M GO BLUE Stitcher

Mermaids & Sea Monsters

2011-06-16T19:58:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, but I have another new project to share. My newest WIP is Maria Diaz's "Seafarer's Globe". It was featured in an issue of the UK magazine CrossStitcher a couple years ago. I came across it by accident while looking for a different issue. As soon as I saw it, the piece called to me for some reason. I bought & downloaded the pattern from the designer's website and went to the store the next day to get the supplies.

Maria Diaz's "Seafarer's Globe". The picture is linked to designer's site, where the pattern was purchased.

It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing (no pun intended). Sometimes I feel like I frog more than I stitch and that's led to me putting it down and not picking it up for 2-3 days. I'm not sure why it's been so hard to get everything placed right, but there were several spots that I ended up sitching, frogging and restitching several times. The mermaid has been my favorite thing to stich so far. I love the colors, it's subtle but there are 3 greens in the hair, 4 pinks & peaches in the skin and 5 blues & purples in the tail!

Here is a picture of all the blocks of Lizzie Kate's Boo Club. I finished it a couple weeks ago and now it just needs the buttons. I'm waiting for the candy corn buttons to put them all on at once.

Hope everyone has had a great week so far! I've been trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, so many great projects to see! Nick

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Boyd's Bears Starsley Family. Robert, Chase, Adele, Lucy w Munchkin, Sara Lynn, Tessa and Corey

I hope everyone is having a nice Memorial Day weekend! The rain and cooler temps the past couple days have given way to sunny & 80* temps today. While we enjoy our family, friends & cook-outs, hopefully we all remember to take a moment and remember and thank all of those who have served our country!

I finished Lizzie Kate's Boo Club, but forgot to take a picture! All the blocks and borders are done, all it needs are the buttons! As soon as I have it completely finished, I'll be sure to get a picture.

SanMan SAL Calendar October, November & December

While doing some "cleaning" (more like rummaging, but cleaning makes it sound like I was getting someone accomplished) I found the 2010 SanMan calendar piece I had been working on last year. I had finished up to September and when we moved, it got packed away and forgotten about. Luckily sometime after moving I saved the October, November & December patterns when they were released. The last month I shared here was July. I had August & September done and then finished the year off by finishing October, November & December this weekend.

SanMan 2010 SAL Calendar Bell Pull

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

Blind Frankenstein

2011-05-19T16:17:00.000-04:00

I've been stitching up a storm with all my extra free time this week. I finished two more blocks of Boo Club, Brew and Monster. I also just about caught the borders up to the current block. For now poor Frankenstein is blind, until I finish all the blocks and add the buttons.

Lizzie Kate's Boo Club - Fright, Brew & Monster

I was begining to fear Boo Club might join the ever growing pile of unfished projects but I think I found my Halloween mojo again! There are only two blocks left, Ghost and Halloween. I might be making another trip to the framers sooner than I thought!

Just Another Button Company now offers button packs for several of the Lizzie Kate Flip-It series, including Boo Club. Buttons replace a stitched motif here and there in each block. Had I not already been 1/2 way through the blocks when they came out I would have tried it out. Speaking of JABC, does anyone have any recomendations for stores that sell their buttons? I want to replace the candy corns in the bottom part of border with JABC candy corn buttons, but haven't really had any luck finding them.

Hope everyone has been having a great week, it's almost the weekend! Thanks for stopping by! Nick

M-I-C-K-E-Y

2011-05-15T21:21:00.000-04:00

Whoa, where did the first half of May go?!? Things have definitely been hectic this month, especially with work. So much drama and all that fun stuff, to make a long story short, I am officially on the hunt for a new job! Any crossed fingers on the job search would be really appreciated!

I picked Biff up from the framers today! I have to admit I was a little nervous to see him finish, finished! I was sort of second guessing the mat colors, and having the yellow on top of the blue, since it's such a more prominent color than the dark blue. In the end though, I think he turned out great! I was so happy they had a blue wood frame that matched the blue in the piece.

"Biff the Wolverine"

Started March 08

Finished April 31

DMC on 14 ct. Oatmeal Fiddler's Aida

Since my last post, I've also started and finished a small project. I found this Mickey Mouse Sketch kit on clearance at JoAnns. I've seen the kit before and really liked it, so when I saw it on clearance for $4.97, I had to pick it up! I started and finished it over 2 days, it's all done in backstitches with a couple half stitches for the eyes, nose & heart shading. I think it will look really nice in just a simple black frame.

♪ M-I-C-K-E-Y ♫

Started May 05

Finished May 06

DMC on 14 ct. Aida

I'm a huge Disney nut, I have been since I can remember. I grew up during "The Renaissance" (The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc). My parents always bought us each Disney VHS when they were released, so I also grew up watching all the old, classic Disney movies as well. When I was young, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always a Disney animator. I still hold a soft spot for Disney movies and see them in the theater when they come out. I can't wait for the new Winnie the Pooh movie coming out in July.

I also finished the next block of Boo Club, Fright, but don't have a picture. I have two new starts as well, "Santaberry Pudding" by Shepherd's Bush and a Dimensions kit, "Shell Collection". I'm not really feeling "Shell Collection" though, the actual colors don't look anything like the picture on the front of the kit. The colors are really dull and some of the colors used for some of the backstitching literally blends in with the stitches behind it so much, you can't tell there is any backstitching. I don't really see that one turning into a finish, which is disappointing because I really like the design.

Hope everyone had a great weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

A Maize & Blue Finish

2011-05-01T14:35:00.010-04:00

Last night, shortly after 12 AM, I put the last stitches in Biff the Wolverine! I finished the hat Friday night and filled in teh block M last night. He took just short of 2 months to finish (I started him the first week of March). He was a fun stitch and I can't wait to take him to be matted and framed Tuesday! :D

Here are all the progress pictures I posted of Biff along the way. Hard to believe he was ever just an eye and some nose!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend - we're enjoying another weekend of wonderful, Spring weather here in Michigan! Thanks for stopping by! Nick

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T16:47:00.005-04:00

I hope every had a wonderful Easter yesterday! We were lucky enough to get a break from the gloomy, gray & rainy weather we've been having lately. The sun was out all day long and it warmed up to almost 60 degrees! I spent the day with my family, we watched movies and had a wonderful dinner. Honey ham, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, corn, fruit salad & deviled eggs, not to mention a turtle pie for desert! Needless to say, I'm still full! lol

The Easter Bunny made a late delivery today. This little fella was delivered this morning from Williams-Sonoma - a felt & mohair Steiff chick.

So much detail & love for a such a little thing! He was created from the pattern of a chick made by Steiff in 1951. The pieces were all hand cut and sewn together, with hand airbrushed detailing. He was an Easter treat to myself, a little pricey, but sometimes you have to indulge!

I worked on Biff some more since my last post, but didn't quite finish him. The only thing left is the blue part on the top of the hat and the blue block M! Excuse the wrinkles, I didn't think to iron it before I snapped the picture. He should definitely be finished this week. I also put a hand full of stitches into Boo Club, but not enough to take a picture. I started the haunted house, but most of the stitches were extending the black & white border down to the next block.

I think I found my next project. While on a long overdue trip to Barnes & Noble Friday I came across a sampler in Just Cross Stitch. It's called "Four Seasons Band Sampler" by Sally Hesketh. There is a new season in each issue, starting with Spring in the March/April issue. Luckily B&N not only had the May/June issue with Summer's pattern, but a copy of the March/April issue with Spring. I think I'm going to order the kit (reccomended fabric & Anchor floss) from Just Cross Stitch. The only places near by that sell cross stitch supplies are Hobby Lobby & JoAnne's and they don't have the best selection of colors and counts when it comes to cross stitch fabrics.

Hope everyone has a great weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

All You Need Is A Hat!

2011-04-20T12:49:00.010-04:00

The title says it all, the only thing Biff needs is his block M hat! I'm hoping to be finished by the end of the weekend, most of the hat is just big solid blocks of blue or yellow stitches, so it won't take too much counting, just a little tedious. I can't wait until he is finished so I can take him to be matted and framed.

I wanted to share this video that I saw posted on the blog, Purple Peacock. It's about the Royal School of Embroidery in England, and it's really cool. I would love to go and take a tour and take part in a class!

Thanks for stopping by! Nick

2011-04-17T13:09:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe it's been a little over 2 weeks since I last updated! Between work and life it's been hard to fit in stitching time. Every time I pick something up it seems like I put it down after only putting in a couple dozen stitches. I haven't touched Boo Club in what seems like forever, I need to find a new spark to get the last couple blocks done, hopefully once Biff is done. Speaking of Biff, that has been the piece I've been concentrating on. I got a big chunck of the left side of his face and around his eye.

I actually took the picture several days ago in an attempt to get an update posted, but that didn't happen. Since then I've finished the face, so now the only thing left is the hat. Hopefully it won't be much longer until Biff is done! I thought about seeing about having it double matted (blue & yellow) and having the mat cut to trace the outline around Biff.

Hope everyone had a great weekend & thanks for visiting! Nick

The Lost Week

2011-03-29T17:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last update! I feel like I completely lost last week, I was sick all week so when I wasn't at work I was dead to the world. I had a horrible headache and the worst body aches for several days and then that turned into a bad cold, complete with runny nose, sore throat and all that fun stuff.

The past couple days though I have been on a roll with Biff. I finished his nose, mouth & chin. Now I have the left side of his face & hat to finish. Michigan beat Tenesee to move on to the third round of the NCAA tournament but then lost to Duke. It was a great run while it lasted, their season looked like it was in trouble at the end of January so it was surprising they turned it around and got several rounds into the tournament.

I added a little bit to my stash as well. I picked up the Sue Hillis pattern, "America the Beautiful", which I've had my eye on for a while. It's a map of the United States with state names, capitals & little symbols representing the things each state is known for. I was surprised to get the chart and see it was one big piece of paper instead of spread out over several pages. I had originally thought about just stitching the state outlines along with the names and capitals but I'm not sure if that's how I will do it now. I decided to wait until either Biff or Boo Club is finished to attempt to start it, that way I don't end up with too many {more} unfinished projects! lol

Thanks for stopping by! Nick

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T16:46:00.002-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

It's been a very busy week since my last post but I have managed some stitching time. I finished the Pumpkin block of Boo Club and worked some more on Biff.

Once all the blocks are done I will add the buttons, so the pumpkin will get his eyes eventually. The next block is one of my favorite, "Fright" with a haunted house.

Biff is really starting to come along. I finished the left side of his face and started filling in his nose. I'm hoping to finish off his nose and mouth tomorrow while watching some more NCAA tournament games since I have the day off. Michigan plays in the afternoon against Tennessee. GO BLUE!

Last week a seller on eBay listed several prototype and archive sample Annette Funicello bears. There were several I bid on but I only won this one set. These 3 mohair bears are archive samples, but I don't believe they were ever produced. They don't have names, style numbers or edition numbers. Each one is wearing a lace apron with a little corked bottle on a beaded chain around their neck. They are very detailed, the aprons are hung over their shoulders and tied in the back with the same ribbon as the bows on their heads, and are also attached in the back with the little rosettes. My favorite part is the shaved muzzles and matching colored noses and suede paw pads. After I won this set the seller listed some more prototypes and samples including this set in gold, cream & grey.

Hope everyone has a good weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

GO BLUE!

2011-03-11T16:08:00.004-05:00

TGIF! This week has been pretty hectic, we lost several closers at work so I have been there almost every night this week, today is my first day off since Sunday. In the thime that I have found to stitch, usually in the mornings/afternoon before going to work, I've been working on Biff the Wolverine. I got the other eye done and started the right side of his face and muzzle. It's a fun stitch but several areas of the chart aren't printed in the boxes right, so sometimes it's difficult and takes a little bit of guess work to know which stitch is which color. He's really starting to fill in and you can kind of see what he's supposed to be now!

My what big eyes you have, Biff! Progress on Biff from 03/07-03/11

I also worked on the next block of Boo Club - Pumpkin. I didn't take a picture because it's just the first couple letters in the word pumpkin. I had planned to work on it more and finish it, but I've really been into stitching Biff. I'm going to get back to the Big Ten quarterfinals, only a few minutes left in the game and Michigan's down by several points to Illinois. We need this win to make it to the next round! GO BLUE!

Update: Michigan came back to beat Illinois 60-55, now we play #1 OSU tomorrow in the semi-finals! GO BLUE!

Hope everyone has a great weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

Old School Maize & Blue

2011-03-08T16:51:00.003-05:00

Last week while searching eBay for U of M memorabilia I came across a really cool old cross stitch pattern. As soon as I saw it had a buy it now, I couldn't click buy fast enough, especially since it was only $4.95. I've never seen it before, it looks like it's from the 80s and the main design is the vintage U of M wolverine logo that I call "Biff". The back has a U of M basketball design and a maize & blue rose design. I started the pattern on Sunday and it is a lot larger than I expected. So far I've managed to stitch his right eye, around the nose and some of the space between the other eye. I'm going to stitch just the head and not the block 'M' behind it.

The wolverine face logo was originally from the 1922 and was used again for some merchandise, such as t-shirts and pennants, in the late 80s and early 90s. He has made sort of a comeback in the last few years thanks to Adidas College Vault merchandise. I have several shirts, a hat and a hooded sweatshirt with Biff's face on it. Because the image is rarely used and popular with big U of M fans the stuff is hard to find, most stores that carried the Adidas College Vault clothing sold out. I purchased all of my stuff in Ann Arbor through out the last football season and am glad I did because most of it I haven't seen available since.

I call the old wolverine logo Biff because that was the name of one of the live wolverines from the 1927 season. Michigan doesn't have an actual mascot, they are just called "The Wolverines". They actually use the block M as their logo. During the 1927 season though they had 2 live wolverines from the Detroit Zoo brought to the stadium for big games and they were named Biff and Bennie. They were only used for that one season, and they have never had wolverines in the stadium since. Since then many fans, including myself, refer to wolverines that appear in merchandise as Biff.

Bennie & Biff being carried into the Big House - Bentley Historical Library

Hope everyone had a great weekend & enjoyed the mini Michigan history lesson. Nick

The 6 Days of Christmas

2011-03-04T18:21:00.009-05:00

After finishing Creepy, Lizzie Kate's Boo Club is halfway done - 6 blocks down, 6 more to go! After stitching the grass on the sides of the tree and the orange blocks under the word, I realized that everything was a row off, so I had to frog that stuff and re-stitch it a row down. I added the "RIP" to the headstone because I thought it looked a little empty. Once all the blocks are done and I add the buttons the owl will get his eyes. lol

I actually took these pictures Tuesday, but I can't seem to find the cord to upload the pictures to computer, so I had to wait until I could go to my dad's house and use his computer, since it has a memory card port on tower. Since Tuesday I've extended the black and white checkered border and yellow inside border down to Creepy. I also started the next block, Pumpkin, so I should finish that up over the weekend.

Boo Club Block #6 - Creepy

While looking for a pattern I came across this unfinished piece that I started about a year and a half ago. It's Prairie Schooler's "The Twelve Days of Christmas". It's charted to be stitched as 2 rows with 6 blocks in each, but I thought it would be cool to stitch it as one long row. The first 6 days are (almost) done. I would like to finish the last 6 days and get it matted and framed by Christmas.

Prairie Schooler's "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

Hope everyone has a great weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

Frogging Frogs

2011-02-25T17:21:00.009-05:00

Lizzie Kate's Boo Club is moving right along. I got the Spiders and Eek! blocks done this week. I love those little spiders, especially the little legs for some reason. Once the buttons are added there will be two more spiders and the frog will have eyes. Speaking of frogs, that frog was something else, I swear I stitched and re-stitched the right side of his body at least 4 times! There were either not enough stitches, too many stitches or something wasn't in the right place! lol The next block is Creppy, with a little owl sitting in a tree over a headstone.

Spiders & Eek!

The first 5 blocks, Spooky, Treats, Black Cat, Spiders & Eek!

While going through a box of framed pictures, I came across this piece. It's a Dimesnions kit called "A Year of Events" that I stitched in the Spring of 2009. I'm a sucker for monthly samplers and I really liked this one because of the bright colors. The subtle color differences used for shading make it look really detailed, even though it was a simple stitch. I actually stretched this piece myself and it made me realize why I just pay to have pieces stretched and framed! lol

"A Year of Events"

Hope everyone has a great weekend, thanks for stopping by! Nick

Black Cat & Teddy Bears

2011-02-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I started and finished the Black Cat block of Lizzie Kate's Boo Club on Sunday. The poor black cat is temporarily blind, his eyes are a pair of white button, which I will add when all the blocks are finished. Each block comes with a set of black or white buttons. Unfortunately I haven't stitched anything else since. Hopefully I can start the next block, Spiders, this weekend.

Reading Karen's blog entry about rediscovering her Ziggy collection, reminded me of a collection I rediscovered myself. When I was growing up my mom collected Annette Funicello Teddy Bears for me. Annette would host shows and sell them on the shopping channel QVC. I used to love those little teddy bears growing up and always looked forward to getting a new one. As I grew up though they became a forgotten nick-knack that occupied a curio cabinet in our house. Shortly after I graduated high school we moved and they were packed away in their boxes and forgotten. Recently while going through some boxes in our garage I came across a box of these bears. It was like being a 10 year old kid all over again! Several of my favorite sets of bears have found a new home in our living room, treasured just as much as before.

This is one of my all time favorite sets, called the Soda Pop collection, each is 5" mohair bear. They were sold on QVC through an auto-delivery program. You signed up and paid for the first bear and then every other month a new bear would be shipped automatically to you. After receiving so many bears, you also received the wooden soda crate to put them in. Each one is a different soda flavor, Cherry Pop Fizz (red), Orange Spritzer (orange), Cream Soda (yellow), Lime Divine (green), Grape Swizzle (purple) and Rootbear Bubbbly (brown). I remember how exciting it was when a new bear would be delivered. I even remember the time we moved and before we could change the shipping address, one of the bears had been shipped to our old house. I frantically had my parents go to our old house to pick up the package when the new owners called to say a package had been delivered there for us. They now sit in their wooden crate on top of a bookcase in the living room.

My second favorite set is called Sushi Platter, and was also purchased from QVC. Three mohair panda bears, Sushi (black), Sushimi (red) and Wasabi (green) sit on a ceramic sushi platter, that has green bamboo stalks painted on it. When I took these out the box, I also found a postcard inside, that apparently QVC had mailed to us to let us know about the upcoming show, that advertised this set on the back. They sit on top of our digital cable box in the living room now.

After I rediscovered these bears I did some research online and, sadly, found out that due to the failing health of Annete, who has MS, the collection was discontinued in 2004. As with anything "collectible" right now, they aren't worth much, not even what they sold for originally. Of course, these were never purchased to be an "investment" and I would love them just as much if I could only sell them for $5. For those that are interested in collecting though, it's the perfect time to add new pieces to your collection, even the smaller mohair bears like these that would normally retail for $30-40 can be found for $10-20 on eBay.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and thanks for sharing in a treasured childhood memory. Nick

Spooky Treats

2011-02-13T14:17:00.004-05:00

First, I want to say "Thank You" to all of you who commented on my last blog post! It was very encouraging to read all of your comments. I've started to check out all of your wonderful blogs again and can't wait to start sharing in your progress and finishes!

I've been able to work on Lizzie Kate's Boo Club and finished the first two blocks, Spooky and Treats. I love these kind of projects because you get to have that "finish experience" several times, each complete block gives you that excitment of a finish. The fabric is a little darker than it shows in the picture. I didn't get it quite as dark as I wanted, but it does help make the white & yellows pop more.

The next block is Black Cat, which I will be starting today, as well as extending the border on each side. I would rather put the border off, since it isn't as fun to stitch as the blocks, but I know if I don't keep the border going as I stich the blocks I will put something in the wrong place! lol

Thanks for stopping by & hope you are all enjoying your weekend! Nick

Lost & Found

2011-02-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

Wait, what, I was supposed be updating my blog? lol Holy moly, where did the last 6 months go?!?! It was unbelievable to me when I logged in to Blogger and saw that my last post was at the end of July and that I had started this blog almost a year ago. I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, or forget about stitching & blogging...well, maybe I did for a little bit, but I found my way back. Even after being lost.

The last 6 months have defenitly been something else, full of many ups & downs. Not too long after my last blog post a new chapter in my life started, and not necessarily by my own willingness. After almost 22 years of marriage my parents decided to seperate. That was really the start of my blogging & stitching hiatus. My attention was turned to packing and moving, and in a way, starting a new part of my life. I now share an apartment with my mom, I help out with rent and bills until we fully get back on our feet. Sometimes it takes a radical shake up to realize how truly lucky we are to have the things & people we have in our lives. It hasn't been the easiest six months, but we've survived!

Work has been another major obstacle. Twords the end of summer and into the fall, I started disliking my job more, and more. I'm at the point now where I completly dread the thought of going in almost every day. I only stay out of neccessity. I've tired applying several places, before Christmas and in the last few weeks, but never hear anything back. I started training as a manager but little has come of it. They did a massive overhaul of all the stores in our district, replacing our general manger and several of our shift managers. We also lost many employess to transfers, fireings and quits. I think only about 3 or 4 people are still there that were there when I started almost 9 months ago. Since all of this has happened, my managment training has been put on the back burner.

Since then I've rarely thought about stitching. I haven't worked on any pieces, started any new ones, or even purchased anything new. In fact, I don't even know where a majority of my stash is. It's unbelievable how many boxes it takes to pack almost 21 years of your life in! lol

Some things, not even the unpleasentries of life can spoil. My dad & I enjoyed another season of Michigan football. Though is wasn't a perfect season, despite the amazing start, it was full of wonderful memories. We were able to make it to Ann Arbor for 4 games, the opener against Connecticut, and the games against Iowa, Illinois & Wisconsin. You couldn't give me a million dollars to spend Saturday with any other person (my dad), in any other place (Ann Arbor). We've been saving out extra pennies and are looking forward to purchasing season tickets this year. GO BLUE!

The new press box and one side of the new box suites & luxury seats at The Big House.

At the end of October I celebrated my 21st birthday. I loving being able to order a beer with my Big House Burger on game days! lol This past Thanksgiving was the first Thanksgiving we didn't spend as a family, in fact my dad was out of town for Thanksgiving. We did spend Christmas together and we enjoyed it. It was hard to get into the spirit at first, sually I'm the first person to put up the lights, start theChristmas music and go overboard with the decorations, but this year was a little harder. I manged to find my Christmas spirit and did the best that I could with what I had to work with. It actually takes a little more ingenuity to go from decorating a large yard & house to an apartment balcony.

A scaled down vesion of my Precious Moments Nativity display.

Just before Thanksgiving we adpoted a kitty from a local cat shelter. He's black with a white belly and paws, and a little white mustache. I named him Bo Schembechler, after the legendary Michigan football coach. We usually just call him Bo or "Schems". He's grown into quite a spoiled stinker, he likes to jump and climb on top and everything, but I love him!

Bo Schems, sitting in a box. He thinks he needs to climb into/ontop of everything! lol

Recently, maybe now that we are more settled in, I have had an itch to get stitching again. I didn't really feel like pulling out an old project, I wanted a fresh start of sorts. The heavens must have lined up because at the exact same time, I stumbled across a great deal on the Lizzie Kate "Boo Club" set. This set has been on my wishlist since it came out, so I figured it was a sign to get back into stitching with a project I really like. The couldn't find a piece of the fabrics I picked out, long enough to stitch the entire piece, so I decided to color my own fabric. I wanted a brown shade to really show off the black and white border around the set. I took a piece of white aida and coffee died it a nice shade of brown. It's drying as I type, so hopefully I will be able to start soon! :) I also found some candy corn buttons from Just Another Button Company that I think I will get to replace the stitched candy corns at the bottom of the border.

Lizzie Kate's "Boo Club"

This week I started visiting all the wonderful blogs that I used to check daily. It really lights a fire under me to once again see so many amazing projects. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things. Thanks for taking the time to catch back up, I'll make sure it won't be another 6 months.

Nick

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."

-Oscar Wilde

A Long Time Coming

2010-07-26T12:57:00.006-04:00

Well, it has definitely been a while since my last post, and unfortunately, a while since I've really stitched anything. Work has taken up a big chunk of my time, even with 2-3 days off, I rarely find any time to stitch. I also haven't really "felt" any of the project's I've started lately. I pick them up when I do find time and just don't have the enthusiasm to work on them or get much done. Hopefully I get my mojo back soon! I do have a few things to share since I've been gone from blogging though...

Here is SanMan's calendar piece for July. The pattern is charted for the ice cream to be brown & pink but I added the white-ish color to make it a neapolitan ice cream cone. It's hard to believe this is the last week of July! The year, month & summer have flown by!

I'm also working on the June & July SanMan blackwork pieces. I can't wait to start on July, its a really nice stars & stripes theme in dark red, blue & gold.

I also finally found a frame for Hot Stuff! I got this on sale for $1.91 at Hobby Lobby! It was a little scratched up so it was in the home decor clearance aisle and with another so much of a % off the clearance price cost almost nothing! I liked the look of it being a little ruff, so I took a piece of sandpaper to it to give it an even more beat up look. Sorry for the bad picture, I hung it in a hallway to get a picture and didn't use the flash since it always showed up in the glass.

I feel terribly behind and am going to try to catch up on blogs so I can see all of the fun everyone else has been up to! Maybe I can find something that catches my eye & lights a stitching fire under me! lol Have a great day & thanks for stopping by! Nick

3 years ago...

2010-07-09T12:17:00.004-04:00

Three years ago today, July 9, 2007, was one of the worst days of my life. I had to my baby, Tucker, to sleep. He was the most well behaved, lovable, fluffy cat anyone could ever imagine loving.

The story is really long and sad, so I won't go through the whole thing, but after getting really sick and trying to nurse him back to health for several days through vet visits, blood work, shots, IVs, syringe feeding, etc, there was just nothing more we could for him. Instead of making him suffer even more to try and keep him with us, we decided the best thing to do would be to let him be free. I remember holding him in the vet's office, with his head nuzzled under my chin on my shoulder, telling him how much I loved him and how sorry I was as they gave him the shot. I didn't cry at the vet, or in the car on the way home, but I balled for longest time once I got home and was alone. I miss him so much, it still hurts. He was my baby, since the day he was born. He was the most well behaved cat, I don't remember him ever hissing, scratching or biting. If another cat or dog came along and started barking or hissing, he would just look and go back to doing his own thing, he was just a big, fluffy and cuddly love ball. I hope he knew how much I loved him, how much I still love him.

I've always wanted to stitch something in his memory, but I've never come across anything that I absolutely loved. Thanks for stopping & have a great weekend! Nick

Our Little Princess

2010-07-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Happy humpday, we're half way through the week! Hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend. I unfortunately didn't get the stitching done that I had hoped to do. Instead I went back to the art fair with my mom, and what turned into a quick trip to get the Michigan tiki face turned into 3 hrs and bringing home alot more than the tiki face! lol Here is a pic of it, I just need to tack a hanger on to the back so I can hang it...

Afterwards I spent the day at the beach (well, the lake, we refer to the lake as the beach here, even though we do know the difference lol) before going to another friend's house for a cookout and to watch the fireworks. I was wiped out afterwards though, I think I spent too much time outside in the heat. We have been in a heat wave that just wont go away. We've had temps in the 80s-90s, with 80-90% humidity which just makes it almost unbearable. Even at night and in the morning it's still in the low 80s. The worst part is the air conditioning fans went out @ work on Monday, I hope those got fixed yesterday on my day off! lol

Even though I didn't get any stitching done over the weekend I did get some done yesterday. I added the butterfly and boarder around the "Our Little Princess" on the birth announcement. There are so many different pinks used, there are 4 in this part alone.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great rest of the week! Nick

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T10:50:00.001-04:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

Hope everyone has a great, fun & safe 4th of July! Also may we remember all of those who have fought for our country, and, even though its far from perfect, all the wonderful things we do have so that many others do not!

Since I have the day off I am hoping to spend a majority of it stitching before going to a cookout and watching the fireworks with some family & friends. I started the Baby Princess birth announcement on Thursday. I only stitched the "Our Little Princess" in the middle, so I will hold off on posting a picture until some more is done. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to do any patriotic stitching this year, though I did find this Bent Creek pattern while browsing for stash on Friday. It's called "Patriotic Branch" by Bent Creek. I absolutely love it, and may just have to order the 3 patterns/buttons when I get paid Tuesday. Bent Creek also has 2 other branch patterns, one with woodland animals and the other Christmas themed.

The picture is from www.silverneedle.net - They were the only site I could find with a picture of all 3 patterns together.

Yesterday before work I went with my parents downtown to the art fair. Starting at the end of June until a little after the 4th every year we have a big thing downtown called Summer Celebration. They have a huge carnival set up, concerts every night, activities during the day, fireworks shows and over the weekend of the 4th a huge art fair. They always have the nicest things down there. This year I found several new things to add to my Michigan collection, as well as had some fried Oreos.

The GO BLUE mat was $10, and I plan to put picture of my dad & I and my friends & I behind the letters. They had several framed mats for sale with generic pictures of/around the stadium as well, for Michigan as well as other colleges. The small metal sign was only $5.99 and the larger sign was $10.99. The booth had tons of similar signs for all kinds of college and professional teams. There was also a booth that had really cool air brush painted signs for different teams and pool/beach/drink themed signs and I'm kicking myslef for not buying the Michigan themed one. It was a wooden tiki like face with a big block M and football on his head. You could buy just the faces for $15 or have it added to a sign for $35. I think I might head back today and hope the booth is still there!

Hope everyone has a great day and thanks for stopping by! Nick

I think I forgot how to stitch...

2010-06-27T12:11:00.001-04:00

Geeze, it's been so long since I've stitched, I think I might have just forgotten how to! lol Work has absolutely consumed my life this week. I'm used to the 36-40 hr weeks of working until 1-2 AM but this week has been something completely different. I've already worked almost 42 hours this week (still have a 9.5 hr shift to work tonight), including a 14.5 hr day yesterday, which was supposed to be my day off. It's soooo tiring now, but it will be worth it when payday rolls around, especially that 11+ hours of overtime! Apparently, and I'm not tooting my own horn here, this is what I have been told, I am one of the best workers they have hired in a while, that's why they always ask me to come in early, on my days off or stay late. Even though I have only been there for a little less than a month and a 1/2, they are talking about starting to have me train to be a manager!

Like I said, that has left no time for stitching. It seems like when I'm not at work I'm sleeping, and vice versa. I did find time (where I found it, I'd like to know because I need some more! lol) to make a trip to JoAnnes, where I found yet another kit. If only I could find the finishes to the kits I already have as easily! Since receiving the Suzy's Zoo Train Birth Announcement kit, I have been a little on the fence about it. I had purchased the kit with the intention of stitching it for my best friend's daughter, who was born at the end of December, but it's just not as girly as what I really wanted. Well, this is the kit I found at JoAnnes and I think it fits the bill perfectly!

It's another kit by Dimensions (I swear they don't sponsor me and I don't own stock lol) and as soon as I saw it, I knew I would end up stitching this birth record instead of the Suzy's Zoo one. I haven't even had time to think about starting it, but I'm hoping to change that this week, even though another new start is just what I need, not. If all goes as planned, I have Tuesday AND Wednesday off! That should certainly open up some stitching time and for framing Hot Stuff, nope I didn't forget about that being on my to-do list! ;-)

Also sadly this week I suffered a little loss. After 6 wonderful years of game day service my beloved 8' inflatable Michigan Wolverine died. :-( He let the neighborhood know every Saturday that this house was Wolverine territory. He was packed away at the end of last November in a rush because of the incoming winter weather, so I had planned to inflate him, wash him, let him sit out and dry since it was a very hot summer day and then pack him away. When I plugged him in though the lights came on and the motor started running but the fan wasn't working. Unscrewed the motor/fan cover and sure enough, the fan had died. Unfortunately the motor is mounted to the top of the fan, which is mounted to the base, so it can't really be replaced. I have been able to track another Wolverine down, like I said I have had him for 6 years, and they no longer make them so I would have been upset if I couldn't get another one. He is made by the same company that makes all the Christmas & Halloween inflatables like the Grinch, Snoopy characters, the carousels and stuff, that you see in people's yards. Here is a picture of him this past fall...

Hopefully I will be able to catch up with what everyone else is up to soon! Have a great day & thanks for stopping by! Nick

Snowmen, Eggs & Summer

2010-06-21T13:04:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last update. I have been busy, busy, busy with work. I started working the closing night shift last week, so I don't leave work until between 1:30-2 AM. I'm holding out for Wednesday, which is my next day off!

Even though today is officially the first day of summer, what little stitching I have done has been anything but summer related. I started a small fall themed sampler freebie but don't have a picture of it. I did manage to start and finish the April block of the SanMan Inky Dinky SAL as well. That darn yellow! Though I think this is easy to see than the lemonade piece.

I saw Toy Story 3 with some friends on Friday, and it was really good! It's hard to believe the first Toy Story movie came out 15 years ago, I remember seeing it when I was a kid. In fact I remember having a Buzz Lightyear and a Rex (the green dinosaur) puppet, you could put your fingers into his little tyrannosaurus arms! lol I'm currently saving the codes from Kellogg's cereal so I can trade them in for a Hamm piggy bank. lol You definitely don't have to be a kid to enjoy any of the Toy Story movies, especially the newest movie.

Hopefully I will be able to catch up with everyone's else's blogs soon, thanks for stopping by & have a great day! Nick

Lemonade & Hacked E-mail

2010-06-10T10:09:00.000-04:00

Thank you everyone for the comments on Hot Stuff! Hopefully this weekend I can get it framed. Until Sharon mentioned painting a frame red, the thought had never crossed my mind. Well duh, of course it would be much easier to paint a unfinished or white wood frame than spend forever looking for the right red frame, especially since its a standard 8x10! lol

Here is SanMan's June calendar piece "Fresh Squeezed", the calender is 1/2 finished now! I redid the backstitching in darker colors and I like how the blue ice cubes show up but still don't care for the yellow. It's weird in the picture you can really see the outline but when you actually look at the piece it's still really hard to tell the lemon slices from the lemonade, the flash must make it show up better. Now I'm all caught up with all my SanMan SALs, just waiting for the June blackwork and next Inky Dinky snowman to be posted.

SanMan's Fresh Squeezed

Also I wanted to let everyone know that my e-mail was hacked yesterday evening. An e-mail with no subject and only a link in the body (to an online pharmacy ???) was sent to everyone in my address book. As I was just telling Shari, I almost never use or check my e-mail so thankfully most of the address in my book were old or are stored address from store websites or newsletters (so their e-mails don't end up in my spam folder). I had tons of "mail undeliverable" e-mails because the message wouldn't send to Yankee Candle or Barnes & Noble! lol I did e-mail the bloggers whose e-mail address' I recognized on the list but if I missed any I just wanted to let you know what was up and that I'm sorry you were bothered with that pesky junk! I reported the problem to AOL, changed my password and changed the setting so that e-mail address aren't automatically saved to my address book when I send an e-mail.

Thanks for stopping by & hope everyone has a great day! Nick

A Hot Finish

2010-06-06T12:17:00.001-04:00

Hot Stuff is officially finished! I finished off the 1/2 stitches around the peppers and the last of the backstitching yesterday afternoon. Now all I need to do is frame it. I didn't really find a frame I liked at Hobby Lobby, so I am still on the hunt for an inexpensive red frame.

House-Mouse Designs' Hot Stuff

Started April 11, 2010

Finished June 05, 2010

Here are all of the progress pictures since I started the piece...

I also started and am almost finished with the June SanMan calendar piece, Freshly Squeezed. I have to redo the backstitching because after doing it in the charted colors you couldn't really tell the difference between the color of the stitches and the backstitch, so it looked like a big lump of yellow. lol There also seemed to be a million quarter stitches which was a real pain on the aida and because the design is so small. Quarter stitches and French knots just don't agree with me! lol

Hope everyone is having a great weekend & thanks for stopping by to see my finish! Nick

Some Hot Progress

2010-06-03T16:20:00.005-04:00

Last night my needle sure was smokin'! I managed to finish the 2nd mouse, 2 of the peppers and some of the foreground on Hot Stuff. All that is left is the biggest pepper and a little bit of the foreground, so my next update on Hot Stuff should be a finish!

Hott Stuff last update, and now...it's almost finished!

I'm taking my younger sister to pick up her Eclipse movie tickets tonight and since Hobby Lobby is up the street from the theater I think I will stop by to pick up the colors I need to stitch June's SanMan calendar. I can also look for a red frame to put Hot Stuff in when it's done.

On a much sadder note Rue McClanahan, known for her role as Blanch Devereaux on Golden Girls, died last nite of a massive stroke. :-( I am a huge fan of the Golden Girls, in fact I watched two episodes last night on the Hallmark Channel before going to bed. She will be missed, and the next time I have a piece of cheesecake, it will be in her memory!

Hope everyone is having a good week, TGIF tomorrow! lol Thanks for stopping by! Nick

Fresh Squeezed June

2010-06-01T10:50:00.005-04:00

Happy June 1st everyone! I know I say this every month, but where did the time go? lol I hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend. I've worked everyday since last Tuesday so I spent most of my weekend at work, though I did enjoy a cookout/bonfire at a friends house Saturday night and a fireworks show Sunday night. Even though Memorial Day was yesterday I still want to say a big "Thank You!" to all of our veterans, those who lost their lives in war and those currently serving. I have several family members who are/were veterans, from WWII, Desert Storm and the current war in Iraq.

Since I have been so busy with work there has not been much time for stitching, though I did get the March square in the SanMan Inky Dinky SAL done. It was a quick and relaxing something to stitch last night. For now the snowmen are blind, but I will give them Mill Hill seed bead eyes when all 12 are done so I don't have to iron over the beads.

I also wanted to start the June piece for the SanMan calendar, but of course I only had one of the colors needed. It seems every new project I am missing several colors, so you would think I would have all of them by now! lol The piece is titled Fresh Squeezed, and is probably my favorite so far. It's a little glass of lemonade filled with lemon slices and ice cubes. I can't wait to start it!

Since I couldn't stitch, I washed my Baby today. It's been probably 2 weeks since the last car wash and boy could you tell, or at least I could! lol The only thing I didn't do was sweep the inside out, otherwise she got a complete cleaning. Now my Baby looks brand spanking new, I even got the wheel brush and rim polish out and deep cleaned the rims and took the license plate off to clean behind it and clean the plate as well. After all you can't have a dirty U of M plate! lol

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great day! Nick

Inky Dinky SAL

2010-05-27T18:50:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I started and finished the first two blocks in the SanMan Inky Dinky SAL. When it's done there will be 12 snowmen, one for each month, and matching boarders. January and February are the only two released so far, but I'm eagerly awaiting March!

Last night was a blast! Me and several friends went to dinner and then to a cocktail party before seeing Sex and the City 2 at midnight. The I really liked the movie. It was alot different than the first, this one was way more fun and light-hearted and in my opinion more along the tone of the show. It didn't live up to my expectations 100% , but then again I've been waiting for it to come out since they started filming it back in September so I probably had too high of expectations! lol The movie theater we saw it in was pretty full. They played it on the biggest theater with a huge screen and seating for 600. It's actually two stories, there is an entrance on the first floor to the bottom rows of seats and an upstairs entrance to the top rows. I would say there were probably at least 400 people there.

Sex and the City 2 : The Stores. The Fashion. The Adventure and an example of how each outfit is "deconstructed" piece by piece. It evens lists the designer of each piece. The page next to it shows a picture of the character in the outfit from the movie.

The party before hand was lots of fun. The hors d'oeuvres were delicious, everyone got a Sex and the City 2 martini glass and for those of us who weren't 21, they had kiddie cocktails! lol They had tons of raffles and give always and I actually won a copy of the companion book to the movie that shows all the characters outfits piece by piece. The only down side was not getting home until almost 4 AM and then having to get up for work, luckily I didn't have to be there until 11:30! lol

Sharlotte - John Corbett was indeed the new movie (he isn't in the first), though he is only in two scenes. His character Aiden went out with Carrie for a while during the course of the show and they were actually engaged at one time. They run into each other in Abu Dhabi in the movie. He was actually my favorite of Carrie's boyfriends, but it was one of those things were I always knew she wouldn't end up with him because she was supposed to be with Big. lol Have you ever seen United States of Tara on Showtime? He plays the husband of a women with multiple personalities, it's a pretty good show especially the 1st season. Also, I did see the episode of Sarah Jessica Parker's "Who Do You Think You Are", her husband Matthew Broderick was also on an episode of the show, both were very interesting. He had family that fought in Gettysburg during the Civil War.

Hope everyone is has a fun & safe Memorial Day weekend! Nick

Cosmos & Manolos

2010-05-25T12:38:00.008-04:00

Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) in Sex and the City 2

Ok, I admit it, I am a Sex and the City fan. Actually I am that a BIG fan. I have seen every episode multiple times, in fact I own the DVD series box set, and I saw the first movie 3 times in theaters. I know, it's weird for a guy to like Sex and the City so much, but there's just something about it. Maybe it's because I have always loved fashion and if I could live anywhere it would be New York City. To celebrate the fact that the 2nd movie comes out this week, I created this little pattern as a tribute to one of my favorite TV shows. (Click to enlarge)

The quote comes from an episode where Miranda tells Carrie she can use the internet to shop, after Carrie tells the girls she doesn't get why the internet is such a big deal. Carrie's response is that she can't shop online because "shopping is my cardio."

And if I havn't already shown my love for Carrie & Co, tomorrow night I am going to see the new movie with several friends @ midnight, we've had our tickets for weeks. For some reason the theater here in town isn't doing a midnight showing, even though the other 8 theaters they own are, so my friends and I are going to the closest theater (about a 40 min drive) to see it. We are dressing up and going to dinner and then have tickets to the sold out cocktail party the theater is throwing before the midnight screening. I know...we're crazy, but life's too short to pass up such fun! lol

Hope everday has a "fabulous" day and thanks for stopping by! Nick

Peppers, Mice & a Marshmallow

2010-05-21T13:06:00.014-04:00

This week was much better for stitching than last week. I was able to work on Hot Stuff, I got a good majority of the second mouse done. Once he is finished, I just have a couple peppers and the rest of the ground shading. I've decided to wait on starting the Suzy's Zoo Train Birth Announcement until Hot Stuff is finished. I haven't forgotten about Singin' The Wash Line Blues even though it's been quite a while since I've worked on it. Maybe I will put some work in on that before the birth announcement as well.

Hot Stuff's last update & current progress.

I also cut the fabric for a new SanMan SAL, a small blackwork snowman and boarder themed for each month. So far January and February have been released. I plan on stitching those two this weekend so I can work on the following 10 as they are released.

Hope everyone has a great weekend & thanks for stopping by! Nick

Sweet May Treat

2010-05-17T21:34:00.001-04:00

Here is SanMan's May 2010 calendar block, a colorful lollipop. It was nice quick stitch, a good way to get back in the swing of things since it's been a while since I did any stitching besides blackwork. I actually finished it off earlier today before I went to work, after posting this morning.

Here are January-May so far. I think if at the end of the series each month ends up being a food/treat, as they have been far, I'm going to find a cool font and stitch "A Sweet Year" across the top above January's block.

That's it for now, just a quick update since it's been more than a week since my last stitching post. Thanks for stopping by! Nick

The Simple Things...

2010-05-17T11:02:00.001-04:00

Last night I was going through pictures on iPhoto, sometimes I'll do this just to go through all the pictures I have on my computer, most I've forgotten were on here. I was going through the hundreds of pictures I have from Michigan football games and when I came across this one it just made me really smile. I remember when I took it, it was my first time ever going to The Big House for a football game. Michigan played Michigan State on my 19th birthday and my dad took me. In Ann Arbor around The Big House all the fire hydrants are painted this way, to look like the football helmets. I'll never forget the feeling the first time I walked into The Big House, in fact I still get that feeling every time I walk in there. I hope not matter how many games I see there, win or lose, I always get that feeling.

While I was going through the pictures my favorite commercial came on the TV. No matter what I’m doing or what kind of mood I’m in this commercial always makes me smile. I love the part where the spaceship zaps the slice of bread into a piece of toast, I don’t know why, I just love it! lol

I did do a little stitching this weekend, I got most of the May SanMan calendar piece done. I'll probably finish it off tonight when I get home from work. It was so nice to stitch for a little bit since it's been more than week since I last stitched anything.

Sometimes it's the simplest and smallest things in life that truly make you smile. :-D I hope everyone had a great weekend! Nick

When it rains, it pours...

2010-05-13T23:47:00.005-04:00

Boy, when it rains, it pours, and I mean that both figuratively and literally. Monday I was called about a job I had applied for the week before, they called and asked if I could be there in a half hour for an interview. The good news is I got the job, the bad news (because it seems the two go hand in hand, right? lol) is that on the way to the interview my front passenger side tire blew out as I was getting on the highway. Luckily I was only a mile or so from home so my dad brought his car to me, so I could get to my interview on time, while he changed the tire. Tuesday I was supposed to go in to sign my paperwork and start orientation and I was going to take Baby since I hadn't gotten the tire on my other car fixed yet. The tire place was closed when the tire blew and I had to be to my orientation at 10 the next morning. Well as I was going to leave, Baby wouldn't start! Her battery was dead. I think the week before when I had taken her out of the charge to clean her the spoiler wasn't completely down and it drained the battery since the spoiler kept running (it isn't a permanent spoiler, it's electric and automatically goes up and down when you reach a certain speed, or can be manually put up and down). Luckily my best friend lives up the street so she came and picked me up and dropped me off. When I was done with my orientation I took my car with the spare tire to the tire place. As my luck would have it they didn't have any matching used tires and the brand & make of the 3 remaining tires on the car are no longer made, but they did have a tire that was close, so I bought it. Probably 10 minutes later they come to tell me they can't put the tire on. Apparently the reason my other tire blew was that a spring behind the tire had broken, caught the tire and ripped through it. So they couldn't put the new tire on because it would do the same thing. They said if they could get a used part, which apparently they have had trouble doing lately, to fix the problem it would cost about $250. This is on top of the $110 I had just paid for the tire. I didn't even ask what it would cost for a new part, I was too afraid to ask, plus I dodn't really need it fixed right away! lol Luckily Baby just needed a jump, and is working just fine now. I started work the next day, Wednesday and also worked yesterday but have today off. Today has been about the only decent day we have had this week. Its been grey, cold and rainy since last weekend! I guess we got Spring in reverse, warm and dry at first, cold and rain now. I am having a good ending to the week though, one of my best friends who now lives out of state came home for her dad's birthday this weekend so I got to see her and we had lunch today.

My Suzy's Zoo Birth Announcement kit did come Monday, though I haven't even opened it up to look at it. Thats about as close to cross stitching as I have been since my last update, haven't even thought about picking up and working on any projects.

Hope everyone else's weeks have been filled with slightly better luck, and your a trooper if you read this far! lol Nick

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2010-05-07T21:00:00.001-04:00

Actually I believe May flowers bring May showers, at least today they do! It's been a rainy, grey and chilly day here but it did provide May flowers, at least some backstitched May flowers. Here is SanMan's May 2010 blackwork pattern. At first I wasn't sure about the yellow floss on such a light color fabric but I think it turned out nice.

I worked on Hot Stuff as well, but didn't take a picture because I only added the foot and tail of the mouse. I worked on it Wednesday while watching Happy Town on ABC and ended up doing more watching than stitching! lol

I'm really excited that I won a kit on eBay last night that I have been wanting for a long time. It's called "Suzy's Zoo Train Birth Announcement" and was released by Janlynn in the mid 90's. I am a big fan of Suzy's Zoo. It's been around since the 70's and my Aunt collected it as a teen in the late 80's and 90's, so I have many fond memories of Suzy's Zoo birthday cards, notes & letters growing up. Just about anything you could imagine they made back then, ceramics, coffee mugs, stuffed animals, coloring books, magnets, ornaments, party decorations, clothes, cross stitch kits and then all the stationary, cards, stickets, etc they are specifically known for. The production of these things and their popularity started to wain in the late 90's as they moved more into baby themed stuff (nursery sets, baby clothes, baby products) when they created the Little Suzy's Zoo line and characters. The original Suzy's Zoo stuff was very popular on eBay several years ago and this stuff would sell for big $$. The coloring books, stickers and stuffed animals were probably the most popular items, for example it wasn't surprising for the older or rarer coloring books to go for $40-60 a piece! I actually have several coloring books and am only missing 1 of the 403 single sheet stickers. Lately is has really died down and here in the US they mainly do the stationary now, though it has really become big in Japan and over there they are starting to release all those things like they had here. They are even working on opening a memorabilia museum and a cartoon for TV. Anyway, enough of the history of Suzy's Zoo! lol Here is the pic of the kit from the auction, I'm very happy I got it for a great price, $12 shipped. I want to stitch it for my best friend's daughter, the one I mentioned watching last Friday.

In case I don't post over the weekend HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of the moms out there!!

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading! Nick

A Good Weekend For Stitching

2010-05-03T13:03:00.002-04:00

This weekend turned out to be perfect for stitching. We had rain, thunderstorms and gloomy, cool weather most of the weekend. Luckily the tornadoes and more severe storms stayed to the south of us. Thats the only bad thing about spring in Michigan - tornadoes. I can't believe it's already May, this year just seems to be zooming by, but that does means we're that much closer to summer!

Saturday I went and saw the new Nightmare on Elm Street movie with my dad. It was pretty good, not at all as scary as I thought it would be. One of my favorite parts of going to the movies are the previews, though none of the previews shown with Nightmare really interested me.

Sunday I spent most of the day working on Hot Stuff. Mr. Mouse is almost done, just missing his other foot and tail. I also got some of the peppers and ground shading done. It's slowly but surely coming along.

Hot Stuff before & after.

I also have a shout out to give to Cat, over at Kittycat cross stitch blog, who is hosting a nice give away to celebrate her 100th blog post.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend & thanks for visiting! Nick

Hot Stuff Progress

2010-04-29T21:01:00.003-04:00

Since my last update I have been able to work a little bit on Hot Stuff. I'm also just about finished with the grid on the HAED design. The little mouse in Hot Stuff is really starting to take shape. I thought since I had made some progress I would post an update now since I'm spending the day tomorrow babysitting my best friends daughter. She is just the most precious little girl in the world and I love being able to spend time with her.

Hot Stuff before and after.

Thats it for now, just a quick update. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week, and thanks stopping by! Nick

Sweet Land Of Liberty

2010-04-26T13:29:00.000-04:00

Boy am I glad it's the start of a new week, last week just seemed like one road block after another so hopefully this week is better! Didn't really get to do any stitching last week, a combination of lots of things going on and not really having any desire to stitch.

This weekend I did work on Hot Stuff. I had finished the marshmallow last week and this weekend I backstitch it, and started some of the peppers and one of the mice.

While doing some cleaning I found a stash of unfinished projects. I worked a little bit on one of them, a Precious Moments piece called God Shed His Grace On Thee. I started this piece last spring/summer but haven't worked on it since then. The only thing added this weekend was filling in some of the stars on the bottom of the dress. For some reason all of the pics came out with the aida looking white, its actually a light baby blue.

The chart is based on a Precious Moments figurine with the same name released after September 11th. I have the figurine and wanted to stitch the pattern to go with. The pattern is actually a reverse of the figurine, if the figurine faces left like the pattern the flag is in front of her face instead of behind her. The stars on the dress are alot more subtle on the figurine as well. The pattern is in leaflet PM51 - Sweet Land of Liberty by Gloria & Pat, now I just need to finish it! lol

Hope everyone had a good weekend & thanks for visiting! Nick

Starts & Finishes

2010-04-19T12:07:00.001-04:00

I started and finished SanMan's April blackwork piece this weekend. The 4 center bunnies remind me of Peep bunnies. I love SanMan's blackwork patterns, they always have so many little details. Even though the pattern doesn't have eyes charted for the bunnies I might add them later with beads.

SanMan April 2010 Blackwork

I worked a little bit on Hot Stuff but didn't take a picture, I just worked on the marshmallow and stick. I'm not really enjoying the blending colors on this one, unlike Wash Line Blues where a combination is used in large chucks, there are alot that are only used here and there. It's like confetti stitching with different color combinations. lol

I also started to grid the fabric for the HAED The Journey Begins pattern. My mom ordered this red easy-count gridline floss-like stuff online that grids your fabric and can be taken out as you stitch. Last summer when I bought the pattern we went 1/2 and 1/2 on the supplies so we could both work on it, so maybe if we both work on it on and off it won't take as long.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, thanks for visiting! Nick

The Impossible

2010-04-14T12:12:00.003-04:00

After checking out the HAED House-Mouse designs I got to thinking about one of the many patterns I have in my stash, it's one of my favorites. I call it my impossible pattern, it's a HAED design, The Journey Begins based on the painting done by Scott Gustafson.

The Journey Begins by Scott Gustafson

This bad boy is charted over 42 pages, using 50 different colors for a total of 175,000 stitches! There used to be an family owned art gallery & framing shop, which sadly closed a few years ago, right up the street that hosted a Christmas open house, with Scott Gustafson as a guest. I have love Scott Gustafson's artwork (check out his website, it's amazing) since seeing it as a kid at this gallery. Prior to meeting him I had actually seen one of the originals of The Journey Begins there. At the open house I won a pencil sketch of his otter character that he did earlier in the day during a demonstration. He also signed a copy of his book, "Alphabet Soup: A Feast of Letters", for me. Hopefully someday it will turn out to be a non-impossible pattern!

Hello Monday

2010-04-12T14:29:00.002-04:00

Well, does anyone know where last week went? lol It just flew on by me, and sadly time didn't fly because I was stitching. I did find a new project to start on Wednesday, funny how it's so much harder to finish a project than it is to find one to start! lol I found a Dimensions House-Mouse kit on sale @ JoAnne's. Growing up my mom always used tons of House-Mouse stationary and had some of the rubber stamps. I regret passing up the Making Lemonade kit (three mice drinking out of a pitcher of lemonade) when I saw it on clearance @ Hobby Lobby last spring. This kit is called Hot Stuff, with a mouse roasting a marshmallow using the fire breath from a pepper eating mouse. The kits even come with a House-Mouse foot-printed mat for finishing the piece.

I started the piece this weekend and got the Hot Stuff across the top stitched. I'm not sure if I like the stitches between the orange & red in the letters that called for a mix of 1 strand red, 1 stand orange. When you look at the piece up close it looks the stitches are funny because some show one of the colors more than the other, oh well, from a distance it helps blend between the colors.

Hope everyone had a great last week and good beginning to this one! I am off to watch some DVDs that need to go back to the video store & catch up on blog reading! Nick

March Blackwork

2010-04-05T17:42:00.003-04:00

I finished up SanMan's March Blackwork last night. I love doing blackwork, that's probably because I am in the very slim majority that actually enjoys backstitching. I would say backstitching is one of my favorite parts of working on a piece, maybe because a piece is truly finished once the backstitching is done. Not sure what's up next, I could probably work on Wash Line Blues but I'm still in a new project mood! lol

Here are January, February & March together.

We had another day of amazing weather, near 70 again and very sunny. Took the opportunity to pull Baby out of the garage and do an interior cleaning. Got all the mats & carpets vacuumed and cleaned, conditioned the seats & wheel and detail cleaned the vents and stuff on the dash. Now if only this oil change can get done Baby will be ready for the road! lol

Hope everyone had a nice Easter & thanks for visiting! Nick

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T11:08:00.002-04:00

HAPPY EASTER!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Not much new in terms of stitching, I'm about 1/2 finished with March's SanMan blackwork pattern. I would have had it done by now but every time I've gone to stitch I've gotten sidetracked with something else! I have also spent most of the past couple days hanging out with friends, enjoying the wonderful weather. It has cooled down, and it rained early yesterday, but still some very Spring like weather, and anything is better than snow! lol Along with the U of M, I may also have to add the Butler Bulldogs to my favorite teams, they beat Michigan State in the final four yesterday evening! One of my best friends, who I hate to admit, is a State fan, and she had a party @ her house to watch the games. I loved ragging on her when they lost! :-) lol

Hope the Easter bunny was good to everyone! Nick

No April Showers Here

2010-04-01T17:40:00.005-04:00

Happy April 1st everyone - it's hard to believe 1/4 of the year has passed already! To celebrate the first day of April, and just in time for Easter, I finished the SanMan 2010 Calendar piece for April, a cute chocolate bunny! I finished the bunny this afternoon while sitting on the porch swing.

SanMan 2010 Calendar - April

Poor blind bunny, the eyes are supposed to be French knots. Well, I can not make a good French knot to save my life so I will put two Mill Hill seed beads there. I totally forgot to do so before I took the pic. EDIT: I also just realized I forgot to backstitch the whiskers! Yikes, this poor bunny! lol

All 4 months released so far.

It was an amazing day here today, its been in the low 70s the past two days, so I have just been sitting around outside soaking up the sun. I wish I could take Baby out for a ride in such nice weather but she still needs her oil changed and everything before she's ready for the road. The problem is the Chrysler dealer requires any mechanic that works on a Crossfire to be specially certified to do so, and the dealer only has 1 such certified mechanic. So it's tough to get an appointment not only when he is scheduled to work, but to find a time when I can get over there and they have an opening! My mom had to call earlier to rub it in that when she left work for lunch and to run a few errands, she did so in her car with the top down. lol

I haven't done any other stitching since finishing the candy cane Piglet ornament. The SanMan blackwork pattern for March was also released so that will be my next start. Here is a pic of the first two for January & February. The snowmen are blind for the same reason as the bunny! lol

Hope everyone else is enjoying their week so far, and thanks for stopping by! Nick

First Ornament Finish

2010-03-29T11:50:00.005-04:00

Last night I finished my first ornament for 2010! Now all I have to do is the actual finish, cutting out and backing Piglet. I think I'm going to try to also make Pooh, Tigger & Eeyore and have all 4 done for Christmas. Didn't work on anything else this weekend since I really wanted to get Piglet finished.

The SanMan calendar freebie for April should be out this week so I think I will wait for that instead of starting a new project. I'm taking a little break from Wash Line Blues. I tend to lose enthusiasm for a piece if I stitch on it constantly without working on other projects. I guess that works as a good excuse for having so many projects going! lol

Hope everyone had a great weekend & thanks for visiting! Nick

UPDATE: Here is a pic of the ornament actually finished, finished! lol I might move the hanger over a little to the left so the ornament hangs a little more sideways. I can't wait for the leaflet w the other 3 patterns to arrive!

Christmas in March

2010-03-26T12:21:00.000-04:00

In my last post I talked about how I was feeling like starting a new project since Spring has been on it's way here in Michigan. Well, I did indeed start a new project, only it ended up being a Christmas in ornament! lol I am a huge Christmas person, if I could I would have the house decorated in Christmas all year long, which means when it does come time to decorate for Christmas, you better believe I go big, inside and outside! lol

Anyway, I was helping my mom "clean out" (another way of saying it started out as cleaning but ended up just being rummaging lol) an old chest of drawers that had long forgotten crafts in it. I came across a kit for this Piglet Christmas ornament. I did some searching online to see if there made matching kits with Pooh, Tigger or Eeyore and sure enough there did. The kits are by Leisure Arts and are cross stitch on plastic canvas and released sometime around 2000. They also released the 4 patterns in a Pooh Christmas projects leaflet. I was able to get the leaflet for $5 on eBay so maybe by Christmas I will have a set of Pooh & friends candy cane ornaments.

I started the ornament Tuesday night and have so far done Piglet's head and the top of the candy cane. Usually I save the backstitching for last when all the stitching is complete but for some reason I felt like backstitching as I complete parts, it makes it feel like a mini finish. lol

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday & a great weekend! Thanks for reading! Nick

Signs of Spring

2010-03-23T15:48:00.006-04:00

I got a little more of the quilt done on Wash Line Blues Sunday evening, couldn't escape those blue 1/2 stitches though! lol At least they were a different color and only used 2 strands rather than 6. I can't wait to put some of the backstitching in to give the quilt more detail and help show the difference between the subtle color changes.

Spring is certainly on it's way here in Michigan. The sun is shining and I heard some bird chirping outside this morning. Now we just need the temperature to get up a little more. lol Its only been in the high 40s the past couple days but it's nice to see the sun, and the best part - no snow!! The nice weather has also put me in the mood for a spring project, I have my eye on the new Prairie Schooler Signs of Spring leaflet. For now I think I will start on their new "Peep" chick freebie.

Hope everyone has a great day & thanks for visiting! Nick

The Non-Wash Line Blues

2010-03-21T13:56:00.011-04:00

I am very happy that I have been able to get a lot done on Singin' the Wash Line Blues this weekend. I added some more blue to the sky and started the quilt. When I started the piece I had wanted to do all of the blue background before starting the quilt or birds, but after finishing what was left of the background on the first page of the chart I really wasn't feeling anymore blue 1/2 stitches! lol

Yesterday was a pretty blah day weather wise, woke up to snow on the roofs, lawns & cars, which was all gone by 1, but it was still chilly & grey all day. It made for good stitching weather though, didn't do much besides stitch here and there and watch some basketball (Thanks UNC for keeping my bracket alive! lol).

Here are the before & after pics and above is a pic of what the complete piece looks like. These 2 should enlarge when you click them.

Before

After

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, thanks for stopping by! Nick

M GO BLUE!

2010-03-19T12:56:00.009-04:00

Wow, Friday already, another week that just flew by! No complaints though, it was a great week here, especially with such wonderful weather. Unfortunately the weatherman still says rain/snow & temps back in the 30s this weekend, though I think the nice weather is supposed to come back after, and it's more than welcome! lol

Haven't had a chance to even think about touching any of my projects since my last post. The one good thing about this upcoming weather is that it should make me want to stay in and stitch, Wash Line Blues is calling me! lol Also I won't feel bad about sitting on the couch watching March Madness, with no nice weather begging me to be outside.

While in Ann Arbor on Wednesday my friend & I went to the M Den store in the Briarwood Mall, I had never been there before, only to the M Den on Main Street and the temp stores they set up outside the Big House on game days. The store was AMAZING, a Michigan fan's dream come true! Everything and anything you could image...and it was all U of M themed! They had everything from stuff you would expect like clothes, hats and car stuff to things you might not, like block M cookie cutters & ice-cube trays! They also had a real stuffed wolverine on display among some other cool things, like a 3 ft Bo Schembechler bobble head. I managed to to control myself and only pick up a few new souvenirs! lol

I thought I would share the Michigan pattern I charted. The leaflet I bought had the old logo, the block M with the wolverine on top, but not the newer one, since the leaflet was printed in the mid-80s before the logo was changed in the early 90s to what it is now, a block M with Michigan written across it. I don't think too many will be interested but since a few follows mentioned they were U of M fans I thought I would share anyway, the picture should enlarge when you click on it.

I'm not sure how close those 2 DMC color actually are to Maize & Blue. They looked good on the cross stitch program so I stuck with them, I haven't checked my colors to see what they look like in real life. Any darker blue & darker yellow would do I suppose! lol

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their Friday & the weekend, thanks for stopping by! Nick

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T08:20:00.001-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I thought I would share a favorite sticker of mine, from my vintage Suzy's Zoo sticker collection, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Nothing new on the stitching front. I was going to work on Wash Line Blues but I started working on charting out my own U of M pattern. I recently bought a cool older leaflet with a couple of U of M themed patterns - Burton Tower, the university seal & a block M with a wolverine on top, so I figured I would try to make my own to add to them. lol

Well I am off to Ann Arbor for the day with a friend, hence the quick (and early!) post. Hope everyone has a great day! Nick

Blogging from the backyard...

2010-03-16T15:37:00.003-04:00

It's such a wonderful day here in Michigan! The snow is gone, the sun is out and the last time I saw the thermometer it said 63! Too bad they're saying snow/rain mix this weekend, I thought Spring was here to stay! That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it now though, so this post is being written while I sit on the swing in our backyard.

I worked some on Wash Line Blues yesterday, no picture though, didn't really get a whole lot stitched. I am kind of in the mood to start something new, something bright and colorful, but really should avoid the temptation! lol I have enough unfinished projects.

I started a Flickr album of some of my finishes, most are ones that have been posted here on my blog, but I am hoping to add and update it. So if you would like to see, here ya go.

I have enjoyed taking a peak at all of the wonderful stitching blogs out there. Every blog I come across I see something that I would love to stitch. Thank you to everyone that shares their wonderful finishes and projects, I'll never be without something that I want to stitch now! lol

Thanks for looking, hope you got to enjoy your day as much as I have! Nick

Weekend Project

2010-03-14T22:34:00.012-04:00

This weekend I was able to finish the first three SanMan Originals freebies to the 2010 Calender, “January”, “Kiss Me” and “Frosty Mug”. Each month a new pattern is posted for the members of the SanMan message board, along with a monthly blackwork pattern. I am stitching the calendar pieces vertically on a banner that I made. I can’t wait to see the rest of the designs!

Don't mind the quilting supplies in the background, I took the pic real quick on my mom's quilting table. lol

I still haven’t worked on Wash Line Blues though, once I started the SanMan patterns I had to finish all 3! lol But I am really going to try to get some work done on it this week.

I will keep this post short and sweet so I can check out everyone else’s blogs. Hope every had a great weekend and has a good Monday, if there is such a thing! lol Nick

Happy Friday!

2010-03-12T11:27:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! Man, this week flew by, don't know where the last couple days went! lol Thank you everyone for the comments on my Prairie Schooler July piece, I hope to get it framed soon. I spent some time Tuesday taking a look through all of the blogs of those who commented and I have discovered way too many patterns I would like to stitch! lol

Haven't done much in the way of stitching since my last post. I didn't work on Wash Line Blues, but I did start a new project, no actual stitching, just pre-finishing the fabric for it into a bell pull. I found a cool set of little patterns on the SanMan Originals message board, one for each month of the year, to stitch on it.

I thought I would take the chance to comment on a few comments on my other posts...

The designer of Singin' the Wash Line Blues is Adele Earnshaw and is a Dimensions kit.

I am very happy to meet a couple fellow Wolverine fans! I just found an old leaflet with charts of the U of M seal, wolverine & block M and a sampler of Burton Tower that are just calling for me to stitch. lol

I also wanted to introduce everyone to my car, Baby, that I talked about in my last post. She is a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Ltd Coupe. She's stored in the garage for winter, but hopefully if the weather stays the way it has been this week, she can come out soon!

I hope to get a chance to work on Wash Line Blues and start my SanMan piece but we will see, I am meeting up with my Aunt & cousin out of town tomorrow and having lunch with a friend for her birthday Sunday. Hope everyone has a great day and weekend!

Thanks for reading! Nick

July in March

2010-03-09T18:38:00.001-05:00

WOW! If I was excited when I had 1 follower and comment, you can't imagine what I felt when I logged on to see 27 followers & all those wonderful comments! I want to thank every one of you for visiting my blog and for the warm welcomes, and gracious comments on my pieces! Also thank you again to Daffycat for the shout out on her blog! I will be sure to take a minute to visit all of the blogs of those who left comments & became followers!

Today I wanted to share another of my more recent finishes. It is the July sampler from Prairie Schooler's "July" (Book No. 154). I started this piece at the beginning of May last year, but didn't actually get it finished until the end of December. I am embarrassed to admit that the piece sat untouched for several months, and the only thing that was left to stitch was the roof, grass & boarder under the stars.

"July" by Prairie Schooler

May - December 2009

DMC on 14 ct. Aida

This is also the next piece I want to get framed. I was thinking of having it matted with a matching red & blue mats and then an antiqued white frame. I picked up this chart because I love patriotic themed stuff and also living on Lake Michigan, it reminded me of the wonderful summer time on the lake here in Michigan. Speaking of which, it was an absolutely amazing day! For a couple hrs in the afternoon you could have totally gotten away with jeans & a t-shirt, I'm so ready for spring! lol Since it was so nice I pulled my car out of the garage, uncovered her (yes, my car is a her, her name is Baby lol) and detailed cleaned the wheels, rims and around the underbody. Now she is nice & super clean for when its time to take her out for the season! :-)

Thanks again for stopping by! Nick

Singin' the Wash Line Blues

2010-03-08T17:05:00.002-05:00

I was very excited to log into Blogger today to find that I had gained a follower & received a comment! lol Thank you Daffycat for your comment on my first post. I enjoyed following your progress on Crabby Year, a very cool piece!

Here is a new picture of my Lizzie Kate piece with the buttons and framed.

And here is a picture of my progress on Singin' the Wash Line Blues. I started this one last Sunday, but have not been able to work on it the past few days. All of the stitches are 1/2 stitches done with 6 strands of floss.

Sorry the fabric is wrinkled and a little crooked, I just couldn't get a good pic.

Nick

First post for a first time blogger...

2010-03-07T11:49:00.001-05:00

This is my first time writing a post for a blog. I guess I will start out with a little intro to myself.

My name is Nick, I am 20 years old and enjoy hanging o

ut with my friends, watching football (esp college, my favorite team being the U of M, hence my name, M GO BLUE Stitcher) shopping, cross stitching and many other things. I know, cross stitching isn't usually on the long list of things most 20 year old guys enjoy, but hey, I guess Im not your typical 20 year old guy! lol

I started this blog to share my love of cross-stitch and to keep a journal of my progress & finishes. My mom taught me to cross stitch when I was young and I have always enjoyed it. Recently, within the last year and a half, I have really gotten into it after discovering a whole world of cross stitch themed blogs. I figured, hey, its about time I start my own! Now on to some stitching...

My latest finish is this flip-its set from Lizzie Kate depicting the months of the year. This is one of the first projects I saw when I first started reading cross stitch blogs and fell in love with it. In January I found the set of patterns 50% off and thought, no better time than the present! I started January on January 16th and finished December on February 5th. Here it is before I attached the buttons and had it framed...

"Bit of..." by Lizzie Kate

Started 01/16/10

Finished 02/05/10

Recommended DMC on 14 ct. Aida

I got the piece back from being framed on Friday but don't have a picture of it yet, maybe that can be the next post. lol

Currently I am working on a Dimensions kit called "Singin' the Wash Line Blues". The kit was on sale @ Jo-Anns and after looking at it the last few times I was there I decided to get it. Its mostly 1/2 stitches using various strands of thread to create the light effects. Here is a pic of the kit, which doesn't even come close to showing the true brightness of the colors, esp of the blues...

Well, that was a much longer post than I intended, but thank you for checking out my blog!

Nick