I have been working on CaHRH quite a bit this week. Here is my progress on block 6.

40 ct. Vintage Examplar, NPI (1 over 2)

I have also been working on Jenny Bean's Christmas Sampler in the car while waiting for my sons to get out of school.

40 ct. Maple Sugar, GAST (1 over 2)

I love Glenna's latest post about "Sampling Samplers." That's such a good phrase for what I do often! I have many things I have started just to "sample" them. In fact I decided to sample a sampler that I had once started a long time ago. I started this sampler when Matthew was a baby. I decided I just couldn't stitch it, that is was too big and the 40 ct. was just too hard for me at the time. I put it away and then I ended up cutting the linen and selling the pattern. Well, it's been a few years, Matthew is older, I've grown used to 40 ct. and large samplers, so I decided to tackle this big project again. I'm talking about "And They Sinned" by Examplars From the Heart.

40 ct. Elegant Bean from Elegant Stitch, GAST (1 over 2)

Ack! As I was typing this my ds just spilled my coffee on the sampler and some of the threads. I quickly rinsed it in cold water and it seems to fine. Thankfully the threads didn't run. And I guess it's pretty good I got Elegant Bean fabric, which is dyed using coffee, so a little more coffee on it isn't going to hurt it. What a mess. Thankfully, it turned out ok! Well, I'd better try to dry it now. Write soon! :)

I have bit off more than I can chew.

It was kind of an impulse thing. I bought "And They Sinned." And I actually thought that I would have the patience right now to stitch such an large (large being an understatement) project. I got it out because Friday is my night to stitch ATS. Actually I avoided stitching it by browsing the web and ebay for out of print patterns. When I finally did get around to stitching it - I started going out of my mind. My heart started pounding. How in the world am I going to finish this border much less stitch anything else on it. I just packed it up and put it away. I'm not getting rid of it - I think I would regret it. So it's just going away for now. I may in the future cut some of the sides down to put it in a smaller scroll frame. But that future may be when all the kids are out of the house. LOL! :)

Well, I'm so sorry to ladies I was going to be SALing with - Becky and Cathy. I will be cheering you both on when you do start! In it's place I'm going to try to finish up Shepherd's Bush My Earth. A much more manageable project. I feel better already. Write later! :)

New Start and Some Stash

I started "And They Sinned" by Examplar Dames yesterday. I was just going to get on a scroll frame to get ready for the SAL to start today, but I couldn't resist putting a few stitches in!


"And They Sinned" Stitched on 40 ct. Elegant Bean using GAST.

There's not too much to see. I started at the bottom, which is where I normally start my projects. I just started working on the border. I ended up putting the frame on an old lap stand I had. We'll see how that works out. I'm used to working in hand or on smaller frames. I have a feeling this will be slow going! It may take me the rest of my life, but I will persevere! :)

I got a little stash the other day that I thought I'd share. I've been watching Gill's (Chewed Away) progress on her AMAP Reves de Brodeuse. It's so pretty and I just couldn't resist ordering it and another pattern. It was my first time ordering anything overseas and I couldn't believe how fast it got here - just four days!


A Mon Ami Pierre - "Reves de Brodeuse," "Porte Aiguille Angelots" and a very pretty freebie that was included.

I also got one of the latest Little House Needleworks/Crescent Colours thread packs from Handcrafts Online. I didn't get the pineapples because I'm just not a pineapple person, so I got "Faith," which I think is very pretty. I also got the finishing kit. Mary Kathryn always picks out the prettiest fabric!


LHN/CC "Faith" with finishing kit.

And last but not least I signed up for Shakespeare's Peddlers Fabric of the Month Club. I asked for fat 1/8, 40 ct, which I may change because I may be going blind soon from stitching ATS on 40 ct! It's only $10 for a fat 1/8, which is a pretty good deal I thought! :)



This last month's was Navy Bean, which looks totally different from the Navy bean I'm using now. I guess that's a good thing, so I don't have two of the same, it's just crazy how much the dyelots vary. I still love LL linens though - they are definitely my favorite!

Well, unfortunately Matthew caught the bug today. It's so strange how Bradley was sick on Friday two weeks ago and then Jake last Thursday and now Matthew this Friday. Please don't let me be next Friday! Bradley is having a birthday party the Saturday after! The poor little guy though, he doesn't know what's going on and he's being so brave. I did end up catching a cold somehow. I can live with a cold, I'm just a big baby when it comes to the stomach flu. Matthew is finally asleep, so I'm going to try to get some rest too! Write later!

A Little Stash to Share...

I went to Venice, FL the other day and decided to check out the stitching shop they have there. it's called Needlepoint Ivy and it's a pretty cute shop. The owner was very nice. I picked up the "The Littles" by Hands to Work and she asked if I stitched on 40 ct. linen and I said that I had just started stitching on it and added that I thought I might be addicted! She cut me two pieces of linen. Vintage Examplar for "The Littles" and Maple Sugar just because I thought was pretty.

I had Be My Love in my stash and when I saw Mary Kathryn had picked it out on her site to stitch one day I knew I had to kit it up. When I got home I realized that the Maple Sugar would be perfect for that pattern.


"The Littles" with 40 ct. Vintage Examplar Lakeside Linen.


CHS "Be My Love" with 40 ct. Maple Sugar Lakeside Linen.
I also got an order from Wyndham today. I got "And They Sinned" because I want to torure myself with the hugest pattern I've ever seen! I think it's just gorgeous though. I would just love have something like that hanging in my house. I'm planning on SALing along with Becky and Cathy starting in June. Wish us luck! :)