Anniversary Dinner, A Finish & Stiching Updates

It was our 33rd anniversary this weekend and we had a gift certificate given to us for Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  That place is so nice! (And expensive too).  Here is what my chopped salad looked like. Delicious!  I forgot to take a photo of my steak and lobster tail-it got gobbled down so quickly. :)They had sprinkled little Happy Anniversary decorations on the tabletop.

 

DD#1 finished another flatfold for me.  She does beautiful work.

Here is the fabric on the back. Love it!  Thanks, DD#1!

Crazy January Challenge Finish #11

Sewing Chest Designs

Porcelain Pincushion Doll

25 ct linen

Called for DMC threads

It looks a little wonky because it is stretched a little unevenly.  I did move the thread colors around a little to make it a little brighter.  I also changed the eyelet stitch on one of the borders to smyrna stitch.  Now on to my "to-be finished" pile.

I am starting to feel the pressure of the pre-work for the Merry Cox classes coming up in November!  So here is the needlecase for So Dear to thy Heart.

Here is the outlining for the pocket, 2 thimble holders, and needle page holder.

Sheepish Designs Sarah Salter is coming along.  She is so fun to work on. The 32ct lambswool over 2  seems so large after working on the Merry Cox pieces. :)

 

Did anybody see the Goode Huswife Sarah Seifer on ebay? It went for $128.50!  Does anyone have one I can borrow?

 

Don't forget to take a peek at my For Sale page. Lots of good stuff is still left!

Family Vacation & Updated For Sale Page!

We rented a house near Stevens Pass (Cascade Mtn range) for a long family weekend.  And spent the days fishing, chasing some trains, hot tubbing, playing board games, hiking and much more. Oh, don't forget stitching :)

 

This is DH and our grandson at the beginning of the Cascade Train Tunnel.  78 miles long, built in 1928 and still going strong!
Edit:  The tunnel is 7.8 miles long, not 78 miles :)

My nametag for the Northwest Sampler Guild is now finished.  :)

 

Please check our my For Sale page.  I just added about 30 new items--some are hard to find! I'd rather sell them to blog readers than on ebay, if possible. 

Stitching Day & Olympic Stitching Finale

DD#1 hosted a stitching day at her house on Saturday.

Here we are (I took the photo)-

Even my grandson got in on the stitching-(he didn't want to pose for the picture) The dinosaur kit was very cute.  But the plastic needle in the package was flimsy.  Luckily, DD#1 had a different one.

Here is what I worked on -

Quaker Hornbook

With My Needle

32 ct Lakeside Linen Maple Sugar

Needle Necessities 135 Overdye

  My EGA guild ordered this last year and it had languished at this point in my WIP pile until now!

Woo Hoo!  Another over 1 finish! You can click on the photo for a better look.  Isn't the hornbook just gorgeous? It is finished so smooth and silky-really beautiful.  I love the thread so much that I'll use it in another project.

Sheepish Designs

Sarah Salter

32 ct lambswool linen

Called for DMC/Soie d'Alger threads

During the closing ceremony I was actually able to start another sampler. I have loved this one for so long and it was sitting in my staging box.  Yes, I have a staging box for kitted up projects that I want to start asap.  I look at them like a baseball player who is "on deck" :)

Have a great week everyone!  Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

Olympic Stitching Part 4

Crazy January Challenge finish #9

Heart in Hand Designs

Grateful Hearts

32 ct Lakeside Linen Navy Bean

Called for DMC threads

This one worked up really fast.

This is the frame I already had for it. Yes, it came from a thrift store. :)

Crazy January finish #10

L'Atelier Perdu

Smell the Flowers

28 ct lugana evenweave-Ivory

Called for DMC threads

After finishing all this over 1 stitching I needed the break of Grateful Hearts easy stitching. Won't this be an adorable threadkeep etui?  Now it goes in my finishing pile.  Uh-oh, it's growing again :)

Only 5 more finishes for the 2012 CJC!!

Olympic Stitching Part 3

I spent most of the weekend out of town with DH.  And most of that time I was in the car.  So I needed some stitching that I could see without my magnifier.  We were firmly in front of the TV when the Olympics prime time show started. Here is what I worked on--

Kissing Pillows

For those of you who are unfamiliar with kissing pillows, they are a project of EGA for deploying soldiers.  These little designs will be sewn and stuffed into pillows and distributed to soldiers at Joint Base Lewis/McChord.  My EGA chapter has already given out 20,000+.  They are a big hit with soldiers and their kids!

DD#1 stitched 2 of these.  And my 84 yr old MIL stitched the "I Love You" portion on the other 8 (after I taught her how to cross stitch-that is another whole story).  You CAN teach old dogs new tricks!!

Crowning the Tree

Blackbird Designs

Misc mystery linen piece

Called for CC and GAST threads

Love this design! I did substitute one thread-CC Calico Kitty was too orange for my taste, so I used Victorian Motto Sampler red F3

Pincushion Doll

Sewing Chest Designs

25 ct linen

DMC threads

I got quite a bit accomplished on this one over the weekend.  Now it will get tucked away until I am needing another project that I can see without a magnifier.  Hopefully one more good workday will see this one finished.

Welcome to all my new followers!  I love to read your comments. 

Have a great week!

P>S> Yesterday we finally had a day this summer over 90 degrees.  Today is back to normal-overcast AM-clear PM-temps in 70's. :)

Olympic Stitching Part 2

 L'Atelier Perdu

2012 Mystery Sampler

Part 1

36 ct Light sand linen

Called for WDW, GAST and DMC threads

It is almost done.  There is a little bit of border on the right to finish. And there is ecru background on the largest and the smallest of the 3 motifs.  Haven't decided if I will do it yet.  Waiting to see what more of the sampler looks like. :)

Wasn't too sure about these colors when I pulled them.  They looked a little.... well, dull.  But, so far I'm liking it.  I'm trusting Natalie, the designer.  Her taste is usually impeccable.

Olympic Stitching

SAL Sopresa 2

Part 2 completed

Every other year I swear I will not get sucked into watching the Olympics--but despite my good intentions something will capture my attention and I give in!

Part 2 is completed on this beautiful SAL and even though Pt 3 is already here I am starting to work on L'Atelier Perdu's 2012 Mystery Sampler.  An update on that one later this week!

Go USA!

More Finishing!

I am happy to say that there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

BBD Autumn Song Pincushion

Trimmed with chenille

Stuffed with part fiberfill and crushed walnut shells

Christmas Eve

Stitched in 2011

Sampler Girl freebie

Beaded edge finish

A new finish!

Longaberger basket top

L'Atelier Perdu bonus pattern for 2011 Mystery

I modified it a little to add the date.

Prairie Schooler Santa

Finished as a large tag--this form was sent to me by Carolyn when she cleaned out her finishing supplies-thanks, Carolyn!

Another new finish!

Blackbird Designs Summer Stars Pincushion

From A Stitcher's Journey

R & R Reproductions Olde Towne Blend

Called for threads

Trimmed with chenille and stuffed with fiberfill & crushed walnut shells

Quaker Christmas Holly

The Workbasket

I put 3 red jingle bells in the center

Mystery linen and substituted DMC threads for called for Gloriana

Last one for today, and I need some help as I can't find the name of the design or designer. I got the wooden candlestick holder at my LQS.  DH stained it for me and added a small dowel in the middle. Hopefully it looks like a tree!

There is only Gentle Stitches (Shakespeares Peddler), Autumn Song (box), and a set of smalls by Praiseworthy Stitches left to finish!  Woo Hoo!  I am not going to count the 3 items that my local finisher has--out of sight, out of mind :)

Latest on the Stitching & Finishing Front

I have been working on cleaning up my stitching room.  After all my efforts, there was a pile of finishing that was looking pretty daunting.  So the past few days have been working on making a dent into my finishing pile.  The problem is that every time one is finished, I find another one!

Well, here is what has happened--

Thank you DD#1 for finishing Prairie Schoolers Country Wise-your finishing rocks :)

Here is the backing fabric-love it!

This is the only new project finish to share. It is my second attempt at a drawstring bag.  You can see the blue backing fabric and the sampler lining fabric. It really helped to pick out the fabric THEN match the floss to the fabric.

I had this tote bag for a different project and finally admitted I would never stitch the other project.  But I still loved the tote!  So what to do? I Sew'd My Heart from Heartstring Samplery looks a little uneven, might have to revisit this one.

Yes, finally the Istitch mystery is complete. Woo Hoo! Hey, it was only 1 year. :)  DH stained the box with the darkest brown stain we had on hand.  Really like the results.

LHN Liberty Belles is finished to match LHN Liberty & Justice (see below).  Love this look!

Finally a Christmas ornie finish this year. Once again the button looks off center, but it looked fine when I attached it.  (This is part of my typical finishing angst.)

This one I just love-the Prim Sisters wall pocket.

This one is a little embarrassing-it is from 2010.  The LHN Traveling Stitcher stitching bag was finished last year.  The needlebook just got done.  Here are the two together--

Here is the needlebook alone-

And the inside of the needlebook--

Off for more finishing!

Emergency Preparedness

I have been thinking about this post for several days now and decided to go ahead and share what is on my heart! I wish I knew this stuff years ago!

All the recent news (and blog posts) about the power outages in the East/Midwest due to the windstorm has reminded me about the power outage we went thru here in the Pacific NW in January.  We had a terrible ice storm that caused us to lose our power for 3+ days. 

Not only was it off at my house, but it was also off at all 3 of my daughters homes too!  Since our home is the only one with heat (from our wood-burning fireplace insert) and a generator-suddenly our 2-person empty nest ballooned to 9 people, including a 9 month pregnant mom-to be!

What really stands out in my mind was the challenge to feed 9 mouths 3 times everyday.  I was either planning a meal, preparing a meal, eating, or cleaning up a meal all day!  So, I vowed to become better prepared for emergencies and unexpected company.  One of the ways I am becoming better prepared is by stocking up on freeze-dried and dehydrated foods.  Foods that  only need hot water to reconstitute and ready for meals!

Shelf Reliance has been my go-to company. DD#1 has become a consultant and I am hosting a cyber-party this month.  She shared some thoughts about this subject below.

 Are you interested in finding out more about non-perishable food that can help you become more prepared for unexpected emergencies, or job loss? Then check out www.shelfreliance.com for a great selection!

All the food products in our THRIVE line of food is made from the best quality ingredients and is made to last 8-25 years on the shelf! All you need to re-hydrate these dehydrated and freeze dried foods is water - that's it! They all taste great and some are perfect to eat without re-hydrating like the strawberry chips, pineapple chips, banana chips, apple chips and yogurt bites.

Have you ever heard of TVP? There is Beef TVP, Chicken TVP, Sausage TVP, etc.  TVP stands for textured vegetable protein. Its a lean protein that is made out of soy and tastes just like the meat it represents. Its a healthier fat than animal fat, has more protein and is also cheaper than the Chicken or Beef dices. This is an excellent option for recipes that call for diced meat like casseroles or spagetti. Nobody will ever know the difference!

The other thing to make note of is the dehydrated vs. freeze dried foods. Dehydrated means they have applied heat to remove the moisture from the food.  Freeze dried foods are flash frozen to remove the moisture. This process allows the food to retain most of their nutritional value and also allows them to be stored longer on the shelf. Freeze dried foods cost more than their dehydrated counterparts but you get a more nutritious product that will store longer on the shelf (up to 25 years!)

If you are on a budget you need the know about the monthly Q program. This is how we became customers!  Q is a program that will allows you to choose to have food shipped to you in smaller orders each month. You  select the day you would like it shipped, the amount of money to spend (i.e. $50 per month, $75 per month, etc) and which product you want sent every month.  This is a great way to start building your food storage slowly month by month without busting your budget.

Here is a link to the July specials-http://www.shelfreliance.com/july-specials.html?___store=default&___from_store=es&limit=all&order=po

To order for Teresa's party, if you have any questions or would like to host a cyber-party of your own (and earn lots of free and half-off product), please look at the website and then email me at lesley.salmonson@yahoo.com or call 206-853-6221. 

I am happy to take your order and answer any questions for you! Orders will be shipped directly to your house. I am offering a surprise free gift to the first 9 orders over $50!