Where Did I Put Those Matches???

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, & not be weary;

they shall walk, & not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

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Remember this???

I posted it on Monday.  It was my start of Good Tidings to You, a Sampler Girl design which appeared in the 2011 JCS Ornaments magazine.  I had stitched it that year for an exchange partner & always wanted one for myself.  When it came time for me to pick a new start, I picked this one.  Here it is this morning.

You are probably thinking "Wow, Easily Influenced Stitcher!  Way to go!"  Well, not quite.  I had actually stitched a bit more than this.  I had finished the word To & was starting the Y in the word You but something wasn't right.  I first suspected this when I stitched the word Good.  I had mistakenly left 2 spaces between the G & the o.  I should have left only 1.  This became apparent when I was stitching the d & didn't have any space to stitch the bottom left part of the letter.  I remedied this by frogging the d & & shifting it over 1 to the right.  This made it closer to the snowflake motif (or whatever that thing is) but I figured I could live with it.  I then began stitching Tidings.  When I got to the end of the word, the s was way too close to that snowflake thingie.  I checked my stitches.  Drat!  I positioned the dot on the second i one space too far to the right.  I frogged the ings & restitched them correctly, but things were still not right.  I couldn't understand it. Everything was positioned correctly based on the letters in the word above.  The snowflake thingie was positioned correctly. What in the world???  Well, it didn't really look bad.  There wasn't much space between the right snowflake thingie & the s but I convinced myself that I was okay with it.  I next stitched the To.  I counted & recounted based on the letters above it.  It was where it should be based on those letters, but still something was off.  It was at this point that I became concerned about the bunny.  What if the letters came too close to the bunny & messed up my stitching of him?  I looked at the chart ... the bunny was positioned far away from both the To & the You.  I decided I probably didn't have to worry.  I then began stitching the Y in the word You & I noticed when I got down so far that the bottom of the Y was going to end up a few stitches underneath the bottom border.  I knew then that something was terribly wrong, but where?  I had checked & checked & checked again!  I checked once more & there it was.  I had made an error & repeated it many, many times when stitching those little horizontal lines in the border underneath & on top of the pieces of pine.  I had counted 5 stitches going across & 4 on each diagonal.  Horror of horrors, I saw that I should have been alternating 5 stitches on the top horizontal lines with 6 stitches on the bottom lines!!!  Naturally this carried over to the right side of the border where I placed 5 stitches on all the vertical lines.  I felt sick.  I thought about frogging everything & starting again but frogging tiny stitches on 40 count fabric is not very appealing.  The thought of just throwing away a 7" square of lovely cream Newcastle linen makes me very unhappy, but not as unhappy as the thought of frogging those stitches.  Therefore, Good Tidings To You, which I have renamed Not So Good Tidings To You, is being sent off to the landfill.  I don't think I can face starting this design again, at least not now, so I am instead going to find something else to start. Wish me luck   : )

On a happier note, the mailman brought me a package yesterday from my dear friend Sally at Stitchyangel's Treasures.

I did a post a while back asking everyone about their favorite teas.  Sally mentioned how much she enjoys Twining's Lady Grey tea.  I had never heard of it.  She offered to send me a few bags to try.  I thanked her but didn't want her to spend the money for postage.  I told her I would look for it at my local market.  She told me not to do that ... what if I bought it & didn't like it?  I would have wasted all that money for a whole box of tea I didn't like.  She said she wanted to send me a few bags instead & I said okay. Well, Sneaky Sally not only sent me a few bags of tea, she sent me a little surprise as well!

Another Sampler Girl design!  I was so excited when I discovered this design & had to laugh because I had thought about stitching the same design for Sally   : )   Thank you again dear friend!  I love it!

Incidentally, the tea is very good   : )

Blooms & Stitches

"Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled,

nor let it be fearful."

John 16:33

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Today's iris bloom is nothing unusual, just the typical blue-purple color.  This sadly seems to be the last of the iris blooms I'll be sharing with you.  If I had left them neglected in the pots like I did for the last 2 years, I would've had all kinds of colors ... lol!  Well, I imagine that transplanting them into good soil was a bit of a shock to them & I'm lucky to have any blooming.  If I'm still here next year, I'm sure I'll be able to share more photos then   : )

I've spent some time this weekend finishing a few projects that I've frankly been too lazy to finish for quite some time.  These are things that only needed a few more stitches to complete them.  I ran into problems & just set them aside for another time.  They are now happily completed   : )   I can only show you one of them though.  The others will be gifts.

This cute snowman is from a Bent Creek Zipper kit called Got Carrot?  I think the expression on the snowman's face while those 2 bunnies eye his nose is priceless!  I got quite a surprise when I started working on this kit.  I didn't pay much attention to it when I bought it & chose to stitch it a few weeks ago because I thought it would make a cute ornament.  Well, the kit comes with a rough 18 count linen that looks very similar to burlap & the stitching is done with pearl cotton!  It will make a great small pillow or framed piece but certainly not an ornament. I am thinking about stitching it again on smaller count linen so I can have my ornament   : )   The design included a sort of snowflake arch with blue beads accenting it. I didn't want this so instead I just stitched a few snowflakes as if they are falling down from the sky. 

Got Carrot - Kit Photo

Got Carrot - My Adaptation

Yes, ladies & gentlemen ... the eyes of on the bunnies are indeed colonial knots.  Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do   : )

This next item is a new start of a Sampler Girl design, Good Tidings to You, that appeared in the 2011 issue of Just Cross Stitch Ornaments.  I stitched this design for a swap partner that year & always wanted to make one for myself.  Now's the time   : )   Rather than the 32 count fabric which the design calls for, I am using 40 count & stitching over 2.  

I hope everyone is enjoying their day.  Last night John & I finished watching the 4th season of Doc Martin.  Tonight we are going to start watching Jeeves & Wooster.  We like Hugh Laurie from watching him in the House series.  The character he plays in Jeeves & Wooster will be totally different.  Should be fun   : ) 

Saturday Morning

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation, by prayer & petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, 

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts & your minds

in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

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Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope everyone will be able to enjoy a good weekend!  The weather is quite lovely here this morning in the devil's playground, bright & sunny with a predicted temperature of 70 degrees.  The only thing that would make it a better day is a sudden shift in temperature resulting in a blizzard with below zero wind chills & a couple feet of snow accumulation. Speaking of which, & I know you are all going to love me for bringing this up, but exactly 7 months from today it will be Christmas Day   : )

Our smoke bushes & trees are looking good. In the early mornings the dew accumulates on the smoke plumes, which are made up of many teensy-weensy flowers, & this makes them look sort of frosty.  I was able to get 2 photos this morning.  The first one is when the smoke is covered with dew; the second is how the smoke usually looks.

I've been steadily stitching the mystery design I posted on Wednesday.  I can't share with you what it is or show any updated photos because it's a gift.  I'm sort of nearing the end now & already wondering what I will stitch next.  Do you plan when you will stitch certain things & put them in order of how you will stitch them, or do you just stitch something when it calls to you?  I do the latter.  I've kitted a few things in the past thinking "I'll do this one next," but when it comes time for me to start a new project, I just can't muster up the enthusiasm I had for it when I kitted it!  I then start rummaging through my stash to find something else ... lol!

We had a very nice young couple from Colorado come to see our house yesterday. They are wanting to leave Colorado & the husband applied for a job here.  If he gets the job, they will, of course, need a house. John & I kept out of the way as they & their realtor walked through the house.  We were sitting on the porch & I had to chuckle a couple times because we could hear the wife saying things like "Ooooo!  Look at this!" & "Wow, isn't this nice!"  When they were finished going through the house, they came out on the porch & talked with us for a while & then they explored the yard.  Their realtor knocked at the door before they left to thank me for allowing them to see the house & to tell me they really loved it.   Needless to say, if they buy it or not will depend on the outcome of the husband's job interview.  I can't help but wonder ... is God providing a job for this man so that he & his wife will buy this house?  I have no idea, but even if they move here & buy another house, I am praying God's best for them.  Would you please say a prayer for them too?

Isn't it wonderful when you can give something to God & just lean back & rest knowing that He's taking care of things?  A year or two ago I would've been sitting here fretting about why the house hasn't sold yet, will it sell, where will we go when it does sell, etc.  Thanks to your prayers for me, I am calm & at peace.  Leaving things in God's hands helps us avoid making mistakes.  If the house sells, I'll know it's God's will.  If we can't find a home to rent anywhere except in one particular area, then I'll know that is where He wants us to be.  It's a good feeling : )        

John & I aren't doing anything special this weekend.  Since the weather is a bit cooler, it will be a great time to transplant our Russian sage.  I need to spritz weed killer in a couple places & I think I'll straighten up the garage a bit while I'm at it ... & I guess I'd better get at it   : )   Thanks for stopping by & for your continued prayers.  Many hugs to you all!

Another Morning in the Life of the Easily Influenced Stitcher

"Lean on, trust in, & be confident in the Lord

with all your heart & mind

& do not rely on your own insight

or understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

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The sun is shining brightly this morning here in the devil's playground.  I decided to take a brief walk in the yard with my camera to see what I could see.  I would've taken Pearl with me but she is still sleeping.  The blind (me) leading the blind (her) in the execution of french knots was not the smartest undertaking for either of us yesterday.  She needs all the rest she can get.  Anyway, back to the yard.  I don't have any photos of new iris blooms to show you today but here is a rose bush that is already blooming profusely.  These roses actually smell like roses!  It's so hard to find roses that smell like roses anymore.  

While taking my stroll I was excited to see a bluebird!  I managed to capture a couple photos of him ... one on the rain gutter above the garage & another on a fence post.  I have seen him & Mrs. Bluebird flying about the yard now & again but this is the first time this year that I was able to get photos of one of them.  I am glad they are visiting us again this year   : )

Speaking of critters, here's what I have to deal with most mornings when I'm at my computer.  Note that Pearl was so exhausted after our french knot fiasco that she passed out right here on the table!

Thank God I don't have any aspirations to be a hand model!  Look at that fat hand & all those veins & wrinkles!  If horror movies were still in vogue, Hollywood would be beating a path to my door.

"Hey!  Why did you take your hand away?"

I'm not sure what I will be doing today.  My guess is schlepping around the house looking at all there is to do but not feeling like doing any of it.  Yep, another morning in the life of the Easily Influenced Stitcher.  I did do some stitching last night but I'm not ready to show it to you yet.  Maybe I'll do some stitching today.  Then again, maybe I'll just go back to bed.    

IHSW - Late Posting Again

"A man's mind plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps
& makes them sure."
Proverbs 16:9
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I didn't get as much stitching done this weekend as I had hoped, but I did finish 3 things & got a start on a fourth.

Design:  From Me To You

Designer:  The Blue Attic

Fabric:  Lambswool linen 32 ct

Floss:  Recommended DMC

This design is supposed to have the outline of a somewhat large white heart stitched to the right of the peacock but it looked too Valentines Day to me.  I thought about adding something else there ... maybe a little key ... but my husband thinks it looks fine as is, so as is it will stay   : )  

Design:  Tis Better

Designer:  La-D-Da

Fabric:  Some kind of 32 ct linen

Floss:  Recommended Gentle Arts

I've been wanting to stitch this little design since I bought it & I really like the way it turned out.  What I don't much care for is the thinness of some of the GA flosses.  I like my cross stitches to cover the background & that doesn't always happen with GA.  Still, it's a lovely design which I'm sure I'll be stitching again   : )

Design:  I'm not telling right now   : )

I'm keeping this design under wraps for now. It's an odd shape, quite rectangular rather than square, so I'm opting to stitch it without a Q-Snap.  So far, so good!

I've got quite a few things accumulating that need to be finished into pinkeeps or whatever.  I keep trying to talk myself into doing that.  Hey!  Maybe Pearl would like to give that a shot!  I'll have to ask her   : )

I've got another iris blooming!

I forget the name of this one but a nice size clump was given to me last year by Winnie, the daylily lady. She actually loves all sorts of growing things but her favorites are daylilies.  This iris blooms twice a year, once in the spring & then again in the fall.  I wish they all did that   : )   Please try to ignore those sad looking rhododendrons in the background.  Yesterday we had quite a storm.  The rain was pretty heavy at times & we had some thunder & lightning, but the worst of it was the wind!  We had 50 mph winds which actually loosened a downspout on the side of the house!  I am thankful that it was not totally pulled away!  We are predicted to have more storms today so I am sending John up to the foundation block pile at the end of the yard to bring back a block to hopefully secure the downspout until we can get it fixed.  Anyway, I had hoped during all that wind that it was blowing off all those rhododendron flowers, but no such luck.

I hope you all have a lovely day!  I have a lot I should be doing.  What I actually will do, however, remains a mystery   : )   Well, not all of it.  I'll be eating.  Can't let a day go by without doing that!  Wait ... this is me I'm talking about.  I can't let an hour go by without eating something ... lol!  In fact, I think I'll go rustle me up some grub for lunch right now.  Some of you have been showing off your baking skills recently.  Maybe I need to look at my recipes   : )

Happy Sunday!!!

"And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those

who love Him ...."

Romans 8:28

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Happy Sunday everyone!!!  I have been having a bit of a struggle this weekend, thus the scripture reference above.  Wise words we all need to remember.  

I know you are all interested to hear how Pearl is enjoying her cross stitch lessons. Well, she's really excited!  I knew she would be   : )   The Q-Snap is a bit difficult for her to hold, but resting it on a pillow is the perfect answer!     

She was so proud of her first stitch ... I just knew you'd want to see it   : )

I promised her that sometime this week I will show her my stash   : )

It is a hot, muggy, humid, miserable day here in the devil's playground.  I discovered this when I ventured outside to take a photo of my first iris of the season.

Unfortunately I don't remember the name of this iris.  I know I have written down somewhere in my files.  You can see the remainder of some of our rhododendron blossoms there on the right, & those ball-shaped things beyond the iris are peonies. Two peony bushes were planted by incompetent landscapers 2 years ago.  One died; the other kind of shriveled to near nothingness.  There was a small lump of roots last year which I dug up & planted in this spot, not expecting it to amount to anything.  Well, surprise!  It will be interesting to see what color this peony is.  I know it will either be pink or red.

I decided to also take a photo of this little area against the garage where the clematis has decided to bloom wildly & the bee balm is happy.  I don't know what it is about this year but all the plants are really healthy & doing great!

I've been stitching as much as possible this weekend for IHSW but I haven't accomplished as much as I hoped I'd accomplish.  Every little bit helps though, I guess.  I'll share photos tomorrow   : )

My Friend Pearl

I was 4 years old when Pearl came to stay with me.  I remember it well.  It was Christmas day.  I opened one of my packages from Santa & there she was.  My mother remarked how we looked like twins!

Pearl & I became inseparable.  We'd have tea parties, picnics in the back yard, & go for walks & bike rides in the neighborhood. I'd take her along with me when I went to visit cousins or on weekends in the summer when I'd go with my parents to our cabin in Marienville, PA.  We slept together every night.  When I started school, I remember the heartbreak of having to leave her at home.  

Time passed.  I don't know what became of Pearl, but I've always missed her.  I've been searching for her throughout the years without any luck.  Oh sure, I'd find Pearl lookalikes from time to time, but my Pearl was special.  She was an original with soft rubbery skin stuffed with heaven knows what.  Her arms & legs were not jointed.  She was wonderful!

I was online a little over a week ago when I mosied over to eBay ... not someplace I usually go ... & I decided to try searching for Pearl again.  My heart skipped a beat when I saw her in a listing!  Yes, there she was! All 17" of her in great condition (the years had been good to her) wearing her favorite babushka & polka dot dress.  She even still had her original underwear ... clean, of course   : )   I wrote to the seller asking for clarification that this was indeed "my Pearl" but I couldn't wait ... I went ahead & made a bid anyhow. It was the minimum bid.  I figured people would overbid me but I planned to keep on bidding until I got her.  

Last week I received a notification in my inbox.  I had won the auction!  No one else had made a bid!  I couldn't believe it!  I couldn't click the PayPal button fast enough!  

Pearl has arrived!  We have so much catching up to do!  One of the first things we did was have a tea party just like we used to   : )  

I am going to show her how to cross stitch this weekend.  I think she'll like that   : )   

It's nice to have my friend back   : )