Beatrix Potter Sampler Finished!

I finally finished Needleprint's Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler!! I am so happy with it...I love the colours of the Viki Clayton hand dyed silks...and I loved the adventure of stitching in a Stitch A Long. It really helped keep me on track.

I used the lightest shade above for the elegant flowers, while below I used the bolder hand dyed of Everlasting...

Now you are about to see the last three motifs that I stitched to complete the sampler...the lower right hand corner. I always like to start in the upper left hand corner of anything I stitch...for some reason, it's a nicer "ride" going from left to right, and then from top to bottom.
Now you see the finished sampler...it will be awhile before I can get it framed, but I am glad with how beautiful it turned out. Stitching Beatrix was a perfect escape from my daily life, dealing with empty nest syndrome, and the doldrums of the economy.
I'll miss it...but onward to knitting scarves for the holidays!!

Beatrix Potter progress...

Although this has been a busy month with a visit up North, and painting the room, I did manage to set aside time in the evening to stitch on Beatrix Potter. It's such a good de-stress-er, and I so enjoy picking out the colours as I go...above decided to do a combination of two contrasting hand-dyed silks, and I like how the carnation has center stage.
The swan had my attention since it was easy to miscount, but I won and it turned out beautifully. The quaker motif below was a treat to stitch and for some reason, simply flew off my needle.
Since it's Halloween, I got out my spooky witch scissors fob!
Below, is my progress as it stands now...only three motifs to go in the lower right corner. My plan is to keep going and get it completed prior to the holiday season since I have lots of knitting and crocheting to do!! No shopping for me this year on our meager budget, but I have plenty of yarn, and able fingers.

Banana Dog and Saved Roses...

Ahhh, what we put our doggies through! But Maggi, don't you remember all the attention you got when the kids came to the door trick or treating last year and saw you in your Hot Dog outfit?? Just wait until they get a load of this...you're going to have lots of fun...promise!
I know right now, it doesn't seem all that a-peeling!! Ewwwww!

I also was busy painting today. Every time I paint, it's always with this "here's goes nothing" feeling since I have to relearn all over again what to do next. This time, it was an experiment about how to save the rose border that I stenciled over ten years ago when I was making Kara's sweet little girl's room. So I sectioned it off with some blue painter's tape and started painting with this pretty "Summer Green" color hoping it would all work out...well, it did!The neighbor's must've heard my yell of glee when I started pulling off the painter's tape! Turned out so well that I couldn't help but do a little happy dance!! Now to pull the room together!!

Old Disney Friends and New Project...

Oh, what a great Saturday I had...because of Facebook, I've been gathering up all sorts of friends from different places in my life, and I was able to get together with friends I used to work with at Disneyland. Below you see a happy group!! It was like we picked up where we left off as we joked and laughed! What fine memories and good friends! I hope for more of these gatherings in the near future and that more friends will join us. Sure took me back...
And here is my latest project...so far, so good! I decided to go for a different pattern that I've never tried before and I hope the special baby I have in mind will enjoy this blanket! I changed the colors so that it can go to either a boy or a girl. I'm loving the yarn as it is both soft and warm...and washable!
So both old and new. Perhaps I'll work on the blanket as I think about how wonderful it was to meet up with old friends!

Seaside...Monterey Aquarium...

Finally went up North to visit both Kara and Frank in San Jose and Seaside. I found out that both locations are not as close together as I thought, but we still managed to get together and play tourist and have lunches and dinners together. We three went to the Monterey Aquarium and saw the special Seahorse exhibit. Above are some furry Sand Dollars.

And now some Seahorses...
This Seahorse looks like leaves...
And then Kara and I in front of the shark tank...

Kara and I sitting in a giant clam shell...
Frank on the pier...
At Bubba Gump's...we ate shrimp and more shrimp.
Kara getting ready for her salad and shrimp...
We had a very nice time and loved the cooler sea air. The sun never did come out, but it was a nice change of pace from the hot weather we've been having lately. Playing tourist was great fun!

Beatrix Potter Keeping Me in the "Now"

September was a busy month and time for change which I'm not very good at...Kara and Peter are at their Colleges, and Frank has started a new job away from home up in Northern California which is a good 5 hour drive from here, so he stays away for long periods of time.

But thank goodness I have my stitching to help me enjoy the "now" of it all. The repetition of the needle provides great comfort, while the end result does fill me with accomplishment.
I'm still loving the colors of my hand-dyed silks...above is the Everlasting color which lent itself so well to the Quaker carnation.
I decided to personalize the sampler just a little bit...I stitched the "J K" to remind me of my own individuality; of who I really am deep inside instead of the sometimes lost person I've become. Or maybe it just stand for "just kidding." You decide!
Above is my progress so far...the stitch along lasts until the end of this year, but I have this feeling I may finish a bit early. But now for a little bit of crocheting for a change of pace...I'll revisit Beatrix Potter in October.

Miss My Life

My doggy and I are going through so many changes lately...we once had a house full here, but since Kara went back up to San Jose State, and Peter just started his freshman year at Cal State Fullerton, and Frank started his new job at Seaside in Northern California, the house is a bit emptier...so on my desk, I've arranged some pictures to remind me of what has been. I ran into these snap shots when I was in the process of moving furniture around so that we can rent out one of the rooms, hopefully to a studious college student. I'll be going for the second room to rent perhaps next week, but there's more work to it than you think...and I need to do it slowly.
I really do miss my life, but suppose it's time to move on...still knitting and stitching to save my sanity, and reading to give me perspective...and the courage to keep going...