Happy Blogoversary . . .

Who knew?

I had completely forgotten this is my

2nd blogoversary!

Which must

not be a word in the dictionary!

Anyhoo ~ so it is!!! It has been a very

busy couple of years.

Man, it went by fast except for the

month of May when I wrote

everyday.

What a chore!!!

I only missed two postings one by

one minute, and one by two minutes.

I have to say I have learned a lot

about doing a blog.

As some of you know the first one

actually, did not work out so I

had to move everything I had written

and write it all over again.

When I got that finished I slept good

that night I can tell you!!!

It has been a blast sharing all of my

needlework, and I have so much

left that I have finished and framed

but not posted.

My bedroom walls have probably 40

finished pieces hanging.

One wall is just filled with

different kinds of needlework.

One wall is snowmen and one angel and

another is cats.

I have a teddy bear wall and of

course Crayon Duck.

When I have to move from

this house many boxes will be packed with

a little piece of me, as I tend to

include that in every piece I stitch.

Every cross stitch, also has

a little anger in them ~

that I release by stitching.

That is why it is so hard to just get

rid of them like my mom would like me to do.

She is afraid to come into my room cause

she thinks the pictures will fall on her.

It's not like they are on the ceiling

just waiting for her to enter!!!

So . . . thanks from the bottom of my heart

for coming by and leaving your helpful comments,

wisdom, kind words, and admiration of my love

of stitching. I have basked in the glow of these

comments and learned many things

from you wonderful women.

Thanks also for all the help you have given

me while I completed this project.

God Bless your stitching fingers . . . and keep

up the beautiful work.

Take care ~

Lenna

Halloween Rules . . .

This is my update on Halloween Rules!!!

I got the rest of the tombstones done

with the inside letters with

the moon rising behind them.

See how cleverly the designer wrote

out Halloween and

used the W for the branches

of the tree?

Ah, to be a designer and see things

like that with the naked eye.

Amazing!!!

I found out the fabric is called Heroic

and it is by Picture This Plus ~

32 count. I am getting used to this

count but it isn't easy for me.

I dearly love 28 count fabric cause

my threads seem to lay down

completely.

Next on the pattern I get to start on

the individual patterns.

YEA!!!

I would have gotten farther along on my

piece but I got some disturbing news

on Wednesday and I just couldn't stitch.

My youngest son, Tris, was in a very bad way.

He has had a psychotic break, which he now

says is NO break. He thinks he will call

it a nervous breakdown as they used to,

cause it is truly a break down!!! He still

has his wonderful sense of humor ~ God

Love Him.

He was taking some Adderall for ADD and

began staying up all night and not eating

and sleeping. He is getting plenty of

rest, food, prayers and love, something he was

really never lacking in before this happened.

He is a funny, kind, gentle soul who I love

with all my heart and so if you want to

say a prayer he and I would be so

grateful.

Everyday I talk to him and see some

small improvement. God is Good to us

and we are so Blessed to have the love

and support Tris needs at this time.

I want to take this opportunity to thank

everyone for their support and prayers.

He has felt them, too.

Thank You!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post ~

I vow to have this framed before Halloween.

God Bless your stitching fingers ~

You are the best and I treasure your friendships so much.

Lenna

Halloween Rules . . .

Good Morning all you beautiful Stitchers . . .

I have been bouncing around the blogs ~

boy, you ladies are working on some

awesome projects.

The stitching is gorgeous to say the least!!!

Even though I haven't always commented

I am checking you out.

Great Job!!!

Keep up the good work and I will be checking

back on your progress. This time I might

even leave a comment!

This is my latest progress on Halloween Rules . . .

It is a real pleasure to stitch on this piece.

It helps that I love the fabric so much.

I fell in love with it the first time I saw

it at retreat. I was looking for a piece for this

project and I knew it would look great.

However . . . I did ask some of my stitching

ladies what they thought and not one of

them liked my choice.

So . . . to be fair, I did look again, decided

they were as wrong as wrong could be

and bought it anyway!!!

So there!

It is a count I don't usually stitch on but

I am adjusting.

It is 32 count and the stitches are beginning

to lay down better.

That is the biggest problem I have with

32 count.

On the other hand, on 28 count I don't seem to

have any problem with how the stitches look.

Anybody else have that problem?

I hope to get the tombstones in tonight

and spell out rules on them.

So off I go to get some stitches done

before I have to get ready for work.

It's another day of ordering and a late night

to boot.

I do dislike the late nights so much,

but ~ unfortunately no one asked me.

You just do what you have to do!!!

Take care and keep at the important stuff,

ie ~ stitching.

God Bless those stitching fingers ~

Lenna

Cat on A Wire. . .

You, truly haven't lived until you had a

cat that would hang

on a wire,

if she only could.

This was my cat Knee ~ Hi.

She was

my cat and she was nuts!!!

No joke, she did some strange

things in her 12 year life.

I have a stamp that looks just like

this cross stitch.

When my vet wrote me a note, after she

died, I stamped him a card just like this

cross stitch and sent it to him.

He loved it!

Nice man and he loved my little Knee ~ Hi.

He went to Texas A&M and donated a large

sum of money in her name to further

research in Animal Husbandry.

It was such

a sweet jester that it made me cry.

I was

truly touched by his kind thought.

I think he was very saddened that we lost

the fight with cancer and could not save her.

I know I was!

So I am here to dedicate this cross stitch

to my Sweet Knee ~ Hi!!!

I miss you.

I just have a small amount to do to finish it.

I will get right on that!

Thanks for stopping by to say Hi and look at my work.

If you can, please leave a comment I enjoy reading them

so much.

Take care of you stitching fingers and God Bless ~

Lenna

Under the Prairie Moon, Halloween, Cat Lessons for People and Time for God . . .

This last piece is a SAL I joined ~ stitched with silk threads.

I had not used silk threads for a very long time.

When I worked in the frame shop

I handled so much paper that my hands

got ruff. Those ruff places pick up

the threads and they get tangled.

So, I had to use some kind of lotion.

I found one that is for stitchers called

Stitcher's Mantel

and it puts

a film, non greasy, to smooth

out those ruff places and help heal them.

It does not affect the threads or fabric.

It really does work.

So I tackled this piece.

It's a Little House Needleworks, one of my

favorites. and I have the house all done now.

I guess my next chore is putting all my stitching

back in order again.

I also do cards and I was busy at Easter

doing all my cutting, stamping, and embossing for

the 50 I was going to make for the people

at the store and my mom fell and had

to go to the hospital.

She has had a bad year so far and she

is no spring chicken.

She is all healed from that fall but it takes

it's toll. She is 94 and she doesn't

bounce back anymore.

So, I put my cards up and maybe next year.

I have about 20 Easter stamps and that part

is done, at least!!!

I have got to get this all straightened out ~

it drives me crazy.

Maybe when it gets a little

cooler. If we could get some rain it would help.

Happy Halloween, my favorite Holiday, must be the witch in me.

No, not literally!!!

I got the threads, fabric and patterns for this one,

it's a Lizzie Kate pattern at retreat this year.

I saw it on line and fell in love with it.

I finally decided to get this piece of fabric called ~

I can't find the name of it.

Of course!!!

So we will call

it the

"no name fabric"

for now.

It is a very pretty light tan, 28ct, my favorite,

with swirls of red, blue and

gold over dyed in it.

I had to get the 1/2 yd cut

cause it is a very long pattern.

So, I do have a big piece left.

I got most of the pumpkin done!!!

Yea!!!

I do need to get back to this soon,

cause I want it done for Halloween.

My sister went to retreat this year and

as usual, we had a blast.

This is her third year.

We finally

get to do something together.

I talked to her about it for

years before she finally joined me.

I love going to Summer's Mill.

It is quiet and gorgeous, it was cool, the

food was to die for and there is

a beautiful little Chapel they built

about 3 years ago.

This is the place I would pick

to get married,

if I ever got married again.

Besides it has a short aisle so it makes

the walk alone much easier.

The setting is so quiet, so peaceful and soooooo gorgeous.

The Chapel isn't too shabby either!

This is my 8th year of going

to the retreat and I look forward to it

every year.

It's sad when it comes to an end!

But then

this too shall pass.

I found a pattern on the trash

table, at retreat,

I am for sure going to do that says just that!

Here's my pumpkin!!!

This is my next start, oh trust me, I have a bunch of starts!

I decided this year I would work on some of

my older starts so I set up a rotation.

I was going gang busters then

life happened and well you all know how that is!!!

Sorry, I digress ~

This piece is called Cat Lessons for People ~

by

Lizzie Kate.

You all know I love cats so I decided last year

to get this pattern, fabric and overdyed

threads and get busy on it.

However . . . I didn't get busy on it.

I started it

when I got back from retreat in April.

This is my progress in two days.

I had forgotten what ever you put in first

becomes the last thing in the process.

SO . . .

Good Morning All !!!

It has been forever since I have done

this so bare with me.

Seems like I have forgotten

EVERYTHING!

I did this piece for my mom for her birthday

last year.

Her physical therapist saw the finished

framed piece and fell in love with it.

So . . . being the fast stitcher that I am

I whipped one up for her.

Her name is Mary and she is very sweet

to my mom and mom loves her.

So it was a labor of love on my part!!!

Now I just have to stretch it and

get it framed.

I used to be able to put up more than one design

at a time but it isn't working.

Looks like it is time to throw this putter out

the window again. But alas, there is a gecko

on the window screen so I won't.

Maybe next time.

Well, thanks for stopping by and giving me a look.

I appreicate it ~ leave a comment if you can

I do love them so . . . It does help!

God Bless your stitching fingers and take care ~

Lenna

Happy New Year!!!

Hi ho everyone!

No pictures today just

a short, sweet wish for

you and yours

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thank you all so much for

following me along

on this journey

and leaving your sweet

comments,

they are very much appreciated!

God Bless you all in the upcoming

2011 year.

May it bring health, wealth and

much Happiness!

Peace ~

Lenna

One Lovely Blog Award . . .

Isn't it gorgeous?

I am so touched by this award.

Thank you so much Chrizette

it was so thoughtful of you to give me this!!!

God Bless your stitching fingers ~

Lenna

August 21st. Tristan's Wedding, Peacocks anyone? . . .

My youngest son, Tristan, is getting married next Sat.

He is marring ~ Morgan a woman he met

while he went to acting school

at George Washington University

in D. C.

I really like her, too.

So this is the sampler I am doing for them.

No, it won't be ready.

It is much more

involved than I thought.

I have made good progress on it

and I have stitched every night

but one since I started.

But alas, it won't be done.

This is the true fabric color.

I changed my threads to

Sullivan's threads. I like them

very much even though I

have read some bad reviews

about them.

They do not fray like

DMC's and they look nice when done.

I don't have to constantly cut off

the tail because it becomes

in tangled.

This is about one and a half weeks worth.

This is where I am now down in next picture.

It is about half done.

I still have to change the

alphabet in the middle

and stitch all the rest.

I will get it done in the next

two weeks.

The big problem is we are doing the

floors in my mothers house this

next week, finally.

I live with her and we have

had this planned for almost a year.

Something always happens and

we have to change our plans.

Now I am taking off this next week

to be here while it is done.

Last night I started moving

all that has to be moved and

will pack up what has to be packed.

So . . . no stitching much to my deep sadness.

I would actually rather stitch than do anything else.

I'm BAD!!!

Well, I hear those boxes calling me

I better get

started.

This is where I am now. See my new scissors?

Aren't they cute?

Camp Town Girls are their names

and they are shaped like girls and

have hairdos and clothes on, too.

Peacocks anyone?

I stitched this little pattern for a

friend who has been a great moderator

on one of my group exchanges.

She recently was let go from

her job and needed some

cheering up.

So . . .

Enter the Peacock.

I used a 32 ct. fabric and Carrie's Creations

Lagoon Green and Ocean Blue variegated threads.

I used one thread of Ocean Blue for the

alphabet around the Peacock.

I used two strands of Ocean Blue for the

scallops around the letters.

I used one of each for the flowers in the inside

center and two of Lagoon Green for

the branches in the corners.

Then to finish it I used two strands

Of Lagoon Green to stitch the

Peacock.

She loved it and I am so thrilled. When I saw

the pattern I thought of her cause she loves

Peacocks.

That is all . . .

Thanks for looking.

God Bless your stitching fingers.

Lenna