Thursday, September 2, 2010

Finishes and Smoking Needles

Hearts Left Behind by Hester's Needle
stitched with HDF on HDF Jackaloupe 32 ct linen
I have really been in a stitching mood. My needles have been smoking! I have not one but two finishes to show you! And there is another which I can show you at a later date. It is an exchange and hasn't arrived at its new home yet. Things have been quiet on the home front. No dog shows for Rory so my weekends have been quiet. A good thing. Especially since I know it won't last.
The biggest finish is Hearts Left Behind by Hester's Needle. An OOP chart that was generously lent to me by Missy at Deep inside Missy. Missy , I can't thank you enough for letting me borrow this. This piece did take me longer than I thought to stitch it. Many tears as well as sweet memories filled my heart as I stitched. Well, all except the lazy daisy stitches that are the leaves of the willow trees. Those produced a bit of unlady like language. But over all I loved stitching this in memory of my Mom, my best friend. I miss her so much.
Oh, I did make a change. I reversed the two lines with the name and date. The pattern calls for an all numerical date (10-5-29) and then the second line to have your initials plus the year. While my dates may be a little squished I felt it made more sense than the other way. What do you think?

Next finish is a Lizzie Kate piece. This saying is so me! While I don't mind vacuuming and straightening up I abhor dusting. I hate it! Do you hear me? I HATE TO DUST! Heck, I will even wash windows, clean the bathroom or wash the floors instead of dusting. So now you see why this one is so me? I used the fabric provided with the pattern. But I know I will stitch this one again and used something else. The pattern comes with a 27 count Northern Cross linen which I didn't like. But since I had started it on that piece I figured I might as well use it.
I am so looking forward to this three day weekend. Of course if Hurricane Earl gets close enough than I will make it a four day weekend. But as of right now Earl has been showing a path that will pass Long Island with minimal force. They are saying a tropical storm warning. 20 to 30 mile an hour winds and light rain. Sigh. Not a bad enough storm to warrant me calling in. Oh well. I do hope that those who are closer to Earl's path stay safe and dry. And more importantly keep their electricity so they have lights to stitch by.
I have two pieces that I am working on. One is BBD's Moonlit Garden that I started earlier this year then got side tracked with other things. Since this is a fall piece it is perfect for stitching on now. Here's hoping I can get a big chunk of this one done this weekend.


The second piece is one of LHN's ornaments. It is adorable and is stitching up so quick. I should have this one done this weekend.





Like I said earlier it has been rather quiet here but I can't end a post without a mention or a photo of you-know-who. So here is what Rory has been up to.
Sorry about the dark photo but I couldn't resist this one. Rory keeps trying to beat into my stitching chair. And sometimes he succeeds.
Rory and my great nephew, Devin. Rory insists that he is a lap dog.

Rory enjoying a good book. Oh, it really is. One of my favorite noir mystery authors and a good friend.
Rory in his new portrait from the photographers at Petco. I love how this one turned out.
Until next time....................
Love and stitches
Kathy
and licks from Rory too

50 comments:

natalysneedle said...

Love your finishes! I now have to find that OOP chart. I also love Moonlit garden. I have been wanting to stitch that one for a while.

Catherine said...

All your stitches are lovely. The memorial for your mother is absolutely beautiful.

What a handsome man Rory is!

Carol said...

All of your finishes are beautiful, Kathy, but the "Hearts Left Behind" really stands out. What a wonderful memorial to your mother and best friend. I feel the same way about my mother and am dreading the day she is no longer with me...

Love the photo of your dear Rory reading--hope he liked the book :)

Edgar said...

I love the finishes!! and Rory is so handsome in his photos!

Shari said...

wonderful finishes Kathy!!! Good for you!!! I love the first one....so pretty & what a great memory.
And your BBD....oh my!!! Makes me want to go pull that one & work on it! Maybe IF I finish BP soon, I can!!!
Love the picture of Rory with your glasses & stitching!!! Too precious!

Mylene said...

Great picture of Rory and what lovely finishes!!

Sunshine said...

Beautiful Stitching. I do believe Rory would stitch some if you would let him. LOL! Thanks for the pics. I so enjoy them.
Happy Stitchin!

Emily in NC said...

The piece you did in your mothers' memory is beautiful. Rory reading, what will he do next?? LOL that was cute.

Barb said...

Hi Kathy and Rory ,Now I know he can read I will have to include him more. What a dog, he is such a clown, I love to see a post from you it can guarantee a smile or two.
Your stitching is incredible ,especially the memorial piece for your mother. My mums name was Muriel too.
Hope you stay safe , take care
Hugs Barb

valerie said...

Beautiful memorial sampler for your mother! You did a wonderful job with it. Great wips too. I'll look forward to seeing your progress on Moonlit Garden.

And This Little Pig said...

G'day Kathy and Rory
A truly beautiful tribute to your Mom, and Missy is a wonderful person to help you out in such a way, I think it goes beyond generosity. I think your dates look just right.

The look on Rory face with the glasses is priceless… perfect, so so serious :D.

All your stitching and finishes are just Mmmm. Now the dust must agree with you there! Need to stitch a matching one but with a different saying… "Dust ia a protective cover for the furniture or Please don't feed the dust bunnies or last one promise… You can draw in my dust, just please don't date it!
Luv Lib

Cindy's Stitching said...

you have been busy. I haven't had time to stitch at all. They are all very pretty. Rory is so cute with the glasses.

Mary-Anne said...

Memorial for your mother is beautiful! Since a wonderful piece. Rory looks so cute with the glasses on.

Berit said...

Oh, how wonderful it all is! I guess my favorite is your mom's sampler (Love what you've done with the date!) but a close second would be the BBD Autumn! Love the foliage you've collected!

LapDog Rory is SO sweet and earnest!

Glad you'll be okay for the storm; I thought I remembered you being somewhere in the area of LI.

Margaret said...

I love your Hester's Needle finish. What a beautiful tribute to your mom. And yes, the Lizzie Kate finish is perfect for me as well. lol! Love it! Rory is so adorable! Love the pics! That portrait came out wonderfully!

Lisa V said...

Beautiful finishes Kathy! I cant wait to start on my memorial sampler, after seeing how gorgeous your one is I think I will spend the whole time stitching in tears aswell.
LISA V

Vicky L said...

Your finishes are beautiful. Your mom's memorial came out wonderful.
Lizzie Kate is cute.

I just love the pic of Rory with the glasses, so adorable.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful stitching Kathy. Rory's pics are great - as always. He's such a good stitcher - lol. His photo from Petco is wonderful.
Barb in TX

Donna said...

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher available when your needles start smoking! Seriously, great stitching! And that Rory, what can I say? I am meeting a half dachshund/half shitzuh named Conner on the 17th. He is neutered and housebroken and very loved, but the owner is in school and he needs more. Wish me luck that he is the one for us!

Tracey said...

beautiful finishes! That one for your mom is so lovely. I am so jealous you have Moonlit Garden! I love that one but don't want to pay what people try to sell it for on ebay.. lol. Great pics of Rory too! What a cutie. :)

Joy said...

Lovely finishes!! I do like the way you did the dates...looks better. Rory is such a cutie!!

Katri said...

Lovely finishes! I think the memorial for you Mom is just beautiful!

I've been planning that when(ever) I'll finish that LK design, I'll place it on the piano...

Rory has become such a big boy!

Kathy A. said...

What a lovely, lovely tribute to your mother Kathy.
The LK made me smile! Me, I hate washing dishes!
Your photos of Rory are such fun. Thank you for making my day start with a big smile.

VinGirl said...

Your finishes and wips are just gorgeous, Kathy! It's too funny to see Rory in your glasses, he sure is a ham!

*hugs*
Michelle

COUSON said...

Lovely stitching & lovely dogs!!Couson

blueladie said...

WOW smokin' is right! Love all the pics and totally jealous of your needles. As always pics of RORY are welcome and wonderful. :) Cathryn

Sandy In Montana said...

Very beautiful finishes, Kathy, and such a loving tribute to your mother.

Take Care ... Sandy

Natasha said...

Kathy, I just love Hearts left Behind. It is a beautiful piece and a wonderful memorial peice for your dear Mom.

I love the Willow trees.Those were my Moms favorite trees.

Your LK piece is really cute, fun saying and Moonlit Garden, love those falls colors :)

Of course the best part of your post is Rory LOL Love the glasses.
Take Care and enjoy your down time

Deborah at Tempting Tangles said...

Lovely finish - and I like your collage of photos, too!

Carolyn NC said...

I love your memories of your mother and your stitching is beautiful! Fantastic pics of Rory.

Diane Williams said...

A beautiful tribute to your mom, Kathy. It's wonderful that she was your best friend as well as your mother.

CalamityJr said...

Beautiful stitching, and I could relate to every one. The memorial to your mother made me think of mine and how much I miss her, and the dust? Well, let's just say I'd best take care of that little problem this weekend! I also have a four-legged friend who loves to steal my chair... So I found myself relating to this entire entry! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Seriously smoking needles! The piece for your Mom is perfect and your changes are well suited. Love the other stitched pieces and your photos. Master Rory is growing up too fast! Love that you were able to snap those moments of him relaxing. We were all so lucky to have missed the path of the storm.

Anonymous said...

Seriously smoking needles! The piece for your Mom is perfect and your changes are well suited. Love the other stitched pieces and your photos. Master Rory is growing up too fast! Love that you were able to snap those moments of him relaxing. We were all so lucky to have missed the path of the storm.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

A beautiful memorial, and a great chum! I smell the needle smoke from here...

Blu said...

What a beautiful tribute to your mum! It's gorgeous.

DJ said...

Great job on your finishes (your stitching is amazing!). I really love the Hearts Left Behind. What a lovely piece to remember your Mom by...so sorry for your loss. I'll have to see if I can find that chart somewhere. And Rory must keep you giggling. Love the pictures you were able to capture...too funny! *Hugs*

Pam said...

Your finishes came out great. The changes that you made to the first one look just fine. It was great to see you at the last sit and stitch. Will you be at the September one?

Nancy M said...

Great stitched pieces. Your mom has my Dad's birthday, and she was born the same year as my mom! The changes look fine. I guess posing Rory for photos is easier than a 15 mo old. I tried taking photos of Amberlyn with glasses and she is just too darn fast! Hope you stayed dry and enjoyed the weekend!

MaryT said...

Really nice finishes and a lovely tribute to your mother. Rory is doing a nice job on his stitching too:)

Mary Louise

Missy Ann said...

Outstanding finish Kathy! And thank you very much for the fob you included when you returned the chart.

And I *love* Ken Bruen. The first book of his I read was Vixen and I fell head over heals for him.

Siobhán said...

I was drooling over the pics of your stitching till I came to the one of Rory stitching. That is priceless!! Too, too cute. Fantastic stitching, Kathy! I know your mother is looking down from heaven and smiling at your tribute to her. I had to laugh at the L*K dust piece, having yelled at my son for writing in the dust on top of the desk top. AGH!! Anyway, great job on it all!

Meari said...

Glad you survived Earl. Your memorial to your Mom turned out great. I think the lettering at the bottom looks fine. I'm with you on the dusting! I don't like dusting because it stirs up my allergies and asthma. Where does all that dust come from anyway?

Shelley said...

Your mother was a beautiful woman. Congrats on such a wonderful piece!

Rory is so adorable in those glasses, lol.

All your stitching looks fabulous:)

Jane said...

Hi Kathy
Have seen your blog mentioned on many others I follow so popped over to take a peek!
WOW! gorgeous stitching especially your latest one, the wording is very touching and I can understand how emotions flowed when you stitched it. Love Lizzie*Kate designs and I see you have stitched many - all again lovely.
Rory is adorable and I'm sure so much fun to have around - he takes a fab photo.
Look forward to reading more xxx
(Jane ~ Buttons and Stitches x x x)

Heidi said...

Some fabulous finishes! Love the photos of your handsome lad Rory. Glad we are not the only ones who put our glasses on our pets...lol. I wish I had a stitching dog as then I would never have a UFO again. Can Rory read aloud to you too while you stitch?
:-)

Hugs from Holland ~
Heidi

Anonymous said...

beautiful stitching kathy, the memorial piece for your Mum is just gorgeous, so lovely.
I love that LK design I must add it to my wish list, it's so me!
Love, love the pics of Rory, made me smile this morning, keep them coming!

Unknown said...

How handsome Rory is! What a sweetie.

Love the finishes, and the WIPs are looking good too...you have been a very busy stitcher!

marylin & poussy said...

Oh the dog is magnificent your embroidery I like!!! Which talent
Best regards of marylin France

Alice said...

I somehow missed this post but I LOVE your finishes Kathy. Oh yes, your needle is smoking. Great job Kathy. I also hate dusting. : (
Alice