Terry Bay’s Tulip Box

 Good Morning!

Long time no see, but I am hoping to get back into blogging now that life has somewhat slowed down and that I have lots of stitching to work on and to share with you all.  

Come the spring, there will be some gardening, though I have a much smaller yard now.  We will also be playing golf.  DH, Terry is really quite good and I am coming along - I can at least hit the ball! but not always where I want it and usually not very far!!  But we are outdoors and getting exercise.

We moved to Western North Carolina 5 years ago and we love live living in the mountains.

I am having to learn all over again how to set up and work blogging, so bear with me as I jump back into this medium again.  I have found that FB has gotten way too ugly and I do not use anything else other than email to communicate with friends and family.

I also, still do Ikebana which is Japanese flower arranging so you will see some arrangements on this blog as well.

I have started digging through my pile of stitched things and putting them into there final finished form.  Above is a finish from a class I did 5/6 years ago!!  Hoping to get more stitching done, and more finishing done.

Will close for now - looking forward to seeing friends from before and meeting new blogging friends.

                Roberta

Some stitching getting done

Hi All,

I did finish stitching the Red B from Merry Cox, now I just need to put it into finished form!!

As I may have mentioned, we have moved to North Carolina and while packing up my stitching I have found several WIPs that I had forgotten about.  Below is yet another Merry Cox piece it is a small pin keep and it will only take a small amount of time to finish. 

I am still in Macon, GA finishing up with some commitments that I had and hope to be living in North Carolina sometime in November.  The weather there is a bit cooler than here in Middle Georgia - it is still hot and muggy!!

Have been enjoying several days of quiet with not obligations and watching TV while stitching and knitting.

Not much exciting things happening just yet, hope you all have a great weekend.

Thank you for stopping by.

Roberta

Good Morning,  Well we have moved into our new house and there are boxes everywhere.  While waiting for some of the contracted work to be done in the new house I was able to do a bit of stitching and knitting.

This is a Merry Cox piece that I started in 2001.

I found this while packing up my sewing room along with other UFO's

so I have pulled out several to work on along with some newer projects.

This is my second attempt at lace knitting.

The lacy part is using a skein of Habu Mohair

the fringe part id Feather Moire

This will be a pretty scarf for the winter weather!

Thank you for visiting.

Roberta 

Moving Day tomorrow

Good Morning Everyone,
My hopes are that I will be able to post to my blog each week, with progress on my stitching and my life.

Tomorrow is the first part of our move - since I have some obligations that I feel I need to follow through on and since my sister (who lives with us) still has to work until the end of November - we will move part of the house to an apartment here in Macon, GA.

On Tuesday, the rest of the house, my husband, and our cats will move onto North Carolina.  Since we already have a condo there my husband and the cats will move there and the furniture will go into storage until our house we bought closes at the end of July.  This split moving is quite tricky since you are not sure if you are packing things for each place going to be correct!!!

Will stop by again next week, hopefully will have some photos and all will be settled!!

Thanks for visiting,
Roberta

Returning to the blogging world

Greeting everyone,
It has been over a year since my last post, my life (like everyone else) has just gotten so busy and out of control that stitching and computering (is there such a word???) really went by the wayside.

I hope to update, my blog page but need to get use to blogging again.  I have much to read and get caught up on with everyone.

A bit of updating with myself - DH, Terry retired and we decided that we will move and retire to North Carolina Mountains.  Our Daughter, Lindsay already lives, works and goes to school in the Hendersonville area.  We have several friends there and in nearby cities that it just made sense to not only move but to downsize!  Of course the house was not much of a downsize, but the yard definitely is.  This lovely yard that we have now has become quite difficult for me to maintain - this getting old is just rough, especially kneeling and standing constantly and climbing up and down the hill to the side and back yard.  Our new house has a lovely smaller garden area and the whole small neighborhood (nine houses) are all beautifully kept.

The good and bad part of this decision to move is that we found a lovely house and that we sold our house - only thing is our house sold in 4 days!!! Not that that was bad, but it really pushed us to pack up with out necessarily being able to totally clean out.  Though we did get through enough things to have a moving sale with is tomorrow.

Hope you all will forgive the long absence and I look forward to getting to know you all once again.

Have a wonderful weekend, I am off to start pricing for the moving sale.

Traveling and my Stash to Stash report

Hi all, I have no photos this month, I have been traveling.  At the moment I am in Tokyo,Japan.

Before I left on my travels, I did buy a piece of linen, the cost was $22.  I have no idea where I stand with my account, but will check once I get home mid April.

This trip was a once in a lifetime event mainly for my daughter who has a friend that moved to Tokyo and has wanted to visit her for several years now.  We were able to do this trip because a dear friend of mine had passes away and left both DD Lindsay and I some money.  So after paying off bill and a car payment and putting some in savings, we made our plans. Our first stop was a few days in Hawaii, this really helped with the time changes and jet lag.  We totally loved Hawaii, went to a luau, visited Pearl Harbour and took an Eco tour around the island of Oahu.

Tokyo is amazingly so cosmopolitan, clean, busy and the food is amazing.  We have eaten at a noodle shop, a rice bowl shop, had Pizza Hut pizza, which is nothing like what we get at home - one topping was Korean beef and the other pizza topping was meat with pesto. Quite a change from what we know as pizza toppings.

Tomorrow we will head to Kyoto to visit some of the temples and gardens, we also have scheduled a time for a Tea Ceremony.

Well off to get ready for a bit of a tour of Tokyo. We will return to the states on April 9th staying with my son for a few days in San Francisco, then back home to Macon, Georgia on the 13th.

As always thank you for stopping by - if I can figure out how to get photos from my camera to my iPad I will post them.

Roberta

An update on getting back to normal!!!

So I though all would get back to nice steady flow of my day, but wait!! NO! Ended up getting very sick for the month of December and then to find out that I have a surface cancer on my arm!! My sister had to have a shoulder replacement.  I am guessing that perhaps this is my normal!!  I always seem to be busy and on the go, but I am trying for a new normal - a slower normal.  I will slow down a bit - our daughter, Lindsay, will be moving back to Orlando, though will miss her, she does add activity to our life, since she is a movie buff, we have gotten into movies and video games!!

 

Before Lindsay moves, she wanted to visit her friend Javon who moved to Japan six years ago - so guess who is going with her??? That's right - me!!  It should be a fun, busy and exciting time, especially since I am into embroidery and Ikebana.  Hope to visit the Japanese Embroidery Center and the Ichiyo Ikabana school.  Of course Linds wants to head to the Animation and video areas. 

 

We are wanting to visit museums, temples, Mt Fuji and various other cities. 

 

Below is the update on the Terry Bay piece I have been working on, as you can see Mars has to give a helping hand. 

 

Here is some other knitting that I am working on - somehow forgot that I had this sock to finish, so hoping to get it done quickly.  Also working on another scarf. 

 

Here is a an African Violet that was at Diane and Mildred's house (my friend that passed away last year).  It seems to like living at my house and it is now 2 plants so I will split it when it stops blooming and give one of the plants to Mildred. 

 

Also, another plant and it is loving the spot where I put it and it has bloomed, who would have thought that this orchid would be happy here in middle Georgia in the cold temps!! 

 

I did manage to get something stitched and finished - finally!!! This was for a heart tree that was on display at Callaway's NeedleArts School. 

 

Thank you for stopping by chat with you all again.

 

Roberta

 

 

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone

I am hoping that this will be the beginning of a much better year for myself and my family.  Stitching did come to an almost total halt due to the frequent visits to the doctor's and hospital with our friend Diane.  Since Diane's passing in August 3 of my friends have lost their husbands.  On a good note, our son Jeremy is doing just fine after his surgery to remove a lump in his neck.


Below is a photo of my stitching tree - it has ornaments that others have stitched for me from exchanges or as gifts - there are a few on the tree that I also stitched.

This is a scarf/shawl that I hope to have finished by the end of January.  This is one of several pieces of knitting and stitching that I hope to get finished in the new year

This needlepoint piece I purchased many years ago as a gift for my husband and I finally have pulled it out.  Plan is to have this finished by his birthday in May!

Below is a piece by Terry Bay - our EGA group had a workshop with her at the beginning of 2014, plan to get this piece done with in the next few months.

Below is something I started in November last and since it is a fairly new start - I am adding this to my finishes for this new year.

 

As you can see, my goal this year is to get some of my WIPs stitched and finished.

 

There are many, many more in the pile but will post them as time moves on and I get things finished.

 

I was lucky enough to have my name selected from the Scarlet Letter group to received this wonderful gift from Paula at Kelsmcott.  I was really excited and thrilled to have received this!

Well I need to go and get showered and dressed - the first order of business today before watching football is to go to the movies to see The Hobbit!!  Really excited to see this.

 

Once again Happy New Year everyone - and I am hoping to be a much better blogger this coming year with no major distractions.

 

yours, Roberta

Slowly returning to a normal life

Hi Everyone, long time no see (write!)

This past year has been very busy, what with my friend Diane having her cancer return.  So it was many trips to the doctor's and the hospital.  This went on from last October and became more and more frequent as 2014 progressed.

The journey ended on August 23 when Diane passed away.

However the journey wasn't over yet, there was the task of cleaning out her house (she was a stitcher so many of you know there was lots to go though!) My husband and I also had to take care of Diane's mother, and get her moved into a smaller place.  Luckily Diane and her mom were already in a retirement community that had independent housing and apartments, then the progression to skilled nursing, memory unit and assisted living.  We were able to move Mildred to an independent  apartment.  This past weekend we finally finished cleaning out the house and turned in the keys.

 

Diane and her mom both were collectors of nice china, glassware and nick nacks.  Diane was also a prolific stitcher, so lots of stitched pieces to find homes for (Mildred also stitched and quilted).

 

So in the middle of all this (actually near the end of Diane's life) A lump was found in the neck of our son, Jeremy.  So off I had to go to California to be with him during his surgery and recovery.  Luckily, it was a benign tumor, but some nerves where over the lump and hence the surgery was a bit touchy.  Jeremy lost feeling in his left ear, face and neck for a short time.  His feeling is slowly returning.

 

Once Jeremy was OK, I needed to change my plane reservations (a very costly thing) to get home to Diane, she failed very quickly during my time away.  I had told her that she could not get any worse or die before I returned.  Well she didn't listen and proceeded to get worse.  I did make it home to see her and visit with her and tell her all about my time with Jeremy.  Of course, Diane is in a coma and I am not sure if she hear everything, but I do know that she was aware that I was there.  She died a few hours after my return.

 

I know this is a sad story, but Diane was a terrific person, who lead a really good life, and was extremely talented in the world of fabric and fibers.  Diane was 67, but she did manage to survive for 15 years (most of them very good years).

 

Now as to my stitching - it was nil!!!  I did get to knit a good bit because it was easier to do while sitting in doctor's offices or at the hospital visits.  As Diane became more and more sick, I became her caregiver and medical POA (not sure that is what it is called).  I am now that for Mildred.

 

I did add some photos of my time with Jeremy in San Francisco and of some stitching that I did just recently, it feels so good to have needle in hand once again.

 

Thank you for sitting through this long chat, but haven't been able to come up with what to say for my blog and today, I feel like I am almost back to normal and can get back to doing my stitching, gardening (this morning job before it gets to cold outside) and to my blogging.  I have done some reading of blogs when I had time and wifi was available. 

 

Jeremy and Mom at the Academy of Sciences in SF (after surgery)

Academy of Sciences

                                             
                                                                      The rooftop of TAoS
                                                 
                                                            Albino Alligator at the TAoS

One evening Jeremy introduced me to Ethiopian food, very yummy.

You eat the food with this bread, no utensils (unless you ask!!)

Jeremy before the surgery

Jeremy after surgery.  we shot this from his non surgical side

I did take photos of his incision everyday before I put on his daily dressing.

Here is a small Prim piece I did start in SF.

Here is what I am stitching on now. Since I am so far behind in my holiday and event stitching I though I would just pull out something new to work on.  Will get back to all of my WIPs, hopefully by next week.

 

I you have stuck along with this, Thank You for staying.  Looking forward to getting back on track with life.

 

HUGS,

Roberta

Where does time go???

Hi Everyone, I cannot believe that so much time has passed since my last post.  Have been really busy doing a model stitching, yard work, and helping out a dear friend who has been very ill.

I will not chat too much this time but did want to share some photos with you.

 

I have been trying to read up with everyone's blog, but time for that has been very slim so hoping that this is the beginning of me getting caught up with you all and posting some of  the things I have to share with you all.

This BBD was part of an exchange that I was in with the HoE group.

This also was part of an exchange with the HoE group.  Both were fun stitches to do and they were both in the mail by or before mid March.

Of course one always needs a cat in a HALOS box, now mind you this is no small cat!!! and all the cats try to get into this box - it is hilarious to watch them maneuvering themselves to fit!! 

My Irises in the back garden.

One of my Ikebana designs, I am taking classes in Japanese Flower arranging - this is from the second book, I completed the first book and hoping to get my certificate sometime at the end of this year.

Just had these English Boxwood put in by the front walkway, there use to be gardenias there but they had seen better days.

 

Most of the yard has been planted, weeded and ready for the hot summer months, just a bit more to do and then we can enjoy the view.  I will take some photos and post them in the future when all is done!

 

Thank you for keeping me on your list and for stopping by.

 

Roberta

 

Exchange, TUSAL, flowers and stitching

Hi Everyone, just a quick post.  Below is a Halloween exchange that came in the mail on Saturday. Isn't it wicked!!! love the ribbon bow as a hanger, this is just darling.

Below is my TUSal that I forgot to post 

Snowdrops in the garden 

Daffodils are popping!! 

Here are two washcloths/dishcloths 

this one had a snowman design. 

My February finish from 'stitching from stash' 

last is a fun cotton ball wreath I found and thought would look good on the front door on the inside 

I do love how it looks 

 

Thanks for stopping by off to get ready for a weekend stitching retreat!!!

 

Roberta

What keeps me busy!!

No matter how hard I try, I can never get to sit and post to my blog on a regular basis.  I really wanted to post at least once a week, but we will keep trying!!

Below is a small pouch that I made for a friend's birthday, she likes Hardanger so I put small piece of Hardanger on the pouch.  These pouches are great for holding and carrying around ones needle work.

Last week was the celebration of Girls Day in Japan, so the program for our Ikebana meeting was making an arrangement that would be suitable for that event.  Below are two photos of what I created.

Last Monday was my 35th wedding anniversary and DH brought me flowers.

and this really great OTT light for my stitching area in the living room to replace the small dinky OTT light that was there.

I am part of the Stitch from Stash group and below is my huge purchase for February.  I spent all of $13.  On the right is a clamp for your frame or hoop that will hold a small stitching design.  the product on the left is a really neat basting thread made of plastic.  Yes, it is red, but it does not leave any residue and when you are stitching your needle does not piece the basting thread but slides around it.  I learned about this from a designer/teacher.  I truly love this product, you can find it at Hobby Lobby around $9 to $10 less your 40% coupon.

Here is what the thread looks like both in the packaging and out plus on a project that I had stitched last month (and still haven't put together!!)

I have finished Lounging Hare now to find time to put it together into it's finished form.

In February, I took a class with Terri Bay on Ukranian work, it is a small little basket stitched in whitework and blackwork, this is a darling piece, but lots of stitching.  This is in my to be finished pile for March/April.

Some springtime flowers, it was very cold outside when this picture was taken, but today and yesterday we had beautiful weather and I was able to work in the yard!! yeah!!!

And as if I had nothing else to do, DH decided that we needed a new couch and coffee table, the other couch was literally falling apart, so here is what we picked out and it fits nicely in our livingroom.

 

Well if you made it through all of the photos and the chatter - THANK YOU for stopping by.  And I do hope to get better at posting.  Do have a wonderful weekend and week ahead and hope those of you who are still dealing with terrible weather - prayers for spring to arrive soon.

 

Roberta