It never hurts to ask.....

Earlier this week I was at a Quilt shop that at one time also had a needlework shop in the same building. While the needlework shop has been gone for at least 4 years or so there was some linen left and it was marked 50% off. So yesterday Cathy B and another stitching friend Chris
(no blog) and I went to the shop and I came home with this:

The colors are from left to right: 32 count Smokey Pearl, 32 count Clay, 32 count Olive Green, 32 count Willow Green, 32 count Miracle Mint, 32 count Quaker Pearl Grey, 32 count Lavender Mist and 32 count Baby Lotion. Now with that being said I wish I would have asked if they would have sold it for less because---today my friend Chris called me and we went back because she wanted to buy a piece for a project she wants to do and needed at least a yard.

Well today I asked the shop if they would sell it for less if we bought what was left. We got what was left for 75% off!!!! Between myself and Chris we bought what was left and this is my take. These pieces are from left to right: 28 count Little Boy Blue, 28 count Blue Spruce, 28 count Amsterdam Blue, 28 count Smokey Pearl, 32 count Cameo Rose, 28 count Miracle Mint, 28 count Apricot, and 32 count Tobacco.
Since between all three of us we bought all they had left the last two days we could have probably gotten it all for 75% off but we didn't ask yesterday because we, or at least myself didn't have the nerve to ask if they would take less. Today I did and they said yes because the shop has been wanting to just get rid of it for the last two years.
Moral of the story is: It never hurts to ask. The worst that could have happened is they would have said no but they didn't and we got even a better deal.
Did I NEED all this linen--NO, but I couldn't pass up such a good deal.

In between all my linen buys I have been doing some finishing. So here is my Prairie Schooler Folk Art Egg all finished. Now I need to stitch up the rest so I can have a basket of eggs.

I have some finishing touches to do on my other pieces and will be posting them in the next day or so.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, and thanks for reading all my ramblings:)

As promised.....

here are my framed pieces.

This one is Mary Garry's---"When I was Young".

LHN's--"Sarah Street-Faithfulness.

La D Da's--"Lauren's Voice".

Country Cottage Needleworks--"G is for Girl".

These pieces were in the previous post but I hadn't gotten to framing them. All my framing was done last weekend. I found all my frames at either a thrift shop or antique shop. Not only did I get the frames for a good price--nothing over $5 butI am also recycling:)

After seeing Diane's post about her stitching project book. I ran out to Michael's and here is what I found:

Here is the front of my project book.

A view from the side.

And the inside view.

Now I am not sure if I am going to line the inside bottom yet because I think it looks pretty without lining it. But I do plan on putting a magnet board on the inside lid and maybe a strong magnet to hold down my scissors. I will let you know what I do.

Bonus--these project books were on sale for 40% off, so with tax this book cost $7.70. Plus they also coming in different sizes.

Thanks for the idea Diane!!

I was hoping to

have all these stitched pieces finished before I posted, but it has been almost a month since my last post and I have done quite a few so here we go:

Mary Garry--When I was young and in my prime. Stitched on 32 count coffee/tea dyed fabric.
I used Belle Soie Poison Apple and Herb Garden. I started this one on 1-24-11 and finished on 1-29-11.


Then while I was down in TN and GA to visit with our grandchildren I stitched this LHN.
Sarah Street--Faithfulness. I stitched this on 32 cream with the fibers it called for.
Started on 1-30-11 and Finished on 2-7-11.


I had gone to my LNS with a friend on the 9th and February and had to pick up this Prairie Schooler book--Folk Eggs. I wasn't real excited to stitch this on 18 count black aida but I couldn't find 36 count black. So I went with the 18 count and used DMC threads.
Started on 2-10-11 and finished on 2-11-11. Can't wait to get this one finished.

In trying to keep with stitching a Christmas ornament between other projects I stitched up this Red Noel from the November 2008 Gift of Stitching Magazine. It was stitched on an unknown 32 count with DMC 115.

I started this La D Da piece last fall and decided to get it finished. The design is called Lauren's Voice. I stitched it on 36 count R & R Lt. Expresso with DMC. I made color changes to this design.

I am not a Halloween person but these Lizzie Kate--Halloween Rules intrigued me. I did not want to stitch them all on one piece so I am going to stitched them and then make pin keeps out of them and put them in a basket. I stitched these on a 28 count dyed fabric with DMC threads.

I received my Just Cross Stitch Magazine last Monday and decided I just had to stitch this Country Cottage Needleworks design called G is for Girl. I stitched it on 32 count Lambswool with DMC and changed out Crescent Colors Poblano Pepper for DMC 92. I can't wait to stitch up the "B is for Boy" design.

Well as you can see I have some serious finishing to get to. I was hoping to do that today with a couple of my stitching friends but the weather did not cooperate. We ended up with 14 inches of snow and traveling was not very good today.

WHERE IS SPRING????

Some more finishes

I have a couple more of my 2010 stitches finally finished. This is an Elizabeth's Garden design from "Three Swedish Pincushions". I stitched it on 36 count with Vicki Clayton silk called--Inner Space.

Next is this Lizzie Kate "Fa La La" kit. I found this moda fabric at a quilt shop. It is a perfect fit:) It was stitched on 30 count with DMC threads.

The final Lizzie Kate season fob--"winter". I stitched this up last month, but just finished it up this last week.

Here are all the fobs. They are pretty cute, but I really just wanted the scissors.

Now on to my 2011 stitches and finishes. I am really trying to be organized about how I keep track of my stitching and getting it finished right away. With that being said we will see how this year goes.

I have had this LHN--"Home of a Needleworker II" in my stash for awhile. I stitched it on 36 count fabric that I had coffee dyed so that it would fit in this frame. I bought the frame at an antique shop for $2. Another good match.
I have been trying to use frames I have found at antique shops, so I adjust the fabric counts to accommodate the frames I have.

Another thing I have been trying to do so far this year is to stitch an ornament after each "bigger" stitch I finish. So I stitched up this Country Cottage Needleworks ornament--"Season of Love" from the 2010 July/Aug. JCS magazine. I stitched it on 32 count fabric with DMC.

I stitched this Stacy Nash Primitives--"Monogrammed Pinkeep". One I have been wanting to do for sometime. I plan on gifting this one. But I will be making myself one too. I stitched it on 28 count natural with DMC.

A Primitive Betty's freebie--"Simplify". Stitched on 28 count natural with DMC and made into a pinkeep.

Brittercup Desings-"Mine" From the 2010 July/Aug JCS magazine. Stitched on 32 count sand with DMC. I must say that these ornaments are so much cuter once they are stitched up.

Finally I was at my LNS and pick up the first 2011 LHN ornament--"Cardinal Winter". Had to hurry and get it stitched up. Another cutie. This one was stitched on 28 count coffee dyed linen and stitched with Crescent colors and DMC.

Well now I am caught up again until I finished the last few 2010 stitches. I am off to do some coffee dying of linen.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.

Surprise in the mail and a couple of finishes...

I received this little surprise on Saturday from Jill. She stitched this for me as a Thank you for our mini retreat weekend. It is "Friendship Sampler" by Goode Huswife. I just love it and she was very creative on how she personalized it with our initials.
Thank you Jill:)

I have been trying to finish the last of my 2010 stitching. I still have a few left but this is what I did get done this weekend.

This is my Christmas Fair and Square from Jenna. I finished it into an ornament.

Here is a pic of the back of the ornament.

I had this piece stitched up for a month or so and finished it into this box. It is a Blackbird design.

A view of the inside.

Another piece that I stitched at the end of 2010 and framed this weekend. It is LHN Alphabet Rhyme.

This piece was in my last post but wasn't framed. I went looking in my frame stash and found this frame which worked perfectly for this project.

This is my sixth stitched finish for this year. It is "Valentine Cupboard Keep" by Country Rustic Primitives. I stitched it on 28 count natural with Waterlillies-African Sunset.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching:)

Two more finishes

I have been on a stitching roll.
This is my third finished stitch piece since the first of the year. It is Cherry Wood Designs--Needle. I dyed some celery gingham I had and used DMC 935. I have a frame for it, just need to paint it and get it framed.

I have wanted to stitch this piece since I bought it this last summer. It is Silver Creek Samplers--Eye of the Sparrow. I stitched it on some 28 count coffee/tea fabric I dyed. I also used DMC threads with this piece. I have a frame for this piece too. Guess I will have to do some finishing this weekend.

I am really trying to limit my stash buying and stitch up what I have, since I have enough stash for a lifetime of stitching. We will see how that goes--so far so good but we are only 13 days into the New Year:)

HAPPY STITCHING.

2010 clean up and 2011 finishes

Well I have a couple of 2010 housekeeping items to post.

First is the Christmas Fair and Square I received from Jenna A.

She stitched me French Country Star by JBW Designs from the 2010 JCS ornament issue. I wanted to stitch this design myself and now I won't have to:)

Thank you Jenna.

Now on to the rest of my 2010 stitching finishes.
This is LHN's Alphabet Rhyme. I stitched it on 28 count with the threads called for in the pattern.

I stitched this freebie from The Sampler Girl. It was done on 40 count flax stitched over two with one strand of Sampler Threads. I just used various colors I had.

These two designs are from Midsummer Night Designs. The first one is from the 2010 July/August JCS magazine. It is called I love Reindeer. It was stitched on 32 count with DMC threads. The second one is I Love Christmas from the 2010 JCS ornament magazine also stitched on 32 count with DMC threads.

Another freebie, this one is from Plum Street Samplers called Adore Him. It was stitched on 32 count expresso over two threads with various overdyed threads from my stash.


I stitched this Lizzie Kate kit--Fa La La on 30 count northern cross over two with DMC threads.
I have the perfect fabric to go with this design and I think I will be making a pillow.

On to my 2011 stitching so far.
I really would like to do some more Christmas ornaments so I started out with this one from Primrose Needleworks called Windows of Faith, Hope and Peace. I stitched it on 32 count antique white with two strands of Blue Jay Sampler Thread.

I also finished this Cherished Stitches piece called Sweet Land of Liberty. I stitched it on 32 count cream with DMC variations 4210 and 4240 and DMC 729.

I had a mini retreat this weekend at my house. There are seven of us that try to get together on Friday nights to stitch and so at one time or another this weekend we all were here. On Friday night their were five of us and then on Saturday six of us were here. Jill stayed the whole weekend and we got a lot of stitching done.

Now I need to have a finishing day!!