Taste and see that the Lord is good

Its official.  I'm going to Pennsylvania for three weeks.  I leave the last day in October and come back the day after Thanksgiving.  This will be the first time in over 22 years that I will spend a major holiday with my parents.  I'm so excited.  I'm also excited about what books to take to read, what projects to stitch on, and what crochet projects to bring.  Decisions, decisions.  Happy decisions.

I pulled out the cross stitch project I had already started for my parents Christmas present.  It is a John Clayton design, Taste of Norway.  I gave them his design of Neuschwanstein Castle several years ago.  They had mentioned that they would like to hang a grouping of my cross stitch pieces together.  I have several other kits of his so I think this will work perfectly.

For my younger brother I want to stitch Lizzie Kate's Dog Lessons for People.  I'm hoping to go through my rather extensive stash and find the pattern.

I would so like to get both of these done before I leave so that I can just leave the finished items with them instead of shipping them later on.

UPDATE:  I found the pattern!  Better yet, I already started it.  Unfortunately, I found about ten other projects that I must start right away.  The most urgent one is this:

I do not know how I have lived this long without hanging pig ornaments on my tree.

I finished the Hummingbirds kit.

The Lord reigns

Well, Hobby Lobby can be added to the list of stores that do not carry a charm that I want to use for this piece.  I have two more stores in town to try:  SAS Fabrics and The West.  I've already checked out 123 stitch online and didn't find anything either. 



I am still very much fighting the desire to start everything at once.  I want to stitch everything, sew everything, paper craft everything, knit everything, crochet everything, , color everything, and sew everything.  I really do need to clone myself at least seven times.

Love means doing what God has commanded us

I finished stitching Bon Appetit a few days ago.

I still need to try and find a charm for it but that might take a little searching.


I then started a new kit called Hummingbirds.  The kit is by Columbia Minerva and is from 1980. 

The directions say to stitch half stitches with six strands of floss on the 14 count aida that is provided.  I didn't like how that was looking so I frogged it.  I'm stitching it now with two strands of floss, full crosses. 

I'm feeling an overwhelming desire to start a number of cross stitch patterns.  I don't think I can hold this off much longer. 

Everything is possible for God

I got this kit from Herrschners.  I can't wait to start this.  

I finished sewing this apron yesterday.  It came from a fabric panel. 

I was making wonderful progress on Bon Appetit.  And, then I realized I made a mistake.  Can you see it?  The words on the right hand side is one square too close to the inner red border.

I had to frog that side completely. 

I've started restitching that side and am enjoying it once again.  A charm is to go between the desserts.  I went to Michael's and Joann's yesterday evening.  But, I couldn't find what I was looking for.  I still have to check in Hobby Lobby and then I will start looking online.

Heaven came down and rescued me

Christmas Angel by MarBek is finished.

There is a companion piece to it.  I plan to stitch it but not right yet.


Today I started Sweet Nothings, Bon appetit.

I'm using an 18 count aida.  It calls for Sampler threads with DMC substitutes listed.  I'm using a combination of DMC and other hand dyed flosses that I have.

Do All That You Can To Live In Peace With Everyone

Last week I went thrifting.  I found a bag of folded cross stitch fabric.

I'm always happy when I find cross stitch fabric whether it be aida, linen, or evenweave in colors other than white or off white.  But, I was very surprised and happy to find this finished piece folded up in the middle of the fabrics.

It's so beautiful.  I'm not sure how I will finish it yet.



I'm still working on MarBek's Christmas Angel.

I was working on it last night and discovered that one of the symbols is not listed in the key.  Its the dark blue snowflake areas in the orange.  From the cover photo it looked like the same dark blue used elsewhere in the pattern. 


I'm feeling like I want to start stitching on one of my BAPs again.  The only problem is that I don't know where I put it.  I'll have to continue looking.


I finished my Emily Scarf several days ago.  I washed and blocked it.  It did give off a bit of the green dye while it was soaking.  The blocking process really opened up the stitch pattern.  I love it.  My only problem is that it is an asymmetrical scarf.  I'm not really sure how to wear it yet.

He fights our battles

I've been busy pulling apart sweaters to recycle the yarn.  I need to get through the backlog of sweaters I have because Goodwill is having another 50% off sale this weekend.  I hope to get more sweaters for yarn then.  I'm really loving the sherbet color of this ribbon yarn.  I ended up with 450 grams of the yarn. 

Blessings by Erica Michaels Designs is finished.  I have no idea of how I'm going to finish it. 

I started a new cross stitch design.  It is Christmas Angel by MarBek.  I'm stitching it on a 14 count aida with the called for DMC colors.  I have several MarBek patterns and all the pictures of the stitched pieces are rather washed out.  And, the coverage of the floss over the fabric is rather poor. 

I have also been crocheting dishcloths.  I'm using the pattern Clean Sweep which can be found on Ravelry.  The first one I crocheted was done per the pattern.  For the other ones I then made, I changed from doing double crochets to half double crochets.  I don't like a dishcloth with holes in it.