Miss Mary mack mack mack is quite big big big

Miss Mary Mack
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

I guess after all my smalls and over ones, She just looks huge to me. I am doing Miss Mary Mack (La di da) on 32 count english rose linen. and the patterns says it will be 8 1/2 in, by 8 1/2 in. but i thinks she looks like she will be bigger than that. One upside, she is stitching up very fast.

In other news I got the new JCS ornament issue yesterday. I was excited to see that the preview ornaments from a couple of issues ago are not repeated here, but have their complimentary versions. I think I will do Jeanette Douglas's first to be the back of the one I completed already.
I found that I want to do about 7 of these ornaments.:
Blackbird Designs, Moss Creek Designs, Hands to Work, The victoria sampler,Jeanette Douglas,Jemini Designs, and Brittercup Designs.

I was surprised at how many of these ornaments look totally phoned in. At least five of them look like " oh crap I have to have an ornament designed for JCS tomorrow" procrastination. There is always one or two, but this year there seems to be more than usual. Or am I just becoming more picky with age?

Stitching picture!

Bent Creek Angel of Joy
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Finished this last night. Bent Creek's Angel of Joy . It was in the 2000 JCS ornament issue. I love the little twisty arms. I used some old Dye is Cast threads. I especially like how the green (Basil) came out.

Sorry the photo is fuzzy. Does anyone know of a point and shoot digital camera that can take macro photos without a flash and be in focus??? seriously, I am so taking stitching in with me next time I go shop for a camera.

Annabeth Picture!

DSCN2063[1]
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Here Max is just biding his time, he knows the human puppy will be done with her snack soon and can move in for the scraps

As things stand now.

Hello every one, I think it is time for a Annabeth update, and a stitching update (without pictures, sorry)

We headed to the Drs (plural) last week. Her ped and her neurologist. My skinny minny has only gained 3 lbs in the past 3 months, for a total of 21 lb 5 oz, but has shot up 2 inches to 32 inches. thats right folks, we are in 18 month onesies but in 9 month pants. Her neurologist was happy to see her crawling, but unfortunately told us to not expect her to walk till 21- 24 months, sigh. I can tolerate her not walking...its the people asking us why or telling us how thankful we should be that she isn't yet, like they did before she crawled. Well let me tell you something, having her crawl is a joy to behold, It is soooo wonderful to see her get what she wants and to get where she wants to go. She doesn't get into much and listens when you tell her no (she crys about it...but stops doing it). I can not wait to see her walk and run.

I have 2 stories for you. Ian was sitting with her in the front room, and i went to the bathroom to run a bath. the minute she heard the water she dropped her toy and headed down the hall and into the bathroom, right up to the tub. (she LOVES running water) It was so wonderful to see her pop her head around the corner (i did not know she left daddy) and come to me.
The second story was Sat. when she and I were in the front room playing. Well she was playing, I was reading a magazine or something. She decides to leave the room following the dog i guess, and I hear her play with toys in the other room, then it gets very quiet (maybe 5-10 min later). Usually you know quiet=trouble, but I found her sitting in the kitchen with nothing around her, just staring at the back doors. When I called her name and she saw me she began to cry. I had no idea why she cried at the time, but now I think she thought I left, and was waiting for me to come back (just to be clear here...I have NEVER left her alone in the house, but she does know the door we use when we leave). How sad is that!
She is becoming attached to her blanket, so far i can get her to leave it in the crib...we will see how long that goes on before it is carted all over creation.

Stitching news:

Let's take a look at the updated list for 2008:
Here it is, if ithe project is done it is in yellow. "resting" in a drawer is in green, and active WIP in Blue.


1. Simple Gifts, Homespun elegance
2. Mitten Games, Crossed Wings
3. Little Angel in the Clouds, Heart in Hand
4. A is for acorn and B is for Butterfly, Erica Michaels
5. Nine Patch Village, Brightneedle
6. Four Trees, Bent Creek
7. Dragonflies, ladybugs, and bees, oh my!, M designs
8. Blackbird Sampler, Blackbird designs
9. Rune Sampler, Enchanted Needle (May)
10. For the Birds, Drawn Thread (May)
11. Blessings, JBW designs (Oct)
12. Grand Old Duke, Arelate Studio
13. Birth Sampler
14. Miss Mary Mack, La Di Da
15. Four seasons ornament series, Prarie Schooler JCS Mags (2007)
16. Quaker Diamond, Hillside Samplings
17. Puppy Dog Row, Bent Creek
18. Pumpkin Patches, Full Circle Designs
19. Halloween House Sampler, Drawn Thread
20. Ringlet Tree, Marilynn and Jackie’s Collectibles
21. Snowman Needleroll, M Designs
22. Just a Little Snowman ornament from Twisted Threads JCS Mag
23. Angel of Joy ornament from Bent Creek JCS Mag
24. Mimi's desk weight Olde Colonial Designs
25. Jeannette Douglas christmas ornament 08
26. Santa's cottage Mary Englebright

Not including a scissor fob i did for an exchange this spring , and floss tag that I am doing for a current exchange, I have done 13 of 25 projects for the year...not bad, but I do not think I'll be able to complete the other 12 in the next 3 months. I am considering dropping the ringlet tree (I don't like it as much now) and I am already looking at what I want to do next year.

I am doing the ornaments that i had kitted from old JCS ornament issues now just to get the small stuff out of the way, so I can have room for other smalls when the NEW JCS ornament issue apears later this month.

Halloween finishes

Halloween House Sampler
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

First up is my Halloween House Sampler by The Drawn Thread. I am really not happy with this. First there were two sets of Initials on the model, but I am not sure who else's initals I could of put in here, so I just centered mine, and it looks a bit off. Then as I mentioned before the white kinds of blends in to my fabric, so it is tough to see. and finally it came out smaller than i thought it would, so it won't work in the fabulous frame I had in mind for it. What do you think?

Possible frame?
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Next up is a piece that i stitched YEARS ago, like in 2000. House Haunting by Shepherd Bush, It is finished in the model as a bag, I tried that and was not happy so it sat in the drawer for 8 years. I bought Judy Odell's instructions for a stuffed stand up this summer. They were excellent (I still think her booklets are a bit overpriced at $18 each!) and i learned a new finishing stitch that i can use on my ornaments too, a modified ladder stitch. I can teach it to you but it will cost you at least $6.

So I am pretty happy with it, for a first try. I am going to add ribbon, or buttons, or something to dress it up a bit

House haunting by Shepherds Bush
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Side view
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Halloween house

Halloween house
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Currently I am working on Halloween House Sampler by the Drawn Thread. I saw this over one in a LNS and loved it. It was on my wish list for a while and someone sent it to me shortly after A. was born with all the NN thread that it called for. (I never found out who it was , but Thanks again!). I am doing it over one on 28 count. The only thing I don't like so far is that the white is not showing up well on the fabric, it maybe too light. Oh well. I am too far along now.

Crawling!!

crawling
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist

As many of you know , we have been waiting with bated breath these many months for A. to start moving.

She has the gift (curse) of inheriting my ability to put my feet over my head. Benifitical for joining Cirque de Soleil, but not so good for developing gross motor skills. she did not sit strongly till 9 months, and now I am pleased to announce Annabeth began crawling at14 months and 27 days (for those who are not parents, most babies crawl between 8 and 10 months). While not technically a milestone in a pediatritions book, it is in ours!! We are hoping that now that her hips are tighter, enabling her to crawl, walking will not be far behind.

This development has been like a switch flipped, she can now go from back to stomach to sitting up to crawling and reverse that process. She could not do this last week. She did bits of the process...but now she needs no assistance any step of the way. It is strange to go in and get her in the morning, and she is sitting up playing in her crib...something usually seen at 5-6 months.
This snippit of crawling was taken on Friday (3 days after the first attempt), and now 4 days later she can cross a room, but she has not gotten very speedy yet, that may take another 3 days.