A few Pictures from Christmas Luncheon

I donot know how I am so lucky to post twice in one week but I like it.
I wanted to post pictures of the Christ Child Luncheon we have at Our Church every first friday of December, on thursday night we start decorating, the tree Nativity and tables with candles and decorations get done usually by 20:00.
I am in charge of the bake candy sale, me who has a weight problem and I just have to say no to buying any goodies, I bake a lot for Christmas so sampling is done at home.
We have about 500 people eating from 10:45 a.m. to 13:30 lots of dishes and baked goodies are eaten.
St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Annandale Mn. has been doing this for over 20 years.
Most of the people coming to eat are from the Lutheran Church and Methodist and Free Church, only because all the rest of us are working that day to put on this lovely meal.
In the bake shop I only do a little decorating because its such a job marking all the goodies that are baked and brought in, we get anything from chocolate chip cookies to Bishops Bread (if you have never had this bread google the recipe it is fabulous).
We usually make about 1300.00 dollars in the bake shop, we only charge 7.00 dollars for the buffet meal and it is an all you can eat.
The room is decorated with Christmas lights candles a tree and the Nativity Scene, I knoe the pictures donot show it but it really is beautiful.

Happy Newyear to all
Welcome to my new Followers.

Gone for so long

I am so ashamed of myself for not blogging for over a month, it has been so very busy with two guys out because of health issues and that puts me on the road more often then I want.
When I signed on for this job I knew there would be times when i woukld put in lots and lots of hours.
With my Mother being ill and getting worse that takes up more time, now I am not complaing at all I just wish I had 48 hours in a day.
I have done some stitching and lots of baking for the Holiday Season, lots and lots of cakesballs, yummy and yummy.
I recieved  a box of cross stitch patterns, threads and lots of stitching stuff, from my Friend at Church, Judy says she just cannot do it anymore, so I went through all of the stuff and found lots of goodies, she had a felt Christmas picture she started way back in 1980, I am finishing it, I usually donot do anything with seaquins and felt but this was just way to cute not to finish, that is what I am going to finish tonight, I promise I will post pictures and blog more often.
We do have a new addition to our Family it is a rescue from a home forecloser, the owners left all the animals and we were lucky to have this little one come to our home.

This is what it looks like to do bills around the holidays she was kind of helping Dad and just could not handle it anymore.

O.K. Dad put it in the envelope already and lets cuddle.

Just a few Christmas decorations this year I sure would like to have done more decorating but the time elements were to tight, and with a new critter in the house she would have torn down a big tree so I did the three small ones on the kitchen window table.
Not much done in the guest bathroom either she likes the tiolet paper( we had to hide that also) so veru little decorating done in that room also.

I did take a little time for myself and took a beading class and made an ornament, which I love and plan on making more for next year for gifts. This was bugger for a first timer I think I said a bad word but not like one of the other Ladies at the class, the ornament is much prettier in person.
I like these so much.

This is what I woke up to on wednesday last week they are so beautiful, just a little cracked corn in the bird bath and they are staying around, they have to be some of the most beautiful birds God created.
Yes look at the snow it is so pretty but so not nice it is about 11 degrees above 0 how lucky are we.
I do long for warmer weather oh yes I do.
When I was young I loved snow now at 61 I can live without it.
I hope all had a beautiful Holiday Season so far, I sure have Santa was very good to me.

Merry Christmas

Catherine


 

I have been very busy with a little stitching

I want to welcome all my new followers so sorry I have not welcomed you in the past few months.
I have stitched an exchange which I sent to Jayne in Fla. (no blog) she will post pictures on the Blackbird Designs exchange site soon.
I did recieve a beautiful pillow from my exchange partner Laura She is from the beautiful country of Mexico,  we go to Mexico everyyear.

What Laura made for me os from my favorite holliday a lovely Pillow with an halloween design, the Black Cat Pin Cushion, I tottally love it, Laura also added lace trim something I have a passion for I have two drawers full now I have some black and white to use on my stitching,  all I have in my drawers now are cream and other colors, thank-you Laura, you are a sweetheart. Laura do a beautiful job?

Next is the box top I stitched for Jayne, I love the box and tha pattern, this is part of a pattern I love the urn with flowers this is from the book Honeysuckle Manor, the pattern is from the Hannah Lovina Joslin-1856 pattern.
I hope Jayne likes it as much as I did when I finished with it.
Next up is the new addition of a very small family nenber, her name is Blondie really its (StarLyn) that is what my Mother wanted us to call her that was almost my name but my Father said he did not like it so I was named after my Aunt (paternal) and my GrandMother (maternal), I am not sad about it I like both names. This is where I insert the picture or should I say pictures of Blondie.

                                                Miss Queen Bee Herself sitting so pretty 

                                                           Trying to steal Tootsie Pops

                                                    Eating some treats out of Dads hand

She was abandoned at a home forecloser, not many of her family members survived she was about 5-6 weeks old when we got her two weeks ago, the vet said she had no lice, fleas or anykind of bug but she did have two weeks worth of medications twice a day, her eyes were matted shut and had a very bad case of the bugers, I know I had the unpleasant pleasure of this event on the first day, now she is healthy and really active, I just wish she would sleep at night and not during the day.
She thinks she is so cute o.k. she is, she has gained 2 pounds 3 ounces since she came home with us, it was a total surprise for me I have been wanting a new cat since Verne the Cat was 19 years old and needed to be put to sleep he was so sick. That was 2 years ago..
Rest in peace my baby boy, Verne.
Now I have to tell you I have been so busy at work that I am putting in so much overtime 80 plus hours a week I usually only work 62 hours so the extra hours are getting to me I get very little time to stitch, we have two guys out I am the senior person so I get to have all the overtime just in time for Christmas.
I have been trying to catch up on some stitching I started long ago, I also have been able when I am home to go to a couple of beading classes, I will post pictures of my projects later this week.

Merry Christmas  and Happy Hanukkah

I want to show pictures of my new floors, it was a hellish job  I had to pack up two curio cabinets a glass case and all the dishes and baking pans from the island, I do know that when we decide to move if ever I will give lots of things away to the second hand store I hate packing, but we got it done, I helped to tear up the carpeting and tile in the kitchen, and entryway, then my wonderful Husband sent me on a weeks vacation a stitching getaway wow, I did lots of stitching and reading, then a great week-end with 30 great ladies at a stitching retreat we get together twice a year.
I have not been able to blog for over a month due to the fact I cannot access my blog account sometimes, I donot know what I am doing wrong.

Her are a few pics of the new floor. This is the kitchen, looking in from the living room.

This is what it looked like before the tile was taken up.

This is the kitchen Mike bought new furniture for this room I love it.

 

I like the leather set upstairs now this used to be in the family room downstairs.

 

The laundry room looks so nice I donot know why this photo makes it look so long and skinny maybe I just was at the wrong angle.

 I cannot rotate this picture it just will not move I bought this at auction a couple of years ago at retreat I finished it and only need to back it and hang large tassles on the bottom.

This is another retreat auction buy, both of the items above were started by someone else and I finished them, my niece gets the sweatshirt for Christmas.

I have been working on this Sherpherds Bush Spooky Night, I will be finishing this on saturday, then if blogger works I will post pictures.

I hope you all have a beautiful Thanksgiving.

Blessings.
Catherine

 

 

 

 

 

Along time with no post

Good morning: It is 08:14 on friday morning and I am blest with working at home today, I have not fallen off the face of the earth as someone asked me I just have been soooooooooooooo busy, I have done lots of stitching, the most important stitching right now is my Blackbird Designs Exchange, I have finished the stitching I just need to put it into something special.

I have done an ornament for our tree, it is from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue 2012.

 

I love this design, it is so sweet and lovely in my eyes, I am going to put it into an ornament this coming week. I stitched this on 28 count one over one, it was a bit of a challenge I had an eye problem and did the best I could with one eye.

We have been busy with the house ripping up tile and carpeting to put in wood floors, this is something I have always wanted, I plan on making the throw rugs myself out of wool remnents, wish me luck it will take a while.

We are also designing a St. Michael The Arch Angel Garden, I am so  excited about this,  we live on the no. 2 fairway  of a golf course so no one can build behind us (it was the cheapest lot in Wright County) at the time otherwise I would like to have built out in the country on a dirt road.

My poor kitchen and eating area, I will be so glad to have this done.
I am leaving on a weeks vacation on sunday, Mike likes to do the finishing himself, I helped to tear the house apart what a job, but Mike wants to do all the laying of the floor himself.

I am going to do lots of stitching and lots of reading, from sunday to friday, on friday afternoon I am going to the Totino Grace Retreat Center in Fridley for  a great getaway to stitch with all of my stitching buddies ( I think there are about 32 of us this time) I have made needleminders and magnet boards as treats for all the ladies.
It is a wonder what you can do with wooden frames from the dollar store, with a little bit of fabric, I chose pink in honor of Cancer Awareness Month October, I hope everyone like them, they are not all the same.

I am working on making a bracelet right now I donot have a picture because nothing is put together, maybe I can work on it tonight, my favorite Bead Shop is Becka Beads in Maple Lake, Minnesota tonight Becky is having a Diva night we will be watching Bridesmaids, I love the women on the plane if she had not been in the movie it would not have been as funny, Milessa McCarthy she is a hoot.

I want to welcome all my followers new and old thank-you for hanging in there with me, I am going to get better at blogging promise, I do look at your blogs and sometimes if I have time I do comment, sorry if I donot comment all the time.
I am in awe at some of the lovely things people are working on everything from stitching to rug making, quilts scarves and  doll houses I am sure you know what I mean.

Well I am working at home today I need to get back to the phones.

Blessings to you all
Please vote with your Heart in Nov.

Catherine

 

Just another post but not very much to do with stitching

This post has nothing to do with stitching I have been having trouble posting on blogger, sometimes I feel like pulling out my hair but being a vain women I need my hair even if it does take 30 minutes to fix every morning for work, that is why I love sat. and sundays I can just let it go I do fix it for Mass on saturday evening, that is o.k. I just donot need to hurry to get out the door.
I have been excersing since june 1st I have lowered my body fat index by almost 2% yippee yahoo what a great feeling however I have been getting muscles and that is not a bad thing just as long as I donot look like Arnold S. ( I donot know how to spell his last name) silly me.
I have been stitching a lot I am working on an Up For A Challenge 15 I am almost done and hope to post pictures on sunday, it is The Christmas Traditions Santa with penguins and polar bears, it really is pretty.
I am looking for a pattern to buy, I have 40.00 to spend it is the Just Nan Scream House I just donot have the 79.00 they want at The Silver Needle, if some one out in Blogger land wants to sell theirs I am willing to buy.
I am also working on a scrap book my Mother bought that she was going to do, now she passes it on to me and I need to finish it for her, she does this to me often, she will buy some craft products and decide not to do them, I get the stuff and cannot stand the idea that they are unfinished, so I get to do the deed for her, I do love her but enough is enough, o.k. I will do it again for her who knows what she will come up with next.
I am getting ready to can and freeze this week-end, we have our Church Festival this sat. that is a very busy day, lots of fun and then the clean-up ick.
I am haveing a givaway this month it is an ornament magazine from Just Cross Stitch I will post on sunday I hope blogger lets me post pictures, keep your fingers crossed.

Blessings to you all.
Catherine

Some New Stash

I know I donot need anymore stash but I just could not resist, the For My Friend and the Just Cross Stitch books came from my very favorite stitch shop Stitchville USA, the Ladies that work there are so sweet and helpful, its hard not to buy something from them.
The other charts came from a shop in Florida, I just had to have them.
I am working on a piece for the up for a challenge,  I am way behind on that job, I hope to have the Santa project finished by the end of the month I am tired of looking at it.
If you get a chance hop on over to  Blacksheeps bit of the web, Edgar has another great looking cake on there it looks so yummy just click on Blacksheeps bit of the Web on my sidebar.
It has been very warm here but I like it like that I can handle super hot weather, maybe the devil is preparing me for my future (just kidding)
I have taken some pictures of my garden, we have been eating the corn it is super sweet, the green peppers are doing better this year then last year, my carrots are maybe ready I cannot tell beacuse the gopher had eatened the tops off, he is now HISTORY yaaaaa.
I have been collecting dill seed I like it on my salads.
Hvae you seen the poor little dog that was attacked by a porcupine poor little thing, I hope he will be o.k.
Well my needle and thread are calling.

Blessings
Catherine

My First Halloween Ornament for 2012

This is my first finish from the Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collectors Issue of 2012, I used a 32 count fabric I am not sure what type, I did use a light blueberry color.
I put beads on the eyes of the larger cat only,  I wanted the big cat to stand out more then the cat heads on each side of the ornament, I found the yarn in my stash, the color matches perfectly.
My next project to start this evening is the Town Of Halloween Of the Primitive Hare, I love this pattern the Witch looks so mean and scary.
I hope all is well with you all and the warm weather has not gotten you down, I do love it hot 95 is just right for me, I sit out on the patio and drink my coffee every morning enjoying the birds chirping and the day slowly going by, then into the house to start work at 08:00 til 16:00, sometimes I work on the road and sometimes at home, I am so lucky (I think).
I am in the process of cleaning my craft studio, I have lots of goodies I donot do anymore like scrapbooking, I just cannot seem to get into it I guess stitching is my real love.
Do a lot of sewing and penny rugs for fund raisers, this only takes up a small part of my time, so stitching is it.
I am wondering has anyone ever cought themselves counting the steps you walk or counting as you go up or down the steps?
I am wondering if this is a habit due to stitching, I laugh so often about this, I think its a hoot.
I should get back to work.

Blessings to you all

Catherine

A winner

Congratulations,  my husband picked the name of Solstitches,  please send me your snail mail.
My next givaway is going to be in sept, this is the Christmas Ornament Preview july/aug 2010 issue.

Catherine

A givaway for you

This morning I got up at 05:00 stretched got dressed brushed my teeth and combed my hair  and went to the gym, came home made the bed washed a load of laundry, washed windows all around the house outside (they needed it I wash once a month in the warm weather) washed  some of the inside windows, started to feel a little rough and realized I had not had my morning latte or breakfast, it is about 8:45 now how on earth can I miss a meal, I love food.
I decided to read my email while I ate my cottage cheese and peaches and toast yum.
Then I thought I have to get my givaway going.


My Givaway this month is the  Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Preview July/Aug. there are eleven preview ornaments in this magazine,  a sunflower pattern by Sharon Pope, Sampler Of Psalms by Phylli Depiano, A Patriotic welcome by Lois Winston, a great story about Elizabeth Talledos (Dames Of The Needle) with a super sweet pattern for a horn book, a beautiful Maine lighthouse pattern, by Julia Lucas,a pattern of a boathouse Nantucket Americana by Sharon Pope, U.S. Sampler of Uncle Sam by Nancy Boyarsky and  Flower Mandala by Banu Demirel.

To enter my givaway just leave a comment, I am picking the winner on july 21.
Good luck, you must be a follower to enter you donot need to post on your blog unless you want.

Today temps in Annandale Minnesota are going to reach almost 100 degrees, I have today off I am so happy, now I need to go put needle to fabric, and think about dinner.

Blessings to you all
catherine

A Givaway coming tomorrow

I will be posting a givaway tomorrow it is the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Preview  Issue July/August.
Come leave a comment you may win.
Blessings
Catherine

A few Finishes and finally able to post again

Finally I am able to post pictures and words, blogger has not been good to me, I hope all problems are gone.

First up is the finished (finally) Romes and the Chicks this is a Leisure Arts booklet, I won the booklet and the started project at retreat, the blue hen was almost finished, and just a little of the red hen had been stitched, I love this pillow, I was not sure how I was going to finish the stitched project  my wonderful Husband suggested a pillow for the kitchen chair it works, the chair that it is sitting on oin the picture is in the family room really it is the (man cave), insert giggles here.
This was stitched on fourteen count I donot use 14 count fabric, I just had to finishe this beauty, it only cost me a few dollars in the auction, lucky me.

1. 

Next is  Shepherds Bush pattern I love this Forget Me Not this is a pattern from 1990, it is so amazing that some patterns never seem to go out of style, I did this on  28 count I the color of the fabric is a light mint green.

Next up is Blackbird Designs Home of the Brave, I started stitching on this on july third and finished it the evening of july fourth, you see I was home all day on the fourth and stitched for over 9 hours my dream came true, nothing but stitching, Mike did all the cooking and took care of clean-up how lucky am I.

I did this piece on 32 count I am not sure of the linen type, I did this on white I changed the colors from all red to blue and red I added star buttons, however I did make a stitching count mistake and did not discover this until I was done with all the letters, I think it still looks lovely.

I really wanted to do this for The fourth and all the freedoms we have in the beautiful Country.

I am going to frame it tomorrow, I am not going to use a mat I love the  red frame, I found this in a second hand store at a whopping .50, you gotta love them second hand stores.

Today I am going to sit out on the porch and drink iced coffe and stitch, we donot have the air on because it is only 85 and sunny with a lovely breeze.

Blessings to you All.

Catherine

Another givaway from Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Since Blogger will not let me add this info on my sidebar I will do a post instead, Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a great givaway, you must go over to her site and enter her givaway she is almost always having a givaway and if you do not win she has her lovely patterns threads lace and other hand dyed goods for sale.
http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com

Good luck on Nancy's givaway.

Catherine

I am so lucky

I want to show you what Linda In Minnesota sent me they are thread keepers I just love them they are so french looking, I have asked Linda to make some more so I may purchase them anything she does is wonderful.
Thank-you Linda I am going to use them  to keep my threads  for my new project which I am starting this evening really it is not a new project it is one of my 15 up for a challenge wips.

Blessings to you all.
Catherine

My Exchange to Carol in England

I wanted to show you what I made for Carol in England for the Blackbird Designs Exchange, I used the fabric from the Blackbird Designs Garden Party  by Moda  to wrap the box in.
I picked this pattern because of the urn it is so English looking, I love the pattern it is from Joyeux Noel Book.
The trims are from The Victorian Motto Shoppe.
I use lots of Nancy's trims on my stitched projects.
I do hope Carol likes what I have sent her, it should have arrived by now.
Carol does not have a blog so our wonderful Intrepid leader posts pictures for her.
If you donot belong to the exchange please join it is a lot of fun.
Blessings to you all.
Catherine

Rember All who Serve or have Served

I love this picture this is a picture from an email I recieved from my Wonderful Husband, I am not sure who this Man is, but it sure does have an impact on my heart.
Mike  was in the Navy during Vietnam era, they were a communications ship carring an Admiral, he was on the USS ELDORADO.
I think of the wonderful Men and Women who give to our Country everyday by serving in the Military, how unselfish they are, I also think of all the many Men and Women from past wars that gave up their time to serve but did not survive to come home, how lucky we are to have such dedicated Men and Women.
If you do not do a thing this week-end at least remember them in your prayers if you donot pray what a better time to start.
We must also remember the Families that are stateside, Feedom is not free please remember that small sentance.
 GOD BLESS AMERICA
AND ALL WHO SERVE HER.

Catherine

 WE are grandma and grandpa this week, a Robin and her husband moved in on our front porch about three weeks ago, constructing their home, they blessed us with four eggs and four lovely babies.

I do know that they will have to lay eggs once more before they move on, I do wish they would have built somewhere else like the back yard under the deck they woulkd have had 52 feet to choose from, oh no they wanted a front yard view, they are so much fun to watch, we mounted a mirror on the ceiling  so I can look out the office window and see what is going on.

The only problem is we cannot sit out there until they are gone, I like to drink coffee in the morning on my days at home, oh well I'll wait it is worth the pause in the birthing rite.

I have had a bit of a time the last three weeks I have been busy with work and lots of Family things going on.

I sure do miss reading blogs and commenting, hopefully things are back to normal aside from the long hours I am putting in at work, I do like the fast pace I am in now, I will look back and see how much I will have earned retirement, when I do finally retire.

This is some of the satsh I found at a thrift store I love trims and other things to make my stitching look nice, the candle stitcks are for hearts and other stitchery I will be doing I have found on other blogs that people are using them to use as holders.

I like that idea, the springs are from old spring matresses, I am going to use them for halloween bobble heads this fall, I made a cat bat and pumpkin last year and used dowels for the heads, I think I will like the springs better they will give them a scary look.

My Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine came last week I really need to sit down and look through it. Well I should get to bed I was up at 0 dark hundred this morning and left the house at 05:00, I am soooo tired.    

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe
FLOSS GIVAWAY AT VICTORIAN MOTTO SAMPLER SHOPPE
Another lovely givaway from The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, you really should sign up to be a follower of Nancy's She is very talented and creates the most beautiful floss and patterns along with other beautiful creations.
In this givaway Nancy is debuting her new collors of floss.
Please stop over and have a look at her lovely blog and Ebay site.
Catherine.

Tusal Report

Finally my Tusal report this new mess that Google has handed us is awful, I did research today and found out we all will be getting this headache.
I have done lots of stitching I am almost finished with a project that was started by someone in my stitch group they just gave it to the stash reduction auction, I was the lucky winner it is a Shepherds Bush and I am loving it. I will post a picture this week-end.

Blessings to you All
Catherine

Tusal report or not

I have been trying to post my  tusal report with pictures is anyone else having troublr?
On my lap top everything is as normal, on my home computer I get a message that says I need to sign up for google chrome, when I do this all my stuff is messed up and I cannot post pictures, is anyone else having this problem and why is this message starting to slant.
If someone can help please email me at diamondc@lakedalelink.net
Thank-you for any help.

Victoria Sampler Retreat in Minnesota I can post pictures but not words

(I am  having problems with blogger this week) I was very lucky to have taken a class by Thea of Victoria Sampler, what an exceptional Lady she is I loved the fact that she spent so much time with each table sitting down and learning about each and every one of us, she is so sweet.

The class was well worth the money I love the way my stand turned out I did add the ricrack around the pin cushion,  this was not part of the class, (I bought the ricrack from Nancy Turner at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.

We were able to do as much prework as we liked before the retreat, I did all my stitching before hand,  I did finish the final piece at home on monday.

This is such a beautiful piece, I am so excited I was able to go to this retreat Thank-you to my wonderful Husband he paid for this event.

Big kisses to you Mike.

The venue was grand at the Oak Ridge Retreat Hotel center in Chanhassen MN.

Deb and Deb from Stitchville USA were our Hostess of this event they are wonderful  and really know how to put on a party, the givaways were wonderful I will post pictures later this week.

If you are ever able to take a class with Thea do so, we had Ladies from Canada, Texas, Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin and of course Minnesota, I am sure I did miss a state or two so Ladies please forgive me. The food was fantasic almost too hard to believe, I thought I was going to come home to learn I had gained a few pounds oh how lucky I was to see I had actually lost two pounds can you believe it. We had such a great group of Ladies, everyone was having so much fun meeting everyone and talking about and showing some of their work from home, it is so much fun to see what others are working on, I think that the stitchers in this world are the greatest group of people to belong to, we are sincere and of course loveable.

Happy Stitching to you all

I do have to go now please have a blessed day.

Catherine

Happy Easter to all my followers

Happy Easter

Catherine

Another Wonderful Givaway From Nancy

Another great giveaway from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, this is a lovely pattern Nancy has created, drop over and take a look.
Happy Easter
Catherine

Another Givaway from Nancy at the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Again Nancy is having another wonderful givaway, please stop over to her site and have a visit, Nancy is a great designer and a very generous Lady.
Nancy dyes threads buttons lace and has lots of beautiful patterns
Good Luckhttp://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/

I am a very lucky lady I recieved these beautiful quilt tops from Conny over at Remake Remix Reuse (Hopblogger) I was so thrilled I had tears running down my cheeks for about an hour, how wonderful is Conny to share her beautiful work with me, I am going to have them quilted this summer, I have already chosen the backing fabric for all three.

I am not sure of the names of the patterns, I am so thrilled, I am saving my pennies to have them quilted proffessionally by the quilt shop in Kimball, Mn. they are about 13 miles from my home, the shop is in a very small town, they have have a very large quilting machine. Thank-you Conny for the beautiful tops.

I want to tell you Conny is very creative she has been published in a Minature Magazine for her Doll House, she makes lots of the clothes and other items in her doll house, she has also written a book called Mystic Imaginations, my favorite story is the Pink Daisy in love with the Rose, it is such a sweet story, with a beautiful ending.

I know I have written that there are two other stories I like but everytime I read this lovely book I fall in love with another story.

This is a project I started way back in April of 2011, this is a Jeannette Douglas pattern from a stitching retreat that Stitchville USA put on last year, Three Pines Sampler is the name of this lovely piece I had put it aside to work on at a later date and completly forgot about it I did manage to get the framing done, this is a project I just need to get done I love it so much and it will go very well in the man cave for my husband.

This is a project I bought last feb. at retreat stash reduction auction, I have done a lot of stitching on this piece, it will be finished as a wall hanging with large tassels on the bottom.

I stitched this up and turned it into a biscornu for my friend Cindy she loves hotair balloons and has ridden in one, I also did a scissor fob for her, this is from the 101 Cross-Stitch Patterns For Every Season this book has lots and lots of fun patterns to choose from. I will post a picture of the finished project this week.

This pattern is from With My Needle Brenda Gervais this is the Easter Frills  Easter Egg Pin Keep, it is stitched on a 36 count  fabric it is a sparkly  fabric that is from my stash, I did change the threads called for a little,   I used  Weeks Dye Works Guacamole, Sampler Threads Peach Fuzz, Sampler Threads Sasaparilla, Weeks Dye Works Straw and Sampler Threads Summer Meadow, I stitched this on vacation in Mexico, I just need to assemble the pieces together.

This is The Shepherds Bush Stitchers Roll, I also worked on this in Mexico, it is stitched on 32 count I am not sure of the fabric just the count, I have a very large collection of needle rolls.

This is Romeo and The Chicks this is a Leisure Arts pattern, I bought this at retreat stash reduction auction I love the colors, it has a lot of changing of colors so the back is not the best, I am going to make this into a pillow for a chair in the kitchen with a double ruffle, I hope to have this finished within two weeks, it is stitched on 14 count aida it has been years since I stitched on aida, the colors are so bright and vibrant.
 I did do lots of other stitching and will post later this week when my life slows down a little with an ill Mother and my Husband was ill this week it has been trying, if Mike misses Church you know he is sick, now things are slowing down so more stitching on the horizen.

Happy Easter
Catherine