Weekend Update Part One

Waiting at ringside.

Rory and I are home from our travels. I am at work and just plain tired. Catching up will take a few days.

Four days of shows and getting up very early! (3 AM on Thursday and Sunday.) It was four days of learning for both of us. Rory behaved really well. Did everything in the ring that I asked without any silliness. We came home with two second place ribbons and two third place ribbons. (Right now I have his ribbons on my refrigerator and it is starting to fill up.)

While I had hoped for better I am hopeful for the future. One of the judges did say that in three or four months Rory will be one to watch. That made me feel good. Especially after one of the judges who was really nasty. That is one I won't go back to. It was wonderful talking with old friends and making new ones.

Rory is glad to be home and looking forward to playing with his little friend. Only thing is Rory is getting so big that poor little Sandy can't reach his face unless Rory lays down on the ground.

I am looking forward to my evening in my stitching chair. I found that there is just no time to stitch at a dog show. Nor is the motel a good place. Especially when at the end of the day you are just so tired you can't keep your eyes focused.

And finally I got a decent photo of Rosie, who stayed home keeping her eye on things. Actually when I told her we were getting ready to go this was the expression on her face. Do you think she was concerned? I don't think I really want to know what she was thinking.

Most of my stitching has been for gifts but I do have a couple of photos to share. Unfortunately I forgot them and will update again with those tomorrow.

Until next time....................

Love and stitches

Kathy

and licks from Rory too

A fly-by posting

I have been running at full speed for days now. Cleaning house. Playing with Rory. Going through clothes. Training class with Rory. Packing. Practicing with Rory. I wanted to let you all know that I will be back on Monday with a looooooonnnnnnnnnngggggggg post filled with (I hope) lots of photos. I am leaving very early tomorrow morning for a four day dog show weekend. Yup, I will be running in circles with Rory on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

I have been stitching but it has all been for Christmas gifts or exchanges so no stitchy photos. I know that two of my exchanges have reached their new homes so as soon as I download the photos I can post those too.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you all Monday.

Until next time.............
Love and stitches
Kathy
and licks from Rory too.

How was your weekend?

I hope you all had a lovely weekend filled with lots of sunshine, smiles and stitches. Mine was rather lovely. Perfect Autumn weather. (finally a weekend of no rain!) Saturday was a lazy day and I had no energy for anything. Sunday I got up early, thanks to my four-legged child, with energy to spare. After doing the laundry and vacuuming the house Rory and I headed outside to enjoy the sunshine and play.

Normally I wait until all the leaves are down before I rake. I hate raking twice especially since raking aggravates the carpal tunnel in both my wrists. (Yes, I try to remember the wrist braces before I do the raking.) But it was so nice and I really wanted to take a photo of Rory in the leaves. I love how his coat matches the leaves. So I pulled the rake out to get some of the leaves into piles.

Oh, yes, I had help!

I have a pretty large yard and will be doing lots of raking. Do you think I can get him trained to actually rake the leaves in a pile? Right now he just carrys the rake around.

Here are a few other photos of the colors around my yard.

The only stitching I have to show today is the Lizzie Kate exchange piece I received.

It is gorgeous and I absolutely love it!

Melissa stitched me a two sided, folded ornament. It is really neat looking and I just can't wait to hang it on my tree. The finishing on it is really unique. I hope you can tell from the photos that it is lined with fabric as well as double sided. Isn't it fabulous? Thank you Melissa.

Thank you for all the lovely comments about my PS (yes, it is a Prairie Schooler design) ornament that I stitched. I love reading the comments and especially those about my Rory. They warm my heart and mean so much.
I know I said I was going to start on LHN Winter Wonderland but I haven't quite finished my last exchange piece. Almost but not quite. Maybe today.

Until next time................

Love and stitches

Kathy

and licks from Rory too.

A Fabulous RAK and a finish

Just a quick posting because I HAD to share this with you all. My exchange stitching is almost finished. One more to go. And then I can sink my needle into the above. Everything I need except the DMC and I have that. My dearest friend, my BFF, Deborah sent this to me. We have been doing a SAL on the other LHN accessory pieces (finishes of the Traveling Stitcher and Rose Sampler thread pouch) and she wanted to do this one as well. Okay Deborah I will be ready to start this one on Sunday so get your needle ready.

I can now show you one of the ornaments I stitched for my giveaway winners. Dawn just emailed me that she received hers. It sounded like she liked what I sent.

I think Rory is asking for help from above. I have been looking over show schedules and it looks like we may be busy this winter. A four day cluster of shows is coming up in two weeks. (While he seems to like the show ring he definitely doesn't like riding in the car.) Either that or he is just watching another plane fly overhead.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Until next time................

Love and stitches

Kathy

and licks from Rory too

We have a winner!

Actually two. I had wanted to use two different bowls to hold the slips of paper but this yellow one that I use for dyeing fabric was the only one large enough. This photo show it with the slip for drawing one. It looked about the same for drawing two.






So without further ado here is my helper getting ready to draw name number one.

Did you find one yet Rory?

The winner of drawing one is DAWN! Congratulations Dawn. I will be sending you an email for your address.

Once I dumped those slips of paper we moved on to the second drawing. I tried to get Rosie to draw this one because she watched me cut up all those slips of paper but once I was ready but she ran and hid.

Winner number two is GABI! Congratulations!

I was overwhelmed with the response to my giveaway. You all are so wonderful and so many said such lovely things both in the comments and on your own blogs. You all moved me to tears. I only wish I had something to give everyone of you. I feel bad that I couldn't but if I did that I wouldn't have any stash left.

I did stitch this weekend. Finished and mailed one exchange. Finished both the little ornaments for my giveaway gifts and am working on another exchange. Since these are all surprises I will save the photos until they arrive at their new homes.

Until next time................

Love and stitches

Kathy

and licks from Rory too.

A quick update and a giveaway reminder

After a very lazy and rainy Saturday I finally found my energy on Sunday. A picture perfect autumn day. Rory was a bundle of energy as well. The both of us spent a lot of the day outside enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Here he is checking out the weeds and bushes for birds or squirrels or stray cats. Anything he can chase.

Walking around the yard I happened to look down and spotted this little beauty. Six months ahead of schedule! A very pleasant surprise.

I also took a photo of one of the roses that are still blooming. I love the pink of this one and the sun shining on it.

I have been stitching on my exchanges and on my giveaway surprises. Here is a sneak peak of one of the ornaments for one of my giveaway winners. The colors aren't the greatest. It is one over one on a 28 ct celery gingham linen. I love it and plan on doing one for myself one of these days.

Remember when I mentioned that there are times I just can't get a lot of stitching done? Well one evening last week I managed to get a photo to show you why.

It is rather hard to stitch with him in my lap. He takes up a bit of space. So if my exchanges are a little late do you think I can blame Rory for not letting me stitch?

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaways. I am blown away with the number who have already signed up and their comments. Bloggers are the best. Especially stitching bloggers.

The deadline is Saturday, Halloween. Leave a comment on the previous post. Or click here. Let me know which giveaway you prefer or take a chance on both. Also make sure I can contact you if you are the winner.

Until next time ....................

Love and stitches

Kathy

and licks from Rory too

To Thank you with a special giveaway

One year ago today I created this blog to share my stitching ups and downs with the wonderful people in the stitching blogging world. I had three comments to that first post from three lovely ladies that I count as dear friends, Mare, Nancy M and Meari. Thank you.

My blog became a way for me to share my love of stitching but also quickly became a way to share the pain and fears I was experiencing while taking care of my Mom. Little did I know that my blog would include the last six and a half weeks of my Mom’s life, her passing in early December and my outpouring of grief and sorrow. (the photo to the right is one of my Mom, me and my Maggie at age 4, Christmas 1998)

This past year has included and continues to include some major readjustments to being alone without my best friend, my Mom. The first Birthday, Mother’s Day, and all holidays without her there. I miss her with all my heart.

But this year hasn’t been all sorrow and tears. Especially in last five months with the arrival of my new pup, Rory. And even more recently the beginnings of Rory’s career in a dog show ring. This marks the beginning of a long dormant dream of mine. To raise and show an Irish setter.

Through it all there have been so many wonderful people who have listened to my tears and brought me comfort with their kind words. Other bloggers who have left comments of praise for my stitching which warmed my heart and inspired me to stitch more. And some fellow bloggers who continue to share my smiles and pride of my beautiful boy, Rory. I hope in the next year to continue sharing with you my ups and downs. And I hope and pray that there will be many more ups than downs. Lots more stitching finishes and more shows and ribbons for Rory.

How can I ever thank you all? Each comment, each private email, each dear sweet one of you? I can never find the right words that express how much you all mean to me. (And I am trying but not really succeeding in holding back the tears.) Just know that each comment, each and every one warms me to my soul.

I know one way to say thank you. I am going to end this post with something good. A giveaway. Not one but two of them! In celebration of my first Blogaversay (and hitting the 100th follower milestone) I will be drawing two names for two separate giveaway prizes.

The first is a selection of at least four patterns and four pieces of fabric. (Click on the photo to see part of the selection in giveaway 1) I will add another pattern or two or some floss or other stitching items but they will be a surprise.

The second will be for the BBD pattern, Awake the Dawning Day, that I just finished and the floss that is left. Except for one color, Weeks Dye Scuppermong, it looks like there is plenty left to stitch the piece again. You provide the fabric. I am hoping that this one will be passed along when the winner here is finished stitching it. I will also include some other stitching items but they will be a surprise.

Included with both giveaway 1 and 2 will be a Christmas ornament that I am working on. That too will be a surprise.

Now for the rules.

To be entered in either giveaway you need to leave a comment to this post. And this post only.
If you prefer either giveaway 1 or 2 then please mention that in the comment. If you don’t I will include your name in both.
For a second chance in the drawing please tell others about the giveaway and post a link on your blog.
For another chance tell me if you are a follower. Or become one.

I will mail anywhere, US, Canada, Europe, etc. And I do allow anonymous comments. So feel free to enter. You have until midnight, October 31, Halloween, to enter. I (with Rory’s help of course) will draw the winners on Sunday, November 1 and announce the winners on Monday.

Oh and the most important rule. Your email address. Either leave it as part of your post or make sure it is on your blog so I can contact you.

Until next time…………

Love and stitches
Kathy
and Rory too

****(edited to add) PS

To anonymous who said "Sorry you didn't like Rich and Spicey..." It's not that I don't like it but I got a second one from someone else. I don't need two of the same pattern. So it will be someone else's gain.