Rain, Stitch, Rain, Stitch, Movie, Stitch, a Winner and a Blogoversary Secret Prize!!!!!

Well, I was proved wrong with the rain - although not a downpour - it was a steady drizzle and spit for 2 and a half days more or less - and that was very welcome!!!!

On Saturday Dale and I ran around to a handful of Estate sales and I bought a couple of books and a Freida Kahlo poster for Rico and that was it! I was home pretty early in the afternoon which I spent watching Part I of "Mapp and Lucia" 1985 - a superior BBC production that I can not recommend enough!!! Taken from the books by EF Benson (which a great BTW) and brought to life by Geraldine McEwan and Prunella Scales. If you have not seen this series you really should!!

I did finish up ....

Flower Basket by La-D-Da - what a great Spring thing to stitch! I used a piece of unidentified 36ct linen and most of the recommended WDW Floss'.

On Sunday we got together with some friends at Los Jarritos for breakfast - then after getting home I settled into working on my neglected ABC piece - I did finish up last months section and got started on the section for this month and here how it stands today...



I am still really liking how this is coming along and will get the rest of this months section done this week!! It was a Judi Dench double feature on the tube from NetFlix during the afternoon. Starting off with "Jack and Sarah" - 1995 - where Judi was more supporting than starring - predictable by nice film of loss and redemption. The second flicker was "Iris" - 2001 - a love story about Iris Murdoch and her husband as she struggles with Alzheimer's disease - The storyis told with flashbacks to when they were students.

I heard from Julianne - she received her ornament for the Ornament Exchnage.
Here is a snap -

She really likes PS and so I stitched up a Santa from "A Christmas Visit" #50 using the recommended DMC on 36ct LL Maple sugar Linen.

I wanted toThank everyone that entered the "Lo Rose" Book drawing..... And we do have a winner for the Christmas Book - I loaded all the names into a Randomizer and out popped "Robin" - So Dear Robin if you could get me your mailing address I will get the book on its way to you. Just drop the address to me at edgar matt @ g mail . com (take out the spaces)

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I also wanted to announce that this is a Blogoversary week here at the Black Sheep - In fact it is my second Blogoversary!! So in honor of this momentous occasion we are having a drawing on this Saturday May 9th - If you would like to win the secret prize..... just comment on this post and mention it on your blog (if you have one) and I will announce the winner on Monday, May 11th. I am not going to post a snap of the prize as I want it to be a surprise until the winner receives it in the mail!!

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Thanks for stopping by !!

Take care,
edgar

Another Friday -

Another week passes and we are on the brink of the weekend..... and it is supposed to rain. RAIN - this is not our rainy season... it is supposed to be over by now!! I know, we need the rain, but why can't it rain during the week and not on days we have off and want to run around doing stuff!! I guess it's just the way that things are. All that said - it is just the weather people saying we are going to have a rain so I am really not holding my breath for a downpour - they tend to be wrong more than right!! I always say the best forecaster is sticking my head out the window - if it gets wet it is raining or there are large birds flying over!!!!!! :)

Gentle readers - thank you all for the nice things you had to say about the Woodland Exchange piece I sent to Tracy. I really like Workbasket designs and wanted to do Fox Forest for the longest time. Now I am thinking of another exchange ...... ???

I am working on stitching up another sort of secret thing so no snaps of that - I will have some stitchy snaps on Monday - I promise!!

Last night the flickers were - "Star of Midnight" 1935 - starring William Powell and Ginger Rodgers - a very thin version of the Thin Man series and Ginger is no Myrna!! But, the sets are gorgeous 30's deluxe and Gingers costumes are stunning. A thin plot but lots to look at!! The second feature was "The Kiss Before the Mirror" - 1933 starring Nancy Carroll, Paul Lukas and Frank "The Wizard of Oz" Morgan. A 67 min quickly paced trial movie. Adulterous wife killed and husband on trail with a twist!! Pretty good movie the print was a bit murky but worth a look. Neither of these movies is on DVD (I borrowed copies) but are played on TCM often.

Today is the last day to enter the drawing for the Christmas Book - I will close the entries at 3 pm PST and do a drawing with the Bowl of Destiny this weekend and announce the winner on Monday - when my Blogaversary Drawing starts!! Stay tuned - same Bat Time, Same Channel!!!


And as much as we like Adam West and Burt Ward - who could resist the lovely Julie Newmar - so statuesque!!!! What a cat suit - meow!!!!

Have a great weekend!! Thanks for stopping by -
Take care,
edgar

Woodland Exchange Arrives in SF

Gentle readers - today's posting will be devoted to a dear stitching friend that completely spoiled me with the Woodland Exchange!! Margie was my "secret" partner - how secret could she be with me assigning the partners... :) - but that's the breaks sometimes. The package arrived yesterday and was a big one so I took it home to open..... and out tumbled.....

I couldn't believe it! Such lovelies and wrapped in a great toile tissue!! I love toile!! I saved it all and have plans to reuse it for special packages in the future.

After opening everything I was completely dumbfounded - such treats and so many!!

Margie not only stitched a lovely pyn keepe but also gathered up some licorice (a real favorite), a really cute puppy tissues pack, two packs of my favorite JJ gold needles AND a chart from my wish list WITH the silks that are called for!! How great is all that!!!

The pyn keepe is not only a Woodland piece it is also a wonderful tribute to sweet Hunny - our little chihuahua we lost a few weeks back.
Look at the front and you can see Hunny chasing around.....

and on the back is....


Isn't this a lovely piece to remember Hunny with!!! The design is a BBD and it is stitched on Purely Primitive linen. It already has a place on the Hunny "alter" and looks great!!!
I always say that this stitching community it the best and most thoughtful!!!! Thank you so much Margie - you did great!!!!!!

Thank you all for stopping by -
don't forget about the drawing for the Christmas book
- comment on yesterdays post!!

Take care,
edgar

A Pretty Good Weekend - and a "Lo Rose" Drawing

I was feeling much better and we did our usual running around on Saturday morning. Not very many things to get. I got some books - and a copy of the 30 Anniversary addition of "Blazing Saddles" - 1974 - a really funny movie that I did not have a copy of and who could pass a pristine copy for a $1 - not me!!

On the stitchy front I finished up a few stitching exchanges so I am on schedule with them - and that makes me very happy!!!! I did start a spring stitch that will finish up very quickly!! Here is a snap of the progress so far -


It is called "Flower Basket" by La-D-Da and it says Spring to me. I have had this chart for few years and every time I see it I say to myself "I really want to do this one!!" - but it always got shuffled to back of the pile and I never got to it. Then a couple of weeks ago I pulled it out and got the floss together, found a piece of linen I liked and here it is!! I am mostly using the called for WDW - the biggest exception is the blue floss which I changed out for a OWS Linen floss - that sort of sucks!!! It shreds and tangles like a mad dog in heat!!! It is beautiful and I love the colour - but to stitch with the stuff - never again!!! The fabric is some 32/36 ct piece I had in the linen box - so who knows.

Now for the Drawing/Give Away - as most of you know I did the "Lo Rose" sampler a little while back - my copy of the book I thought I had promised away already - but the stitcher that had wanted it has completely disappeared and I really do not need to keep the book.

Here is a snap of my finished "Lo Rose" Sampler.......

I have my working copy that is laminated if I want to do it again which means that I am going to have a drawing for this copy of the book - so if you would like to have a copy of this Stitching Christmas book just leave a comment on this post - all I ask is that you post about the drawing out on your blog - if you have one - That is all you have to do!! I will take entries up until next Friday - May 1st at 3pm PST - I will announce the winner next Monday - May 4th.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar