Spontaneous Combustion

Hi everyone,

It is so hot here that if you spend more than 20 minutes outside you think you will just burst into flames!  We are spending most of our time IN the water or riding ON the water or looking AT the water or DRINKING water.

Even Emily is in on the act.

Emily on the boat

Emily doing beach cleanup

Since my last post I have received Halloween finishing...

Halloween monster

Salamander candy

Candy dish

I have my UFO assignment for 2013...Here were my 3 choices

Boat Buddies was a HAVE TO HAVE canvas that I have not started yet, but has tons of ribbon flowers

Boat Buddies

My David McCaskill Firecracker which I need a cattle prod to finish

Firecracker base

Check out the bunting

And last but not least the chapter favorite and my project to finish... Rebecca.  Good thing they chose this one, I have 4 more to go!

Have a great weekend.  Stay cool!

Linda

Christmas Crackers

Hi everyone,

I have finished the first of the Melissa Shirley Christmas Crackers.  Talk about instant gratification!  It probably took a total of 6 hours of stitching.  With all the complicated projects that I have going on that require such THINKING,  this was a relief!  And a great way to support your LNS.

I did pick up a few tips during my 6 hours of stitching the cracker.  I now love Elegance thread - this was the first time I used it - SO much better than Trebizond.  The elegance "kept its twist" the whole way through and I didn't have to use short lengths.

The second thing I learned was to use a beading mat.  It's a lot faster than trying to dig the beads out of the tacky bobs.  Although the bobs are great for storing the beads so it's a trade off.

Tonight is our ANG meeting where we choose our big project to finish for 2012-2013.  Will keep you posted!

Happy Stitching,

Linda

Olympic Stitching

Hi everyone,

I have really enjoyed watching the first week of competition.  Swim, swim, swim...paddle, paddle, paddle.  I can actually watch the swimming live (well, taped delayed) without knowing the results, but the gymnastics is another story.  I just finished watching the ladies (girls) team final and wasn't it nice to know ahead of time that we WON.  I cried anyway.  I felt SO bad for those little Russian girls - that is worse than the agony of defeat!

Here at home we are working on our doggie paddle event.  Emily is a great swimmer, but we have a boat so it's best that everyone have a life vest.

Emily trying on her life jacket

And here she is trying it out in the pool

Emily retrieving her octopus in the pool

We cut the tag off after that -  she is not Minnie Pearl!

And here is my Olympic stitching - I was behind but Ruth has given us 3 weeks to catch up...

Bottom right corner

Good thing needlepoint is not an Olympic event.  I would have a hard time finishing and getting a medal!

Enjoy the rest of the games,

Linda

Field Work

Hi everyone,

We are just back from an extensive trip where I managed to do some needlepoint research in the field.  While trekking through ruins in Turkey we happened upon CRUMBLING WALLS...

Guess what I immediately thought of?

Amy's Creche

Then we went to a rug shop - we were in Turkey!  Guess how they make those beautiful rugs?  Turkey work!  Each knot is done with the same knots we use.  The girl watches the pattern, not the loom.  Each knot is done individually around 2 vertical threads and the thread is cut after each knot is done.

At the loom following the pattern 

Working the knot

They even have orts!

Here's the silkworm that produces the beautiful silk...It was discovered that the mulberry trees that produce the leaves that the silkworms LOVE to eat grow as well in northern Turkey as in China...

Silkworm

And here is the beautiful silk which is spun from the cocoon of the silkworm..

Silk used in the Turkish rugs

We left Turkey and moved on to Russia where I SOMEHOW got sick.  I knew I was sick when I didn't have the energy to needlepoint!

Now the editorial comment....
I hung on until Munich where I discovered  Angela Merkelcare.  In our country we have had a big debate about Obamacare and how the world may end if we adopt it.  Well, in Germany everyone pays for health insurance (sound familiar?) which covers everything - including long term care and time off to care for a sick family member.   Have you had a doctor visit you at home in the past 50 years?  Well our doctor came to us, took us to the pharmacy while he ordered our medication and then didn't want to be paid!  It's part of their job and culture.  Now the Germans pay a lot for insurance but it comes with peace of mind and some of the best care in the world.

End of editorial...

Have fun planning your Olympic stitching,

Linda

The Dream Lives On

Waiting for sunshine

Hi everyone,

The Dream Lives On!  That is a direct quote from Ted Kennedy referring to Obama in case it sounds familiar.  But it is now being used in Miami for the 3 Kings (stolen from the Bible) and their big big win on Thursday night.

In case you haven't heard or have been on Mars, The MIAMI HEAT have won the NBA Championship!!!  Now we can go to bed at a normal hour!  You would think that with all those basketball games I would have done a lot of stitching, but there was NO taking your eyes off the tv screen for weeks....Now we have a possible tropical system out in the gulf (code word for more rain) and are people worried about a hurricane?  No, they are worried about the PARADE on Monday for the Heat!

Emily is sleeping in the kitchen with her teddy bear.  She dreams about sunshine and Texas. And the Heat games ending!!  Ever since she moved to Florida it has been raining with patches of sunshine.  Ok maybe patches of no rain lately...

Have you ever worried more about what needlepoint to take on a trip than the clothes you were going to take?  You know you have!  I am trying to boost my Valentine needlepoint so here is my choice...

Kelly Clark February Angel

She will go with the Valentine basket that we made years ago and my heart that I just got back from finishing

Needlepoint Now Heart

And one last photo of my baby ...waiting to board...almost grown out of that carryon bag!

Emily ready to go

Happy Stitching,

Linda

6:30

Candyland 

Hi everyone,

There are important numerical milestones in life...

1.  The number of shingles you have finished on your Halloween House Roof...81- 106...(I have read all kinds of numbers on the internet)
2.  The distance at the  Belmont Stakes....  1.5 miles
3.  The Train Platform number at Kings Cross Station in Harry Potter... 9 3/4
4.  The age at when you can first vote...18

and then tah dah...the first time your puppy sleeps through to 6:30 am!! and you did not have to get up in the middle of the night and stand in wet grass!!

Here is a photo of my Candyland trees.  I am working on the snow in spurts because the thread, Crystal Braid is a "shredder" and frustrating.  I also need to redo the pink sequins on the middle tree because they are loose - may have to add a dab of glue to the back.

Puppy training is challenging.  It's two steps forward and one step back.  If you have small children around you know that it's not the toys, it's the CONTAINER that's the best part.  You just hope they don't swallow something that's not digestible!

Emily with the toy bucket

Have a great stitching weekend,

Linda

Moisture Stitching

Partridge

Hi everyone,

We are currently experiencing prolonged "tropical moisture" here in Miami.  That means the weather girl is tired of saying that it is raining and she's not sure when it's going to stop.  Naturally since it's Friday there is a lot of pressure for her to say "it's going to be a beautiful weekend" but it doesn't appear to be working out that way.  Julie (our weather girl) left town hoping it will be sunny when she gets back.

I have been needlepointing the smallest canvases in my collection.  That is so they can be swept up at a moments notice.  Here's the partridge from the 12 days of Christmas.  I've never actually seen one so I hope that little feather at the top of his head is accurate.  It's french knots on a stick.

Here is a picture of the whole piece.  Almost done!

Partridge in the Pear Tree

Have a wonderful and DRY weekend,

Linda