Cross Stitch – Page 3 – nicole.groudasfamily.com

Noreaster weekend

Well the weather did not agree with our weekend plans but we blustered on (pun intended). Saturday we ran errands to start and planned to put the copper over the diningroom windows but the rain started early. So instead we stuck with just doing windows this weekend.
We took out 3 of the 6 livingroom windows, covering the spaces with plastic (which didn’t hold up so well) and sheets to keep the heat in. We got the sashes sanded and primed (inside and outside).
Sunday, after a night worrying about losing power (and heat) with 3 windows taken out (didn’t get much sleep), we ended up having power all day. We got both coats of exterior paint on the 3 windows and by 7pm we were putting them back in (thank goodness).
Besides snow cleanup and the painting Sunday we really just relaxed, I got a ton of stitching done on my autumn maiden (she still doesn’t look like much yet though). And I got packed for CA (including some stitching).
Now it’s bedtime with a very early wake up call to make my flight!

3 of the cupola windows, back in for winter

Ryan replaced the drain with an oil-rubbed bronze one he found online so it matches our faucet finally!

Stitch weekend?

Originally planned as a get-a-way stitch weekend with my friend Sarah, we both got busy and never got around to booking anything. Turned out just fine however, we spent Saturday together, mostly stitching and got to meet up with some of our other stitching friends for a few hours as well.

Stitching progress on Celtic Banner:

Compass is officially done, mostly I worked on the border

Ryan had to work all weekend, although he did make it home in time for dinner Saturday and Sunday they evacuated the building (9/11/11) so he came home to work for most of the day.

Sunday turned out pretty productive for me, I watched a movie in the morning since I was up early and it was too chilly outside yet. Then after taking Fitz for his long walk I worked on window panels. I decided to do everything I could reach without a ladder (the ladder had a HUGE spider web on it – wasn’t touching it!). Plus the vertical panels really need 2 people anyhow.

So I got the window sill in all around the rest of the diningroom panels, then finished the lower panels.

DSCN1519 — The large diningroom window just needed the flat panel part added in and the sill finished.

DSCN1518 — The back window just needed the sills finished, the vertical pieces put in and the panel added. The back panel I had to do entirely.

I was very happy with how long this took (not too long) but it was a LOT of back and forth (inside to cut and back out) so it tired me out. So once I was done I decided a nap was in order (Fitz agreed), then I wandered upstairs to do a little sewing. I made some more progress on the Tangled costume for Maia. I re-did the top (and now it works) and started on the skirts. I’ll post some pictures this week after I make a bit more progress on it.

Now it’s time for bed and a full work week starting tomorrow. I’m very glad I had such a relaxing weekend!

Celtic Compass

I’ve been continuing to work on Celtic Banner when I have free time and it’s coming right along! I had to take a picture before I scrolled so I could complete the compass. This is my progress as of Sunday night.

My goal is to finish the compass before putting this piece down and getting back to Autumn (probably just in time for Autumn).

Celtic Banner

Finally a picture of what Sarah and I worked on Saturday. We are both stitching Celtic Banner, using a green color scheme but she’s using pinks for contrast and I’m using just purples, not being a pink fan myself.

Celtic Banner Recap

We started stitching Celtic Banner in August of 2006 on a long weekend in Maine. I continued to work on it about once a week through 2006, finishing up the alphabet in December.

In August 2007 we went back to Maine for a long craft weekend where we continued working on Celtic Banner, I finished up the next 2 motifs after the alphabet there…

In 2008 I did not go up to maine due to the wedding (and I didn’t really stitch due to wedding preparations) so Celtic Banner sat on the side lines waiting for my life to slow down a bit again.

In 2009 it was back to Maine for our long weekend of stitching! And stitch we did! Lots of progress was made.

And that brings us to the present unfortunately. I did actually stitch more than what is shown above, that big knot was almost finished when I picked up the Banner on Saturday.

So after our Saturday stitch I finished up that big knot in the center and Sunday and Monday night I worked on the border and then started just a bit of the compass below it.

2011-07-18_22-52-05_30 — Current progress!

Once that compass I’m working on is done I’ll be done with page 3 and started on page 4 (4 page pattern!). The end really is in sight. I’d like to keep working on this piece for a while, at least till I get ambivalent to it, right now it’s the only thing I ‘want’ to stitch so i’m sticking to it!

Celebrations!

It’s that time of year again! I took a class Thursday afternoon called Autumn Gifts which introduced this string art technique. It was a neat technique and I really like the center motif which I replicated in green on our practice piece. I haven’t started the full piece yet, we just practiced all the stitches.

I didn’t get to do any shopping this year and couldn’t make any other classes so this was my shortest celebrations experience but we’ve had such an eventful weekend that I haven’t actually been able to miss it much. i do look forward to hearing about the class my friend Sarah took and I’m hoping to have some time to work on some stitching this weekend.

Stitch Night

It’s been a while but I finally made it to stitch night with my friends last night and stitch I did! It’s coming along slowly but there’s a bit more progress on Autumn in my garden!

And tonight is a date night – a date to install baseboards – can’t wait! In the meanwhile I’m working from home while I hide from the snow. At some point I’ll go out and do some snow cleanup but for now it’s cozy warm in my office 🙂

Curtains

Well this weekend went by pretty quickly. Since we’re on hold with the insulation we have to keep the livingroom/diningroom empty. This meant my plans to move the tables out of the gym to start crown molding did not happen (no place to put the tables until we can use the diningroom again). However Ryan had to work all weekend any how so we wouldn’t have gotten much done. He stayed home Friday to clear snow off the many lower roofs but had work to make up the rest of the weekend. The snow clearing on Friday went well though and the warm spell we had really cleared things up even more.

So I mostly relaxed, did some stitching and some sewing. Sunday I got started on the curtains for my sister. I’m making lined tab-top curtains with a white/green polka dot fabric. Then I’ll make a solid green shade that matches and a cute valance. First up was the curtains and I got one panel finished, the second one close to finished. There are 2 windows in the room so I still have 2 (and a half) more panels to finish up before I can start the valance or shades.

Anyway, here are my progress pictures from this weekend:

DSCN0908 — Progress on Autumn in my Garden

DSCN0907 — One curtain panel done (hanging) and one in progress (on table).

The curtains so far have been easy and fun. I haven’t decided on the style shade yet but I did decide I don’t need blackout lining or anything. If I hold the lining, curtain fabric, lining, shade fabric all up together they definitely block out the light. So I can use the regular lining I have for both curtains and shades.

This week – friday probably – we’ll get the insulation finished hopefully and next weekend resume work on the house. I’m looking forward to it!

A little stitching

2 weeks in a row now I’ve gotten a little stitching time while over visiting Uncle Mark and Aunt Mo. Autumn in my Garden is coming along. I started this piece a while back. It’s on 40 count fabric and I knew I should use one strand of thread however there are blended colors so I tried 2 strands for a bit to see how I liked it – i hated it – it was tough to stitch (too dense) on the 40 count. So i pulled it all out (except for the word Autumn which is still 2 strands right now). I started over with 1 strand, the blended parts I use one color for one leg and the second color for the top leg of each stitch. I’m loving it now.

2011-01-27_12-16-32_690 — Autumn in my Garden progress

I think I want to get some scroll rods for this piece. I enjoy using them on Celtic Banner (which I haven’t stitched on in years!) and I didn’t like using the q-snaps on this piece. So I think Joann’s will be a trip I made in a night or 2. Holding this much fabric in hand is difficult and I think I’ll stitch faster with scroll rods.

Quite a snow day we had today, I made it in to work though so I must get back to it. Tonight I plan to finish quilting the snow flake blocks and tomorrow finish up the border!

Some crafts

I’ve gotten a few nights now of working on crafts! It sure has been a while. Wednesday night over at Uncle Mark and Aunt Mo’s I worked on my cross stitch project while Aunt Mo quilted. Then last night I started quilting Mom’s quilt for her. I’m using my own machine and it’s not going too badly at all. I got 1 of the 9 blocks quilted 🙂

I’ll probably do a bit more quilting tonight but this weekend we’re headed down to my sister’s in CT to help paint a spare room they’ve been refinishing. I plan to hit Joann’s down there and get some new fabric too! I am definitely in a quilting/sewing mood!

And the snow is still coming down. We cleaned up the first 6 inches that hit this morning but it hasn’t stopped coming down yet. I’ll probably have to do another round of shoveling myself before Ryan gets home 🙂

A little cross stitch for the holidays

My tiny bit of sewing for Christmas this year included an ornament for Aunt Mo and finishing up a small ornament that I stitched a few years ago for myself. (Just had to had to add the cording to that one).

Also in stitching news, Tuesday I went down to Hoops and Needles with my friends for their after xmas sale! I picked up a few patterns 🙂

We had a wonderful Christmas with family but got home late on Monday due to the snow storm. Tuesday I went shopping while Ryan worked, then Wednesday Ryan woke up with a cold, I have been fighting one as well but it hit Ryan harder. Hopefully the rest of our vacation is a bit better.