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

Mary Wigham Conversion

I spent some time yesterday, pulling NPI silks to match up the DMC charted on this ever so special Ackworth Quaker Sampler! Wanted to share with you, here is a pic:

A nice fabric medium would be Lakeside's Vintage Light Examplar. The fibers really look great on it!

Conversion from DMC to NPI Silks

DMC NPI
725 ~ 554
407 ~ 204
356 ~ 205
963 ~ 941
3857 ~ 127
3768 ~ 323
3052 ~ 401
ecru ~ 871
930 ~ 746
white ~ 991bb
739 ~ 851
3822~ 552
927 ~ 154
black~ 993
934 ~ 296
352 ~ 532
435 ~ 773
225 ~ 706
3855 ~ 133
433 ~ 766
519 ~ 111
746 ~ 991

Please note, in the original listing of DMC posted on the Needleprint site, there was DMC 966 included. After viewing and downloading the first installment, there is no 966 listed in the color key. If for some reason it turns up later, then 662 NPI is a good conversion for 966 DMC.

I had thought about putting in a few Belle Soie for affect, but not being able to see the entire chart yet, I decided to just list the NPI. They are very good match and will make a lovely palette for this project.

Silks continue to be on sale on Only One Ewe Needleworks website, so please email at sales@onlyoneeweneedlework.com if you are needing any of these, before the 15th!

How many of you will be stitching this lovely? I plan too, but won't start yet, will see how it goes. I have Beatrix Potter in the works, and Sarah Moon kitted up, so will just wait on this one. How about you all?

Thanks again for visiting and all of your lovely comments on my Simply Live finish!:)