July's IHSW - A Saturday SAL Finish and a Start

Well, it is already the IHSW time for July - I know, where has the entire year gone????

This weekend I am going to try and eke out a teeny bit of stitching time, I'm in the midst of a major clean, purge, and organize binge.  I have big plans for a home decor makover.  Woo hoo.

But I also want to stitch...a lot....

It's Saturday and that's when I work on Prairie Schooler projects as part of a SAL with Debbie and Linda, so let's see what I finished working on last weekend.  The August motif from the Summer and Winter Prairie Schooler leaflet is done.  Haven't made this into anything but like the way it turned out, this was fun with all the color changes and cute critters.

So, for the IHSW I am proposing that I'll make progress on a start - the September motif from the Prairie Schooler Spring and Fall.  This is what little I accomplished this morning.  Wayyyyy too early this morning. 

What?  You can't tell what it is?  I'm shocked (snicker).  It's obviously the flank of the little squirrel.  Still don't see it?  Okay, I'll sneak you a peek at what it is going to look like.

See?  Of course, you do.

Here's my helpful assistant, whom you can only see a glimpse of in the first photo.  His name is Taz and he's a Bengal and quite sure he is actually a Marine on temporary furlough.  He is short haired and quite a daredevil (some might call him reckless, but he believes he is simply very brave).  The ladies all love him too). 

 Thanks for coming by and I hope you are able to participate in the IHSW this weekend!

Prairie Schooler - Saturday Stitch Along - Progress on August

Been a long while it seems since I've posted.  More a matter of having time at night to be coherent in a post after a long day at work and then dropping over to the hospital to see Mom.  Good news on that front, the hyperbaric treatments are working and she is improved enough to have been released from the hospital (3 weeks, poor dear) and back into her orthopedic rehab facility.  Next stop - HOME!  She can't wait, she's ready to click her heels and get out of the medical loop!  It's been 11 months, eleven LONG months. 

On the stitching front, I have been working on my Prairie Schooler Summer and Winter leaflet with emphasis on August.  This is a cute one, lots of little critter motifs to stitch and plenty of color changes to keep your interest piqued!

This is part of my Saturday Prairie School Stitch Along that I participate in with Linda and Debbie.  We're all on different projects but they are all Prairie Schoolers and it's inspiring to see what we get up to!  I hope to have this finished up soon and I'm going to start going through the various completed stitching projects for this and see what I can totally finish (you know, put in a frame, make a pillow, a doorhanger, etc.).  Was inspired by finishing July up totally and actually displaying it!

What are you working on?  Let me know in the comments and I'll be by to check out your blog!

Saturday Stitch Along - July!

Well, I actually got one of my Prairie Schoolers completed and fully finished/displayed.  (and before the month is over, no less!)

This is the July motif from the Prairie Schooler's Summer and Winter leaflet.  It is part of a stitch along that I'm participating in with Linda and Debbie. 

It also, happily, works for the Order of the Opus Gluei, the craft challenge blog that I host with dear friends.  The Opus Gluei theme is America, America, or wherever you hold allegiance (okay a little wordy but fun) and we're asking crafters to share (in whatever media they choose to work with) their national pride.  Which is perfect considering that there is Canada Day, Independence Day, Queen's Jubilee, and the Olympics to name but a few of the national and cultural celebrations taking place.  Now's the time to share your hard work and stitched projects.  I hope you click on the link and do just that!

So, here's the finish.  I have never handsewn piping into a project.  It was a little unwieldy and I was a novice but I pushed through to complete it.  Now, I need to go out searching for videos on piping....

the stitching itself was fun, colorful and very quickly pulled together, I didn't feel rushed and I actually worked on another project during the week as well, so this wasn't an exclusive stitching project.