IHSW Report

Well how was everyone's weekend? Mine was spent baking bread that didn't rise, then burned.  Creating lessons for this week's evaluations, cross stitching, watching the Good Wife and reading The Garden of Eden by Hemingway.  Fairly productive but now I have butterflies in my stomach.  I know everyone says I will do fine with my evaluation however, one can't help but feel nervous.  I will look at it as a positive and a way to improve my teaching practices regardless of the knots in my stomach!!!

Before I showcase my weekend's stitching, a big thank you to all who have commented and sent good thoughts/prayers for my husband.  We go for the results today since they weren't ready for us last Monday.  Big colossal waste of time last Monday! I will update this post once we return...hopefully with okay results.  Most likely, the doctors still won't know what to do other than recommend surgery, one path that is becoming inevitable.  

Stitching....I had my first finish this year! CC's Love Birds! It was such a fun stitch and I so enjoyed stitching with Belle Soie silks! Thank you again dear Nia!!

Wee bit of progress on JCS...got the peacock's legs in!

Stitched Magic Garden on Friday night.  Maggee will be joining me in stitching this design!! Pardon the wrinkles!

Now for Knotgarden.  I stitched the most on this last night and decided to trail off from the knots and get the outer frame started.  I had a horrible accident with Knotgarden.  While I'm stitching, I cross out the stitches with a blue felt marker.  Well, as I was putting the lid back on, I swiped the marker onto the fabric! How did I do this? I'm stitching with a lap scroll holder thingy and it is very close to my stomach so I'm all squished in on the couch.  The marker leaked onto the front part of the linen.  I went into freak out mode and pulled up how to get out ink from linen.  Hairspray.  But of course I don't have any...I only use mousse with my hair.  So I used some Tide stain remover, mousse and Z-out and scrubbed that blasted stain out, along with multiple rinses in cold, cold water.  Thankfully, while my heart rate got back to normal, the stain lifted and out it came!! PHEW!! Never will I cross out my stitches again NEAR the linen!!

Before I head off to the doctors, here's a sweet photo of Titus trying to help me prep...well he wasn't that helpful.  In fact, I had to pull out bits of paper from his mouth! He really likes to flop onto my work!

Cheerio for now! 

Hugs

Anne

January Celebrations and a New Year of Stitching

The past week and a bit has been full of wonderful celebrations.  On the 3rd I celebrated my birthday with my wonderful family and friends.  Usually I don't do much for my birthday other than a quiet dinner, however, this year I felt it would be good to get everyone together to celebrate. It actually became a joint birthday party with one of my hubby's friend from elementary school.  His friends and my friends were a bit too encouraging with the drinks.  At one point in the evening, I suppose I decided to sing La Bamba.  I don't remember this!! Oh dear!

My auntie and me

Then we celebrated Christmas on the 7th.  We had a lovely service then ate lots of turkey and all the trimmings.  That first week of January always goes so quickly yet it is nice for things to get back to normal so to speak.  We still need to take down our Christmas tree but we are both dreading the process. Going back to work was a bit of an adjustment.  I enjoyed seeing the children but didn't like getting up at 5:30am again.  I am not a morning person, whatsoever!! 

On the stitching front, I started my new sampler, worked on WIP's and started a few little stitches. I also received a few gifts from Nia, Shirlee, and Vickie.  Shirlee made me the most darling little PS ornament.  She finished it perfectly and I placed it on my tree right away so I could enjoy it for a little while.  Thank you so much Shirlee! I will treasure it always.  This is my first stitched Christmas ornament from a friend.  A very special gift indeed!!

 Dear Nia sent to me a sweet little chart to stitch called Love Birds by Crescent Colours as a thank you for sending her a Tatty Teddy chart.  It included the luscious Belle Soie silks! I had never tried these silks before. I am now quite the fan!! Thank you sweetie!! I'm so excited for her baby Lourenco to be born.  He's going to be one well dressed baby!!

I started stitching it on Friday night on 32ct Platinum Belfast linen.

Vickie sent me some lovely homemade pins and a beautiful card.  I forgot to take a photo of the card! Oops!  Thank you my dear.  I will use these in my finishes this year!!

I also sent Vickie a little gift too.  I stitched it awhile ago when I saw the pattern and thought of her.  We have become sisters in Christ so I thought it fitting to stitch her this.  It's a freebie from Feathers in the Nest.  I stitched it on 40 ct. legacy linen with various silks. (I will have to email Jennifer for the link as it seems to have disappeared).

For one of my oldest and dearest friends, I made a Blackbird Designs Box for her.  Since she has received it I can show it now.  I used a pattern from BBD's Flowers of the Field book using the recommended threads and a mystery linen.  I painted the box a pretty robin's egg blue and finished it with Victorian Motto's chenille trim.  I am glad she loves her box!!

Another Christmas gift I stitched up was for my sister.  She requested a monogram awhile back and am happy that she loves her "C"! This is for you my darling sister!! I stitched it on dove grey 32 ct linen with DMC ecru using a pattern from Sajou. 

Now onto my new start, JCS 1707 from the Scarlet Letter.  I started it on New Year's Day, made a mistake, frogged it, then restarted again last night.  Not much to show though.  I am using NPI, DMC and AVAS threads on 36 ct. Newcastle linen in cream, the same as Hannah Brassington.  I just love that linen so why not stitch on it again!!

Teeny tiny start from the upper left hand corner.

I also made some progress on my WIP's.  I stitched a beet on Shakespeare's Peddlar's Magic Garden 5 stitches off so I hope I can fudge the rest of the pattern. I just don't have the heart to rip out the beet.

A wee bit of progress on Knotgarden and Teabath fairy.  I didn't take a photo of TBF for the progress is barely visible.  

If you got this far, congrats!! Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my 2013 stitching.  I haven't responded to all of your comments nor visited all of your blogs but I hope to make that happen soon.  I have a wee bit of work to do for school so that will have to be finished first.  I have noticed lots of people posting daily with their crazy challenges and WIP's.  I decided to not be a participant in any of the challenges this year.  The reason being is I have a hard time committing when I'm working plus all the health issues we are trying to deal with.  My hubby had a test on Friday so we are waiting for the results tomorrow.  I am praying everything will be ok.  Please send a few our way as I know you all will.

Take care!

Anne

Oh, here's a foggy photo of our New Year's Eve walk to the river.  It was so magical and romantic since we were the only ones by the river!

Last Days of Summer

Hello everyone!

Thank you all for your comments on my camping adventures.  My husband and I read your comments and he got a kick out of how many people said "Something touched my foot, I'm OUTTA THERE!"  He admitted he was scared too though and wanted his heart to stop beating so loudly so he could hear what it was out there!! Unfortunately, the only way we could hightail out of there would be to pack up our gear and cycle out.  So not really much of an escape route.  When I went back to school last week, I chatted with the Grade 4 teacher and she said she has a cabin right before you head into Smuggler's Cove.  I asked her if she heard the blood curdling screams in the night.  Lol!! Anyways, she said the next time we are there, if we need to stock up on water we could come by.  Nice to know there's someone nearby that I know!

Well, the last week I have been very busy with school and catching up with friends. I had another great sewing day with my cousin-in-law and she and I craft-bombed my apartment.  I managed to finish sewing up the panels of my quilt and she made two cute little pants for her baby to be.  Check out our progress!

My panels!!

Linen pants with chicken fabric

Her pants are adorable.  We love that chicken fabric we found at Dress Sew.  She made similar pants with guitar fabric as accents but I forgot to take a photo of them.  I still have yet to cut out the border and panels for my quilt and I hope to soon, after I get over the fact that my panels are slightly off.  Very hard to stitch straight!!

While we were sewing and being productive, I found something I made in my Grade 12 textiles class.  I remember designing it to represent my Russian and Irish sides but never finished it into a pillow.  I hope to finish it soon so I can actually use it.

Firebird design by me stitched with a variety of embroidery stitching

My appliqued shamrock

I also received in the mail my trim pack that I won from Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  I chose the Halloween pack, although I don't celebrate or stitch anything Halloweeny, I loved the autumn colours and will use it for my smalls.  Thank you Nancy! I love her stuff!!

On Wednesday, I had a lovely visit with Melissa from Words and Blooms.  She came over to my Nana's and brought me batting for my quilt. So generous of her!!  She also gave me a beautiful cross stitching Christmas book with a pattern she had stitched awhile ago that I commented on.  You are amazing Melissa for remembering that I loved that pattern! I'm hoping to stitch it for Christmas this year.  We had tea and chatted about all sorts of things.  I always enjoy visiting with Melissa! Hugs to you!!

Of course with school looming over me, I felt I had to surge ahead on Hannah.  I'm finished one corner and hope to finish the other soon.  I'm really excited about finishing her but sad at the same time because she has been fun to stitch.  I always leave my 1 over 1 stitching till the end.  I also picked up Knotgarden last night.  I haven't stitched on Knotgarden for months. 

6 more blooms to go!

Love that little deer leaping!!

As for my granny square blanket, I have been adding a row a day or every other day.  Usually I crochet in the morning with Titus lying beside me in a sun beam.  He decided to roll around on my mini blanket just to add a few more of his hairs into the yarn!

After all those wilderness photos, I thought I'd be a bit civilized and show you some city scapes. 

Art gallery steps

Robson Square

The Pink Flamigos from the Rumpus Room

Well, I think that's about it for today.  I still have not decided about what to do with my giveaway.  If you have ideas please share with me! I was thinking of having 3 winners for my 3 years of blogging.  Perhaps something stitched for 1, a gift card and some stash? Really can't decide!


PS, Adding photos on blogger has been really odd lately.  It's taking forever to add just one photo.  I get that circle thingy that changes colour, like a wait symbol, but find it never adds the photo unless I click on it a gazillion times.  Anyone else having this problem? I use Mozilla and Picasa.  Chrome doesn't work well for me.

Cheers until the next post! Hopefully the first week of school will go smoothly!!

Hugs to you all

From me and Titus!

Pascha, Flowers, TUSAL and Stitching Update

Christ is Risen!! 

Христос воскрес!! (Khristos voskres)

Pascha has come and gone too quickly.  It was a glorious feast! Our service was so lovely and full of joy, I didn't want it to end.  I spent the weekend at my Nana's and my mother was in from Prince George for Pascha.  The weather has been so hot, as though it was summer.  Thankfully, it is still with us and I'm having a hard time staying indoors.  Needless to say, I have been behind on the finishing front of things.  My blackbird box is coming together slowly.  The paint has dried and I hope to complete it this weekend.  

Enjoy all the photos!

My favourite photo of cherry blossoms.  The lighting was perfect and captures the delicate blossoms perfectly

Syrnypascha

The beautiful dogwood tree

Camelias

 Now my stitching progress.  I picked up Tea Bath Fairy and haven't put her down.  I know I was supposed to work solely on Hannah, but Annette encouraged me to pick her up again! Thanks Annette!!

I purchased some new hoops from Michael's.  I love how taut the fabric is in the frame.  

Here's Hannah and her leopard.

Only one leg has been stitched.  I need to get a move on with him!

Love this little bird!

Finally completed the second garden in Knotgarden!

My orts in Mouse's burse.  I have been attempting to figure out how to crochet granny squares.  I've been practicing and practicing and hope to show you one completed square soon!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my framed Jane.  I am looking forward to visiting all of your blogs this weekend.  

Also if you could say some prayers for me.  There are some lay offs in the district and I may be one of those laid off.  However, I may be rehired right away since I have a specialty position.  I am trying not to panic and trust in God that things will work out for the best.

Take care!

Hugs to all....

Anne