Hmmmm Not sure what happened yesterday

Good afternoon. I think I'm going to delete yesterday's post. I had posted this picture of progress on His Eye is On the Sparrow and a link about a drawing and neither one of them worked so I'll try again today.

This piece will be laid down as I made a mistake, and I don't have the floss to continue on the lettering. Hopefully it will come tomorrow. Getting more of the lettering in will help me find the mistake I hope plus make sure the borders are even with each other. One thing I am noticing, because it's been a few years since I started the piece, I think the floss dye changed a little bit as I notice a different shade on the right side, then what is used on the left and I know I used the right colors. So I'm blaming it on DMC changing their dyes, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a nice drawing for her birthday, (which is same day as mine). She'll have 10 winners. I am going to try to retry the link. It didn't work yesterday when I tried it. So I'm retrying today. Okay it's not working so I guess just go to her blog.
Well until next time....Happy Stitching!

Dug Out an old UFO Piece

I got tired of working on the Mickey-Minnie Mouse piece so dug this out of my UFO drawer. It is one of my original Turtle Trot pieces so thought I would finally work on it. I started this years ago and if it wasn't for joining TT I probably wouldn't have thought of it again. Anyway I've been wanting to get this out for a couple of months now. The Walt Disney piece isn't due until Oct. so I can work on some TT pieces for now.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Now we're moving along

Good Afternoon.
How is everyone doing today?

After having to frog two days of work over the weekend, I have restitched Minnie's head. And believe me I pouted for a little while when I had discovered the mistake and how much would have to be ripped out. But it was the kind of mistake I couldn't let go or even think about improvising. I knew I'd be happy I ripped it out in the long run, and I was right. Now I'm sailing along on the piece.
javascript:;
Next week we are having Bible School at our church. I'm helping out with crafts. I'm not very good at crafts, other than cross stitching and that may be a matter of opinion. Anyway, I was reassured that the crafts were easy. I told them I had the ability of a 4 or 5 year old in crafts, they told me I'd fit right in with the kids then. (LOL)

Our Bible Study group has been meeting ever other Sunday and the study we are doing now on Prayer is great. It really has challenged us and convicted us to take Prayer more seriously and to start the day off reading the Bible and praying. It really makes a difference. I have enjoyed this study, and learned so much more than I did from some of our other studies. In fact Saturday we are handing out brochures about Bible School and our Pig Out in two weeks, and this time I'm going to help. Usually I don't but this time I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. Also in the next two weeks they are having prayer for our church as right now we are really hurting and going through one of the rougher patches I have seen it go through in all the years I went there. (Since I was 4 or 5, but I was in GR for 25 years, but came off and on then.) Anyway I committed myself to two times, both on Wednesday, tomorrow and a week from tomorrow. We expect to see answers to our prayers and for Bible School and the Pig Out to be successes. Hopefully we'll have a new pastor this fall but we'll see. We've been without one for over a year now.

Oh I have a question for you dog people out there. My brother has a Llapo who is almost 11 and loved by our whole family. Anyway lately she's been wetting on the floor and leaving messes, even if we walk her, we'll get her back home and she messes sometime later, especially when my mom, brother, or nephew leave the house. Someone said this is typical of a llapso when they get older. Is this true, or is she just loosing control (which is what we think). If that is the case they may have to put her down. Which that is a decision my mom and brother will have to make.

Oh yesterday, I finally decided I was going to have to downsize my cable because man it was just getting too expensive and I couldn't affford that every month. So I called them, and well long story short. I get to keep HGTV after all plus they added a few channels and knocked over $60.00 off my bill a month for a year anyway. I'm very happy about that.

Well....until next time....Happy Stitching!

Progress on both Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Ex. 20:15

Good Morning! It's finally starting to feel like summer again after a cool spell.

I have made some progress on Exodus 20!15 and progress on Mickey and Minnie Mouse. I'm waiting for some floss to come in to go further on Ex. 20!15. It's on it's way to me. I ordered it Monday and sometimes I'll get my order 2 days after they mailed it and other times it may be a week. I'm hoping to get it today. They mailed it out on Monday.

We went to my niece's house on Tuesday and had a great time. Of course Addie and Nolan and their dog Cheerio were the center of attention. Addie just turned 6 and will be entering 1st grade. She showed us a journal she is keeping. For being so young, she is good at reading and spelling things. She misspelled a few words but that's her age too. We told her to keep the journal through the years. She started it a year ago. We know 10 years from now she will not show us her journal. She just needs to work on getting her printing neater is all. She also showed us her gymnastic skills. She's taking swimming lessons and gymnastics this summer. Nolan just turned 3 and showed us his room, and his cars and trucks. Love those two kids. It should be illegal to be as cute as they are.

Well....until next time....Happy Stitching!

Another new start and another win

Good morning!
I got anxious to start Ex. 2:20 piece by My Big Toe Designs. It was the one I won at 123 stitch. It's going well. I sort of wish I would have changed the colors but that's okay. This piece will be added to Turtle Trot.

I entered 3 drawings this past couple of months (first ones I had entered in years) 2 of them at 123 stitch. This is the one I won there. It'll be fun to do for a Patriotic Love Quilt Square. Isn't it cute?

I will probably do Miss Liberty for Love Quilts and possibly a portion of the Teddy Bear one. Then Mary Ann (Just Stitching) had a drawing on her site and I won that. I look forward to seeing it. Only problem, Mary Ann, I don't have your e mail address so if you don't see my reply here is my e mail address....Barb k 28 at yahoo dot com. I'll send you my address when I get your e mail. I look forward to getting it and will do it this summer. I love Patriotic pieces and summer is when I do them. So now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep entering drawings, or just lay low again. My mom won a lot last Friday at Life Circles, then over the weekend her winning streak continued she won my sister and I all but one time on Push Rummy and Mexican Dominoes. Our two favorite games to play when we're together.

My sister came to town on Friday and will return Wed. She was going to go back yesterday but because of a family emergency (I won't go into here) she's staying until tomorrow. She came because some lifelong friends were speaking at our church on Sunday. They are missionaries to Mexico and on furlough for 6 weeks. Anyway when we got to church Sunday it was a surprise! We not only saw Jann and Paul but we saw Paul's brothers and sister, plus 2 other couples and another friend all who had been friends of ours most of our lives. We had a reunion, I was so excited I was so hyper. It was great to see them all again. Most of them went out to eat afterwards but my sister and I chose not to go, as we felt it was more for the family but we didn't realize the others were going too, oh well. At least we had a good time seeing them and some pictures were taken of some of our old youth group at church.

Last night I got a call from my mom at about 9:30 pm asking me to see if a certain little 4 legged llapso was at my door. My brother's dog just loves me and she thought maybe she snuck out when my sister took me home. Kay drove around twice looking for Autumn. About 10 I called back and said, "Kay why don't you come get me, I'm sure she's in the apartment somewhere, if she is, she will come when she hears my voice." So Kay came got me, and sure enough I went into the bedroom talked to my mom and called Autumn and she came out from under the bed! We all laughed so hard, so of course my sister and I took her for a walk together since it was dark I wouldn't do it alone. So my sister took me home and called back later and said "After worrying about Autumn and searching for her, and even walking for her, what does she do leave a mess for Kay while she was taking me home. Kay goes, "That's the thanks I get." Autumn is an older dog and to be honest we are questioning how much longer she'll be with us as she is constantly wetting on the carpet and leaving messes. Of course if my brother and nephew would take her out more when she wants she wouldn't do that. You can believe my brother is going to hear about last night and he'll laugh too. She wouldn't respond to Kay or mom but boy did she respond to me. Kay says, "We should have thought about this 3 hours ago instead of all that worrying we did and the driving around I did. Next time Autumn disappears, they'll come get me.

Later today we're going to my niece's house. She recently moved to a house they had built for them. We'll get to see Addie and Nolan too.. Can't wait.

Well...until next time Happy Stitching. Thank you for reading my blog and for the comments you leave. I appreciate them.
\\\\

July Turtle Trot

Hello! My computer crashed last month so I couldn't show my Turtle Trot. And to be honest I only worked on one Turtle Trot piece since July 10,and I can't show the before because it's on the computer that crashed. Here is progress on Friends are Flowers in the garden of Life

I finished Sterns and Great Blue Heron pieces for Love Quilts but they weren't added to my Turtle Trot anyway. Mickey Mouse giving Minnie Flowers is added and here is progress from the other day. This piece is really moving fast and I am enjoying it.

Sorry I don't have more to show but I really needed to get these Love Quilts pieces done. Mickey and Minnie isn't due until Oct. so I will definitely get some more progress on other pieces in Aug. I'm sure...I hope.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Sneak Peak at WIP

Can you guess what it will be? I think it's obvious. Anyway this is after 6 hours of stitching.
I just wanted to give you a sneak piece and see if anyone can guess. Until next time Happy Stitching!

Great Blue Heron is finished

I finished this piece this afternoon. I really enjoyed doing him. Now I only have two more quilt squares to do I'm committed to. Then I can work more on some of the projects I have started and laid down. I also am anxious to start the piece I won. Oh and I won another drawing at 123 stitch for a Patriotic piece. I'm anxious to get that pattern too and start it this summer. I rarely enter drawings or contests, but the two that I entered I won. Maybe I should enter more. But I don't enter if I don't think I'll do the piece.

Anyway I have my next piece all kitted up and ready to start tomorrow afternoon. Not saying what it is except it's cute, I'm anxious to do it and is for a very young boy. Oh and from an old, old book.

Not much is happening right now so until next time....Happy Stitching!

A reminder of days gone by

The last two places I worked at in Grand Rapids had ponds. The one Assistant Care Center had ducks the Nursing Home had Ducks and Swans. There was on Great Blue Heron who visited both places. I use to love seeing him fly in his wing span was so awesome and I thought he was beautiful. I found this pattern and it made me think of him so I decided to have it be my contribution to another Sea Life piece. I love doing sea life pieces, but I'm almost running out of patterns for them. Time to buy some more?

Well....maybe next year or the following year. I have to pay my credit card down after having to charge the computer, printer and everything else that went with it. There went the gain I had been making on the credit card, set me back over a year!

Can't believe this is already July 1. Boy this year is going by fast. I guess it's true the older you get, the faster time goes.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Finished Walk into the Sunshine

Hello again!
Boy I'm blogging a lot this month. Anyway I finished this piece today. The backstitching drove me nuts and I did it as I went along. But it made the piece so worth it. Now I have started Great Blue Heron for a Seaside quilt.

I have a complaint. This one phone number calls me 3 or 4 times a day saying this is last chance to lower my credit card interest rate. I finally started answering the phone to tell them to take me off the list. The first time they said no problem we'll do. But they called back two days later several times that day, so I told them again take me off your list. They hung up on me before I got the words out, and they have done that 3 days in a row now. I've had it with them. Oh I called the number back to see what would happen and I get "you have reached a nonworking number" but these people just called me from that phone! Monday I think I'm calling my bank. What can I do? I want off their list, I'm sick of their calls I've tried everything to get them to stop!
Well I'm of my soap box.

Until next time....Happy Stitching!

See what I Won!

Good Afternoon!
Earlier this week I received an e mail from Debbie at MBT Designs that I won her contest at 123 stitch. She had us guess a number between 1 and 500 I chose 448 and came closest. I was delighted. I could choose any chart or accessory I wanted. That was hard as she has so many nice ones. So I chose this one. I plan to do it for a future girl at Love Quilts. I am so anxious to start it in a couple of months.

Question--How do I get my cat to quit trying to chew on cords to my back up system on the computer? Especially when I print something out. I think that's what gets him interested. He tries to greet the paper as it comes out and the back up system box is right near there....just so tempting. I just moved it to the side of the computer desk instead of in front of it so we'll see.

Well....I'll probaby have a post tomorrow night or Saturday of the finished Walk into the Sunshine. So until then....Happy Stitching

Backstitching is a Necessary Evil

Good afternoon!
It's a cloudy day here. We've had so much rain lately but we need the rain.

I have come to the conclusion that backstitching is a necessary evil! It's a pain at times but it sure makes the piece look a lot better. Anyway, this piece is moving right along. It should be done Friday morning. I like doing it but oh so much backstitching. Sorry the scan isn't very good. When it's finished I try from a different angle and maybe the whole piece will get on it.

Saturn has discovered paper comes out of the printer! This morning I was trying to scan this piece and was having problems, so decided to print something out. He was right there ready to catch the paper. Then he decided to proceed and rub himself against it and the cords to my backup system, then he tried chewing on them! What is with him and chewing! Do all cats do that. I don't remember Whiskers doing it, but I remember having a problem with Buffy on that, she was so bad at that I had to unplug everything whenever I left the house. That was before I had a computer.

Has anyone seen, "Letters to God"? I saw it with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law the other day. I really liked it and it made me realize what our kids at Love Quilts and their families go through. Made it more real to me.

Well....until next time....Happy Stitching!

Walk In the Sunshine start

Hello! I started this piece earlier this week for a young boy at Love Quilts who's parents chose Religious as the theme. I thought this would be appropriate for him, at least I hope. I really am enjoying this piece. Only I think his face looks a little funny.

Yesterday my brother and sister-in-law had our mom and I over for lunch and then we watched the movie "Letters to God". It was really good. It made me think of the kids at Love Quilts and their families go through.

I just got a nice surprise in the mail. I just found out for the next year my rent drops $6.00. I was sure it would go up a lot. It goes by income and medical expenses. Last year I had a lot of expenses and it went up $20. This year I didn't think I had as many but the rent went down. I'm not complaining. Maybe they discovered they raised it too much last year. I'm still waiting for an apartment to open up on the first floor.

I am liking Windows 8 more and more. I really like the new Word Program and am still learning the ins and outs of that. I should buy a book! I also played with Excel a little bit too. Need to buy a book for that too, but hopefully I'll figure everything out in time.

Well there isn't much happening so until next time Happy Stitching!

Back to Friends are Flowers....

Good Afternoon!
After finishing the Sterns piece I went back to stitching on Friends are Flowers in the Garden of Life piece to get a little further on that. But I do need to kit up my next quilt piece and start that so probably will do that this afternoon and start it tomorrow. I knew I wouldn't get much stitching in over the weekend and I didn't so didn't start a new piece. My sister was in town and was busy the whole weekend.

I finally got Word 2013 loaded into my computer. My brother tried Saturday and couldn't do it so I had a friend come over. (Next time I get a computer I'm buy Word at that time and having them put it in.) Man what a process. It was not the easy 3 steps someone said it was. It kept rejecting the key they gave me. Finally I asked my friend, Debbie if she'd do it. It took her over an hour and she went to Geek Squad, they couldn't help her so they told her to call Microsoft Word and they finally just took over the computer and did it. It took over an hour! I'm happy with it and I think I will have fun with it.

My brother finally went to Dr. today and found out he had a collapsed lung and that's why he's been so tired. I thought they had to surgically correct that, but right now they don't seem to be doing anything. Maybe once the Dr. reads the x-ray I don't know.

Tomorrow my niece is coming to town with her two little ones and taking my mom and I out to lunch. That will be fun.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Sorry I posted wrong picture of Stearns

I didn't realize I had scanned the back side. (The scanner is brand new too so I'm getting use to it.

Sterns is Finally Finished!

Happy Dance! I finally finished this piece! And the pattern is now officially retired! However the book is not. I have done other pieces from the book that were much easier.

I am getting use to this computer and Windows 8 and really I like Windows 8 now that I'm getting to know it. I just have to find someone who can help me download Microsoft Office. I am not confidant and nervous about doing it on my own so I want someone with me. Hopefully my brother can otherwise I'll just have the Geek Squad do it.

Because this is going to be a busy weekend I won't start a fresh new piece until Monday so I got out one of my Turtle Trot pieces to work on when I can. It's easy and can be laid down off and on.

Well....my cat wants me off the computer and ready to jump on my shoulder so until next time. Happy Stitching!

Testing really.

My computer crashed and I got a new one. Problem is I had to get Windows 8 and I'm not happy at all. But maybe in time I'll figure it all out. I've figured out the internet and I think I know how to scan, we'll see on that. Now to be able to do documents etc.
I am almost done with this sternes piece finally. Hopefully tomorrow it'll be done.
Then I'll kit up my new piece. I hope I can scan. I think I figured it out. I got a new printer too, since my printer quit working a couple of years ago.

My sister is coming back in to town Friday for the weekend. My mom has an appointment with the Pace Program at Tanglewood and I am hoping to volunteer out there. It really is great for Sr. Citizens and my mom is all excited about it. They will pick her up and bring her home. They have all kinds of activities, therapy, etc. She'll go twice a week. I plan to volunteer one day a week, not on a day my mom is there. It'll be better for her not to have family members there when she's there. Anyway we're all excited for her. It really may give her a new lease on life, she's had a hard time since dad died.

I missed Turtle Trot because of my computer crashing but outside of the finishes I had showed earlier I made no progress on the other projects. I'm mostly trying to make sure I get these quilt squares done. I have 3 more to go.

Well...until next time Happy Stitching!

Start on Sternes

Good Morning. It's so nice out today. Later my sister will be coming in to town. Tomorrow we are going to take our mom out to Tanglewood to look at their PACE program. It's where they pick up the person and bring them out there for a day, for activities, gives the caregiver a break and will get her out with people. She's looking forward to looking at it and possibly joining.

This piece I'm working on is also going to be retired. The bird is awful to do! I finally just did the darker shades first. I'm anxious to get it done and it's over half done. I'm looking forward to doing my next three pieces also all for Love Quilts. The 3rd one is another sea bird but looks much easier. The other two are a boy with a banner enjoying the sunshine, and the other one is Mickey Mouse giving Minnie flowers.

Because of the quilt squares, my Turtle Trot projects have been neglected basically. But I'll get back to them after I do my next project.

Well...until next time...Happy Stitching!

Hope is finished

Good Morning! I hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day Weekend. Thank you to all the Vets that have served to make our country free.

I finished Hope early this morning. I loved doing this piece. It is so pretty and so much fun to do I hated to see it end. This will go to Alexis at Love Quilts who chose Inspirational as theme of her quilt. I have kitted up my next piece and will start that as soon as I get some housework done.

My cat has had enough of me being on the computer and wants some attention so guess I better give him some. Poor thing he just never gets attention. Yea right. Well, until next time Happy Stitching!

More Progress on Hope

Good Morning! I was up bright and early this morning. I am going out for breakfast in about an hour but wanted to post this update to Hope. I love stitching on this piece it is so pretty! I'll work on it through the weekend and on Monday decide rather to finish it out or start a new piece. This quilt isn't due until Oct. But I have 3 other squares to start and finish due in Sept and Oct. so need to get the two due in Sept. going. Sept. will come up fast. (Unfortunately)

The weather is so nice right now I hate to think of fall and winter not being that far away, hopefully this winter won't be as bad as last I don't think that will happen two years in a row. Anyway we have a busy Aug. waiting for us. A niece coming in from CO another niece coming in from VA and brother coming in from MO. We sort of hope they are all at the same time and they can all see each other. Since our family is one of those scattered all over some of the kids hardly know each other as they've only seen each other a handful of times. But thanks to Facebook they stay connected. Love facebook for that reason. I know a lot of people don't like it and won't do it but believe me it helps you stay connected to the family and know them. I love seeing pictures of the great nieces and nephews, get to know them that way.

Well....until next time happy stitching!