New start Pineberry Lane

I ordered all the flosses for Blackbird Designs Beneath the Sunlit Sky, but I had to start something right away. So I dyed up a piece of aida, and I'm starting Mrs. McGuire's Garden (again). A couple of the colors are the same shade as the fabric, so I'll change them out, but I think it's going to be pretty!

The fabric turned out so nice. I just used RIT Dye in Taupe over "Natural" 16 ct. aida. Dyeing fabric is really fun!

See you soon with a stitchy update and pics of the overdyed flosses for my other new start!

Flag Folk is FINISHED!

OMG, ya'll. It's done! I want to list a couple substitutions I made on this. I used all recommended flosses with the exception of the reds/orange in the flags and flower, and the blue in the flags and skirt. I used DMC 926 in place of WDW Dolphin, and DMC 3777 in place of WDW Terra Cotta. I took this pic in a lighter room than I usually do, so it's coming off a few shades lighter for the fabric.

Whew. I should have worked this weekend, but I just had to finish this and get it under my belt. It feels SO GOOD! I really adore Lori Brechlin's designs. They are so fun and have so many great little elements to them. I hope she never stops designing cross stitch! I need to try some of her embroideries too.

Don't know what I'll pick up next. I have so many things kitted and ready to go. Sometime soon, I'll show how I organize my charts and floss, etc. Don't know if anyone would be interested, but I'll put it out there anyways. None of it is particularly innovative, lol. But it works for me.

Here is just some random pretty pics that happened over the past two weeks. I have been trying to be consistent with walking and I find that driving up to the battlefield park helps me do that. This little deer wasn't spooked by me sharing space with her at all!

Don't ask me what I'm gonna do with all these baby hats, but yeah, I finished another one. The yarn just made it too cute.

How are you guys doing? I really want to know. I am having a pretty hard time about now. Life has been upended it seems. Yes, things are opening, but the numbers in this country are the worst they have been during this entire nightmare. Sure, we can go out. But I find myself asking "is it worth it?". Somehow, I thought that things opening up would make me feel better, but going into stores, or eating somewhere now comes with existential fear that wasn't present before. UGH! Anyways, that's where I am.

I'll be back soon, after I'm done picking out a new project to stitch. Hopefully you will all have a wonderful, healthy week and get lots of stitching done. It's going to be hotsy totsy here this week, so I might not be walking as much as I did this past week. Stay cool!

Until next time,

Birthdays, Baby Hats, and Stash!

My "baby" turned 24 on June 11th! What a ride it's been, being his parent. A good one, of course! He has gone from a baby to a full grown man, complete with a job with benefits, right before our eyes. It went by too fast, just like my mom said it would. He's wonderful. And his gorgeous girlfriend is wonderful too. I have two wonderful kiddos.

This was the first birthday that he's had without his grandparents in attendance. My mom was very sad to have missed it. Hopefully it won't be like this next year, and we can all be together again for these types of things. She did insist on getting him his favorite cake, Black Tie Mousse Cake from Olive Garden, and he was very happy about that. You know how you know your child is grown up? They ask for money for their birthday so they can pay bills off. Wow, how did this happen so quickly?

I did do some stitching this week, but not even enough to report an update on. I took a bit of a break and did a little tiny newborn crochet hat. No baby to go with the hat though! I just like doing them because they are fun and cute and make me smile. I might try to sell some on etsy later this year though. Keep posted for that!

I have posted the link to this hat before, from Ravelry, but it's no long available to purchase! Just in case you want to keep an eye on it or message the designer, it's called the Jovie Pixie Baby Bonnet and you can see it HERE. I hope she makes it available again. It's super cute and fun to do!

Yep, I did indeed get more stash. Why do I need it? I don't. I actually DO stitch things, so I don't feel too bad, lol. Here we go.....

I was enabled to hunt down and buy the Sunshine and Shadows Sampler, by Brightneedle, by Xstitchmd on Flosstube (youtube). She is so adorable, and she loves quaker stitching and she's a pleasure to watch and listen to. Check her out if you get a chance! There's a bit of a mystery with that pattern. There is a motif that she wasn't (and I'm not) able to figure out what it is!

Anyone have a clue? If I can't figure this one out, I'll replace it with maybe a little quaker motif or something, but dang, my eyes are so bad, I just can't get it!

I hope everyone is doing OK. We are doing good here. Trying to keep spirits up amid all the weirdness that is the pandemic (STILL!). It's hard to fathom doing all this for another year or more. I mean, really. Being outside does help though.

Take care, and I'll be back soon with a hopefully major Flag Folk update. I just need to power through and get it done! Until next time,

Update on Flag Folk and New Food Tries!

I spoke too soon in the previous blog entry. Maybe a day and a half later, someone in my family was rushed to the hospital with the virus. All I can say is that if anyone thinks this is some overblown flu------boy, they are sadly mistaken. Sadly mistaken. It's vicious, and made all the more cruel because you can't be with your loved one when they are suffering the most. My family member is recovering, slowly, after a week of hospitalization and a return trip to the ER after that with a complication. Please, please wear your masks and use your hand sanitizer. None of us knows if we are asymptomatic carriers and may cause someone, like my family, another life-threatening situation, or worse! Rant over. On to the cross stitch!

I am amazed I got anything done on it the past week and a half after all we've been through. I think stitching took my mind off of it all for a tiny bit. Still plugging along, even after I type this entry up.

The weather has been just glorious summer type weather. And sitting outside just makes me feel peaceful. Soaking up the heat and sun for a while makes everything seem wonderful for a while. We also had a weird storm here last night.

I love that we have so much open sky in this neighborhood. It allows for some great sky watching, which I love to do all the time.

This past week saw me making a couple new recipes. I made a super tasty chicken teriyaki dish, which you can find HERE.

And this morning, I made a coffee cake, which I've never done before. You can get the recipe HERE.

It was just a tad dry. But overall, it's a nice vintage type coffee cake recipe! I will definitely be doing it again. I had the oven at 425 degrees (off of a Bisquick box picture), but the recipe above has the over at 400, so maybe that will help!

Try something new, appreciate what you can in life, and hug your loved ones. All the time, but especially in these times. There so much going on now. We will get through it, but things will most likely be changed.

Until next time,