Maude Eloise and a winner!

Well I am finally back with a M.E. update. Kiddies have been on spring break this week so I have had very little time for stitching. I have made some progress on Maude, as you can see (yes, I know the stem on one of the flowers is wonky. Too lazy to frog it yet). It seems that whenever I get close to the end of a project I start to lose interest in it. Hopefully I can put those last few stitches into her before she becomes a UFO!

I updated my Rivendell journey too (on the sidebar). The last two months have been pretty pathetic. The last week or so of February I had an excuse for not walking (the flu) but in March I was just lazy. My goal for April is to clear the Midgewater Marshes, about 62 miles (which will bring me to the 200-mile mark in this 458-mile jaunt), and by the end of May I hope to have passed Weathertop. I realize that if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan this does not make a lot of sense; this is mainly for my own amusement : )

And finally what you have been waiting for, the winner of my giveaway-- Mr. Random Number Generator picked #26, Andrea! I will email shortly for your info. Thank you everyone for entering and for all your kind comments. Until next time...

my current project

I actually got the computer again this weekend, with one kid off on a camping trip and the other doing homework : ) This is what I am working on currently, Maude Eloise by Blackbird Designs, using a mixture of Weeks and DMC on linen which I dyed a light tan color

(you can click on the picture to biggify). I have had this in my stash for a few years at least--no idea why I let it sit so long, as I am thoroughly enjoying it! As a reformed quilter, I especially like the quilt stars and flowers along the top and bottom. I stitched my "real" name (that is, the one I was born with, not my married name) on the roof. The willow tree reminded me of the huge one that stood in the back yard of the house where I grew up. I still have pictures somewhere of my brother climbing on it after it blew over during a storm.

Don't forget about my giveaway (previous post). I am putting M.E. away for awhile to stitch something for said giveaway. Until next time...

two ta-da's and a giveaway

Well, as predicted I am once more back to my sparse postings. It's not that I don't have anything to show, or to tell, but I am at the bottom of the food chain in my house when it comes to computer access : ) I'd invest in a laptop but the kids would probably claim that too.

I had a couple of stitchy-butt weekends and finished up my Evening Shades the Garden while said kids were off at a party and on a class trip. This was done with the recommended overdyed floss on tea-dyed evenweave. One of my favorite finishes so far. This will be given a place of honor in my stitching room..if and when I get a stitching room...

My second finish was an oldie from my stash, Sparrow's Song from The Goode Huswife (and another lousy picture). This one I did on white evenweave with the recommended DMC, although I omitted the outer border. I am thinking about incorporating this finish into a small tote if I can overcome my laziness and dust off the sewing machine. I've been pretty good about buying charts this year so far...I admit I've acquired a few (only 3, actually) which is amazing since I pretty much want all the new BBD designs. I don't know how long this self-control will last...

Finally, my long-overdue 100-follower giveaway --now that I'm at almost 150 followers--which is also to celebrate DD's acceptance (with honors) to the school she had hoped to attend (I'm still getting used to the idea that my eldest will be a freshman in high school in a few short months)! It will be a bit of a surprise, mostly since I don't know everything that will be included at this point, but it will have one or two hand-stitched goodies made by me, a pair of Ginghers, charts, and miscellaneous stitchy items. To enter, 1) be a follower, old or new; and 2) leave a comment. Easy! I will leave this open until March 30 when a winner will be drawn.

Thanks very much for all your kind comments in the past. I am still having issues with my work computer so though I read all your blogs pretty much on a daily basis, you'd never know since I can't leave comments :( Hopefully I'll be able to resolve this problem soon! Until next time...