Last Slow Sunday Stitching in March

I've had a busy week with some frustrating circumstances with my car but finally brought it to a service center at the Cadillac dealership and all is repaired, it's nice to have the wipers and turn signals working and access to my trunk even with the inflated prices of having repairs done at the dealership it's good to know all is functioning again with 2  years warranty on all parts.

Stitching is slow going on the Greenman piece but I am making progress, with doctor appointments

and getting my car squared away I just wasn't in the mood to stitch anything. it didn't stop me from buying a few new patterns.

These patterns are so cute I just couldn't resist I am partial to garden themed items, I purchased them here: http://www.mulberrystr.com/stitchery/

I still need to decide how to finish the Easter embroidery either framing it or making it a pillow or wall hanging now that my car is back I can browse a few shops for a frame or fabric. 

I am linking my post today at Kathy's Quilts today she is hand piecing blocks and they are just lovely.
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/03/slow-sunday-stitching_31.html

Sunday Stitching and a Little Bit of (B)itching

Sunday morning came and went with me doing a load of laundry and enjoying a nice cup of coffee with pancakes and bacon.

I finished the hand embroidery on the Easter piece I just need to iron out the wrinkles and decide how I will finish it, most likely I'll frame it. I'll link my post today at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here: https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/03/slow-sunday-stitching_24.html

This week the mail carrier delivered a few stitching surprises as well as a few expected items.  The first is from a friend who sent me these lovely hand dyed wool charm squares from Primitive Gathering.

She also sent me this cute little Easter Kit and some Weaver's cloth pieces in lovely pastels

The expected items were a few magazine I subscribe to there are a few projects in both issues I'd love to try.

Punch Needle and Wool Worker

Then two crochet magazines, I admit I rarely find anything among the pages in the crochet magazines to make though every now and then I'll find one or two things, plus there is usually updates on new yarns, hooks etc.

And now for the (B)itching, in regard to the on going car repairs, a few weeks ago I dropped off my car to have the oil leak fixed a cracked valve cover was the reason for the smoking engine, well a few days after I picked up the car I was headed out and turned on my windshield wipers and nothing, the wipers wouldn't work. Ugh all I could think is what did that mechanic do?  So a day or so later I brought the car over letting know the wipers weren't working did they perhaps disconnect or forget to clear the codes.  Well I left it and the next day I was told the switch in the turn signal was the problem which sort of sounded okay since I turn the wipers on and off from the handle of the turn signal.  Well a few hours later I get a call it's not the switch and they don't have new enough equipment so they want to take my car down the road to someone that has newer equipment, I say no I'd rather just pick up the car at this point and have the dealership do the repairs. 

His tone of voice changed and said okay give me 10 to 15 minutes to check on everything, well if the car is ready to pick up what do you need to check, but I said okay because it would take me about 30 minutes to arrange a ride.  Meanwhile I texted my son to let him know and just by chance he has stopped by for an oil change and noticed my car wasn't there, apparently they had already brought my car to this unknown person and had to call to have my car brought back.

When my son picked me up I wasn't happy about the car already being taken before I gave the okay which I didn't.  When I finally drove my car home, not only did my wipers still not work, my turn signals aren't working, my trunk won't open with the key fob or the button inside the car. all my computerized warning flash on and off, I was livid and called the garage and let them know I was NOT happy and what the heck did they do, I brought my car in because the wipers weren't working and now I have a list of problems which I told them to inform the owner of the shop will be handing them the bill for and expect to be reimbursed. 

Geez it is too much to ask for a competent auto mechanic if you can't fix something say so don't just try this and that and cross you fingers and hope it works.  I suspect when I told them not to take my car to someone I didn't know they were already in the middle of the electronics and just disconnected and...!  Now it's time for some blog reading and a bit of stitching.

Slow Stitching Sunday and Preparing New Projects

I was just browsing the internet for some new wind chimes, several of mine have rusted away, I love the sound of the tinkling they make in a gentle breeze or on a windy day like on Friday when those March were blowing so hard the wind chimes sounded like an all day concert.

Spring is in the air for sure around here, my rhododendron shrub is in full bloom and to my surprise I can cut them, put them in a vase and the last for days.

Sometimes my cell phone camera doesn't take the greatest photos well the person snapping the photo, me, I was too lazy to get my camera.

My Easter embroidery is coming along nicely the light pastel colors are a pleasant change from all the greens of the Green Man piece.

I like to have several projects ready to work on especially when I need a change from the monotony of one color family, in this case green, I needed to change on and off when I was embroidering Hocuspocusville blocks all in black floss.

I have a few coloring pages I'll use for patterns to embroider, I than ran through my printer onto the stitch and wash away product now I just have to decide on the fabric to use.  I love these New Age Muslin fabrics by Marcus Fabrics I bought back in September, there are 26 colors in the stack.

I'm making my choice for one of the pieces from the two green fabrics which naturally is for another greenman piece, though now that I see them here I may use the deep tan fabric.

For me half the fun is choosing the fabrics and floss for a project I don't know if it's that way for everyone but I enjoy the entire process of planning right down to which hoop I will use. Does anyone else enjoy the planning process for hand embroidery?

My progress continues on the Easter piece early this morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee on this rainy St. Patrick's day.

Overall progress after the coffee I have one more chick to complete, then those little stitches that make the shape of an egg around the bunny.

Quite possibly I'll even get a start of the word Easter before the day is over.  I am linking up at Kathy's Quilts today here:https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/03/slow-sunday-stitching_17.html
There is nothing that brings me more pleasure then browsing the other talented bloggers to see what they are slow stitching today.

Sunday Stitching, Sunshine and a Savings of Sorts.

Sunday stitching and sunshine a great way to start the week.  Spring is in the air though for many not in the weather.
The dreaded Daylight Savings time has us springing forward one hour, I know longer set  my clocks before I go to bed it really doesn't make a difference I don't set an alarm, I am usually awake before daylight peeks through the curtains and really what's going to happen are the timekeeper police going to ticket me for failing to set my clocks ahead at 2:00 a.m.   Though Maxine says it all

I don't mind the change at all, in fact I welcome the later daylight hours in the evenings, I'm already drink my coffee in the darkness of early morning.

Spring is in the air so I thought a little pastel stitching would be a nice change from the greens of the greenman piece. The sampler pattern was traced onto my fabric yesterday afternoon it was a free Bronwyn Hayes pattern from several years back offered on the Red Brolly web-site due to her illness is no longer available.

I began stitching it this morning while sipping coffee and watching the sun come up, though right now the colors are so pastel just white and brown.

I have several of the Bronwyn Hayes patterns from years back when I was a member of her newsletter via her web-site.  I have a few of her patterns and a book or two. While clearing out some clutter a few days ago I came across a CD of old patterns that I copied to disk when I upgraded my computer after I moved here in 2011. Side note: I have replaced my computer two or three times since, out of necessity to read as computer crashed and once when an unwitting friend set an email with a rather nasty virus. 

I was surprised at all the patterns I came across and also surprised that many of those websites and blogs are gone or haven't been updated in years a few of the bloggers did go on to create Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook pages.

I also traced a Crab Apple Hill Studio design to begin stitching this week The Queen of the Needle

I just love the sweetness of Meg Hawkey's designs and to my pleasant surprise I have a set of tea cup patterns from 2004 which I believe I purchased at a quilt show about 5 years ago.

I have quite a few Crab Apple Hill patterns, it's about time I get some of them traced onto fabric so I can start stitching them.   I have quite of few garden related patterns by several designers including Barb Smith aka Theodora Cleaves, Gail Pan, Kathy Schmitz, Bird Brain Designs.  It may be time to weed out a few of these patterns so sit down and trace every one of them onto fabric and just stitch a way. 
Well time will tell in the meantime I'm linking to Kathy's Quilts today for some Slow Sunday Stitching https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/03/slow-sunday-stitching-finished-middling.html

Slow Stitching and a Few New Toys

Here we are in March with the AQS quilt show at Daytona Beach ending yesterday it was a lovely day unfortunately I left my camera and phone at home so not a single photo, and the first Slow Stitching Sunday for the month, I have made slow progress on my Spirit Bear piece these feathers seem to take forever and my choice of cotton duck fabric not so great the thickness of the fabric while sturdy is a challenge once you stitch for a bit and the needle seems harder to push through the fabric and it has the stitch and wash product on it too.  The feathers on the opposite side are done. I will link my post to Kathy's Quilts today have a look at what other bloggers are slow stitching today.
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/03/slow-sunday-stitching.html

This small stag head piece I finished stitching should be finished this week and on its way to a friend.

I have a few pieces that need to be ironed to remove the sketch lines than on to finishing them. In the meantime I am crocheting away on the shell stitch afghan and getting some reading time in.

The new issue of Needle Arts came this week's mail allowing me to rest my fingers while I read over a few articles.

Two weeks ago this lovely book Crewel Creatures by Hazel Blomkamp arrived on my door step from one of my friends. 

I just love the patterns in this book and want to eventually stitch Maureen the owl and then maybe Norman the turtle.

A few other nifty treats arrived in the mail this week with Spring on the horizon I wanted to make a few felted items so I ordered this lovely pastel palette of felt and floss from a favorite Etsy shop.

If you are curious here is the link https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenzieDesign  you can order just the felt without the floss but I like saving time and order both that way I know I have all the colors on hand. The felt comes in 2 sizes 9x12" and 12x18" I bought the 9x12 set.

This little packet of watercolor paint sheets is from a sweet site a friend sent me a link to, all you do is wet your paint brush with water and dab on the paint sheet and start painting.  

There are sixteen paint sheets in the booklet here are a few of the colors, each page of sheets is separated by a velum sheet, I thought these would be great to slip in my pack when I take day hikes and such. I ordered here:https://mymodernmet.store/

This came in last weeks mail a new Joan Elliott's Goddess pattern, this is the Frost Goddess

I need to pick up some Mill Hill beads at the local Needlework shop I didn't have the 3 colors I need in my stash of beads but I did order  fabric and the Kreinik threads I needed when I purchased the pattern from 123 Stitch. The fabric is hand dyed in a very pale blue.

Here is the link for the pattern if you are interested.  

https://www.123stitch.com/item/Joan-Elliott-Frost-Goddess-Cross-Stitch-Pattern/JE259

I can't forget the Tacky Bob to aid me when I am working with beads. I haven't used one before my 

friend tells me they work great especially when stitching with beads so I thought I would give it a try, you know the older I get those bead holes tend to get smaller. A note on the links I am not affiliated with any of the shops or products I just like to share a link for those that are curious.

Happy Stitching.