Trick or Treat

Actually, it's more a case of performing a trick to win treat upon treat upon treat.  I have put together a package of Halloween and Fall charts that I have stitched.  I will mail the entire package to one lucky reader.  The drawing will take place on Halloween.

The charts included are:

Brightneedle's House On Booberry Lane
Counted Illuminations' The Goblin Market.
Cricket Collection's The Great Pumpkin Conspiracy
Fanci That's Fall Friend
Hands To Work's Harvest Blooms
Homespun Elegance's Country Spirits: Birds and Bees
Homespun Elegance's Country Spirits: Season's Retreats
Ink Circles' Celtic Beasties: Halloween or Knot
Jeanette Douglas Designs' Halloween Acorn House
La-D-Da Something Wicked

Please leave a comment noting why you enjoy stitching Halloween projects.  I will choose the winner based on the comment that tickles my fancy the most.  Hints:  I am a former English teacher, so eloquent prose always impresses.  But, then, I have a quirky sense of humor, so doggerel rhyme also pleases.    I also spent a few years teaching art, so imaginative use of graphics would be interesting.  I am something of a people watcher, so  write something that displays your personality to best advantage.  Unleash your imagination.  Express your inner flower child.  Go a little crazy.  Please.

I know it is rather arrogant to demand to be entertained in this manner.  But it has been a dreary week both on a personal front and on a weather front.  Like Emma at Box Hill, I need diversion.

Another Giveaway

It's been a while since I offered a giveaway.  The last was on October 18.  I have been going through some binders where I have stored some charts I have stitched.  There really is no earthly reason to hoard these charts.  I'll never stitch them again.  I'd rather pass them on to someone who will enjoy them.  Over the next few months I will stage a few themed giveaways.

So, first, some sampler charts:

Barrick Samplers' The Gilded Cage

Bent Creek's Acorn

Heart in Hands' Heart in Hand Sampler

Homespun Elegance's The Stitcher

Homespun Elegance's Witches Stitch, Too

The Twisted Stitcher's Pumpkin Gingham

As usual, I ask that you commit to passing these charts on to another stitcher once you are done.   It has been suggested to me that I allow myself to be taken advantage of by folks who just turn around and resell the charts I give away.  I reject that notion.  My experience has been that 99% of the folks I encounter are honest.  It's the folks who feel compelled to e-mail me about the supposed sins of others that I worry about.  In any case, once I pass a chart on it really belongs to the recipient to do with as he/she pleases.  Do I wish the recipients pass them on?  Certainly, but I choose not to worry about that which I can not control.

Leave a comment if you wish to participate.  You may put in requests for more than one chart and improve your chances of receiving something.  If clicking on your user name won't bring me to a profile that includes your e-mail address, include it in your post.  

Good luck to all.

Giveaway reminder

Just popping in with a brief reminder about my current giveaway of 8 brand new, never used charts.  Scroll down to the Oct. 6 post for more details and to leave a comment to participate.  Or click here.

Monday Medley

This was supposed to be posted on Monday but I have been dealing with a crisis at work that has consumed my attention.  Nothing else seemed important while we worked toward a resolution. 

First, the winning limerick.
There were so many creative and clever limericks that it was very difficult to choose from among them.  Only a few entries had to be disqualified because they didn't fit the rhyme and/or rhythm patterns of a true limerick.  In choosing the winner, Misty, my husband cited similarity to me as the reason for his choice.  The only difference is I take over the dining room table instead of the couch.  I have contacted Joanne today and the winner should receive an e-mail gift certificate soon.  Here is the winning limerick

A stitcher who lived in Vancouver
Sat on her couch and took over
Between fabric and floss
She was clearly the boss
And everyone had to move over.

Second, Pineberry Lane's Autumn on Marigold Lane.

I have made a great deal of progress during the past week.  But I still have a few decisions to make.  I don't really like the charted date, 1837, that brackets the urn above the fence.  I am wondering whether to a] replace it with 2014, b] replace it with my own initials or c] leave the space blank.  I am leaning toward leaving the space blank.

And, I have yet to choose a substitute for GAST Autumn Leaves.  I have pulled the following colors for a floss toss, from top to bottom: WDW Sweet Potato, GAST Burnt Orange and Crescent Colors  Persimmon.  I am not quite sure which I like best.  The charted Autumn Leaves has a color way from rust to rusty tan. None of these is an exact or even nearly exact match for the suggested fiber.  But that's not necessarily a problem.  I believe the shade that works best with what is already in place is WDW Sweet Potato.   With its muted rusty orange, it blends best with the mood of the piece.

Since, I wrote the above post, I have continued work on Autumn on Marigold Lane, with this result.  Even though I have only stitched one flower in Sweet Potato, I think you can see how well it is working.  I seem to be flying through this piece.  With just the cauldron, two black cats and 8 flowers to stitch, I expect this will be finished on Friday, making it a ten day stitch.  But no wonder.  I find it to be such a joy to stitch.  This is my second Pineberry Lane chart and I am loving it.  I look forward to starting my third one later this month: Tansy, Yarrow and Rue.  If any designer can tempt me to violate my no new chart purchases rule, it'll be Pineberry Lane.  But I am assiduously avoiding temptation by not visiting her website.

Chasing Away the Winter Doldrums

I thought I'd try and lift a few spirits with a giveaway of three charts that I enjoyed stitching last year.  First up is Prairie Grove Peddler's Lighthouses Candle Mat, second is JBW Designs Sampler Tree and finally, Cedar Hill's Berry Patch Rabbit. That way there is something for everyone: those who want a little bit of Summer, those who stitch Christmas year round, and those who like traditional designs adapted from medieval tapestry motifs.  My tastes are nothing if not eclectic.

Since it is evening and impossible to take an outdoor photo of the charts, I thought I'd show you my own finishes instead.

Please leave a comment below stating which chart you would like and why.  I will announce the winners next Friday.  The offer is open to all.    

And the Winner is

# 20, Melissa, selected by an online randomizer.

There were 22 entries to my blogaversary survey and the responses were rather interesting.

Let's take a look at the questions.  

How many blogs do you read regularly?  The answers ranged from a low of 2 or 3 to a high of 300, with most saying they read between 50-100.   [My answer:  There are 36 blogs on my reading list but since 3 of them haven't posted in a year, I guess the true number is 33.]

How much time do you spend reading blogs each day?  This also varied widely from approx. 20 minutes  to 3 hours daily, with most people noting that the time varied from day to day depending on how many bloggers were posting.  [My answer: less than a half an hour.]

What sort of content attracts you to the blogs you do read? For example:, photos, musings about the needlearts, the style or personality of the blogger, humor, etc.  Twelve of the respondents listed photos of stitching as the first priority, while six listed the personality of the blogger as the first priority and the two remaining listed sharing life experiences as a first priority.  It was interesting to note that almost all of those who made photos a top priority were quick to note that personality of the blogger ran a very close second for them.  [My answer: The personality of the stitcher and the stitching content are equally important to me.  I don't mind the occasional glimpse into the personal life of the blogger as long as stories about children, pets and the angst of daily life don't take over the blog.]

Do you enjoy message boards devoted to stitching?  If so, which ones do you read?  Ten of you don't bother with message boards but twelve of you do read them.  123stitch, sanman and a few others mentioned.  [My answer: I selectively read 123stitch at least four times a week and I do get involved in some of the discussions, stitch related and not.]

Do you use Facebook or Twitter to keep in touch with cyber friends who share your love of the needle arts?  This split right down the middle: eleven of you do and eleven of you don't.  [My answer: No nor will I do so in the foreseeable future.]

Do you belong to a stitching group that meets in real space and in real time and promotes person-to-person sharing?  Thirteen do not, many of whom would if there were a group available.  Nine do, one of whom belongs to six groups.    [My answer: No, but I have gone to stitching retreats which I have found to be a wonderful experience.  Since I am now off on Fridays, I am seriously considering approaching the folks at our local library about starting a group and meeting in their Community Room.]

A Small Giveaway

Anyone who has been reading this blog for the past few weeks knows that my main project for my stay-cation is de-cluttering my home.  But, before I broke for summer recess, I did a bit of de-cluttering at work.

The building in which I have my offices and hold my classes used to be the parish school.  When the parish school closed its doors in 2008, rather than take the time and trouble to clean out the building properly, the principal and staff of the school just dumped everything they couldn't give away in the old computer room.  I am trying to empty it out and fit it up to be used as a small meeting room or extra classroom.  

 One of my finds as I went through all sorts of dusty shelves, bins and boxes, were these rather nice plastic templates which I thought might come in handy for ornament making in various shapes: oval, round, square, rectangle, triangle and diamond.  I kept a few for myself and will offer two stitchers chosen at random from the comments below the remaining templates.  If you think these templates would help in your own ornament finishing, just leave a comment about the type of ornaments you like to make: Christmas, Halloween, patriotic, Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving or other.  I

tend to make ornaments for most seasons as I like to keep my wrought iron ornament tree on display in my entry hall year round.  And I anticipate using these templates to give a bit of variety to my ornament finishing.  Even if I need the shapes to be  a bit larger, I can always trace them out and blow them up using the enlarging feature on the photocopier and still have perfectly formed shapes with clean lines.  I haven't quite managed to build up an adequate collection yet for Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, and summertime in general.  I have a fair amount of patriotic ornaments, though I could use a few more.  And I have more than enough Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween ornaments to fill the tree.

I'll make a selection and post the two winners on August 4th.