The Cross Stitcher (US) Oct 2005 

Watermelon block for STO 

Stitchers Time Out Swap Block Themes

This is my list for the themes for the block swap on my Stitchers Time Out group.

2005

August: Watermelon---stitched Plantin' Time from Lori Gardner's Sweet and Simple Book on 14 count white Aida

September: Harvest (Fall)--stitching from issue 38 of Jill Oxton's magazine Acorn Sewing set on 18 count Dirty Aida

October: Moose

November: Sampler

December: Winter

2006

January: Four Seasons

February: Medallion or Quaker Motif

March: Sheep

April: Apples

May: Flowers

June: Patriotic

July: Shells

August: Chicken/Rooster

September: Acorns

October: Quilt

November: House/Building

December: Gingerbread Man

Gosh I am just shocked it has been since June since I plugged into my blog! Of course nothing too exciting has happened since. Of course the gas prices all the talk. I feel so blessed that I travel 3 miles round trip to work each day. A tank full of gas lasts me 2 months! I was pretty smart to select a Honda Civic when I purchased my one and only new car in 2001. A Hummer 2 flew by me on my way to the LNS yesterday afternoon and I laughed at it! Fools! I knew gas prices would increase then! Americans are such foolish people sometimes. The thought of conservation and thrift never crosses the bulk of their minds.

I have found a very friendly group of ladies on the Internet. It is called Stitchers Time Out. It is by invite only that you can access the group. There are a lot of activities and great friendships there and they have been very welcoming to me. One of the exchanges is a block swap and that is my latest finish. Each month has a theme and one must stitch a design fitting that theme on Aida. The blocks are sent into the moderator of that activity and you receive a block from another stitcher. The blocks are 5X5 and so you could use them for a number of different projects.

My first block which is pictured, was a watermelon design from Sweet and Simple by Lori Gardner. I have had this book forever it seems and never stitched a darn thing. I changed the phrase from "Plantin' Time" to "5¢ Seeds". I think it turned out great.

Next month's theme is Harvest and I had a devil of a time finding a design I fancied. Well in looking through my Jill Oxton magazines I found a design that I fell in love with. It is called Acorn Sewing Set designed by Jill Oxton and it was in the Issue 38 which was published in 1999. The model is stitched in Gumnuts silks, which are fabulous but I am stitching mine with regular DMC and on 18 count Dirty Aida. I had to use the smaller count to get it to the size needed. I started it last evening after a trip out to my LNS, C.C. & Company in Blue Springs. I did not look around because I am poor and didn't want to be tempted in any way.

I did ask Kathy, the shop owner, order me the new Blackbird Design book with all the Halloween designs. It has some darling designs. The young lady who works there and her name eludes me does model stitching for Blackbird Designs and they gave her a copy of the book for her services. I got to look at itwontinglyy! $18 is a lot of money but with so many designs it is well worth it, like $2 a design!

It is raining here and has been off and on since yesterday morning. The air is like soup out there. I was horrified when I opened the kitchen blinds to see green grass in my back yard. To horrify myself even more, imagine that shrieking music from the movie Psycho as you read this last sentence...the grass is growing and needs cutting. Happy stitching friends!