Saturday, May 01, 2010


Why is it that whenever you're close to finishing a project
the temptation to start a new project is all but irresistible??
I just have the top section of Winter Wind to stitch and it'll
be done, finished, completed. So am I working diligently
away at it, nose to the grindstone and all that??? Heck no!!

I started poking around in my stash a few weeks ago and
ended up pulling Sew Red (design by Carol at Istitch) out
and settling down to stitch it instead. This past week I had
a three day holiday thanks to three floater days that I chose
to use because the weather's been nice and my DH is off
for two weeks right now and because things at work have
been really slow lately. Because of that I've had extra time
to stitch and have devoted it to Sew Red. The picture above
shows my progress so far which is about half way done.

I will get back to Winter Wind. Maybe after Sew Red is done,
or maybe when I get to the point on Sew Red when I just have
half of the top line or the last bit of border to stitch. I do have
to make sure that I finish Sew Red this year though, one way
or another, because I've already stitched the year on it.


I think the highlight of this mini holiday is that I got to
meet another stitcher/blogger who doesn't live too far
from me. Jennifer from Seasonal Stitches was a sweet
heart and didn't mind the short notice invitation from
me to get together on any day of my three day holiday
that might work best for her and her schedule.

She came here on Wednesday and we spent a lovely
time getting to know one another and talking, talking,
talking. We went out for lunch at a local bakery in
Glen Williams and we visited a quilting store called
The Hobby Horse which is located on a farm a few
miles outside of Glen Williams looking for fabric
for finishing stitching projects.

Did I mention that Jennifer is a sweetheart??? She
arrived on my doorstep bearing gifts and spoiled me
rotten. Looky at the above picture. Two charts that
I didn't have in my stash, one of which was a Prairie
Schooler!!! And a new puzzle to feed my other addiction
(see previous post) which features some adorable Cats!!!

We got along like a house on fire!! The time flew and
we found lots that we had in common and we talked
until we ran out of time and Jen had to head home. So
sad. So we agreed that we'd really have to get together
again soon to talk some more and maybe stitch too.
I'm so happy to have met another stitcher who lives fairly
close to my little part of Ontario, and to have her be as nice as
Jennifer is is just icing on the proverbial cake.

I have one regret from Wednesday though. Somehow in all
the excitement of meeting for the first time and then going
out for lunch and stashing shopping, we both managed to
forget our cameras to take pictures! DOH!!!

Thanks for coming Jennifer and for driving us around
and for the wonderful gifts and for everything!


Here are the fabrics that I picked up at The Hobby Horse
on Wednesday. The first step towards perhaps finishing
off some of my stitching someday. I still need some of
those pearl headed pins, some pretty ribbons and whatever
else might look good on a pinkeep or a flat fold or a little
pillow. All in good time.


I got some new stash a few weeks ago that I have to
show you before I forget entirely. Of course I had
to get LHN's The Book Store which was newly released
recently and at the same time a few other charts jumped
into my shopping basket, as often happens when one is
shopping at a favorite on line store.


I've been finding a lot of designs that appeal to me
from My Big Toe and ordered three more of their
charts plus one from Lizzie Kate and one from LA-D-
Da. I also got the fabric to stitch one of the My Big
Toe designs. The other two charts were wins from
Ebay and are by a designer that I was unfamiliar with.
They're both very pretty, don't you think??

I did order one more chart in the splurge from the
on line store but it wasn't in stock at the time that
the rest were mailed out to me. I understand that
that chart is now on it's way to me, and I can't wait
because it's another one that I've been drooling over
since it came out during Nashville. Guess which one
it is.

Rose Quaker!!

******************************************************

Of course I've been reading whenever I can find the time
and I've finished three books recently that I highly
recommend to you, each one a different genre from the
others but all wonderfully well written with great stories.
I'll let you check out the synopsis of these books for
yourselves because this post will be way too long if I
tried to do it, but in brief here's what you should expect
from each novel.


This is the second book of Jennifer Donnelly's that I've
read, the first being The Tea Rose, which was the first
book in what will eventually be a trilogy (I think). I
suppose that you could read this one on it's own but
when books share characters and history I prefer to
read them in order so that I get the most out of them.

This series would be categorized as Romance I guess
but Donnelly has done a lot of research into the era
in which her stories take place (the early twentieth
century) and so you get lots of historical detail which
adds depth and color to her stories. I love how she
creates such wonderful characters, whether they are
the hero or heroine, secondary players, or those with
small parts.


I've also read Michelle Moran before and this is the
second book of hers that I've read. This is historical
fiction which takes place in Egypt during the time of
Ramses II and is about Nefertari, niece of the despised
heretic Queen Nefertiti. Another well written, well
researched book with memorable characters and a
enthralling story. A fascinating time and place in history
that I can't read enough about.



And now for something completely different. Tongue
in cheek, witty and wry, a comedy of manners and a
Supernatural mystery, all rolled into one. This is Gail
Carriger's first novel and she's done a fabulous job of
creating a unique mythology for an alternative Victorian
era England then the one we're familiar with. Lot's of
imagination and more then a bit of the eccentric went
into the creation of this delightful debut which I loved
from the get go. You'll have fun reading this one.

******************************************************

Went to a baby shower today for a friend who's new
daughter is just a month old. Lots of pink clothes, lots of
cute accessories and lots of sweet girlie things that we all
had a lot of fun shopping for. Baby slept through most of it.

Have spent a lot of time walking in the past month as the
weather has been mostly fabulous. I think we're about three
weeks ahead of schedule in the growing season with trees
that should only be starting to leaf out actually in full leaf now
and flowers such as tulips and hyacinth in full bloom when
they should just be starting to bud. The weather forecasters
claim that it's El Nino (pardon if spelling is off) causing the
warmer and dryer then usual weather. Whatever it is, we're
enjoying every minute of it. I keep forgetting to take my camera
out walking with me so that I can get some pictures of the crab
apple and cherry trees in bloom, as well as other pretty signs of
Spring around town, to show you.

So that's about it from me for now I think. I do have a pile
of new books that I will be showing off in my next post, if I
remember that is. There was a book sale in town today and
I was one of the first in line for it. Also got a stack of new books
from the bookstore that I've been anxious to get my hands on.
My library's shelves downstairs are getting full again. Oh Oh!!

Take care all and thanks for dropping by.

Cheers!!


18 comments:

Kathy A. said...

Sew Red is gorgeous! New stash is awesome! New books - I wrote a couple down to search for!
New Friend - WOOHOO - someone close to home. Just don't forget us down here in Brighton. We lay first claim.
Sending hugs from the lake!

Judy S. said...

Love your red stitching, Judy. And I also really liked the first two Jennifer Donnelly books. Isn't the next one due out soon? How nice to find someone nearby to stitch with; sounds like you had a fun day.

Lynn Bourke said...

Lots of lovely new stash!

I love your Sew Red...

Jennifer said...

Hello Judy, Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! They certainly made my day as did our outing together it was just great. Love how Sew Red is coming along . Your new stash looks like so much fun. I hope you enjoyed your mini vacation. sounds like you did. Looking forward to our next outing . will email you soon.

Maggie said...

I love the red you are using for 'sew Red':-)
I think we all start to wander a bit towards the end of a project, i know i do, and now i'm playing catch up with a few things, oh well, it's all good fun!!

Love your new chart stash, some really nice ones there.

How lovely to meet up with a fellow bogger/stitcher! glad you hit it off and had a good time.

Have a great week x

Lynn said...

How could you resist a piece like Sew Red? I'd be stitching it too!
Isn't it amazing how all those charts just jump into our carts? I'm having the same problem here at our house. The mail keeps bringing more!
That's great that you've found a stitching friend so close to you. It's so much more fun when you can stitch with a friend.

Andrea said...

Love the Sew Red progress. All of your new stash looks yummy too.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Judy, Sew Red is looking fantastic! How wonderful that you found a nearby stitcher and were able to meet up!

I wish you could come to my place too! Of course there's nothing to stop us from planning our own little weekend when schedules mesh!

Siobhán said...

Judy, I am sooo guilty of that--getting close to completion and then stop to work on something else!! I love your Sew Red, though. Great new stash, and you met Jennifer!! How neat. :) Thanks for the book reviews, too! I liked both of the Rose series by Jennifer Donnelly. Romance but not overly bodice ripping type stuff... or I guess I should say that they also have a storyline! LOL I don't know if you've ever read her young adult book, "A Northern Light" (published as "A Gathering Light" in Ireland & the UK), but it is really, really good. I don't normally read YA but it was in the adult section and I read it and didn't want it to end.

mainely stitching said...

Hello Judy! How wonderful that you've enjoyed a bit of free time and could spend it stitching and enjoying friends! :D (Not to mention some extra time with your DH!!) Sounds utterly ideal to me, especially with the stunning weather. Your book list, as always, looks very enticing. I'm reading Ghostwalk right now (forgot the author's name) and a great non-fiction book that I can heartily recommend called Slightly Chipped by the Goldsteins (I'm pretty sure that's right). They have another book, too, but the library didn't have that. GREAT read for book lovers!! :D

Gina E. said...

Hi Judy, your super-long 'comment' on my blog was a blast! Thank you so much - posts like that make it worthwhile continuing to blog, when one has been wondering if it is all for nix!
Isn't it great to have someone nearby to stitch with? I have several stitching friends within ten miles of me (not far in Aussie terms) and we get together whenever we can.
Your latest books sound fabulous as always. I wished I had started a journal years ago, to list all the books I read. I forget them within days of starting a new book, and many is the time I've borrowed a book and got half way through it, to find I've already read it!

Carolien said...

Hello dear Judy,

I am way behind reading blogs but am catching up now (study, a cold, aarggh!). You made some lovely stitches on the 'Sew Red', I love those changing colours.
Your new stash collection looks great and I love that Quaker Rose sampler. I am eager to see your stitches on that!!! I hope it will arrive soon.
How lovely, this meeting with a friend living so nearby. You had a marvelous day, how nice!

Have a nice day & hugs, Carolien

Carolien said...

P.S. I was so amazed to read that the squirrels do eat the buds of your magnolia! We have squirrels too, but I guess the Dutch ones have another taste for delicacies ... Too bad they eat your buds, such a pity!

Bye! Carolien

Carolien said...

P.P.S. Sorry, it's me again ... you asked me about the yellow shrub. I only knew the Dutch name (we call it a 'curry shrub') but now I've found it in my garden book: it's a Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora', also called a ranunculus shrub.

Bye! Carolien

Beatrice said...

I read the Tea Rose series...only the first and 2nd .I didn't enjoy the 2nd one the first one was terrific!!!
your stitching is so pretty...boy do I know the feeling about the starts.
I am trying to get caught up on things before I start a new one.
I'm all moved in so now I can start serious stitching again.
having stitching friends nearby is wonderful.Have fun!

Pumpkin said...

I love that little sampler and I'm sure you'll get it done soon :o)

WOW! I think you've outdone me in the stash department. LOL! Those are gorgeous patterns. No wonder you're excited and not sure what to stitch next ;o)

That's wonderful that you met another Blogger! It sounds like the two of you really enjoyed your day together. Hopefully you can do it again soon. Doing something like that is good for the soul :o)

No kitty pics????

Brigitte said...

Oh Judy, I can totally relate to not finishing a piece while being nearly on the finishing line. When I'm nearly done with a project my head is already so full of ideas about what to stitch next that I just have to start something new, lol. Sew Red looks gorgeous, let's hope that it doesn't suffer from the same fate as your PS project, lol. The thread you use is absolutely great.
So nice that you have found another stitcher near you. It's always so much fun to sit toether and talk and sometimes even stitch. I love it.
You have gathered some great new stash and LHN's Bookstore is also on my wish list. It's such a great design for avid readers, isn't it?
I have only read one of Donnelly's books so far, A Northern Light, and I loved it. More of her books are on my shelves. It's good to know that retirement is only two more years away, lol. I definitely need more time to read and stitch.

stitcherw said...

I always love reading your posts, you give us so much fun stuff to see and read about. Red is looking wonderful, I can see why it tempted you to start it. As to Winter Wind, you'll get back to it I'm sure, you're just taking a bit of a break. :)

What a wonderful treat Jennifer got you. Sounds like you had a fantastic time on your outing together. Getting together with stitchy friends is always such fun. Great stash you found, my favorite was Book Store. I don't remember seeing that one, and I have a weakness for LHN and CCN designs, so guess what just got added to my must get list, LOL.

Nice book suggestions too, Heretic Queen sounds like a must read for me, like you I like that time and place, and Soulless sounds quite intreging too. Seems you were quite the enabler in this post.
Sue