Happy New Year!

Here we are at the end of another year; how can that be? 2007 got off to a rocky start for both of us thanks to some health issues for each of us but is ending on a happy note.


We just got word last night that Jill and family arrived safely home in Chicago, this time with luggage in hand. We had a wonderfully busy ten days with them, cuddling Sophia and reading to David as well as cooking lots of recipes that hadn't been used since our three left home.

It's very quiet here now. Ginger has come out from under our bed, the train hasn't been run for 24 hours, and the Pack 'n Play has been stored away until the next time.
I just finished a pair of socks that Linda had admired when she visited last summer and decided to send them to her for her birthday....sure hope they fit!

What will I work on next.....well, there's the fall CQ block that's been patiently waiting, a sweater for David and one for Sophia that were put aside to work on Christmas projects, a sweater for Jill, a quilt for Ronald MacDonald, and the list goes on and on. I am determined to finish some of my many UFOs also, lots of which have been lingering for a scarily long time. I also want to learn to use the embroidery unit on my sewing machine more fully in the coming year. Nope, I'm not going to be bored-ever!

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2008, this is my last post for 2007.

Winter Visitors

Dick took this photo last Saturday on the way to the playground up the hill at Somerset Elementary School. That morning we'd had 5 kids under 4 here to see the train, and the three oldest ones really needed to blow off some steam! They had a great time playing with all the equipment, and I had a few minutes to decide what to cook next!

The Last of the Christmas Projects

For the first time ever, all of my Christmas projects were finished BEFORE Christmas Eve, even this scarf which I made for my son's friend. It's made with 2 different yarns, one called Squiggles. Another friend told me she thought it looked like a lion's mane....she may be right!

We had a wonderful Christmas with all our children and grandchildren here!

Pillows Are Done!

Well, I finally finished something that I've meant to do for a long time. It was fun to experiment with the thread, trying to make him look snowy. I used a white thread, a very light grey, and a strand of sparkly white Kreinik blending filament but shoould have used a dark background instead of white....it does look snowy though.

Yesterday my second batch of Art to Heart buttons arrived, so I finished those pillows, too, and put my sewing machine away for the holidays! I even cleaned up the sewing room a tiny bit, so that there will be room for Sophia. There's only one Christmas project left, a scarf, and it's coming along quite nicely. Thankfully a few days are left!

Merry Christmas Stitchery

I fell in love with this pattern the first time I saw it in Nancy Halvorsen's Star of Wonder book. It took me a while to find the buttons, but when I did, I splurged and ordered a set. The stitchery turned out well, and now I'm working on some cute stitched pillows. The panel quilt will have to wait till next year, but it's really cute also. The best thing of all is I'm about caught up on my list of projects so can start some new ones, and maybe even tackle my Fall CQ block! (That's not to say that there aren't any UFOs left, however.)

December Around the World

As I am writing this, Catherine is in India again for work and sent this photo of her weekend at the beach while her sister Jill is "enjoying" freezing weather in Chicago along with the rest of the Midwest. And here are David and Sophia, oblivious to everything except each other! We are looking forward to having the whole family together, including our son Carl, for the holidays.

Happy Birthday, Angelina!

My friend Debbie's little girl turns six on Friday, the 14th. Sharing a birthday with Christmas festivities is hard which we learned with our Catherine whose birthday is on the 28th. My sister did the best thing for her, one long ago June, when Catherine visited her all by herself for the first time: Jane gave her a half-birthday party! And now, many years later, Catherine still talks about that celebration as a special memory. So, Angelina, may you have a happy day and a happy year! I hope you'll like this little vest; there's a little love in every stitch.

A Piece Claudia's Tatting for Sophia

I am fortunate to belong to FMS, a wonderful quilt group that started in our living room a number of years ago. We meet every other week at the Betty's house which is almost like a sewing shop! Over the years as we have honed our skills and shared our joys and sorrows, we have also made many quilts for the local Ronald MacDonald House and sometimes for each other. Claudia, one of our members, is a very talented needlewoman who also tats and embroiders beautifully. She did a hanky for Jill's wedding and just recently gave me two lovely pieces to use on "something" for Sophia. Stay tuned and maybe you'll see what....and someday I might even reveal the meaning of FMS!

Two Quilts Finished at Last!

This has been a productive week thanks to our rainy weather. I finally finished two quilts that I've been working for a long time. David's snowman quilt got derailed by last winter's windstorm that knocked our power out for almost a week just before Christmas. The quilt for Sophia, Puss in the Corner from The Quiltmaker's Gift, was put on hold because I thought the colors were way too feminine for a little boy, but now it's finished, complete with a lavendar fleece back, and ready for our sweet little Sophia.

Advent Calendar

Here it is, already the eighth day of Advent. I made an Advent calendar for David and Sophia from a kit that I purchased in Cannon Beach, Oregon, on one our visits there. It was a fun project, and the pockets seem perfect for Jill's Jesse Tree items or maybe even some goodies to help pass those long days before Christmas. I remember how the days that now whiz by used to drag along unmercifully slowly.

The Santa Suit Fiasco

Most of my projects are coming along nicely, but I did learn a hard lesson with Sophia's Santa Suit, the one that started out with 3 sleeves. I should have taken the hint then! I was so worried that the suit wouldn't fit that I modified the pattern by adding a collar, and changing the hood into a bonnet. Unfortunately, Miss Sophia has a very long torso, and it still didn't fit. One of my choir friends suggested that Jill outfit Sophia's teddy bear, but at least she can still wear the hood/bonnet. Note to self: No more one piece outfits, ever!

Gifts from India

Catherine has traveled to India several times this past year in connection with her work at Unitus . She brought back these very well made shirts and a very pretty embroidered purse for me. The purse has several great examples of the shisha stitch around the little decorative mirrors. You can see a closer view of the stitching on my Flickr or by clicking on this photo.

Project Central Report

Before we left for Rio Rancho, I finished a couple of sweaters: one for David and one for Catherine. Now all that's left (for now) is Sophia's Santa Suit, the one that almost had 3 sleeves.

This is Catherine's sweater that's made with Noro Silk Garden yarn. Every sweater will look a bit different, depending on the colorway and starting point on the skeins.

Here's David's "puppy" sweater as Chloe calls it.

Back from Rio Rancho, New Mexico

It's been a while since I last posted, but we just returned from visiting my stepmother in New Mexico and our good friend Nancy in Colorado. This is a picture of Nancy's wildlife! The buck was lounging very comfortably under a tree just outside Nancy's dining room window until Dick started taking his picture. Isn't he regal? It looks like he's resting up for Santa's holiday trip!

Ripping Can Be Good

I now know that I'm working on too many projects. Earlier this week I was knitting on Sophia's red Santa suit when it became obvious that one of the two yarns was going to run out before the hood was finished. After fuming for a bit, I dug around in my bag of finished parts only to discover THREE complete sleeves. For once I ripped out something with a smile on my face, knowing that there would be plenty of yarn to finish the project. There was, and I'm still laughing!

Serendipity

Yesterday the craziest thing happened! First I purchased the Oct. 17 issue of Family Circle upon Jill's recommendation, and just like she said, her friend Darla and family were on page 14. Then, in the mail I got my copy of Itty Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson featuring our very own Chloe Grace (one of Jane's granddaughters) as one of the models. What fun!

I actually made something with a bit of embroidery on it, not CQ really, but somewhat similar. I gave it to my sister last year for her birthday.

Vest for David

This vest was finished while we were in Chicago, and David asked me to make a hat, too....

Fall block

My fall block....my next project is to do something with it before spring!

PS to Post #1

Well, that didn't quite work, so I will add this PS and try again with the photo. In case it doesn't work, here is the link to my Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stitchalongwithme/

Hmmm. There was a timeout error. Oh well, maybe for now the Flickr site will have to do?

Finally, My First Post

Finally on this last day of September, I am making my first post. This is the Fall block I made after reading Lesa's of CQ FOR Newbies challenge. Right after it was completed, our little granddaughter, Sophia, was born, and all thoughts of completing the block flew from my head.

We spent 2 weeks in Chicago playing with David, Sophia's big brother, and cuddling Sophia. All that playing and cuddling was a very precious time and will have to last till we see them again. It's SO hard being far away, especially considering how quickly young children change.

Since we've come home, I've been trying to learn how to use Flickr and Blogspot, and realizing how much there's yet to learn about technology! We'll see if I can actually post a photo!