Happy Valentines Day!

I blog today to Celebrate the friendships I have made because of our Love of Needle Art.  I hope that you will find Joy in the little things.  Seek the things & people who make you happy today.  Most of all, take time to look in the mirror and Love Yourself. 

Until next time, Stitch on!  = )Pam

2020 SAL's

Hey all my stitchy friends. Welcome back to my blog. It's WIPocalypse check in & time to tell you about the SAL's (Stitch a-longs) I'll be participating in for the year.  

 Since I didn't complete the HOD Year of Celebrations last year, I joined a new SAL. Starting Dec 2019, a different Facebook group is stitching a block a month.  I was so close to finishing the Dec block on New Years Eve, but I grabbed the wrong color and this is where I ended:

Those cute yellow shoes are supposed to be Green--UGH!  At that point, I was so upset with myself I had to lay it down. I can now say that this is my first finish of 2020!

I will  be participating in Embroidery.com's  Daily Stitch 30 again this February.  Basically I stitch on anything I want as long a I stitch for 30 minutes a day every day during the month and post before & after photos in the group.  

The other SAL that I have planned for the year is in October.  Several of my friends and I are starting a sampler from this book: 

I'm not sure what about this book just spoke to me, but I HAD to have it. I'm looking forward to my October start.   

Trying to keep it short & sweet this year and not over extend myself.  Have a super day & Stitch on!  = ) Pam

Welcome Roaring 20's

I'm not sure how roaring our 20's will be, but here we are.  I'm glad you've stopped by today, whether you're returning or new, thank you!  My word for 2020 is Fruition.  Ultimately my goal for 2020, is see half of the the projects that I have started to fruition.  Then next year I will only have 10 languishing projects. 

I'm joining WIPocalypse  again this year.  As a way of introduction, I'm Pam aka @farmboyslove on Instagram.  I am beginning 2020 with 21 Active Works In Progress.  WIP's for short.  The last project that I started was on Nov 2 2019, & was another square for Love Quilts USA. This is my progress thru yesterday:

 That along with my Born Free (which I started May 27 2018 & promptly put away) will be my 2 focus pieces for the entire month of January.   Here's the progress on Born Free for the last 7 days:

Have a Happy January & Stitch on!  Pam = )

Happy Labor Day!

It's Labor Day in the USA.  Did you know that this holiday was created by the Labor Movement & became a Federal Holiday way back in 1894?  Well  now you know!  

I will be celebrating this day, by kicking up my feet and putting in a few stitches as well as spending some quality time with my guys. 

 I hope you all have a super day & Stitch On!  = )  Pam

Study in "Blue" by Sue Hillis
stitched by me April 2019

Adventures & a Finish

 This past weekend I attended my first Estate Sale.  The owner was a talented seamstress and gardener who loved to cook!  I could have rummaged thru her stash for days.  I did manage to restrain myself.   I only spent about an hour and a half at the sale.  I purchased  some vintage buttons & spools of thread, a handmade quilted throw, and a couple of vintage aprons that she had made.

Estate Sale Haul

  

Another adventure that I had over the weekend was attempting to color match a Classic Color works floss using Rit Dye.  I made 10 attempts each based on their websites custom colors  (only photographed 9).  I will try again another day because at the end of the day I was frustrated & dissatisfied!  

Failed Dying attempts

The reason for this madness is,  I'm stitching "A Study in Blue" by Sue Hillis.  I chose Cauldron instead of the called for floss.  I want my inside fabric to match the outside.   

Chart cover photo

I've completed all the pieces except the alphabet band.  I have until October to complete when my LNS is having a finishing class.

Here's a sneak peak of my pin keep:

As you can clearly see, my attempts are way too purple.  I think I need a darker gray with a hint of purple.  I will either get close or  I will use a neutral silk.  

I also have a finish.  It's for a Love Quilt Square due Sept 1.  It's in the mail & should arrive before the deadline!

Love Quilt  2019

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed your visit.  Have a wonderful week & Stitch on!  = ) Pam

Follow me on Instagram @farmboyslove

24 Hours of Cross Stitch

Hey Y'all! Welcome to another week.  This past weekend I joined in with a group of fellow stitchers  attempting to stitch for 24 hours within a 48 hour period. This was the 4th time that some of the people have done this.  It was my 3rd attempt.  

 Now before you go a get all excited, I only managed 12 official hours.  I was on #teamsleep.  I also went about my daily duties, work, shopping etc. Some of those more dedicated folks, set everything aside and only stitched during the 24 hours.  Some stitched for 24 hours straight, others took naps, while others like me spread their time over the 48 hour period.  

 This group is very laid back.  Each person picks their own start time & that's when their 48 hours began.  Even though I went to my LNS for our Friday meet up & stitched during that time, I did not officially start until 9:30 PM Friday.  During the hours that I actually stitched I also walked dogs, did laundry etc. The good news is I'm happy with my results. 

Some of you may be asking, why didn't you count the time you were at your LNS stitching as part of your 24?  I had just received a newly re-released chart, Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs. I decided that I wanted it to be my project for this event.  While at my LNS I purchased the fabric & threads for both the bunny & basket charts.  When I arrived home I started the bunny chart.  

Below is my hour by hour progression: 

New Start

Hour 1

Hour 2

Hour 3

Hour 4

Hour 5 

Hour 6

Hour 7

Hour 8

Hour 9

Hour 10

Hour 11

Hour 12

After the official time ran out, I decided to continue stitching while watching Wonder Woman with my family.  Below is the final progress I made on this project for the weekend!

Final Results

There are still many more stitches to be made in this project, especially if I decide to stitch the boarder.  I will likely put this one away for a few weeks as I have some other WIPS calling my name.  I'm still plugging along with my Stitch 9 challenge pieces as well as some gift pieces.   

Until next time, Stitch on! = ) Pam
Follow me on Instagram @farmboyslove

It's Been Delivered!

Hello!  Welcome back to my blog (I refuse to address the elephant in the room.).   I wanted to share about a stitching endeavor that I had the privilege to participate in.  A group of stitchers have come together to stitch a design by Ursula Michael made especially for the Ronald McDonald Houses.  I chose the Columbia SC location b/c they supported some of my family members in their time of need.    I stitched the smaller piece for the Family Room, which is located inside the hospital. 

Close up of the stitching

Last week my cousin, her son & I  traveled to Columbia to deliver the piece.  She wanted to show him where his parents had stayed when he was born.  Back in 2010,  the Columbia house could only host 8 families at a time. They have a new house now and they can host 16 families at a time.   

I want to take a moment to give some information about  the Ronald McDonald House.  **This is NOT a paid advertisement!**
The Columbia location helped about 250 families in 2018.  They provide a place to stay for families who have children in the hospital with critical health issues and are far away from home. Not only do they have a place to lay their heads;  they provide meals, snacks and a community environment of support within the families.   Most of the funding for these homes come from private donations and fundraisers held throughout the year. They also accept donations of  tabs from soft drinks & soup cans. 

 I recently found out that you can sign up with Amazon Smiles (link here) and .05% of  eligible products you purchases will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of your choosing.  You can also choose to send actual wish list items directly to your local RMH thru the Amazon Smiles program.  Would you consider signing up to support your local RMH today?

I enjoyed being able to participate in this stitch along. As always, it truly is better to give than to receive!  

Executive Director, Me, My Cousin & Her Son
Inside the Family Room

I thank you for stopping by today and hope you've enjoyed your visit.
Have a wonderful weekend & Stitch on!  = ) Pam 
Follow me on instagram @farmboyslove