Some Links at 3 am

This is such a great idea! It's a cross stitched design but she added some miniature skis and poles, and a ski boot charm. And the snow is pearls. I never think to do anything like that, unless it was already part of the chart.

I'm glad Blogger automatically saves drafts of posts. I wrote that about seven hours ago, got booted off AOL and forgot all about it until just now.

I was going through a list of links to free doll patterns that a nice person shared on the craft forum at Swap-bot. Here's one for a sock monkey elephant. How cute would that be?

By the way, there's a Christmas biscornu swap on Swap-bot.

This site has instructions to make a stitcher's book. It looks pretty involved but I'd like to try one some day.

One More Sponsor

After the Blogathon was over, I slept for about ten hours. I had only gotten three hours of sleep on Friday night. I was afraid I wasn't going to be up at six on Saturday so I laid on the couch with the TV on, thinking I would doze off but wake up every so often because of the television. I vaguely remember seeing Giada De Laurentiis in New Orleans eating alligator, and even though I had the sound turned down pretty low, I swear she said it tasted just like chicken. It must have been this show. I'd like to see it again because I also saw her throwing something white off the side of a boat to feed the alligators and I'd like to know what it is. Do you feed gators bread the way you do ducks?

So, after having slept until 5 pm, I was up all night Sunday, and Monday morning I got online to find I had another sponsor: Bobbie. Thanks so much for your generous donation, Bobbie!!

Found a Missing Post or Three

During the Blogathon, I lost two posts. I could have sworn Blogger told me they had been published but they didn't show up on my blog. Well, I just found one. It's actually showing as the very first post on Saturday with a time stamp of12:18 am, even though I wrote about being six hours into the Blogathon.

Apparently, we had some Blogger Gremlins at work on Saturday.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Postcards
It has almost been six hours since we started this blogathon! I've had time to visit a few other participating blogs this morning. I keep checking Food & Movies because Stacia is posting pictures of old postcards that her dad had saved. I've been saving postcards for years, ones I bought myself, and ones that were sent to me, so I am really enjoying her pictures. I'm glad she chose to share them today. Oh yeah, Stacia is blogging for the ASPCA. There's a blogroll on the right sidebar for other bloggers who are also supporting animal welfare organizations today. Please consider sponsoring one of us. Thank you!I am so late with this one!
Posted by Patty at 12:18 AM
Labels: Blogathon 2007

Actually, I lost 3 posts and I just figured out it was my fault. I put the wrong time on them. For example, say I started writing the midnight entry at 11:40 PM. When I was done with it, I would change it to whatever time I finished -- like 12:05 AM -- so the time stamp would show that. Well, I must have put PM instead of AM for two of the entries so Blogger posted them chronologically and that's why I couldn't find them. The one above got an AM when it should have gotten a PM.

I know no one cares. I'm just happy to know I wasn't imagining things and they really did get posted.

The Blogathon is Over

Well, I (sort of) had a good time. Thanks to all my generous sponsors! Thanks to everybody who left me comments and sent emails! I very much appreciate that!

Remember, my charity is Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. You can still make a pledge until Monday.

Good night, all!

Edited to add: That's Maxwell and he belongs to my friend, Odean. When she sent me the picture, I knew right away I would have to use that on my last Blogathon post.

Next to the Last

I am counting down the minutes until 6 am.

A huge thank you goes out to all of my sponsors. Mom, Susan, Lindy, Odean, Kim, Diane, Nicky, Guava, Dad, Marg and Carrie, you guys are the best. Thanks to you, Lone Star will have over $250 to use for the furballs.

I'll be emailing you the mailing address for Lone Star to those of you who we did proxy pledges for.

I don't even know what that last sentence means.

All Done Stitching

God, that's a lousy picture. That's white aida. Who knew?



Boy, 5:30 came and went quickly.

I finished my Shih Tzu cross stitch. It's pretty sloppy and I'm not sure if I did all the back stitching but I was not going to thread the needle again. By the way, the chart came from LucieHeaton.com.

20 minutes until bedtime!

I still have to do the back stitching to my cross stitch but I think you can see what it is by now. Jen was right when she guessed it was a dog. More specifically, it's a Shih Tzu.

I also wanted to add a thank you to two of my sponsors I forgot to mention earlier. That would be my mom and dad. Oops! Thank you so much both for your donations!

Combination of posts

The baloney-loving cat threw up all over the kitchen floor and I was busy dealing with that, so I missed the 4:00 entry. But I am here now and I am still awake. And, I am going back to stitching.

Ack, I am running out of time

I attempted several times to post pictures of two adorable stuffed dogs that my friend Fiona made but I could not get it to work. So, if you like that kind of thing, you can see her white dog here and her little red one here. It looks like both of the patterns came from the Iro Iro Nuigurumi book.

Which reminds me, I was recently in Borders with my sister and I saw The Cute Book. I really need to get this book. Floresita made Terry the Terrier from The Cute Book plus a bunch of other critters (scroll down to see all the posts). They are all very, well, cute.

Still Time to Pledge

Just a reminder that you can still make a pledge up until 48 hrs after the Blogathon is over.

You can sponsor me here. (Thank you!)

You can sponsor a different blogger and a different charity here. (Thank you!)

If it's after July 30, 2007 and you would like to help Lone Star, go to their website. (Thank you!)

Ok, I am going back to my cross stitch and hopefully will have it done by 3:30. On second thought, make that 4 am.

What I've Been Stitching

I need to do the eyes and find some white floss for the rest of the fur, and I'll be finished. It really is a quick design. I would have completed it now had I worked on it more often.

Four Hours Left of the Blogathon

My little cross stitch is coming along nicely. Even before this Blogathon began, I told a friend that next year I would blog for the Shih Tzu rescue where she volunteers. And, I will do it, but after this one, I'm just going to sit and stitch, or knit or embroider or give myself a tattoo. And, every half hour I will post a picture of my progress.

I got three hours of sleep last night because I was up late, trying to figure out some things to post about today. I came up with twenty ideas and I don't know if I even got to ten of them. I'm now going to go back and add them what's already here.

Every year I have an idea of what I'm going to write about. I download photos of the dogs up for adoption and post them to my blog along with a little blurb about them. I find essays about foster dogs who smell and crippled dogs in shelters who are overlooked by everyone except little Tommy who has a gimpy leg, and I post them. I mention Petfinder. I share a list of 100 ways to help a shelter or rescue, even if you can't adopt. I look at the Blogathon as a chance to educate people about pet adoption.

And, once again, especially after only getting three hours of sleep, I wonder why I do it. I don't get much feedback. Today, I had comments left by my Blogathon monitor and by women who are involved with rescue. That's it. So I am glad I didn't post all the adoption & rescue stuff today. It would be like preaching to the choir.

So, next year I will be back and I will be happy to be participating in the Blogathon. But I'll be busy making something during the event and not writing stuff that no one ever reads. :)

I know I can finish but

... I really didn't want my last hours of posting to be me saying how tired I was. I'll try to get back on track at 2am. I'm going to go work on x-stitch for a little bit. I need to get away from this computer.

Five more hours to go

Two entries completely disappeared on me. They got lost in the Blogger Triangle. I actually called my last one "all aboard the meme train." Twice, too, since it was one of the ones that's in that triangle. Maybe it will just show up on a random day. Who knows.

This is my blog's 200th post.

All aboard the meme train

Jenny at The So Called Me posted this meme earlier. It was going to be my midnight post but it totally disapeared after Blogger told me it had been published. So, let's try it again. And thank you to Jenny for giving me something to do!

1. What charity are you blogging for, and why?
I'm blogging for Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. They rescue little dogs from kill shelters and puppy mills in Texas and find them new homes. LSSTLAR has saved hundreds of dogs over the years. They just took in 17 heartworm positive dogs who will all have to be treated so I know any money I raise for them will be put to good use.

2. What’s been the hardest part of the Blogathon for you, so far?
Remembering to make the questions in italics

3. Did you have a sponsorship goal? Have you met it?
I was hoping to hit 100 dollars and I did, thanks to my wonderful sponsors

4. What’s been fun for you, so far?
Reading other blogs, although I wish I had more time to do that

5. Have you met anyone new and cool?
Not really but I did see some really cool postcards over at Food & Movies

6. Assuming it were possible, would you choose, right now, to time-travel back to the beginning of the Blogathon, with an unflagging supply of energy, or to the end, exhausted but finished?
Oh, I wish it was over right now.

7. What have you been eating today?
potato salad for breakfast
lots of iced tea
ham, rice and pickles for dinner
a Drumstick (ice cream cone)

8. So… whatcha wearing?
Capri length jeans and white t-shirt

9. Quick! Three truths and a lie:
-- Every year I regret doing this at the start but I'm always proud of finishing it
-- I have a package of new underwear on my desk and might post a picture if I get stuck coming up with something to write about at 4am
-- I ate three Drumsticks, not one
-- Jenny is my new favorite person for posting this meme

10. What do you most want, right this second?
For this to post on my blog

I'm making a copy just in case...

Six More Miles to the Graveyard

I had posted a midnight entry (I used a meme I saw on another blog) and then I posted another one after that was reminding everyone they could still make a pledge if they wanted.
Neither is showing up on my blog nor do I see them on my editing page, not even as drafts. I might be really screwed.

------------------------

Well, who knows but at least everything I've posted since then is showing up, so I'm a happy camper (Van Beethoven?).

I have a few more dogs with needlework related names to share. The first three are kind of a stretch. I've mentioned that there's a fabric called Aida that you can cross stitch on. So, I give you: Aida Mae, Aida Beatrix Wright and Aida "Pretty Princess" Thelin.

Then there's Cross and Stitch. And, Stitches (Shih Tzu alert!)

And, last, is Stitch who is no longer with us.

Another dog cross stitch I did

"Appreciation"
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

I got the chart for this because the dog reminded me of one I had a couple of years ago. The cross stitching is finished but I haven't gone any further yet.

The pattern is called Appreciation because there's some text about your dog being a good listener (or appreciating you) in the design but I left the words off.

The dog I was reminded of by this chart was Sophie. I pulled her from a local shelter for a rescue group and ended up fostering her. She stayed for about 3 1/2 years. :)

My Sister and Lol Cats

My sister, Susan, is another one of my sponsors. She has a cat named Missy who likes to sleep all twisted up in the chair.

Missy was a stray my grandmother took in about 14 years ago. When we moved my grandmom out here to California, Missy came too. And after my grandmother passed away, she became my sister's cat.

We've always had dogs that liked table food, and yes, we feed it to them, and yes, I know that's bad, but it never dawned on me that cats would like it too. I think Missy's favorite thing is bologna. She will stand on her hind legs and put her paws on my knee, and I swear she is telling me "I can has baloney." Really, she is. It is so hard to say no to that.

If you haven't been to I Can Has Cheezburger? yet, you need to go now. I can laugh for hours at Monorail Cat. (And, I do.)

JF Ingalls Embroidery Patterns

EDITED TO ADD: Some of the links in this post no longer work. Please go to J.F.Ingalls for a list of all the scans from the JF Ingalls catalog that Mr. Governale shared a couple of years ago. Updated: April 29, 2010.

A great resource for free embroidery patterns is the 1886 J.F. Ingalls catalog. It has been scanned and put online by John Governale, the blogger behind Exceedingly Curious. One of his readers, Carinne, shared some of the embroidered pieces she made using the scanned patterns. You can see them on his blog.

That catalog has 254 pages. I still have to go through the second half of it. There are patterns of children, fairies, dogs, dishes, birds galore, and all kinds of things to embroider on something. You will have to click through every scan file to see what's there, but that's part of the fun.

Mr. Governale also posted pictures of some famous graves in Paris.

My last unrelated sponsor

I still have a few more sponsors left to mention. The family members can wait until it's 3 am and I have nothing to write about except how I wish I was asleep in bed.

Lindy and I have known each other for a few years thanks to the internet but didn't meet face to face until last year. We had fun hanging out at an IHOP in Hollywood. Thank you for sponsoring me in the Blogathon, Lindy!

Want some cheese?

Sponsor

I love this picture of Sunny. He's a Lhasa and belongs to Odean, who is once again, sponsoring me in the Blogathon. And, that's Debbie, the Brussels Griffon, as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Her costume was made by Odean who says it's a little pink Tshirt, some angel wings, gauze material and a tiara. I wonder if Debbie could grant us some wishes.

Odean has sponsored me in this thing every year that I've done it. In fact, last year, she was the one who told me it was coming up again. Odean, thanks for everything that you do for little dogs in need of rescue, and thank you for always saying yes when I ask for your money this time of year. I probably couldn't do this without you -- and I would have missed it last year if you didn't remind me about it!

But it's a source of calcium

I just decided to eat one of these and there's no way I can type and do that too so the 9 pm post is done. See you in half an hour.

My Cross Stitch So Far

Anyone know what it is yet?

I can't skip posting

I was going to count the last post as the 8:00 one too but I can't do that. So, here's a free pattern for Poodle Slippers to crochet. (Am I a freak for wanting these?)

Ok, 8:00 is done!

Canine Crafts

I still can't get to any images when I try to post them here. So, I'll just link to some things.

It's been awhile since I checked these links so I hope they're all working. Bella Online (I just remembered someone from there is doing the Blogathon today and I didn't visit her blog yet, dang) has a whole list of sites that offer instructions to make Canine Crafts. There are knitting projects, (like sweaters for Chihuahuas), quilting (like a floppy eared dog block), crochet and sewing, even a link to a how-to for knitting a Martha Stewart poncho for your dog.

Knitting-and.com also has free embroidery patterns, including a set with a cute little puppy in it.

Here are cross stitch charts for bookmarks with Greyhounds on them. And, one says "Home Is Where The Hound Is" which could be changed to a different breed -- Home is where the Tzu is, Home is where the Lhasa is.

Speaking of cross stitch, I am going to go do some. I'm going to count this as my 7:30 and 8:00 entries. I know I'm behind and I don't see myself catching up.

More of my Sponsors

I was just sitting here reading different blogs, thinking I had all the time in the world, and now it's almost 7:00 and I don't have much to say.

Let me thank more sponsors.

Thank you so much to Nicky, to Carrie, to Guava and to Kim for sponsoring me, especially since you last three aren't geeks for dogs like some of us are (Nicky has four Dachshunds).

I don't even know how to spell Dachshund at this point.

Nick is my cousin. Carrie and I started off as penpals years ago. Now we exchange email. Guava had one of the first blogs I ever read. We once went to the Cheese Store in Silver Lake. Then she moved away and ditched me. I mean, I hope she is doing well up north. And, Kim and I met through our shared love of Dan Abrams. We even benignly stalked him a few times. He was "flattered" and surprisingly did not call NBC Security.

That was quick

I didn't link to a Puppy Dog Row chart in my last post because I couldn't find any close-up views of it. I went to google some more and on page three of the results was a link to some blog.

How long did that take? Two minutes to get on Google? Wow!

The Halfway Point

For last year's Blogathon, I posted pictures of the rescue's dogs that were up for adoption. I had downloaded all the photos ahead of time so I was ready to just add them to the entry. This year, I seem to be having trouble with all my images, whethere I already have them on my computer or just added them now. I can't seem to add anything in the first try.

In keeping with my theme of dog-related crafts, here are two Christmas ornaments that I'm still working on. The dog came from Bent Creek's Puppy Dog Row chart. I found the alphabet in a magazine and miscalculated where to stitch it so I had to add three exclamation points to balance it all out.

This is supposed to be my 6pm post and you know what that means: it's the halfway point!!!! Only 12 hours to go!!!!

Ling-Ling

I'm a little early for my 5:30 entry but I want to go eat some dinner. I'm cheating a little too.

That's Ling-Ling up there. I should have added her picture to the last post, but I'm hungry, so you get to enjoy Ling-Ling taking a ride and being witchy, and I get to eat ham.

I love that little red car!

Tulip and Tiki's Mom

This is Tulip and Tiki, two little Shih Tzus who belong to Marg who is one of my sponsors today.

You can read about Marg's dogs on the Peke A Tzu website. Scroll down a little past halfway and start with Ling-Ling, then Mei-Li (the one in the sink), Tiki and Tulip.

Marg is one of those people I really admire. She actually seeks out senior dogs to adopt. I wish there were more people like her out there.

Thank you for sponsoring me today, Marg, and for giving all your babies a great home!!

Almost to the Halfway Point

Well, once again, I can't get an image to load. Thank you, Blogger. I'm going to log off of AOL and see if signing back on makes a difference like it did last time.

See you at five.

If only it were 4 pm...

...I'd be on time.

I should have added Pattern Bee when I was writing about free embroidery patterns. Also, Vickie sells iron-on transfers of old patterns. I mean, vintage. She's taking a bit of a break over the summer but still blogging every so often. She makes the most amazing little quilts.

Janet at Primrose Design is also selling embroidery patterns these day. You'll have to transfer them yourself but they are so cute, it's worth it. If you' d like to try embroidery but don't know where to begin, take a look at Janet's Stitch School posts on her blog. She shows you step-by-step how to do a stitch and usually shows examples of that she's found in her vintage embroideries.

How's the Stitching Going?

Not much has been done since the last picture so I'm off to do some work on it now.

Shih Tzu Rescues Across the Country

I'm sitting here watching the clock and thinking that when it hits 6:00, I'll be half way through.

I always choose a Shih Tzu rescue organization for the Blogathon. Once upon a time, I volunteered for a local small breed rescue group so I know firsthand all about charging a $200 adoption fee for a dog whose medical bills cost $700. I don't know where people come up with the idea that rescues make money. They don't. Usually, way more money is going out than is coming in.

Lone Star is based in Texas. If you're looking to adopt a Shih Tzu in another state, here are a few other rescues that may be closer to where you're located.

Southern California: Lhasa Happy Homes

Washington state: Furbaby Rescue

Kentucky: Bluegrass Shih Tzu Rescue

Michigan: Peke A Tzu

Kansas & Missouri: Furever Shih Tzu Rescue & Companion Dog Rescue

Upper Midwest: New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue

Texas: Wee Rescue

Dallas-Fort Worth: STARS of Texas and DFW Tzus and More

South: Southern Shih Tzu Rescue

Chicago area: Shih Tzu Rescue, Adoption and Education Safehouse (S.T.R.A.E.S)

I hope this helps you find your Shih Tzu!

Darling Doxies

I have no idea who is reading this today because no one is commenting. That makes me think no one who pops in here is interested in needlework, so instead I'll just write for the future Googlers who end up here while looking for free charts or something related to cross stitch or embroidery. I know who my audience is (thanks to Sitemeter) and I'm thinking it's not the Blogathoners.

I have a few embroidery transfers from Sublime Stitching, including the Darling Dachshunds one. The other night I was on Flickr looking for crafty dog things I could link to here, and found a bib that had an embroidered Dachshund on the front. And here's a dress with one too. And here's one with the lady walking the Doxie pattern stitched on it. You can buy a onesie for your baby with the Dachshund on it at this site.

I'm really inspired to dig out my patterns, Needles, Floss, and some white material and get to stitching now. I wonder if my sponsors would still donate if I ditched this thing.

Update on my dad

My dad was driving on the toll road and a chair came flying off a truck and landed in the road in front of his car. He had to swerve to avoid it. The driver of the truck did not stop (lovely) but a Good Samaritan did. His car is now at the shop and my dad is safe and sound at home.

Back to the Blogathon...

Puppy Embroidery

I'm sorry but I am skipping doing a 1 pm post.

And, now on to the 1:30...

My three faithful readers might recognize that picture but no one else will so there it is again. I embroidered that little dog. I don't know if you can tell but his ears are felt. I had a pattern for a little girl's pinafore apron and included was the dog to embroider on the apron. The dog's ears were made of yarn but there were pattern pieces for the ears so I just used them and gave him ones made out of felt.

There are several places on the internet that you can find free vintage embroider patterns. Try Needlecrafter (look under Library) and Vintage Transfer Finds. For redwork, go to Ladies in Red and Bobby Socks Quilt Company.

There are other sites out there but those are my favorites.

Pretend this is for 12 pm

My 12:00 entry is gone. I think I deleted it by accident instead of the 12:30 one that I was writing when I heard about my dad. The 12:00 was about me not having much time to visit other blogs today, and how I was checking Food & Movies because Stacia was posting pictures of old postcards that her dad had saved. I mentioned how I had been saving postcards for years and I was really enjoying her blog. And, I said how she was blogging for the ASPCA and that there was a blogroll on the sidebar for those of us who were blogging for animal welfare organizations this year.

Did I imagine all of that?

Um, ok

I was in the middle of writing my 12:30 post and I heard the phone ring. I didn't answer it but later listened to the messages and found out my dad hit a chair on the freeway. Actually, it was on the toll road. He sounded ok and I guess now he's waiting for the police to show up. Why there was a chair on the highway is anybody's guess, but my sister said she saw a bunch of crap on the toll road when she was on it a little while ago. I'm pretty sure he will be fine but I may be gone for a little bit until we figure out what is going on.

Stitching Progress

Time for another picture of my cross stitch project.

I want to go work on it some more so that's it for 11:30.

Fifi the Poodle

Fifi the poodle
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

I spend a lot of time on the internet looking for free cross stitch charts. I made this Poodle using a free pattern from here.

I think I have posted that picture in the last two Blogathons too. :)

Be sure to check out Dawn's other freebies as well.

-----------------------------------------

ETA: For Lhasa Apso cross stitch charts look here, here, and here. I would go with one from the last designer. I have one of her Bichon charts.

Scottie Stuffies

Time for something crafty!

Over at All Sorts, you can find a free pattern to make a Scottie dog out of felt.

Making one of these little dogs is on my to-do list. If you ever look out the window and see a pig fly by, it means I actually did it.

There's a Scotty Stuffies group on Flickr where you can add pictures of your own stuffed Scottie (I must spell "scottie" with an "ie" on the end and I don't know why.) I love this one.

Before I start adding links to 27 other stuffies that I like, I am going to go. It's a little early for my 10:30 but I'm ready to eat something.

Pledge Update

It's almost 10:00. Wow, the morning is just zipping right along. Time for a pledge update.

Total pledged: $258.00

Yeah!!

One of my sponsors is my friend, Diane. She has sponsored me in every Blogathon I've done (this is #4). She also co-moderates a Yahoo group for Shih Tzus in need of rescue with me. That's Diane's adorable Shih Tzu, Tukie. I love how he just sits in the stroller.

Thank you, Diane, for all your help with the list, and for always being there for me and the Shih Tzus!

Mae

This is Mae. She was rescued from a puppy mill by Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. This what she looks like now. What a cutie pie. I like her short ear hair cut.

And, the photo below is what she looked like when volunteers from the rescue found her. Teresa, the director of Lone Star, wrote this on her blog:

"... the SPCA was called out a home in north Houston and found horrible neglect conditions. Eight tiny little shih tzu living in a small shed in the back yard - breeding!! Horrible conditions - the dogs were all totally matted (surprise!), several had severe eye infections and their eyes were stuck shut with pus and mats. One was in such bad shape, they had to euthanize him."

Do I really need to say or show you anything more to convince you to stop shopping in pet shops that sell puppies? Don't even go in just to buy dog biscuits or cat food.

It's really very simple. Pet stores get their puppies from commercial breeding facilities, aka puppy mills, or backyard breeders, who only want to make a buck.

If someone tells you they know of a pet store that gets its puppies from "breeders," you have my permission to call bullshit on them. Ethical, responsible, reputable breeders do not sell their dogs to or through stores. They do not sell them over the internet. And, they will not ship a puppy to you.

If you're considering getting a puppy, and do not want to do the shelter or rescue group route, please do some research first and find out what makes a good breeder and where to find one. I'll add a link or two when I have time but I gotta go because I am 15 minutes late with my 9:30 entry.

And, dang, we have another sponsor! Hi Kim! Lone Star took five of these puppy mill Shih Tzus and all five are heartworm positive. Your donations today will help pay for treating these dogs. Thank you to all my sponsors for your support and generosity! I am totally blown away by you guys.

I'm Being Watched By A Banana Slug

I thought I might be getting IMs and people would be leaving comments, and I was worried I'd be busy dealing with all that and run out of time to post anything but a picture of beans. (I did that during one Blogathon because I got caught up in an IM with a friend and ran out of time.) But, so far, my only comments have come from my monitor, and there have been no IMs so far. Which is fine with me. It gives me something to write about, which means the 9 am entry is about done. :)

First, though, let's meet Jen, my monitor. Her blog is Justice Rolling Like a River and she is blogging for International Justice Mission. Her favorite snack food is pita and hummus. I would eat that right now if I had some. Read more about Jen. She's also doing a contest where she's going to translate a Bible passage into different languages, and the first person to guess what it is without using the Internet, wins $10 for their charity. This applies to non-Blogathoners too.

That line "justice rolling like a river" sounds really familiar to me. I am going to go Google it.

By the way, I think I've always numbered my Blogathon posts in the past or put the time in the title. I'm not doing that this year. But in case anyone is confused, this is the 9 am entry.

Dogster Dogs

So, there's my progress so far. Can you guess what it is? Here's a hint: It's bigger than a bread box.

Have you ever been to Dogster? If you're a dog lover and owner, you can make a web page for your dog there for free. You can also upgrade to a DogsterPlus account and have access to more features.

I was bored one night and started searching the site for dogs that had names related to needlework. I'm probably the only one who is amused by this but so what. It's my blog and I can post stuff I like (besides, it's not like anyone is reading it).

So, thanks to Dogster: if you're going to Cross Stitch, make sure you have your Needles, Floss, and Aida.

You can see my dog, Maggie, on Dogster too.

My Stitching Project

Since this is a wanna-be craft blog, my plan today was to cross stitch something and have it finished by the end of the Blogathon. I made sure I chose a design that wasn't too involved so I would get it done before tomorrow morning. I'm not to going to say what I'll be stitching , but since I'm blogging for a dog rescue, I'm sure you can narrow it down.

I'm going to work on it now and I'll share how much I've done at 8:30. Here's a picture of the floss I'm using (for you non-cross stitchers, floss is the thread). I'm stitching on white Aida (that's the name of the fabric). The green thing is my needle threader (something I can't live without). And yes, I have kiddie scissors. My name is on them because I took them to work and didn't want another teacher claiming them.

The Scottie dog is my needle holder. I got that on eBay. The seller said her mother and aunt made a bunch of them in 1941 but never got around to selling them because Pearl Harbor happened. (Maybe they joined the war effort and didn't have time to sell what they made.) He's made of felt and opens up so you can put your needle inside. And, he's almost as old as my mother. (Did they make googly eyes in the 40's?)

I'm Cheating a Little

I started writing the Bok Choy entry at 6:37. I posted it at 7:12 and then edited a little more so it really wasn't finished until 7:15.

I have not left this chair since I started the Blogathon. I really need some iced tea so I am going to cheat a little and say this is my 7:30 entry. My clock says 7:20 so close enough. I will be back around 8 am.

Oh yeah, my plan today was to cross stitch something during the Blogathon and post pictures of my progress. Hah! I'll be lucky if I'm able to link to a picture of a cross stitch.

Ok, it's now 7:22 and this is my 7:30 post.

Bok Choy

I am having so much fun this morning, I am ready to shoot myself. I'm able to add images now but putting them where I want them to be and adding text has been a nightmare.

On to happier things...

This is Bok Choy. At one time she was one of Lone Star's "Forever Fosters," meaning because of her age, people would not be lining up to adopt her so she would live out her remaining days in one of Lone Star's foster homes. I noticed her on the website because I thought her name was the cutest thing and I though she was equally adorable. If I had been able to, I would have driven to Texas and adopted this one.

Earlier this year, I was very happy to read on Lone Star's blog that Bok had been adopted. And, look, now she has a doggy brother too. :) A huge thank you to the nice couple who gave her a home.

And, check out Bok's "before" pictures here. Hard to imagine, it's the same dog, huh?

My Charity For Today

Well, don't expect to see any pictures here today. For some reason, nothing comes up when I go through Blogger to add an image. Yet I can see open the image files on my computer. Can we postpone this Blogathon thing until next weekend?

Today I'll be blogging (for 24 hrs straight) for Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. Lone Star rescues Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apsos from animal shelters, puppy mills, and owners who can no longer keep their dogs. The dogs receive medical care, if needed, and then they are placed in foster homes until a forever home is found.

One thing about Lone Star that I really love is how they're willing to take in senior dogs and the ones with special needs. Many rescue groups only have room for what they consider the "adoptables" -- the young, healthy dogs, In addition, they may only want the purebreds. Lone Star takes the Shih Tzu mixes and the Lhasa mixes and dogs that have no Lhasa or Tzu in them at all. In my opinion, this is what rescue is all about.

Lone Star has a blog where you can read the latest news about their rescue efforts.


Remember: Lone Star is a regsitered 501c3 charity, so your donations are tax-deductible, and they're entiredly "staffed" by volunteers.

(I still have not had any caffeine yet.)

Welcome to the Blogathon

Good Morning! I'm awake and ready to go. Sort of. I think I slept for about 3 hrs. Yay. I'll write more at 6:30. I haven't had any caffeine yet.

Edited to add: I can't get my pictures to load. Fabulous.

Getting Ready for the Blogathon

Well, the Blogathon will finally be here tomorrow. I'm paranoid I won't wake up in time, even though I have for the past three B'thons. The Blogathon will begin tomorrow at 6 am my time (PST) and go until Sunday at 6 am. I will be adding an entry every half an hour. Since this is a wanna-be craft blog and I'm supporting a dog rescue, I'm going to write about dog-related crafts. I'll also tell you about my charity, Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue, and share some animal pictures from my friends. And, I'm planning on cross stitching something as the day goes on. I found a quick and easy chart just for this purpose and I know I can finish it before the Blogathon ends.

Thank you so much to my sponsors: Nicky, Odean, Diane, Carrie, Lindy, Marg, Susan, Guava (who just pledged an hourly rate), Mom and Dad!! I really appreciate your support and your generosity. Lone Star has recently taken in 17 dogs who are heartworm positive so I know your donations will be put to good use.

Thank you also to my friend, Lorraine, who had trouble signing up to sponsor me at the Blogathon site so she just sent a donation right to Lone Star that day.

My pledge total is $185 plus Guava's donation, which should take it over the $200 limit. That is, if I actually finish this thing. It's now 1 am which was my cut off point for tonight. I have an idea of what to write for 20 posts. I need 28 more but I am too tired to think. Good night!

Free Crochet, Apron, Towels Patterns

Here's a free crochet pattern for a cute bunny. I think I'd do it with different colors like that grey heather shown below the pattern but it's still cute. I think I found this linked on Swap-bot but that was four hours ago so I'm not sure anymore.


Better Homes and Gardens has a pattern posted for a Cottage-Inspired Apron. I really like the fabric they used. If you ever look out your window and see a pig fly by, it means I actually made this one. Here's another cute apron from BHG. They also have an article on rick rack/rick rac/rickrack. They show you a few things you can do with it.

Speaking of rick rack, here's a pattern for some cute hen and chicks kitchen towels. [link via Niki's Ventures]

Random Postcards

Someone please explain why I will give my address to Postcrossing so I can get postcards from random strangers around the world yet I wouldn't do this and this. I wish I could though. I should get a post office box.

Craft Gossip and a Tampon Craft Story

I first read about that Halloween stitch-a-long that I posted about earlier from Heather who's the needlework editor on Craft Gossip. (I forgot to mention that before. I have this thing about crediting someone if they linked to something that I then linked to.)

I was just back at Craft Gossip and discovered a second freebie from Periphaeria Designs and Heather. This one would also make a nice biscornu. Once the Blogathon is over, I am going on a biscornu making spree until I run out of floss and fabric. I really want to do one in all red on white fabric.

I should add that I've mostly been reading Heather's needlework posts but Craft Gossip covers a variety of crafts, like knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, and everyone's favorite activity: crafting with tampons.

I wrote about my own experience with making angels out of tampons on my old blog, and I have to tell you, it sure got me a lot of hits from the Googlers.

Tampon Angel Making and Me

A few years ago, I was at a website dedicated to crafty stuff and found this one project where you took tampons (unused, of course) and turned them in to angels for on your Christmas tree. I got excited by the simple directions and the unusual choice of materials, and decided to make a few for my friends. To make the angels, you first dipped the tampon in some water so it would expand, giving the angel a "dress," and then wound the sting around the top to create a head. After letting it dry completely, you could add a halo, some eyes and a mouth for a face, and voila, you had your Christmas ornament.

So I wet several tampons and hung them by their strings from the faucet in the bathroom sink to dry overnight. The next day, they were all dry and had turned out nicely. I had a "if only Martha Stewart could see me now" moment. I left them hanging there and I guess I went to work or to Starbucks or something. When I went back to the bathroom later in the day, they were gone. It didn't take me long to realize the cleaning lady must have thrown them away. I didn't care that she got rid of them since I had a whole box of "supplies" left but I wondered just what she had come up with when she was trying to figure out why I had dried tampons hanging from the faucet in my bathroom sink. Did she think I couldn't afford to buy anymore or that I was REALLY into recycling? I'm sure she decided I was a major freak.

After that, I didn't make any further attempts at tampon angel making. The excitement I had previously felt about the whole thing just wasn't there anymore.

Happy Halloween

Nancy from Glory Bee has started a blog called Glory Bee Stitch. I really like her designs. Some time ago, I stitched Happy Halloween. My plan is to give it to my Halloween loving friend, either framed or as a pillow, but as you can see, it's still a WIP. I also have the charts for Wipe Your Paws and Flying Monkeys (I love that one's frame) but haven't started either one yet.There are some really cute freebies on the website too.

I stitched my Happy Halloween on 14 ct Country Mocha Vintage Aida and used DMC colors. The chart calls for Wichelt 28 ct Coffee Bean linen and Sampler Threads, Anchor or DMC floss.

Speaking of Halloween, Helga of Helga Mandl Designs started a Yahoo group called for both cross stitchers and designers. Helga has also organized a Halloween stitch-a-long. You can find all the information about it here. This is my first SAL and I'm sure it will be fun. And, even if you don't want to join the SAL, join the Yahoo group. It's a very friendly bunch of cross stitchers.

I made Tyler Florence's Eggplant Parmesan earlier this week becasue I wanted to spend 17 hours of my life cooking. Ok, it doesn't take that long to make but the twenty minute prep type on the recipe is definitely a typo or whoever typed it up was given the wrong information. You have to make the tomato sauce, slice and bread the eggplant, fry it and then assemble everything in a baking dish. Twenty minutes, my eye. It's more like two hours and that's with making the sauce the night before. It makes a ton too. I have the leftovers in the freezer. But's worth the time and effort.

Dang. I'm missing The Closer.

Turtles

I have a link on the sidebar that shows animals available for adoption from Los Angeles Animal Services (I forget if they're the city or county shelters) and the last one that was showing was a turtle.

A turtle who needs a home. I don't know why but that strikes me as really sad. I hope he or she (I clicked the link but didn't take notice if the turtle was a male or female) finds one soon.

When I was a kid, I had a goldfish and my sister had a turtle. I don't remember if we got them or if we got Snuffy the dog first. I do remember that the fish died while my dad was away on business and we put it in the freezer so we could show it to him when he got home. Most likely, it was flushed after he paid his respects.

We also gave a home to a turtle that belonged to our neighbors. Their youngest boy used to be mean and throw rocks at the turtle. It died shortly after it moved in with us. Maybe he missed having rocks thrown at him.

A Belated Push

I missed Thursday's publicity push for the Blogathon so here it is now.

Sometime today, post about the Blogathon with a link to the site.
Starting at 6am on July 28, I'll be blogging for 24 hours straight to raise money for Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. So far, I have $110 pledged by my friends and family. Please consider sponsoring me, even if it's for $5.00. Every little bit helps! Go here to sign up and make a pledge. If you have any trouble, please let me know.

Tell folks why you're passionate about your cause
There are far too many dogs in need of homes in this country. Cats too. Lone Star rescues small breed dogs from kill shelters, puppy mills and owners who no longer want them. Because of them, a few less dogs in Texas will be put to sleep tomorrow.

or what wacky plans you have for the 'thon this year
I'm going to cross stitch a biscornu the size of a Shih Tzu. Ok, not really but I will be stitching something. And, I'll post pictures of my progress as the Blogathon goes on.

and be sure to link here to the Blogathon hub!
Done!

But wait! If you have a friend who is also a blogger, ask them to post about your Blogathon efforts as well. Besides just having them get the word out and bring YOU more sponsors, you may inspire them to participate, or they may inspire their readers to participate!
Hint hint to any blogger reading this! (Thanks!)

Cute X-stitch Freebie With Hearts

What is today's date? I have a draft post from the 19th that I didn't "publish" because I wanted to add a picture first. The pic is still in my camera though. I should go get it out of there now.

Ok, I am abbaling. Er, I mean, babbling. I think my blood sugar is low. But I wanted to link to a free cross stitch chart from Periphaeria Designs over at Craft Gossip before I forget. It's been made into a little square pillow and I like it, but when I look at it, I think "that would make a cute biscornu!" Maybe for Valentine's Day, I will make everyone I know a biscornu from this chart.

You never know. It could happen.

What an Adorable Apron

Look at this super cute apron from Pout on a Whim.

And, that's all I have this morning. Good night!

JF Ingalls Embroidery Catalog from 1886

EDITED TO ADD: Some of the links in this post no longer work. Please go to J.F.Ingalls for a list of all the scans from the JF Ingalls catalog that Mr. Governale shared a couple of years ago. For the Good Morning and Good Night patterns, click here. They are #106 in the list. Updated: April 29, 2010.


One of the members of the Outline Stitch Yahoo Group that I'm on (in?) posted a link to 254 scans of patterns from an old embroidery stamping catalog. I have no idea how the stamping part of it worked but these patterns could be used today just by printing them out and transferring them to material. You'll need to enlarge them because they print very small. (The lady who posted the link says she uses Photo Shop to do that. I'm going to try the copy machine. ) I've only gone through a page and a half so far but I've seen flowers, children, dogs, cats, horses, owls, dishes, food and birds. And, do you know what else I found? A pattern for a Good Night/Good Morning pillow which I always wanted to do in redwork. It's 105 on this page. All the scans are no longer protected by copyright so this is a real find. Thank you to Mr. Governale for sharing!

Yo, Britney

Dear Britney Spears:

I know you've had some personal problems lately but this is 2007 and no one should be buying a puppy from a pet shop. If you don't know why, go google "puppy mills." You could have bought a well-bred purebred Yorkie puppy from a responsible breeder for way less then the $3000 you forked over to that Southern California pet store. Or you could have adopted a Yorkie from a Los Angeles area animal shelter for less than a hundred dollars and saved a life in the process. Please stop being just another dumb ass celebrity pet owner (shout out to Katherine McPhee, Nicole Richie* and Jessica Simpson).

xoxox,
Patty

*I should add that after Nicole Richie told Jay Leno on TV that she bought a sick Pomeranian puppy for $8000 over the internet, the men behind the website were charged with various misdemenor charges and later pled guilty to "neglecting the puppies, selling puppies that were not in good health, failing to file a tax return, operating as a seller without a permit and operating without a business permit" (according to an update on Pet-Abuse.Com). Their dogs were removed from the home they were operating their business from and later adopted out to good homes through a local shelter. The bad news is these two are now selling puppies through a kennel in Missouri. It really is about supply & demand. Until we stop buying puppies from pet shops and websites, there will always be people selling them. And, yes, you may have a dog that you bought as a puppy who a long and healthy life -- I did too -- but why risk getting one who may turn out to be sick? Why keep these losers in business? Go Google "puppy mills" before you answer that.

Last Year's Peonies

I was looking for a picture of something else and found this one of my dog Maggie and some peonies from last year.

Actually, there are five pictures of Maggie with peonies but I'll spare you from having to look at all of them.

Kreinik has just added three free cross stitch charts to their site: Happy Fourth of July (I had seen this some place else and forgot to print it out before the link stopped working), Uncle Sam (whose beard is all French knots -- yikes!) and Star Catcher.

I got these links from a newsletter but Kreinik has a ton of freebies on their site, and not just for cross stitch but for other crafts too (needlepoint, plastic canvas, quilting, cardmaking, etc.).

By the way, Kreinik and the company that makes Tokens and Trifles is having an ornament contest. I love the look of Tokens and Trifles sewing cards, especially the rectangle. I've seen some lovely needlebooks made from that shape. (Check out their free charts for ideas.) I haven't stitched up any yet but they're on my to-do list.

Guerilla Bagging

"From Morsbags.com: Let’s do something positive to reduce the hideous number of plastic bags being used - 1 million are consumed per minute globally - of which hundreds of thousands end up in the oceans."

I found that on the info about a swap that isn't your usual swap. You basically make a bag or two or seventeen and then give them out to strangers at the store. And, then you tell your swap partner about it.

I would love to do this. A few years ago I talked my mom into getting a sewing machine so we could "make things." She made a few things but I still haven't used it. I think it's time to figure out how to ... what do you do with a bobbin? thread it? Yeah, it's time to learn how to do that and get to making some bags.

There are directions for making a bag on Morsbags.

Before and After Rescue

The videos on Lone Star's blog will give you a good idea of why I'm doing the Blogathon for them this year. The first two clips show the dogs before and the last video is the after. What a difference.

Wow! So far, there are 333 bloggers signed up and $30,084.52 has been pledged so far. $50 of that total is from my sponsors, woo hoo!

Please click here to sponsor me! Thanks!

Cool rick rack

You have to see the rick rack on an apron posted on Sommer Designs (bottom photo). Isn't that neat? (The roses are pretty too, huh?) I love rick rack. I think it's because my mom used to put it on clothes she made my sister and me when we were kids.

Something I Might Do

Floresita has been posting lots of new embroidery transfers. Go see the cute clothespin.

I have a potential plan for the Blogathon: I'm considering cross stitching something during it. I have the chart for Bent Creek's Puppy Dog Row and decided to stitch one of the dogs and make an Xmas ornament. It only took me a few hours one night and a few more the next night to finish the doggy, (I still want to add a border though). I did a second one yesterday, and that wouldn't have taken as long as it did if I hadn't screwed up twice and had to restitch parts of it. So I'm sure could get one done during the Blogathon. And, afterwards, I could give it to one of my sponsors.

I'm still thinking about doing this, but if I do it, I might even make a few of them ahead of time and also give them to my sponsors.

Worth Watching

A trailer for the film "Mine: Taken By Katrina" is worth a look. It's about animals rescued after the hurricane and their owners' attempts to find them and get them back. I had no idea the Dog Whisperer refused to return a Katrina dog to his owner. There's a link to the trailer at their MySpace page.

Not long after Katrina, I was looking at rescued dogs on Petfinder and saw Buster. Buster's foster mom knew the address in New Orleans where he was found and had the names of the homeowners but that was it. Thanks to a lot of internet searching, I was able to track down someone who knew the homeowners who turned out to be Buster's owners. His foster mom eventually flew him to Iowa to be reunited with them. So, Buster's story had a happy ending. And, I helped locate a couple of other owners, which led to reunions with their dogs. But, unfortunately, I know people who are still looking for their missing Katrina pets.

Blogathon Again

So, I am officially doing the Blogthon to raise money for Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue. On July 28th, I will be adding an entry here every 30 minutes. I'll be doing that for 24 hours straight. You can sponsor me by going here. You will have to sign up first but it's pretty easy to do. Please feel free to tell everyone you know that I'm doing this (thanks!).

If you'd rather sponsor a blogger who has picked a charity you support, check the list of bloggers and the groups they're raising money for here. There's a variety of organizations there.

If you have a blog, and want to participate in the Blogathon yourself, (yeah, the more the merrier!) check out the FAQ for more information. Some people use their regular blog and some create ones just for the Blogathon.

(I just read at the Blogathon site that today is the first publicity push. Funny because I had planned to write about it anyway. I must be psychic.)

(And, I promise to keep the pleas for donations to a minimum.)

Calling All Cross Stitchers

The American Soldier Memorial Project is a group that honors the fallen heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This includes soldiers, Marines, sailors and members of the Air Force. To show support for the servicemen and women, a finished cross stitch design is given to their family.

We need more stitchers to help. If you would like to help, and you're a hand stitcher, please join the MSN group.
http://groups.msn.com/AmericanSoldierMemorialProject

Machine stitchers can join the Yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NoSoldierLeftBehindMemorial

There's a huge list of free cross stitch charts at LaGattaC, including the cute Eggnog Sampler from Casey Buonaugorio (scroll down to the bottom), flowers from Casa Mia (the top chart), and a winter heart from Maryse. I am definitely doing those three.

Stay up late. Make a difference.

I got an email the other day about the Blogathon. The Blogathon is an online event where you blog for 24 hrs straight to raise money for your chosen charity. I always do it for a Shih Tzu rescue. This year it will be for Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue down in Texas. I'm waiting to get an OK from them about doing this, only because they have their own blog now and might want to do the Blogathon themselves. As soon as I know I can blog for them, I'll add some links because I know you all want to sponsor me.

It will be held on July 28 this year. I was just going over the list of participating bloggers (there's 201 signed up so far) and see that a few already have nearly $500 in pledges. Wow! I see a couple of them are raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It's funny because I have done the Blogathon three times in the past and I never once considered doing it for a diabetes charity. A dog rescue is always my first choice.

Some bloggers have a theme, like last year one woman made a skirt during the Blogathon and posted pictures of her progress. (Hmmm, I guess I could cross stitch for 24 hours, couldn't I?) (Or not.) I remember reading another blogger who posted recipes (that made me hungry). I just read my posts from last year's Blogathon and God, was that boring. So my goal this year is to be interesting and fun.

If you want to know more about the Blogathon, check out the FAQ.

A boring picture

Before sitting down at the computer, I opened the window because it was warm in here. You'd have thought I turned on a fan. The breeze coming in from outside is incredible. And, no, you can't see that those leaves are moving in the picture or that I'm actually considering putting a sweater on, but you can see I own a postage scale. How exciting.

It's Better Than Naming It Apple

I was just reading about biscornu again (I'm obsessed, I tell you) over at Needle 'N Thread. There are some links there worth clicking if you've developed a fondness for biscornu as I have. (Did I mention I'm naming my baby "Biscornu"? Well, I am. Just as soon as I have one.)

The World's Largest Collection of Smalls is a blog for showing cross stitched finishes of ornaments, bookmarks, biscornu, scissor fobs, needlerolls, and other assorted items you can make from a finished piece. Let's all ooh and ahh over the needlebooks, shall we? I love those things. [link to the blog via The Peacock's Feather]

Prairie Schooler has a new free chart up on their site. It's a little Santa. (I suggest you save it now because once they put up a new one, the last one is gone.) I've done their last two freebies, and if I wasn't so lazy, I'd get up right now and go take a picture of them. I love their new Cranberry Christmas designs.

Edited to add another freebie: Hedwig's Four Patch from The Sampler Girl. This chart was just put on her site the other day and already some people have stitched it up.

A Belated Happy 4th of July

Ten emails in my spam folder and all from somebody who wants me to put his money in my bank account. I'm sorry but does anybody still fall for this scam? I hope not. It's been around for years. Oh and Microsoft is not tracking your email so please stop forwarding that one. Thanks.

Best line I've read on a blog this week: "I have also updated my myspace…who knew it wasn’t just for high schoolers and pervs?" (courtesy of Domestic Chicky).

Who knew, indeed? A girl I worked with 12 years ago just found me on MySpace and she is neither a high schooler or a perv. I am not a big fan of the MySpace but I couldn't leave comments on my friends' blogs if I wasn't a member so I was forced to join against my will.

I forgot to pop in here yesterday with wishes for a Happy 4th of July. I hope yours was safe and sane. Anybody remember that? Stands that sold "safe and sane" fireworks? My sister and I were trying to figure out what insane fireworks were like and why we couldn't buy them.

I made those cupcakes on Sunday because we had company. My mom added the little flags and did the table. I don't think you can tell but under the coconut is light blue frosting. They're from the Barefoot Contessa coconut cupcake & cream cheese frosting mix. We have a market in town that sells the mix but you can get it at Amazon, Crate & Barrel, Stonewall Kitchen and other online sellers. You can also make them from scratch (that recipe is only available for a limited time so go print it out now so you won't have to look it up later). Between the coconut, the hint of almond extract and the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are amazing. I just ate the last one for breakfast.