Stitch Pink

A few days ago, I somehow ended up at Stitch Pink, a blog for sharing cross stitched projects to promote breast cancer awareness. Anyone can join and post photos of their finishes. There's also a lot of good information there with links to all kinds of things, such as a Yahoo group whose members stitch squares for quilts to raise money for breast cancer research. On the right sidebar, is a list of links to free charts. Be sure to check them out.

I love Blue Ribbon Designs' With All Your Heart. This kit is available at needle shops all over but if you buy it from Elegant Stitch, you can be certain 100% of the proceeds will go to breast cancer education and awareness programs.

Hmm. That "eight-cornered pin pillow" looks like a biscornu to me.

Little Happy Halloween Pillow

Happy Halloween
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

This picture has been waiting for three days to get posted so here it is: my "Happy Halloween" finish. I stitched it on 14 ct Aida, which I have really grown to dislike, but I have a good-sized piece of it and wanted to start using it up. (I really like 18 ct much, much better.) I used all the suggested floss colors except for under the trees and in one other place that I now forget for the roof (I just used similar colors from my floss stash). There's black felt on the back because I don't have any Halloween fabric, and the loop is crooked but oh well. I like how it turned out. Except for that spot in the middle where the row of pumpkins is indented. Maybe I should have put more stuffing in. (Happy Halloween chart is here.)

I finished stitching Emily's cute Halloween witch earlier tonight and will most likely add some felt to the back and stuff it, because you can never have too many little pillows, can you? (I need to try something new!)

Speaking of Emily over at The Floss Box, she has posted a bunch of free mini biscornu charts on her blog.

That's right. Mini biscornu. So little and so cute, your head might explode.

Foster Homes in Texas Needed

I need to interrupt the cross stitch party and beg for foster homes again.

The Humane Society of North Texas just removed over 90 Shih Tzus from a woman who could no longer care for all of them. (An article about it is here.) If the HSNT gets custody of the dogs, they will put the healthy ones up for adoption. One of my favorite Shih Tzu rescues, Lone Star, will most likely be fostering some of the ones who aren't quite ready to be adopted. It may take 6-9 months to get them ready to go to homes.

IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS AND EVER WANTED TO FOSTER A SMALL DOG, NOW IS THE TIME TO STEP UP AND DO IT.

Find out how on Lone Star's blog.

Reading about this makes me so pissed off. The woman who had the Shih Tzus apparently has a husband with Alzheimer's and it was her kids who notified authorities about the dogs. I have no idea what was going on with this family. Maybe the kids didn't visit that often or have much contact with their parents. I sincerely hope that was the case. Because I would like to believe that, if the kids were stopping by regularly, at some point, like when Mom & Dad were up to five or seven or eleven or thirty dogs, one of the kids would have told their parents it was time to spay & neuter every single one of the fluffballs. Honestly, I do not know how rescue and shelter volunteers deal with this day and in day out. It's neverending, it's heartbreaking and it's just really sad. If it were me, I'd be shooting people left and right.

Lone Star is also looking for a foster home for this "pitiful anemic Shih Tzu girl." How sad is that story? A huge Thank You goes to the nice lady who got her out of the shelter. Now the poor thing just needs a place to go. Anyone out there wanna help her?

UPDATE: Speaking of dog rescue, one blog I really enjoy is Penny Sanford Porcelains. I don't remember how I got there but I'm sure it had to do with a link to her tutorial for heart shaped yo-yos. (And, if you're keeping score at home, I still have yet to make a single yo-yo. I am such the crafter.) Anyway, Penny and her husband just fostered eight (that's EIGHT) rescued Westies!! Read all about it. This totally cheered me up after reading about the Shih Tzus in Texas. Thank you, Penny and Gordon, for all you do for rescue!

UPDATE #2: Lone Star ended up with eight of these Shih Tzus. Go here for more information.

Another Hospital Visit

Well, I just spent another five days in the hospital. A couple of days after my stitches were taken out, my incision got infected. Taking antibiotics for nearly two weeks didn't clear up the infection so the orthopedic guy decided to admit me so he could open up my knee (again) and clean it all out, plus put me on IV antibiotics.

After we left his office, I had my mom take me home first so I could grab a few things to keep me busy, including the chart for Emily's Halloween witch. I didn't have the green floss for her face with me but I got a good start on it. (And, yes, I know it's not the best picture.) (I somehow deleted the photo by accident and couldn't find it saved on my computer.>

So, I once again have a line of stitches going down my leg. And, I'm on oral meds. One really good thing is this past Friday marked six weeks since my first surgery so I'm FINALLY at the halfway point to being able to put my full weight on my leg and stop using the walker. I'd be doing a happy dance right now if I could.

Halloween Challenge

(I just found this draft of a post from earlier in the week that I never finished. Enjoy it now.)

Feeling Stitchy is having a Halloween Challenge.

(Well, that's all she wrote. I don't know what else to say. Click the link to read the rules. Oh, and it's for any kind of needlework: cross stitch, embroidery and...uh...you know, the other kinds out there.)

Free Screensavers

How I find out what my screen size is? I was just at Debbie Mumm's site. I knew she had quilt patterns there but this was the first time I noticed there were screensavers you could download. I found several I like for Fall but not sure which size to pick.

Hot dang! I googled "how do I find my screen size" which took me here. So now I know. :)

Dog Apron

Apron close up
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

I totally forgot to post this picture during July's Blogathon when I was writing about "dog crafts." This apron came from a local antique shop last Spring. The design was embroidered first and then colored in. The seller had written "Vogart" on the tag. I love the rick rack on it even though it's not sewn on straight in some places.

Thanks to the Stitches 'N Things newsletter, I just fell in love with another designer's charts. That would be Lori of Notforgotten Farm. I don't see them on her site but two of the latest designs (the pinkeep and sampler pocket) are here.

I finished cross stitching Maryse's Halloween house a little while ago. I attached some felt to it and made a little pillow that I need to stuff. It's in a Ziplock bag about 15 feet away from me and I am debating if I want to roll over and get it so I can take a picture of it. Maybe I'll wait til it's all stuffed.

Music Is My Homegirl

Make your own Harajuku Doll at HP.


You can also make cards or a CD label. No instructions on making your own Gavin Rossdale doll though.

Freebies at Four AM

Look at this pretty embroidery of some cherry blossoms [link via Feeling Stitchy]. The pattern was posted on Craftster. Actually, there are four of them up -- one for spring, summer, fall and winter.

Also on Craftster was a link to a cute Halloween witch free cross stitch chart from The Floss Box (what a great name for a stitching blog) I really like Emily's charts. She has a series of x-stitch snowflakes that would be fun to do as ornaments.

I've started Maryse's Halloween freebie, and next up, I'm going to do Kissy's heart. Then I'll do Emily's witch. My very nice mother went to Michael's the other day and bought me a bunch of floss and some 18 ct Aida. Thanks, Mom! She's asked me to make her a biscornu so that's on my to-do list too.

Blogger Play

I have a new online addiction: Blogger Play. It's a slide show of images recently uploaded to blogs on Blogger. I just watched for about 20 minutes and saw pictures of cute kids, ugly kids, NYC, a cat up a tree, a wedding, a band I never heard of, Venice Italy, a bunch of girlfriends who all got their ears pierced, a yoga class, a boy who got five bucks from the Tooth Fairy, and some lady's new floor, plus a bunch of others. Very cool. It's even better if you watch while listening to iTunes. The pictures all seem to be G-rated but there was whole series of insect sushi ones that were disgusting. I hope that blogger doesn't upload any more shots of his gross dinner.

(If you click the Show Info button down in the right corner, you'll get links to the blog and the blogger's profile.)

Redwork Pillow

Redwork Pillow
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

Shortly after I got out of the hospital, Suzan of Bombshell's Panorama, sent me this wonderful redwork pillow. She is such a sweetheart! (I still need to post a picture of the apron she made me.) I love the embroidery and the different red fabrics around it. The back is all red gingham. It's a perfect gift from a generous friend. Thank you so much, Suzan!

I'm so far behind with my blog reading these days. I was just at Sunshine's Creations for the first time in awhile and saw she has a tutorial for making square yo-yos.

Carol of X-Calibre Designs has written a great article about the different kinds of cross stitch fabric that I think would be helpful to new stitchers. Actually, I found it pretty helpful too.

More on the Needle and ThREAD Bookmark Challenge

Stitches 'N Things is another needle shop that's participating in the 2007 Needle and ThREAD Bookmark Challenge, so like Nordic Needle, they also will be collecting bookmarks to be donated to local schools and libraries.

From the latest Stitches N Things newsletter:

During September ** Get ideas of what charts/designs you'll be
stitching and get your fabric and fibers and any other materials set
aside. So that on .....

October 1 ** You can Start stitching!!!

October/November ** Turn in your completely finished bookmarks to your participating shop (aka Stitches N Things) ... Attach a slip of paper to your bookmark with your name and the title of a favorite book (after all, needlework is personal) and that will enter you into our prize drawings.

November 10 ** The LAST date to turn in your FINISHED bookmarks.

November 12 ** We'll hold our Prize Drawings for those who participated in this Commitment to Literacy. (SNT has the opportunity to win prizes .. and so do you!) Children's Book Week, November 12-18, 2007.

I've ordered from Stitches 'N Things in the past -- in fact, the other night, while looking for fabric to stitch on, I happily found a large piece of "country something" (or was it "vintage something"?) Aida that had come from them. I haven't bought anything from Nordic Needle yet but I really enjoy reading both shops' newsletters. If I make a bookmark for this challenge, I will have to do one for each store.

I'm Such a Geek for the Chewbacca Sound

Tops of two biscornu
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

I recently made a biscornu and wasn't happy with the end result. I don't think I attached the corner of the top piece to the middle of the bottom so it was lopsided. Plus the seam attaching them did not look very nice (I need to practice that more.) So I made another one, using the same free cross stitch chart. The second one came out smaller and I liked it much better. I then re-did the first one. I think I overstuffed it though because sewing on the buttons was a nightmare. I lost track of how many times I stabbed my finger with the needle.

Now that I see this picture, I realize the button on the right one is blue. It looked dark gray to me up until now. I'm thinking I should put a different one on but do I really want to go through sewing on another button? No!

These are the bottoms of the biscornu (biscornus?). Same chart but different colors of floss (stuff I had in my stash). I used 18 ct white Aida both times. I counted out three squares and then backstitched around the design. When I made the first one, I counted out six or eight squares and that made a bigger biscornu.

Biscornu bottoms
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

The free chart I used is here at Kissy-Cross. Be sure to check out her other freebies.

This video was on Cute Overload along with Meg's request for someone to add some Jaws music and a Chewbacca yell. And someone did just that. That reminds me of the time the Chewbacca sound was on Cute Overload. I wonder if I can get that on myiPod.

And, for everyone who is keeping track, here's a knee update: my incision did not look very good to me last night and I knew it was infected so back to the orthopedist's office we went. I saw one of my doctor's partners since my guy wasn't there today, and he said it looks to be just on the surface (a good thing). I'm on antibiotics and hoping to see an improvement in a few days. Actually, it's not as gross looking now as it was earlier today.

My Icky Knee

I got my stitches out yesterday and today my incision is sore. They put some disolvable bandages on it -- they'll come off in the shower -- and I'm afraid to peek underneath to see how everything looks. It was pretty ugly looking yesterday. I guess I thought I'd get the sutures out and I'd have an instant scar but this was...well, it was icky. The stitches were individually knotted so the nurse had to get scissors beneath them and then snip each one. It totally reminded me of when I screw up with my cross stitching and have to cut and rip out threads. There were about twenty of them, and as gross as it is, I had to watch the whole thing. It fascinates me to no end how they can cut you open and then sew you closed.

After the appointment with the orthopedist, my mom went to get the car and I sat on the curb across the street that goes in to the parking garage, waiting for her. And, once again, someone walking by asked if I was ok. I guess they see me on the ground and the walker next to me and think I fell. It's really nice to know some people will stop to make sure you're ok. Of course, about 37 people just walked by me with barely a glance, but that one guy was enough to make my day. :)

Free Halloween Cross Stitch

Maryse has a free Halloween chart out. And this blogger is stitching it. EDITED TO ADD: I believe this blogger, Thymeandlavender, was one of my partners in a needlebook swap. I probably haven't been back to her blog since the swap in June, and here it was today linked through Google News (keyword: cross stitch). It's a small world after all.

Knee Update: I'm hoping to get my stitches out tomorrow.

Freaking Adorable

I was just about to write off my birthday as a total crap fest until I saw this: How to turn an Argyle sock into a kick ass Yorkie outfit. [link via Cute Overload]

I wish I had a giant sock so I could make a kick ass outfit for a big headed Shih Tzu.

2007 Needle and ThREAD Bookmark Challenge

In the latest newsletter from Nordic Needle is word on the 2007 Needle andThREAD Bookmark Challenge, an event to promote both literacy and stitching. Nordic Needle will be collecting cross stitched bookmarks from now until November 15. The bookmarks will be donated to local libraries and schools in Fargo, ND, and given out to kids during Children's Book Week, November 12-18. At the end of the challenge, Nordic Needle will hold a drawing for a $100 gift certificate for their store. The more bookmarks you send in, the more times your name will be entered in the drawing.

There are other needlework shops involved. You can find a list here. And, all the information about Needle and ThREAD: Stitching for Literacy is here. I love this challenge.

Remember the Shih Tzu I stitched during the Blogathon? One day, I was bored so decided to turn it into a bookmark and I added a some pink hearts above it and below it. Then I decided I didn't like it anymore and haven't touched it since. But I bet there is a little girl out there who would love a bookmark with pink hearts and a cute little dog on it. I think I'll attempt to finish it tonight.

I found some instructions for finishing a bookmark at Amy's Cross Stitch Corner. And, Cyber Stitchers has directions for a ribbon bookmark and one with fringe.

Company in the Bathroom

The other night, I went into the bathroom to take a shower and as usual Maggie followed me in there. She laid down on the rug by the tub and I could not get her to move so I just slid the entire rug closer to the door. I don't know how in the world I did it but I somehow got into the tub with the help of my walker.

When I finished and got out of the tub, Maggie was asleep on the rug and the floor was all wet so I threw a towel down there, and once again used my walker to get out of the tub. I can't believe I was able to get a walker in that little bit of space between the dog and the tub, and not whack her in the head with it or put it down on top of her. More amazing is how she never even moved as I was maneuvering around her. And, then she just stayed there while I went and got the camera.

I'm supposed to go to Doogie Howser tomorrow (very young orthopedist) and get my stitches out. And, then only six weeks to go until I can walk again.

Oh yeah, the hospital bill arrived. It's for $53,000 and change. For that kind of money, that guy I saw in pre-op with the open gown and no underwear on should have had a huge penis.

(Remember when this blog was about free cross stitch patterns?)

A Percocet Free Post

My head just exploded after seeing this cute fluffball.

If you read Feeling Stitchy, you've seen these links, but if you don't, here's a nice bird pattern to embroider and a link to some other embroidery patterns on Flickr, (check out the whole set) including this cute little kitty under some mistletoe.

I've been working on a biscornu and am nearly finished with it, but I really would rather embroider something. I don't know if I could stand at an ironing board though and iron on some patterns, considering I have to hold on to a walker with both hands when I stand up. If only I had a third hand. Or a butler who could could iron for me.

A Random Memory About My Recent Hospital Stay

When I was in pre-op, the man on the gurney directly across from me wasn't wearing any underwear and I had a full-on view of what was under his gown and it was not that exciting. I thought, If I die during this operation, that will have been one of the last things I saw, and I was not too happy.