Dear Diary...

Hello Friends....did a little stitching (much emphasis on the word *little*) on my Dear Diary Sampler...haven't picked this up since the first of January...because...well life, I suppose...so here's how it looks after yesterday's stitching:

More than a bit to go....but at least it's progress right?! Busy day ahead...so off to conquer the day! Until next time Stitch with Smiles :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Well actually the beloved author's birthday isn't until Sunday, March 2....but that didn't stop my boy's school from celebrating in high style last night as the 4 Second Grade glasses put on "Seussical the Musical"! There were 4 performances last night (each class had their own performance) and being that we have twins and each have different teachers...well you guessed it Ian's was the first performance starting at 6 p.m. and Jacob's was the last performance starting at 7:30 so we were in for the long haul. It was well worth it, as the Music Teacher did a tremendous job with the music and speaking parts with each class...WONDERFULLY done, and a great good time was had by all!

~~~JACOB'S CLASS PERFORMANCE~~~

~~Jacob smiling at his family before his class performance~~

~~Jacob doing his hand dance during a rousing musical rendition of Green Eggs and Ham~~

(This part was the "I will not eat it Sam I am" - thus why he looks angry! LOL)

~~Ending Theme Song Shot~~

~~~IAN'S CLASS PERFORMANCE~~~

~~Ian hamming before the performance~~

~~~A rousing rendition of "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think"~~~

~~~Ian's speaking part during "Horton Hears a Who"~~~

Jolly good time! I was humming the songs all evening long and can still reflect and laugh at the boys and their singing, dancing and general antics...it was inspiring...I do believe that Jacob is destined to be a thespian! Ian, God love him, while an enthusiastic singer and dancer - may have other destinies :)

Until Next time....take care and thanks for visiting my small part of cyberspace!

My Mom's Birthday Gift

Hello Friends! I'm so proud of this I'm just busting at the seams, so I'm sharing it before my Mom actually gets it for her birthday...but....she'll want to see it too :) So here it goes:

~~~ My Mom's Birthday Gift ~~~

Desinger: Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks

Design: "PEACE" from the Scripture Thread Pack Series

Finished as a Box

Stitched with Crescent Colours as charted

I love it! It's just how I wanted it to turn out, vintage looking, feminine ....just like my Mom ~ *old and female*...LOL! Just kidding.....love you MOM! :) But seriously, as I was stitching this I kept thinking about how I was going to finish it...of course these designs all scream out pinkeeps to me...but I make so many of those because I love them...and then I thought - what about a nice box that my Mom can put jewelry in, remote controls, pills for old age...*geez* sorry....golly, don't know what's getting into me! LOL!

Anyway, It is just how I envisioned it and when I saw this fabric...I about did a back flip - right there in Hobby Lobby...it was perfect - just the right color and feel to it! I hope that my Mom loves it as much as I loved making it for her. Each stitch is a big hug with love from me to her on her birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! You're the best and my most treasured friend :)

Becky's Birthday Pinkeep

Becky , a dear friend of mine, had a birthday on Monday. Sadly....I missed getting her present there on the exact day...but it got there today and late is better than nothing, right?! ;)


Anyway, this is what I stitched up for her:

Design: Little House Needlework's *Attic Needlework* Exclusive

**with a twist**

I changed Attic to "Becky's"

Designer: Diane Williams

Finished as: A pinkeep (since that's her favorite finish (and mine too!))

Fibers: DMC in my own colorway

Fabric: 28 ct. coffee stained and baked

Turned out pretty good and I hope to make a "Vonna's Needlework" someday....my list keeps growing....

I've not updated for a week and I've been BUSY! Stitching and otherwise, but mostly otherwise. I've got big plans however....stained some baskets and boxes today.... for upcoming finishes...*HOPEFULLY*. Bought some fabric that will go perfectly with some designs I'm wanting to stitch and finish as a stitcher's set. Lots of ideas floating around in my head...as a matter of fact, I've been putting myself asleep at night dreaming of what I want to stitch...sad isn't it?! LOL!

My Mom's birthday is Monday, Feb. 25 and I've got something on my stitching stand just for her ;) YOUR GONNA LOVE IT MOM!

Got my Little House Hearts of America and My Needle Work Nashville released kits this week, plus a couple of others...bad, bad, girl I am...plus I visited Sassy's and she has "Sampler Packs" now.......oh yikes........ and in my favorite colors too......oh geez.....Khaki, Creamy Cocoa, Sugared Coffee, Tan Marble and Milk Chocolate....plus have you seen THIS? I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. SO...... I got a cut of 32 ct. Blue Lagoon from Sassy's to stitch my Winter Whites on....and since I was buying....might as well throw in a "Sampler Pack", right?! I believe that "Hearts of America" will be STUNNING on the Milk Chocolate linen. I'm really getting a stockpiled load of Sassy's since I've been going overboard buying them up...but you can't go wrong for 5 pieces of 18" x 27" for $99 That's stellar...plus her fabrics are just lucious!

Ok, well if your still reading I hope that you're all doing good...Indiana is getting pelted *again* with Ice/snow/ice/snow/rain/ice/snow...as we've been hit each week for the past month. Everything's cancelled for tonight ~ *NOT* complaining...we're going to study our spelling words for tomorrow, finish our homework, take some hot baths and snuggle in for a long winter's night!

Until next time.....stitch happy!

What I love most....

Happy Valentine's Day!!!I thought I'd do a short post of things I love most in honor of the day....................

There's nothing like a good 'ol American Cheeseburger and fries to get my motor running!

And when I'm just looking for a bit of quiet time, nothing comforts me like my needle and thread!

Little House Needleworks is my constant friend and companion when it comes to choosing patterns for my stitching, I turn to Little House for my every need.....

(doesn't hurt that the name reminds me of my very favorite series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder...Little House Series :) )

COKE makes me feel good no matter the time or hour of day!

(Now if I just looked *that* good drinking it!)


No one can make me smile more than Ben Bailey on my favorite T.V. show "CASH CAB"!
Ben is such a cutie! and funny too :)


But my most FAVORITE LOVES are......


My husband ~ Keith ~



and my kiddos.....

~ Katie, Ian, Jacob and Ellie!! ~


May you ALL have a wonderful Valentine's Day celebrating with the things in life that bring you love and happiness!!!

A finish for me!

Hello Friends! Hope you are all doing well....Indiana is slated for a winter storm of some kind...or at least that's what the weather man is saying....last time we were slated for a big storm here in Southern Indiana we were completely missed! So whatever happens, happens and I'm prepared, we have milk, bread, our cupboards are stocked, I'll gather my chicks together and round them back to the nest this afternoon and all will be ready for us to cozy down for a long winter's night.

Today I finished my first project using my Needlework System 4 floor stand. And all I can say is, I continue to love it. Here's what I finished stitching last night at approximately 8 p.m:

And here's how I finished it today:

Design: Hope Perches

Designer: Tanya Marie Anderson ~ The Sampler Girl

Stitched on 28 ct. Antique White evenweave using DMC

Finished as a pillow

I love it and its mine...my Mom was here this weekend and although I've got a lot of beautiful cross stitched items in my home...little or none of them have actually been stitched by me and she commented on the fact that I give almost everything I make away....so I'm going to become a little bit stingy for a bit and stitch some things for me :)

I'm coming down with something...I guess spending 12+ hours outside in the cold the past week messing with Girl Scout cookies is catching up with me. I'm not down and terrible, just beginning to feel a bit ill.....I'm drinking tea and settling in for the rest of the day, hopefully that will kick what's trying to take hold.

Until next time my dear friends, stitch happy!

Winter Exchange for Sharon

Hello Friends! Sharon let me know that she received my Winter Exchange for the Seasonal Exchanger's Group and here it is:

Design: "SNOW" - Monthly Musings

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Fabric: 32 ct. Silkweaver Solo

Fibers: DMC (my own color way)

Finished as: Tie- On Basket Lid

I made a tutorial which can be found HERE if any are interested in how I did it. I think it turned out nicely.

I also put up a tutorial for making bows for pinkeeps, etc. Now this is how I make them (I know there are many other ways, but this way is the easiest I've come up with). I've had many people ask me how I do it so the link is in my sidebar under The Twisted Stitcher's Tutorials at this blog and on my Tutorial Blog.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend....Girl Scout Cookie sales are underway here...tonight I had a Cookie Booth and we sold out of our Thin Mints...YIKES! I wasn't expecting that!!! So I've had to beg, borrow and steal from some leader friends so that I had enough for our booth tomorrow.....the quest of the cookie shall continue! Over and out....

Have you seen....

Have you seen the NEW Little House Needleworks designs for Nashville???? Huh, have ya?!

Well TA DA! Here they are:

NEW Little House Needleworks!

"My Needle Work"

By Diane Williams

NEW Little House Needleworks!

"Heart of America"

By: Diane Williams

I can envision my needle and I making beautiful things together!!! Just when I think...there can NOT be any more...nothing....absolutely nothing that would tempt me further....Little House releases something new....I'm SUNK ...totally gone...done....finito...ca-put, over....yes, friends, I pulled out the old master card again and made her sing :) What liberation!

(you can find all the particulars about the designs HERE)

AND as if this isn't enough to make you BURST with excitement...did you know that Down Sunshine Lane is having a super duper incentive for people that pre-order these delectable designs...For ANY pre-orders made by 9 a.m. Monday morning ~ for either of the new LHN kits (Heart of America or My Needle Work), they will be entered into a drawing to win 5 LHN charts of their choice! Now I think you need to make your Master Card sing! :)

New Tutorial - Lining a Decorative Basket

Hello Friends! I've been working on my latest tutorial...Lining a Basket:

If anyone is interested you can click HERE

Enjoy!

Test Drive!

Well Friends...I have my stand! Thanks to my Dad for picking it up and to my sister-in-law for driving it up here with her...her company just won a bid on a contract at the local hospital so she's working here through the week for a few days...so I had a lotta luck in getting it so quickly!


So without further ado here is bitty princess Ellie, so aptly "showing" us how wonderful the stand really is!

Here's she's saying, "It makes stitching so effortless!"

"I could just stitch all night!"

Just taking a moment to admire the view....

(you can see here that I used my pattern clip holder thing...by attaching it to the arm of the q-snap frame...it works WONDERFULLY!...and if you see on the lower left hand side I put my floss ring there for easy access.) everything right at hand...

This is the "test" drive pattern that I started last night at 8 p.m. Tanya's Literary Little "Hope Perches". I wanted something that had little floss changing so that I could get the hang of double handed stitching. It soon became a breeze. I like it best with using my dominant hand (right) under the q-snap, and using my other hand (left) on top. But I can do it the other way too. I soon got in a rhythm and this shows just 2 hours of stitching minus a bathroom break, getting some milk for Ellie and bedtime for the kids...so I'm really pleased at how fast I stitched my first "test" drive.

So many of you have asked me questions, I'll try to remember them all to answer.....this wouldn't fit in a suitcase, but the proprietor that I purchased this from said that the travelling one, is basically the same thing as the "floor" model and it comes all apart for easy packing in a suitcase.

No you cannot use it with the foot rest of a recliner up...I tried, because my stitching chair is a recliner and that is primarily how I stitch with my recliner up...but it didn't work well that way...too far away. I tried slipping it on the side with the recliner up and that worked, but it made it akward to stitch it comfortably. However you can put a footstool on the other side of the frame...and it works :)

It fits nicely under low to the floor chairs.

It turns like a BREEZE to start and finish threads. Nothing to tighten or loosen in order to accomplish this.

The Q-snaps are held firmly in place.

It's really a dream...honestly....I HIGHLY recommend purchase if your thinking about it. I got mine for $292 (this includes tax). I believe it is worth every penny!

Just wanted to share with you all.....have a great Monday and a great week!

Saturday Update

Hello Friends! A quickie update from me to let you know I'm still going...and to mention that I "bit the bullet" or I guess my credit card bit the bullet and I purchased this:

The Needlework System 4, floor stand and Q-snap frame. SO! There ya go! I bought it at a LNS close to my hometown in Evansville, Indiana. My Dad is picking it up for me and I'll hopefully have it in my hot little hands by the end of this week! Whoo Hoo! As you all know I've been researching for quite a while about these and I've spoken to two designers/needlework artist that travel a lot and they swear by these. Plus my good friend THE ENABLER dared me that if she bought hers then I buy mine...so she bought hers last weekend and now I must buy mine. Thanks Sue! :) Really she did help me in the purchase because we've been discussing pros and cons and when my wrist hurt so badly the other day for holding it prone to stitch, I thought..."enough is enough" already. Plus since I get free shipping with my Dad willing to be my courier...how can I go wrong?! So can't wait to get it set it up and let the stitching commense! WHOOT!

Gotta work today...that SUCKS :( but I'm hopeful that we won't be busy and nobody comes in with skin eating MRSA or anything (have you heard about it?! ) Did have a particularly bad case of MRSA last week that kept me hopping, but maybe with the ice/snow/cold temps, people will stay at home and away from communicable diseases. Eat chicken soup people!

Taking my stitching in to work this weekend....and I've got my pack (remember the one that Wendy made me (seen here)?) Well let me tell you Wendy it works GREAT for me to pack everything up to take to work....when this one wears out, I'm going to have to commission you to make me another!

Ok, enough blathering...hope everyone does good and the best team wins on Sunday...whichever that may be....I'm impartial this year since the SILLY Fillies aren't in it.

Stitch Happy!