2014 Mount TBR Challenge

Planning to accomplish just the first level - Pike's Peak (12 books).  I need to clean out my Kindle, and make room on my bookshelves for new stuff!  Hoping to do more than 12, but we shall see!

IHSW and Progress on Camelot

This weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, and it's a nice long one for me!  I took tomorrow off work to volunteer at a local quilt shop for Project Linus Day.  I've got Monday and Tuesday off as well, so no work until Wednesday! 

Here's my progress on Camelot (HAED).  Finished page 1 and onto page 2!

Daisies

From Leisure Arts
#114510 Daisy Delight by Ravissantes Marguerites 
Light blue 14 ct Aida, finished size w/out frame is 9 1/4 x 10 3/4

Another finish for the year

I was able to finally finish Tuscany from Jeanette Crews Designs today.  Now, I wait for the HAED fabric and Millennium Frame to arrive...hoping by next weekend.  Hmmm, stay in and stitch or start/finish Christmas shopping?  Tough choices!  Have a great week!

Christmas gift for me

I just purchased a Millennium frame (http://www.needleneeds.co.uk/store/) and think this will greatly enhance my stitching.  My Dad made me a stand a few years ago from a picture he saw in one of my cross stitch catalogs and I still love it!  He was even able to get the light on there!  He's a genius :)  The pic below isn't the actual frame, the only difference in the one I have is the base, I didn't want the circles for stuff so he left them off.

I don't enjoy using the split scroll frame, but it works for what I need.  This Millennium frame is going to make switching from project to project a dream, and I'm excited to get back into having several things on the go at a time.  I do love me some variety!  I've also purchased 3 HAEDs, so another reason for the pre-Christmas splurge on myself.  I bought the basic frame with 12-14 in. side stretchers, and a set of 20 in. and 30 in. bars.  This should give me enough room to work the smaller projects along with the BAPs (Big @$$ Projects)!  I'm planning to use the new frame with the stand my Dad made, so we'll see how that works out.  Shipping should take up to 2 weeks, so I'll be trying to wait patiently for the UPS guy!

IHSW and TUSAL

So very glad I decided to jump in on the IHSW and TUSAL!  I finished Max's Moon for my sister J and made very good progress on the Tuscany doorway. 



1st TUSAL (Nov 2012)

I love that there's a fabulous excuse to keep those odd threads around now!  Another way to see my progress!

Have a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

IHSW November 16-18

This is what I plan to work on this weekend:

Tuscany by Jeanette Crews Designs
It's been a WIP for several years as the original book pattern didn't include all of the colors to match the symbols.  I finally contacted the company and they cleared it up for me.

Project Linus

Friday was the local Project Linus 'Make a Quilt' day at my LQS.  I stayed for about 6 hours, matched quilt tops with bottoms, added batting, and basted quilts.  As a group, we finished 109 quilts in just one day.  An amazing accomplishment for a great cause.  I took two pre-cut quilt kits that an elderly woman put together, she doesn't sew anymore, but loves to cut!  They are disappearing nine-patch quilts, which shouldn't be too tough.

Lifetime Quilt #1 Completed!

I finished my first quilt last night!  Grandma M. would be so proud!  I did everything but the actual quilting, not bad for my very first quilt, I'd say.  This quilt is from an Intro to Quilting class from my LQS that I took last October(ish) so it's taken me way too long to finish this.  I love the colors, it reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night. 

I've got a jean quilt in the works and a red/white/black one going too.  Just like my Grandma M., I can't work on just one thing at a time!

22. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

A really neat story, hope the movie does it justice.  I don't know that I would have enjoyed it as much if I had read it instead of listening to it.  I liked the old and young versions of Jacob Jankowski's voice.
Listened to: 16AUG11-25AUG11
-A ~ Z Reading Challenge
-TBR Lite Reading Challenge
-New 2 You Author Reading Challenge
-Audio Book Reading Challenge
-Support Your Local Library Challenge

21. The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid

I didn't enjoy the end of this book at all!  It read as a conversation between two people in a foreign land, but with only one of the members speaking.  It was interesting to see 9/11 from a different perspective.  I guess I wasn't nearly as impressed with this book as many other people were.  I like to read a book and either enjoy spending my time reading it, or at least learning something from it.  I received neither from this one.
Finished: 13JUL11
-TBR Lite Challenge
-New 2 You Author Challenge
-Support Your Local Library Challenge

20. Any Given Doomsday - Lori Handeland

This was an ok read, but having read LKH, I'm kind of spoiled on the whole urban fantasy deal.  The book moves very quickly and it did keep my interest, but it just seemed to be a re-run of other things I've read.  I didn't like that fact that religion was a definite and not a belief, but that's my deal.
Read: 03JUL11-04JUL11
-TBR Lite Challenge
-Sexy Reading Challenge
-New 2 You Author Challenge
-ARC Reading Challenge
-Reading From My Shelves Project

19. Code Blue - Richard Mabry

Read on Kindle, didn't really get interested in it right away.  Mystery with a little romance.
Read: 10DEC10-02JUL11
-New 2 You Author Challenge
-E-Book Reading Challenge

18. First, Break All the Rules - Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Not a bad book about managing.  I need to read more management/leadership books.  Taught me that America tends to promote people right out of what they are truly good at.  The military does the same thing, in case anyone was wondering!
Read: 27MAY11-13JUN11
-A ~ Z Reading Challenge
-New 2 You Author Challenge

17. Afraid - Jack Kilborn

This one is all about the gore! Descriptions of injuries to the survivors and the victims kept me on the edge of my seat. Non-stop action, things blowing up, houses on fire, people running from insane soldiers, yet trying to save their town. Nuts! I loved it!
Read: 17APR11-15MAY11
-New 2 You Author Challenge
-ARC Reading Challenge (because I got it from LibraryThing.com)
-Reading From My Shelves Project