It's Monday

It is Monday and the bathrooms are clean.  I've done my walking.  There is chili in the crock pot.  So things are under control.
I cut out the fish tail for Hampton Court.  I used two different scissors.  But maybe they weren't the best ones.

This is one that is for making lures for fishing.  It was recommended by a designer for a class I'm taking later this year.

Then these are applique scissors that are very sharp down to the tip.

Both have serrated blades.  I think I got close enough without cutting through any stitches.
I finished-finished the Best of Friends Strawberry.

Wouldn't you know that after I found some green felt and got it all on the strawberry that I found the felt that came in the kit?  Whatever.

I want to work on the front of the Toy Box today and see how far I can get.  Plus the step in Hampton Court is to put on some felt padding for the other part of the fish.
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Sunday

It is another nice day (knock on wood).  I'm happy to say that I made progress yesterday.  I put purl pearl around the inside of the fish's tail on Hampton Court.  The next step is scary.  I have to cut away everything around the tail.  Wish me luck!

I am almost done stitching the Best of Friends Strawberry.  I want to finish-finish it today.  Don't look too closely as there are some stupid errors on this.  It is stitched on 36 count linen.

I made my shoe. It is a pin cushion.  There are several more items in this kit but I have to put it away for the moment as I have other things I need to work on.  Isn't it sweet?

My friend Maria mentioned using the ipad to stitch from.  Then I told her about my system.  It is a gooseneck with a clip at each end.  (ignore the mess)

I saw a lady using this when I went to Celebrations and I went on a mission to find one.  This works well for me and it is adjustable.  http://www.amazon.com/Daylight-U51010-UN51010-Double-Flexi-Clamp/dp/B000WUXP5A
I missed seeing Claire last week when I was on the Midwest Summer Tour so can't wait to talk to her today.
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The Front

I worked on several projects yesterday.  There is so much I want to work on that I don't know where to start. Sometimes I just want to finish something.  Sometimes I want to put in time on everything.

I put some stitches in Best of Friends Strawberry.  I know if I worked on this most of the day that I could finish this.  I have to be in the mood for stitching over one though.  So this is not a late-at-night project.

I started another side of the Summer Casket Keepsakes Butterfly.  I wanted to finish a whole side but, alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I started the front of the Toy Box.

I put some stitches in on the fish tail for Hampton Court.  There was this one place where I just couldn't get it nice and smooth.  Luckily, I finally worked through it and got passed that point.  I'm on the home stretch.  I think metal threads are put on next.

I worked on a kit I got in the mail.  It will become a shoe.  I changed it a bit.

I wanted to get to my half doll but every project requires finding the parts and I just didn't get around to digging out the charts and threads.  I should be more organized and have everything in bags.  But my project bags are full!
I've done my walking and been to the Farmer's Market (sour cherries are in!), now it is time to stitch!
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Odds and Ends

Today I am catching up on where I am stitching-wise and answering questions.
First of all, two people have asked where I'm going next.  I'm staying home for a while.  Two months from today I'm headed to Ocean City again.  When I came home after my first visit all I wanted to do was go back.  I'm signed up for a Jackie DuPlessis class, Fair Maiden's Work Bag at Salty Yarns.

 I  know at least three other people who are going.  I'm still hoping to talk my BFF into it.  This time I'll stay an extra day or two and see some of the area.  I dream of sitting on the porch of the Lankford Hotel and watching the ocean.  Last time I meant to walk down to the water and stick my feet in but I never got around to it.  This time I'll get there for sure.

I got the golden beetle kit in the mail from Australia.  It didn't take that long.  I was waiting to find out if it included the directions.  The answer is no, it does not.  You have to download Arlene's Crafts from itunes to an iphone or ipad.  Then you get the opportunity to buy the instructions for 8.99.  I've read through the directions and it looks fairly simple to build the beetle.  I'm going to wait on stitching this until I've done Amy Mitten's beetle.  I don't like the legs on this beetle and may alter them.  I want them more rigid.

I've started the fish tail on Hampton Court.  This is my favorite part of this design.  It is really hard to see my stitches when working on this.  I hope I'm doing it nicely.

Here is my stash from the Midwest Summer Tour.

I bought two of the extra toys for Betsy Morgan's Toy Box.  I can't wait to work on these.  Marilyn had the hobby horse nearly done in class.  She is amazing.

I saw this strawberry by Barbara Jackson on a website and wanted it.

So I went to her website, Tristan Brooks, and ordered it.  It's mostly worked over one.
Have a happy Fourth of July!
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Midwest Summer Tour Day 3

I am good for two days in a row - I go walking again.  This time I walk down to Lynn's store since I now know where it is.  The weather is great even though it rained last night and there are puddles.
It is the second day of our Toy Box class.  The lady sitting at the next table has brought in her Home Sweet Home.  It is amazing.

It is great to see it in person.  Makes me think it is possible to finish it.  I have one side almost done and the roof.  This is another thing I want to get back to working on.  Too many things to stitch, too little time!!

Today in class we are going through all the directions.  We make the little drum sticks that will go on the drum waxer holder.  Darling.  The drum is made just like the thimble holder, so that will be easy to finish.

We get the tassel and twisted cord demonstration.  Even though I saw it two weeks ago, I need the refresher.  Now do I cut the cord around the head of the tassel or do I need to put glue on it?  That's what I wasn't remembering.  Now I have it straight.  Another exercise we do is to use skirtex and paper strips to make a Jacob's ladder toy.  It was easy with Betsy's step by step directions.  I know I won't have any trouble when it comes time to make the needlebook.

Our options for lunch are limited because it is Sunday.  Yola's isn't open.  I was wanting to have another one of those fabulous waffles.  Oh well.
Here are my finishes so far:
The thimble holder is done.  I love the design of it.  The thimble sits on that little spool inside.

Then since I've been home I have finished the drum waxer holder:

I didn't make the waxer correctly and I may do it again.  Right now it is holding together and it is cute.

I started a couple more of the toys too:

I got to see some of Terry's stash and I am very impressed.  She is going to have to live to be 110 though.
We have a very long drive home.  Terry is used to big city driving and gets us through Chicago just fine.  We get back late at night.  Thank you to Terry for the ride.  It went fast because we were talking all the way.  We even missed an exit because we were engrossed in conversation.
What a fun weekend!  I am so lucky!
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Midwest Summer Tour Day 2

First, I have to say that I was good and went walking.  We were staying near a lot of strip malls and stores and it was a great place to walk early in the morning.  It is Saturday and the real reason we traveled to Madison, Wisconsin.  We are taking a class from Betsy Morgan.  The Toy Box.

Several of us have seen Chris's completed Toy Box and it is beautiful.  So we jumped at the chance to make it.  BFF and I took a class from Betsy a few weeks ago.  She is a really good teacher.  I was happy to learn the joining stitch and needed the refresher.  I was forgetting how to start, with a knot? (Yes)  So it was good to hear the directions again.  I know that in Betsy's classes, if you get the pre-stitching done, you will be able to finish something by the end of class.  I love that.  I'm ready to make my thimble holder.  She has some great ideas about finishing too.  I love the bead hinge for the lid.  It is great to have challenging stitches to do like the hedebo.  I always need practise with that one.  I ended up doing it four times before it was the right size and shape.
Lunch time was a blast.  BFF, Terry and I walked over to a small place called Yola's Cafe.  There was a big picture on the wall of their specialty - a thick golden malted Belgian waffle with butter, maple syrup, bananas and walnuts.  I love breakfast any time.  Boy was it delicious.  I've been lucky on this trip to have some really yummy lunches.
Back to work in the afternoon.  I am almost done with my thimble holder.
After class, Lynn's, who arranged this class is staying open for us to shop.  A third shop to see!

Lynn's is an unusual shop.   It has framing.  It has art supplies.  It has cross stitch supplies.  I have to say that most shops with more than one specialty don't do justice to each area.  But Lynn's does an admiral job in each area.

 There is even Brazilian embroidery supplies and charts I haven't seen other places.  The framing area is very nice and there is a good selection of ready made frames too.  So many models on the walls.

 I was especially impressed with this one.

 I wasn't even sure it was cross stitch.  There was a ton of fabric to choose from.
We had to decide whether to go back and work on our thimble holder or go to a lady's house.  We decided to go back to the classroom since we were so close to finishing.

 Next time (if we get the chance) we would go to this lady's house as everybody had a good time.
I was so exhausted by the end of the day!  It is so fun to take classes.  I had fun showing people my Show and Tell stuff.  I had seen Marilyn's mermaid at Spring Fling and now I got a chance to show her mine.  (Hers was more perfectly done!)
More class tomorrow.
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Midwest Summer Tour

Terry took me on the Midwest Summer Tour.  Our destination was Madison, Wisconsin.  We started out on Friday morning. It was a lovely day for traveling.  Google said the trip was a bit over 5 hours.  My new friend Terry was driving, thank goodness.  Our first stop was House of Stitches in LaPorte, Indiana.

I had never been there so I can check that one off on my bucket list.  It was a well stocked shop.  Terry is a regular customer and knows the people in the shop.  I brought in my Show and Tell basket of goodies and they were oohed and aahed over.  I shopped and got some things.  I was trying to control myself.  It was a great shop.

We stopped for lunch in Chesterton, Indiana.  Terry knows her way around and likes to eat at the Third Coast Spice Cafe.  Boy was it good.  They have really healthy food.  We had the most delicious drinks made with fresh squeezed orange juice.  The little bakery area looked yummy so I kind of went overboard.

  I got one of each thing they had from power balls, cookies and muffins to  a rice krispie treat made with cocoa krispies.  So we had something we could eat if we got hungry.
Then we got back on the road.  We wanted to avoid the worst of the traffic.  Of course, Gary, Indiana is never easy.  We decided if we went a certain way it would be easy to stop at The Inspired Needle.
We made it to Lemont, Illinois and the Inspired Stitcher.  It is a quaint town.

 Cool mural.

The Inspired Needle has an amazing amount of merchandise for a small store.

Terry is familiar with this store as well.  I saw a darling model of a Heart's Content biscornu and couldn't pass it up.  Then I found another Heart's Content pattern that I had been wanting.  I now have five patterns from Heart's Content that I haven't even started.  I'm bad.  Oh, well, you have to get them when you can.
So that's another shop to cross off my bucket list.  It is such a treat to go to a good cross stitch shop and I've done two of them in one day.
Now we are on our way to Madison.  It took several more hours to get there but at least we had stash to keep us company.  We finally made it to the hotel but we didn't even have time to take our suitcases out of the car.  Friends called and invited us to meet them at a restaurant for dinner.  What fun to have stitchy friends.  About five people I know from Minnesota were there and Ginny.  We had a great time.  It is always good to see my BFF and catch up on things.  Today we have been in four states and two cross stitch stores.  Hog Heaven!  Class starts in the morning.
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