Retirement Bliss

You are gazing upon the image of a blissfully happy lady.  She retired on June 12, 2020.  She has become a gratefully happy and blessed recluse in her home.  She putters about her home engaging in whatever activity suits her at the moment.  These activities could include needlework, something vaguely resembling crochet, swinging in the sunroom watching the birds, squirrels, bunnies and chipmunks visiting the bed and breakfast facility in her back yard, reading, baking, reorganizing her kitchen, cooking, doing laundry, watching Ghosthunters on FYI channel and only on Mondays.  Most days she naps and plays a game or two on the internet and all days she is the person in the song "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men.  Yes, this blessed retired lady is ME!!!!!

So my Just Nan plan which was to stitch exclusively on Just Nan designs was foiled by the evilest of demons...boredom!  You see where I have stopped.  Yes I will be picking it back up but I would lay odds this beauty will not be completed for Christmas 2020.  The cuff is completed and I had begun the vertical rows.  To this point the lace I stitched in the cuff is my favorite.  The bead drama was well worth the trouble and I love the bead choices I have made.  

This was the culprit that diverted my single minded Nannyness!  It is an old Birds of a Feather design called Pink Hare Sampler.  I just had the chart and no color key.  I tried and successfully chose floss colors that I thought appropriate.  I even had some silk ribbon which was very lovely and fit the bill perfectly.  The button was in my stash and again perfectly matched the look I was going for.  

Do you remember Destiny?  This was a wonderful print which I found and had professionally graphed by someone on Etsy.  I started this about 3 years ago and after about 2000 stitches put it down.  After a blather with my bestie, the wise and lovely, Leslie, I picked it back up.  I am still working on it and have about 4000 stitches in it now. I am currently working on the window in the upper left of the design.  I have quite a ways to go before I bump into Joseph but I am still going strong and slow with it.  I am focusing on laying my floss strand perfectly down for maximum coverage.  This design is an image of love for me.  There are so many elements which speak to me such as his shadow foretelling Jesus's future and Him the spike in his hand which will eventually pierce his hands and feet.  The wood in the corner reminding me of the cross he will die on.  Then looking at His earthly father with the hammer in his hand.  Every time I look at this print I find it speaks to me in a way I haven't experienced or thought of before.  It is a spiritual peace for me. 

I can guarantee this will not be done, not this year or next either.  That is okay with me because I am a retired lady with plenty of time to enjoy what I want or when I want.

 I love poinsettias!  I was checking out the different cross stitch designs up for sale on E-Bay several weeks ago and found this lovely doily kit.  I bought it and was very tickled when it came in the mail.  The doily is soft aida and has a velour type texture and I love the flowers.  I can't tell you how old the kit is but I would say maybe late 1980's. It is a Willmaur Crafts Corporation kit.  The address says Willow Grove, PA.  Don't you love the name of that town "Willow Grove".  It conjures lovely images.  I think I may pick this up around November 1st.  It would be nice to have it finished for Christmas along with a platter with a variety of Christmas cookies I hope to bake.

I cannot promise to blog more often, don't forget, I am a retired lady and I never know what activity will capture my attention at any given moment.  God Bless you and may all your stitching be perfect!

Bead sweating decision made...whew!!!!!

This is the progress so far for my Roses for  St. Nicholas stocking.  I am really in love with it so far.  As you can see I have the beads placed and stitched in between the cabbage roses on the cuff.  That was a tough one.  I am such a failure when it comes to color theory and choosing the right colors.  I ultimately decided on Mill Hill seed bead #3034 Royal Amethyst.  These beads vary between a deep maroon purple and a blue purple depending on the light and the actual beads do vary in shade.  I chose the redder of the beads and they are a perfect match in shade to the deep maroon of the roses.  I did change the brighter gold bugle bead to a more tarnished gold bugle bead and they look perfect.  This is a vintage style stocking and the brighter gold did not fit my vision of what vintage looks like.  The bugle beads that I had purchased earlier this year had this more tarnished gold included in the 10 different colors I purchased.  SCORE!!!!!!

Here is a closer look at the bead flowers and it really shows the slight varied colors of the seed beads and the more muted appearance of the bugle beads.  

Here is an enlarged picture of my bead flower.  I love the way it turned out.  It was worth the angst and the time of stitching multiple flowers with the  different color combinations.  Seriously, they look completely different stitched in your piece then rolling around on your table top.

Here is a picture of one of 5 motifs that will vertically run down the stocking.  I did make an error which I discovered later, the pink crosses should have been stitched as Mosaic stitches.  This looks fine to me and I will just leave it as is.  The gold seed beads in the motif are Mill Hill 557.  They are more matte in shine, more vintage in appearance.  I didn't even look to see if I could find a Mill Hill seed bead in the tarnished gold color like the bugle beads.  The dark beads in the motif are the SJ Design's #21 and the color is Green Iris. 

I did not stitch much this past week, we had a huge tree limb come down on our roof and pierce it.  That was a drama I can live without.  Our roof is repaired and we have an inspector coming to see if we need a new roof.  The storm that blew through on Monday past had 70 mph winds, torrential rain and hail.  So much for a Midwest spring!  I wish all of you the gentle blessings of stitching and a strong roof over your head whilst you so so! 

Progress, gnashing teeth over beads again! The drama never ends.

So here I am for the third week in a row broadcasting all my stitchy deeds for the week.  Could a new habit be formed?  Nah-h-h, I won't cop to that quite yet.

So last week I shared my bead storage and today I am sharing pictures.  Here is what the cabinet looks like:

It is a pretty heavy cabinet which sits on the floor.  When you open the drawer you will see the front of the packages with the bead number.  The white round labels have the beginning bead number and ending bead number that are occupied in that drawer.

When you pull the drawer out and turn it around the round pink labels on the back of the package have the beads color name.  It helps out in selecting possible colors without having to pull each package out.  It works for me!

So the lace row is completed, cross stitches and eyelets.  It looks very pretty.

 Here is a closer look at it.

Even closer view.

I have removed the fabric from the hoop and placed it on some Q-Snaps and continued with the gridding before I start with the vertical rows on the stocking.  I am reassessing my choice of bead color for the Heirloom Red Plum beads.  After consulting with other Nannites on the Facebook page "Just Nan Junkies", I was told there are NO bugle beads in the embellishment package.  The difference is the shape of the seed beads versus the SJ beads.  Seed beads are more rounded like a ball and the Red Plum beads are more flat on the sides not as rounded, as if one just cut off a small piece of the bugle bead.  So I ordered more bead colors at SJ Designs.  Perhaps I will see them by the end of the week.  

My E-Bay win Just Nan's "Christmas Peace" came in the mail which was nice but I was sore.  The postman bent it like a taco to put in my mail box!  The seller did not put a piece of cardboard in the package to prevent this.  Perhaps it might have added to the weight and cost her more to mail?  However she didn't even write on the envelope not to bend or fold which would have cost NOTHING!  The leaflet is not damaged in a way that would prevent me from stitching it but it definitely has a rocker shape.  I am not happy with the seller at all!

I intend to get my gridding done by next weekend  so I can have the weekend to unwind floss and enjoy the ebb and flow of my stitching.  May your week be blessed as mine always are.  Ta-Ta!

Roses for St. Nicholas Progress and an exciting auction win!

Nellie bar the door, I think there is something the matter with me!  I have posted something a week apart rather then years or months!

We had a funky week weather wise.  Old man winter just doesn't understand we are sick of him!  Yesterday and today it was in the 60° range and earlier in the week it is very "frosty" as my Caribbean Prince calls it when he comes in from walking our dogs.  My lillies of the valley have tiny buds.  I do love how they smell and they are so delicate to the eye.

Yesterday on E-Bay I won a prize that I have been seeking for several months, Christmas Peace, an older Just Nan design.  I got it for a fairly reasonable price with the embellishment pak and free shipping.  I don't ever recall seeing this for sale in the shops.  However I fell in love when I saw a finish on the Facebook group "Just Nan Junkies"!  It is stunning.



Don't you agree?  I think at this point I have every Nan design I want.  I can really get down and stitch.

So here is a progress picture of my Roses for St. Nicholas stocking!

I stitched a good 4 hours with my bestie Leslie, via Skype.  I continued stitching pre and post nap also!  All the lace has been stitched to the left of the green tassel.  I also started the bit of lace to the right of the tassel, of which there isn't a great deal.  Next to be stitched will be the eyelets in the center of many of those holes in the lace.  They will make this row very delicate and pretty.

I had a moment or two when I was stitching the crosses that abutted the tassel and they weren't lined up like they should have.  I was so disgusted as I have made every effort with the gridding to place every stitch correctly.  Well I discovered a missed stitch just a few stitches back and it was all remedied.  I can just lose my cool in a second so I am glad this didn't end up in the corner covered in German Shepherd fur and cobwebs. 

I got all my Mill Hill beads reorganized again in my wooden cabinet I purchased years ago at Hobby Lobby.  The Mill Hill packaging fits perfectly in the drawers.  I took little pink labels and wrote the color name on it and adhered it to the package on the back.  They are organized by number but sometimes I am looking for the color names rather then numbers.  I can pull the drawers out and turn it around to quickly get the colors.

So that is it from the stitching capital of Missouri, here in my Happy Room.  Perhaps I will stun all again with another update, wouldn't that be unprecedented?!  God Bless and happy stitching!

Nannies, nannies and more nannies

It has been a while since I last posted.  No excuses just stating the obvious!  Spring has arrived and I am ever grateful.  My beautiful lilacs are blooming as well as my redbuds, dogwood and daffodils and paperwhites.  My peonies in the front yard are about 4 foot tall with flower buds. The peonies in the back are against the house are half that size, they don't get the full sun.  Hubby has already mowed the yard twice!

I want to plant some herbs and keep them in the sun room.  I have been busy working and stocking a pantry.  I want to get about a 3-6 month supply of basic food stuffs put back.  The craziness of the world, that I knew was there, has reared it's ugly head and made me realize I was dragging my feet.

My life has changed little in the past 2 months, still working and coming home each day.  Hubby works at the same place I am, we are contractors with the government.  I don't feel comfortable going any further with what I do.  As hubby has playfully suggested to the nosy, "if I told you I would have to kill you!"

So since this is a cross stitch blog, let's get to it. All my stash has gone down to the basement EXCEPT my beloved Just Nan designs.  I have bought a few older designs on E-Bay and Etsy, filling in my collection with designs which I wanted or have been recently seduced into wanting via the enabling process.  You know the drill....right?

So at the end of January I purchased an older pattern of Just Nan, "Heartfelt".  It doesn't have a copyright date that I can find but her design number is JN157.  It has 3-2"x 2" designs, "Forever Friends", "Happy Birthday" and "Love".  I wanted to stitch the "Forever Friends" for my best friend Leslie who lives somewhere in the wilds of the United Kingdom.  (I know exactly where she lives but for her own protection I will not divulge it.)

I stitched this on a light blue 28 count Zweigart linen that I had in my stash.  I changed the word "Friends" to "Besties" which I charted myself. I used all DMC floss and fortunately the blue sequin beads came with the chart.  It was finished on February 22, 2022. I love, love love how it turned out.  I had bought 2-2"x 2" frames at Hobby Lobby for 40% off however the design was a wee bit too big to properly show off the needlework.  So I went up and bought the 3"x 3" frame you see and I didn't really love it but it was the best I could find.  I washed, pressed and laced the design on foam core board.  I had to remove the glass from the frame to get it to properly close at the back.  I ADORE this.  It is filled with lots of love! You can also see on the side of the roses at the bottom of the heart I stitched over one a L in blue and an S in maroon.  It was a personal touch to the piece to add our initials.  I am still filling a small box with items and will soon enough go to the post office to wing it's way to the bestest bestie a stitchy girl can have.

 So this is what I am currently working on.  Roses For St. Nicholas is an older design from 1995.  I love the Victorian style of it and I have had the pattern forever.  Unfortunately I did not purchase the bead pack with this design and I have struggled trying to match beads.  I believe Nan used more then Mill Hill beads, I know she did use some SJ Designs beads.  The 2 mm bugle beads have flummoxed me totally.  6 mm beads are way too big, I did find some 3 mm bugle beads in a sampler package of 10 colors for $10.00.  I found a nice big piece of 28 count opalescent raw linen in my stash!  SCORE!!!!

I gridded with red perle cotton down the right hand side of the stocking with a tick to the left every 10 squares.  On January 18, 2020 I started it and this is how far I got by January 22.  You will see a purple Sulky Sliver metallic grid lines.  The rose you see came completely out and was restitched.  That is when I gridded with the Sulky.


This is the progress by February 22, 2020.  I had stitched "Forever Friends" between the last two pictures.


This progress photo shows the cuff completely stitched and I have started on the lace in the cuff of the stocking as of April 4th, 2020. At this point I had tried to put the bugle bead squares between the stitched cabbage roses and well it didn't work.  My counting was off because the cabbage roses weren't exactly alike as they should have been.  I wasn't about to tear all those stitches out so it took some pondering.

So here we are today April 12, 2020.  I tired of the lace and moved to the green tassel on the right.  I finished that today and added the gold beads at the throat of the tassel. The beads are sitting side to side with the holes at the top and bottom.  I am very picky about the position of my beads.  Position makes a world of difference in how the light reflects off of them.


Here you see I pondered well on the bead situation between the cabbage roses.  The red plum beads were called for as bugle beads, which I could not find a suitable substitution.  I am using Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads 02012.  The gold bugle beads are supposed to be round seed beads,  I am using 3mm Japanese Bugle Beads that I purchased thru CB Beads on Etsy.  Here is a link to the sampler pack I purchased: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/118526423/3mm-japanese-bugle-beads
I really love the colors I received and am sure I will use them over and over again.

Also on the above picture you will see I backstitched a square to help me properly place the next square of beads between the roses.  I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but the important thing is that I finally did think of it.

So far I have thoroughly enjoyed my stitching.  Getting the stash out of my Happy Room really helped me get out of that paralyzing place I was in.  Working on a variety of stitches in one piece is enjoyable and exciting to me and Nan's pieces fill that bill to the tee.

Most of my stitching is done on the weekends and I will make no promises but I will try to post updates a bit more promptly.  God Bless all and may all your stitching be just perfect!