Patriotic cake

I made this cake for a 12-year-old's birthday. They wanted an Independence Day cake since she's born on July 4th. I see so many flaws, but they all liked it. This was my first fondant-covered cake. I used the premade Wilton fondant, and boy it doesn't taste good. Fortunately there's buttercream icing under it.

I'm going to lay off making more cakes until after my Wilton Class 1 in two weeks. I can't wait!

Oh, and cake decorating isn't very compatible with stitching. After messing with coloring paste, my hands were dyed first blue and then red. Fortunately it all mostly washed off after a while, but I was scared to touch my stitching this weekend (not that I had much time).

The next finishing piece for the Monthly Finishing Challenge is a scissor pocket. I have a chart of a scissor pocket, so I'm ready to stitch this time: Boo Keeper by Drawn Thread. I think I have a suitable piece of fabric for it.

Damier Part 6

Here's the next installment of Damier. Of course, the next part just came out, so I need to catch up. The designer is going on a two-month vacation, so I'll have some time. Geez, I wish I had two months off! The French have it good in the vacation department.

I pulled out Maggie the Messmaker. I'll work on Damier again when I get bored with Maggie.

Biscornu exchange piece HD

I finished the stitching and finishing of my biscornu exchange piece. I like how it came out. This one was a challenge because not only did I have to find a piece that I liked and that my partner would like, but I had to find something that would work on the fabric I already had. I'm trying not to buy much, and I have a very small supply of fabric. All of what I have came from leftovers from pieces I stitched and from exchanges. I do have a big piece of white Jobelan for my HAEDs, but it's rather boring.

You'll see pics when my partner receives the biscornu in August. Yes, there's lots of time to work on SBEBB exchanges! Becky's taking applications if you're interested [now closed because she got so many emails].

I'm almost finished the next installment of Damier. Pics soon!

The tooth: Logan has a tooth! It has broken the skin and is very visible. Too bad I can't get a photo of it.

Matt's weather station. Matt put up the weather station I bought him for his birthday in February. He had to install a 12-foot post, which is why it took so long. It's pretty neat. I'll have to take some pics of it.

Cake!: I have another cake to make--a red, white, and blue cake for a 12-year-old's birthday this Sunday. I have it all planned. I sure hope it works!

Rose Quilt square 7

Here's the next installment of Chatelaine's Rose Quilt. The piece is huge, so it's hard to get a good picture of it. Next up is this month's part of Damier.

Baby update at 8.5 months: Logan is about to break out his first tooth; it's very close to the surface. His initial bout of upset, fever, and not sleeping from teething seems to be over, except for the not sleeping at night part. He's also creeping across the floor now. He hasn't quite figure out how to get up on all fours and move. He can get up on all fours just fine, but then he seems to be at a loss. He's also learned how to blow spit bubbles. Here's a strange bit: There's a commercial (Gamestop, I believe) that has a video game monster talking. Logan has cried every time he's seen the commercial. The sound doesn't bother him, but apparently the sight does. Poor guy.

Dinosaur cake

I made this cake for the nanny's son's birthday. I am rather pleased with it, though I see the flaws (the icing is saggy in some spots).

As for my stitching, I'm almost finished my square of Rose Quilt, so a pic will be coming soon. I'm also working on my piece for the biscornu exchange. So little time for stitching lately.

Abi asked if I have any tips on making a companion cube cake. The one I showed a while back came from the grocery store and was pretty pathetic. I have plans to make one myself, but it will be fairly elaborate.

Carol asked how I can make all these cakes while being on South Beach. Well, after I didn't lose any weight the second week, I got very discouraged and depressed. And of course went off the diet. I'm trying to be good now but having limited success.

Portal cake

The cake is not a lie!

OK, you have to know the computer game Portal to get that. I made this cake for Matt and his friends. I discovered that I like cake mix cake better, but it's really too flimsy to be decorating. The thing nearly fell apart when I moved it. So scratch it is!

Jo asked if I've gotten my stitching mojo back. I didn't lose it completely, but cakes have been taking more of my attention lately. I just don't have the time to stitch, but I work it in here and there. Oh, and I've been playing City of Heroes more. There's a new archetype that I've been spending my time on.

Speaking of stitching, I had to throw away my Daylight magnifier. I was getting black powder coming out of the gooseneck again. The clamp also cracked. So now I've resigned myself to a smaller magnifier that hopefully won't have the same problem with corrosion or whatever it is. That stuff is very scary when you're working on a huge, expensive piece like Rose Quilt that can't be washed.

Four Fat Friends HD

Here's Four Fat Friends by Drawn Thread. I stitched it over one on beige evenweave. The finishing was remarkably easy--just lots of glue!

Incidentally, this is the Altoids tin I got from Carol in an exchange--minus the chocolates!

Received my Magic/Fantasy Exchange pieces

This came in from Lisa. Beautiful, huh? I love griffons (probably my favorite fantasy animal, close to the hippocampus), and this one is from Teresa Wentzler's Fantasy Sampler. Lisa made it into a needlebook. I don't know how she got such a neat piped edge on it. The fob is from TW's Castle Sampler. The other side is the sun. I've stitched both of these TWs, but the finishing on these two pieces is outstanding. And of course the extras...blue is my favorite color, and purple is a close second, so these three skeins are pleasing to my eye. I'll have to find something to stitch with them. Maybe a biscornu for the upcoming exchange on the SBEBB?

Car cake and Italian cream cake

I made these two cakes this weekend for a cousin's birthday. He turned eight. It was a lot harder than I thought and took all weekend to make two cakes. Whew! I hope I get faster with practice.

Stitching: I started Four Fat Friends by Drawn Thread, over one, for the Monthly Finishing Challenge, which is a tin topper this month. I've almost finished the outer border for my next square of Rose Quilt, but I haven't had much time to work on it.

Chiropractor: The pain finally brought me to the chiropractor. The x-rays show that my tailbone is out of alignment, probably from when I was compensating for the big baby belly. I'm going several times a week, so hopefully we can get this fixed up soon. I'm staggering around like an old woman.

Magic/Fantasy Exchange piece

Susan posted that she received my package, so I guess it's safe to show pictures. I hope she likes it (I'm wondering). Now you know what took so long! This is part of Fantasy Triptych by Teresa Wentzler. For the back I finally got to use some neat fabric I found a while back.

This month for the Monthly Finishing Challenge the finishing is a tin topper. I have no idea what to stitch, so I have to search around. I've already looked through my charts and found nothing (I have few smalls except Just Nan, which are squares). I guess that means searching through feebies online for something that would fit an Altoids tin.

White cake with buttercream frosting

Here's the cake I made this weekend. I was concentrating on baking the cake and smoothing the buttercream, so the decorating is kind of goofy. Friday I baked a cake, but I set the oven on 450 instead of 350. Of course I had to toss it. This one turned out fine. I did wind up using the wrong buttercream frosting recipe--the one for decorations, not frosting the cake. I managed to thin it enough to frost with. Even though I made two batches, it wasn't enough really, and it didn't crust like it should have. The cake tastes a little dry. I'm thinking some bake even strips might help (you put them around the pan for even cooking), but I don't know.

Stitching: I haven't been stitching very much. It's just such a pain to take everything out for Rose Quilt and then pick it back up. My living room is very crowded with baby stuff right now. It will be even worse when Logan starts crawling and I have to pick up every last thing. I've also been down lately. My weight loss has been disappointing, especially for so early on, and there seems to be one disappointment after another (I won't list them all).

Celestial Moon

I finished this one last night. It was very quick, and I think I like this one better than the sun. The face is so cute, and I like the blue and silver. I think I'll wait to put the fob together. Maybe the Monthly Finishing Challenge will have a fob month.

I finished the finishing, so to speak, of my Fantasy/Magic Exchange piece. It's not perfect, but it's passable. I'm always my worst critic. I also pulled out Rose Quilt to work on the next square.

TW's Celestial Sun HD

I finished this one Saturday and didn't get around to taking pictures. It's Teresa Wentzler's Celestial Sun. I'll work on the other side of the fob, a moon by Dragon Dreams. I think I'm in a slump. I haven't been spending every spare moment on stitching (just most of them).

I'm working on the finishing of my Magic/Fantasy Exchange piece. I only have a few things left to do. It didn't come out perfectly, but I guess it's good enough (grr).

I need to pull out my next focus piece, either Rose Quilt or Maggie. I'm guessing it will be Rose Quilt since I haven't worked on it in a while. I think I'm not eager to work on it because it's so large and cumbersome, and because the border doesn't give me much area to tuck my tails in.

Cake: I signed up for two cake decorating classes in July. I used some "found money." I can't in good conscience use household money right now.

Diet: Yes, I'm back on the diet (grumble). I'm going to try journaling a bit and watching my caloric intake since the South Beach approach is aggravating me. I'm still going to stay away from bad carbs as much as possible (can you say CAKE?). Oh, I did win the pot of quarters last night when my name was drawn--all $8! It went into Logan's bank.

Disappointed

I went to TOPS tonight, and after a week of eating very little and sticking to South Beach (bleh) and not having any cake, I lost .2 pounds. My mom, who had at least two pieces of cake, lost .6 (she's at goal)!

So I came home and had some cake. :-(

Damier part 5

Here's the next installment of Damier. I love the little bee hive.

I also added the frog charm to my Spring Peepers biscornu. I saved over the old pictures.


Oh, I did not have to bake a second cake today. I just made spaghetti for the guys (one less guy than normal, unfortunately).

My first cake

This is the first cake I remember ever cooking and frosting. It's certainly the first one I've baked from scratch. It is rather lopsided, and frosting a cake is a lot harder than it looks! In my defense, the frosting was not as thick as it should have been. It kept squishing out from my layers and caused some slippage. The directions did say to add powdered sugar until stiff enough, but considering that my hand mixer could barely mix the stuff as is, I thought it was ready. I really do need a stand mixer. Oh, and a cake stand. Mo money.

The cake is Italian Cream Cake, and the frosting is Crusting Cream Cheese Icing. Matt said it tasted good, for all its looks. I'll have to take his word for it. I can't have any. I had to stop myself from licking the bowl! Two more days of Stage 1 of the South Beach Diet.

A friend is coming over tonight, and we promised cake. I had forgotten he didn't like nuts, so I have to make him another cake, chocolate with chocolate icing. At least I have cake mix and canned frosting for that one.

Stitching: I finished the stitching on my Magic/Fantasy Exchange piece the other day. I hope to work on the finishing tomorrow. I'm currently stitching on this month's installment of Damier and will post a picture soon. I also started Teresa Wentzler's Celestial Sun Fob. And lastly, I got in my bellpull hardware for Barnabee's Quest, so I need to work on that too.

No more Michaelisms

Our friend Michael passed away this week, and we're attending his funeral tomorrow. He was a gaming buddy of Matt's and came over almost every Saturday night. It's very sad because he wasn't even 40 yet, but he did weigh about 600 pounds. He had had a heart attack several months ago and tried to change his ways, but it just didn't work for him. This second heart attack got him. We're so sorry to lose him. He was always cheerful, always up. He was kind and understanding, even when insecure me tried roleplaying games for the very first time. Michael's friends used to razz him for his Michaelisms--off-the wall sayings that you knew what he meant but just sounded out there. My favorite was "The butt's on the other side of the doughnut now." He took all the teasing in stride and just enjoyed it for what it was, male bonding or something. We also played City of Heroes/Villains with him. Saturday nights just aren't going to be the same. The gaming group is down to Matt and his other best friend, which really isn't much of a group. So sad.

We also heard that Matt didn't get the job he applied for. He has one other known opportunity, but I really thought he had this one in the bag. My poor love. So many bad things happening this week. At least he's got me, Logan, and Mom, who love him dearly.

Happy Mother's Day

This is technically my first Mother's Day where I'm a mother. Matt and Mom tell me last year didn't count (I was pregnant). I think it does. :-P

Diet: I hit my 20 pounds total weight loss yesterday. Since I had promised myself a reward for 15 pounds but I'm not buying stuff, my mom bought the reward for me! It's the pullware I need for Barnabee's Quest. Woohoo! I've finished my first week of the South Beach Diet, eating only meat, cheese, nuts, green vegetables, and milk. I haven't been hungry, but I'm also not that fond of meat and vegetables. I could eat cheese all day, but you get bored with it. One more week and then I can start adding a few carbs back.

A new hobby: I found out that there are cake decorating classes in Austin. Yippee! I've decided I really want to learn how. We've watched so many competition shows on the Food Network. I know I won't be in that league, but I think I'd enjoy doing something creative like that. Matt did point out the irony of a woman on a diet wanting to decorate cakes. Oh well. I'll sign up for the classes once Matt's officially hired.

Framed piece from Jill Rensel

Here's the framed piece I received from Jill Rensel Wednesday. Let me tell you the story behind this piece. Matt's mom passed away a few years ago. When he was going through her Christmas items to see if there were things he wanted, he came across this piece. His mom had framed it and used a regular piece of colored paper as a mat. You can guess what happened--the acid in the paper turned the piece yellow. His mom was also a heavy smoker, which further yellowed the piece. I took it and soaked it in Orvus a few times. A lot of the yellow came out but not all of it. I knew that if anyone could cut a mat to disguise it, Jill Rensel could. I sent her the piece, and we discussed how to frame it. I pretty much let her do whatever she wanted. And here's the result! You can see a little yellowing if you really look, but it's beautiful and doesn't look bad at all. Now Precious Moments isn't my thing, but I appreciate having something of hers on the wall, as does Matt. I'm so lucky to have a husband that appreciates handwork! I think she'd be really pleased that we're taking such good care of her cross stitching. I know I would be.

I let Matt unwrap the package, and he had to make his way through layers of packing (Jill does an excellent job). He said it was just like opening a present from his mom--layers and layers of paper.

You'd think such a masterpiece would cost loads, but it was only about $150. Can you believe it?

On another subject, BeckySC gave away some extra charts, and I was lucky enough to get a bunch: My First Gray Hare, Faith * Hope * Love, Simply Thankful, and a snowman book. I'll stitch these at some point. I did get two charts I won't stitch; if you'd like to trade, email me: The Little Bee and Rebecca Gelwick 1837 Sampler.

Jobs: Matt had an interview yesterday that went well. He interviewed with several people he has worked with and who know the good job he does. There are actually three job openings, so we think he has a good shot.

Spring Peepers HD

Here's my biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. It's Spring Peepers by Just Nan. I broke down and ordered the gold frog charm because I just couldn't find any button that looked good in the middle. I am selling a few charts to make a little money, so it should even out.

I used a pale blue linen, 28 count I believe. I also used some leftover beads from a kit; they were just the right color! It's the second biscornu I've made but the first with a beaded edging. I also replaced the gold metallic for the frogs with DMC 500; they just didn't show up well in gold.

I'm still working on my Fantasy/Magic Exchange piece. Why did I pick something with so much stitching? I just hope it looks good when I'm done!

I received a framed piece from Jill Rensel last night, my first from her. I was not disappointed! I'll take pics when I get a chance. I was too beat last night.

Diet: I started the diet again seriously this week. I joined TOPS too. My mom's been a member for years and does the conventions. I had to roll my eyes at the weight-loss songs and pledges, but otherwise I think it will be good for me. I started the South Beach diet again, and I'm doing well. I made my 15 pounds total loss yesterday (which I started waaaay back), but now I can't reward myself because I'm not buying stash. Doh! Maybe when I hit 20 pounds lost.

The job front: Matt has a day-long interview today. Yuck. But we're optimistic. He also has another job prospect that we're waiting to hear about.

Feathered Friends exchange sent and received

Goldie was my partner for the Feathered Friends exchange on the SBEBB. I stitched For the Birds by Drawn Thread for her. I saw that she had a few Drawn Thread pieces in her stitching album, so I figured this was a safe bet. And I love Drawn Thread, so I was excited about stitching this piece. I also gave her the chart for Three Friends, which incidentally has birds! The three floss skeins in the picture below are ones called for in the chart too. Remember my bird pins made of polymer clay? I included the cardinal set in her exchange, plus some Burt's Bees products and some chocolate Altoids. I'm glad I bought all this before Matt got laid off!

Now let me complain a bit about making the pillow. This is the first one I've sewn myself. Mom gave me advice, but I did it all myself. It's basically two front/backs sewn together with a top stitch on the sewing machine to enclose the pillow. I learned that I really need to use a pillow form if I'm going to try to top stitch the thing closed. So I made a pillow out of batting and stuffing. I had to do the top stitching twice because I just couldn't stuff it enough without doing the pillow form. I also learned that chalk pens don't come out easily, and that unwashed fabric will bleed (learned when I took a wet towel to try to get the chalk out). I think it turned out pretty well for all that.

DMC

There's been a lot of talk on the boards about DMC since the French DMC company went out of business. DMC-USA sent out an email saying that all was well and that we wouldn't have to worry about our floss supply. Whew! I was about to go out and buy the missing floss for my backup set (I have a full set of partial skeins and an incomplete set of full skeins for when I run out [a result of my only local supplier--Wal-Mart--getting rid of DMC]). Matt said they should have waited a few weeks to send out the email so there would be more runs on floss. Evil mind.

I received my DMC color card a few days ago. It's completely gloatable. I just love touching the floss (with my clean hands). This will be really helpful when I'm substituting colors and such, not that I do it much. But for one reason or another, I've found such a card needed from time to time. The thing is huge--a fold-out of six pages. I can see why they don't find it cost-effective to produce anymore.

On the wagon: Matt has several prospects but as yet remains unemployed. I've started economizing and have vowed to buy no stash, other than current commitments like a piece I'm having Jill Rensel frame (pics Wednesday!). It's been surprisingly difficult. It's not the big purchases I miss but the small ones, like the floss and beads for my Sweetheart Tree needlerolls and the frog charm for the Just Nan biscornu I'm going to do for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. But it's a challenge, and I can do it! (Though it would be helpful if I could just win one of the drawings for a gift cerficate from the MFC!)

The editor in me: I read in Michelle's blog about the Typo Hunt across America: the story and the blog. I just love this. I'm going to have to start taking pictures of the typos I find and post pictures to my blog. It's much better than sitting and stewing, like when I'm in the doctor's office and there are typos in several of the signs in the waiting room, mocking me. I won't mention the typos I find for a living. (Now to proofread this blog so I don't set myself up for a fall.)

Remembrance Rose needleroll finishing

And here it is! This one isn't as stuffed as the others. Not sure why. I used the same amount of batting as the others. Oh well, it'll do.

Dee asked if I had any suggestions on sites with instructions on how to make a needleroll. I do! The Sweetheart Tree charts have their own instructions, but when I did the Little Lambs needleroll, I wanted to use a hem stitch. I used this Focus on Finishing class. I think for next time I need to make the margin for the hem a little bigger. It was hard to fold it over because it was so narrow. I also referred to the tutorial links given by Focus on Finishing.

Maggie the Messmaker update

Since I need to work on my piece for the Magic/Fantasy Exchange, I figured I should put Maggie the Messmaker away for now. The next time I pull it out, I'll finish the bottom right corner, which will make it 1/4 complete. This is such a slow piece for me, but I think it's going to be cute...someday.

I'll work on finishing up my needleroll today. I'm still off work sick, but I have a few lucid moments. I've started in on the coughing phase of my cold. I took Robitussin last night so Matt could sleep. I really hate the taste of the stuff.

Remembrance Rose needleroll HD

I finished this one today since I'm off work sick with a cold or something. I feel rotten, but I put in a few stitches here and there.

I think I need a few supplies to do any more of the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls, but I'll have to get those later. I'm trying not to spend anything on cross stitching right now. I'm sure I have enough in my stash to hold me for a good long while. Just working on my WIPs should keep me occupied.

Nice trip

We got back from our trip to San Antonio Sunday morning. We had a great time. The jacuzzi tub was relaxing, and Sea World was so much fun. The weather was just perfect--not hot enough to make you really sweat. The only reason I pooped out was because it felt like my feet were blistering (no exercise can do that). I got a tiny bit of a sunburn, not enough to even hurt. We thought of Logan a lot, of course--how he would like Sea World so much when he's older. We'll definitely have to take him next year.

I came home with what I thought was bad allergies, but now I think it's a cold. Just great. More work I have to miss, and I need to try to stay away from Logan.

Matt has a few job prospects, even one that said they'd hire him if the price was right. We're waiting for a call. The downside is that the job would require travel, like to China. We're not sure how much yet. That could be a deal breaker.

I'm still stitching on Remembrance Rose needleroll. I should finish it soon, if I can stay awake long enough. I did manage to get some stitching done in the hotel room. I'm also trying to figure out what to stitch for the magic/fantasy exchange. I swear I've spent so much time looking for a pattern that I could have stitched it by now. I thought of doing a section of a Teresa Wentzler, but I just can't find anything that makes sense to me. Ugh. You'd think I'd have tons of stuff that would apply, but most of my charts are large pieces and not really right for an exchange.

Bad news all around

Matt got laid off today. Apparently his former company is laying off about 800 people today. We're pretty depressed about it. At least we have my job, but Logan's college fund may take a temporary hit.

Our nanny also had a miscarriage today. It wasn't completely unexpected, but it's never easy. Poor girl. I want to just cry for her.

I had to tell her we would have to cut back on her hours some, but we'll still need her when Matt goes looking for a job.

And we're still going to San Antonio, darn it!

Little Lambs Needleroll

Here's the finished product of Little Lambs by Shepherd's Bush. I used some ribbon I scavenged from Logan's baby shower to finish it up, which I think appropriate. I just love this little piece. It's the first thing I've stitched with his name on it. Thanks so much, Carol, for sending me the chart ASAP!

I need a bigger basket for my needlerolls!

There's a discussion on the Wagon BB about the discontinuation of the DMC color cards with the actual threads on them. I've wanted one for a long time now, so I went ahead and ordered one from the DMC website. I can't imagine that a printed card would be as helpful.

Mini vacation: Matt and I took off tomorrow to get ready for our weekend getaway to San Antonio. It'll be the first time I'm away from Logan. Eek! I'm sure I'll manage, but I'll miss him.

Little Lambs HD

I finished the stitching and finishing today. I'll take a picture of the needleroll tomorrow. This is my first Shepherd's Bush piece and my first needleroll using a hem stitch. I made a few small changes and replaced the words with my son's name and birthdate. I like the way it came out, though I think I'm going to make the hem wider next time. With it so narrow, it tends to buckle a bit.

Kid stuff: We found out today that our nanny is pregnant. She may wind up moving in with her boyfriend, who lives four hours away. That means we'd need to look for a new nanny again. Bleh.

Finishing complete for Feathered Friends Exchange

This weekend I finished up the main piece for my exchange. I like the way it came out, though I did have to redo it once. Not bad since this was the first time I did a finishing of this kind. No pictures yet, of course.

I looked all over the web and found a needleroll I wanted to stitch! Where else but in Carol's stitching photos. She was so kind as to send me the freebie chart for Little Lambs, a Shepherd's Bush piece. I started working on it today. I've had the idea of putting Logan's name and birth date on it as a mini birth announcement, but I don't know yet if the pinks will make it too girly. I'll have to get Matt's opinion.

I also put a few stitches into Remembrance Rose by Sweetheart Tree and did a few sections of Maggie the Messmaker. I think I'll keep Maggie as my big focus piece for a while. It hasn't gotten any attention in a while.

Bad neighbors: This past Friday, our favorite neighbors were blaring their music in their cars after 10. The cul-de-sac was filled with cars and kids. We could hear their music over our movie, inside our own house. Matt opened the door and hollered for them to turn it down, and of course they just cursed him out. We called the sheriff's department, but no one showed up. At least the neighbors got the hint eventually and went away. I really, really want to move out of this trashy neighborhood. The ideal would be to get some land that has a large main house and a little house for Mom. Eventually...

Mini vacation: Matt and I are going to San Antonio this weekend. We're taking Friday off to prepare and relax. I can't wait!

Kiddo: Logan's current favorite thing is growling and squealing at the top of his lungs. Working was challenging today, even with him on the bottom floor with the nanny and me on the upper floor in the office. He's getting better at sitting unsupported (a few minutes here and there). He's chewing on everything in sight, though he doesn't have any teeth yet. He's very smiley too. He even smiles at the cats and dog.

Damier Part 4

I put in the last stitches of this row last night while we watched Silverado. It was so weird seeing these famous actors, most of whom we like, so young. Matt was in the mood for a western after we watched 3:10 to Yuma the other night.

I like working on this piece. It's simple, cute, and quick. It's a nice change of pace. I pulled out Maggie the Messmaker, one of my large pieces for the year. I put this one on my goals to finish for the year...but I'm thinking that's going to be difficult.

I have an idea for a needleroll, but I'm not sure it will work out. We shall see....

Shamrock needleroll finishing

I finished off the needleroll today. I found some green ribbon yesterday at Hobby Lobby that matches pretty well. I'm so glad I don't have to order any off eBay. I also picked up some more ribbon, trim, and two more ribbon spool cases. DMC was also on sale (I yearn for the days when that meant 5 for $1, not 4 for $1). I bought a bunch of stuff because who knows when I'll get into the city again.

So this makes three of the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls I've done so far. I think the next one will be Remembrance Rose (a little later) because I have all the materials needed.

Rita and Kim won the pattern for the needleroll. I wound up with two. Ladies, please email me at charmingtails@hotmail.com.

I have three blocks left on Damier, and then I'll able to show pics of that one too.

I've been trying to come up with a needleroll I want to stitch for the Monthly Finishing Challenge, but I just can't find anything I'm in the mood to stitch. I'll keep looking. Then I should really pull out one of my large projects to stitch on.

Shamrock needleroll HD

I finished the stitching on this Sweetheart Tree needleroll last night. I thought it was convenient that the Monthly Finishing Challenge for the month was needlerolls, but it has to have a hem stitch. I don't think the normal finishes for the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls qualify as a hem stitch, so I'm out of luck. I want to keep my finishing of all these needlerolls uniform so they make a nice set. I may be able to find something else I can stitch and turn into a needleroll.

I thought I had a good green ribbon, but it's not quite blue enough and doesn't match the green used on the needleroll. That means I'm stalking eBay for just the right ribbon. Web photos aren't terribly reliable for color matching.

Many thanks to Carol for the chart and BeckySC for the strand of Needle Necessities!

If you'd like the chart, leave me a comments and I'll draw a name.

I played with my polymer clay yesterday and made some pins. My mom thinks the pins she gave me have glass heads, but if they were plastic, at least they didn't melt! The flowers should be sturdy enough to use as marking pins, but the birds are purely decorative. I could also use these on pinkeeps, I think.

Rose Quilt, square 6 HD

Here's another installment. I'm not sure I'll finish this piece this year. It's so massive, and my progress is rather slow. I have so many things I want to stitch right now. I may need to put aside HAED's Eternal Promise this year so I can concentrate on this piece. I still like to work on smaller pieces a bit to keep my interest up.

Speaking of, I started Sweetheart Tree's Shamrock needleroll. It's so cute. The needlerolls all have a similar pattern, so it's a good thing I'm not bored with them! I'm thinking I might buy a Longaberger basket eventually to display them all. I think they're worthy of the expense.

New nanny: I work at home but need a nanny to take care of Logan during the day. Matt and I are both leery of daycare. We hired someone new since our last nanny's boyfriend moved out of state and she had to quit to take care of her kids. I like the new person. I hope she's more reliable than the last one!

Vacation: Matt and I are planning a weekend getaway in two weeks. We haven't gone anywhere in a long time. Now that Mom's moved in, she can take care of Logan while we go off to San Antonio. Matt's booked a jacuzzi suite, and I want to go to Sea World. I think we'll have fun, but I'm sure I'll miss Logan terribly. He gets cranky when he's tired (which is often), but he's otherwise such a smiley, happy baby.

Barnabee's Bride disappointment

So another order came in (I've been spending money, a little here and there), but the leg of Barnabee's Bride is broken. Apparently this is a fragile piece. I read in someone else's blog (can't remember whose...) that they had received a broken one too. Ugh.

I also received some marking pins made by My Big Toe. I think they'll come in handy when I have to count stitches. I usually have to use needles to mark my place. Looking at them, I think I could make a few myself. I still want to figure out how to make pinheads using polymer clay. That could be neat.

Feathered Friends stitching completed

I finished the stitching on my piece for the SBEBB Feathered Friends Exchange. Of course I can't show you a picture just yet. Now I need to find some matching fabric and finish it up.

I received the supplies I was waiting for, and now I can start the Sweetheart Tree Shamrock needleroll. Carol was nice enough to give me the chart. I now have all the ST needleroll patterns I need, and some of the hearts. I'll probably order the fibers, beads, and such that I need as I go. I'm still working on the next block of Chatelaine's Rose and Butterfly Quilt. I should be able to start the inner motif soon, a rose this time. Damier should have another installment soon too.

Home stuff: I'm still trying to get my house all sorted out after Mom's move-in. We have more stuff to put in storage. It's been very nice having someone to take care of Logan first thing in the morning. Mom normally gets up at 4, and Logan seems to be taking after her. Mom never gets tired of him, God bless her! Logan's started eating rice cereal and vegetables pretty reliably. He's hit the six-month mark, and I'm switching his clothes over to the next size. He's still very smiley and has his crying fits when he's tired and can't get himself to sleep (his day includes a 2.5-hour cycle of eat, play, sleep, play). He's not sitting unsupported or rolling over yet, so we're going to have to help him work out those muscles. He goes for more shots and a trip to the ENT next week (we're anticipating ear troubles given his history and his dad's problems when he was a kid).

Jump for Joy pinkeep

I joined the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I figured a pinkeep was easy enough! This is my second one. Jump for Joy by Just Nan is the only small piece I have unfinished or unframed, so it was a likely candidate (my TWs will get framed). I didn't have any ribbon that really matched the colors, but I got to use some edging that Marie sent me in an exchange. Matt helped me choose the color of pins, and it was his idea to alternate the pinks. I do need to find some better pins for future projects. All I have are these Dritz pearlized pins from Wal-Mart.

Needle Guardian finishing

I finished the finishing of the needlebook on my lunch hour. I think I fixed the nun stitches that had pulled away from the piece passably well. Check out the top left of this photo. It's not perfect, which is incredibly annoying, but it's cute. I lined the piece with lavender fabric and put some matboard inside (adjusting the matboard is what caused stress to be applied to the nun stitches and just about rip them out). You can see bigger pics and the inside on my website.

Yay for storage

These ribbon spool bins came from Michaels. My mom brought me two in addition to the one I had bought a while back. I can't quite fit all my ribbon, so I need another one, but of course you can't order them online. I'll have to make the trek into Austin at some point.



My mom bought me this sewing basket for Christmas. She had forgotten to bring it until this past weekend. The colors and design aren't quite me, but I really like having a box to put my stuff in. And it's not a cheap plastic one like I've been using!

I'm almost done with turning Needle Guardian into a needlebook. I had a mishap, and some of the edging stitches have pulled free. I'm rather annoyed; the nun stitches aren't very sturdy. I think (hope) I can salvage it. I also need to go pick up some white felt. Pictures as soon as it's done!

I also had to redo the backstitch lettering because I did it in the wrong color. I posted a question on the TWBB, and Teresa herself answered that there was a typo on the pattern, left over from when the piece was released at an event.

I'm also plugging away at the border of the next block of Chatelaine's Rose Quilt.

I finally received some packages I had been waiting on, all three on the same day. ABC Stitch Therapy moved their store, so the order took a month to get to me. It includes a piece I want to stitch for SBEBB's Feathered Friends Exchange. I still need the fabric for that, so I can't start yet. I received my Silkweavers fabric for TW's Sun Dragon. That was fairly speedy, about two weeks. I still need some metallics and beads before I can start this one. Lastly, I received a bunch of Sweetheart Tree needleroll patterns from someone on the Wagon BB. If my Pawprints order comes in, that should be all of them!

Mom: She moved in this weekend! We put all our Christmas stuff in storage so she'd have a closet to herself. We still have some stuff to bring over. $60 a month--ouch. But it's so nice having another pair of hands to help take care of Logan. Matt and I got to go out for lunch, and we did the yardwork together, which hasn't happened for over a year. We worked our butts off this weekend, but it's great having the whole family together. Unfortunately, my mom now has an hour commute to work each way. That is really rough, but she hasn't complained about it.

Babysitter: Our babysitter quit because she and her boyfriend are having personal problems. They went to Rhode Island because his grandmother was dying, and now he wants to stay there. She doesn't want to go, so now she has to stay home and take care of her kids. Her sister is babysitting for us now, but it looks like we're going to have to search for another permanent babysitter. Ugh.

Diet: I had lost 11 pounds, but after eating a huge hamburger with bacon this weekend, I gained 5 back. I thought maybe it was the salt, but those pounds haven't gone away. Argh!!!

Needle Guardian HD

I finished this Teresa Wentzler piece today. Not bad considering I've had to take care of the baby a good bit since my babysitter flaked out on me. I'm going to make it into a needlebook, but I think I want to line it with fabric, rather than letting the back of the stitching show.

I tried TW's recommended way of doing quarter stitches, just making one little stitch, rather than my way of making three-quarter stitches. I'm not sure I like the way the fabric shows through. (Look at the border chain to see what I mean.)

I'm still waiting on my recent purchases. I just hate the waiting.

I was supposed to have Thursday and Friday of this week off, but since the babysitter just didn't show up one day, I'm having to make up my time tomorrow. Bleh.

Baby: I recently discovered the calming effects of singing to Logan, even with my horrible voice. Just words won't do it, but singing will often make him be quiet. Everyone knows about lullabies and babies, but I had no idea the full impact. Logan also likes toys that make noise, such as his favorite, Leap, who sings the alphabet. His face just lights up. That boy's going to be a musician!

Eternal Promise Page 2

I finally finished page 2! It didn't help that I've been working on small projects here and there.

Today, to reward myself for staying on my diet for an entire week, I ordered some items from Cheryl's Stitchery Nook, a place Carol suggested. I want to start Sweetheart Tree's Shamrock Needleroll and Teresa Wentzler's Sun Dragon and Celestial Fob.

I lost my self-control and started TW's Needle Guardian this past week. I had to restart it because I found some faint tan marks on my white fabric. I think my iron transferred some dye from another piece of fabric. That was annoying, but I'm making good progress. It should be a fairly quick piece.

I'll probably work on Chatelaine's Rose Quilt next too.

Diet: So after a week of staying on my diet, I've lost about 6 pounds. That's mostly water, but it makes me happy. Matt and I really need to do this. We're both looking forward to being able to do normal stuff again!

Damier Part 3

Here's the next installment of Damier. I charted the Easter basket myself. Maryse had a flying bell and some Easter eggs. It must be a French thing because I had never heard of that, even though I'm Cajun. I also used bright white for the sheep and backstitched it in gray. This line didn't take long because there weren't any solid blocks this time.

I just have two rows left on Eternal Promise, and then I can post a progress pic.

Baby: I had to take Logan to the doctor today because his ear was hurting again. He has fluid in his ear, so the doctor wants him to see an ENT, given his family history. I also have fluid in my ear. Unfortunately, the medicine the doctor gave me is the same stuff Matt's taking that knocks him flat. I'm worse than Matt, so there's no way I can take this stuff and work. Sigh.

Diet: We're starting again today. Really. I need to do this!

Lady Scarlet HD

I finished this Just Nan piece last night. It was pretty easy to finish, unlike the last Just Nan box. The only problem was that I didn't understand what they meant when they said the flower should be flat. I do now--it's too puffy and kind of squishes the needlebook when I close the ladybug. Oh well, not too bad. You can see more pics on my website.

This was my first needlebook too. I'm looking forward to doing more!

Baby: Logan's successfully eating rice cereal now. He likes the one with apples. I think he was getting too impatient with the feeding originally, but now he's gotten the hang of it. It's so funny seeing this kid with food all over his face go after the spoon. I hug and kiss him all the time because he's just so darn cute! The babysitter gave him a mohawk yesterday when she bathed him.