Totally Useless March

It's the New Moon! Well, yesterday, March 24th, was the new moon but I was working yesterday so...

I got quite a bit done on Books of the Bible. Using one strand doesn't create a lot of orts though! My sewing orts are zero so no boring picture of that. 

There are a lot of scary things happening in the world right now, with the covid-19 virus. Through my work, I'm exposed to hundreds of people every day. My health isn't the greatest either. What do you do? Bills must be paid and my job is considered essential so no risk of shutting down. I'm sure there are many wishing they could go to work even if it's risky.

Dash and I were supposed to go on vacation at the end of the week, to Washington DC! Whoops, really bad timing there! We both are already scheduled off work so we are having a staycation instead. We haven't been on a real vacation in years so we are disappointed, to say the least. I have my crafts...stitching, and quilting, and other hobbies but poor Dash does not! I fear his staycation time will be boring and he will probably not enjoy it as I will. I am hoping to start a new quilt and make great progress on BotB and hopefully help keep Dash entertained a little until I go back to work.

For my readers stuck at home and those furloughed from work, I hope you can make the best of it! For those on the "front lines" with me, please stay safe and well. I pray this ends soon for all of us. 

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Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your March TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A New Start of Biblical Proportions

Several weeks ago I kitted up a new start! Books of the Bible by My Big Toe Designs. I am beyond excited to have a new start, a bigger design than ones than I've worked on for the past couple of years. It's got lovely words = fun to stitch, sampler properties = fun to stitch, 3 colors (well, actually 4, cause I'm adding one) = fun to stitch...who could resist?

I had to finish up a couple of other things I had going but on my last day off work, I gave it a few hours:

I'm loving it!!! DMC, 1 over 2 on 32 count Legacy Lugana by Picture this Plus. This fabric is awesome and I haven't stitched with one thread in a while and I'm thrilled with the look. Gosh, I'm gushing!

Please nobody point out the unfinished projects still in my left sidebar. That would be rude. Y'all just plan on burying me with my unfinished stuff or it might not ever get done!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Terribly Late TUSAL

February's Totally Useless Stitch A Long gathering on the 23rd wasn't truly forgotten, I was simply too tired to turn on my computer. Some days it's all one can do to get one's self to work and home again!

My stitching ORTS are sparse but I had some.

My sewing ORTS are rather sparse as well since I made the quilt using precuts but creating the binding gave me a few to show.

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Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your February TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Pear Progress

Progress on the pears is slow but any progress is good, right?

If it's got letters, I'll probably want to stitch it. Combine letters and pears and I'll have to stitch it, probably more than once! Note this May 2014 TUSAL post, complete with letters and pear. I wonder why I never posted a finish of that project? This is supposed to be a stitching blog after all! That was right around the time I started quilting...hmmm...interesting.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Long Time No TUSAL

...and we're back! It's been nearly a year since I've posted a Totally Useless Stitch A Long update. My last TUSAL photo was of an empty jar and I've saved every ORT since then:

I stitched more than I thought I did this last year. However, I cannot remember what all I stitched! Bad stitching blogger!

My ORT jar is shown here with my current stitch, "Pear Tree" by Little House Needleworks. I've stitched this a time or two before and it's a very "zen" project. This stitch was chosen when I was going to spend all day at the hospital for Dash to have a procedure and I needed an easy travel stitch. 

The leaf bowl is full of sewing ORTs as I've finished quite a few projects, even a quilt! Maybe a quick pic of that sometime soon, if you'd like to see.

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Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your January TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Treats

I have been treating myself whenever I can. Little indulgences that make life sweeter. Yesterday I treated myself to a mani-pedi:

Life is definitely sweeter with bubblegum pink toenails, right?

I treat myself every now and again with a thrift store shopping trip with my dad, who can ferret out the best shops to go to. On one of these trips, I found these Wilson pattern boxes. They are perfect to store sewing supplies in!

Don't you love those retro colors? They certainly brighten up my studio.

I treated myself to this Hyacinth and to a couple of Amaryllis (flowers not shown) that now have taken over the kitchen window. The Hyacinth smells up the entire kitchen with a yummy scent.

These may not be the treat they appeared because my nose gets stuffy every time I'm home! I guess the allergies are worth having flowers in wintertime.

What do you treat yourself to?

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Stuff and Thangs

The Walking Dead fans will recognize the reference in the title of this post, others will read it as my Okie accent bleeding through!

Lots of stuff has happened while I was off gathering myself. I finished Merry Sunshine:

Design ~ Merry Sunshine

Designer ~ La D Da

Fabric ~ 32 count Daffycat-Dyed Lugana

Fiber ~ Gentle Arts

I adore this finish. Merry was such a pleasure to stitch. I really enjoy stitching letters and words and La D Da really made some fun ones to stitch!

I got another tattoo:

The verse reads:

Take a Breath

Gently Blow

Spread Your Dreams

Let Them Grow

A little tribute to my Mom (who loved growing things) inspired by Silver Creek Samplers design "Dandy Dreams." Have I shocked you? Have I even ever mentioned I like tattoos???

I also taught myself to cuff too-short jeans into capri pants, as shown in the picture.

I think maybe I freaked everyone out enough for one day!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

I Can't Stop Loving You

My deepest apologies for neglecting my blog for so long. My mother's death threw me off my center for a long time. The new job was a godsend helping me deal with my grief and I am approaching my one-year anniversary of working there.  

Shortly after my mother"s death, I happened to hear a Ray Charles song, "I Can't Stop Loving You" and it became my anthem and solace in these sad days. One of the verses always spoke to me and I could picture them, a tiny tribute, stitched in pink.

They say that time heals a broken heart

But time has stood still since we've been apart.

I left it on my mother's pillow near the anniversary. 

My dad told me later it was her favorite song.

I never knew.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox