My 11th Blogaversary

Gentle Friends, I've been posting off and on .....

... for eleven years today!!  I've really enjoyed the writing - some of it good... some of it bad, but hopefully a good portion was a tad interesting.  Thanks for all your sweet comments!!

Take care,
edgar

Sheepy Keepes and some Rainy Weather

GR&DF your kind comments are once again a boost to my morning!! The Kringle was a big hit with Rico and his co-workers!! I got the message or hint - "what is for next week??" I found a great recipe for a breakfast/coffee cake I am thinking about....... I do so enjoy cooking and domesticity. We all work so hard for our homes and although I have been called a hermit - I do enjoy being in my house and doing "house" things.

I am still stitching away on an exchange and am thinking I will change it up for something else as I am not very pleased with the way it is turning out.... I may just frog some of it, who knows it is early days yet.

I have heard that my little Blogiversaary presents have started to arrive - so I think I will post a snap of the stitched pieces I made for the three winners -

I made sheep Pyn Keepes - this is a pattern from "The Gift of Stitching" that I used - and modified - I tried to find an entirely Black Sheep, but no such luck for one I really liked. The sheepy fabric the Keepes are on is what I backed them with. I also include some other little goodies with each package - I really enjoyed making these for my 3rd Anniversary - and will once again thank everyone for your continued good wishes and comments!!!

Yesterday the weather was rainy and cold. As evening pressed in on the day - I found myself looking out across the "veranda" towards the city and there was a really great sky -
here is a snap....

It was even more beautiful and dramatic seeing it full on, but this gives you and idea. While I was standing there I looked down at Rico's garden of pots and was greeted by this lovely little planting...

Rico has put out lots of purple plants this year. Everything gets pretty windblown outside from the gusting breezes off of Diamond Heights, but some things manage to survive.

I think I will leave the flicker post until tomorrow.

There you go sports fans - Thank you again for stopping by do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

Friday Questions and an Ornament

GR&DF (Gentle Readers and Dear Friends) as I like to think of you all - thank you for taking the time to leave such kind comments - I do appreciate them!!

I think I will start off with a snap of the Ornament I sent to Marie - we are in a small bi-monthly Ornament Exchange. It has been such a great group!!
Here is a snap for the piece I sent for this Fifth Round...

JCS 2007 Ornament Issue - "2007 Merry Xmas Pinkeep" - by Brightneedle
recommended DMC floss on 36ct linen.

I have wanted tot stitch this piece ever since I saw it in the magazine. It so reminds me of a Quilt. The only changes I made was to leave off the lavender coloured floss - I did not care for it on this piece and pulled it out after stitching. I think there is only one more round and that will wrap up the exchange.

I had so more comment questions I wanted to answer - Diana asked "where I got my charts from" - it seems that I am always looking everywhere - eBay, destashing Blogs, other stitchers selling on different forums, different stores - either on line or brick and mortar. I think I get my biggest inspiration from other stitchers. I will often see a project in motion and get the "need" to possess the chart which in turn leads to other charts either by the designer or something with in the same genre. When I start searching I find all sorts of things that I had never seen or heard of. In my head when looking about I think about how old a chart might be which means that it is either OOP or is going OOP or will soon. I always have a list of things I am looking for - right now the list has about 25 or so things on it - not that I need any of them. Last night I was going through some of my binders of charts I have and Rico asked - "Just how many charts DO you have???" he had a sort bewildered look of disdain at the time that I thought bordered on a sneer, but I could have been mistaken. I sat there a moment and answered quite easily "way too damn many, that's how many!!!"

From Luned came the question of the variety of things I have stitched - commenting on the new header. I often feel that I am stitching the same type of thing over and over - or only stitching brown, beige, grey and black. But, the snap shows an different story - Most of my big non-exchange stitching lean towards the sampler or sampler type things - I love samplers both historic charts and new.... and have a tall, tall stack of these charts waiting to be stitched.

Lee the Lake Stitcher has resurrected the SBQ (Stitchers Blogging Question) on a monthly basis - this month the question is :

Suppose we say there are two types of stitchers.

There are those who enjoy the "process" of stitching. They stitch for stitching's sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it's not necessarily the end goal. Primarily, it's the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are "project" stitchers. They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be? I imagine that we could all say we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try and pick just one. And once you've decided whether you're a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if you recognize that approach in other parts of your life.


I am totally a project stitcher. I work on a project until it is finished. I tried the rotation route with many pieces going at the same time - that really didn't work for me at all. I notice that even while stitching I am thinking about the next thing and even keep a list of of the next 5 or so things I will stitch in the order they will get stitched. This list often changes, but it is a list all the same. I look at them a goals and in my life I am also goal or task driven. I like to "do something, finish it and then move on to whatever is next." The whole process of stitching is the main reason I came back to cross-stitch. The rhythmically going needle and the creation of something - or process - keeps me stitching, but since I have to pick one - I am a Project Stitcher.

There you go sports fans. Remember to check back on Monday when I announce the 3 winners of the 3rd Blogiversary Drawing. If you haven't entered the drawing and would like to - make sure to get a comment on the April 9th Posting befor 3 PM PST today.

Have a great weekend!!

Take care,
edgar

It's gonna be a short one -

I think I will end up putting my initials on the La-D-Da piece - but they may be a smidge smaller. I am very happy about the response to the Pyn Keepe I made for Jen!! I love those little things and haven't a clue why!! I did forget to give the stitching info about that piece - the chart is "For a Friend" from The Marking Samplar - and is based on a 19th century piece - I have always wanted to stitch it up and thought this was the perfect opportunity. I used a conversion of my own of DMC and HDK silk and it is stitched on a small piece of over dyed linen that I won a couple of years back that is unidentified, but lovely... and I am running out of it. I think I need to get myself over to NIH and get Mary to figure out what kind of linen it is. She does a bang up job of figuring out that kind of stuff!!

There was basically no stitching last night to speak of - we where a whirlwind of cleaning - since we are having house guests starting tonight and lasting through the long 3 day weekend. The ones coming tonight are leaving Saturday morning and then more come in Saturday afternoon. It will be a busy weekend - but everyone is very self sufficient so I really am not worrying.

I did get two flickers in last night while doing stuff - The first was "Wake Island" - 1942 - The basic story is true while some of the story lines are Hollywood, but basically the film is set on Wake Island in December of 1941 just after Pearl Harbor - A small detachment of Marines and civilian contractors held the Japanese at bay for about two weeks and did this knowing that they were on their own and that there would be no reinforcements. Very good movie a well filmed - The second flicker was one I have seen a number of times but continue to enjoy - "A Letter to Three Wives" - 1949 - starring Jeane Craine, Ann Southern and Linda Darnell - just a great film. Wonderfully written and directed by Joseph Mankiewicz - done the year before his mega hit "All About Eve" - which he also wrote and directed. If you have not seen these tow flick give them a look you will not be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take Care -
edgar

Blogoversary Prize Arrives...

I saw that Jen got the Blogoversary Prize and I wanted to post before I forget -



and here is a close up of the Pyn Keepe -

I loved making this piece and think it turned out pretty nice!!
Here's to another great year!!!

Take care,
edgar

A Winner, Some Goodies, A Frame up…Some Stitching!!!

I will start off with the winner of the 2nd Blogoversary here at BlackSheep Site
- drum roll and a snap of The Peach a Pickin......

.... out the winner from the Bowl of Destiny..... (Now I know why you should never work with animals or children!!!! They just don't perform queue - ever!! ((is that a snack bite in there with those entries????) ) But, all that aside the winner that got pulled from all the entries was Jen over at My Stitch in Time - a newer Blogger here in our cyber universe - go check out her blog. Now - Jen just email me your snail mail address and I will get you super de duper prize in the mail. The email is edgar matt @ g mail . com (leave out spaces).
Thanks again for all of your kind regards and here's to another great year of my yapping and stitching!!!!!

On Friday the company Rico works for had the annual share holders meeting - super fancy and over catered as are most of those functions - well, all I can say it whoop de dam do - I love a party with catering - He brought home some leftover stuff -

and these....

We certainly made out and both of us were a couple a rooting hogs!!!
Just some delicious goodies!!!

I wanted to thank both Sherry and Jill for encouraging me to step up to the plate and try and frame something myself. I have been getting various frames from estate and garage sales and wanted to use them instead of having new frames made. It is so very expensive as we all know!!! Well on Saturday I ran down to Michael's and picked up some foam board and pins and just decided to try my hand at framing!!! Here is my first ever frame up -


I think it turned out really nice. So, for less than $10 I have a great old mahogany frame and the satisfaction of doing it myself!!!! There is going to be more framing in my future - In fact I have a list of glass I need to have cut for some other pieces!!!

I finished up the latest section of the ABC SAL - and here is a snap...

Only two more sections and this lovely will be all over -
I am still really enjoying stitching on this!!!

- and here is a new start - from La-d-Da - called "Peaceful Ways"

This will be a pretty quick stitch - I really like the colours and the sentiment.

Thanks again to you all for entering my 2nd Annual Blogoversary drawing
and for the continual encouragement!!!!

Stop by again!!!

take care,
edgar

Is it Friday yet......

I got up this morning asking myself that question!!! Of course it isn't - it's only Tuesday - and over the night there were two - count them - two earthquakes here in the Bay area!! Now, we have quakes all the time everyday, but I guess that last nights quakes where just a bit bigger than the rest - or - there was nothing going on so the News people needed some filler!! We of course slept right through them - I think it would take our building sliding down the mountain that we are on to wake us from the comas we pass into at night!!! Our building is not actually on a mountain - on "Olde Mapps" - the hill/mound we are on is called "Red Rock."

Last night I was a'workin on some more secret stitching so no snaps - Thank you all for the nice comments on the Flower Basket piece - I really like it and now need to spend some cash to have that sucker framed - I wish I knew how to frame things - boy, could I save some funions! I worked out what my projects for the next couple of months and instead of things slaking off they seem to be getting busier - now what's up with that!

The flicker last night was "Sweethearts" -1938 starring Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy - this was the first full length color film from MGM and voted by the public as best movie of 1938 - A very entertaining movie with some really wonderful over the top musical numbers - it wouldn't be MGM if they didn't have that.

And there you go - don't forget to comment on yesterdays blog to win the Secret Blogoversary Prize!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Take care,
edgar

Wednesday is upon us -

and it is now a slow slide to the weekend!!!! Whoopee!!!!

Not much going on on the stitchy front - I finished up my Woodland Exchange last night and it is ready for the post tomorrow - it has a way to go so I will not be posting any snaps of it soon. I started another exchange and kitted up something else to begin - probably this weekend - so no snaps of that either - pretty dull doings!!

I did want to mention that Valerie is having a Blogaversary Drawing over at Fog City - she has been blogging 4 years!! Check out her blog and leave a comment to be entered in her drawing. My 2nd Blogaversary is coming up on May 9 and I am getting my thoughts wrapped around that and what I want to do - stay tuned!!

We watched Grey Gardens again last night - and I still am just blown away with the performances of Drew and Jessica!!! There must be some awards in their future. I just love the line that Little Edie hands out to the married man she is on a date with - who asks about her beaux and why she hasn't settled into a marriage.... Little Edie "I only want a dance partner." What a great line is that!!!! No strings, no commitment..... just whirling through life with music playing!!!

Leaving you with that thought - Thanks for stopping by!!

take care,
edgar