Sharing some framed stitchings!

Hello to all of my blogging friends! I have a few pics to share with you, of some projects I have stitched, and finally have framed. I am having trouble with the pics being wonky in the setup process, hopefully you can decifer what is what. I got Megan's Christmas gift framed, A Right Sprit by La-D-Da and the frame is just perfect for it, I think. The close up isn't great of the stitching part, but does show the frame well. Also Autumn Bouquet by Blackbird Designs is finally framed, have had it stitched for a couple of years. Also Autumn's Bounty by Black Star Designs, another one that just goes so perfect with Autumn Bouquet I hung them together. Sharing a photo of them on the wall, just so sorry for that giant flash 'eye' showing up!

I will be away this weekend, granddaughter Alexandra will be dedicated this Sunday at church! Wouldn't miss that for anything, plus I get to babysit her on Saturday evening, while her momma and daddy go on the Holy Walk! So lots of cuddles in store for me! Also they will be here for Christmas this year, they should arrive on Christmas Eve day! I will write more later, just wanted to share these framed finishes with you, in fact have some more shares, but that will be another post, hoping for before Christmas! So far behind, but having great fun getting it all together!

Make some magic with your stitching! Thanks so much for stopping by! Oh, the picture of Allie Bug and me was taken during my last visit the first of November! She is growing so much and getting so strong! We are hoping she will be sitting up by Christmas by herself!

Love, Jan

Thanksgiving Day Celebration...and Rescue!

I certainly hope that all of my blogging friends had a blessed Thanksgiving with their family and friends! Ours started out wonderfully and ended wonderfully, but quite chaotic! I had several guests at my dinner table, so did not want my kitty Disco to be a bother, so I put him in my bedroom behind closed doors. My daughter went up into the storage room, which is part of the attic to look for a few things, and she did not realize that Disco had followed her in! She shut off the light and shut the door! Anyway, about 4 hours later, I was sitting watching television with my two remaining sons, when we heard a noise in the fireplace! Thinking it might be a wild animal that had gotten in there somehow ( I had had the fireplace cleaned out the week before, and thought maybe they had left the top cover off of the chimney), we just continued to watch television. I was planning on calling the fireplace people the next morning and tell them to come and get the animal out, since of course that is what MUST have happened! After my sons went home later in the evening, I went on a search for my kitty Disco, thinking he had fallen asleep under my bed or was in hiding somewhere! I couldn't find him, then I started thinking, what if somehow he had gotten in the attic storage room, and gotten in that fireplace?????

Anyway, to make a much longer story, a bit shorter, that is indeed what happened! He found a large enough opening to squeeze through in the insulation of the house, walked on the planks of the house to the back, and then fell into the wall in the fireplace! Of course, he couldn't get back out, and once my son came back over to investigate and help me figure out a way to get him out, we decided we had better just call the fire department and hope they would be of assistance! They were great, but of course they had to cut a pretty good size hole in my drywall above my fireplace to get to him! I have a gas log and to have removed all of that, it would have required a lot more costly work to have redone, so we opted for the hole!

Good news is.....Disco was not injured, but was glad to get out, after being in there for almost seven hours!! Also I have been wanting to get rid of that yucky green wall around my fireplace...guess now is the best time! My son, is working at getting the drywall repaired, so life is good! Who would have ever guessed!!

Sorry for the lack of posting, and lack of reading and commenting, I will try and do much better in the next few weeks! Maybe life will settle down!!

I do so appreciate you stopping by and for your comments, I enjoy reading them so much!

I will leave you with two pictures, the first of my dining room table that morning, and the second of Disco and his fearless rescuers! Thank you Honey Creek Township FireFighters, you are the best!!!

Love, Jan

New Mercies by Tree of Life Samplings

For all of the details of my new design, please visit Tree of Life Samplings Blog (link is in sidebar)!

Thank you all for your visits and I so appreciate your support!

Love, Jan

Autumn is Waffing/Lucky Me Ramblings!

Dear blog friends, here is it Thursday! I have been enjoying some wonderful autumn weather recently, but skies are overcast today, with rain in the forecast. Today is my mother's 82nd Birthday...Happy Birthday Momma and the family is all heading to the Golden Corral this evening to celebrate! My dear Daddy, asked me the other day to do his shopping for him, bless his heart, so of course, I agreed! Just hope they are both content with what I purchased! lol

Here is a pic of the drive home the other day. This is the road that takes me the back way home, not one I travel much in the winter, because it is narrow and very curvy! But boy is it scenic and does have it's attributes, not only the glorious backwoods areas, but it gets me out of the traffic jams going the other way!

Alas, I should have taken the pic a couple of weeks ago, because now so many of those leaves, are dying and turning a yucky brown color! We have had quite alot of colder weather, but thankfully no snow yet. I do like winter and snow, but it is too early for that, at least for me!

Another pic, of some mums and pumpkins I got for the front porch:



See Kitty Disco?

Also, the lucky me part of my title, referrs to this lucky, lucky win, I received on Jolene's blog recently! You are such a generous heart, Jolene and I just love my goodies!


Blackbird Designs Midnight Watch, with all of the fibers to stitch it, a lovely cut of linen for it, purchased from Shepherd's Bush, an ever so cute kitty ornament, that looks so much like the kitty on top of the house...everything you see in this picture! Thanks again, Jolene, for the opportunity to play and win, at your wonderful blog! If you haven't visited Jolene's blog,Dip Diddley Designs be sure and do so today!

I posted on Tree of Life Samplings blog yesterday, about taking New Mercies, my next design to the framer's! Yay! I can't wait to share with you all, I do so hope you like it! I also posted a little complimentary design for you to click on and print off, if you would like, so be sure and visit there! I will have the unveiling for New Mercies, sometime early next week, just as soon as I get it back from the framer's and snap some pics!

Stitching on Emma Rose Christmas now! Just as soon as I get a little more done, I will post a sneak peek of it! I am really excited about this one, it is the first, in what I hope to be a series of memoirs, celebrating my great-grandmother's life!

Will leave you with one last picture of my Allie Bug...she is helping Momma with the laundry it seems! LOL I am just glad that Ashley uses plastic hangers, and not the wire variety, or it might not have been a laughing matter!



Till next time, make some magic with your stitching!

Love, Jan

Waffing, etc!!

That is a word, isn't it? Anyway, if it isn't it sounds like a good descriptive 'new' word for Webster to grab on to. The word itself sounds like how I have been these days. Not bad, dear blog readers, no, not bad, just waffing....running around without much direction,trying to multi-task and coming up even more confused,crazy busy,discombobulated,did I say crazy? Etc!

Definitely time for a post on this blog! I am so very behind! But had a very good month, a visit for a long weekend from some stitching pals, lots of stitching, sharing, shopping, eating and NO sleep! Took some time to recoup, but it was oh so worth it!! The following weekend, brought my Allie Bug and her parents to Nana's house, and boy did I get in lots of loving and cuddles! She is growing so much, and trying so hard to coo and chit chat! I loved every minute and still yearn to hear those coos and unidentifiable syllables that come out of her mouth! Of course, I got some pictures!She is 3 months old now!

Love Me, now who couldn't love such a face?



Playing Yahtzee with Mommy and Daddy, after watching the Colts win! Of course, she has a Colts onsie and bib to match!




And I found a great deal on a new swing for Allie, she really enjoys that yellow bear, keeps hitting it and making it spin:




Allie having a good time, playing with Momma:




And Allie hanging out with Nana, watching and listening to Nick Jr on the tube! What a delight she is, especially in the morning hours!



I miss her....

In between cleaning and the usual daily stuff, I have been working on designs! Of course, I always overextend myself, thinking, oh I can get that stitched in a short period of time, yadda, yadda! Anyway, if you haven't seen Quaker Silence, my second design that has been released, here is a picture:


A third design almost ready for release is New Mercies. Here is a small sneakpeek of that design. I hope that it intrigues you, this is just a small portion of it:



In the works now is a Christmas design. It will be the first of a series,hopefully of samplers to remember my great-grandmother, Emma Rose. I am anxious to get to stitching on this one. Will be sure and share a sneak peek when I have some done.

Personal stitching has been at a minimum, although I did finish up La-D-Da's A Right Spirit. I changed the color palette of this quite alot. I do love how it turned out. I used my daughter's initials, since it will be a Christmas gift for her! Shhh...I really don't think Megan reads my blog, but I know that Ashley does, so Ashley dear, don't tell your sister! lol





Other stitching has been for gifts, which I can't share as I am sure that they are at least readers of my blog!

Weather here in Indiana, has turned quite chilly, I believe it got down to 31 degrees the other night. Although not any snow, and I am glad, it is just too early for that, the leaves have been vibrant in their show of colors! Enjoying this time of the year greatly and I do so hope that winter doesn't arrive too early.

So sorry for bombarding you with so many pics, but had much to share! I will leave you with one more, this was taken at my mother's home, first time seeing her greatgrandchild Alexandra! This pic is of four generations, Mimi the Great, Alexandra, Ashley and me!



I hope all is well with all of you, dear blog readers! I appreciate you taking the time to stop by, read and post! I love reading your comments! Take good care and have some stitching fun!

Love, Jan

I am SO blessed!!!

I truly am befuddled at how long it has been since I last posted!! Oh well, good intentions, crazy-time-speeding-faster-then-light days is my only excuse! It won't be long until Autumn, my favorite time of the year, hope it doesn't move so quickly, as the summer did.

I have been busy with designing and trying to get some organizing done around the homestead. Don't have much to show for it, the organizing that is, since most of the organizing is going on in my head only. Anyone else do that? I really need to get busy though with some of it, I have out of town company coming weekend after next and much to do!

I did start a new blog, for my design business, Tree of Life Sampling, if any of you would like to visit, the blog addy is: treeoflifesamplings.blogspot.com I will be posting updates, sneaky peaks, etc of the designs as they are released. I did post a sneaky peek of my newest design Quaker Silence. I will post a pic just as soon as it is framed and photographed! Hope you like what you see! I also have another one at a model stitcher's house now, and hopefully will have something to show you in a few short weeks!

The reason for the title of this blog post, is because I recently have been gifted with some beautiful framed needlework, from a very loving and dear friend. Robin (no blog) gifted me with A Bitter Flower Sampler from Birds of A Feather and I do believe that she sent the piece to Terri to have framed! That is before Terri lost her framer, bless her heart! It is glorious, as you can see below:

And another of the beautiful molding, close up:


Also not long ago, she stitched and framed another lovely for me, Black Willow Tree Farm by Carriage House Samplings:


I have been, between designing, formatting and packaging up patterns, doing Only One Ewe business and trying to keep the house somewhat presentable, trying to whittle a little away at some of my wips! I managed to finished LHN's Seasonal Saltbox series, and here is a pic:

And another straight on shot:

Little House Needleworks Seasonal Saltbox Series
40 Ct Lakeside Vintage Lentil
Crescent Colours fibers

I am close to a finish on La-D-Da's A Right Spirit and will share my finish very soon. I also hope to start La-D-Da's You Are My Sunshine, for my Allie Bug, so very anxious to start this one. Also hope to get a stocking started and finished for her, but with the way times moves so swiftly, I may need to burn the midnight oil to get it done! Also have put in a few stitches on Seven Days of Creation by Plum Street Samplers. So, I am managing some stitching, thankfully for model stitchers! You are the bestest!!

My lil Allie Bug will be coming for an overnight visit the 3rd of October! I am very excited, it has been since early August since I saw her last, and I know she is growing like a weed!

That's about it for now, hope to catch up with your blogs to see what you all have been up to. I am a couple days behind on my reading and commenting, but hope to remedy that very soon!

Thanks for stopping by, thanks for commenting, and thanks for visiting my new blog, second home away from home!!

Take some time for you, and put in some magical stitches!!

Love, Jan

'Rare Treasures' Giveaway Winner(s)!!

Thanks to all of you for all of your lovely comments about my first design release! I loved reading them, they were all so encouraging! I am just thrilled that you all like it and for those of you interested in purchasing it, you may email me at the link on the sidebar. Or if you have trouble with that, you can always reach me at keeper50@ ymail.com. I will be glad to get the pattern out to you this week! Hope to see some of you stitching it soon!

Without further delay, I want to announce the winner...well the first winner, because there were so many entries, I couldn't stop at one, so there will be three of you that win the chart!

Deb from http://threadgatherer.blogspot.com/ said...
Jan, I'm so thrilled that you've begun this adventure!!! Of course I want to be entered into the giveaway and I'll post this on my blog!!! Congratulations!!!


Ladybug from http://ladybugquilting.blogspot.com/ said...
Wow, glad I stumbled across your blog! Your design is beautiful and would fit right in with my decor. Your granddaughter is beautiful. I am the proud Nana of 4 little granddaughters.


Katrina from http://theneedlespromise.blogspot.com/ said...
Huge congrats on your first design and of course I want to win ;-). It's so pretty.

Congratulations to all of you, please do comment on this post, so that I know you are aware of your win, and also email me at my profile email account, which is the same as above!

Again, I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement of my new design, which has given me not a small measure of confidence to continue with my designing! I have another with a model stitcher now and one to soon be sent to another stitcher, so be sure and visit often!!

I have been doing a little personal stitching of late, so will be sharing some things in a post in a few days! It has seemed like forever that my wips have gotten any attention, but thankfully for model stitchers, I can go back to stitching on them!

Until later!

Much Love, Jan

To Celebrate My First Release Giveaway!!

'Rare Treasures' is ready and to celebrate my first release for Tree of Life Samplings, I am offering a free pattern of it! So comment on this post with your desire to win by August 29th! I will post the winner on the 30th of August!

Please mention this giveaway on your blog, by posting the picture, just rightclick and save to your computer! There will be another chance to win, if you do this.

If you have not yet seen the design here is the pic:



Best of luck and thanks for commenting!

Love, Jan

Unveiling a NEW Design!

From a brand new designer 'Tree of Life Samplings' (moi)!!

This is what I have been doing of late, designing and stitching the model (which took me forever, since I had so many changes, as I was stitching!) Anyway, it is now in it's frame and patterns are being printed as we speak!

I hope to have them ready to sell within the next week or ten days! So if you are interested, shoot me an email: sales@onlyoneeweneedlework.com Hope you like! You should be able to click on the picture, to get a slightly larger pic and closer look!


'Rare Treasures'
Needlepoint Inc Silks
R&R Creme Brulee 36 ct linen

So busy I have been, stitching this model and designing a couple more, I hope to release, in the not too distant future!

Also, what kind of a post would it be, without a recent snap of my precious Allie Bug?




As always, I really covet and appreciate your kind and encouraging comments! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I hope to get caught up with my blog reading over the next few days, to see what you all have been doing!

Till then!

Love, Jan

Celebration Giveaway Winner Is...

Let me just say I am the biggest winner of all, because I have this precious, beautiful, sweet granddaughter in my life now, to love! She has been long waited for and prayed for, but we have her now, and I feel so blessed!!

Ok, also I win, because of all of these wonderful comments, wow, had no idea there would be so many of you! Loved reading them each day!

What you have really been waiting for is the announcement of whose name was drawn. I will share with you how I did it, I took all of the numbers in Alexandra's birthdate which was 7-2-9 and that totaled 18. I could have drawn names/numbers out of a hat, used the randomizer, but thought this would be involving Allie Bug even more, using her birthdate. And the winner is...drumroll...Tracey (North Carolina), from I Stitch, Therefore I am! A great big congratulations, Tracey! Please do email me soon, my email address is accessible through my profile, with your complete mailing address! I would like to send your package by early next week!

Also since there were so many entries and I do wish I could send you all something, I decided to have a runner up prize of just the chart, With My Needle! For this prize I put my daughter Ashley's (Allie Bug's mom) birthdate together 4-12-83 and the number's total is 99! Gaynor (Ireland) from Stitchers Anon has won! Congratulations, Gaynor! Again, please email me soon with your mailing address, so that I can post your package soon!

Once again, thank you all for commenting and following my blog! Your comments on every post make my day, such a joy to read each one!

May your day be a blessed one, full of every good thing!!



Love, Jan

Special Celebration Give-Away!!

As promised, here are the Give-Away details, so that you can all celebrate with me the birth of my first grandchild, Alexandra! I'll bet Allie Bug is excited too!

The prize is for the chart and other goodies pictured! Heartstring Primitives 'With My Needle'; also converted Belle Soie Silks to stitch it with, and an 1/8 yard cut of PTP Relic 32 ct fabric to stitch it on!! Also had to include a package of needles, since the design is about using our needles!LOL Also one of Kelmscott Designs Mother of Pearl Threadkeeps in the heart shape, from my heart to yours!!

Aren't giveaways fun? All you need to do is be a follower/reader/commentor of my blog, to participate, and also leave a comment on this post, before next Wednesday July 29, 2009! All readers are welcome to join in the celebration giveaway, even if you don't have a blog, please do make sure that you leave email contact information in your comment though, so that I can contact you, if you win!

Feel free to post on your blog, the link for this giveaway, the more the merrier!! You can even rob the pic and post that on your blog, in fact I encourage it! You will receive an extra entry by doing so! Good luck! I will close the entries late Wednesday evening, and will post a winner on Thursday, July 30, 2009!

Thanks for participating and helping me celebrate Allie Bug's birth! I appreciate all of you so much!

Love, Jan

Sunday Blessings!

I want to thank Christina for her wonderful award to me a few weeks ago. With the grandbaby's arrival and things being so hectic, I almost forgot! Anyway, I just want to extend this honor to all that follow my blog. I have so many favorites, there are way too many to list, and I would love for you all to have it! You are all so special and great, following, commenting and even just reading my blog. I appreciate each and everyone of you!

Because of this and the exciting summer I have had, with the birth of my first grandbaby, I am going to be offering a giveaway within the next week. I think that you will like the chance to win what I am offering, so be sure and check back often! There are some great giveaways going on now, I know that Paulette has one that you don't want to miss, so head on over to her blog and be sure and post and let her know you are reading!

I am going share a snippet of what I have been working on. This is a design I have created and hope to publish soon. It isn't quite finished yet, but getting there. I won't be sharing the complete piece until it is finished, framed and formatted for publishing, so just please patient. I hope that you like what you see so far!


You all show such lovely flowers from your garden, I am not so gifted with a green thumb as many of you, but I do have this potted hanging basket on my front porch that I love:


I just moved into my present home last September, so this was a surprise when it came up and produced blooms this year. Can anyone identify it for me?



And last but certainly not least of my blessings, is a pic of my Allie Bug, Nana's lil angel, before I came back home, last weekend! Miss this sweet one!




Thanks again, for all of your sweet comments and also for visiting my blog! Don't forget to check back this week, for details of the giveaway, to celebrate the birth of my precious granddaughter!

I pray your blessings are in abundance!

Love, Jan

A First Grandchild....Gift of Joy from God!!

Alexandra Catherine is here, she arrived at 12:53 am on July 2, 2009, weighing in at 6 lbs, 10.8 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long, she is already charming the sox off of all of us! I was there for her birth, but not in the delivery room, because Ashley has a condition that won't allow her to dilate fully. Of course we didn't know that, until she dilated to 5 centimeters and 6 hours later, she was still at 5 centimeters! The doctor said they would have to do a C-Section, and the surgical room was prepped and within 30 minutes, my Allie Bug was saying hello to her new world!

This pic was taken at just a few hours old:


I stayed much longer then what I thought I would, since Ashley had a c-section delivery instead of a natural birth, as planned, she needed my helping hands. I stayed until yesterday (Tuesday) and am returning for another few days tomorrow morning. After being with the lil sweet bug everyday, I am really missing her!

Taken first day, she found her finger pretty quickly:


And a last one, taken at her home yesterday before I left. She looked ever so sweet asleep in her cradle:


I so appreciate your prayers for sweet lil Allie Bug's arrival, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Sorry for the shortness of this post, but I promise to share some stitchey updates next week, and possibly some more pics of the wee one, so be ready! I just love her to pieces!!! She has been so prayerfully longed for, my heart is bursting with joy, love and pride!! I know that many of you understand that feeling!!

I need to get caught up on my reading and commenting, and plan to do that this weekend, just whenever I can get a stolen moment away from Allie Bug!

Till next week, Happy Stitching and I pray good things for your week ahead!

Love, Jan

Certifiable Start-i-tis!!!!

OK, you all may be cracking up at the title of this post, but do know I am feeling that there is a problem, with all of my starts! I got the idea for doing this from Dear Margaret. Not that she has more starts then she can handle...exactly the opposite, she starts AND finishes things before I even think about it! She is amazing and a wonderful enabler, as are many more of you, Siobhan, Scarlett House Tanya, Shannon, Nicole, and others. Then I do know there are those that have the same problem with startitis as I do. Right?

Anyways back to my reason for this post and subsequent pictures...I was thinking, gee willikers, I haven't posted for over a week, and I really don't have much to share. BUT, I then decided I would bare all and take some pics of some of my wips in groups. There are ten pictured...ahhmmm.yes.ten. And they are all screaming at me, can you hear them? Should I send them to Margaret, Siobhan, Tanya to finish for me, or should I start more, to feed that start-i-tis addiction?

And the other half:

Any suggestions?
Life here continues to be good, lots of activity though, with summer in full swing, and I mean full swing with record high temps and humidity and storms to go along with it. My dear brother and his wife, were visiting and we had lots of good times. They have now went back to Texas and they will be missed!

Daughter Ashley is two weeks away from her due date and we are so ready!! Excited. Joyful. Thankful. Inpatient. Had a phone call yesterday morning, from DD, that had me flying around here, pulling clothes from the closet, calling son Scotty to come and check out the suv to make it ready for the trip and making lists of things, so I wouldn't forget to pack them. But it was a false alarm...she was just really fatigued I think, from a really uncomfortable, pain-filled sleepless night and was having lots of periodic contractions. So we are still waiting, but at least I have things ready to go!!

I hope that each of you is enjoying your summer and that you have lots of good stitching times during the lazy dog days!

Create some fun. Know you are loved. Stitch like it is the last day of your life.

I appreciate all of your comments...must be honest here, that is the motivation for me making a new post, the anticipation of your lovely words, almost like you are here in person for a visit! So thank you, in advance, you are the best!

Love, Jan

A Lil' Eve and Some Found Treasures!

It is almost mid-June already, unbelievable the way time just zooms by! Trying to take each day as a new one and be as productive as possible, while still getting in some stitching. Although other then working on an RR and working on a model, Eve has had very little attention. But here to share, her progress:



I am hoping to get some more stitching in on her this weekend. Unless something else grabs my attention, and that probably will happen! It has been a busy one around here, ever since Memorial Day. Lots of company, and the good kind, my youngest daughter and her husband came down for a few nights, always wonderful having them here! Here is a photo of Ashley and me, taken on my backyard deck:

Isn't she just glowing? I love you muchly, my Princess!
And another of her and Joshua, they are so sweet together:

Josh and Ashley's sil, is an amateur photographer and took these pics at their home, last Sunday.

That is the other (so far) member of their family, Brodie. He is a wonderful companion and friend to them.
And my personal favorite:

It won't be long now, they went to the doctor yesterday, and the baby has dropped. They are both hoping it is soon, rather then later, of course. Due date is July 7th!

On another note, my other daughter Megan and her significant other, JR, and I went to a downtown antique mall last week, and I found this wonderful wood plaque to give to Ashley, Joshua and the new arrival:

Don't you just love these shoes? The words say The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Step.

OK, that is about it for now, I hope that all of you have a most wonderful weekend! I have some blog reading and posting to catch up on, but other then that, I hope to get some yardwork done, that is IF the weatherman is wrong and it will NOT be raining. If it does you will find me either in the kitchen cooking and baking for family, or in my stitching haven, working at doing what I love! Thanks for reading and posting, your posts are always so uplifting and enjoyable to read. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Leaving you with one last pic...of course, I can't go anywhere without bringing home a good smelling candle, this one will be lit while I am doing whatever this weekend.


Love, Jan