Summer should be here at any moment.

Memorial Weekend is not only the weekend where our hearts reflect on the many who died fighting so that we can be free, but in summer resorts all over the United States it also signals the beginning of summer, our busiest time of the year.  And Memorial  weekend was all we could hope for.  The temps were in the high 70's to begin, we did have a period of torrential rain and then back to 70's.  Lifeguards are back on duty and the beaches are busy so we are all geared up with Sara placing orders daily.  UGH!  I usually love to see the UPS truck, but at this time of year he unloads too many boxes and they aren't all for Salty Yarns so it's not as much fun for me.  Anyway, I was not on duty that weekend so I was home stitching all day, except on Saturday when Jan and Donna stopped by to say hi.  I was so afraid they had finished their challenge pieces and since I had barely started mine I knew it would drive me crazy, but that is not why they stopped by so that made the visit even sweeter.  (Hate getting behind in stitching challenges).  Anyway, knowing they were coming made me work on one of my challenge pieces and got another piece done so I'm down to only 2 more pieces to do on the one project and of course my ornament is still to be done. I also  kept busy all weekend working on Plum Street's Noah's Christmas Ark ornaments.  It takes about 2 days for each ornament with the exception of the whales and I had a few issues with that so it took a little longer.  But at this point there are three charts packs out and I've finish the first three chart packs and proof is shown below.   I cannot tell you how pleased I was with this series.

 I needed an ornnament tree display that I could hang for the summer and not be too Christmas-y.  This is perfect since I do not think it looks like Christmas at all, with the exception of the snow falling...although I'm not certain that it is snow falling.  One of the giraffe's does have a candy cane in it's mouth and the tree with the doves does appear to be a Christmas tree, but other than that it's not Christmas-y at all.  .  I really do love this series, so much so I've changed very little.  I have used a few  beads for eyes, and satin stitched the red balls on the giraffe piece, but I think that's it. .  I didn't even use the beads on the flowers although I did try but it didn't look right to me.  I took a short cut finishing the pieces into ornaments so I was able to finish 5 one night and the 6th before work.  I used mylar quilting template material for the finishing and double sided tape so I was able to breeze right through it.  It took all the bulk out of the finished product so it was unnecessary to add any type of cording etc.  Finally a fast finish!  Then it was on to new stitching.   I still have the 2nd Laundry Day piece to do as we did get that chart pack from Hands on Designs, but I'm already thinking 4th of July and patriotic pieces. I also got the knitting project done, Guernsey Wrap...whoppee!  I love it.  It's a long piece, 77" long and approx.15" wide but it's beautiful even with the couple of mistakes.  Plus I learned a new technique for taking it off the needles, a long tail and tapestry needle which was confusing me to begin with, but after a few stitches it was simple.  Very elastic so I am thrilled at 70 to learn something new and useful.  Then it was time to move on to new projects.  One of the stitchers at the Betsy Morgan weekend was telling me about a challenge she's involved in where you start a new project every day.  Yes, new project every single day for a year.    I was fascinated with the idea so I went right home and started 4 that I had in my latest to do bag..  One  is the Heritage Sampler from Plum Street, 2nd is Basketful of Summer Time by ,Brenda Gervais, this one I'm doing on 18 ct. linen over 2..fun stitch and the third is the  Little House Needleworks, Keeper of the Pins, and fourth, Liberty Tree from Blackberry Lane.   I also got the challenge piece in the rotation hoping to get this done before October instead of waiting the week before.  Since challenge pieces this year not only have to be stitched, they also have to be finished....yikes!  Anyway, I also pulled out an Erica Michaels piece that I started last year and keep losing.  I figured it I just finished it I wouldn't have to worry about losing it.  I think there is one more started but I can't remember what it is.  Anyway, that's what I'm doing.  We just had our Betsy Morgan weekend and it went really well.  I think everyone took home their thread keeper finished or darn near finished so that was a positive thing.  The weather was alright on Friday and foggy Saturday and rainy on Sunday, but the stitchers were in class all day so they didn't mind.  It was a wonderful group of stitchers so we want to say Thank You to them all for their continued support and a bit Thank You to Betsy Morgan for coming to teach.  But a special Thank You goes to all the stitchers from the retreats who signed the mat on my birthday gift and a huge Thank You to Bernadette who actually stitched it for me.