Ready for February

Today is the last day of January 2013 and I for one am glad. I'm ready to start February fresh and ready to go.

It snowed Tuesday night and Wednesday most of the day. Only our second snowfall, and what a nice picture it makes out my studio window. I had to laugh the other day, because I noticed that my Orchid plant has decided to bloom this year.

I bought this plant 4 years ago, and it bloomed twice that first year. My uncle told me to throw it away, because it wouldn't bloom again. Well, I couldn't do that! It's a live plant and I can't intentionally kill it. That's insane! 

So, I've nursed it with food and water, making sure it was warm and had humidity. But until this past weekend, it only put out more feet and grew new leaves. Now it has a nice long stalk and has 5, yes, 5 buds. I can't wait until it blooms. I'm so excited. It's like Spring in the middle of Winter.

I finished up MerriKay's RR block and thought I'd share before taking it to the CQ Meeting this weekend.  MerriKay made all of her blocks using vintage Christmas cards her sister-in-law had given her. So, it is all about Christmas.  I must admit this one was a color challenge for me, as my Christmas colors are Blue and Silver, with a touch of White. So Red and Green seem plain and a little boring to me. Sorry, just can't do it. 

Moving on, I finished the block and here it is:    She wanted a Christmas word or saying, and I took inspiration from the card on the block.

I have to admit that MerriKay did not want large beads, but I couldn't resist attaching the candy in wrappers and the candy cane glass beads I've had for two years, wondering how I was going to use them.

A close up of the top: One of my favorite songs from my childhood. My sister's and I use to sing it every Christmas. A nice memory of simpler and good times. I used silver threads and #15 white seed beads across the top seam and attached a little beaded angel. Thought she'd look nice in the window. LOL!

 

 

The Right side:  I worked up the seam with gold thread in a Creton stitch and came back in the opposite direction with a verigated green petit princess perle by Glorianna.  The Gold bows are stitched with two Lazy Daisy Stitches and a Fly Stitch in 24 carte gold thread. The gold charm is a heart with "Merry X-mas" written on the front.

 

 

 

Bottom portion:   I used a size 12 perle cotton in white and red for the peppermint stick along the seam, and the Christmas Spider is on a silver web and was made of a crystal teardrop bead body with a pearl head. Since it is a Christmas spider, I thought it should be more decorative, so I used #15 seed beads on the legs.

 

 

 

Left side:  Ok, this is NOT my design, it is from an Alessandra Adelaide cross stitch pattern I purchased. I did the ornament in an outline stitch and added seed beads. The seam treatment is done in a cotton and metalic thread with Pink/Gold TOHO beads and topped with Gold thread Lazy Daisy stitches.

 

 

I hope you like the block. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and I think MerriKay will like the block as well.  At least I hope she will.

Well, Christmas with family was fun and a happy time. A niece married on the 21st of December and I wish them both a wonderful life together.

But, with the good, there is always the bad. How else would we know when things are going well? LOL! My mother stayed with my sister an extra week, coming home late on January 2, 2013. We had a great time together, as she spent the night at my home. We had lunch together the next day before she traveled the hour home.

She always calls when she arrives home, so I was expecting her call. I was not expecting her to tell me her home had been broken into while we were gone for the holidays.

The police were there and she was checking to see what was missing. Problem was that they carved obscenities on her piano as well as cutting her chair and pulling out the padding.

Jewelry items were taken, including her Class Ring, and my father's WWII medals.

We are just heart sick. This is an 83 year old woman who has always be the sweetest person God put on the earth. Worked hard all her life outside the home before the 60s and raised 6 children.

She was starting to settle into home life, when my father had a massive heart attack and she had to go back to work. He survived and lived another 15 years, but was never able to work again.

It was hard for them to save and what they had was hard earned and only made life a little easier. To think that someone could/would invade her home and take her memories is without reason and unfortunately speaks to the heartless and

callousness of the individual.  This was in a small town, so we know the person knows my mother.

She has neighbors that are keeping an extra eye on her for me, so she feels safe now that things have been fixed. But what a trama it has been.

Projects:

Ok! I finished with that. Now I'm on to the things that I've been working on to keep my mind occupied.  RR work is going well. I finished Pam's block and now working on Merri Kay's block.  

Pam's blocks have all been about sewing. A fun topic and everyone has been having a great time adding some unconventional items to the block. Here's what I mean. Take a good look at the Pins & Needles potion of my block.

 

                               Entire Block

 

 

                             Pins & Needles - Yep! A real pin and needle.

 

 

                              Had to add flowers, my studio faces the garden.

 

 

I don't have any pictures of Merri Kay's block yet, but I do have pictures for you of my latest project, a pincushion. It is NOT your everyday pincushion, it also houses my CQ pins, those long silk pins. They needed a special place, so I made a Hobbit House for them. Take a look!

 

                                Left Window

 

    

                              Front of home 

 

 

                              Right window

 

 

I found the felt in Joann's and I knew it would be perfect. The grass roof is the pincushion. Made from a circular plastic container.

 

                              Before the work.

 

 

 It's been a rough start to the new year, but we are moving on and still creating!