Framing!

I have been away from my blog for awhile but not from reading all the others that I enjoy so much. I wish I could post of exciting travels, wonderful finds and bargains and other such things but none of that has been going on lately. Just life as usual which is fine with me!

We have talked about painting the exterior of the house for some time and this weekend we made the first big step towards it. Picking out the colors. We went to the store and brought home color samples galore! DH joked around about using Hot Pink for the house, purple for the trim and orange for the accents. OMG! We finally ended up agreeing on something a little less subtle which I am sure the neighbors would be grateful to know! lol. A pale ivory called Marshmellow for the house, white for trim and a brown called Hot Chocolate for the accents (shutters and doors). Doesn't that sound yummy? Hot chocolate and marshmellows!

I picked up my framing over the weekend. I am always thrilled with her work. Now to hang it all plus last years framing! That's right. A whole year went by and I never got around to hanging up last years framed pieces! In my defense, I have a good reason. I have been playing with the idea of changing out the walls or just doing something different so I didn't want to grab my hammer and nails until I was sure of what and how I wanted to arrange it all.

I just love the frame on Good Maidens by PSS. The detail looks like a row of standing trees.

A Weary World Rejoices by Shakespeare Peddler. I used 18ct Aida.

And last of all, I sew'd my heart by Heartstring Samplery. Sorry for the shadow on the picture. The morning light was a bit hard to work with.


I am still looking for my next new start! Since I have been working on small to medium pieces lately, I am debating on a larger piece. Hmmm, but I do seem to work more diligently on the previous size designs. But, gee whiz and gosh darn it, there are so many I like and not all of them are those sizes! Start one of each?

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