Well that didn't go like I thought on a Slow Sunday...

 Hello... well I thought I was going to have a ton of time to be crafty and productive last week and that isn't at all how it went... it started in Sunday when it rained twice... totally NOT forecasted ... but it was lovely for my garden... and it started my week off on a great note... Monday was quiet and Tuesday Elliott was here... we had a very nice day... and then the wheels fell off ... I was suppose to have financial meeting Wednesday but it got rescheduled...and then my cleaning lady ,who I haven't seen in months as she's been sick, called me out of the blue and said she could come and  clean... so she did... and then Delinda called and said my latest  quilt was ready for pick up but the only time we both could meet was that afternoon, so a trip to Springboro ensued... Thursday had errands and a spur of the moment dinner invitation from friends ... and Friday finally got a little less hectic...  but Saturday turned into one of those days where you get up, do a few errands, some one stops by and  the next thing you know it's 6pm... where did the day go??? and yes having even one engagement a day seems busy to this retired slug... I like staying home, as long as it is my choice... don't tell me what to do, as I'm immediately oppositional ... I'm stubborn ... and I've always been that way... probably not going to have any major change at this stage of my life... 

So all of that was to say I got hardly anything crafty done and feel like I was very unproductive... that Christmas quilt I've been working on has gotten no attention... I did sew up a couple more American Jane spool blocks ... I like them but still need another 8 of them...

As for cross stitch... I didn't even pick up the Noel Sampler... instead I did put a couple of stitches in one of the Prairie Schooler A Prairie Year  pieces...

I told you it was just a couple of stitches... not lying... this is going to be the clock for January... I changed it from red to brown. 

And then I got distracted with this chart... Vibrant Flowers by Kathy Barrick...  I like the house with the giant flowers and I may get around to stitching it, but I bought the chart for the little pillow piece.... I love the saying and with  a slight change of hair color the garden gal will be adorable... I'm gonna make her a red head... LOL... but I still have a ways to go...oh I'm doing this in the called for DMC conversion. 

I was able to get my patriotic stuff put away and Nick helped me to get out my chicken decor... and it putting out my displays I realize I have a nice amount of chicken knickknacks but I really could use a bit more cross stitch... soooooooooo I went on 123 Stitch and these gals just arrived in my mail box ....

they are too stinking cute and all of them have names that speak to me... Beatrice was my SIL's mother name, a very sweet lady... Florence was my aunt's name... Hattie to me is puppet on the Uncle Al show from my childhood... Batty Hatty from Cincinnati... gosh I'm old old old... and Myrtle is the name of the street that my daughter in law's Dad grew up on and it is just blocks from my house... I pass it every day... anyway I think these gals would be great additions to my displays... and hopefully a quick stitch that I can add before the end of August when I change decor again... 

Also I got this chart... Bringing Good Cheer from Blackbird Designs... oh this is sooooo pretty!!  I went ahead and ordered the overdyed flosses too... need to dye some linen for this...

This is the 3rd one in the Christmas Sampler series and I've already stitched 2 of them...

 Merry Christmas

Feliz Navidad 

I'd love to add this to my Christmas display... Blackbird does the BEST Christmas samplers IMHO...

I picked up my Prairie Schooler  Garden Sampler from chart No. 45... I've got it hanging in my sunroom porch... which is great because I'm out here every chance I get and I can enjoy it from my chair.

I got this one framed at Hobby Lobby... the did a nice job... it could be a little bit tighter but the price was right... only $52... gives me memories of Joanns framing... I got so many bargains there and they had a wonderful framer...she had owned her own shop for years before working at Joanns and she did great work with stitching... I didn't realize how good she was and how great the prices were until Joanns got rid of the framing at  all the Cincinnati locations... some pieces I'm okay with paying a higher price for, but seasonal pieces I want to be easier on my  pocketbook... 

And here is my sunroom porch display... I tweaked a few things from a couple of months ago... I like the mix of garden and bird stuff...

At the top is Good Deeds from WTN&T... and a bird from a Blackbird book but I don't remember which one...

Middle has the Magic Garden Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler... I change this one A LOT... Teresa says her version was  inspired by the Tim Burton production of Alice in Wonderland... which may explain why the flower border on the left was charted in black... mine are definitely more daylily looking...  

the little pin pillow was my foray into stitching over one on 28 ct... this is Birdhouse Alphabet by Little House Needleworks... and in the little watering can is a tiny  gal from Pineberry Lane... she was a freebie called Wee Crowned Maiden... you can find her here....I have no clue why I didn't stitch her crown.

Bottom has The Queen's Garden by The Scarlett House and a companion bird to the one up top...

The weather has gotten a tiny bit cooler and less humid... I turned off the AC and opened the windows to air the house out... rain is forecast for Mon/Tues/Wed... fingers crossed... have lunch plans on Wednesday with my quilty lady friends and nothing else on the calendar but I know that could change... I hope to get some time in down in my sewing studio ... and maybe get a chicken stitched up this week... 

I'll link up with Kathy's Quilts and Quilting is more fun than Housework... after I get the flowers watered I should be free to  spend some time on the sunroom porch... my favorite place to be these days...

happy stitching -

carol fun