The parade of ornaments begins...

I've been trying to take advantage of naptime lately and knock out some finishing work. My 2 year old is fascinated by scissors and the glue gun, so I've got to work while he's sleeping and get my goodies put away before he wakes up. I've been working my way through our stash of finished pieces and deciding what to do with them. Loads of framing at some point, but a few ornaments as well. Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing my best to finish more, and share the ones I've completed.

Up first is a lighthouse ornament. (You're all surprised, I know) I have a few pieces older than this one, but this is the oldest of the ones I've tackled so far - an ornament I stitched back in 2008 that languished in the drawer simply waiting for some kind of cording. (Yes, the whole thing was almost completely assembled for nearly 4 years.)

Call of the Ocean by X-Appeal Designs
stitched over 2 on 32 ct. Picture This Plus Fabric in Dwarf
with overdyed and DMC threads
Stitched in 2008 - finished 2012

I did stitch this one before as a Fair & Square Exchange that went to Susan. This piece will join the multitude of other lighthouse ornaments on our Christmas tree.

Another Fair & Square Exchange... and I FINISHED something!

I have been stitching, and I'm on a bit of a finishing kick. I have several ornaments I wanted to make sure were completely finished and ready to hang. It's a goal I made for myself when I realized that the ornament I stitched for my son *last* Christmas has yet to be completed (I have to add on some JABC buttons) and finished as an ornament. I plan on getting that one done (and up on the blog as well as the tree) by the end of the year. Please do not ask me about his 2011 ornament. I will probably get to that sometime this July.

But I have been keeping up with my Fair & Square Exchanges. They're small, manageable projects that motivate me to stitch and I was determined to get this one done and out the door well before the deadline. At least I accomplished THAT goal.

I was paired up with my friend Marie P again, which was wonderful. I stitched for Marie last year, and was thrilled that we were partnered up again. But this time, instead of heading off to Texas, her squares made their way to her new home in Vermont (now there's a change of scenery for sure!). We chose to do squares of with a Christmas theme, and I wanted to honor Marie's new home. This fit the bill for sure, and is from Little House Needleworks, one of Marie's favorite designers. I also wanted to make sure I stitched something Marie didn't already have, so I picked it from the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue.

Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needleworks
2011 JCS Ornament Issue
Stitched over 2 on 32 ct. WDW Cocoa
with WDW Seaweed and Light Khaki


And these are the squares that Marie sent to me:

The design is Christmas Lighthouse by Of Generations Past and I have been admiring this design at my LNS the last few times I've been in, but couldn't bring myself to buy it because I have *so much stuff* to stitch already. I'm absolutely thrilled Marie stitched it for me, and I have another surprise - it's finished into a ornament and hanging on our tree! I was in the middle of finishing up some ornaments to be given as gifts this year (which you'll see in upcoming posts) and these squares went right into the pile. Luckily, the shape lent itself to a very easy finish and it was done in no time (and I genuinely appreciate the signature squares, not only for the personalization, but for the fact I do not have to hunt down backing fabric.)

It's in good company - we probably have two dozen lighthouses (and adding more every year) on our tree. I try to collect an ornament for every lighthouse we visit, as well as ones that are non-specific. Once again, great thanks to Marie!

I know how this looks...

Safe Passage by Bucilla

Stitched on 14 ct. Aida with included threads

I know what you're thinking.

These people are nuts. How much lighthouse stuff can two people possibly collect?

Would you believe me if I said, "Not that much, actually?" Or at least it's not blindingly obvious the second you walk in our door.

Sure, if you poke around long enough or dig through the stash under the guest bed, or visit us at Christmas and happen to notice that a good 30% of our ornaments are lighthouses or of a nautical theme, you might come to the conclusion that we have a *interest* in lighthouses (to be polite about it). But I've worked hard at not covering every available surface with lighthouse stuff, and we limit ourselves to things we're really in love with, which cuts down on the impulse purchases. Just because something is a lighthouse, has a lighthouse on it or is somewhat reminiscent of a lighthouse doesn't mean we need to own it. (We won't talk about the camera bag that I HAD TO HAVE because it was covered in lighthouses. Or the fact that it wasn't actually a camera bag, but rather a canvas purse. And yes, I did retire it in favor of an actual plain black padded camera bag).

For the most part, our displays of lighthouses are restrained and spread out around the house. Except in Little Dude's room, where there's a concentration of photos of lighthouses from around the world. Nevermind that. He LIKES them. And he's going to like this piece too, because that's where it's going. Yeah, that's right. It's another lighthouse on our walls. (also, he's not even two years old, so it's not like he gets a say in how his room is decorated)

It's also another of my husband's earlier pieces that I dug out and framed - easy pickins as the 5x7 standard size is a quick one to do up. You may be noticing a trend in black frames - I am, too. I hope I don't find it necessary to scale that back, and I hope I still love how it looks years from now because we have a LOT of black frames in our house. Eh, black is always in style.

Another piece escapes the FUFO drawer!

A little while ago, I mentioned a drawer full of finished unfinished pieces / objects - FUFOs, as I've heard them called and it got me thinking about actually DOING something with them. Yes, many things I've stitched have been finished and given as gifts, but there are still many more languishing in a drawer in our guest room.

Some of those pieces were stitched by my husband. Technically, I'm not allowed to discuss his stitching, but I am going to ignore that "rule" because I'm quite proud of him. While most stitchers I know are women, there is a handful of men that stitch and my husband happens to be one of them. He does amazing work, and has patience for things I don't, such as massive projects. I might have even said before that he was the one that started us stitching as a way to curb our nighttime snacking habits. He figured we should do something to occupy our hands that wasn't conducive to snacking as well, and stitching fit the bill. We were living in an apartment at the time, and stitching didn't take up a whole lot of room. We started out with pre-packaged kits from places like AC Moore and Michaels, then discovered our LNS, The Strawberry Sampler, where we graduated to charts, overdyed threads, linens and evenweaves.

Since my husband will NEVER start a blog of his own, I'd like to showcase a few of his pieces on my blog. This is one of the first pieces he stitched, and here's a shocker for you - it's a lighthouse!

Nautical Light by Creative Accents (Dimensions)
Stitched on 14 ct. Aida with included threads
Finished 2002 - Framed 2011

The project was in a kit in a standard 5x7 size, making it quite easy to frame with an 8x10 frame and 5x7 mat. This one will be going on display on our living room bookshelves.

I should have taken a picture of the back of the piece, but didn't. I will say it's amazing how far we've both come with technique, especially carrying threads over the back of the fabric. See the whale and the ship off the stitched coastline? Mr. Sweet Pea used one long thread to stitch all of them, carrying the thread across the back. Yikes! We'd never do that now, especially on linen or evenweave. Fortunately, the thread did not show through the Aida fabric, so I let it go.

I did, however, restitch the outlining on the lighthouse. Originally, the outlining on the lighthouse was done with long, somewhat loose threads (Even on the package photo, the outlining is done like this and at the time, we didn't know any better.) But when I went to pull it out for framing, those long threads drove me NUTS and I had to pull them out and restitch the backstitching over single threads. It looks so much nicer, I think.

I should also confess at this point that we were not as careful with the fabrics as we are now. In fact, there might have been some *gasp* masking tape residue on the edges of the piece as we used regular old masking tape to prevent fraying. (I'll give you a minute to pick yourself up off the floor). And before you call the stitching police on me, we're much better now. Most pieces we stitch now are on custom cut pieces of fabric from my new LNS (is it still new after 2 years?) Just Crossstitch in Lederach, where Carolyn serges the edges. On fabric I cut myself, I use a fabric fray check and pinking sheers which works out fine.

But back to atoning for my previous sins. On one hand, the fabric under where the masking tape had been was clean. On the other, that stripe of clean, bright fabric around the edge made me realize how dirty the rest of the fabric was, even though I had washed the piece in cold water and Ivory dish soap before putting it away. I wanted to make sure the piece was as clean as possible before I framed it, but I had concerns about the red dye running. After a bit of google searching, however, I found that many stitchers agreed OxiClean was safe enough to use on stitching and could remove most stains, so off to the grocery store I went for a tub of OxiClean.

Lucky for me, it worked just fine, and I had no bleeding of the red dye. (YAY!) I was quite nervous but it all turned out in the end. The stains were gone and the piece looked much better.

I have a few more pieces from my husband that I will be posting in the future, and I'm hoping to rescue even more FUFOs from the drawer.

Hold it!! There are MORE Lighthouses!

Linda's not the only one that knows me well. Another dear friend of mine, Michele from Just Another Stitching Blog, thought of me when she was out shopping and picked up these two charts for me. I think the Gulf Coast lighthouse chart may still be available, if hard to find, but I am almost positive Secluded Shores is out of print, making the charts that much more appreciated.



Do you see the little blue thing below the charts? It's the loveliest little scissor fob. With a LIGHTHOUSE!!! Take a closer look - it's beautiful, and in my favorite color blue, though I am convinced Michele slipped a little Seahawk green in there on purpose. LOL


The larger oval shaped beads are especially pretty and appropriate as they're a frosted finish that looks very much like sea glass, another one of my favorite things. As lighthouse enthusiasts, we visit a lot of beaches and I make it a point to scour them for pieces of sea glass. I can, and have, spent hours combing beaches looking for glass and have amassed a collection I keep on display in our living room. I love that the beads on this fob are so reminiscent of the glass I find out the beach.

And because I want to be all fancy like with the macro settings on my camera, check out the awesome lighthouse on the end of the fob:



And while I also thanked Michele privately when I received the package, I just wanted to give her generosity and thoughtfulness a public shout out.

Lighthouses, lighthouses, lighthouses

It's pretty obvious I like lighthouses - visiting them, taking pictures of them, stitching them. The whole thing started with my husband's family's annual trips to the Outer Banks while he was growing up. Every year, his family vacationed in Buxton, NC, home of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. And every year, he and his family would visit the lighthouse and climb it if it was open. When we started dating, I went on vacation with the family, and visited the lighthouse myself.

Later, shortly before we were married, we were looking for something to do one weekend when my then boyfriend suggested a visit to the Absecon Lighthouse in NJ. No reason - just something to do on a weekend. So off we went to visit (and climb!) Absecon, which is next door to Atlantic City's casinos. We have little interest in casinos, but that weekend jaunt led us to pick up a Lighthouse Passport. Basically, the passport is a small booklet for collecting stamps at participating sites in the program - mostly lighthouses, but a few lifesaving stations and museums participate as well. When you fill up a passport with 60 stamps, you send it off to the Lighthouse Society and they send you a patch (and your booklet).

This started a project for my husband and I, and we began to look for opportunities to visit various lighthouses. We structured our honeymoon around a return trip to Hatteras to revisit our old friend, and several other lighthouses in the area. We did a spur of the moment long weekend over 4th of July one year, starting in upstate New York and worked our way along the Great Lakes through Niagara and down to Presque Isle. And we also participated in multiple lighthouse challenges in New Jersey, Maryland and New York. If you are interested in lighthouses and live within driving distance of any of these challenges, I highly recommend checking them out. We always have a good time and it's a great way to spend a weekend:

• New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge - The NJ Lighthouse Society pioneered the Lighthouse Challenges and after some difficulties, found a way to continue holding the challenges. This year's is scheduled for October 15 & 16.
  
  
• Maryland Lighthouse Challenge - Scheduled for September 17 & 18
  
  
• Long Island Lighthouse Challenge - No word yet on a 2011 Challenge, though it is typically held the 3rd weekend in May, just before Memorial Day

You can also check out The Lighthouse Hunters, who have information on additional challenges in Maine, Florida and Canada.

Soooo........... what is the point of all my yammering about lighthouses? In early December, I was the recipient of a large envelope stuffed to bursting with the amazing array of charts you see here, all of them lighthouse themed.

My wonderful friend Linda at Taxing Stitches gifted me with these charts. I was absolutely overwhelmed as I opened the envelope and started pulling out chart after chart after chart of lighthouses. Linda had been going through her stash and said she immediately thought of me when she started pulling these out. She knew I had an interest in lighthouses, and remembered that both my husband and I stitch. He's stitched several lighthouses, and I know he was eyeing up a few charts in this collection as well. I am looking forward to picking a few of these charts and stitching on them over the summer (I have a few spring weddings I am stitching larger pieces for).

I am a terrible slacker for waiting so long to thank her publicly (though I did thank her profusely in private). Once again, THANK YOU, Linda! Your generosity has overwhelmed me and touched my heart.

My Christmas Gift from Linda

Faith Hope Love 2007 Ornament
by Gayle Reger for Abby Rose Designs

This is the beautiful ornament that Linda stitched for me, which is now hanging proudly on our tree. I love the vintage colors, and Linda's stitching is just lovely, but what I love most is that this is a one of a kind ornament just for me. According to Linda, the word peace was not in the original ornament. She liked the idea of a 4th word instead of the year and chose "peace", something we can all use a little more of in our lives.

Linda stitched the ornament on an unknown fabric with Belle Soie silks - Cinnamon Stick, Collard Greens, Sister Scarlet, Mudpie and Cranberry. Linda also included a cute fingertip towel which is now in our guest bathroom. I don't know how she knew it, but I have a distinct lack of holiday themed decorative items in our house, and a Christmas towel was a welcome addition for the holidays.

Also in the package was a new lighthouse ornament to add to our collection, this one from the Marblehead Lighthouse in Ohio. It's one we have yet to visit, but it's definitely on our list.

On a final note, Linda has decided to get her blog up and running again, so please drop by and visit her at Taxing Stitches.

Who has two thumbs and won't be stitching any more Stoney Creek?

This girl!

Mind you, a finished Stoney Creek is a thing of beauty (and a joy forever), but I will just enjoy looking at them from now on. In fact, I've deleted all the Stoney Creek charts from my wish list. What prompted this oh so bold move? This bad boy... The Selkirk Lighthouse in NY.


This was my contribution to Kathy's Lighthouse Round Robin, which you can read more about on her blog. This piece was years in the making and Kathy is relieved to have it home, and rightfully so.

The pictures are impressive, but I'll tell you, it's nothing like seeing it in person. It will be a genuine treasure when it's completed and framed. Of course, if a piece of stitching could talk, I'm sure this one would have some not so nice things to repeat from the stitchers who worked on it. LOL According to Kathy, I wasn't the only one that may or may not have repeatedly cursed, grumbled, mumbled and cursed a little more while stitching it. The color changes are a bear, but the result is undeniably worth it.

Kathy did warn me that it was going to be a major undertaking, and I thought... "Really, how hard could it be?" Kathy, you were right. Also, I bow to your mighty power to command the respect and friendship of multiple stitchers - truly you are well loved by your fellow stitchers. I can't wait to see it finished and framed!

I was the last stitcher (besides Kathy herself) to complete a lighthouse, and lo and behold, in the remaining charts, was the Selkirk Lighthouse, a lighthouse I have visited myself. To be honest, it's hard to find a chart of a lighthouse in the US I *haven't* been to, though. As many of you know, DH and I are deeply interested in lighthouses and yes, have planned vacations around visiting them. One of these vacations was a spur of the moment road trip to the Great Lakes over a 4th of July weekend a few years ago. We started in upstate NY and worked our way around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to just over the border in Ohio. Selkirk happened to be one of the very first lighthouses we stopped at.


One of the most unique things about this lighthouse is the "birdcage" lantern. It's one of four remaining birdcage lanterns in the US and dates back to the early 19th century.

When we were at the lighthouse in 2007, it was for sale (along with the adjacent marina). Apparently it is now once again open to the public and available for rent by the Salmon River Marina.

To Nick with love from Mommy and Daddy

I am very, very proud of this piece, as it's one of the few pieces I've stitched and framed AND hung on a wall in our own home. (More on that in another post). This is something my husband and I both worked on as a gift for our son. I stitched everything but the personalization before he was born, and my husband finished the piece by stitching in the name and the vital details.

Maine Fishing Village Sampler by Seguin Designs
Stitched 2 over 2 on Blue Dynasty Cashel fabric
with various threads
(name partially blurred for privacy)

We picked the piece from about a dozen options I found online. I never get hung up on searching for a specific birth record - I've changed a number of different charts to suit my needs. Of course, limiting yourself to just birth or wedding records can make the search less overwhelming, but you don't always find what you want, especially if you're not going for one of the more popular baby themes. I just look for something appealing that fits the theme, and figure out how to modify it from there, and if you look at the original sampler on the Seguin Designs site, you'll see I did quite a bit of modification.

In this case, my husband picked the Maine sampler because Maine is one of our most favorite places on earth and we hope to take Nick there some day soon. I also like that the piece was relatively simple, easy to modify and embodied some of my favorite "Maine" things including blueberries and lobster buoys. I even changed up the colors on the lobster buoys to add a little more color to the piece and more closely match photos of actual buoys I found online.

I stitched the piece while I was pregnant, and found the repetitive border to be rather soothing to stitch on those night when I was especially tired. When it was all finished, I ordered the frame from http://www.pictureframes.com/ and put my husband to work framing it up. Normally I would have picked a dark wood frame to coordinate with the furniture in the room, but everything else is framed in black, and I like how the black sets off the colors in the piece itself. By the way, if you're looking for framing materials, I HIGHLY recommend PictureFrames.com. They're a great site, their customer service is wonderful, and they have a very cool feature that allows you to upload a picture of what you're framing and play around with frames and mats so you can see what your piece will look like before you commit.

I have some issues with privacy which makes me feel a little uncomfortable sharing details of our private lives sometimes. However, I happen to be ridiculously pleased with how this room turned out, and wanted to share it. Especially since this room started out as what we called "The Princess Room" - pink walls, yellow ceilings, huge swirls, and gigantic flowers and butterflies painted onto the walls. Not really our taste at all, and definitely inappropriate for a boy.
As you can see, we went with a nautical theme, using Nautica William for the bedding, and hanging photographs of lighthouse and other beach / ocean related subjects on the walls. Well, except for the family pictures above the changing table. (Yes, I know it looks like it should be lower, but it's just out of the reach of a grabby little boy.)

One of the things I like best about the photographs on the walls is that most of them come from our own travels. There are photos from our honeymoon in the Outer Banks, from one of our trips to Maine, and also from Maryland and New Jersey.

Friends of ours gifted Nick with photos from their travels as well. Hanging above the chair are two photos from Massachusetts, taken and framed by my friend's very talented fiance, who has traveled all over the world taking photos.

Above the end table are photos of lighthouses and sailboats from another friend's journey to Scotland. (Yes, he did take those photos especially for me.) There is also a larger photo my husband took of a crab on one of our trips to Maine, specifically Bailey Island. You can't tell from the picture because we didn't think to use anything for scale, but the crab wasn't much bigger than a thumbnail.

I love this room. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house, and I love that it's a room that can grow with our son. I'm not a big fan of anything too cartoonish or over the top, so I am absolutely thrilled with how calm and serene this room is.

A long overdue acknowledgement

I am in the process of cleaning up my blog - deleting dead links, reorganizing, etc., and realized that I have never publically thanked Angela for a beautiful gift she sent me just before my son was born.

Gazette 94: Grille Gratuie 87
28ct Brittney linen in Iced Blue with DMC Threads

My jaw dropped when I opened the package - I never cease to be amazed, thrilled and deeply touched by the kindness and generosity of my fellow stitchers. What can seem like such a small thing - stitching up something because we love to stitch and want to share it - can really make a huge impact on someone's day.

Most stitchers will say, "Oh, it was no big deal. No trouble at all, really." But even if it is no trouble to you at all, you should know that your gift has brought a smile to someone and is quite meaningful. It's more than some fabric and threads - it's that someone thought enough of you to put their time, energy and materials into making something for you. And that, my friends, is no small thing.

So thank you, Angela, for your lovely gift, which is now very proudly displayed in my baby son's room.

Backing fabric

My last finish of 2009

Nick's First Christmas Ornament

Côté Mer by Couleur d'Etoile

Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. evenweave with WDW Kentucky Bluegrass

I knew when Gaby sent me this chart (as a thank you for sending postcards to help out with her son's school project) that it was destined for something special - I just didn't know what. And then I got pregnant with my son and I knew this would be a PERFECT ornament for his first ornament (I plan on stitching one for him every year). We did Nick's nursery in a sailboat and lighthouse theme, and one of his favorite toys is a Glo-worm type seahorse. See? Perfect.

Just before Christmas, I pulled the chart out of my stash and raided my small cuts of fabric for a piece of evenweave. I knew I wanted to stitch this over one so it would make a petite ornament, and over 1 worked out great. In fact, it's triggered several over 1 stitching projects - I seem to be on that kick lately. (More to come on those later). The thread was one of those "oh isn't that pretty? I bet I could do something with that" impulse purchases.

With the holidays - shopping, baking, traveling, etc., I didn't manage to finish the ornament before Christmas. In fact, I put the last few stitches in it on New Year's Eve! But I was determined to *finish* finish it in time to get it in his ornament box when I took the tree down. And I did - YAY ME!! In fact, I finished several ornaments this past week, including another for our tree, which happens to be my first finish for 2010 and something you'll see in another post.


And because I like to personalize things, I stitched up the back with his name and year, plus a sailboat from the front. I love, love, love how it turned out, including the cording I used to trim. Which just happens to be a smaller version of the drapery tiebacks in his nursery. Yeah, how cool am I?

Trying to catch up...

It's been a while since I've blogged (I've seen this statement on more than a few blogs lately though! LOL). We've had some things going on here that have kept us busy, and of course, a family vacation in there as well. The weather has been so nice - warm but not hot during the days, and comfortably cool at night. Other than a ridiculously rainy June, we've been spending a TON of time outside. Sure, the wireless works out there, but the glare on the laptop screen makes it a little hard to see.

But here I am, catching up. (I have been trying to keep up with reading blogs, though not commenting quite as much)

I really need to start with my Fair and Square Round #13 exchange from Marie P. She sent me the loveliest squares, a Prairie Schooler lighthouse design -

Marie did a beautiful job stitching, and these are a very welcome addition to our lighthouse collection. I'm on the hunt for some proper finishing materials for a no-sew cube for this one.

And these are the squares I sent to Marie:

The Victoria Sampler's Hearts of America Collection "Texas"
Stitched with recommended DMC threads over 2 on 32 ct. Antique White

I selected the Texas Heart for Marie to honor her recent move to Texas. What I didn't mention to Marie was that there was a matching gold heart stitched on the signature square, or mostly stitched. Just as I worked up to the other side of the heart, I discovered my stitching was off by ONE SQUARE and the two sides didn't line up. SO frustrating, especially working with a metallic thread. I was just about to miss the mailing deadline, so I had to pick out the stitching and sent it off without restitching the heart. I felt so bad I included two of my handyed threads!

AND Marie was kind enough to send me her punch card for the Strawberry Sampler, even after I lead her into the den of temptation by sending her their site when she mentioned she'd be in the area for her son's graduation from college. Marie made a trip to see the girls, and came out with some lovely goodies.

The Sampler used to be my LNS until we moved back to PA. It's still within driving distance for me, though it takes much longer to get there (but not as long as it would take Marie to get there from Texas!) So once again, a big thanks to Marie for sending me her punch card - you can bet it will come in handy at some point!

I have a couple other projects under way - Country Cottage's Little Ballerinas is almost finished for my niece. It was one of the pieces I took down the shore with me, and she helped me stitch on it for a while. She seems to really enjoy stitching, even though she's not quite seven years old. I told her mom to pick up a stamped cross stitch pattern for her at the craft store for her to try on her own, so we'll see how that goes. Right now, when she stitches with me, I put the needle in the right holes and she pulls it through. It adds a lot of time to the project, but I don't mind a bit - I love being able to share this with her, and she loves being able to stitch on a piece that's for her.

Of course, now her brother wants his own special piece, and ended up picking the matching Little League one for himself. I just have to pick up the pattern at some point and get stitching on it for him.

5th Annual Long Island Lighthouse Challenge

Fire Island Lighthouse, Long Island, NY

This weekend, DH and I are headed back to Long Island for the 5th Annual Long Island Lighthouse Challenge. We missed it last year because we were in the process of buying a house and moving.

The Long Island Challenge is the newest of the Challenges, and they're still working out the kinks here and there, but overall, it's a fun experience and a nice way to spend the weekend. For those of you unfamiliar with the "Challenge" concept, basically it involves visiting selected lighthouses over a 2 day period and collecting a souvenier (provided by the challenge sponsors). When you've collected all your souveniers, you present them at the last lighthouse you visit and you'll be given a completer souvenier. Past souveniers have included postcards, bookmarks, pins and wooden coins. There's no cost to participate in the Challenge itself, although some sites have nominal admission or parking fees. Of course, any donations you'd like to make towards lighthouse preservation are always accepted and greatly appreciated.

If you happen to be in the Long Island, NY, area, and are looking for something to do, check out the challenge. You can download a brochure with directions from the LI Lighthouse Society's webpage, and you're not required to visit all the sites. The nice thing about the challenge is that lighthouses that may not normally be open to the public are open this weekend and staffed by some pretty knowledgable volunteers.

And if you can't make it this weekend, there are challenges in both Maryland (September) and New Jersey (October). DH and I have done both of those as well, and always have a great time.

Home By the Sea is finished!

Home By The Sea by Designs by Pamela is finally finished!

Home By the Sea - Designs by Pamela
Stitched over 2 on 32 ct. with recommended threads

I started this back in June while on vacation with the family at the shore, and finished it up last week. It's my housewarming gift to myself and my husband for our first home. I knew as soon as I saw it at last year's Online Needlework Show that I had to stitch this piece - it's perfect for us. I did modify the original to include our family name (blurred for privacy) and the year we were married. The year I stitched it (and the year we bought the house) is stitched into the piece itself. I had debated stitching our house number somewhere on the house, but decided against it.

I plan to have my husband frame it similar to the model with the hooks in the frame so we can hang it by the laundry room door in the kitchen (we come in from the garage through the laundry room, so it's the perfect place for keys and such).

And this piece is extra special to me because my six year old niece helped me stitch a little on it while we were down the shore, and again this fall when we were all at my in-laws for a weekend. She can't do the stitching herself, and she had a hard time with the holes on such a high count fabric, but she did a good job pulling the needle and thread through once I got it in the correct hole for her. (Boy, does THAT slow the stitching down, but it's so worth it.) She asked me, "Aunt Jenn, are you EVER going to finish that?" but she's six. She has a short attention span. I can't wait to show her at Christmas that it's all finished up and just waiting to be framed!

8th Annual New Jersey Light House Challenge

Navesink Twin Lights, Highlands, NJ

DH and I will be doing the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge again. We started doing it the first year we were married, and this is the 5th consecutive year this weekend. According to the challenge site:

The New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge® is a not-for-profit event presented by The New Jersey Lighthouse Society, Inc. for the purpose of raising public awareness of lighthouses in general and New Jersey’s lighthouses, specifically. It is a rain or shine, two-day event held during the 3rd weekend in October when 11 land-based lighthouses are open for visitation and climbing. During this weekend, the public is invited to visit any or all of the sites along the Challenge route.

We always have a great time doing it, and last year, we invited DH's parents to go along with us. They were unsure at first, but ended up having a wonderful time, especially my FIL. They loved all the history and lighthouse information, but since the weather was so spectacular, they enjoyed the scenery as well.

If you're within driving distance to the New Jersey area, I would definitely recommend participating in the challenge. There's no participation fees, no sign ups and no requirements. You don't even have to visit all of the sites on the challenge. Many people visit just a few sites, but the nicest thing about the Challenge weekend is that the lights are open and there are guides and plenty of information, and you have opportunities to learn and explore that aren't always available the rest of the year.

East Point Lighthouse, Maurice River Township, NJ

We've also done challenges in Long Island and Maryland, both of which we missed this year, unfortunately. Last year was our third Triple Crown, meaning we did all three challenges (few people complete all three). This year, we had to pass because of moving and other events going on, but I'd like to get back to doing all three next year. Maybe even add a few more, as other lighthouse societies are taking an interest in challenges and planning their own. If you are interested in the Challenges, check out the various Lighthouse Societies

• Chesapeake Chapter, Maryland
• Long Island Lighthouse Society
• Lights Across the Border (Maine and Canada)
• Mid-Coast Maine
• Martha's Vineyard
• Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival

I'd love to be able to do the Lights Across the Border one, and I'm always looking for a good excuse to head back to Maine, so that may be in our plans at some point.

I have a new LNS, and a whole bunch of other things

Yesterday, DH had to be at the hospital early for a test, so while he was having the test done, I was in the waiting room stitching. First, one of the receptionists came over to me and asked what I was doing. I showed her Home by the Sea, the project I brought with me. She was just amazed at the work I had done and asked if it was very hard. I said it wasn't hard once you got the hang of it, but the key was paying attention and rechecking your work every so often to make sure you were on track. She said she would be too anxious and impatient to stitch, and I told her it would probably help calm her down as the repetitve motion of needle through fabric can be quite soothing. She also said I could probably sell my work, but I told her that it takes too long and requires too much effort for many of the large pieces to make it worth selling (not to mention all the copyright issues!) I did say that there are some stitchers that worked on commission, and that many of my pieces are given as gifts, highly personalized to the recipients.

By the way, I must once again plug my Vera Bradley Little Travel Case. Sadly, the piece has been discontinued, but you can still find some on places like eBags, eBay, etc. If you don't have one and you like Vera Bradley, you might want to pick one up. My small size scroll frame fits perfectly, though my medium one doesn't quite get in there all the way. It keeps my charts flat and has plenty of room for my tools and threads. I've used this several times now - down the shore, weekend trips, and waiting rooms, and it's been fantastic. And since eBags has it on sale for $25, well worth it! (the color selection is limited though)

A little later on, another woman in the waiting room came over and asked if I had scissors she could borrow. She was using perle cotton to hemstitch some receiving blankets and had forgotten to pack scissors. She said she did a lot of traveling and got tired of having her scissors confiscated at the airport. I told her she could get a clover cutter, and she said she never heard of one! I told her any sewing store should have one, and if she couldn't find one, needlework shops would have them as well. And since the blade is completely enclosed and can only be used for threads, she should have no problems at the airport. As you can imagine, she was quite happy to know there was a solution to her problem and said she'd be going out to get one ASAP.

After our adventures at the hospital, DH was feeling up to it, so we dropped off a prescription, went for breakfast, then stopped by AC Moore. I wanted to pick up a linen tester that I had seen on several other blogs. A few people have had serious issues when they discovered the fabric they were stitching on was a different thread count than it had been labeled. I used my 40% off coupon, so for under $3, it's cheap insurance that I don't start stitching something only to discover I'm about to run off the end of the fabric.

We also wanted to look at some dollhouse things. Now that we've moved, DH is itching to start the lighthouse dollhouse we bought 2 years ago. When he was younger, he helped his grandfather build a house for his cousin, and has always wanted to do another one. When we spotted this lighthouse at AC Moore, we knew it would be perfect for us. (Now to obtain the keeper's cottage). We're still deciding on paint colors and how we're going to do the inside, but we'd like to keep them simple. This is a New England Lighthouse, after all! I'd also like it to reflect some of the lighthouses we've visited, so we'll flip through our photos and try to pick out details from our travels to incorporate into the light.

And FINALLY, my new LNS. I was sad to leave The Strawberry Sampler, as they always had a ton of great stuff there, and an incredible staff, but the 90 minute drive to visit them can really only be done occasionally, especially with the price of gas. I had to find something closer, and to be honest, the selection at the mass market stores like Michael's and Joanns has been disappointing. Sure, for DMC and some tools, they're great, especially with sale prices and coupons, but their selection leaves much to be desired. And the stores closest to me only have a bare minimum of the bare minimum. I have to go 20 miles to get to a half decent selection at a Joann Superstore as my local Joann's seems to only carry sewing items (fabric, patterns, notions) and seasonal decor. Their cross stitch stuff is some DMC, needles and Aida fabric. I don' think they had even 1/2 dozen charts in the store.

Anyway, short of ordering on the internet, the situation is somewhat dire, but we stopped by Just Cross Stitch in Royersford. It's on the small side - basically 2 rooms in a former house converted to commercial space, but they have a fantastic selection and the store is well organized. Everything is accessible, and while there's a lot to look at, it doesn't feel too crowded. And they have all the specialty threads I need, and a HUGE selection of fabric. Even better than the Strawberry Sampler had, plus they will cut and serge the fabric you need for a chart on the spot, a service the Strawberry Sampler didn't offer.

The woman working there was also quite friendly and helpful (I wish I could remember her name!). Apparently the owner just had knee replacement surgery that morning, so two of her friends were actually volunteering to keep the shop open for her - and being paid in charts and discounts instead of a salary. She also clued me in to a few local stitching groups and said that the shop sponsors a big "stitch in" in the fall at a local park that always has a good turn out and is a lot of fun. The shop doesn't have their own website, but they do have an email list, so I signed up for that, of course! And I picked up a grab bag of odd cuts of 28 ct. fabric in assorted colors. One of the pieces in the bag appears to be a hand-dyed piece in a gorgeously soft linen, so I am looking forward to finding something to stitch on that. It was $7.50 for the bag of about 10 pieces, all about the right size for ornaments / fobs / small pieces, so I think it was quite a bargain, and it will help me branch out a little with colors.

So it looks like the voting is coming down to the My Big Toe Designs piece and the Bent Creek "I Do". I hadn't mentioned it earlier, but DH picked I Do as his favorite, and it looks like I'm leaning towards that one as well. But I still really love the Big Toe one, so I ended up buying that one yesterday for my stash. The I Do wasn't in stock, so they're going to order it and let me know when it comes in.

Look what I got!!!

My stitching buddy Kim sent this to me - it arrived yesterday:

Isn't it cool? It's a little hard to see (it's really very cloudy out and the light isn't good) but it's a LIGHTHOUSE!!! (Kim knows that I am lighthouse obsessed) It's absolutely adorable - I love it! She SAYS it's all my fault for leading her down the path of temptation by sending her this website: Knitting Patterns Central. Hee hee! I always tell her I am an enabler. She never listens. LOL

And speaking of my enabling, I also pointed her in the direction of a going out of business sale at Lena Rose, where many of you took advantage of a $22 grab bag and ended up with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. One of the goodies Kim sent my way was a cute little Mill Hill stocking. I've never done a Mill Hill kit before, so it should be a LOT of fun. Thanks, Kim!!

I also made some progress on my Carriage House Sampling's "Acorns and Threads".

I was starting to feel a little all over the place working on a whole bunch of different ornaments, so I thought I'd shift focus onto one singular piece and work on that for a while. There are 2 designs included in the chart, so this is the smaller of the two. I'm stitching over 2 on 36 ct. Creme Brulee (I think) with GAST Dark Chocolate and either Chamomile or Apple Cider. So far, it's just the Dark Chocolate.

I like this pattern - I like the repetitive stitching. It's very soothing. I might be crying when I hit the back stitching part, but I do it a little at a time so it's not so overwhelming at the end.

In other news, one of my best friends, Julie, just found out that she got a great review in Publisher's Weekly of her first book, The Hard Way. I can't even tell you how EXCITED I am for her - she's worked for a long time on this, and I am so, so, so proud of her. And yes, you CAN pre-order it in advance of the May 27, 2008, publication date. In fact, if you do order it, let me know and I can hook you up with an autograph from the author herself. How cool is that?

And finally, I got an email yesterday from a my childhood friend, Becky. She and her husband are expecting their first child this September and I am so thrilled for them. Becky and I have been friends for a very long time - we grew up across the street from each other. She and her husband (and the rest of her family) are just over the moon excited about the new baby. And lucky girl that she is, she's been feeling pretty good for her first trimester, so fingers crossed for a healthy, problem free pregnancy and delivery!

Pemaquid Point

Design Connection - Pemaquid Point
Stitched over 2 on 28 ct. Pewter using recommended DMC threads

Pemaquid Point is in Maine, and is one of our favorite places. This pattern was based on a view of the light from either the rocks or the water - the lighthouse sits on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. This is the view you get driving up to it:

We love going here because there's an awesome little gift shop - the Sea Gull Shop - with a tiny attached restaurant that serves the best blueberry pancakes you've ever had. And the dining room is a screened in porch overlooking the ocean. You just can't ask for a better breakfast.

DH just finished this piece last night. I think he started it sometime over Christmas, and since he's not as scattered as I am when it comes to stitching, this was his only focus (which explains how he got it done so quickly!) We decided it would look nicer on the bluish colored fabric instead of the recommended white, and I think it turned out GREAT!

It's been a while since I've posted some pictures

I've been organizing and cleaning up some photos this morning, so I thought I'd share a few.

First up is the piece I finished for my BIL and SIL's Christmas gift. DH framed it up for me and we gave it to them on Christmas morning. My SIL was especially touched - she teared up a little when she opened it (hopefully it meant that she liked it!)

Next up is Nautical Dreams, which DH also framed before we left for Christmas, but I just sent it out yesterday. It's on it's way to Colorado, so I hope it doesn't get stuck in any snowstorms. I also sent along a Boston Harbor ornament I stitched up from a Treetrunk Designs leaflet. I like to give ornaments as gifts to new babies to start their collections. Boston is very near and dear to the heart of my friend (the baby's mom) and I am sure it will become very important to her daughter as well.


And finally, something my DH stitched for his mom for Mother's Day. It's a Dimensions kit she picked out when they came to visit us a while back, and we just forgot to take a picture of it before we gave it to her. DH also framed it for her, and I think he did a great job. It's now hanging in the entrance to her kitchen.

And I know I promised Kim some pics of my progress on Princess, but I messed up the ones I took and have to take new ones, so they'll be coming later.

Look what came back from the framers!

Rocky Point by Dimensions (kit)
This is one of the first pieces my DH stitched. I know! Quite ambitious!!! It took him over a year to stitch the piece, and it languished in a drawer for a few more until my MIL asked us what we wanted for Christmas. DH and I had been discussing getting some of our more complicated pieces professionally framed, but the expense was a little daunting. However, getting one or two pieces at a time done made it less daunting, so we asked MIL if she'd like to foot the bill to have this piece framed. She thought it was a wonderful idea, so I took it to my LNS to have it done and picked it up yesterday. It's absolutely gorgeous, and will have a place of honor in our new home.

A few other things also managed to follow me out of the store. I don't know how it happened. Really. I swear. LHN's Princess and the Pea followed me home. I was just going to stitch it in DMC floss, but then I thought well why not stitch it in the recommended fibers, so that necessitated an order from Stitcher's Closet when I got home. And then I saw on Kim's blog that she was working on the piece as well, so we'll be stitching them together as soon as my fibers arrive

Also following me home were threads I picked for Carriage House Sampling's Acorns and Threads. I went with GAST Dark Chocolate, Apple Cider and Chamomile instead of the recommended fibers. (A gorgeous dark blue/purple called Auntie Dee slipped in there as well, though I am not sure what I will use it for). And then there was the Crescent Colors Belle Soie in Creme de Menthe that will probably be used for some Christmas ornaments.

Finally, some fabrics. I've been deciding on a few ornaments to do from the JCS ornament issue and decided on Snow Bunnies and Winter Love for myself, and DH is going to do the woodpecker. Our house backs up to woods and we have a feeder on our deck, so we get lots of different birds for us (and our cat!) to enjoy looking at. My favorite is the red bellied woodpecker with the cool red head (like me!), but DH likes the downy and hairy woodpeckers - the black and white ones with the tiny little red stripe on the males. I've been looking for a woodpecker ornament for our tree for a while now, so this is perfect.

Last night, I made a little more progress on Nautical Dreams, but I didn't take any pictures. I need to hurry up and get it done because I can feel myself getting bored doing it and itching to work on new projects.