Monday, January 11, 2016









   More of my Christmas treasures.  Pat made the black and white scarf which I loved when she made it this fall and shocked when I was gifted it for Christmas.  We got the book in the shop which we were all looking through and oohing and aahing as these are not knitted but hand woven I think.  Pat thought we would all work on one to learn the technique, but after reading how it was done, I was out!  Too complicated for me.  Sara was going to try and the next thing I knew she was out.  Thank God, Pat never says die and she perservered.  I love, love, love it and will definitely be wearing it when and if it ever gets cold here.  (I have a feeling it won't be too much longer before I need it and gloves too.  The middle picture shows Sara's Lizzie Kate pillow for me.  It's something she hears all the time when she's around the senior population at Stitch 'n Bitch or just anytime any of us start talking about our aches and pains.  Such a cute pillow....love it!  The third picture is a fun stitch from Plum Street samplers and was actually stitched by me, a gift for Sara.  I stitched it on 20 ct. linen over 2 threads so it's a 10 ct. in the end and used DMC and Weeks Dye Works pearl cottons so that the design measures 17 1/2" x 9 1/2" which makes a wonderful pillow. I adore stitching larger because it allows so much embellishment.  For instance, tassels on the ends of the hats, beautiful red beads decorating the wreath around the horse's neck and sleigh bells on the reins, a small bow under the horses neck showing that the reindeer antlers are tied on.  Beads were used for the eyes and a pretty red bead used to finish off  the design in the sleigh.  Oh, so much fun.    The final gift is a pin cushion given to me by Renee.  From the hand felted cat on top to the candle stick,  this is fabulous.  The candle stick is actually glass so quite heavy and painted black.  As I was trying to clean out cupboards after Christmas I almost took some candle sticks out to send to the opportunity shop at church but then remembered I could paint them black and use them on pin cushions. (this could explain the clutter in my closets....I simply can't throw anything out for fear I could use it in something.)  Anyway, I might just try my hand at making a similar pin cushion as I love, love, love it.  So I think this may end the walk down Christmas stitching Lane and now I look forward to the stitching of 2016.  I finished my first piece this week....one started several years ago, Wave by Shepherd's Bush.  It was so exciting to finally finish it as I've pulled it out several times and just kept putting it back in the tote.  I misplaced the fibers so had to go to my Shepherd's Bush fiber tote and get new ones, but who cares, it's done!  Right now I'm getting another Shepherd's Bush piece finished which was started also, a few years ago.  As I've gone through more and more bags in the stitching room, I'm finding more and more half finished pieces....oh, my...but I'm determined to get some of these done this year so we'll see how well I hold on to that goal.  Unfortunately, as usual, my mind wandered when I took Paola's birthday gift over to UPS to be sent out (should have gone out 2 weeks ago....typical of me) I feel in love again with the design so when I got home I started that but I won't allow myself to work on it until I stitch a few hours on the "goal" pieces.  I'm trying to stay focused on the goal, however, life keeps getting in the way.  I was stitching on Wednesday (as usual) and got a call from Vernon who said, "I can't get in."  I didn't even know he was trying so I said, "I'm sorry I didn't hear you, I'll go open the door", and he said, "No I'm telling you they won't let me in."  I asked, "Who the hell are you talking about?  Who won't let you in my house."  He said, "do you have any idea when is happening right outside your door now?"  Embarrassingly enough I had no idea.  Let me first tell you, as many of you know I live in a summer resort area.  While our population booms to over 200,000 in the summer, in the winter we are around 3500 (and I doubt it's that many).  So in January, which is our gloomiest month, there is no one here and nothing is going on.  So when I asked him what he was talking about he said, "there was a suspicious package found and they have the street blocked off as they wait for the bomb squad (we actually have one of those in town?)  Now I'm not completely oblivious..I did see a fire truck, or heard one about an hour before, looked out and saw it parked in front of the house next door, made sure there was no smoke billowing and since I saw no one, not even a fireman,  went back to stitching.  Again, with all the street blockage, etc., the policeman guarding the entrance to the street, I never saw another person, not even a fireman again.  After a few minutes I said the hell with it and went back to stitching.  After a couple of hours as I went to the bathroom, I noticed everyone was gone and the yellow tape was taken down.  So I'm not sure what the outcome was, but I know I kept stitching through it all.  Yes I'm a dedicated stitcher and nothing will come between my stitching and me.  I'm thinking it was probably dog poop in a bag...that's the only activity I see happening here in O.C. in January.  Well that's been my week, and now I'm back in the shop getting ready for Camp Wannastitch next weekend.  How's your week going?

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