Long Overdue Stitchy Post

It's been SO long since I've posted anything remotely related to stitching that I hang my head in shame. LOL! Do not fear though because this Pumpkin still has a needle in hand and has been working on a number of different projects :o) Now to just light that fire under my a$$ and take some pictures...

For awhile I have been promising you an updated picture (sorry it's so dreadful) of Roses Of Provence by Mirabilia so here she is -

Her dress has expanded since my last update. I've also done more since this picture was taken but I've also taken a break from her. Not to worry, I'm not getting sick of her! I just find that in the heat of the summer, I stick to smaller projects and she's not as portable either. My hands are itching to get back to her though and I'm sure it won't be long before they do. I miss her :o)

So, has everyone gotten their JCS Halloween special edition magazine yet? There are some beautiful projects in there but I was a bit disappointed though because there didn't seem to be a lot of ornament sized pieces. Am I the only one that thought this? I can tell you one thing though, I absolutely LOVE Ghoul Tidings by Plum Street Samplers! BTW, there is an error on the chart for this design. Now to patiently wait for the Christmas ornament issue...

I want to thank everyone for sharing your tricks on how to keep on top of Blog reading now that Google Reader is gone. I've checked out the other sites that were mentioned and I'm still not sure what I'm going to use yet. For right now I'm going to stick with Bloglovin' but it doesn't mean that I'm happy with it ;o)

Taking Shape + Winners!

It's been almost two months since I started Roses Of Provence. How time flies when you're having fun ;o) LOL! I know I gave you a little taste of her beginning but I've got a lot more stitched and thought you might like to see -

She's got color! I really wanted to get the beading done on and around her head but so far I haven't had any childless opportunities ;o) Maybe soon. I'm anxious to see some of that bling.

Her dress is gorgeous! There's no real pattern to it so after the white has been stitched in, it takes me awhile to stitch in the other colors. It's surprising how many colors Nora used; I think it's around ten.

I may not get a lot of time with her but I'm quite amazed at how much I've gotten done so far.

I have to apologize because awhile back I offered a pattern to whoever was interested and said I would draw a name if more than one person wanted it. Well, there were four interested parties so I drew a name and the winner was MOUSE! Congrats :o) I have your address and will be getting that out to you soon.

I also had another contest but it was a secret one. Just another way to show my thanks :o) I took all the names of those who commented on my January 28 post and got Random.org to pick a stalker. The winner was ANNE! Congrats to you too :o) Anne, you have won a complete kit and I'll be getting that in the mail soon as well.

In The Beginning...

She looked like this -

This is my start to Roses Of Provence by Mirabilia :o) Not a lot done yet but more than I expected! I think it's been about a month now since I started her. I'm averaging about an hour a night with her so the going is slow but I'm REALLY enjoying her. I love watching her take shape right before my eyes. Once her skin is complete, I'll move on to her hair. I can't wait to start on her dress!

Again, I have three amazing ladies to thank. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be stitching ROP at the moment. It all started with Carolyn who sent me the pattern and bead package :o) My eyes popped when I saw all those beautiful beads! I wonder how all that beading is going to get done with a toddler in the house. LOL!

Next it was Gabi who bought me the fabric :o) I stayed with the recommended fabric and I'm happy I did. It does remind me of white chocolate but it won't take away from ROP's beauty in the end.

Last, but certainly not least, was Melanie who sent me ALL the DMC required along with the spool of Kreinik :o) There is just something about seeing all those skeins of floss together that gets my heart racing and my mouth drooling! LOL!

Thank you ladies! Your generosity has touched my heart and I hope you'll enjoy watching ROP come to life as much as I will. Please know that I will always remember your gifts and it will be a fun story to tell people when they see her hanging up on my wall :o)

There is one more person I would like to thank as well; although I don't know who I'm thanking. I had a certain Secret Santa send me a $20 gift certificate to Down Sunshine Lane around the same time. I just got around to making a purchase and I'm looking forward to getting my order. I wish I knew who you were so I could thank you in writing but I hope this will do...thank you :o)

 

OMG! OMG! O-M-G!!!!

UPDATE...OH-MY-GOSH!!!!  She's mine!  She's mine!  All mine :o)  I just got an email from a fellow Blogger, Carolyn, and she has more than kindly granted my wish of the pattern AND the beads!!!!  I have the biggest grin on my face :oD  Thank you SO much Carolyn!  My heart has been warmed by your kindness and one day I will do a RAK in your name.  On with my original post while I do a Happy Dance...

UPDATE 2...Okay, this is getting crazy!  Now I have the fabric thanks to the generosity of Gabi :o)  I'm totally blown away.  Really.  And then, a GC from a Secret Santa?  Gee, I must have been a good girl this year.  LOL!  Let me tell you, this sure lifted my mood after being sick for the past 36 hours :o(  I can't thank you enough Gabi and Secret Santa but maybe on Friday I will come close to it...

Okay, last night I was innocently browsing through the ONS when I came upon Mirabilia's new release. Have you seen her yet? I am SMITTEN!!!! Take a look at her -

Isn't she GORGEOUS???? I just HAVE to have her! I do :o) I can SO see myself stitching her and adding her to my collection of beautiful ladies. Actually, I think she would make a perfect match for Sabrina.

Sigh! I miss stitching a BAP :o( There is something about them that is so satisfying and calming and for some reason; I always hate it when they come to an end.

I really hope that Santa leaves me some money ;o) LOL! I would love to have her to start the New Year with. Oh how I wish there was an instant porthole that you could order what you want and just reach in and get it! Wouldn't that just be the best? Come on, someone out there should be able to invent this!

Btw, this is not the Special Something I was talking about in my last post so remember to stick around ;o)

Tenth Finish For 2011

"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-A-Dee-A
Wonderful feeling
Wonderful day"

Can you guess why? Can you? Huh? Can you?

Well...I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT!!!! My tenth finish for 2011 is....








SABRINA!!!!!

Isn't she a beauty? :o) (btw if you click on the link on my right sidebar you'll get a bigger picture) I can't tell you how happy I am. Of course when I shared this with DH, he didn't really catch the fever that I had. Maybe because all he could see was dollar signs going out the window. LOL!

When I completed her yesterday, my ticker said 16 months and two days. Now I know it didn't take me that long to stitch her because I didn't even touch her last summer. When I look back at my books I can see that in general it took me 64 days to finish the first half of the pattern and 89 days to finish the second. In total that equals 153 days and therefore approximately five months. Not bad :o)

I tried both my cameras to capture just how gorgeous she is in real life but I just couldn't. I had to adjust a few pictures to give you a better idea of her colour. The fabric was coming out grey but its mushroom and more of a tan.

Oh, I just love the look on her face. She looks so elegant!

And the roses...such a small amount of colour but it adds so much to this piece.

After all this work, how could I not mention the beads! The beads, the beads, the beads! LOL!

Would you believe that I was only about FIVE Petite Black Beads short???? If I didn't have to take away the ones that had imperfections, I would have gotten by with one package. The funny thing was though, it called for two packages of green beads and I only used one. Go figure!

The framing place called me about a week ago with the estimate costs on the frames that I picked out. Unfortunately I'm not going with the wider one because it was going to cost over $400 just for the frame itself! My second choice is a thinner version and will be around $120. Much better for the pocketbook ;o) I'm not sure if this is the exact same frame but it looks something like this -

So what's next, I bet you are wondering ;o) Well, I had better get a start on my Christmas Rules SAL because the end of the month is coming up soon!

I'm not sure if I'll tackle another large project this year but I think I have found my next victim...Lady Alexandra -

Isn't she stunning???? I just loved her the minute I saw her :o) Maybe I'm the victim here because look at all those BEADS, BEADS, BEADS! ROFL!

I Did It! I Did It!

Working hard paid off because I met my goal; the mid section of Sabrina's dress got beaded before the end of the month :o) Talk about a Happy Dance! And let me tell you, there were a lot of beads! A LOT!

Did you want to see a progress picture? No? LOL! Just kidding ;o) Here she is -

I'm still SO in love with her. I know there have been comments about her quirky shoulder but she really is stunning in person. I was looking at frames the other day and found two that would be perfect for her. They are both ornate and have a black hue. One is quite wide though so cost may be a factor. But both have this tiny beaded detail around the inside of the frame and went so well with the tiny black beads in her dress :o)

Speaking of beads...it looks like I'm not going to have enough Petite black beads to finish the last section >:o(

I even bought the said amount of packages. Grrrrr! It's even questionable with the larger black beads. Sigh! So guess what that means...I'll have to make an order ;o)

So now my goal is to have Sabrina completely finished by the end of June. How doable is this? I only have two small folds left so I'd say it looks pretty promising :o) If she does get finished, there will be one heck of a Happy Dance!!!! LOL!

Btw, I'll announce the winner of the giveaway on Monday, May 30, so there is still time to enter. Just remember to leave a comment on THIS post only. Good luck!

Going For More Ba-Bling

Sabrina had a lot of attention during the month of March and now she's ready for more beads -

This was the biggest section that I've taken on so far so I'm not sure how long it will take me to bead it. I may actually be blind by the end of it. I do know one thing though...once this area is complete, I will be on the homestretch! Sabrina WILL be done this year :o)

Since it's a new month, I'm back to stitching on my Christmas Rules SAL with Nia :o) It seems like forever since I last laid eyes on this project! LOL!

This morning DH came in with the mail and I got my fabric order. I have a few great spring pieces planned for this month :o) Remember, it's bunny month after all so stay tuned...

Sabrina Has Graduated!

Graduated Q-Snaps that is ;o) LOL! My girl is now framed in 11 x 17 inch Q-Snaps. She's heavy but it beats crushing any stitches or beads.

I'm SO excited because I 'finally' finished all the white in the section I've been working on! I even got to stitch part of the hem of her skirt so now she is being shown in full length -

What do you think? I'm still completely in love with her :o)

Once this middle section is done, there won't be much left but the last two small folds of the back of her dress. I can see the ending in sight and I couldn't be happier. Just knowing that there is a great possibility that she will be done this year is such a relief. I think this is the longest time I've ever spent on a project before.

I've started something new but I'm waiting until I get a little more done before I show you anything ;o) It's been a rough week health wise. With the sudden changes in temperature and weather, my body has taken an awful beating :o( I haven't had much sleep because of the pain and being on so many pain medications has screwed up my appetite. A vicious circle; one that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy let me tell you.

Tonight we 'spring' our clocks one hour ahead and therefore lose one hour of sleep but hey, we gain more daylight and that's good enough for me :o) Spring IS right around the corner and I can't wait to dust off the old camera and get back out there!

Have a great weekend everyone and thank you so much for all the wonderful comments on Chilly :o)

Welcome Back

Sabrina!

I'm sorry it took me this long to get a progress picture up but I wanted to make sure it looked like I did something ;o) LOL! As you can see, I've been working with white. White, white, white! Ugh! Might as well get it over and done with. Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for all of you with lots of snow and so I figure I'll surround myself in the white stuff too!

I haven't gotten to a point where I can bead yet but here's a close up picture of what has already been done -

I took the pictures too late in the day so they are a bit drab :o(

I was hoping I would have some stash to share with you but there was nothing in the mailbox today. Drat! Maybe tomorrow...

My Girl Wants To Party

Sabrina is getting the party itch ;o) She's starting to get more and more bling now -

With a dress like this, I know I'd want to show it off! LOL!

The front of her dress is officially completed so it's onto the middle section. I think I'm about 60% done. What do you think?

People have asked me why I'm beading as I go. To be honest, this is not my normal practice. I usually wait until I have my entire cross stitching done before I even think of beading. But I decided that since there were SO many beads on Sabrina, I would do them as I went along because I knew that if I waited until the end, she would never get finished.

I have a feeling that I will be changing to larger Q-Snaps in the near future ;o)

Out Of Hiding

Sabrina is back and you should see quite a difference from the last time I showed you an update :o) I have the front part of her dress completed, all except the beading -

I may have to do the beading during the days when I have more light but we'll see how things go. I want to bead this area before moving on to the middle of her skirt.

I'm still in love with her and very pleased with how well she is coming along. To be honest though, I am disappointed that she won't be finished by the end of the year :o(

It seems that I have been holding out on you all because I have some fantastic news to share! I got a call last Friday and was told that my mammogram was clear :o) That means that I 'officially' have ten years under my belt! What's even more exciting is that Jean, from the Attic, will be posting pictures soon (supposedly this week's newsletter) with some of the items that will be up for auction. If you are not subscribed to her newsletter, you can view it on the web site.

Mom and Dad will be arriving this afternoon for a visit :o) I'm SO glad that the rain has FINALLY ended and it's supposed to be a sunny weekend. Since my blisters have not healed yet, I've been forced to wear my Crocs (without socks). My poor toes were purple this morning. LOL!

Due to the fact that my parents will be here, I probably won't be around very much but will pop in to check emails ;o) Have a great weekend everyone!

Slow And Steady...

I don't know about steady but slow definitely describes how Sabrina is going. Sigh! I'm really enjoying stitching her though and this is where she is as of today -

I'm not sure if it looks like a lot of progress but there is some. Honest ;o)

DH and I are planning on getting a propane fireplace (fingers crossed) installed in the living room and I got to thinking... Right now Stargazer is upstairs in the extra bedroom. I wonder how it would look if I put Sabrina off to one side of the fireplace and Stargazer off to the other. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

I'm SO excited because today I put the finishing touches on the free pattern that will be given out on Pumpkin Day!!!! I'm quite happy with it so I hope it looks as good when it's stitched up :o) I've also been collecting items for the giveaway. Only THREE more days to go...

Poor Sabrina :o(

She has been SO neglected lately. I 'really' have my doubts that she's going to be done by the end of this year :o( Here she is as of yesterday -

I couldn't help but stitch the hem in her dress ;o) I was so unsure when I first saw the colour combination but I love it! I'm glad I decided not to change anything.

DH and I are going to visit our parents for Thanksgiving so at home she stays :o( At least I have a travel project but I'll keep that secret until I get home. Hee, hee!

I DO have a few other things that I will share with you though. Tina was a sweetheart and sent me Autumn Row by Bent Creek -

Don't you just love the donkey card? :o) I'm picking up the material for it later today so I'll have it on hand. It's going to be a cute project. Thank you again Tina!

My dear friend Harmien surprised me with another sample of her wonderful stitching -

Isn't this stocking just darling???? I love the antique bell that she attached. Thank you so much Harmien! You know it will be treasured :o)

Into The Light!

Would you believe that Sabrina is back? I FINALLY took her out of the dark and started stitching on her again -

Not much, I'm sorry but at least I'm working on her again :o) It feels like I never took a break. Maybe my lack of stitching mojo was because I just missed her. I love the sweep of her gown and I'm excited to put the trim on the bottom of it! Hopefully I will be contented once again.

Okay, has everyone been watching and drooling over the new releases from the St. Charles Market???? Have you SEEN these two lovelies -

Pumpkin Hollow Farm by LHN (photo 'borrowed' from her Blog). Ahhhhhh!!!!! I'm SO in love! Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Pumpkin Cottage by CCN (photo 'borrowed' from her Blog). O-M-G!!!! Does this have me written all over it or WHAT! I NEED! I WANT! Can't you see this one on my wall? :o)

WHY? WHY do designers have to do this to us???? Just when I think I'm good for another 100 years, out comes something delicious like these. Oye!

Please note: starting Monday morning, I am taking a week long break from Blogging. Wait! Don't worry, I'll be back the following Monday ;o) DH is 'finally' taking some time off so I want to spend that time with him. I just wanted you to know just in case you email me and I don't respond. When I return to Blogland, I'll catch up with everyone :o) It will probably take me a week. LOL!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for my Blogaversary coming up on September 27. You're not going to want to miss it :o)

Side One...DONE!

I guess you could say that I'm doing a HHD!!!! That's a half happy dance for those that didn't get it ;o) LOL! Last night I put on the last of the beads to side one of Sabrina. What a great feeling!

Technically, based on the center of the pattern, I'm half done :o) I imagine it will get a little tough once I dive back into her because it's basically all the same colors and A LOT of beading. Oye! There are a lot of white blocks and teeny tiny black beads. It might send me over the edge... Okay, I might go over the edge 'a little further'!

I've decided to take a short break from Sabrina and stitch up A Bunny For Baby. That definitely won't take long so I might slip another project in there as well. We'll see what happens ;o)

I've got the sewing bug again but I just haven't had the heart to tackle that stupid sewing machine :o( With the warmer weather coming on, the basement isn't as cold so I just need to pump myself up, dive in and just go for it. The worst that could happen is that the sewing machine would be pitched out the tiny basement window...

Back From The Brink

Sabrina is still here :o) I've been in a bit of a stitching slump lately but I have made a bit of progress on her -

Thankfully, her dress DID cover that spot on the fabric. Whew!

I just have a small portion of her dress and the roses on her bum left to go and them I'm done side one of the pattern. I've been seriously thinking about taking a break from Sabrina for awhile and stitching something else. What? I'm not sure. I would like to get Gentleman Quaker by Jardin Prive done and then that way, I can have both framed at the same time (when I get some extra money that is).

Then there's Dog Lessons For People by Lizzie Kate. I think I have everything I need to stitch this one too. Or do I just dig out an ornament sized project just to give me a quick change of scenery? Argh! My mind just won't settle! What to do...what to do...

I want to thank everyone for their wonderful comments lately! I see that my Stalker list has increased so I want to welcome all my new readers and hope that you'll stitch around :o) I hope all the moms out there have a very Happy Mother's Day weekend.

Workin' For A Livin'

"I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'." ~ Hewey Lewis & The News

That's right, I'm officially a working woman again :o) I did get the job that I was interviewed for and I started last Tuesday. I didn't want to say anything because it was a trial period and I wasn't sure if I'd last or not. It's a good thing that I didn't because there has been a new development! I can't share what it is yet because I don't know 100% what's happening. Let me just say this, I'm still going to be working for the same company but in a different position and have part-time hours. I can't tell you how super excited I am about it :o)

On top of that, I had to get my photography order ready for the new gallery that's going to be carrying my work. I have thirty pictures in my collection and I did up 30 5 x 7s and 30 8 x 10s. It takes quite a bit of time to do the packaging. I should have taken a picture while the kitchen table was covered but I didn't get around to it. So here is the result of all my work -

Quite professional looking, huh? :o) My next step is to set up a shop online but I'm not sure when that will be. My pictures are for sale though and if you are interested in seeing the collection please email me and I'll send you out an invitation to view them. I'm asking $8 CDN for the 5 x 7s and $15 CDN for the 8 x 10s. I do take Pay Pal so if you see something you like, plmk ;o)

With things so up in the air and hectic here, stitching has taken a backseat and I've really missed it. I do have a progress picture of Sabrina for you though -

It may not look much different from the last photo but if you look 'really' hard, you'll see that I've completed all the beading :o) I definitely think I'm going to be beaded out after this.

I've finally put her into a bigger Q-Snap size and was horrified to see some kind of spot on the fabric :o( I have NO idea what it is. It almost looks like it was slightly bleached. My fingers and toes are crossed that the back part of her dress will go over far enough to cover it up!

Want to see something cute? If you're not a Follower and haven't heard the news yet, head on over to Katie's Blog. She has a new bundle of joy that she'd like to introduce :o)