Stop and Stitch the Roses

I had an unsuccessful Christmas shopping trip yesterday where I bought nothing more than stocking stuffers (World Imports). I stopped at Joanne's to buy fabric to back a Christmas pillow, but there were 15 or so people in front of me at the cutting table, so I put the bolt back and...er...bolted. I don't enjoy Joanne's anyway, so it will force me on my vacation to go to Chantilly or 7 Corners and shop at G Street Fabrics. If you sew or quilt and live in or visit NoVa/Maryland, a stop at G Street is a must, although Exquisite Fabrics in Georgetown truly measures up to their name as well, so maybe I'll take a lunch hour or two or three and go there. Figuring my problem was that the big-box stores aren't what I'm looking for, I headed into the little city of Fred to shop in the little independent stores. I dithered over a live tree, pining for the 10-foot tree standing alone on the lot at Roxbury. Do-able with my 20 foot ceilings, but not in my average size sedan. So I grabbed a couple of huge amaryllis bulbs and called it a day. I looked at Christmas napkins and tablecloths and couldn't decide. I looked at little handmade bears and decided I was the only one I knew who needed a handmade bear, so I gave that a miss (edited to add: if I had time, bear-making (well, really, rabbit-making) and quilting and maybe an expansion of my knitting skills would be craft numbers 2, 3 and 4). I stood around the used book shop and looked at appealing and originally expensive cookbooks, now $10-15 apiece. Should you ever give a used book, however nice? Probably not. I thought of buying one for myself, since I much prefer to read about cooking than do it. So it was with a little sigh of both impatience and anticipation that I went to the LNS and my trip became more successful

I had enjoyed the Kreink adventures and decided I needed more sparkle and to stitch some ornaments. Or maybe just AN ornament. I have nearly finished "July," and I contemplated making the little red crab blue for the Maryland blue crab that we eat in the summer.

A little red crab in this area is a little cooked crab. I decided to sparkle him up a bit instead of turn him blue/green, so I bought some colorful (red, pink, gold, blue variegated) Kreinik blending filament for him. I think he turned out well.

I've started a snowflake from the pattern I received--Papillon Creations. PC gives you not only a beautifully charted main project but a bunch of little side projects as well. I used the snowflake from the front of the pin tuffet pattern, and if I have time, I might stitch a second one from the tuffet back. I'm using NPI 991BB (white) plus a strand of clear/white Kreinik blending filament. I'm using 40 ct Lakeside in blue something-or-other.

Here's one bit of stash that I bought. This is by Marie Driskill of Blackberry Lane Designs, and it's called "Rose Marie." This is the same designer who created the tiny squirrel project that I haven't completed since I need to do a bit of frogging. Like "Squirrel," this pattern calls for tons of DMC colors and is stitched over one on 40 count. I won't be doing over 1 on 40 count, but I may do over 2 on 45 count. I'd love to do it in time for a Christmas ornament, but I suspect I won't be able to.

I've been steadily cleaning and 1-800-Got-Junk came today to haul away some stuff we didn't need, so I'm making progress at home, even if I haven't decorated. I've made the rounds of your blogs and I'm in awe of your talents as designers, stitchers, sew-ers and decorators. Most inspiring!

Pink wants me to read "The Night Before Christmas," and tell the story about how he came to live here at Christmas two years ago.

Happy week ahead--and remember to stop and stitch the roses!