I Remember Mama...and a Winner!!

Gentle Friends yesterday I picked up a little something from the jewelers I had made.  Backing up a bit with the story... having already begun the arduous task of clearing out my mothers house and going through everything I came across one of her diamond stud earrings.  She had a few different set of jewel set stud earrings.  We never found the mate for this particular stud, and I have my suspicions as to what happened to that!  My mom's good jewelry basically went to my sister, since I really have no need of it, but this single stud I wanted.  I thought since I'm not a pirate...

... an earring was not going to work for me.  So I though why not have it reset to hang on my chain.  I wear a gold chain around my neck with little mementos.  That's what I did, and picked the reset diamond up last night...

....  around my neck is this chain with my little bits....  from the top - a two sided Greek medallion (one side is the Parthenon the other a cameo of an athlete) my 1st cousin gave me 30+ years ago, next is a charm I got in Florence of Raphael's "Madonna of the Chair" - 1514-15, the painting hangs in the Pitti Palace. A beautiful museum with the gorgeous Boboli Gardens behind. When I was there I was really taken with this painting - it is really lovely as is the city of Florence!!!!  Above that piece is a charm from my grandmother's charm necklace that has her initials.  This "charm necklace" has about 60+ charms that my grandmother had made from her and her mother's charm bracelets.  Beneath that is the basket mounted diamond of my mother's and on the end is a charm I got at the Vatican of Saint Cecilia, patron Saint of Musicians. I am really a sentimental person and I like the bits and pieces that link us to memories.
 

UPDATE SNAP...  the back of the greecian Medallion.... thanks for asking Ariadne!!  :)

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As it says in the Post Title  - We have a Winner - I had the "Hag Claw" draw a name from the BOD......

and the name he drew was.......

Catherine Laurent!!  I have sent you an email about your win.  Thank you all for your interest and keep a watch for my next Gift-a-way...  it will be a St Patrick themed Gift-a-way!!!

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That's about it for today and wraps up the week.  Just a quick note that I will be in Florida next week, with my sister finishing up the cleaning out and shipping out of stuff from my mom's house - 

getting it ready to go on the market......  what a hassle!!!  

So I will not post again until the week of February 4th.

Thanks for stopping by, do stop in again!

Take care,

edgar

Last Day to Join....

Gentle Friends I have been trying to catch up on my very delinquent emails and comments, but it seems to be slow going.  There are quite a few of the "no-reply" comments, very frustrating when I'm asked questions that I can't answer, and there are so very many Anonymous comments from various sales and over-seas type places that I just go through and delete - they are really odd for the most part, but that's part of trying to keep and open and ongoing comment section I guess.  I do enjoy reading the comments and emails that come in, and do appreciate them all - so don't hesitated to send me a little note either public or private!!

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Today is the last day to enter the Gift-a-way I having - you can click HERE to go to the Post from last Friday.  I will close the entries around 2:30 PST today and I'll have "the hag claw" pick a winner tonight - with the help of the who hounds.... and announce the winner tomorrow.

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BTW - Joy and Cheer McRib is Here!!!!!

I do love the McRib sandwich....  my sister on the other hand... not a fan!!!

That's about it for today sports fans - thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

The Stone of Scone

Gentle Friends thank you so much for your kind comments and emails about Miss Hutton, she is bee-bopping along just fine.  I think I have almost have made up my mind to clear out the "Basket" of WIP's, or at least the nearly done ones this year.  It seems so silly to let these pieces languish without attention....  we'll see how that works out.  I do have a couple of pieces I really want to get at!!

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Last night one of the films I got from Netflix was "The Stone of Destiny" - 2008 - 

......about the abduction and repatriation of the Stone of Scone by a group of University students Christmas day 1950.  Starring Charlie Cox, Kate Mara, Stephen McCole, Ciaron Kelly and Billy Boyd.  Although I knew of and about the ancient Stone, I did not know about this bit of its more recent history.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film and loved the location shooting.  I would recommend this film highly!!  You can click HERE to read the Wikipedia account of the 1950 heist of the Stone.  The stone was returned in April 1951 to Westminster Cathedral and St Edwards Chair.  

In 1996 the Stone came back to Scotland and is housed in Edinburgh castle with the Honours of Scotland, but with the provision that it go back to Westminster for future Coronation ceremonies.

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop by again!

Take care,

edgar

Miss Hutton Progress

Gentle Friends thanks again for stopping by, as I said yesterday I was going to post a progress snap of Mary Hutton....  as of last night here is where she stands.... sorry about how wonky the snap is.....

 Mary Ann Hutton 1801 "A Christmas Sampler"

I didn't make a note of the linen, but I am thinking it is something 36ct, and I am using my conversion of Belle Soie silks.  I hadn't touched this piece in a good long while, so I am really enjoying getting back to her.  I am still not sure what I will put in place of MA's name, something will come to mind.

I also joined in on Nicola's Scarlet Letter SAL Blog II -There are Two Blogs now Blog I and Blog II.  There is some beautiful stitching going on over there, go check it out!!!
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That's about it for today sports fans.  Do stop again soon!!

Take care,

edgar

Some Weekend Stuff

Gentle Friend we had a lovely weekend here by the Bay.  It was bright and sunny and although chilly not nearly as cold as the past week had been.  We decided to change things up a bit after our usual grocery shopping Saturday morning.  After unloading the car we headed on over to the Legion of Honor, located at Lands End in Lincoln Park....

What got us over there was the temporary exhibition 

"Royal treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette."

We knew time was running out (The show closes in a couple of weeks) - we had talked about going for a while.  It was a gorgeous show with lots a beautiful things to see - and so worth the visit!!  We walked around the grounds afterward - as they are so pretty....  here are a couple of snaps...

......  looking toward the Golden Gate - lots of sailing going in the bright sunshine that typified Saturdays weather.

Looking in the other direction across the golf course we could look out to the pacific Ocean.  It was a lovely visit and I am really happy that we made the effort to get there before they packed the Royal "bric-a-brac" up and sent it back to France.

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Yesterday I baked up a tasty coffee cake...  a "Rich Cranberry Coffee Cake" to be precise..

The recipe I found on line over at Taste of Home.  I made two little changes, I added and extra 1/2 Cup of cranberries and deleted the powder sugar on the top - I did not think that the powdered sugar added anything to the finished cake except make it look a bit dusty!!

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On the stitching front I worked a bit on Mary Hutton, and will get a snap up tomorrow.

That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!

take care,

edgar

Let's Have a Gift-a-way!!!

Gentle Friends thanks so much for your kind comments about my heap of WIP's - I look at them and  feel like a slacker of sorts... letting those projects languish in their respective pouches - with no attention.... I think I will work to eliminate the "almost there" ones and then start another one or two....  or three.  :)

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All the cleaning out and shipping and just plain old work getting my mother's house ready for the market got me in the mood to do some shifting of my junque and the old heave ho at my own house. 

I was amazed at the piles of things I have accumulated and just stashed away.  I will have to be having a big old "Estate/Moving Sale" at some point soon.  There are quite a few things I am shipping to my sister, brother and myself... and I have to make room.... so some things just have to go.  

Cleaning out a closet I found something I bought a while back during one of my trips to London.  I had almost forgotten I had.......

It is a great Classic Needlepoint project,  Kit #78 - "Parrot and Lilies."  I made a little start, but for some reason put it away and never picked it up again - tastes change and all that.  It is a large Victorian reproduction and includes all 44 colours of tapestry wool and all the black background tapestry wool to complete the piece  (I checked) - There are all the charts and instructions in the folder it is a complete kit.

So, If you would like to have this kit all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and next Friday 1/25 I'll announce the winner.  Anyone from anywhere can enter as long as you can get mail - the kit can get to you!!  Easey-Peasey!!

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend!!

Take care,

edgar

Basket o' WIP's

Gentle Friends thanks for all you comments on my last post - since I hadn't touched a needle in a day or so I was at a loss for Post fodder....  today  (or it should have been yesterday's post... but for a computer issue that took forever to fix) I though since I had quite  few questions as to what was next on the agenda after ATS, I though i would go through the old WIP Basket and take a look.

Probably my oldest WIP is ....

This piece, Mary Beale's "Sampler Wreath."  I am not sure what it is about this piece that I am at a loss to finish, but for some reason It languishes there not getting attention.  Next up would have to be.....

Heartstring Samplery's "On the Oregon Trail," again I love the piece but just let it sit......  The third piece in pile is......

The Scarlet Letter's "Mary Ann Hutton's Sampler" - Although I put this down to work on ATS, I never forgot about her, and think this is the next piece to pop out and get my full attention.....  The last real WIP is my New Years Day start, Carriage House Samplings - "Autumn at Hawk Run Hallow....

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Now for the other two piece that are in the basket, and are sort of WIP's....

The first "sort of" WIP is Jardin Prive's "Sampler aux Bouquets I.II and III" I have started to convert the DMC floss choices to over dyed choices, but have yet to decide on the linen......  the second piece is.....

This super piece, Blackbird Designs "Anniversaries of the Heart" and all I've done here is buy the linen, charts and quite a bit ofthe floss, but as of yet no stitching.

There you go, my WIP's - I don't lie to many things not getting worked on, and try to limit the WIP pouches top the size of the WIP Basket.....

A Longaberger "Magazine" Basket

Although not my basket I use one just like it - and I know that if I didn't have this basket I am sure that my WIP's would be totally "Out of Control!!"

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

Not A Stitching Post...

Gentle Friends once again my cup runneth over!  All your kind comments and emails about my ATS finish, I am completely overwhelmed.  Thank you all so much!!  Last night I touched nary a needle, that's not to say I did no stitching related stuff.  I actually had every intention of stitching but I got caught up in straighting out the "knot o'floss" that had accumulated in the bottom of the ATS pouch.  (I keep each WIP in a separate zippered pouch and these pouches are in my stitching basket.)  I had to get them straight and back in alphabetical order in the GAST and CC floss bags, it's just a crazy OCD thing I have going on. I also had to straighten out the WIPs and just clean up the mess that the stitching basket seemed to have turned into - it happens, and has to be dealt with.  I'll post about the WIP's tomorrow, today was supposed to be a non-stitching post, refer to the Post title.....

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Over the weekend I baked up a great, and super easy, coffee cake recipe I found over at AllRecieps...  called Cinnamon Coffee Cake II, using a boxed yellow cake mix, it couldn't have come together any faster, and was really a very tasty cake, if I do say so myself.....

The only change I made (and you knew there would be one) was to add some powdered espresso, I read that little hint in the reviews, and it was a good addition.

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On Sunday after mass, and a big old stack of pancakes at Eddie's Cafe, we trotted over to the little Farmers Market and picked up a couple of bunches of collard greens.  I love me a mess of greens, Rico is not a fan, but I do the cooking so greens we had.  

I picked up the piece of salt pork after work yesterday, and cooked them up last night, along with ....

....some biscuits and mashed taters Rico made,  I fried up some chicken and it was a super supper!!   - and - there was enough left over for lunches today - who could beat that!!

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That's the skinny today - thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

Edgar's 1st Finish of 2013 or ATS Has Come to an End

Gentle Friends it was a really cool, chilly, bright and sunny, cold weekend!!  For the Bay area I usually wear sweatshirts and am just fine, but over the last few days, I have on not only my regulation sweatshirt, but a t-shirt and regular shirt.... and even a light jacket over everything....  at some point I was even contemplating gloves, the fingerless kind, but gloves all the same.  

We not only got our regular weekend things done - but we also tackled cleaning out two completely full closets and finally put up the remaining Christmas things.... the tree, and my nativity - it was nice to get the house back in order and everything all packed up and put away for another year.  But, with the cleaning and tossing of "Closet Crap" there is a lot less "junque" around or stuffed out of sight!

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Even with all the other things going on I found the time to stitch and finish up ..."And They Sinned."  This bugger - boo of a piece has finally come to an end, not that I didn't enjoy the stitching journey, there are sections/parts of this piece that just seemed to never end - I can understand now why so many of these ATS' languish at the bottom of WIP baskets.  

I have often thought of this monster stitch as a piece in 5 sections.  

So I will break it down that way in the photos..... from top to bottom.......

.............  and those are the 5 separate pieces.... here's a complete shot of the entire piece...

"And They Sinned" - by Examplar Dames Design Co.

5/1/2011 - 1/14/2013

Stitched on 36ct Vintage Sand

Using mostly the recommended GAST Floss

Thinking back, I really think this was a piece I stitched mostly over 2012 - although I started it in 2011 - I did next to no real stitching on it for months and months.......and these last two weeks were just silly fill stitching - green, green and more green - so this was really a piece of last year.  

At some point the plan is to get it framed.

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That’s about it for today sports fans, Thanks for stopping by, for your continued kindnesses and sweet comments!!

Take Care,

edgar

A Moving Film

Gentle Friends another cold day here by the Bay - and the weekend is to be a two day bone chiller.  The only thing on the agenda is to get the Christmas Tree packed up and put away.  Just about every other Christmas thing has come down and is stored away, now the tree is the last to go.

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Last night I had a Netflix Disc - a documentary called "The Conscientious Objector" - 2004 - 

The film is the true story of WWII Infantryman Desmond Doss the only Conscientious Objector to win the Medal of Honor.  I had never heard of Desmond Doss or of his being awarded the MoH.  I had heard of the the 77th Infantry Battalion and the Battle of Okinawa, Codenamed "Iceberg" - it was during the assault of the jagged escarpment that he as a medic continued to help and render aid to his fallen comrades.

The film is told in the form of interviews with first person recollections - I would highly recommend the film.

There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by, do stop again...... have a super weekend!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little New Stash

Gentle friends I am still stitching away on ATS grass, but I seem to not be stitching as fast as I once could.  I don;t know if it is just me, just feeling blah, or just loosing it altogether.  But ever since my life's upheaval in November I just can't seem to get back on track.  There is still a tom of stuff to do with my mom's Estate and "stuff."  I hope to be able to have most of it cleared up by the end of the month, with the help of my sweet Sister, but who knows how that will end up.  I guess at some point everything will settle back out and get back to normal, or as normal as can be, but until that time I will just keep bumping along.

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Even with my piles of things waiting to be stitched I just can not resist getting new "stash" and things, and over the last few weeks I have acquired a few new bits....

Clockwise from top Left...  "The Lord's Blessing" I saw a completed and framed version over on Jill Rensel's's Blog, I loved how it looked and wanted a copy for myself..... The circular Bush chart "Shepard's Earth" really appealed to me, the Homespun Elegance "Christmas Sampler II" will make a great companion to the "Halloween Sampler I."  I had to find then acquire this second copy of "The Sarah Maddock Sampler" as I lost the first copy I got off the Bay of Evil.  This long OOP chart has been on my list to do for the longest time, and I wasn't going to let my misplacing and loosing it stop me from stitching this... at some point in the future!!  And, of course I had to have the BBD "Feast of Friendship" chart, another lovely one from those talented women!!  I also acquired these.....

I do love these Stacy Nash pieces and since I was getting some other things I thought, why not!! and the LHN charts parts I and II of "Santa's Village,"  I was going to get a start on this the first part of the this year, but think I will wait to see how the piece looks on other linen choices, as I have read that the recommended linen "Lambswool" is very light and the whites do not pop as they should....  

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A New Phone

Gentle Friends it was a cold and overcast weekend - with sporadic rainy periods!!  A very typical by the Bay wintry two days.  

I hope those that are watching got to catch the First instalment of Season Three of Downton Abbey.  One of our PBS channels ran a Season Two marathon all day leading up to the premier of Season Three at 9 PM.  I really enjoyed it last nights 2 hour preimier and look forward to lots and lots of O'Brien machinations!!

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We ran around to a few Thrift/Consignment Stores Saturday morning, there wasn't much that I was interested in.... but, I did find these two books...

As you remember I collect different copies of "A Christmas Carol" and this "Where's Waldo" type book is one I had never seen, I also found a nice edition of "She was Nice to Mice" a book I have always liked.

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On Friday I got my new phone - now, you know me, I do not like change or new things.  For instance... back in the day I fought the coming of CD's, and hung on to my records like life preservers.  New technology is NOT my thing, never has been, never will be....  

However, I have been fighting a loosing battle with Rico for a few years about me getting a new phone.  I was fine with my really old phone but he thought I should get a new phone.   

I like my old phone (On the right) Yes, I know the back stopped staying on a loooong time ago, and I have been keeping it on with tape....  and yes, I know the battery doesn't hold but a partial day's charge, but I am used to it and do not need a some crazed gadget ridden new phone.  

The inevitable happened, I had to buckle under and "upgrade" to a slim I4 phone.  I spent a good part of the weekend playing with all the things this new phone can do - and it has way too many gadgets and bells and whistles for my taste, but I suppose I'll get used to it like everything else "new and improved."

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I am still stitching green grass, and will not bore you with another photo of that never ending area!!
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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

Some Downton Abbey Stuff

  Gentle Friends thanks so much for stopping by on this chilly Friday morning.  Since there seems to be such a surge of fun DA feeling going around I though I would share some fun things I found out there on the Internet....

Don't you just love it when the Earl is behind you!!!!  I have some ideas about this story line.......  like, if it wasn't Bates who did old evil Vera in (and I do no think it was) then who did???  

Who would want to protect the family from more scandal?  Could it be, O'Brien?? 

She has said on more than one occasion that she was NOT going to let anyone "Hurt her lady!!" Think about that for a few minutes!!  I do love me some O'Brien!!!

I do enjoy downstairs....  and feel so sorry for poor Daisy..

I am really happy that she has started to stand up a bit for herself.

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I will leave you with a great O'Brien interpretation by Levi Hastings - a really super artist from Seattle!!

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Thanks for stopping by, do stop again... and don't forget 3rd Season Premier this Sunday on Masterpiece Theatre!!!

Take care,

edgar

A Quiet Weekend and a New Start

Gentle Friends, well, we have arrived at 2013, and stretched out before us is a brand new year.  Although last was a less than stellar year for me, I am hoping that 2013 will be better. 

At least on the stitching front things are good.  With two great SAL's out there - Santa's Village from CCN and the new "Little Sheep Virtue's" from LHN.  The first sheep "Hope" is super cute and I am sure that the rest of the flock will be also!!

On my own stitching front, I did not finish the grass on ATS, and I'm still stitching "Green Apple."  I am sure it will wrap up in the next week or so, so it will have to be a first finish for this year.

I did get my New Year piece going on January 1st, actually I worked on it all day.  I just couldn't get it to come out even and there was lots of frogs and restitching!!  Here's a snap of the start...

I am stitching "Autumn" on a piece of 36ct Light Vintage Sand from LL.  I am using the recommended NPI silks, as I did on the two previous HRH pieces I stitched.  I think, or hope that I can get this finished up be the end of the year and have Christmas at HRH as next years New Year Start.  I don't know why I was having so much trouble with this simple single stitched line, but, for some reason I just couldn't keep my count.....  it couldn't have been the "Downton Abbey" Marathon going on with my BluRay player?????

Yes, that is the quiet thing we did all weekend - watched the 1st and 2nd Seasons of DA - and now Rico is hooked!!!  We can't wait for the 3rd Season to start up this Sunday!!  And, we cant wait for the sparks to fly with Mrs. Levinson (Shirley McClain) coming over for Lady Mary's wedding.....

There will sparks a plenty between the two grandmothers!!!!

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!

Take care,

edgar