Psstt...There is a cool give away on Deb's blog, Thread Gatherer....Cool that is if you are hoping for a great "frog" to hold your scissor collection in...! Check it out!~~~http://threadgatherer.blogspot.com
...Faye

A week of friendship!

Can I just say how sweet, innocent and hilarious first graders can be! Our lesson the first week of school always centers around friendship and how to become someones friend. Little 5 and 6 year olds truly have to be shown how friends treat each other and what you need to do to be a good friend to others. Its always something MOST know about, but it always seems like there are some who need to be shown....A very enriching time for us adults in the classroom because we see the little ones getting to know one another and how hopefully this is the building block for a lifetime of good friendships...

This leads me into a very big THANK YOU to Cathy B of "With Needle and Thread"...Cathy read my blog a few days back and saw that I had commented that my LHN kit had shorted me in my brown floss...She emailed me and very graciously mailed me the floss...and even included some "reds" to add to my collection.....I have not actually met Cathy nor have I spoken to her on the phone...she is a friend I have gotton to know through this wonderful forum of blogging and stitching. Now THAT is what friendship is all about! We as a collective group are so fortunate to have one another...So to Cathy and all my stitching friends, Thank you being out there for me!!

Have a great weekend and make contact with a friend that you may or may not have talked to in a while....or spend time with your best friend like Phillip and Truffles are doing....Oh, and happy stitching everyone!! Faye

Shores and a Quaker too!

Well, here is a little post of the progress I have made this week on SoHRH...It is so much fun! I realize I am only on square 1...and ask me when I have gotton to about square 6 how I feel..right?? So, I figured I would mingle quickies as I go along...And, I came up with the doing the ....

Quaker Lady for my diversion....Just like SoHRH I am doing it on 40ct...I decided to go with GAST threads: Holly Berry and Dark Chocolate. The Holly Berry reminds me of the faded red I like to use at Christmas...just is a toned down muted red that is not too bright or not too cranberry either. Anyway, this one will be fun to migrate to when I need a change of pace...So, finally tomorrow is Friday...first week of school under my belt with the darlings....I am so looking forward to this weekend!! Happy stitching everyone!! Faye

My last summer design is done!

First let me say that I hope that everyone on the eastern shores are spared the wrath of Hurricaine Bill. I know the upper eastern states should be of most concern however storms and the sea are unpredictable. And for those daring surfers who are now catching the magnificent waves as a result of the storm, may they be safe and spared from the rip tides.

With that said, I present to you my latest finish by Country Cottage, Bayside Bungalows which I have "made it my own" by altering to Beachside Bungalows...I have a place by the beach not the bay, so I thought I needed to tweek things...And, I did leave off the last tan row of stitches at the bottom below the waves because I did not have enough thread in my thread pack. I noticed when I bought the graph (which came with the threads) that the brown had one less strand of floss than the others...oh, well, not a biggie...so I just left that row off...I have a great white frame to put this in and it will be ready to hand at the beach house!!

So today I get to sink my needle in the linen and start Shore of Hawk Run Hollow. I am so excited! I have reviewed the chart and have decided to go ahead and start in the first block, top left corner...I am looking at this project as 12 mini projects just so it doesn't become overwhelming. I am SURE I will have to do a few quickies along the way just to get that great feeling of accomplishment that we all strive for...

So, here's hoping everyone has a safe and happy weekend as our summer days wind down.

Faye...ps- My classroom is lookin' good and ready for my 17 first graders to arrive on Tues!!Whew!~

Exchanges done and a new project...Another one!!

Well...been a while since posting but I have been extremely busy with making 2 pieces for exchange groups I am in. And I actually have gotton them finished and sent~! Whew! Feels good...now I can focus on some ornies for the Pals retreat and yes, I have gotton fabric and the graph "Shore of Hawk Run Hollow" in as of today...so..another start I see coming my way!! Love the soothing colors in the piece. I decided to use NewCastle 40ct Summer Khaki with the DMC flosses....My LNS got things right on out to me...so if you are ever in Raleigh NC , please stop in at Lazy Daisy and see Sarah and her staff. They are all great!

Teachers and staff went back to school yesterday to get things ready for school to start next Tuesday...can't believe it is time to welcome in another batch of little ones, but August is over half finished..Soon the leaves will be withering and turning...and it will be time for Tarheel football...(I know, but my DH grew up in Chapel Hill...) I can feel that fall crisp air right now!! Bring it on! Happy Stitching everyone~~~ Faye

Two exchanges received .. Thank you!~

I was so thrilled to open two packages this weekend!! The Lizzie Kate piece was beautifully done by Michele in the Fair and Square Exchange. I absolutely love it and soon it will be finished off for my patriotic basket...Thanks so much Michele! Your work is just lovely!! (And the sand dollar from the west coast is awesome.)

AND, I got the cutest pillow from Lisa V in the HoEtoo Exchange! ALL the way from Australia! Everyone knows I cherish every piece of LHN and the Summer House is adorable. I especially like the way you finished it with the red rosettes in each corner. Thanks so very much!!



Heres to hoping everyone has a really super week! Stay cool!! Faye

Letters and Leaves with Splendor~

Good morning everyone!! Just a quick post to show off the little sampler I made yesterday...I had bought some Splendor silks from Tommye at Angelwings Needleworks when in Southport the other day....not being familiar with Splendor, I wanted to make up a quickie to see how the cover. It did appear to be slightly thinner..but using 1 thread on 32 ct was no problem. I thought the coverage was nice...so just info I wanted to pass along....The chart is actually an old freebie I got from my LNS some time back as a compliment graph... Well, its tax free weekend here in the Carolinas so I am off to tackle the crowds, pick up a few things for Phillip and people watch!!!(Thats the best part!!!) Faye

New stitching friends and a finished Quaker Alphabet

I really must share my wonderful experience from yesterday. A few days ago I received a post from a lady by the name of Tommye who lives in NC..long story short..turns out she works at a LNS about an hour from Cherry Grove SC in Southport NC...(if you are ever near there, check out Angelwings Needleworks..) anyway, her stitch group was meeting last night..so what was a curious stitcher to do but get in the car and go check things out!! Turns out Tommye and I attended NCSU at the same time, lived in the same dorm with only 1 floor separating us and that we share the love of many of the same cross stitch designers...I will say that Tommye is a lovely person and I am so envious that a); she is a former shop owner and b); she is retired and gets to work p/time in a stitch shop now!~ How lucky would I be to be in her shoes!~LOL..anyway, we hit it off immediately. So, listen up ladies, there are many of us out there who share the same passion and eventually your paths may cross with one another when you least expect it!!! Oh, go check out Tommyes blog: stitchingandbeading.blogspot.com and her etsy....All her work is absolutely beautiful!

So, yesterday a.m. I was able to tie up the loose ends on the Quaker Alphabet by La-D-Da. I really liked the way it turned out. It will be a good companion piece to the La-D-Da I finished Monday..Live, Love, Laugh....I chose to make this one on 30 count dyed Weeks fabric....used 2 strands of Belle Soie (using 1 was not enough coverage for me!) colors: Cranberry and Moss...Using 2 made the design bold, but I liked the intensity....so, Amy, if you are reading, that Weeks fabric I bought from you was a hit with me!~ Let me know what you think!

Sorry this post got so long, but I couldnt resist the story....going to be a hot one again today at the SC beaches...I only have 9 days until I need to head on back home to Southern Pines and ready myself for my new crop of first graders....I am so lucky to be showered with hugs from all those little darlings!~~ So with Aug 18 being my first workday back at school...yikeees, that is just around the corner!!

Happy Stitching everyone! Faye

Live,Love,Laugh is done!~

Well......Last night I finished the La-D-Da I started on Friday.....Let's just say, I fell in love with it and couldnt put it down!! The Gloriana's that Jolene sent with it were a deviation from the specified threads, but I loved those she picked out. I stitched it on 32 ct Flax Belfast using Gloriana Charcoal, Olive Grove and Cinnamon. I had sooo much fun stitching it up! Thanks again Jolene for the wonderful giveaway from you that I won...I will think about it each and every time I see this piece and how fortunate I was to have received it from you!! Happy stitching everyone!!!! Faye