YEAH!! Marjolein Bastin freebie: In the Garden

I stand corrected. Just yesterday I discovered the link I had to the BH&G Australia site was broken. Despite numerous attempts and considerable time trying to find one that worked, I couldn't and sadly concluded this wonderful chart was no longer accessible. BUT ..... DeeinTee tracked down an old link that still works! Yeah!!!! Thanks Dee!!!

Working link: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/gardening/articles/a/-/5832195/from-the-garden-sampler/

Suggestion: visit and d/l the chart ASAP.

8/15 UPDATE: Ooops! I managed to post a link to my own blog instead of the one to Garden Sampler. I've since corrected that! There are just some days .... : /  Thanks to SoCalDebbie for letting me know!

Well, that correction still ended up back on my own blog, but I'm sure that is really IS fixed the 3rd time around. Sorry for the inconvenience!

LindaMc

Broken link to Marjolien Bastin freebie

In adding more links on the Freebies page, I discovered that the wonderful Marjolein Bastin Garden Sampler, which was originally posted online by BH&G Australia in 2001, is no longer available. It's a wonder that it was accessible for as long as it was. A very sad loss and a reminder that when you find a freebie you may EVER want to stitch, d/l and backup the chart immediately.

And PLEASE, if you run across a broken link for a site listed on one of the Freebie  pages, please let me know so I can remove or at least note it. Thank you!

WIP UPDATE: I'd planned to finish stitching LK's ABC's of Aging Gracefully and move on to something else that has been waiting patiently in the wings for months (or years as the case may be) while watching the Olympics. Instead I'm absolutely stuck on trying to substitute ONE color which just doesn't show on my blue fabric. I wanted to just choose a slightly darker hue but immediately realized the DMC # of the provided floss (3848) was incorrect, spent a long while trying to figure out whether it was 504 or 3818 or 3813 (all so close in hue under my home lights all but impossible to determine), spent over an hour driving to Hobby Lobby and my LNS with different lighting trying to determine same, then emailed LK who kindly took the time to email back and confirm it is 3818, and would like a photo of the finish on the Wedgewood Blue fabric. The the next darker hue is 503, but darker than I want, so have spent even MORE HOURS trying to choose a totally DIFFERENT color and haven't been happy with a gold or yellow or a peach or a different blue or aqua or a lavender; definitely did NOT want another pink, etc. In the meantime, I could have FINISHED the piece had I not been stuck on that one single color choice. As of last night, I finally decided I did not want to introduce a whole new color into the original color scheme so my next experiment will be a blend of the provided 3818 and 503, and see if that works. If I hadn't already ordered and put money down for framing, I'd just set it aside and come back to it in a few weeks or months.

Don't you hate it when one tiny, pretty much totally inconsequential thing stops you dead in your tracks and you simply can't move on until you resolve the issue? Or in my case, make sure it's exactly right?

Newest Freebie Links

Bee Happy - Crafts 'nThings - perhaps today only; Chart is a .pdf file you can save and print. The key is a .tif file that will open in Windows Paint or similar program. You can then print from your graphics program and/or save as a .jpg then print.

I've started adding the newest freebies or sites I run across at the top of the Freebies page. Check for recent additions.

DFW Stitchers July 21st GTG

Just a few members of the diverse, international group of stitchers who frequent the 123Stitch Message Board. The GTG was hosted by Mary Ellen, who until last week I had no idea only lives 2 blocks from me. The GTG was to meet and greet Martha (turquoise T on right) from Galway, Ireland, vacationing in Florida who DROVE from Orlando to visit her. Other stitchers L to R: Jenetta, Leslie (who drove up this morning from San Antonio, Lynn's husband, Lynn, Bonnie, Me (up front on right), Mary Ellen, Martha and Melissa. After meeting at Mary Ellen's house, we went to Stitch Niche. While they shopped for fabric or fibers or charts, I was looking at frame samples for my ABC's of Aging Artfully. I was ONLY looking (you know where this is headed already, I'm sure), but maybe if I just got the frame I could do everything else myself. Needless to say, with their current 25% discount on framing and even though Doug offered to put the "sticks" together for me (which they usually charge for) ...  I haven't had anyone else frame anything for me since 1990. I recall that vividly because it was  a finished piece  with 9 different hearts that I was working on as a gift for Mom as I sat and watched TV when suddenly it was the first night of the Gulf War and CNN was televising live from Baghdad as bombs burst all around the American Hotel. Here 22 years later I can't look at the framed piece hanging on Dad's living room wall without thinking about it how surreal and disturbing it was at the time, stitching hearts while bombs dropped on strategic targets (and "collateral" civilians). Anyway, I haven't had anything framed since then.  (Here it comes, as you knew it would): Until now - that is when I get the piece finished. I know how meticulous they are with stretching the piece, something I could probably do but no where near as nicely. And, knowing me all too well, even if I had a frame specifically cut to order, the task of  actually mounting, stretching, etc. would probably take me another decade before I actually got to it. But I, who am usually so frugal that my brother frequently comments can squeeze the ### out of a buffalo nickel, can justify the whole schmooze since I opted for a frame that cost about 40% less per linear foot than the one I'd originally picked out (which actually looks just as nice or even better). So of course that reduced the total price by a full 1/3, plus the discount ..... Nonetheless, it is a splurge. I guess after 22 years I deserve one. :D  Above photo taken with Lynn's IPad and used with her permission.

WIPs as of July 15th

See previous post for background info on my Sunflowers project. The stitches on the far right were those made by Mother before she passed away. I stupidly trimmed the fabric way too close. I wish I could have centered the design so that these would be with the center flower. Not sure what I'll do to accomplish  that, but they WILL be on the finished piece. There are only a few stitches here and there to complete it, but  I've been thinking I may instead just leave it as it is now, not quite completed. Just like my Mother's life.

When I set Sunflowers aside, I started up Lizzie Kate's ABC's of Aging Artfully. I'd bought the kit some time ago but couldn't decide what fabric to use.  This is Wedgewood blue, and I like it. With full crosses only it could go pretty fast if I didn't have to complete each stitch one at a time because of the overdyed threads. Until last night, I hadn't stitched on this since early June.

I hastily grabbed the "Bless This Nest" kit at Walmart to take with me to San Antonio in mid-June, but ended up taking ABC's instead - though I never took it out of the suitcase. I began stitching this end of June. Why I'm spending time even working on it I'm not sure as I not sure I'll ever finish it. I had a horrible time trying to sort some of the greens and I still have 3 strands of some green leftover that may or may not even go with the kit. I knew when I started should substitute an evenweave for the 14ct Aida because it is chock full of 1/2 and 1/4 stitches. Yet I didn't. Not sure why. Last night I FINALLY got around to setting it aside to finish ABC's of Aging instead - a much better use of my stitching time.

There is simply not enough space on Blogspot to accommodate ALL the WIP's I've got in my stash, some going back almost 3 decades. Some I lost interest. Some the reason for stitching long since disappeared or was outright rebuffed, and even if completed would have no home to go to. 

Nonetheless, I've had Prairie Schooler's Birds and Berries kitted up since last fall to work on, but haven't yet, I have a LONG overdue wedding sampler to design and stitch for my DD and SIL, who will celebrate their THIRD anniversary in a couple of months, and because they are BIG Halloween people, I recently bought Whooo's There to stitch for them as well.  It would help if my eyesight were a LOT better and I wasn't the slowest stitcher in the entire world!!

Another unexpected honor

Arlington Volunteer of the Month

Was just made aware by the Office of Emergency Management, in a simple "FYI" email with the just the link. Not complaining, mind you, but, uh, don't they let people know in advance or at least with a phone call? I wonder what, if anything, comes next, and wish I had a decent "publicity" photo. What an emotional roller coaster this past month has been.

New Sampler Girl Freebie

Reading with Jane - a chart listing Jane Austen books; check out Tanya's other designs as well!

RIP Sweet Little Smidge

I have had an emotionally intense weekend after finding a 7 or 8 week old feral kitten laying under my bedroom window late Friday. I did post about him on FB and the 123MB, and you can read a bit more about him under his photo on Webshots. But I am so emotionally drained by the loss and experience I no longer want to go into details other than say I tried my best, I so hope that what I did didn't make him worse rather than better, that he died while being held by someone who truly cared for and already loved him dearly, and that others who found out about him cared very much as well. Smidge did not die frightened, alone and anonymous. He was beloved, and he has a forever name.

RIP, dear swet little Smidge. I will miss you.