Another week goes by

I've gotten some progress on the Caretaker this week. Page 2 is about 2/3 done now. I have about 5200 stitches in only about 120,000 more to go! LOL! This is progress after about 96 hours so I am picking up some speed on it. At this rate I figure it will take about 1200 hours to do all 25 pages. I ran into a couple of rough spots and hope it turns out right. I got lost in a couple of areas so sort of had to wing it and hope.

My sister was in town for a couple of days. She just left our parents and was going to go to pick up some things at her daughters then go home. Thursday we worked in the Storage shed, looking for things we were missing and putting more things in, taking some stuff out and putting things into storage bins instead of cardboard boxes!. Then we played Mexican Dominoes later.

Yesterday we did a lot of shopping. I didn't get to Jo Ann's or Hobby Lobby like I wanted to as we didn't start until noon and had other things. However I did basically get ready for winter, got a new winter coat with my birthday gift cards. Than the had 15% off if you used your credit card, so the remainder balance was $6.59 now that is an expensive coat! LOL! I think I can pay it off easily next month. Also got boots and gloves at another store. So I'm all set for winter, rather I want to admit winter is coming or not is irrelevant. My niece Heather came in to town to eat supper with us. We went to where my cousin works and she waited on us.

I see I got the You Make Me Smile Award from Carolyn. I will post Monday the 10 names etc. I need to go looking for people that haven't been selected. But Thank you Carolyn.

Well until next time Happy Stitching.

Lots of Progress

Page 1 is completed now and Page 2 is well underway. It seems to be easier than what page 1 was plus more fun. I can actually see it turning into something! I love the colors so far in this piece. But may feel differently when I get to the Elk and the grass!

Today I went and got more DMC Floss at Hobby Lobby. It seems no matter how much floss I have I keep having to get more. I think I got 70 skeins the last two weeks and already have my list started for next time. I've really been good about not getting patterns lately. I'm starting to make a list of my books, leaflets and kits. I thought maybe I had 300- 400 at the most. I'm not even half way through the stash and already have over 300 listed. So guess I might have 700+ without exagerating!

I saw the Question of Week. I don't remember the exact phrasing but it was asking what percentage of your pieces goes for gifts verses keeping. (If I remember it right). So much of mine goes to gifts and Love Quilts, etc. That I really have to say about 90% of my stitching is given away. This particular piece will be going to my brother.

Our fall colors are starting to come out now. They are so pretty. Next week will probably be peak. They said we wouldn't have much color this year now they are saying we will have a lot of color. A group from church was going to go on a color tour the other day but cancelled because of bad weather forecasts. Actually the day turned out alright as far as when they were going. It was later the bad storms and tornadoes swept through. We didn't get the tornados as we are right on Lake Michigan and that protects us. We did get the wind, and the storms though. Very odd for it being so late in year.

I have enjoyed going through so many blogs. My blog roll keeps growing and growing. I love seeing everyoe's pieces.

Well until next time Happy Stitching!

Update on The Caretaker

I'm still trying to convince myself I'm not certifiable on this piece. It's coming slow but sure. Let's see I've worked on it 44 hours and might have 2200 stitches in. That's 50 stitches an hour, moving right along on this aren't I. I have figured it out that it will take 2 weeks to comlete this page if I get it done Sat. like I hope. At 2 weeks a page and if I don't do any other piece (like that is going to happen), I can have it done end of Sept. 2008. Guess what I will be laying it down and I am hoping to have it completed in early 2010. That's a more realistic goal. I am breaking rules on this one as you get lost if you don't do 10 square blocks plus I am finding colors in one block are not neccessarily repeated in the one next to it. So I can see the 10 block ridges. I do plan on working on this for a while yet, I'd like to have 3 pages done before I lay it down.

Thank you for all the comments you have written to my posts. I really appreciate them. Even though I haven't posted this past week I still read the blogs and make comments when I can. Some blogs for some reason blogger hasn't always let me comment or may not one day but will let me the next. Strange...Oh Well....

Our fall colors really aren't coming out at all this year. Disappointing. A group from church are going on a color tour Thurs. but I'm not going. I've been going to my parents house a lot, and sometimes I just want to be left alone to stitch. Plus my stomach and chest have really been acting up the past few months, and it's getting worse so I'm finally going to give in and go the Dr. and get an Ultra Sound scheduled. I don't know if it's my Acid Reflux Disease acting up or if it's my Gall Bladder. Hopefully it'll be an easy fix!

Well until next time Happy Stitching!

The Caretaker

My brother asked me to do this piece for him. I already know it will be an on and off piece. I am hoping not to lay it down more than 2 months at a time, we'll see. I really do like this piece and can see it taking shape. It is a lot of confetti stitching which is time consuming. Today I made an agressive effort on it. I woke up at 5:30 went to computer, than about 6:15 went back to stitching on it and stitched on it a big part of the day, just laying it down at 4:30. Although I did washing, had to go over to church and put the new sign up, but I got in a good 8 hours on it today which is more than I usually stitch. I also forgot to put my leftovers from lunch in refrigarator and had to throw the speghetti away! Oh well...

Today is suppose to be the last of the "summer stretch" we've been having. We had 80's then today was much nicer in the 70's. Tomorrow is suppose to rain and be in 50's or 60's. Oh well....it is getting to be middle of Oct. That means Whiskers is going to be 15! We don't know his exact date of birth but figure it's around the middle of October, so I always claimed Oct. 12. Wonder what he wants for his birthday! Me to stay home with him? That would be nice, but I think I'm going to be gone most of the day. The 12th is Friday I think...

I also have started a smaller piece, Dear God Kids, which I should have done by Nov. 1 to get in mail. That piece is boring though.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Michigan Map is finished

Here it is with it's changes. This will be one of three maps to go to my oldest niece, Michelle.

Well I think I did my good deed for the year. I'm not sure. There was a stray cat coming to the home my brother lived in. The owners allowed him to feed it and befriend it, but because of their allergies, he really needed to find a home or take it to Animal Control to be put down. I talked him into taking it to the Humane Society so today we did it. She was a beautiful orange cat and so sweet. If Whiskers wasn't 15 I would have kept it but I have to watch out for Whiskers first. She really was so good in the car, not wild not meowing loudly or anything. I just called the Humane Society and they said she passed the physical and is such a pretty, sweet, friendly cat they'll have no problem finding a home for her. Our Humane Society doesn't put the animal down unless it is ill.
I started # 4 towards the challenge. We'll see if it drives me crazy. It's an easy piece but I've had to frog so much. Plus at my parents house I couldn't concentrate on it so that didn't help.

Well until next time Happy Stitching!

Lots of Progress

This is my State Of Michigan Map two days later. I''ve made lots of progress on it. I am wanting to put a pup tent in near Lake Michigan. I found a pattern on the Internet, we'll see if I have enough space, if not I have a couple other motifs I found off the internet. I really am enjoying this piece.

Until next time Happy Stitching!