Daffycat Giveaway

For a great giveaway - go see Daffycat.

http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/

Linda

Traveling Stash winner is

Joyce

Go visit Joyce's blog for your chance to win.   I took out 25 small charts and added 56 charts/booklets including The Cross Eyed Cricket and Praire Schooler.

http://joycesloveoflife.blogspot.com/

Linda

Traveling Stash

I am so excited.  I have been chasing this box all over blogville and finally won.  Heres how it works.  I can't remember who started it, but it is a box of stash.  You take what you want out of it.  You than replace what you take ( you can add more if you want) and have a giveaway and send it to someone else. 
If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment on this post only and I will draw a name on Friday, August 12. 

Good luck,  Linda

Fair Results and 2 New Starts

Hi blogging friends.  First up - here are my fair results:
First Place - Alphabet Blocks,  Real Men,  Splish Splash
Second Place - America,  Fishing,  Caught
I entered 5 afghans and won 2 first place and 3 second place.  The baby blanket in my lost post won first.

Okay, I am going to try and do a rotation with my stitching.

Monday - I joined a Lizzie Kate Blog that is doing a Monday SAL.  I started Christmas Rules. 

14 ct summer khaki - DMC floss

Tuesday - Crazy Challenge  -  Neighborhood Row by Bent Creek

Wednesday - Up for a Challenge - Garden Sampler by Prairie Schooler

Thursday - I joined the cake SAL with the LHN yahoo group - Chocolate Shoppe

Friday - I am doing one strand a day and one day a week (Friday) - The Library by LHN

Saturday and Sunday are whatever days.  My DH is off so I will just work on whatever strikes my fancy.

I haven't been crocheting.  It's been too darn hot.  I might start working on some granny squares this month.   Thanks for all the great comments.  They are appeciated.

Thanks for looking.   Linda

another great giveaway

Check out Kathy and Rory'r giveaways:
http://kathystitchcomments.blogspot.com/

Awesome giveaway

Check out the awesome blogovversary giveway here:
http://ladyofthefloss.blogspot.com/

America is DONE

So sorry for not posting: but I wanted to get America done to enter in the county fair.  I DID it.

America - Land That We Love - Jean Farish 14 ct Natural Aida

started 3-19-2011

finished 7-19-2011

If you look at a previous post there is a picture of the original design.  I changed colors on some and also designed  squares 1 and 6 in the first row and last row.  I changed alot of the letters in the state names.  I also backstitched around the letters. It was such a joy to stitch, I'm almost sorry that its done.  Question??   I paid $120.00 to have this framed.  Is that alot or about average?  Please let me know.

Below are pictures of the other pieces that I entered in the fair.

Caught In The Act - Needle Treasures kit

Fishing Nostalgia - Bucilla kit

Real Men - Ursula Michael - The Cross Stitcher Magazine (sore subject)

Alpabet Blocks - Carriage House Sampling

Splish! Splash! - Janlynn kit

Sadly, I only got one afghan crocheted.  This is a baby blanket.

On the bottom right is one I didn't get done. 

I will go over to the fair on Monday for the judging and let you all know the results.  I heard today, that we might not have a county fair next year because the funding was cancelled.

I swore last July and am doing alot of swearing now, that I wasn't going to wait until June to start croching afghans to enter in the fair.  So, here is my rotation plan for the next year or forever LOL:

1.  I joined a Lizzie Kate blog SAL on Mondays.  I am going to start Christmas Rules.

2.  I joined the LHN Cake SAL.  I am going to start The Chocolate Shoppe.

3.  I am going back to my one strand a day and one day a week.  I am working on The Library by LHN.

4.  One of my Crazy January Challenge starts.

5.  One of my Up for a Challenge pieces.

6.  I am going to crochet one square or row etc. a day and one day a week.

7.  Whatever!!

Okay, I thnik I have rambled on enough.  Hope you all made it to the end.  Comments are appreciated.

Thanks for looking.   Linda

Crocheted this in June for my nephews new baby.

Finally an Update

Hi blogging friends.  Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my last post.  They are greatly appreciated.  I decided a month ago to work on a WIP doing one strand a day and one day a week.  I picked The Library by LHN.  That lasted for two weeks.  I realized that the county fair was only 2 months away and I better get with the program.  Here is a pic of The Library.

I have also decided not to do Anniversaries of the Heart series by Blackbird Designs.  Its just way to big and has a lot of over 1 stitching that don't work on 14 ct fabric.  I have the first 9 charts if anybody is interested in purchasing them.  I started another picture in its place.  Here is a pic.

Neighborhood Row - Bent Creek - 14 ct lt. fiddler

So, I decided I want to crochet at least 6 afghans, a shawl and a doll dress for a 13" doll to enter in the fair.  I have until July 23 to complete them.  But, I also decided that I want to enter America, Land That We Love in it also.  There is a square for your name and Completed On.     How neat would it be to complete it on July 4?  As you can see, I still need to bs around the squares and I am also going to bs around the letters and stars.  (You can click on any picture to enlarge and click on the enlargement to enlarge more.)

Here are the color changes I made:

America - 666

Stars between - 798

State names and Dates - 796 and 817

Border around ea state - 321 and 995

Outside squares on first row - 798 and 321

The bottom saying will be blue with red hearts.  I also put the stitched by and completed on in one square.  The other square  will say:  All American - Baseball - Hot Dogs - Apple Pie.  I will be either hearts or stars or both on the bottom of eash one.

I'm down to about 7 weeks  so  I better get with the program.

Thanks for looking.    Linda

My Bad

Hi dear blogging friends.  Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my finish.  I really do appreciate them.

I have spent the last nine days working on America - Land That We Love by Jean Farish.  First I have to say I have only ever changed a very few colors on a design and the border on Alphabet Blocks.  But my bad!! I made some major changes on America.

1.  I put stars in between the letters instead of little squares.

2.  All the state borders will be done the same - white x's - red bs outside - blue bs inside

3.  All the state names and dates will be in the same shade of red and blue alternating as shown.

4.  Stitcing them in order admitted to the union.

Okay, those changes aren't that drastic.  BUT!!!  Take a look at the next picture.

Ms. Farish designed this back in 1988.  I guess back than they used alot of subtle pastelly colors.  It's America.  Where's the Red, White and Blue?  I really didn't like the A's in the picture, so I came up with this.  The square on the left will have a heart, small star and 2 small flags.

Here is a picture of the whole thing so far.

Thought I better post a picture of the original design.

Well!  What do you think?  Did I screw up the original or do you think my changes are okay.  Please give me your honest thoughts.  I would appreciate the feed back.

I will leave you with a picture of Miss Murphy.

Oops!  Not too lady like.

Oh, that's better.  Queen of the chair.

Thanks for looking and have a great stitchy week.      Linda

It's Done

OMG!  I finished Aphabet Blocks.  I cannot beleive it.  My first BAP.  I'm almost sad that it's done, but not quite.  LOL  I changed the color in the name block.  It was done in black, but I thought they looked like flowers so I changed them to a pinky color.  Also, I didn't like the flowery border.  I don't think it went with the design.  I just put a single row of black around the outside and I really like it.  (You can click on it to enlarge and than click on it again to enlarge a little more.)

Aphabet Blocks - Carriage House Sampling - 14 ct aida

started in summer 2009

finished 4-13-2011

Please let me know what you think.

Again, thanks for looking and hope to see you next week.   Linda

PS  If anybody wants this chart I will sell it for $20.00 plus postage.

Sparky and Smokey

What a Giveaway

Go visit http://crossstitchandcupcakes.blogspot.com/ for a great blogoversary giveaway.

Go visit http://ruthsrunningstitch.blogspot.com/ for another great giveaway.

Linda

Alphabet Blocks Update

Hi blogging friends.  Thank you for the wonderful comments.  I go back and read all my comments at least once a week - it just makes me happy. 
I am doing the America - Land That We Love SAL on Wednesdays with my yahoo group.  I did another state border and the letters R, I and C.  I didn't think it warranted a picture.  I am going to try and do a state this week and will post a picture next week.

I have spent the rest of the week working on Alphabet Blocks.  I just love this design but I am so sick and tired of doing black and orange.  BUT, I only have 7 blocks left and the one row of black around the border.  I don't like the flowery border - I don't think it fits with the overall design.  I have just about made up my mind that I am going to get this one done this week.  (If you click and enlarge the photo you can see where I started the row of black around the A.)

When I started both of the crazy January challenges, I figured - 30 projects - 12 months - 2 1/2 finished per month = 30  HA! HA!  I have only finished 4!!  New figures - 25 projects - 9 months - 2 4/5 finished per month = 25 Yeah!  I can do this.  I can do this.  Maybe if I say it enough times - it will work.

I will leave you with a picture of Snowflake and Sparky.

Thanks for looking.  I will see you next week.  Linda