April Is A Busy Month

birthdays, anniversaries and stitching.....   my birthday, one son's (Marty) birthday and Chip and my anniversary....  

here is a picture of an Indian Hawthorne Bonsai that Brian and Sue sent me for the big day:

here are some pictures of the stitch alongs that are growing.....

Sampler au Bouquets - 4 parts down -- 8 to go:

Autumn Forest Quaker -- about half way thru:

Tree of Stitches -- latest stitch was 'cushion stitch' :

a little more progress on Konstantinople Hamam -- trying to catch up on parts 4 and 5 before part 6 comes out in May.....     don't think I'll get there because this design is very involved -- maybe part 6 will be a little smaller and I'll have a chance:

my newest Chatelaine design -- Chinese Garden Mandala.....    got a little more done on this one......   I've done as much as I can with the threads I had on hand.....     now I'm waiting for the kit from European Crosstitch to finish part 1 -- it doesn't look like much, but it is a beautiful design.....

thanx for dropping by....   see you all next time.....   and happy stitching!!

Stitch Along Updates

this has been a week full of SALs.... they all seemed to converge in this one week.... I guess this will happen about once every 2 weeks..... here are some quick pictures of what I got done....

part 3 is finished for Sampler au Bouquets....    this section gave me a fit for some reason, but after a little frogging, I did get it done.....

page 12 of Autumn Forest Quaker is done.... those trees were quite a chore, but I really like them.... so lifelike.....

part 7 of Tree of Stitches was a fun stitch.... a variation of the rice stitches we did earlier.... it's called Jerusalem Stitch or upright rice stitch.....

and finally, I stitched 2 more states yesterday...... Illinois and Indiana..... love those quilts!!!

off now to stitch on Konstantinople Hamam for a while..... see you soon.....

Another Update....

back so soon???    *grin*     here are a few more things I've been up to since January.....    

first....   a big thank you to all who took your time to check out my blog and left messages.....    much appreiciated....

I joined 2 more Chatelaine classes...... the first is 'Konstantinople Hamam Mandala'....    the 'little lady' in the center is stitched one over one.....

I started about a month behind because it took me so long to decide I wanted to do this one.....    part 5 is out for April and I'm hoping to catch up by the end of the month.....

the other Chatelaine is 'Chinese Garden Mandala'..... I'll be catching up with this one too, because the kits aren't ready yet, but should be out before the end of April..... part 2 comes out in May and I'm hoping to catch up with this one too.... I did get a small start because I'm using some DMC flosses along with the speciality threads.....

   pitiful!!    LOL

see you again soon......

Finally An Update

it's been so long since I updated my blog I almost forget how..... I have joined several Stitch Alongs and here are my latest updates to them.....

America Land That We Love.... this is an old design by Jean Farish..... the last time I worked on this was 2005..... I'm hoping to finish this up by the end of the year..... we are stitching on this every Wednesday..... here is my progress so far.....

Sampler au Bouquets..... this is a new design from Jardin Prive..... it is on a French website, which is a challenge for me, but it's fun.... it is being done in 12 parts -- one every 10 days..... I am stitching this one over one on 28 count evenweave..... this update is of the first 2 parts....

Autumn Forest Quaker..... this is a design by Martina Dey..... one page comes out each Friday..... we just got page 12..... I'm really enjoying this one with all the little creatures..... I am stitching this one over one also..... running out of wall space..... here is my progress thru page 11......

Tree of Stitches..... this is a design by Abi Gurden..... it is all done in speciality stitches..... the parts come out every 2 weeks..... I am using DMC Variations #4215 and the 4 DMC solid flosses that make it up -- 155, 156, 209, and 322..... the trunk is done with DMC Vairastions #4145.... here's my progress so far:

thanx for your time here and I'll be updating these SALs as they come out.....

Update of Hummingbird Garden

I finished another rotation of Hummingbird Garden by Martina Weber Rosenburg.... this is for the 'Up For A Challenge' blog.....    this picture is after 148.5 hours.....     I especially liked doing the little 'over one' hummers in the border....

I will get back to you when I pick out another project.... the lace parts of this design are very labor intensive, but I'll get it done someday.....

take care and be well, Claire

Meet Rebecca

just finished my second challenge piece..... this is Rebecca by John Clayton and she took 59.5 hours to stitch.... I love this series of portraits..... really like seeing their faces come to life....

here is a link to some of Rebecca's friends that I've stitched in the past:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/559792080DdzNSg

now off to pick another project to finish for the 'Up for a Challenge' blog....

take care and be well, Claire

Decided On My Next Challenge

hello again.....

I finally decided which challenge from my list to work on next..... on Saturday I will be starting again on Rebecca by John Clayton..... here is how she looks now after 37.75 hours......

will post an update after my next 7 day rotation....

take care all and be well, Claire

First Challenge Finish

Good Morning.....

I have finished my first challenge project - Bayside Bungalows by Country Cottage Needleworks.....

I had some of it done before this challenge started, but it makes me feel good that something is done.... I'll be taking it to the framer next week and will post a picture of that when it gets back home....

not sure what the next project from my list will be, but will check back in when I decide.....

good luck to all the other challengers -- checked out all your work, and it is wonderful.... such beautiful stitching.....

happy stitching and be well, Claire

First Update to My 2011 Challenge

Hello all.....

yesterday I stitched on my first challenge project..... Bayside Bungalows by Country Cottage Needleworks.... I had been working on it off and on for a while and thot it would be a good one to finish up and get one project completed.... the picture could be better, but here's my progress so far:

I'm hoping this challenge will work so I can get some good finishes this year..... good luck to all.....

talk to you soon -- be well, Claire

Ahead of Schedule

Good morning.....

got lots of rain from the storm that is running up the coast..... badly needed here -- haven't had any for over a month.....

the piece that came to the top of my rotation pile was on the small side, so it got finished a few days early..... 'The Book Store' by Nikki Leeman of Country Cottage Needleworks..... it was fun to stitch, so here's the picture.... I made one small change to the center of the middle flower at the bottom of the design.... made it into a heart -- I love hearts!!!   it took 21 and a half hours to stitch:

six days till the 'Challenge' begins..... talk to you again soon and have a happy and healthy New Year.....

be well, Claire

Meet Rebecca

Another beautiful day.... sunny and bright, but chilly.....

I finished up about half of my newest start - Rebecca by John Clayton..... her seven day rotation is up and I'd like you to meet her....     she is about half finished.... this first half took 37.75 hours....

you can meet all her friends in my Webshots album, if you'd like....

it is getting closer to my 'Up for a Challenge' start on January first 2011..... I have all my WIP's and projects that I want to get done in 2011..... here's my list:

Savannah Romance - Thomas Kincade

White Nights of St. Petersburg - Marina Weber-Rosenburg

Georgiana - John Clayton

Rebecca - John Clayton

Carol Singers Sampler - Victoria Sampler

Medieval Town Mandala - Martina Weber-Rosenburg

Lady Hera - Mirabilia

Family Sampler - Little House Needleworks

Hummingbird Garden - Martina Weber-Rosenburg

Flamenco Dancer - John Clayton

Babe's Honey Farm - Victoria Sampler

Liberty Lane - Country Cottage Needleworks

Picnic at Royal Roads - Charles White

Pumpkin Cottage - Country Cottage Needleworks
At Day's End - Charles White

Snowflake Serenade - Country Cottage Needleworks

Bayside Bungalows - Country Cottage Needleworks

Wish me luck!!

Be Well,   Claire

It Is Finished!!!

Good Morning!!

Peacock Garden is finished and beaded!!! it took a grand total of 431.50 hours and 12 stitchy months.....   it really sparkles, but this picture doesn't do it justice....

today I ironed it and rolled it into it's tube for it's journey to the framer..... I will post another picture when she comes back home.....

I just joined a new blog site -- 'up for a challenge'.... this is a group that is going to finish 15 wip's in 2011.... the rules are very flexible and this might just be the trigger that will help me get some projects done in 2011..... I will keep you updated here as to my progress.....

take care all and be well....

Ready for Beading

Hello again..... wanted to let you see my Peacock Garden Mystery progress..... stitching of part 12 is done.... just have to do the beads.... hoping to finish the beading in the next few days and then it's off to the framer.... here's the update:

talk to you all later,....

Back As Promised

hello again..... my latest 7 days are finished..... this is how far I got on my Medieval Town Mandala..... this design is by Martina Weber-Rosenburg..... this was a mystery several years ago and this picture shows parts one and two..... well almost.... *grin*

this part took me 47.25 hours to complete:

it was really hard to put this down because I was really getting into it, but I am really going to try to keep my rotation on track.... I think it might help me get more designs done in the coming months.....

see you next week.....

Another 7-Day Rotation Is Done

here is a picture of my progress on this latest rotation..... the seven days are done and here's the progress on the 'Carol Singers Sampler'..... this is a design by Victoria Sampler.... these are the first 6 bands of the sampler....

the next project in my 7-day rotation is 'Medieval Town Mandala' by Martina Weber (Chatelaine)..... just added this to my list, so I will be starting from scratch.... will see you this time next week to show the progress I make on this new project.....

Hummingbird Garden Center

I have several projects in a weekly rotation.... I stitch on each project for a week and then move on to the next..... right now I have 7 projects in my rotation..... I also have 2 SAL's and one monthly project going right now..... the monthly project has one more installment, so that will soon be crossed off my list....

here is a picture of the rotation project that I just finished off today.... there is still lots to go on this design, but now it's week in the sun is over..... it is the center portion of my Hummingbird Garden project.... it is a design by Martina Weber-Rosenburg....

just a note -- the hummers are stitched one over one...

A Framed Finish And An Update

the cooler weather is here.... this weekend we had to bring in the indoor potted plants that had been vacationing in the gardens over the summer..... it will be going down to 32 degrees tonight.....

the Spring Quaker SAL piece is back from the framer.... it's hard to see from this picture, but the inner edge of the frame is blue (matching the blue in the design) and the outer edge is black.....

here are 2 pictures of my Peacock Garden Mystery..... one is the full design -- part 11 is finished..... the other is a detail picture of part 11 meadows....

the last part of the design will be out December 1..... after I finish it, I will be doing the beads and crystals to finish it off.... and my year long project will be over...

Another St. Pete Update

got part of another side on my White Nights in St. Petersburg.... as you can see, I really don't like the yellow buildings, but I will be working on them next.... have to get them done or I'll never finish this..... *grin* I joined a Yuku group that is challenging each other to finish a Chatelaine design that we had put to the side..... I think this group might help me to get this done..... I think it came out as a mystery in 2007.....

White Nights in St. Petersburg

I decided to work on this project again..... it came out in 2007.... it is a design by Martina Weber-Rosenburg..... it was a mystery in 2007 but I got terribly behind and put it aside.... now there is a new Yuku group that is trying to get UFO's finished up..... I still have a ways to go, but at least each stitch I add will get me closer to the finish.....

One Finish and an Update

just have a minute but wanted to share another finish and an update.....

I got Brian and Sue's Anniversary Sampler back from the framer and wanted to share it before I box it up and send it off to them....   this is a design by Victoria Sampler and I used the thread pack that they suggested.....    I've done this twice before for my other 2 sons, Marty and Eva for their Anniversary and Doug and Arienne for their Wedding.....

The Family Sampler SAL by Little House Needleworks is the update.... this is a really neat design where you have to be creative and make it match your own family..... will update you in again soon, so you can see how it's coming along....