SBQ of the Week April 31st

From Kathryn :

How many needles do you use during a project? Have you ever loaded up a needle for every color? Do you use a new needle for every project or recycle your favorite needle?

Just one.
I'll keep using the same needle as long as it remains smooth and thank it for it's use when it breaks.

That doesn't mean I don't have quite a stash of needles waiting for their turn....

farm mouse

Yesterday, just in time, I completed this little farm mouse to add to the "Farm" theme of this sampler. There was no excuse to do this at the last minute, and I've learned my lesson! Frankly, it's because I've been having so much fun with the red & white sampler, and digging around in all my books and magazines for new motifs. This time, I'll get started right away on the third sampler I'll receive this afternoon.

So let me write a note in the journal, and packs things up ......

have a great weekend!

quilt shop trip

We ended up not going. To the quiltshop I mean. My friend An and I decided to stay at my place to stitch and have lunch. I began another motif on my sampler, and she began a red cross stitch pattern that her mother who passed away did not complete and was actually making for her!
An's been working on a project for her work as well - her company recently upgraded their logo, spiffed up the colors and then asked all the employees to purchase, make, efin, contribute artwork to brighten the office. All artwork reamining property of the company. An decided to make a little dresden plate quilt after she had taken a workshop a few months back. She's completed the quilting, it only needs the binding and label. Here it is:



It's new bright and sunny day again today - and I think it's a good idea to spend more of it in the garden. Here in Holland the weather is often very cold, wet, damp, and grey. So you can imagine people complain a lot about the weather. But not only do they complain about bad weather (who doesn't?) they also complain about the good weather: it's too warm, the sun is too bright so their eyes hurt, the dust everywhere, oh, dear now the windows have to be cleaned, will the dykes dry up and not be able to hold the water? All I can say is I'm pleased that for as long as it lasts, I don't have to come home with a wet and muddy dog and go through the paw and belly washing ritual after every walk. But Darwin, being a little pig in dogs' clothing, will find something to get dirty in or dirty with......!

Anyhow, going back to the subject of quilting, I'll post the fabric as soon as I get it to share with you.
Have a wonderful day!

red & white sampler

Decided not to make the "I" a "J" after all. It's been a busy week with the good weather, I've been spending more time with Darwin working on his traing excersizes, and spending some time in the garden. Still, I'm most happy just sitting quietly working on this sampler that has now managed to completely have my attention! Usually I work on more than one project at a time, and end up with the feeling nothing really gets done, so working on one motif at a time and finishing it in a day or two gives me a feeling of having completed something. I think I needed that because I didn't get that while working on quilts. Not that I don't have the perseverence or need immediate satisfaction when deciding to work on a project, it's just fun to see something done relatively quickly once in a while.

I still have to stitch on my second frienship sampler and have a week to complete it. The design and colored threads are ready and waiting. But I must admit that I've become very lazy working in just one color and that's the reason I haven't started it yet. It's just so much easier to grab one color and start counting.....

Today my friend and I are stopping by the quilt shop to pick up some fabric. It's the last fabric I promised myself I'd buy for a very, very long time. The fabric closet is getting full and It's almost a shame to see all that beautful stash just sitting there waiting to become something, so this batch of beautiful baticks will be the last I'll get. Then the only trips I'll take will be to get batting or backing or anything else I absolutely need to complete a project.
Yes, you say, I've heard that before! But this time, I'm serious!

Adding to my book collection however, is not included in this resolution....(smile).....

red & white sampler

Slowly progressing on the sampler: the letter "I" was supposed to be a "J", but somehow I didn't calculate it properly and were I to continue, the hook of the J would've hit the letter F. So now I'm soncidering to leave it that way, or to elongate the I and still making it a J. In the meantime, I found another motive to make while I ruminate.





It's been unseasonable warm here in Holland, and with the weather comes working in the garden, spring cleaning, and all that stuff, so I haven't been working on the sampler as much as I would have liked to. That, plus the guilt feeling creeping up on me about reorganizing my clothes closet (can't find anything!) and tyding up the sewing room and doing some quilting haven't helped much. I haven't started my second frienship sampler either!
Ever have that feeling your running after yourself? Well, I'm in that funk now and even though I know it's just a matter of getting started, it seems like climbing Mount Everest.

Anyhow, it's time to walk Darwin who's still wet after washing him down after he decided to take a dip in a bog after hunting training. Wonderful think black oily stuff! Yuck! The smell of "wet dog" isn't any better.....Hopefully he'll dry a bit more during our walk.....

SBQ of the week 5 April

How do you decide which stitching blogs are worth repeat and/or regular viewings? Are there certain things you look for in particular? Are there things you wish there were more of? Less of? Is your blog a good example of what you like to read?

Hmm, well, I like blogs that are clean and simple. Blogs with whole rows of shiny blinky things a bit tiresome and distracting. At the moment the blogs I'm primarily interested in are those that have something to do with my crafts, but I enjoy visiting blogs that do something completely different! There is just so much great stuff people are doing and making out there!

Okay, so I like blogs that are clean and simple, where the information is easy to find, and clearly written. Good photos are a plus, but hey, not everyone is an Ansel Adams (I'm certainly not!).

Things I wish there were more of? Well, I'm not a computer wizz and certainly have so much more to learn about the world of blogs and what you can do with them tecnically and such, but more information on how to work with your blog in lay-men's terms would be nice - I mean I don't even know how to get a link into my post!

Less of? That smoldering feeling of pressure that one has to create such a wonderful blog. I don't think my blog is all that great, I basically suffer from a sort of "blog fright", a stage fright for blogs. It's very difficuly to write to an audience without a face (so to speak - as I have seen some wonderful faces out there!) I'm still feeling my way around this media, getting used to this. I guess it would be nice to get comments and learn from them.

Is my blog a good example of what you like to read? I don't know. It's hard to be an objective critic of one's own blog, but I do belive there's lots of room for improvement!

Nicole's Quilt

Nicole's Quilt, originally uploaded by Monkicat.

Nicole decided to come by today: it's a bit hectic with her little one Mees and Darwin flitting about us, but hey, ....Ceara just came home from having Easter breakfast at school, so she can take over for a bit....

Here a photo of Nicole's quilt that she has been working on. I decided to post this so she can also see how easy it is to take a shot and get it on the internet and on a blog...yes, soon we'll have another blogger in our midst!

red & white sampler

another letter done...

SBQ of the week 29 March

Do you have a system for organizing freebie charts in your stash? If so, what is it? Do you print out copies of all of the freebies that you find on the web (that you think you might actually stitch) or do you maintain electronic copies of them until you are ready to stitch them?

For freebies I use the same system that I use for purchased patterns: those that I do plan to use in the immediate future I print out and keep in a binder so I can find them easily. For the patterns I find inspiring or think to use at a much later date, if at all, (you never know!) I keep them on file on the computer. Simple!

Darwin

Darwin, originally uploaded by Monkicat.

This shot was taken and kindly given to me by my neighbor, Piet.

8 months and although it doesn't look like it, he's still a pup!
Our Darwin is in full puberty and trying to extend his boundaries. That includes, not coming when called (unless we hide behind trees and he thinks he's lost!) or running way out ahead of us! Commands, well, he does them, but now you'll have to wait half a minute before he does!
The dog owners I come across in the park all assure me this phase will pass...hmmm,...at the moment it's hard to imagine.





Soon we'll be starting the second half of hunting training ( no, we're not going to hunt with this ball of love, just love to see him do what he was bred to do, plus he loves it! ) so hopefully he'll be better behaved. Besides, there's nothing Darwin loves more than chase hares & rabbits (who laugh and even slow down for him to catch up!) falling leaves and carrying around fallen branches. The dirtier he can get, the worse the weather is, the more fun! Not for us of course....

Still, he's beautiful, loving, affectionate, funny, and a wonderful companion and I can't imagine how life would be without him! He's lying at, no, on my feet now, snoozing away after sharing an apple. The sun has finally come out, so soon we'll be out in the park sharing new adventures large and small...