Peacock Cypher Update

A few minutes ago I finished my row on Peacock Cypher. It's the bottom row of large flower shapes. This is such a nice stitch, with no frogs and pretty patterns. It makes for an easy-to-follow design. Heather, (regarding your comment on my last post) I'm actually really wishing I had started at the top! I'm really kind of dreading finishing these bottom rows and going up from the middle. Yuck! I hate going up. Why do I always (almost) start in the middle? Perhaps it will be as easy as it has been so far going down...

I've had nice company stitching this band on the sampler. David Francey. I've bought some of his albums on iTunes this week and have been enjoying his music a lot. If you aren't familiar click the link, go to "albums" and listen to some of his songs. David has a gorgeous Scottish accent (yummy!) and sings really down-to-earth songs. Very much worth a listen.

It was surely planned that I'd finish this row just in time for February and the next block on Crabby! I could have stitched a lot more but I live in Oklahoma known for it's changeable weather. Early last week we had an ice storm come through. Three days of worrying about driving to work, worrying about driving home and getting up early so I could defrost the truck and driving 25 to 30 mph to get anywhere. I don't stitch much when I'm stressed out! Today, it was 70 degrees and, although it was very windy, we took a motorcycle drive this afternoon. How can you have ice storms on Monday and bike weather on Saturday? Crazy.

There will probably be an update on Crabby very soon as I'm excited to start the next block Love Stinks.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

I'm Obsessive and I Know It

I've finished the header on Crabby All Year. Now, it has to be put away until February. (I really just want to keep going!) I am really pleased with this project so far.

Since we still have another few days left of January (until I can begin the Love Stinks block) I took out my WIP box and pulled Peacock Cypher. See this post to see where I left off last. I did two lines of mosaic stitches and started the flowers on the next row. Whoops! I reversed the colors on the rows of mosaics! I dinna care, lassies, I'm leavin' it be! This is the only band sampler I've ever worked on and find it is very enjoyable. I've also worked very little in monochromatic stitching but I do like the effect.

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This picture is proof of how obsessive I can be. Excuse the wrinkles. When I buy fabric especially for a project I can get a little freaked out about the margins. Did I add correctly? Is there enough fabric? What if I don't center it right? Better add another inch or two, just in case. Good Lord. There is SIX INCHES of extra fabric on each side of Peacock Cypher. ROFLOL. Somehow, I don't tend to do this if I already have fabric on hand and pull from stash.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Angel Mail

A Peace Angel has arrived from Sandra! Sandra had a goal of sending 50 angels flying to friends all over the world. This one landed yesterday but I had to go pick it up from the post office after work today. Worth waiting for! Sandra made me the cutest Angel pinkeep! Look at her sweet dress and the heart on her wing. Adorable. She even personalized the envelope, how creative!

Thank you, Sandra! I love her!

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Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A Teeny Bit Crabby

Thank you all for the kind comments regarding my last freebie. Also for the happy birthday wishes for Jessie. There were so many, she was over the moon! I still need to figure out how I want to finish A Star Danced, I'm thinking a pillow...if I can find a fabric I like.

Now, why am I crabby? It's all those stinkin' single stitches of snow! But they are finally completed and with that, the January block of Crabby All Year is finished! ***mini happy dance*** This months' block has two little bird buttons to decorate. Those will wait until the very end, when all the stitching is finished. I guess I'll work on the top banner now until it's time for the February design. This is a really soothing pattern to stitch, easy to follow and not so many color changes to drive you batty...yet enough to keep things interesting.

Too cute! And so much fun to stitch! I only wish we would actually receive some snow with our cold this year. No, just cold. Blah.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A Very Special Birthday

I'd like to wish my beloved daughter, Jessica, a happy 21st birthday today!

In celebration, I'm offering my readers the chart I designed especially for Jessica's birthday. The quote in this chart, "Surely A Star Danced In Heaven The Day You Were Born," was inspired by a line in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. I hope you love the chart and quote as much as I do!

This was the first Shakespeare Jessie ever saw; at age 8, I let her watch the movie and that year a nearby group performed the play and we had tickets. Jessie laughed at all the right parts. I had her hooked! Over the years, we attended every Shakespeare play performed near enough to drive to, including Oklahoma's Shakespeare in the Park every summer. We have been fortunate enough to see plays at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, Regent's Park Theatre, London and the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. This fostered respect and a love of theatre in Jessica which now she would like to make her career; to this end she is studying Theatre Technologies in school.

Jessica, you rock! You go girl! Happy birthday!

A Star Danced

Please email me at: daffy-cat AT hotmail DOT com to receive a copy of the pattern. Please, put "freebie request" in the subject line and tell me the title of the pattern you are requesting.

You must have the free Adobe Reader program installed on your computer to view/print the pattern.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Sneak Peek

Sorry for disappearing all week! I was going along strong on Crabby when I got a little cross stitch obsession aversion therapy in the form of a two-evening headache. That really put me off my form. The week at work was l o n g for some reason. Friday couldn't get here soon enough. Then, I had a brilliant design idea so I've been working hard on that, perfecting and now stitching. This will be shared in the form of a freebie, possibly next Friday. Stay tuned in for that! Here is a little sneak peek...

Sadly, the weekend hasn't been much better. I got all geared up to finish the housework early yesterday morning so I could have the rest of the weekend free to design and stitch and play with stash. I was doing laundry and blog reading when the sewer backed up into the bathtub and toilets! You should have seen Taco-cat's eyes when big bubbles erupted from the toilet; and her tail bushed! The back bathroom toilet overflowed and the main baths' nearly did. Good Lord, what a mess! Everything was at a standstill until the plumber could come and snake out the main line. Why does this kind of thing always happen of a Saturday, when it costs twice as much? We are back in business though...after a thorough bleaching!

Finally, I feel like stitching again. Just in time to go back to work. Blah!

I like to wish a very happy birthday to my dear friend, Angela! Hey, you! Where's the cake?

I hope to get another Crabby update in for you soon. In the meantime, be sure to check the other participants' blogs for their updates. The links are in my sidebar. They all look really awesome! Way to go girls!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Shakespeare movie fest

Having wended my way through Middle Earth destroying a magic ring with the hobbits, I couldn't decide what to watch next. Then it hit me, Shakespeare! I watched Much Ado About Nothing and Othello yesterday while stitching. Lord, how I love that Kenneth Branagh. ***sigh ~ drool*** I shall continue tonight with, hummm...A Midsummer Night's Dream, maybe? Hey! Where is Titus? I have a feeling Jessie has taken him off somewhere. Return, please, dear daughter! Oooo, Hamlet sounds good too...

Here is a quick picture of where Crabby is today. Loads of snow so far. I don't mind the repetitive stitching, it's soothing. The area isn't too large either. It drives me nuts doing that border though...counting and recounting to make sure. I suggest keeping a box of pins handy for marking stitch counts. The next block will go much easier with the first one done. Oh, hell, it's only the fifth day of the month and look how far I am along! I'll have to decide which WIP to pull out when January's block if finished...

I had mah hairs cut after work today. I can't remember the last time I had it done. One nice thing about long hair is fewer cuts; bad thing too, is fewer cuts; it was looking a little ratty! I think I'm going to try fixing myself up a bit. I've developed a bad habit of not wearing make-up, or my contacts and pulling my hair into a ponytail. Can you say lazy? I'm sure I look a right hag some days. ROFLOL Hey, at least I shower before work! I do iron my shirts too...

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

First Crabby Update

I began stitching shortly after my last post, great progress! I am officially in love with Silkweaver's Lugana fabric. It is such an easy to stitch fabric.

There won't be much stitching today as we are going shopping in Oklahoma City. Rick spent his holiday from work replacing the bathroom floor...which meant taking out the toilet and sink/cabinet. The lovely new floor means I need a new bathroom rug! Then, since we are going to the city, we might as well go out for dinner. Perhaps I'll get some stitching in this evening?

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Crabby New Year!

You heard me right! It's a Crabby New Year! Yay, it's finally time for the Crabby All Year Stitch-a-long! I have everything ready to go and I can't wait to start stitching! I am using DMC floss on Silkweaver's 32 count Lugana, Days Gone By. Here is a quick snap of the fabric, the $$$ buttons and the floss for the first set of designs.

Here is the rest of the thread. I store my DMC in Floss-a-way bags with a 3x5 index card inside. The card makes the floppy bags stand up. Small projects are threaded on rings. On large, kitted projects like this, I use index card file boxes from the office supply to store the threads. Otherwise they are stored in my floss cabinet.

I have been so excited to start stitching! I've heard from most of the SAL participants and they are ready as well. There is a section at the top of my sidebar...everyone is listed there; except for our Crabby friend, Carol, as she doesn't have a blog. Anyone wishing to join in on the fun is more than welcome. There is still lots of time to gather supplies and start...the patterns are simple so it would be easy to catch up even weeks from now! Come on ~ be Crabby with us!

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All last night and early this morning, I had it in my head this was Friday...and that I just had to work one shift and I'd have all weekend to stitch. Major disappointment when the weatherman said today's weather; blah blah and Friday's; blah blah. Poo, today was Thursday. That sucks.

Isn't this a pretty fabric? The colors are much prettier IRL. I won this Silkweaver's Solo in a Christmas game at San-Man Originals message board. There is always lots of fun and games and stitchy chat going on there; a really fun message board. Thanks, Chris!

Welcome to all new (or lurking) readers! Please leave me a comment so I can come visit your blog. Thank you for reading my blog today. I'd like to wish you all a Happy (Crabby) New Year!

xox