Friday, February 4, 2011

Some Finishes !

I have been stitching my heart out... That is all I can do in this cold weather. Hope all my northern friends have dug out from under their snow banks. We had sleet and ice yesterday.

Here is my January Ornament finish. Blackbird Design from JCS ornament issue. I know it has 2010. I started it in Dec 2010. lol I am still going for 1 ornament a month.

It is stitched on 36 count khaki Linen with hand dyed threads I picked out. Not a good picture.. We are still having rain and no sun. Next up is my progress on BBD Anniversaries Of The Heart.


The Letters MICH is for the state of Michigan. The 1970 is for the year we lived there. I also put the first letter of each of our names. A - April J- Johnette (mom) & P- PeeWee ( dad). Brother Trey was not born till 1972. So don't worry about him. Or feel sorry for him. He is just the baby of the family...I have a square picked out just for him, alone... lol I do have trouble with these hand dyed threads. They are never the same color for one order to the next. I have 3 Dried Thyme. No 2 are alike... As you can see. I have started the Valentine Square. I still have a special gift to make for Aunt Debbie. Her Birthday is coming up March. So... this month I will work on her project.

I am going to sew 2 cute pillow cases for the grandchildren this weekend. I have been watching Youtube to see how it is done. I have everything ready.. So cross your fingers for me.

I had 2 places(moley looking things) cut off my body yesterday. Waiting on test to come back. Hope it is not the bad skin cancer. I had a tanning bed for about 5 years. I used to joke I was the the whitest person that owned a tanning bed. I did use it.. Since I stopped using it, I have had a lot of places come out on my skin. Dr said my reddish hair, freckled white skin is not a good thing for sun.. I think he was trying to tell me, in a nice way, that my sun worshipping days of old is to be NO MORE ! So from now on 45 or higher and untanned legs with all my skirts... I have tried the self-tanners.. O yeah... I have wrinkles and dry skin.. so that stuff just gets in those wrinkles and on those dry spots and looks like caked on dirt. Like I need a bath.. No thank you... lol

Enough about me aging and problem skin... I am going to fold 3 baskets of clothes. Did I mention... I hate to fold clothes? Till later......


18 comments:

natalysneedle said...

Love the ornie and the progress on BBD Anniversary Houses looks beautiful. I am doing mine seperately and loved the Valentine Rose.

Marian said...

It's miserable here. And still raining and getting colder. My 98-almost99-year old MIL lives in Tuscaloosa. Somehow she's still perking along.

Littlebit said...

Your Blackbird Designs pieces are beautiful, April! I can't wait to see the pillow cases.

Nan said...

I love how you've personalized the Anniversarys of the Heart square. What a great family heirloom it will be.
I also love your ornament. I've looked at that magazine lots of times but that one never caught my eye. Now I'm going to have to go back and find it and get busy stitching on it. It's adorable.

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

I'm having a hard time leaving my comment because I'm laughing about the tanning bed and being the whitest person with one. I grew up in Virgina Beach and spend almost every single day at the beach. Fast forward 25 years...spots, spots, moles, and more moles! Moley, moley, guacamoleeee! Wish I knew to stay out of the sun! Use to use margarine for sun tan oil!! Duhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Ok...on to your finishes. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
xx, shell

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Your blocks look awesome - the threads do drive me crazy too when the don't match (which is always)!
Your blocks are really pretty though and I love the personalization.
I too used to tan (didn't we all), and like Michelle May did, we also used margarine we took from the college cafeteria. Then we'd go up on the roof of the dorm (it was a flat one, of course), pull our big fans up there and blow right on us so we wouldn't feel hot. How dumb! I've yet to have anything suspicious pop up but it's only a matter of time, I'm sure. Good luck with your results.
I use the Jergens tanning lotion and it works really well - but, I usually use a sugar scrub first - helps reduce the dry flakey skin where it can pool.

stitchersanon said...

Beautiful stitching, really pretty. I hate anything to do with the clothes other than wearing them so you have my sympathy. MY MIL has bits cut off all the time because she lived in Kuwait in the days before sun screen awareness: they are not the good kinds but as long as they are cut off you should have no problem. Fingers crossed for you. I do believe I am going to stitch something xmassy today! Thank you for the inspiration!

♥ Nia said...

Beautiful ornament :)

Brigitte said...

The BBD ornament looks so beautiful. I have marked this too in the JCS issue and will stitch it this year.
Great progress on Anniversaries.

Faye said...

Hey April, Look at all that progress you have on the Anniv of Heart!! YGG...I have enjoyed that project so so much....And, the BBD flower is so pretty...you HAVE been stitching up a storm! I am so happy for you...Keep up the great work... Faye

Myra said...

Your stitching is so pretty! Let us know how the pillowcases go - there are lots of great tutorials for them and I have thought about making some myself.

Catherine said...

Love your finish and your other BBD piece is looking great!

I hope you get good news!

Meadows08 said...

I love your BBD's!

Sally said...

Both you finishes are beautiful. I'm hoping to finish Snow Garden tonight.

Mary said...

The ornament is so pretty. Nice choice of colors.
The Ann. of the Heart is looking great.
Can't wait to see the pillowcases.

You're right, stitching is all you can do in the cold! lol

Melanie said...

Great finishes!!!

And good luck on your skin testing!

Linda K's Stitching Corner said...

I love your stitching. You do beautiful stitching.

Take care & Happy Stitching
Hugs :) from Cold Icy Snowy Northern Indiana
Linda K, Railroad

Lynn said...

Your AotH sampler looks great! I love how you've personalized it too.
Your BBD ornament is also very pretty!
I hope your weather has improved some by now.