Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A IS FOR ANCHOR


I finally have a finish ! I found this little Prairie Schooler piece when I was looking for something else. I bought the PS alphabet series several years ago when it came out. I had high aspirations of stitching them all and displaying them in some type of grouping - what a joke! I had this A about 2/3 finished and had just abandoned it. Feeling the need for a finish - any finish would do so I started working on this last week. WHOOOHOOOO - easy finish and I was able to go with my mom to the framers and picked out a perfect distressed frame - very simple for this little piece. Don't know where I'll put it yet but who cares ! I have a finish albeit a very small one - I'll take anything I can get at this point. I tend to work on medium to large samplers and my finishes are few and FAR between - so this is a little lift for me and now I can get started on the Sail Away SAL I am participating in with Terri, Loraine and some other blogger friends. I'm already a week late getting started so I have to get with it.
No rug hooking progress to report - I have not pulled a loop since the retreat. However I am demo-ing rug hooking at the Olde Green Cupboard on Saturday for their Fall Festival - that should be fun - the store should be packed and our sampler guild will be meeting there that day and also demo-ing stitching for the shop. DF Carol is coming up from central florida to spend the night so she can participate in this event. Mom will be in town for a change so she can come too. Should be a really fun day. Our rug guild meets on sunday so if I get to go on sunday - I will have a full weekend of hooking progress to report on next week.
knitting progress is little to none - I started the hat on the cover of the fall Vogue Knitting mag for a friends birthday - An August birthday no doubt - I don't know why I always set myself up for failure - of course I don't realize at the time I am setting myself up for failure - I always think - oh - I'll work on this for a hour or two every night and more on the weekends and I'll get it done - humpf ! yeah right - so that's how I rationalize and end up starting more new projects. OK - I'm going to quit beating myself up about it - I always say it's the journey that counts and the process of enjoying my one or two hours of sitting with my handwork at night before bed. Whatever I can accomplish is forward progress. I am just thankful I have a comfortable home and eyesight and a healthy mind to continue on my journey to needlework fulfillment.
Summer is still in full swing here in the deep south - I'm sure parents are glad their kids are heading back to school soon - for me it just means that my commute is longer because there is more traffic on the road when school get back in session. Fall is a favorite time of the year but I am trying hard to enjoy each season and not wish my life away - I wish summer was over - I wish fall was here - etc etc - We will still be able to go in the pool for another month or two and I have a little vacation planned to the Smokies in Tenn. over Labor Day. We are really looking forward to that - we've vacationed in that area for 30 years - actually all my life - we much prefer to head north than head south - I have actually not ever been to Key West and have not been to Miami for over 20 years.
I wanted to thank everyone for visiting my blog and commenting. Without your comments - it isn't too interesting to read the blog. Hope you all continue to enjoy the dog days of summer and take many happy stitches.

14 comments:

Cari said...

I love reading your blog Melody. I wished I were closer to you and I'd attend your rug hooking demo. I have two projects, all the tools, a great instruction book but have not pulled through one strand of wool! Anyhoo...love your PS piece and now you can come Sail Away with the rest of us! Happy Hookin' and Stitchin'

Susan said...

Love your A is for Anchor!! Congratulations on the finish! That time thing eludes me, too. I always try to estimate how long a project will take and I'm usually off--way off, like about 50 hours. Guess it would help if I didn't have to frog so much.

I've never been to the Smokies, but I hear they are beautiful. As far as Key West, I personally don't think you're missing much. I enjoyed the sunsets there and the afternoon we spent on the boat, but I'm not really a beach person and the town didn't thrill me. We did enjoy visiting Miami when my son went to school there, mainly because the culture is so different from Philadelphia. Have a great time on your vacation!

Jean in Georgia said...

Yay for your finish! Love it.

Have fun on your vacation!

Margaret said...

Such a pretty finish! I just love it! I agree with Cari -- love your blog, and I so wish I could come learn rug hooking from you! Hope you enjoy the Sail Away SAL. I'm having a hard time jumping back and forth between projects. I'm sooo bad at that!

beeinstitches said...

WOOHOO!!! Congrats on your finish! A is also for ADORABLE. I have all the PS Alphabets too and had the same hope, but you've got me beat so far!
Have fun this weekend - stitching and hooking!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Mel ~
LOVE IT!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Siobhán said...

Add me to the 'wish I could learn rug hooking from you' chorus!

YGG on A is for Anchor!! I love it. I, too, collected all the books and had big plans for pillows and framed pieces casually distributed throughout the house. Each kid would have their initial made into a pillow, M is for Mermaid would hang in the bathroom with the mermaid stuff, etc. The only thing I've managed thus far is to plan it all! LOL I can't wait to see how it looks framed!

Deb said...

I don't know Blogger threw your blog down to the bottom of my list and made you a feed. Sometimes blogger can make me crazy. Good thing I saw your comment on my blog. I had thought you had disappeared from posting for a while.

Great finish on the PS school piece! I can't wait to see the frame that you picked out for it. I really like it. I bought all those alphabets too with the misguided thought that I'd do them into all one big piece - what was I thinking? LOL

Sounds like you have a wonderful weekend planned and I can't wait to see of your hooking progress. I love seeing your rugs! And have fun with the Sail Away SAL. It's such a great piece - I know you're going to love stitching on it!

Loraine said...

Hi Mel,

What a darling finish it is! I love this alphabet series, and would love to add it to my stash, but like you, I'm afraid I'll never finish it!

Have fun on your vacation. I wish I was going somewhere!

Jan said...

Always a great read, when you post, Mel! I love, love, love your finish, woohoo for you! Now remember to post the framed piece, can't wait to see what you have chosen!!

I think we all have a tendency to rationalize that we can do more, then we actually can do, but boy isn't it great to have a finish?

I am trying to enjoy the seasons too, as they come, instead of wishing for the next to arrive. We have been fortunate the last few days, with hardly any humidity, so it has been a joy to relax on the deck in the evenings!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Congrats on such a fantastic finish! They may be few and far between but they're all WOWs! I'll try and stop by on Saturday!

Annie Beez said...

ooo la la I love this!

Karoline said...

Congratulations on finishing A for Anchor, it's lovely. I hope your rug hooking weekend goes well and have a lovely holiday.

Ranae said...

Love the PS finish.
And being a big halloween fan, I just adore Merrie Halloween. We don't have any rug hooking around my area. I wish they truly did, becuz I would be the first to sign up. Your blog is going in my GR, love it!!