Monday, March 7, 2011

Triple whammy

Please excuse the lateness of this post.  You see, we've been busy around here.  Our basement is flooding -- second time in 4 years.  And it's supposed to rain again Thursday.  (Please let the forecasters be wrong.)  We don't have a sump pump so we have to go down to drain things ourselves periodically with other kinds of pumps.  Ugh.  And broomwork.  You get the idea.

That's the first whammy.  Second whammy: the furnace stopped working again.  Yup.  In less than a month, I believe.  Same day as the flooding.  Luckily it was an easy fix, and it was covered by our contract.  Whew.

Third whammy:  our phone stopped working.  Also today.  Apparently there's a "major outage" in our area.  Uh huh.  No comment.  (We'll discuss that one another time.)

Ok, enough of the whammies.  Let's get to the good stuff, right?   What am I working on, you ask?  Well, I needed a quick fix.  So I stitched this one up.  Still need to finish it, but I will some day.

In the Sweet by La D Da
supplies from kit

I stitched it in memory of Lisa Roswell.  I didn't know her well and never had the chance to meet her in person.  But she was a friend and a sweet, wonderful person.  My prayers go out to her family.  She will be sorely missed.

Next up is this one.

Jenny Bean Creation Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler
40ct Vintage Pear
GAST fibers as called for

Can you tell I got my market stash this week?  I'm enjoying this one, although I'm also yearning to stitch Susan Rambo and Ann Grant.

I won a lovely prize from Sylvia of Running with Needles and Scissors.   The lucky woman got to go to that huge French festival in Paris that everyone went to recently.  Aiguille en Fetes?  Is that right?  (Too tired to go look.  Sorry.)  She brought back a magazine to give away.  Well, I won!  And guess what?  Sylvia sent a lot more than just a magazine.  Look at this!


You can see the magazine peeking out there, but you can also see a bunch of wrapped goodies and some linen!


Look at the yummy goodies!  Yum!  Talk about a chocoholic's dream come true!  And then there was the mag and linen.


Look at that!  A lovely magazine!  And the linen -- Gander linen that I've been dying to try!  Two pieces in two different colors!!!   In a perfect count for me.  And one of them is the perfect color for a project I want to stitch too!   Sylvia, thank you soooooo much!!!  You have made me very happy!  And you also made two boys in the house very happy.  lol!  They swooped in quickly after the picture session to try out the chocolates.  I'm making us go slowly with the chocolates, but they're still going fast!

Finally, the TUSAL.  Here's my jar as of today for the March TUSAL.


Pretty, huh?  That's all due to Frances Eden, I think.  :D  A bit of other things too.

Here's Mia relaxing in the father type's t-shirt drawer.


I tell you, she has the life.  lol!  

Sorry if this post has been all over the place.  I'm a bit punchy and exhausted from the basement mess.  I hope you all are having a better week than I am so far.  Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.

59 comments:

Jackie's Stitches said...

Water in the basement, no phone, and a broken furnace? Ugh! I hope it all gets resolved soon. Thank goodness you have stitching to keep you sane!

I'd love to hear how you like the fabric. It looks really pretty.

Glenna said...

Oh, poor you! Yikes! I love the gift you received and your stitching is lovely as always.

Tanya said...

I don't envy you at all, flooding, no phone or heat. On the other hand I like your finishes and WIP.
Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Marion said...

Oh...so sorry about your troubles!!
I'm in a "feel sorry for me" mood..at the moment...
I love your sitching! I have another of Lisa's patterns ordered and on it's way, and will stitch it in her honour when it arrives...I also am waitinf for my Jenny Bean to arrive...LOVE your start!!

Take care...
Marion

Marion said...

Oh...so sorry about your troubles!!
I'm in a "feel sorry for me" mood..at the moment...
I love your sitching! I have another of Lisa's patterns ordered and on it's way, and will stitch it in her honour when it arrives...I also am waitinf for my Jenny Bean to arrive...LOVE your start!!

Take care...
Marion

BeckySC said...

Your stitching is amazing as always!! You do such lovely, lovely work :)
I am so sorry for all your troubles right now-they say it comes in 3's !!! I guess they're right huh??
(((((((((hugs))))))

Joy said...

You certainly are deserving of that prize with all your "whammies". Your stitching is beautiful, what a lovely tribute to Lisa. Hope you have happy days with happy stitching!

robindefender said...

Wow! I can't believe how far you've gotten on your Jenni Bean piece! (I just got mine this weekend and am still deciding on a fabric) Sorry you're having such a rough run of bad household luck. Hope things all get back to normal soon.

z3mom said...

Two words Margaret: French drain. My basement used to get an inch or so of water every time we had a heavy rain (like yesterday). Had French drains put in. No more water.

Tina (the one who gave you recipes for lobster stew & popovers)

Deborah said...

Bad things tend to happen in three's, so I think your bad things are finished. Love the tribute to Lisa. Very pretty.

Cari said...

Oh my gosh Margaret...you HAVE certainly had the whammies. Hope all goes much better for you tomorrow. Dang...I bet you're exhausted. Thanks for posting your stitching progress even though you're so tired. I've been waiting for you all day. The winnings from FRANCE are fantastic. Wow oh wow!! Way too much fun. Perhaps the chocolate will make up for the home front. Love the darling pic of Mia too. Take care...and warm hugs.

Sylvia said...

Oh my goodness - you have got your hands full - the basement flooding sounds like the pits - I am so sorry.

I love your little finish in honor of Lisa. I am stitching her Crescent Angel design ( over one on 35 count .... its going sloooow). I hope to have her done tomorrow.

Jenny Bean Creation looks so great - I might just have to cave and order the whole kitten kaboodle from Theresa.

valerie said...

Oof...sounds like you are going through a tough time. Flooded basement and no heat...no fun! Your stitching is lovely though. Love the LLD finish and great start on your Jenny Bean!

marylin said...

Hi, I just saw your article that I ask you again if you still want the book while you I'm sorry! what a gift! you were once again very fast, but how do you embroider?
Your friend from France

merumo said...

Oh no!!! But look at what you won!! I think that woderful winning wipes out all the craziness you have been through around the house. Hope the leak in the basement gets fixed soon. And lovely finish of La-D-Da. I'm sure Lisa will be remembered through our needles. Jenny Bean Creation Sampler is looking very nice and I can tell how much fun you are having with :)

La Comtesse said...

Here is everything very beautiful!
Happy Woman's Day!
Loredana

KarenV said...

So sorry for all the home issues right now Margaret! I hope you can get everything fixed soon.

I love your sweet little finish, what a nice piece to remember Lisa by.

Nice progress on the SP Creation sampler too, you do have smoking needles! Love the pic of Mia - it's been sunny here the last few days and Maisie has taken to sleeping on my cutting mat, right in the sunshine :)

Brigitte said...

Oh my, Margaret, that wasn't a funny day, was it? So many things gone broken and then the flooding ... I hope that the rain will stop soon so that you can start clearing the basement for good.
Your two new projects look gorgeous. I always need a quick finish after finishing a BAP. Both are lovely.

Bertie said...

Oh Margaret, do hope your disasters go away soon! No wonder your'e tired:))
Wonderful tribute to Lisa too-)
Your presents are lovely, just the toile wrapping paper is fabulous, try to see the fair on blogs, it's fabulous!!

Faye said...

Dont you just love that magazine? I had a new French friend send it to me this weekend and I could not believe how beautiful all those RED samplers are!!! And, the speciality stitches....I will definitelly have to practice first!!! Nice tribute to Lisa also... Take care, Faye

sampler lover said...

Hi Margaret, I don't know, if it's not one thing, it is the other. Hopefully this will be the end of things going wrong.
Both pieces look lovely and what an amazing gift to receive. Is the toile paper or material. I love that. Ahh boys and chocolates. If yours are anything like mine, you won't get a look in lol. I hope that you have a better day tomorrow - Sandra.

Annie said...

Wow... too many bad things at once! Hard to stay calm in that situation. Your stitching is lovely so I hope it provided some therapy! And I hope things start returning to more routine days!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Your La-D-Da finish is a beauty and stitched for a lovely sentiment.
I love your SP Adam and Eve...got it myself...and your going gangbusters on yours! LOVE IT!
Sorry to here about all those whammies....when it rains it pours....hopefully it won't rain this week. I'll even go out and do a rain dance here so that it spares you :)
Hugs and love!

Deb said...

Triple whammy is right! What a week you've had with all of that going on. You definitely have had one thing after another going on this winter. Hopefully as Spring gets closer all this will be over with!!

Love your stitching as usual. You always get through things so fast.

And congrats on your winnings. There is nothing better than stitchy things and chocolate!!

Carol said...

Oh, Margaret, I hope your house gets back to normal, too. We've been through basement flooding twice ourselves and know what a mess it is.

At least you've had your stitching to distract yourself from those problems--it looks wonderful and congratulations on your win... All those yummy goodies, too! Enjoy :)

Sandy said...

Oh my goodness, Margaret ... not again!! I think someone is trying to send you guys a message -- they want you to move!! To Missouri. And I know just the spot. :)

Your stitching is beautiful, as always. I know you've had a rough week. I'm thinking of you, my friend. Hope things get better.

Giovanna said...

Yuck, life stinks when it treats you like that - except for winning the draw and getting your market stuff so quickly, that is, you lucky thing :-) [guess who's still waiting].

Love your new WIPs.

Alisa said...

You have certainly had a rough go of it lately...flooding, no phone, no furnace...eek! Hopefully the stitching kept you sane. I LOVE the new sampler, it's fantastic!

Laurie in Iowa said...

OMG... Margaret I can't believe you've had more furnace problems and now a flooded basement. I've dealt with flooded basements before... no fun. Hang in there GF.
Love your tribute to Lisa... such a sweet design. You've made wonderful progress on the Creation piece.
Congrats on winning that fantastic giveaway from Sylvia. She does know how to spoil a person.
Hope the rest of the week goes better for you.

Katrina said...

Yuck, way too many house issues. Hope everything is repaired and working properly.

Love the finish, sweet piece to stitch in memory of Lisa and the Creation Sampler is gorgeous.

woolwoman said...

basement flooding and no heat - EGADS - that sounds dreadful Margaret - Maybe the chocolate will help ease the pain a bit - hopefully things will be better today and the remainder of the week - Love your tribute to Lisa - very pretty little piece. I hope to do a tribute to - Thy Needle I think will be mine since she loved those tombie angels so much. Love your start on the creation sampler - awesome progress! Cheers Melody

Catherine said...

I'd say you have had your fill!! Time for all the gremlins to move on - tell them to get out!

Great stitches! I am anxiously awaiting my ride to my LNS - hopefully I'll be picking up some great stuff today!

Great stuff from France!

stitches from wales said...

oh dear Margaret I can sympathise with the broken furnace. During the coldest spell here before Christmas I was without heating and hot water for five days.!!! Nightmare......fortunately never been flooded. sounds like you're coping better than I would! take care

Susan said...

Hope your basement dries up and your furnace stays on and that you have LIGHTS to stitch by!

Happy Stitching!

BrendaS said...

Love your finish and your Jenny Bean WIP looks great.

So sorry about all your problems. Don't you hate it when things happen all at once? I hope it gets better.

Have a good week

Siobhán said...

Oh my gosh! Hopefully the bad things that happens in three rule is taken care of with all that & you'll be good to go for awhile. ;)

Lovely finishes and WIPs! I love the goodies from Sylvia, too. I am interested to hear what you think of the linen.

Unknown said...

margaret...
1. wammies... so sorry! Sometimes it just happens all at once hugh?
2. LOVE your stitching! the LaDDa is beautiful with a beautiful sentiment! I want jenny bean's creation too... can't wait to see your finished piece...
3. ooooo... ahhhhh... ooooo... ahhhhh... wonderful mail surprise for you!!! The magazine AWESOME! the chocolate... yummmmmmm!
4. Your TUSAL shows you've been stitching! Yeah for you...
5. That looks like the purrrrfect place for a nap!

Natalia said...

Oh Margaret, what a mess you have at home !!! That wears out a person. I hope things get better soon.
I love your Creation sampler. I have the chart, but need to get the fabric and threads.... You are a super fast stitcher, have I said that before?? LOL !!
What a nice gift you got !!!! That chocolate looks yummy, but girl, I am glad I don't have it at home !!
Cute Mia, as always....

Melanie said...

Sorry for all the whammies. :(
I went through the basement thing last spring and it was awful. Hour after hour of sucking it all up with the wet/dry vac. Ugh. I hope things get better soon!!!!

Anne said...

Wow, Margaret, you sure did get a triple whammy! Hope things are improving. Best to you all,
Anne

Lois said...

Sounds like you've been having quite the time of it lately! Hope everything gets sorted out. What a lovely package of goodies to brighten your day. Nice WIP's.

Karen said...

Oh gosh, I hope all the household issues get taken care of quickly AND I hope you don't get more rain! Although it's supposed to come through here tomorrow...

Your stitching is gorgeous, and I love your pictures of Mia! She's such a pretty girl. And yes, she does have the life!

Daffycat said...

Goodness, you are having a really sucky week! I'm sure that package from Sylvia was a treasure to open. Lovely stash ~ and the chocolate!!!

A perfect ORT report. Your jar looks so pretty.

Hug Mia & try to have a great end to the week. *hugs*

Kim said...

Wishing you some sun shiny days without rain in the forecast!!!! I love your tribute to Lisa, she was very kind and loving and fun and a wonderful designer. She will be so missed by many~~~~~ as always it is a pleasure to visit your blog!
Better days are coming!!

Melissa said...

I'm sorry you have been hit with so many 'whammies' at the same time that you've lost a dear friend. The piece you stitched is just lovely. At times like these I'm sure it's a comfort to snuggle up with Mia!

ps Your A&E piece is looking lovely!

Sweet Sue said...

Nice tribute to Lisa, love the design. Congrats on your finishes and win, beeeeautiful magazine btw! So sorry to hear about the house, sounds like you need a very long relaxing Mediterranean cruise, plz tell the father type I said so:) xoxo

Paulette said...

Margaret, I am so sorry to hear about your basement - and the other whammies! Oh my.. :(

Your memorial piece for Lisa is just beautiful.

I sure hope things start looking up for you all! I saw all the flooding on the news - and the untimely forecast!

Nicole said...

Beautiful finish Margaret and great start on JB Creation sampler (I'm sure you are done now though)!! :)

I'm so sorry about all the whammy's you've been having. Hang in there!! Hugs!!

Meriem said...

J'aime beaucoup vos modèles, j'aime beaucoup le LaDDA, j'aime beaucoup le chocolat :-) et j'aime beaucoup les chats
.... alors j'ai donc aimé tout ce que vous avez montré aujourd'hui, bravo

Heather said...

How nice to see these two patterns being done! I just bought them both this weekend and seeing yours makes me want to get started on them tonight!

Michelle said...

So sorry to hear about all the whammies hitting one after another! Your tribute piece to Lisa is beautiful. I love it. And your JB Sampler is so pretty, it's growing on me. Sylvia is always so good with the gifts! Enjoy the linen, I have some I need to try out - what are you planning on using yours for?

Andrea said...

Omg! You've been through the wringer! Poor girl! Hope things smooth out soon!
Your stitching is LOVELY! Love that LDD piece and the Creation Sampler...gorgeous!! I have that one on the way ;)
That kitty is too cute. She's so tiny and perfect!
xoxo

Loraine said...

You poor thing! You are definitely due for some better luck. Love the little stitch. It's really sweet you stitched it in Lisa's memory! She will be missed.
Congrats on your win. The chocolate looks divine!
Hugs to you.

Sherry said...

So sorry about all your triple whammy! I hope everything is back to normal by now. Why does bad luck always seem to come in three's?

I love your finish in memory of Lisa and your new A&E is going to be beautiful

Donna said...

Oh my I am so sorry those things are happening at the same time. One once in a while is enough but everything at the same time is so stressful. But your stitching is lovely. Stitching helps take stress away so get going. HAHA

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

What a pretty tribute piece to Lisa. I'm sure she would be touched. Amazing progress on the Noah sampler - Wow! I like that one a lot - so pretty!

Sorry about all the whammies - we've had melting snow and rain for the last few days and my craft room has been wet ever since. drats!

Sharon said...

You have had a triple whammy! Hope all is better soon. Your projects are fabulous as always.

barbara said...

Glad that gorgeous mail could help offset all the whammies. Ugh - flooding basements are one of my least favorite things!

Gorgeous stitching. Just love that La D Da!!

Marjorie said...

Sorry about all your bad luck lately! Love your stitching--especially the La D Da piece--I've become a big fan of hers recently. My cats say Mia can come over for a sleepover whenever she wants!