Updates

I hope this coronavirus has passed on by your house and that you are all safe.  We are into our second week of quarantine and so far no signs of us being infected.  I am astounded about the amount of people in NY that have become infected and I am maddened by the fact that yesterday Orlando Airport had over 190 flights from NY.  I'm sure we'll see Florida's numbers go up rather quickly now.  

Don't people have any common sense anymore?  We had spring breakers down here on our beaches until the Governor closed them.  Where are their parents?  Don't they have any common sense at least?

Remember I was working on my beautiful My Fair Lady shawl?  

Well it's now in the garbage can.  I missed an entire row and when I tried to undo it, it turned into the worse mess I've ever seen.  I will retry this pattern but with a yarn that has no trouble being undone.  It broke my heart to can it but there was no saving it.  I still have 2 1/2 balls left so I have enough to make a cowl but this time I will use a pattern I am very familiar with.

I'm sure all of you are busy stitching away if you've been house bound like I have.  I'm still working on Memorial Day by Hands on Design and am enjoying it immensely.  I love the bright beautiful colors Kathy used in it.

Please be careful wherever you live and stay safe and at home.

Blessings, Barbara

It Has Hit Home

I hope all of you are doing well during this pandemic and not getting phone calls like I did this morning.  Last week I went to my family doctor because I had pink eye and I needed drops.  Well I just received a call saying that I came in contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus and now me and my husband have been quarantined.  It just shows how you come in contact with people and then you don't think of it again.  The Health office told me what to look for:  cough, temperature or trouble breathing.  If we have any of these symptoms to be tested immediately.

I did receive an email from Cynthia of The Drawn Thread and she is offering a free chart for us to stitch.  This is what it looks like....

.....and THIS is where you find it.  I think it's very sweet of Cynthia to offer this free chart and I know I'll be stitching it while I'm home bound for the next 14 days.

Blessings Upon You,

Barbara

Stay Safe

Hope everyone is staying safe and staying home and doing some serious stitching.  I ventured out today to go to my LNS and I am so happy that I did.  I got to meet one of my favorite designers, Jeannette Douglas.  I have talked with her about one of her designs but never met her.  She is a sweetheart.  She was a little bit worried about her flight home to Calgary Canada so say a little prayer that she makes it back okay.  I know this virus has all of us worried but if anything, it will make us stronger as a country.  Just take the precautions and everyone will be fine

This is the design I purchased of Jeannette's.  Common Thread 2 and she autographed it for me.  It comes with all the silk threads and I also purchased the fabric to stitch it on.  Instead of the cream you see in the picture, mine will be on a pale grey called Platinum from Access Commodities. 

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I started a new cross stitch because the La D Da one just wasn't doing it for me.  This one is from a designer I love....Hands On Design and it's called "Memorial Day".  I'm doing it on a 32 count hand dyed that is a light blue with speckles of white thru it.  To me it looks like a beautiful summer day.  Here's mine:

and this should be what it looks like when it's finished but on the blue fabric.

She has a thread pack that goes with it of the Sulky 12 wt. cotton thread which I purchased also.

I was such a bad girl with all the goodies that Debbie brought back from Nashville I shouldn't have to purchase anything for at least 6 months.  Who am I kidding?  LOL

So stay safe and please say a prayer for those inflicted with this virus.

Blessings, Barbara

Updates

Well here it is March and we've had both 40 degree temps and 90 degree temps in the same week.  Gotta be a record.  No wonder every one is sick.....how can you dress properly when it starts out real cold in the morning and hot as you know what by the end of the day.  

I started a La D Da design called By Her Hand and I'm not thrilled with it.  By that I mean it's just not holding my interest.  I think I'll take a break from cross stitch for awhile and concentrate on knitting/crocheting and quilting.  I have all the fabric for at least 4 quilts in my sewing room and I really should work on them before the fabric rots.  LOL

You all know about the My Fair Lady shawl I'm working on and here's an update on it.

I just started the second ball and I have two more to do so I'm hoping it makes it to a nice size.  I do love this yarn but if you make a mistake look out.  It's happened to me twice and I've said some nasty words under my breath about mohair.  

I thought you might like to see our little Evelyn with her sitting up.  She's getting so big and I hate it.  The older they get...the older I get.  

I swear it looks like she's doing yoga in this picture.

Here she is in all her glory sitting up.  I don't know who was more surprised...Evelyn or Peyton.

Well everyone stay safe with this awful virus going around.  Hubby shouldn't be mixing with people but he won't stay home from work.  He has no immune system to speak of and if he gets it, I'm afraid for him.

Until next time.

Blessings,

Barbara

I found my Pink

I hope your weekend was as good as mine was.  My sweet grand son-in-law had to make a trip to Winter Haven to pick up a part for the Mustang he is rebuilding and I got to go along to a fantastic yarn shop called "Four Purls".  I have been in many knitting shops but this one is just so great from the many, many selections of yarns to the people who work there.  I have purchased from them online but this was my first trip and hopefully not my last.  I don't like to drive long distances to places I've never been before so this was a great chance to see it in person.  If you want to check it out online, here is the website:

https://www.fourpurls.com/

I just knew I was going to find the perfect pink for the My Fair Lady shawl and I was right.  It's not a baby pink but has just a dash of lavender to make it a dusty light pink and it's fabulous to work with.  It's from a company called Knit One, Purl Two and it's called Winter Blossom.in the color Pink Wax.  I started the shawl and here's what I have done so far.  It's a little tricky to frog because the fibers are wool, mohair and silk and that mohair can be sticky so I'm taking my time.

Above are the other yarns I picked up to make cowls for gifts and to sell.  Stay tuned for them.

I also was able to finish the BBD Snowman and thank you to all the ladies who made suggestions on how I can use the overdyed cotton without losing my mind.  I decided to stitch my normal way by going across the row and coming back and  truthfully I can't tell a difference in that the colors look like.  I do love how my stitches look a lot better.  Here he is in all his glory.

I didn't want to take the time to do the finishing part because I wanted to start my shawl but then I have quite some time till Christmas rolls around again.

I hope your week started off great and that you all get some quality stitchie time.  My grand daughter has expressed interest in me stitching this for their living room.   It's called One Nation by By Gone Stitches.  It's a biggie....

I'd love to hear if any of my followers has stitched this and what they thought of the pattern.  Until next time....

Blessings, Barbara

Here Comes February

In all it's glory.  Went for a walk with the two little rugrats this morning around their neighborhood to see all the interesting flowers that we have blooming down here and the boys were disappointed that we only saw white and pink flowers.  They were all azaleas which are in full bloom.  What I wouldn't give for some sweet smelling lilacs.  Oh the mind wanders.....

I do have a new finish to share.  I decided it's my Valentine's Day ornie and it's from Shepherd's Bush.  I love how all (or most) of my ornaments are all round and the same size since I started using cd's on the inside.  Some would call that boring.....I call it easy.  LOL

Speaking of rugrats here are all 3 of them acting like goofs for their Mother.

I don't know if all of you saw the new Blackbird Design called "Frosty's Night Out" but that's what I've been working on  for several days.  I know I've said this before but it can't be said too much....I HATE OVERDYED COTTON THREADS.  I hate how you have to cross each stitch one at a time and my stitches never look nice.  Here's an example:

I just wish I had done the stitching with DMC and quit trying to use these terrible threads.  I never have this problem if I use overdyed silks....just these cottons.  Anybody else have their stitching look weird or am I being a nitpicker?  Here's what Frosty will look like when he's finished.

They stitched him on 36ct. Murky linen but I'm using 28ct. Nocturne Cashel linen and I really like mine better.  I might end up doing him again in DMC and giving this one away as a gift.  I'll wait till it's finished and see.

Now here's a question for you.  I know some or maybe even most of you have seen the movie "My Fair Lady" starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn.  I've come across a shawl pattern that is called My Fair Lady and what I am wondering is what color should I do this in.  I'm leaning towards a very light pink because of the beginning of the movie where it shows all the pink peonies and roses.  What do ya'll think?  Suggestions please!

That's all for now.  I'm sure you're tired of reading about my complaining.  :o)  I want to thank each and every one of you for stopping by and reading about what's going on in my little world of stitching, crocheting and seeing my beautiful great-grand babies.

Blessings, Barbara

First Finish of 2020

It seems like forever since I posted on here but I do have a finish.....not cross stitch but crochet.  It's a beautiful cowl done in a hand dyed fingering weight yarn that I purchased on Etsy from Sweet Sparrow Yarns in the color Pajama Day.  I must admit that the color name drew me in because I love nothing better than lounging around in my pj's.  

Last week Peyton and I took the kids to Gatorland Zoo here in Orlando.  They had a ball looking at all the gators and playing in the splash garden.  I was able to snap a picture or two.

Peyton, Zane and Little John holding a live alligator.  Not me....no way!!!

One of the many pretty species of birds here in Florida.  

I do hope everyone's new year has gone well so far.  We have had a mild winter down here in Orlando and I would love some days of below freezing but I know that's wishful thinking on my part.  

Blessings, Barbara

Last Finish For 2019

I've been working on this little ornament for a few days and I just now finished it.  It was suppose to be an ornament for the tree but I decided to keep it out all year.  My hubby and I both love hot cocoa and we have a Keurig with all kinds of hot cocoa mixes and different flavored syrups to add to them so I decided to hang this little guy with all the goodies.  

I hope each and every one of you has a safe and happy new year.  I love all my followers and I wish nothing but the best for 2020. 

Blessings Upon All of You,

Barbara

Hoping Everyone Had A Merry Christmas

Well we didn't have a white Christmas but we did have a wonderful one.  Getting up at 6 am so we're over at Peytons and Johns when the kids wake up was a bugger but worth it.  We all got surprises and I think that makes it a lot more fun.  Mine was an Eeyore charm for my Disney Pandora bracelet.  He's one of my favorite characters.  The kids were just so darn cute opening their packages from Santa and just like that......it's over.  Hubby and I went home for a much needed nap and then we were back over there for dinner.  John has gotten a smoker and he wanted to try making a smoked meatloaf and it was delicious!  

Here's our little cuties with Santa....

Hope your Christmas was just as merry!

Blessings, Barbara