He's Home!

 I have not stitched in so long, I was afraid I had forgotten how to thread the needle. I will get to more of that on down the post.

For the past month, The Grumpy Ol Gazer was steadily getting worse to the point he could barely take one step. He had an appointment with his heart doctor (at the hospital) earlier this month and it was a really big challenge to get him there. They were going to do a heart cath but while they were prepping him, he went into congestive heart failure! Talk about being scared! My nerves have felt like they were hit by a train!

 

He was in the hospital for 12 days and I  lost complete track of what day it is, what date it is and sometimes my own name!.He was in CCU for 5 days and 4 of those days, he was unconscious with breathing and feeding tubes.  It was a heart stopping moment for me every time I walked in to see him like this but he is so much better now and a lot of the old problems were being caused by this so they are gone now too!  They wanted to do the heart cath while he was up there but other issues popped up to stop it. They released him on the condition he would have the heart cath done as soon as the dr. for these other problems gave the thumbs up. We still have a lot of work ahead of us to get him feeling like himself again but it will happen. One step at a time, one day at a time.

 

I started to take my stitching a few times on my daily visit to the hospital but I my hands just would not stop shaking from being so upset. After he got home, I decided to go ahead and try to pick up a new start. Hannah Jenkinson by Stacy Nash. I think she will be a joy to work on and  so relaxing. But I have other things to take care of before I can totally relax!

 

I also got my Book of Days by Needlework Press! Now I want to get some pretty stickers to help dress it up along with my daily stitching notes starting next year!

 

I couldn't help but order Apostle's Creed by Heartstring Samplery with threads and fabric. I have already stitched an Apostle's Creed by My Big Toe but I love Beth's design! So what if I have 2! I doubt anyone will notice or care!

 

While I was at it, I pulled And They Sinned by Examplar Dames since I had seen the one being stitched on IG! I deserve a treat! LOL. I still have to order the threads but I am thinking this will be my 2021 year long stitch - like I don't have enough already! 

Several things all of this has taught me is to appreciate each day, the ones you love and don't feel guilty if your goals get a little behind schedule. Just do what you enjoy as you want to do it!

 

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Making Plans

Once again I am late with my blog post! It hasn't been a very busy week but I did feel icky quite a bit. Not sick just bleck! So I rested when I could. 

I can't believe that this year is almost over! And, even more, I can't believe how little stitching I was able to get done! While I had the ickies over the past week, I decided to make my stitching agenda for next year! 2020 has officially been declared the Year of the Stitching Bucket List!

While going through my stash to see which charts still needed to be kitted, I noticed that most of the designs that make my heart beat a little faster are inspirational pieces. I love all samplers but if they have a prayer, a proverb or even an inspirational quote I am hooked!

How did this happen? It all began with one piece. My very first inspirational cross stitch. My Home is Built in Glory by Heartstring Samplery. I stitched on it during a difficult time of my life when my father was sick before he passed away. The words and the design gave me great comfort.

Then I began to stitch prayers and similar designs for my infusion projects. But it did not take me long to realize that I wanted to do these more often than that!

So bear with me the next several months as I shuffle through various pieces until I can lay my sights on what lies ahead in 2020 for my stitching!

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

It's Still Hot in the South!

The mail has been delivering some fun goodies to the house lately. Let me share! I received another order from MyVintageNeedleArts over at Etsy! I just love love love her Aida fabrics! Such a wonderful selection and beautiful colors! I still order my stand by Aidas but these fabrics give me the choice of linens without the headaches of stitching on linen! LOL.

I decided to splurge and spoil my feminine side by ordering several pairs of earrings at AutumnEquinox and NaturallySterling over at Etsy. I know I can wear their earring without concern. It's always nice to find a company you can trust.

I got a package full of DMC in various shades of blues for the restart of Faith by Heartstring Samplery. I was hoping to start on this one while at this infusion but it looks like it may wait for my last infusion of this year.

I got some more stitching done on Creation Sampler while at infusion #2 but not enough to share. I will post an update next time.Two more infusions to go.

Here is the recent update on Catharine Dickenson by Scattered Seed Samplers. Isn't she full of character!

I like to mix my family history and stitching. There were many women in my family that stitched in one form or another. Needlepoint, quilting, embroidery, knitting, crochet, plain ol sewing and so much more!  I am so proud to be a part of that legacy and carry it on with my stitching! I like to look through designs and wonder if it looks like something one of my ancestors might have stitched! Of course, all samplers are someone's family history!  My cousin found a new family picture for me to put out on the shelf. This is my Grandma's aunt Cindy. What a great find and treasure! I can't help but wonder what kind of needlework she did, if any.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Day by Day

We have had a Spring preview the past several weeks. I love the warmer weather but we always get another blast of Winter before Spring actually arrives. The trees are budding. Some are in full bloom. I even have chick a dees nesting out back!

Along with the roller coaster weather comes colds. It seems like I am the only one who has not fallen to the ickies. Fingers crossed I don't catch anything!

The inside is still being painted but we are very close to the being finished! After we finish, we can begin to rehang old items and some new things too.

One of the new items we will be putting up is this sign. I love it and it really does describe me and the Grumpy Ol Gazer now! When we were younger, we loved to be on the go constantly. Now, we are happy to just stay home. I ordered this at Magothy Shop at Etsy.

I also purchased a PDF cross stitch file at Etsy. It is simple yet very poignant. After I finish up the Words to Live By series, I will want something smaller to work on and this will be just right! I am thinking this one will be at home in the kitchen.

Speaking of the Words to Live By series by Heartstring Samplery, Beth has hinted that she may be adding a few more to it! Big yea!! I already have a place reserved for this series!

I have one infusion left for this round and then I will be finished until about July. My infusion project is almost finished too. I usually take my own snacks to infusion with me since some of the meds I get really make me hungry and I hate to eat up all the snacks since there are so many other people in there too!

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Just Another Day

The inside of the house is in the process of being painted! Oh, I had forgotten how a fresh coat of paint can lift your spirits!! Amazing! The exterior of the house is next as soon as warm weather rolls around again! We meant to do it last Fall but life happens!

My order from Better Life arrived so I have no good excuse not to clean. I prefer their cleaning products to a lot of items on the store shelves. They are plant based with no chemicals which is what I need to use since the ingredients in many of the store products can cause my Vasculitis to flare up. Plus they are about the same price and they clean GREAT

While painting a few old things have come down off the walls and will not be put back up at my husband's request. Instead, I will have more room for some of that cross stitch I wasn't sure where to put it! That's fine with me.

These little heaters are great. We bought them back around Christmas when our heat was out for several days and we still use them. I keep one on the computer desk for those mornings when I feel a chill but don't want to turn the heat up. It is great to turn on while I sit at the computer and drink my coffee! And if left on long enough, it can really warm up an entire room!

I have not done any quilting lately. Life always gets a little hectic around infusion time. I am still working on my infusion project though so between the paint brush and the stitching needle, my hands have not been completely idle!

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Taking My Time

Not much news going on this week. We are still cleaning out closets and drawers. It seems like for every one thing we get rid of, we replace it with 2 things! Oh well!!

No quilt or cross stitch SALs for me this year. Don't get me wrong. I always enjoy them -- at first but then something happens and I get behind. That's when I get stressed. Also I had a made a Stitching Bucket List and boy, was it LONG! LOL. I love everything on it but the more I looked at it, the more stress I felt! I tore up that list and will just stitch what I want when I want! No stress!

My infusions have started and my new infusion project is one from Words to Live By by Heartstring Samplery. I choose Faith for the first project. I am really enjoying working on it.

As promised, here are several more house blocks and another row by row quilt. I made the fish row as a memory of my Grandpa taking me fishing when I was a child.

We have had so much rain since November! I wonder if our yard will ever dry out! I need some hip wader boots just to go out back to feed the birds! LOL. A little exaggeration but you get the picture!

I have been stocking up on some colors for certain quilt projects. Blacks, light creams, dark reds and other neutrals.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Staying Alive

We have been looking at paint color samples for the inside. I want an off white because our house is dark. It does not get a lot of natural sunlight so I feel we need a lighter color to help brighten it up. The Grumpy Ol Gazer wants to go with a grey. I won with a Snowy Pine (off white).

We had bags and bags of clothes and house hold items for donation. The truck finally came around and picked it all up so our bedroom feels a lot less cluttered now!

The Grumpy Ol Gazer finally got his new Bi Pap machine so he is sleeping better at nights. I thought I would too because the soft hum of the machine would just lull me into a sweet sleep but this new machine doesn't hum, whistle or even say BOO! It is totally quite!

I happened to find several quilt kits at Wash Tub Quilts on Etsy. I loved the designs and the kits help me by providing most of the fabric I will need instead of making multiple trips to the fabric store.

Barn Dance

Pocket Change

I love the new Words To Live By collection by Heartstring Samplery. Beth has hit another home run! She has Love, Faith, Hope and Justice. I know I said I would stitch from stash this year but I think this collection would make a beautiful grouping that will look perfect on my one empty wall plus they will make great infusion projects over the year! I found mine in the Heartstring Samplery shop over at Etsy.

As I promised, here are several house blocks from the exchange I was in. Talk about some talented ladies!!

We decided that we want a walkway (preferably cement) going from the driveway around back to the deck. It is so much easier to bring groceries in by the back door but that backyard gets so soggy when we have a lot of rain and is impossible to walk across!  A walkway is just what we need - like the one in front but in the back too! I will be anxious to see if anything comes of it.

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

HIDDEN TREASURES

Look what I found while rummaging through my closet! A whole stack of newly framed, still in the brown wrapper cross stitch pieces! Obviously these were framed in the Spring of 2013. Right before I went into the hospital, had my nightmare diagnosis and it seemed like my whole life went into a tail spin. I must have set them in the closet to come back to them and then I forgot!! I would think about them once in a while and wonder where they were or even worse, I would wonder if I had dreamed stitching them at all!!!

 

Sarah Schall by Heartstring Samplery. Look at the detail on that frame!!

Needleworker by Little House Needleworks. I love how the white thread in the bird's mouth trails through the piece!

 Primitive Adam and Eve by Country Rustic Primitives. Love this piece!

And last but not least, The Stars were Brightly Shining by Heartstring Samplery. This is my second piece with a verse from my very favorite Christmas carol, O Holy Night. I love the frame on this piece also!

Thanks for stopping by to see me! Until next time, may you have simple days and uncluttered heart!

Stitching and Frogging

I haven't been on the computer much recently. My house guest, Mr. Arthur I. Tis has kept me tied up in knots (literally). Each time I do something with my hands, they would cramp up like a clump of twisted vines! I tried out witting him by sneaking in a few chores or stitching here and there but he would soon catch on to my games.

The weather has been just wonderful here the past week! Beautiful Spring like days, temperatures in the 70's or higher and lots of sunshine! A shower or quick thunderstorm every now and then but that's Spring! And I forgot - lots and lots of green pollen covering everything! Ugh. I have ventured outside in the morning hours but come afternoon when it is at it's worst, I hide inside with my stitching (if possible).

I decided that I wanted to finish up several of these smalls I had in my finished pile but where was I going to set up my sewing machine. I used to sew on the kitchen table but the table we have now sits higher and doesn't allow a good view for sewing. I could put a few books in the chair for me to sit on to adjust the problem. No, that would just be uncomfortable. The coffee table? Too low and a cramped space. The computer desk? No available electrical outlets and I hate to unplug anything in that area fearing the whole shabang will crash! So until I find (or make) a place to set up, my small finishing is on hold!

Before the hand cramps started, I was stitching on this wonderfully sweet design by Beth Twist! It is an exclusive design available only to those who participate in her simple rules at Heartstrings Around the World (even though I had to read it several times for it to register). I did change out a few colors since I did not have all the required threads and I was so anxious to start on it! No patience here! I had a little trouble at first with wondering about my color choices, my fabric choice and a herd of frogs invaded my time. Once the frogs left and I got some color stitched into the piece, it has become a fun piece to work on.



I had a hard time deciding on the name to put on this special piece. So many strong and creative women to choose from in our family lines. I kept coming back to my MIL because this verse and the pinks really reminded me of her. I am thinking that I will probably frog out the last line and redo it later when my hands are better as I saw a major boo boo after it was completely done! Why couldn't I notice it sooner?

And last but not least, I thought I would share my TUSAL post (since I can't remember if I am late with it again or not)!



Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.