Merry Christmas!!!

Well, it has been almost a year since I have posted and I am sure many of you thought I had left the blogging world completely!  All I can say is it has been quite a year!

I finally found steady employment in an unexpected situation after close to 2 years without it.  It has been 2 long years full of stress & craziness!  There are many bosses/companies out there that are willing to take advantage of people that are desperate for work.  Places that feel that because of this they can treat you as deplorably as they want!  All I can think is that one day they will get their comeuppance.  What goes around, comes around.

I can also say for certain that while I thoroughly enjoy stitching, I cannot focus on stitching when I am stressed.  For those of you that it is truly a stress relief, you are fortunate.

While life is finally coming back into focus, I finally have a finish to show.  It's a Halloween design.  I know I am a little late showing it, but, here it is:

Designer:  The Trilogy

Design: One of the Motifs from "Eekology"

Threads:  Recommended threads

Fabric:  27 ct Bellpull

My niece got married in June.  I am still working on her piece.  While the piece is not large, it is taking me forever to finish it!!!  Now she is pregnant with her baby due in early spring.  So, I have that on the agenda to do as well.  One thing is for certain, it will be a small piece. She is having an owl theme for the nursery and I have found a cute little design to use.  Now, I just need to finish that wedding thing and get started on this one.

I generally give you my movie thoughts from time to time.  I haven't seen as many movies this year as I have in the past.  But, I will give my movie thoughts for the year on my next post.

I will also show you my finished RR piece that I got back a couple of months ago.  It turned out really well!!!  Thanks Clare & Lynda!!!  :-)

Have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

Here's what I picked out!

Here are the two patterns I picked out from Tanya's drawing:

The Mrs. Lincoln Sampler &

Return to the Sea with Jane Austen


It was a hard choice. I had several patterns on my "wish list". I knew right off that I would choose the Mrs. Lincoln Sampler. After going to DC last year and touring Ford Theater and doing a Lincoln Assasination tour, plus visiting Lincoln's birthplace and boyhood home this summer, not to mention Mt. Rushmore, it was an easy choice. The second choice, however, was much harder. I finally narrowed it down to "Return to the Sea" and it's companion piece "At Home with Jane Austen". "At Home" has been on my list for ages, but I let my hubby make the final choice and he chose the sea one.

I think I have linen for the Mrs. Lincoln Sampler, but need to dig through my stash to find out for certain. There are several threads I need to get for it as well. So, it won't be started anytime soon. Maybe after the first of the year.

Thank you so very much, Tanya!


Here is a Halloween finish:

Design: Trick or Treat (book 112)
Designer: Cross-Eyed Cricket
Changes made:

1. used glow in the dark blending filament for face of jack-o-lantern and on ghost


2. added some beads for falling leaves


3. used MH star charm haning from moon


4. used MH ghost charm on haunted house


5. used black MH bead for spider on broken window


6. used small MH bat charm to hang from witch's hat

I have been working on this for about 3 or more years! It was so nice to finally finish it and be able to decorate with it this Halloween.

Recent movie recommendation: "The Express" - great movie

Pumpkins!

Here is a piece I finished stitching last year, but finally got around to "finishing" it in the last month. It is my first cube. I thought it turned out pretty well. I like this finishing technique. I followed these "no sew" instructions. They were great! (I didn't put the "feet" on mine.) The piece is Pumpkins by Hob Nobb Designs. Love their stuff, but they are hard to find.

If you have not been to see "Dan in Real Life" I recommend it! It is a funny, funny movie. Probably in my Top 5 list of movies this year.

Not much other news. I've been extremely busy with work (still) and haven't had any time for stitching. Needless to say I don't think I have reached any of my stitching goals this year. Oh, well. There's always next year. :-)

Don't forget about the Stash for Sale two posts down. I will try to get it moved to its own site soon. Just scroll down to see it.

A Harry Potter Halloween Finish

Well...it's Halloween time and the decorations have come out. Why not start off the Halloween season with a Harry Potter finish?

I finished stitching the piece in July when the book & movie came out. It is Hedwig's Four Patch by The Sampler Girl. It can be found here. I made a few color changes. I finally got around to "finishing" it recently. The fringe around the edge is called ostritch fringe. Isn't it great?! I wanted a touch of whimsy for this and thought it was perfect. I have it hanging in my foyer right when you walk in the front door.

I'm finally getting around to posting this...

Stash for Sale

Heartstrings (sorry no photo links, but can email scans of them to you)

Kringle Kalendar - January $1
Kringle Kalendar - April $1
Kingle Kalendar - May $1
The World of Santa - France $1
The World of Santa - Germany $1
The World of Santa - Spain $1

Bent Creek

Yikes $1.25

Birds of a Feather

Gold Santa $0.50 (this picture shows it on canvas, but this is a criss-stitch pattern)

Alma Lynne Designs

It's Christmas $1.50 (sorry no photo link, but can email a scan to you)

Christmas of Olde (sorry no photo links, but can email scans to you)

Blessings of Christmas $2.50
Star Light $2.50

Elizabeth's Designs

All Hearts $1.50
Bee Hive $1.50

Heart in Hand

Mother's Wisdom - Eat Right $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Say Your Prayers $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Sleep Tight $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Study Hard $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Wash Your Hands $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Look Both Ways $1.50
Mother's Wisdom - Mind Your Manners $1.50
Wee Ones - Wee Santa '97 $1.25
Wee Ones - Wee Carolers $1.25
Wee Ones - Wee Pilgrim $1.25

JBW Designs

Stars and Stripes Forever $1.50
Stockings Full of Joy $1.50
Sweet Dreams $1.50
Twinkle, Twinkle $1.50

J Designs LLC

More Tote-ally Cool Designs (Cat w/ Pumpkin, 2 Santas, Hearts) $4.00

Lizzie Kate

Flip-It Stamps - January $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - February $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - March $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - April $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - May $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - June $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - July $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - August $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - September $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - October $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - November $2.00
Flip-It Stamps - December $2.00

Mill Hill

Frosty Nights $2.75 (out of print, no photo link, can email scan)
On the Prairie - Hearts 'n Buds $2.00 (no photo link, can email scan)

Shepherd's Bush

Spring Folio $1.00
Valentine Folio $1.00

Sweetheart Tree

Friendship (charm included) $4.00


All patterns are new and come from a smoke-free home. The prices do not include postage. Please email me at: poetrae@bellsouth.net and put "Stash for Sale" in the subject line.

Thanks so much!

Harry Potter Friday!

Well, today is the day that the final Harry Potter book comes out. Yes, I will be at the midnight book sale. My book is preordered and waiting at Barnes and Noble for us to pick up. I have been going back and rereading the other books leading up to the final book, but still haven't finished the 5th book yet. I will continue with my rereads before I start the final one probably later this weekend. I am really hoping that the end won't be spoiled for me and that I make it to the end of the books without finding out information before hand.


In recognition of Harry Potter Friday I finished this freebie called Hedwig's Four Patch. I changed some of the colors, but like it. I'm not sure how I will finish it yet.



Hedwig's Four Patch


Border colors: WDW - Purple Haze & Whiskey
Hat: CC - Black Coffee
Hat Band: WDW - Envy
Moon: WDW - Seafoam
Hedwig: Whisper White & Black (for spots in wing)
Hedwig feet: CC - Black Coffee
Hedwig eyes: WDW - Whiskey
HP letters: WDW - Whiskey
Words: WDW - Navy
NOTE: The pattern doesn't call for the spots in the wing. I added those by making 4 vertical half stitches at random. (The pattern calls for the owl to be brown, but Hedwig is white, so I changed it.)

Almost October

I can't believe that it is almost October! September has seemed to fly by for me. I guess a lot of it got lost in the fog of migraines. Unfortunately I haven't done much stitching this month. The train hasn't been touched at all and I have picked up a couple of projects here and there, but would only stitch about 10 minutes and then put all my stitching away. Don't know what the problem is. Hope to get back in the groove of it all soon.

I put up all my Halloween decorations earlier this week. Here's a picture of one little area in my foyer. (Sorry for the glare on some of the glass.)



From the top:

"Pocket Samper: Boo" by Heart in Hand
stitched on 32 ct. Flax linen
No changes to thread colors

"Yikes" by Bent Creek
can't remember what it is stitched on or if any changes were made. Stitched quite a while back.

"Hats off to Halloween" by Lizzie Kate
stitched on 26 ct. Hickory Heatherfield
No changes to thread colors, however, did use black Whisper thread for cat



The weather has been lovely, especially in the mornings. It's still getting a little too warm in the afternoons, but better than the horrendous heat of summer. Still getting to the 90s. It made for great weather for my son's birthday party yesterday. He and a good friend of his have had a joint party the last 2 years. Both of their birthdays are around the holidays and we have found that if a party was planned for that time of year that hardly anyone would come, so it has been moved up a couple of months. They had a pool party. They had a great time and most of their friends came. They are growing up sooooooooooo fast!

One gift my son got was a pet fish. I hope we don't kill it! It's a beautiful purple and red beta. We have named him Irwin after the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Speaking of which...did anyone see the interview with his widow, Terri Irwin the other night on 20/20. How beautiful and heartbreaking. I cried through most of it. One thing that was so lovely about the interview was not just about the man, Steve Irwin, or his wonderful wildlife conservation work, but, it was about a beautiful love story. Talk about two people who were soulmates! If my husband, or anyone else for that matter, had taken me on the "test" trip that Steve took her on when they dated, I would have failed miserably! Steve was one of a kind and he will be missed very much.

Well...I have much to do today. Hope some stitching desire will kick in soon.