Topic of the week for May 12th

Topic of the week: Which of these do you prefer to use when stitching? Why? Hoop frames, Q-snap frames, Laptop/Tabletop stand, Needlework Stand

This one is pretty easy for me as I've only used hoop frames and free hand. Currently, I have two projects sitting in hoop frames and one that I just started and am just holding in my hands. I've seen pictures of the Q-snap frames and would love to give them a try but don't want to spend a lot just to find out that I really am not comfortable using them. The Floor or laptop stands look like they would make it easier too but again..... I sit in my recliner with the foot rest up and have everything right next to me so I'm not sure if a laptop stand would be comfortable or not. I guess I should do a poll about these and see what everyone has to say.

On to stitching news.... I finally received the Astro's pattern in and was able to start it yesterday. Okay, here is a story about why you should NEVER assume anything. I was so excited to get the pattern that I quickly grabbed all the supplies and proceeded to cut my material to size. I didn't even think twice about cutting it; just added 4 inches to the total for the design size and started stitching. After a while I began to notice that I was going to be extremely close to my edge and thought uh oh did I read the design area wrong. No, I didn't but that is when I noticed that it didn't say what count of cloth was used. DUH! I should have picked up on that a little quicker but I have to chalk that up to being too excited to get Curtis' Father's Day present to stitch. I went back to this person's site and looked more carefully and sure enough it showed the stitch count and design size for several different count materials. The 14 count is what I am using and of course, that wasn't what they used. Oh well, I like the design so I can finish the part I started and keep it for myself. You know what they say about assuming right?! I think the only person looking like the derriere' here is me! Lesson learned.

Will attempt to take a picture of what I have done with the under the sea project and the new Astros' project and put it on here within the next day or so. (Notice I said attempt?!?!)

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. The only thing that could have made mine better was if I could have actually gone to see my Mom. With Logan being so sick for most of the week, I couldn't take the chance that I may carry the germs to her so we decided that I'd come visit her the following weekend. (AS long as none of the other children catch this horrible bug!)

I received my first gift about a week ago. Curtis bought be the Bronte sisters book collection! I can't wait to sink my teeth into those books! On Friday afternoon I received some beautiful tulips and a box of chocolates. I was nice and shared the chocolates with him but the flowers had to be put up on the window ledge in the kitchen because the kids kept trying to grab them to smell. Once the buds started opening I started enjoying the beautiful fragrance of tulips in my kitchen. I received the final Gilmore Girls season on DVD - now I have them all. I do love that show and really have missed it this year. Hopefully they will do a movie in a year or two to update us on the lives of this funny group. I also received the newest James Patterson book last week and of course, I read it. I believe that I read it during those nights when Logan wanted me with him but didn't want me to lay down. At least I was able to enjoy reading even if I was extremely groggy and irritable the next day! Curtis brought dinner home on Saturday and made us dinner last night. All in all, I'd say I was pretty darn spoiled for Mother's Day, wouldn't you??

I took some time last night after most of the children were settled for the night and got some stitching done. I hope to post an updated picture sometime tomorrow. Oh and I received the Astro's pattern so I can now start Curtis' Father's Day gift. At least, that's what I'm hoping I can get it done for, if not it's going to have to be his birthday gift. After I ordered this pattern I saw that this person had several other patterns for the Astro's so I'm going to be ordering from them again very shortly.

Topic of the week for May 5th

Okay, our topic for this week is: How did you choose the name of your blog and is there a special reason for it?

Hmmm, the name of my blog is Shut up and stitch! I guess you can say that I was a little disgusted with myself at that time as I hadn't stitched in over 10 years. I'd been wanting to get back to it but hadn't made any time to just sit down and stitch. For a couple of months I had been looking at my stash and telling myself that I was going to get started on the Thomas Kinkade kit that I had purchased two years before. Two months later I hadn't started it or any other project so I got a little upset with myself and just said, "Shut up and stitch already!"

I still have weeks where I don't get time to sit down and stitch but I at least have it all out and a corner near my recliner where most of it sits waiting for me to sit down and put in a few stitches. I've been away from it for a couple of weeks due to illnesses. First I got sick then the little ones and then the oldest came home with the stomach bug last week so that was another week shot. I'm hoping to set aside some time tonight to put a few stitches into the under the sea project. I'd love to get that finished as I'm waiting to receive the Houston Astros kit/pattern that I purchased on e-bay this past weekend. I have to jump right on that one as I want it completed and framed for hubby for Father's Day from the kids. He just recently had his office at work refurbished with all new furniture so some of the decorations that were in there before had to come out as they didn't go with the new color scheme. I know that once this project is finished and I have it framed that it will have a place of honor on the wall. Now, if I can just find the time "shut up and stitch!"

Topic of the week

Our topic for this week is to tell a little something about ourselves and add a picture as well. I just happen to have all my Mom's pictures that I'm hoping to scan into the computer and give out copies on DVD to the family so finding a picture wasn't hard. I didn't want to spend a whole lot of time looking through them because I've got to clean before Ryan's therapist gets here. I knew if I didn't get this done this morning I might miss this weeks topic.

This picture is of my two older brothers and me at our house in California. Now to the info about me as a child..... I was a tomboy when I was younger. I'd play cops and robbers and cowboys and indians with my brothers and the other boys on our street. I also didn't get along that great with my brothers but heaven forbid anyone try to pick on them. Yes they were older than me but I could give you a tongue lashing at the age of six or seven. I remember one time in particular; the neighbor was trying to start a fight with my oldest brother and I stood up to him. I got right up in his face and gave him a piece of my mind. I remember everyone started laughing and the fight never happened. The funny thing was no one gave my brother a hard time about his baby sister defending him; they all thought it was just a hoot that I could swear with the best of them. Yes that is all their fault too!!

Picture of the under the sea project

I didn't have all the thread needed to complete this project so my wonderful hubby ran into A.C. Moore the other day and grabbed me what I needed and an extra color too.

He volunteered to run in so we didn't have to drag the cranky toddlers into another store. My eyes have been acting up lately again so I mentioned that I needed to get some stronger reading glasses. He was near Sam's Club and ran in and grabbed two different types and brought them home to me. He wanted me to decide which I preferred and he would take the other pack back. He's such a wonderful man and yup he's a keeper; I think I'll keep him around for the next 50 or 60 years!!! LOL

Oooh more stitching time, can you believe it?!

I actually was able to get some stitching in this past week even though I have been fighting this nasty bug. The headache from a week ago this past weekend turned into the creeping crud. Of course, the kids also have it to an extent because no one will stay out of my face no matter what. Poor little Ryan sounded like a frog yesterday but still wanted to play for a while at least. His pictures were back so yesterday I took Marie and Katie with me to go pick them up.

It was a nice ride with the girls; both fell asleep on the ride so I had some quiet time for a little bit. When I left the house Ryan was just waking up from a short nap so I suggested that hubby pick him up and snuggle with him. It took us two hours from the time we left to the time we got back and little Ryan was still fast asleep in Daddy's arms. Oh what a cute pair they made. Poor Daddy's arm was falling asleep so I rescued him and snuggled with my little man. He woke up enough to say, "Me snuggle?" and promptly put his head on my shoulder and was snoring within a minute. There is nothing like a nice snuggle with your little ones!

Okay, back to the cross stitching now. In one of my previous postings I have a picture of a finish and someone asked who was the designer. I got it off the internet someone from one of the groups I'm in posted a link to her site for freebies. It's from anne-les-petities-croix. It was designed in January 2002 and it's listed as Grille 9" carre's on her site. I changed out a few colors because I didn't have what was listed but tried to get as close as possible to it. I'm now working on a freebie that I got from Michael's but I don't see a title for it. It's a pattern of a starfish with some other underwater things. I just needed something that I could stitch rather quickly so I could have the finish to boost my sad lack of finishes for 2008 (heck, my sad lack of finishes for 2007 for that matter!)

I've also been trying to find something from the Houston Astros to design for hubby and that hasn't been fun at all. I've tried to find a picture of the park to convert with my software but I don't think that's going to work until I get more proficient with it. I've also been trying to get their star logo with the Astros name but that's not converting well either. I know, I know it's the nut behind the computer that is causing that. I've only fooled around with the software a little bit since purchasing it and I know I need to get cracking so I'm comfortable with it. I had him print off the batting roster yesterday and was thinking maybe (please let me be able to at least design this!) designing the field with the names of each player in their appropriate area and if that works somehow get the logo on there too. I'd be happy with the field and names at this point but we shall see!

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

This is from the cross stitch group I'm in that has a topic of the week. Hmmmmm, what is my favorite guilty pleasure??? I think I'd have to say sitting in a nice big bathtub full of bubbles with a scented candle burning, reading a good book with a nice cup of coffee or tea sitting on the edge of the tub and maybe a bar of chocolate to dunk into the hot beverage. I know, I know taking a bath shouldn't be a guilty pleasure, but at our house it's a little different. With four kids, two of whom are autistic it makes for little relaxation time. I rarely get to have a nice relaxing bath away from everyone. So when I get to it's absolute heaven; even though I hear the kids (whomever is still awake at that time) screaming for something. All the while Daddy pulls his hair out trying to keep them all happy while I have some nice down time.

I have to admit that when I do get to have a nice bubble bath (Calgon take me away!!! you know those moments) that I make the water as hot as I can stand it. Well, maybe a little hotter than that and then I sit in there until it's almost too cool to stand it. I try to do that but most times life has a way of butting in to my down time. I take these "guilty pleasures" whenever I can as it's my only time away from the kids.

This life also makes it hard to find time to stitch but I've decided that it's my only way to take the stress level down a notch or two. I'm trying to set aside some time each night to stitch whether I do that the entire time or just for a few minutes, as long as I have some time to stitch I'm happy. I had a humdinger of a headache last night (which is still here this morning on a smaller scale thank goodness!) so I knew I couldn't do any stitching especially not my Thomas Kinkade. I decided to find another smaller pattern that would be a quick finish. I had a hard time with that so I have probably four to six patterns to choose from when my head calms down to a duller roar sometime today. Thank goodness it's Sunday!