back to working on mine.  It has lots of pages.

This is the last day of June.  I'll be back on August 1 (it is a Tuesday) to tell you all about my month and show my progress (or not!).  Be happy and walk everyday.

A

Mystery Project

I finished the first page of charts for the mystery project. It took at least three days of confetti hell to get there.

Then I made a working copy of the next two pages.  The second page is going way better as there are several large areas of white.  That was easy to stitch.

I honestly don't know why but I enjoy stitching on this.
I got the box top to the Moss Creek project done.  Now I can create the box.  I've got so much finishing to do.  I put a bunch of stitched but not finished projects in a basket.  The basket is overflowing.

 I had a pile of stitched things that I didn't have any use for and I was going to give them to Goodwill.  But I was looking at them and couldn't do it.  I have been watching FlossTube.  Many are showing WIP (works in progress) Parades. I could have a parade of stitched but not finished stuff.  BTW, I want a Jimmy Flosstube tee shirt.  He's a riot.
It is going to be hot today then rain later.  But I don't care, I got my walking in and I'm going to stitch.
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Moss Creek

This is where I am on the Moss Creek project.

I showed the smalls that are done.

Now I am working on the main piece.  I got the front side all stitched.  Just the back side and the box top to do.  I want to get the box top done today.

I've been all over this morning.  To the bank, Hobby Lobby, Target, Walmart and the chiropractor.  I'm trying to get ready for next week.  We are going to go see Claire and Evan!  Yeah!
Tomorrow I'll show you the mystery project.
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Where Am I?

Where am I on My Stitcher's Heart project?  Well, I mounted the stitching on the board included with the kit.

 It is just barely big enough.  I haven't figured out how to attach the pom poms.

 Do I glue them, so I sew them?  I put Mod Podge on the painted box, that gave it some shine.

It needs to be touched up in a couple of places.  I'm not crazy about the box but I don't want to mess with it anymore.

I need to attach the stitching to the top of the box.  Maybe I'll hot glue it.

I got the pin cushion all done!  I love it.

I sewed on some buttons to squish it down in the middle.

So this project is almost done.  I didn't stitch the scissors fob.  I'm still thinking if I want to do that.

Thank you for your understanding about me taking a break from blogging in July.

It was so cold this morning that I wore long pants to go walking.  49 degrees.  Weird to be this cold at the end of June.  The end of June?  How can it be that June is almost over??
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What Now?

I am back home in my sewing room.  What am I working on now?  First I have to show you the Just Nan Mouse House.  It is all finished now.  This is what it looked like last time I showed you:

It was in the process of being sewn together.
Now:  My favorite side

 window side:

 Front door:

 Other window side:

 Bottom:

 Inside:

Here is the house with the mouse:

The bathrooms are clean.  The walking is done.  I am thinking of taking July off from blogging.  I have two trips coming up and I want to work on some BAPs that won't have much to show.
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More Good Mail

A while back I sent a friend several cuts of fabric and begged her to make project bags out of them.  Well this week, I got the project bags.  I love them!  I buy fabric when I see something I just love without knowing what I'm going to do with it.  I have rather a large pile of fabric in the closet of my sewing room.  So I found many candidates for project bags in my fabric stash.  I sent 6 cuts and got 6 bags.

I really like that there is a see through window in each bag so that you can see what's in it without having to open it and dig around inside.
 I love each one.  If only I had 6 projects instead of 40!  My friend does a wonderful job of sewing them up.  They really are perfect.  I feel a little bit guilty because I can sew.  I could make these.  But I don't want to.  It is a hassle and I'm not as neat a sewer as my friend.  Thank you Vicki!  You're the best!
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Good Mail

Back on March 2nd I ordered a three month subscription to Stitchy Box.  I got an email back acknowledging my order that said shipping would begin in late March.  The problem was the lady made a mistake.  She didn't mean to write "March", she meant to write "May".  So I have been waiting for a long time for my Stitchy Box.  Ordering something blind also means that you take the chance that you will not like it.  So I knew that I was going in blind.  My box arrived June 15th.
It was very nicely packaged.

There was a sack of threads and a sack of embellishments.

These are the threads I got:

One is a very an interesting Krenik that is fuzzy.  I haven't tried a few of the threads.  A green silk is very handy to have.
These were the embellishments:

A piece of sunflower fabric for finishing.  Some blue beads and beads that would make a cute fob.

Then there was a piece of 32 count overdyed linen in a pretty blue color.

I have mixed feelings about this.  Since I thought the box was coming in March, it seemed to take forever.  But who doesn't like to get stitchy stuff in the mail?  Everything in it was nice.  Stitchy Box must be in great demand because sign-ups are often closed or full.  So I was happy that I could try a subscription.  I saw Kay open her box on FlossTube.  She got the button add-on and got a chart too.

I've walked and been to the Farmer's Market.  

More good mail tomorrow!

A

Goodbye Phoenix

Last Sunday was all about getting home.  Since I woke up so early, I had time to go walking again.  I've been good here in Phoenix and have walked every day. We were packed up and checked out by 8 a.m.  BFF dropped me and BFF#2 off at the airport.  This sounds simple but it wasn't as there is a lot of construction going on at the Phoenix airport.  I was sad to say goodbye to my BFFs.

They were looking for volunteers to take a later flight. No way Jose.  I had a while before my plane left so I sat and stitched.  I didn't have any scissors so I went looking for something to cut thread.  The closest I could get was some fingernail scissors.  Whatever works.

 I was really glad I had eaten breakfast at the hotel.  Nothing looked good to me at the airport, well, except candy.  I figured I would buy a box of snacks on the plane. As it turned out, they only had sandwiches on the plane, no boxed snacks.  Rats.  I watched the Beauty and the Beast movie on the plane.  That made the trip go way faster.  I started watching Hidden Figures.  It is a good movie.  I'll have to see if Amazon has it so I can see the rest of the movie.  I was worried about catching the second flight as my plane landed way at the end of A concourse as the second flight was boarding on the B concourse.  I walked really fast and made it in time.  The second flight was only a short half hour one.
DH picked me up at the airport.

Phoenix was a great trip and I had fun with my BFFs.  BFF#2 is moving this week to a town very close to me so we'll be able to get together and stitch.  It will be great.  I'll see BFF in a few weeks when we visit DS#1.  Here is where I am on my plane project, My Stitcher's Heart pin cushion:

Here is where I am on the main part of the Phoenix project:

I've got some good mail to show you tomorrow.
A

Retreat Day Two

I forgot to tell you about the gifts we got at the retreat.  They will be very useful.  The first is a little measure.  How handy!

Next we got a beautiful wood laying tool/awl.  Love it.

We also got a scissors fob.

On Saturday I woke up early and went walking again.  The golf club across the street was really busy.  

It is going to be even hotter today.  But our classroom is frigid.  BFF#2 wore a sweater.  We are working on the tape measure cover.  Mine goes pretty well but I made the opening a little tight and I couldn't get the tape to retract.  So I had to cut the stitching and open it up, then restitch it.  Now it is fine. 

We also worked on the little bolster pin cushion.  It will fit into the box of the etui along with a thimble holder.

The pin cushion is filled with walnut shells.  

At lunch I got to choose salmon.  Perfect.  

After lunch everybody who made the socks put them out to be judged by bozos.  I'm a sore loser.  There were five entries and I got last place.  Mine really were the best.  

The stuffed cat got first place.

I felt really good that I got the three smalls done.  I started the main piece but didn't get very far.  BFF and I decided to go to a shop that Barbara had given us a business card for.  It was called Scottsdale Qults so we and Matilda went to check it out after class.

It was really hot outside and in the car.  It was fun to see what the quilt place had.  I hadn't seen a store that carries Cosmo floss.  They had the whole line and the variegated too.  I bought a couple to try and the owner let us pick a free one too.  They also had some Sue Spargo stuff and I bought some to use in my Sue Spargo class in October.  I found a cute kit for a felt design and some striped trim.  

The retreat was over too soon!  We had our last dinner with everybody.  We had a chance to say goodbye.  Most are leaving tomorrow.  

A