Joybells Jottings

2007-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

I have a new home. It's http://jcayemberg.wordpress.com/. Please come visit me there. I will no longer be posting to this account
Blessings,
Julie

New home...new post

2006-03-28T10:01:00.000-06:00

It's been too long since I've posted and my only explanation is: I've been a: busy and b: moving and c: sick.

But we are, thanks to wonderful friends and family, in our new (new to us) home and I am loving having a bit more space. Later this week I'll post some pictures of my sewing/stitching/computer room (alias: the den). It was the fourth room to get put together. First...the kitchen, second the living room (well mostly), third, the main bath and then the den. The master bedroom is still a bit of a mess, but that's because we're finishing a dresser. Our old walk in closet had built ins for clothing so we didn't need a dresser. Now we do :-)

On the health front I am FINALLY feeling a bit better. Note to self: don't get pneumonia and move in the same week again. Like I said...it was family and friends that carried us through the move. I'd pack a box, cough, rest, pack another box, cough some more, rest. But on moving day, someone just propped me against a wall and I directed traffic. :-)

Stitching...what's that??? :-( Sigh...tonight I am going to stitch. I don't care that the house isn't quite done and we do still have cardboard. I am GOING to stitch. I am still working on Neuschwanstein and I started the Papillion Creations Mystery Sampler from the Gift of Stitching Magazine. I love both the magazine and the sampler. I'll post a pic tonight or in the morning.

I hope this posting finds all my dear stitching friends well and happy.

Blessings!

A 'blob' in the woods

2006-03-04T09:25:00.001-06:00

Good morning.
It's a beautiful day here in the north country; sunny, warm (well relatively :-)) and a weekend, so many can relax and enjoy the bright morning. I hope this entry finds my stitching friends sipping a cup of tea and contemplating their project for the day.

I am off to work shortly (in retail there are no weekends :-)) and am sipping a diet pepsi trying...very hard...to wake up. No...the shower didn't do it. The biggest challenge of midlife so far is a disruption in my sleeping patterns. Which is why I was stitching at 2 a.m. and want to go back to bed a 9 a.m. Talk about backwards! Ah well...life's an adventure and there is a beautiful quiet that goes with those early hours of the day.

Because of getting packed to move, my stitching time is very limited. However...I was not going to load boxes at 2 a.m., so I did work on my 'Babes In the Woods' shoulder bag. (Indigo Rose). This is not my favorite project. Why? It's not the pattern. I love Indigo Rose designs and think Catherine is an enormously talented designer. However, stitching inside a handbag, for me, is an exercise in frustration. I even tried the sewing rather than the stick and stab method, however...I didn't like the evenness of the stitches. So...back to stitch and stab. And back to very slow progress because on every third or four step I end up having to untangles something from my loop of thread.

Having said this...I am very driven to finish this piece because I think the result is cuter than...well...cute! Here's the way it will look along with my first project scan. Next time I will take a digital picture, but at least you can see I got my first babe done.!

I know, I know...not much more than a blob. But can't you see the potential!!

I'll add more later, but for now off to work.

Blessings!

A

2006-03-04T09:25:00.000-06:00

I know, I know...not much more than a blob. But can't you see the potential!!

I'll add more later, but for now off to work.

Blessings!

I'm still here

2006-03-02T12:04:00.000-06:00

Okay...if anyone is reading, would you like to tell me what the likelihood of me living to 749.8 years might be? Why? Because I have enough stash to last at least that long. And the problem is...I still want to stitch it all.

We are moving at the middle of the month. Moving to get more space to store more stuff. When is enough stuff, enough? More specifically, when is enough stash enough? The urge to gather is strong in me (kinda like the force was strong in Luke :-)). I have three Chatelaine kits waiting for my touch, but the new Japenese Octogon Box by Martina http://europeanxs.com/online.html#japanesebox
is screaming at me! Isn't it gorgeous? Martina...if you ever read this...I am in awe of your creativity! Thank you so much!

Okay...back to reality. I haven't put a stitch in 'Neuschwanstein' since my last posting. I've done a bit of work on 'House on a Hill' and here's proof. However, with the move, I won't be able to attend the classes. I guess that was poor planning on my part. I will miss seeing Marsha from Criss Cross Row and, of course, the wonderful teaching of Merry. But I will perservere, because I do want to finish this project. As you can see I now have a chain stitched tree and a HILL :-) and even a house.

I also have added an album to my webshots site that has pictures from stitching get togethers/retreats. I love stitching with friends and it keeps me so motivated. BTW: if anyone reading this lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and would like to join us, please let me know in the comments and I will see you get an invite!

Okay...new March resolution. I am GOING to get organized! I am going to stitch and finish many, many projects this year...Really, I am! :-)

Okay...back to boxes.....

Blessings!

I am very lucky woman!

2006-02-19T00:14:00.000-06:00

Well, it's almost bedtime, but I want to go on record as saying: I have the best bunch of 'stitching sisters' a woman could ask for! Their presence in my life and in my home is such a blessing!

This is my progress on Neuschwanstein for the day:

I'm sorry for the crooked scan. :-)

For now...good night and great blessings to all of you.

A Happy Dance

2006-02-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

No, it's not what you're thinking. No finishes...although I vicariously enjoyed Carol's (http://carolsxsblog.blogspot.com/). She is amazing! She is so organized, stitches so beautifully and is just an all around inspiration for all of us wanna-be's.

Okay...back to my happy dance. Now I want you all to close your eyes and remember Snoopy's finest happy dances...hands (or paws) waving in the air, feet a-tappin' and eyes closed in joyful contemplations. That's me today. Why? Well, because I have some stitchin' friends coming over and we're going to spend our day with needle in hand. Woo-hooooo.

So maybe, just maybe I will have some more progress to post. I will also take some pictures of our time together. We are a small group this month probably ten or so over the course of the day. (Sometimes I have close to twenty). Because it's so cold, I am making chicken chili, served with crackers and, of course, M & M's. Stitching alone is great, but stitching with friends...well, it's fabulous.

For today, my projects on tap are 'Neuschwanstein (what else???) and House on a Hill.

DH, fearing out of control estrogen levels is scooting out of here. :-) His loss. He really is a sweet heart. He helps me get ready, then disappears. He really is just about perfect. I just wish he'd let me teach him to stitch! (It might help me get through my thousands of projects. :-))

I do have one picture to post. It's my 'TV' project. Our living room isn't set up well for stitching and I don't like to haul my Dazor all over the place. One day I would like to get another lamp, but until then I keep one project for those rare occasions (like the Olympics) that I hang out in there rather than in my stitching room. My project right now is the 2002 Prairie Schooler Santa, done on 7 ct Klostern with Number 3 Pearl cotton. He, along with several of his comrades are destined to be pillows.

Here he is!

I think he's pretty cute! :-) and I can see 7 ct even in relatively poor light. Who says I'm getting old?????

I wish all my friends from the 'blog' world could join us on this cold, sunny day in the north, but I want you all to know you are part of my heart and make my life a brighter place.

Blessings!

4 (and more) things

2006-02-15T09:06:00.000-06:00

Good morning. It's a beautiful day here in the North Country. Bright, sunny and relatively warm.

Valentine's here was a simple celebration. With the Olympics on, DH and I had dinner in (Mexican takeout from Panchero's....mmmmmm). It was nice to spend an evening together and after 23 years I can still say I'm blessed to have this man for my valentine. He came home with roses and chocolate and he even watched Figure Skating with me. What a guy! :-)

Stitching wise: I worked a little on 'Neuschwanstein', but it really isn't worth a scan. But tonight I'm having one of the stitching groups I belong to over for dinner and needlework...so tomorrow I should have some show and tell.

In the meanwhile, I was tagged by Isabelle ages ago for this:

4 Things...
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Hotel Maid
2. Senior Compensation Manager
3. Sales Manager
4. Home Accessories Buyer

Four movies I would watch over and over again:
1. Down Periscope with Kelsey Grammer
2. Hunt for Red October---ahhhhhh, Sean.
3. Entrapment-ditto above.
4. Kelly's Heros-all for the love of Sunshine :-)

Four places I have lived:
1. Duluth, Minnesota
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Estes Park, CO
4. Pittsburgh, PA

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. NFL Football
2. Winter Olympics
3. Summer Olympics
4. I confess...I'm not a TV watcher and I can't think of anything else.

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. London, England
2. Lake Louise, Alberta, CAN
3. Grand Canyon and the rest of the state of AZ
4. Bulgaria

Four websites I visit daily:
1. My two e-mail sites
2. My stitching blog
3. Carol's Stitching Blog
4. Kiwi Jo's Stitching Blog (and quite a few others too.)

Four of my favourite foods:
1. Steak
2. Pizza
3. Buffalo Chicken Salad from Doolittles
4. Chips, salsa and a nice Margarita :-)

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. Bozeman, MT in a snowbound cabin overlooking the mountains, with DH
2. Aruba, soaking up rays with DH
3. 'The' cabin...about 2 hours north of here. Beautiful spot
4. Stitching just about anyplace. :-)

Okay...that was hard. Most of them I had so many more than 4 answers to...and deciding was hard!

Well...duty calls and I am off to work. ((((((((HUGS))))))))))))) to all,
Julie

2006-02-14T09:06:00.000-06:00

Well...finally. I'm baaa---aacckkkk. Not much stitching to report and I think I need a vacation from vacation. :-) Seriously...our trip out east to see my family was a wonderful time. But everytime I thought about picking up a needle, something else presented itself. (Like the world cup of 'Mexican Train'. :-)

The drive went smoothly, except for the first day of our driving home.Remember the snow that hit Detroit just before the Super Bowl...well it hit Kentucky and Indiana too. We stopped earlier than normal, not wanting to fight icy roads, so we didn't get home until halfway through the Super Bowl. Just in time to see Mick shake his booty. Love him or hate him, you've got to admit he's an a-typical 60+ year old. All I can say (since that mark looks closer now than it used to...) is 'rock on'.

We did have a stop of note that I would recommend to anyone who loves crafting. If you are ever in Beckly, West Virgina (about 60 miles south of Charleston), stop at Tamarck, the West Virginia Artisian's Center. I will be posting some picures tonight of our lunch there. They have a little bit of everything: Handmade jewelry, Hardanger, Tatting, Woodwork, Quilting...enough to leave just about anyone drooling. It's just off the freeway and it's a good place for a meal.

Last week was lost in a blur and just when I was beginning to catch up it was time for February retreat...so...off I went, needlework in hand and did make a little progresss on Neuschwanstein...now fondly known as my 'summer place'. :-) It was a wonderfully fun time with a lot of friends and laughter...oh yes, and food, too.

I have posted some new pictures on my webshots site. (http://community.webshots.com/user/juliejc1958100) I hope you enjoy looking and thank you for your interest. Much of what's new are needlework pieces I've given my parents through the years. I finally had a chance to photograph them.

I hope this finds all of you well and happily stitching away. More later.
Blessings,
Julie

Leaving for a few days

2006-01-27T16:47:00.000-06:00

It's been a couple of days since I posted and, sad to say, a couple of days since I've stitched. We leave tomorrow morning for Virginia to visit my family. Normally we fly, but because mom wants to send some things back with us, we are driving.

I think just about everything is done and I do plan to take stitching with me. So I promise progress shots when I get home. (Super Bowl Sunday...Go Steelers :-)!)

In the meanwhile, I do have a great suggestion for any of you Bram Stoker fans (Dracula, Vampire legends, etc.) This book:

Is a FABULOUS read. Spooky...progressively more so with each chapter, but not loaded with graphic violence. And a very, very interesting premise. Unlike any version of 'Dracula' you've ever seen.

I know I've been tagged by Isabelle and I will try to get back before I leave to have a little fun with that. Thank you, Isabelle...for your lovely note and all of you for reading.

I wish everyone smoothe sailing and happy stitches.

Blessings,

Julie

A stitchy kind of day...

2006-01-23T23:14:00.000-06:00

As I write this, we're getting a dusting of snow and it's a beautiful night in the north country. It's been an amazingly mild January here in Minneapolis. I am NOT complaining. I do hope we have good weather this coming weekend and the following weekend, as we're driving out to see my family in the DC/Northern Virginia area.

I spent a part of today stitching on John Clayton's Neuschwanstein Castle. Here it is with just over 4000 stitches completed. I'm coming up on the halfway point of this one. I love working this chart. His designs are so easy to follow and his use of color is wonderful.

This is how it will look when it's finished:

Isn't it lovely? I normally work patterns which include a variety of stitches, but sometimes it's very restful just to focus on the criss-cross row. :-) The only thing I will do differently the next time I work one like this will be to do it on the recommended 28 ct. I'm doing this one on 32 count and sometimes it gets really, really tight.

I also worked a bit on 'House on a Hill today. Here's a progress pic...without much progress. :-)

I am working the grassy hill beneath the house. The stitch used is called the Rumanian stitch. It's basically a satin stitch over 8 threads with a tie down over one thread. I find myself challenged because I am an inveterate stab stitcher...I almost always use a q-snap or a scroll frame. Well...these pieces are too small to use either comfortably. So I'm stitching in hand. And this particular stitch is much easier to execute using the sewing method. Wo...talk about having to concentrate. The end of the story? No frogging out, but I got a headache after one and a half passes on the hill and will wait until tomorrow to finish. Still, I really love the look of the stitch and can't wait to see it finished.

Kimberly, thank you for your comments. I really enjoy getting them. I do appreciate your advice on Twister and had actually already decided to change the colors. I'm not fond of her mix for my home. I'm guessing this is a really complex pattern to compensate, so it will be good practice. I would like to do this and Genny Morrow's Kaliedoscope (sic?) and hang them side by side.

Tomorrow night is Guild night. :-) I'll have dinner with a friend, then we're off to stitch-in...and I'll write an entry after I get home. It should be an interesting workshop.

In the meanwhile, be safe and thanks for reading,

Blessings,

Julie

I wanna play in my stash

2006-01-21T09:08:00.000-06:00

Good Saturday morning!
I am off to work shortly, but wanted to wish all of you who are having 'stitchy days' smoothe sailing without any frog attacks! (I hate those, don't you???)
Although I enjoy what I do, it would be so nice to be able to kick back and spend the day with needle in hand (between bunny trails, of course!) and going through my stash.
I am STILL trying to get my stitching room organized. In September, I bought a complete set of DMC racks from a local LNS that closed (VERY, VERY SAD thing...since it was my favorite store). At any rate, I had to pull all of my somewhat organized stash out of the closet to install the racks. Then...I got sick...and work on my room came to a screeching halt. Yuck!

So...I'm still working on it. The DMC racks are in and filled...well, mostly filled, but I still have this pile of other stuff (most books) that needs to go from the floor of my room back into my closet (walk in type). And I do have a teensy (at least in my wonderland it's teensy) problem with room. But I will get it put back together. And then...I will post a picture. I'm not certain I'm brave enough to do a before picture.

My tour through my stash is what decided me to stitch only from stash this year (with the exception of classes or limited editions). I am organzied (for the most part), I have thousands (literally) of projects I love and want to do and if I keep buying new things, I will NEVER get to them.

How do I organize? Well, my charts fill a three drawer file cabinet and I am running out of room. My kits and kitted projects fill about 8 32-qt Sterilite bins, which I keep in the closet. I have master sets of Weeks and GAST fibers on rings with extras in each color in a zippered bag. Most of my other fibers, I keep in sets of small drawers on my shelves above the computer.

I have separate bins for yard, fabric, sewing and knitting patterns. I also have 2 sets of drawers to hold my framing equipment and all of my cross stitch fabrics.

I have a library of stitching-related books in a floor to ceiling bookcase, counters installed for a desk/work surface, a small couch, my beloved Dazor...and a partridge in a pear tree (just kidding on that last, lol) I have also found that baskets are my friends.

Can I stay home and play? No? :-( Oh well, then...it's off to work I go. Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Julie

My accomplishment for the day...

2006-01-20T21:43:00.000-06:00

I now have a house for "House on a Hill". I know it doesn't look like much, but it sure took some time. Here it is:

It's going to be a busy weekend between work and social activities we have planned. (Dinner with friends tomorrow night and more 'Serenity' with friends on Sunday night (See previous post). Both will be wonderful evenings, but neither will allow for much stitching. Oh well...a BALANCED life is the important thing, right? It's just that I have more than enough stash to keep me in stitches for the next 300 years. LOL

The other fun thing I did was to finish adding photos of my finished pieces to my webshots page, so if anyone is interested, that's everything I have here at the house.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend...with many, many stitches and a lot of laughter lighting the way.

Blessings,
Julie

Yawn...stretch...what do you mean it's mid-afternoon?

2006-01-20T14:23:00.000-06:00

I'm sure...after yesterday's post...you've all been awaiting the answer to: did she get any stitching done? Um...no. :-(

Today, it's 2:24 in the afternoon. It is a day off and I should have more than made up for what I didn't get done yesterday, right? Um...no :-(

It has to with mid-life. Actually, as mid-life goes, things are good and I love the fact I still wake up in the morning looking forward to what the day might bring. (Thousands and thousands of bunny trails, probably :-)).

But the one of the more challenging things my late forties has gifted me with...and I use the term 'gift' with a good deal of sarcasm...is the inability to sleep. I finally gave in a took a Unisom at 4 this morning. I got up at 11. I WOKE up about 20 minutes ago.

Now...I'm gonna go stitch. (I know, I know...you've heard that before, but this time I AM!!!!)More later, including some pics. ( I did add some previous finishes to my online album already today.)

Blessings to all,
Julie

So much to do, so little time...

2006-01-19T11:15:00.000-06:00

Why is it whenever I think I'm going to get some good stitching time...it fizzles? I can tell you why...I like hopping down bunny trails too well. :-) For example: This morning, intending make a major dent in 'Neuschwantstein Castle', I decided I needed something to drink. So...into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. After loading a few dishes into the dishwasher, wiping down the counter and pulling something out for dinner, I go back to my stitching room, with aforementioned pot of tea in hand.

Whilst pouring said tea, I spill a couple of drops on my work surface. Can't have that with linen and colored string about. Ergo...another trip to the kitchen, this time for disinfectant wipes to clean up tea. End up cleaning my whole desk (which...given the killer dust bunnies behind my computer was a pretty darn good idea.) Go through a couple of piles of paper before deciding I really want to stitch!

Return wipes to kitchen, stop off at bathroom on my way back to waiting needlework. The bathroom in our house is synonomous with 'reading room'. Pick up 'Body and Soul' magazine. Read article. Remember this is my free issue and if I want to continue to receive this fine magazine I need to pay Martha Stewart. Come back in stitching room, sign in, pay invoice on line. Read a couple of e-mails, then....

remember I haven't downloaded the pictures in my camera, blogged in over 24 hours or defragged the system in recent history.....

Sigh...you get the picture. (While reading this entry today please hum along with me...'here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail....)

So, I have one stitching picture to share. A little bit of forward progress on my Merry Cox. That was accomplished at stitching group last night. Even there, I managed to do more talking than stitching. Sigh....

Sorry for the crooked scan. :-(

One of the things I did get accomplished was setting up my albums on my Webshots site. So, if anyone would like proof that I do, indeed, finish things sometimes, this is the addy: http://community.webshots.com/user/juliejc1958100. These are just the pieces I have up at home and I have a few more waiting to be loaded. One day I will try to get pictures of pieces I've done as gifts. It is kind of fun to see some forward progress.

Well...one more bunny trail comes to an end. :-) Now, before I head for work...I'M GONNA GO STITCH!

Blessings to all,

Julie

Nitey-night

2006-01-18T00:32:00.001-06:00

It's well past midnight as I write this, and I need to be heading for bed. It was an unproductive day, stitching-wise, but a good day in other ways. After work, DH and I went to friend's for dinner and TV/Movie night. They are introducing us to the show 'Firefly'...the series on which the movie 'Serenity' was based. After we finish watching the episodes (there are 15 of them) we will watch the movie. I love the series and am sorry it was so short-lived! I made crockpot ribs and potatoes...so it made sense to have a 'couch potato' night.

Dan (DH) suggested I bring some stitching with me, but I am the kind of person who either wants to watch a show or stitch. I guess I focus pretty intensely. As a rule, I don't enjoy TV and when I stitch, I stitch to music, books on CD or even to silence. I am comfortable with quiet. :-)

As promised, I am sharing a photo of class pattern for the Merry Cox piece I'm stitching. I am so looking forward to taking a class from her again. If you ever get the chance, she is a fabulous teacher. This particular series of classes is offered by The Criss Cross Row (www.crisscrissrow.com). This is the second set of classes Merry has taught for Marsha and the third time I've been priviledged to attend a class offered by the Criss Cross Row. I can give enthusiastic reviews! Everything is done to the highest standard.

Isn't this project FABULOUS!?! The shaker carrier is part of the class and we will leave with a finished or almost finished project! I am also taking another class during the weekend. More later on that.

Isabelle...you are a dear. Thanks so much for your comments and your instructions for creating side bars. I will give them a try when my mind isn't befuddle with sleep. If you have trouble finding Alum...e-mail me and I will send you some. A small container goes a LONG way!

Well, I'm off to bed now. I hope all of you had a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Julie

Morning sometimes hurts!

2006-01-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

Read that...I was up wwwaayyyy too late last night. Not stitching, but catching up on all the wonderful blogs out there.
I did get about 2 hours of stitching in last night. I worked on the Merry Cox piece and now I have...a woman! :-)

At least it looks like something now. :-) I will post a picture of the pattern this evening. I wish I knew how to get those cool sidebar pics of works in progress, but one day.

Isabelle...thank you so much for your nice comments. It was so fun to open this up and read them this morning. To coffee (or tea) dye fabric, put about 4 cups of cooled coffee (or tea) in a large bowl and add a scant 1/8 teaspoon Alum. Stir to combine. Dunk your fabric, swishing it around to thoroughtly saturate it. You can go anywhere from 1-5 minutes, the longer you keep it in the coffee bath, the darker it will get. Once it's the color you want, rinse in a cold water bath, then blot fabic with a towel or paper towels (don't wring). Hang fabric to dry, iron and stitch.

You can get kind of cool patterns by twisting and rubber banding sections, then placing in coffee bath. This produces light and dark areas. That's an area for experimentation:-)

Tonight is our Firefly/Serenity night with friends, so I just put some ribs in the crock pot and am off to work for the next few hours.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Blessings,

Julie

New Year's Resolution-Part One.

2006-01-16T16:56:00.000-06:00

One of my Christmas wishes was to become a 'blogger'. As you can see from my first entry, I had a brief flirtation with the idea, but it didn't last. But my needlework...the doing, the teaching, the fondling stash...is an enormous and gratifying part of my life...so 'Joybells Jottings' is coming back to life.

For the first quarter of 2006, my goals are:
1. Finish John Clayton's 'Neuschwanstein Castle'. Here it is at about 23 days:

2. Finish the pre-work for Merry Cox in March: I'm taking two classes, House on a Hill Beckons to Thee and the Williamsburg Sewing case. This past weekend, I coffee dyed fabric and cut it. Then...sigh of happiness...I started House on a Hill. Here it is after an hour or so of work:

Impressive, no? LOL

3. I've joined the Mirabilia/L&L SAL. (Thank you, Carol.) My first project will be to finish the L &L 'In the Arms of an Angel'. Here she is at about one year.

Next up: I need to give her a face, then lots and lots of gold braid.

4. Finish Muggsy's treat bag (Muggsy is a VERY cute Boxer friend of mine.) I don't have a picture just yet, but next time I work on it, I'll do a photo or a scan.

5. Finish my Indigo Rose 'Babes in the Woods' Handbag. This one I just got started on, but I will take a pick when I get a little further along.

6. Start and finish Kreinik's 'Boxer' silk gauze kit. This will be the topper for a box for...guess who? That's right, Muggsy's dad.

I love reading other needleworker's blogs and I just hope I can slowly figure out how people do all those fun graphics. I know just enough about my computer to be dangerous. LOL

Well, that's the plunge for today.

Blessings to all,

Julie (Joy is my middle name and Joybells, my dad's nickname for me...so hence, Joybells Jottings. :-))

2005-06-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Drawn Thread Chatelaine, finished April 2005

Hello to everyone

2005-05-26T11:41:00.000-05:00

This where I will share everyday life as well as my passion for needlework and reading.
First, to introduce myself: I am Julie, am 47 years young and I live in the Minneapois, MN area with DH (also 47 and an architect by trade). I have been a needlework since my early teens when my grandmother handed me a fistful of floss, a hoop and a dishtowel and taught me the joys of stem stitch. :-) What can I say, it kept me quiet.

I love samplers and my favorite designers are The Drawn Thread, Shepherd's Bush, the Workbasket, Long Dog....actually, I have many favorites. This year I am committed to working from stash...having decided that I'm probably not going to live until I'm 430 :-).

My works in progress list is embarrassing (as in numbering into the 50's), but I hope to cut it by at least ten through this year. My finishes this year include the Drawn Thread Chatelaine, Jeanette Douglas' 'Red Christmas' which I did on a deep teal blue, a Pine Mountain pillow and five smaller pieces I completed for models for my LNS.

I finally! unearthed the cord to my scanner, so I'm hoping to share pictures as well. I'll see how well I can figure this blogging stuff out.

Well...enough for a first go around. Thanks to all of you who maintain blogs around here. I really enjoy your comments...and the inspiration!

Blessings,
Julie