Helloooooooo! Anyone there?

I'm still here.

Just finished a major project last week and this week I've been kicking around doing whatever I feel like. I know I should post photos - give me a few days and I will.

Donna in Virginia

I'm around and reading but with this un-March-like weather I've been doing lots of yard/garden things and by the time evening rolls around there's no way I can concentrate on stitching. Instead it's hockey on the TV or reading.

Nancy...another day near 80 again in March!!!!

yes I'm here. Just busy - stitching, reading, working, house stuff and of course hockey and lacrosse

Cheryl

I'm here just quiet. I've been spending as much time as possible outside when I get home for work. We've broken the record for the highest temperature recording for the last 5 days. It's usually around 51F/10C but its been as high as 84F/28C. Very lovely.

On the stitching side of things I started working on some barrettes that people have ordered. One is going to have a greyhound on it for the grayhound rescue's charity aution. I hope to get all of them finished by the middle of April.

-Margaret in MA

G'day Joan! I'm here, just been a bit busy. DH has been helping me rearrange my sewing room and I've got a quilt and a half to make! ;D

I can certainly understand that! We've had record-breaking temps for March, too. Very nice...in the 70s! The rain we had today should bring most of the frost out of the ground, now, too.

Speaking of hockey, I *had* to brag!

The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux won the WCHA "Final Five" tournament in Minneapolis last weekend.

In the first game they came from a 3-0 score at the end of the first period to win 6-3!

The 2nd game they won 4-0!

They will now be in the "Frozen Four" tourney next month! YYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYY!

Goooooo SIIOOUUX!!!!!

This will probably be the last year I'll be able to say that, since the NCAA stuck their snotty, snooty PC noses into our business. :(

Hurrah

Wow, don't get so excited, Cheryl! Not even a ! at the end? :):):)

I'm so sorry - I share kind of your withdrawal.

I have no life. OK - I have a life...it's confused. I miss you guys....so to speak.

I sent a request to the paralegal at SERVINT - per the info from Sheena - and I was very, very polite and professional. She very politely essentially blew me off & told me to send them copies of my posts that had been posted. Life is too short. However - I did notice that SewGirls have now put up a header stating that our discussion is lifted from RCTN - so at this point at least that's something.

Part of me is starting to think that perhaps we should consider having our more "personal" chat stuff be under a non-photo adjunct to the already existing RCTNP - since we have that sort of closed group. Not that I want to make Sheena work, but..... Just sayin'

OK - on to excuses for not posting - I'll put that in an OT thread.

Stitch wise: I'm going to upload a couple of photos in a few minutes of some little stuff.

I taught a cute canvas thing from ANG mag - a shamrock ornie with blackwork

- for my guild chapter last week. Of course I did an alternate colorway because I would've had to drive like a 90 mi rt to get the silk called for instead of 50 mi, and I thought the original colorway, all in dark greens, was a little lifeless. I'm really happy with this. I'm actually almost finished - put will post the almost done photo and then the finish in a couple of days. Thinking of making into a "pot of gold" with the ornie as the top, so to speak.

Also, unbelievably made something into the post - on time - for a SAL - being done for someone who's been ill & people are doing something that is being sewn into a book of them. I can't say more as the person it's for sometimes is on this group -if you're interested to know - send me a note directly. But, I will put a photo up on RCTNP. I actully finished the thing really quickly - the bulk of it, and then it took me about 2 weeks to finally sit down and fill in the areas that I thought needed a little bit of something to get some balance - like literally maybe it took 45 min to do some running backstitch vines/leaves! We all did the same outer shape, filled with an original design.

Finally, past weekend was a guild workshop - we brought in Beth Robertson & Suzanne Howren "SHEAR Designs" - to do "Effective Embellishments" - which was basically doing kind of a starting point for a stitch guide for a painted canvas - each person had their own. We gave them color copies - full size - they gave us some thread suggestions, and at class then 6 stitch ideas & 6 areas to play with. It was opening up some creativity - and treating the canvases like an outline with the threads as the painting tools

- very good class. There is another 2 day session in April. Great fun - they also periodically would announce "teachable" moments. DH is quite thrilled because I am finally working on the rather large bell pull that I bought for him at market 10 years ago. Started on the parrot in the middle

- will then move to the Sun Conure on the bottom - the parakeet is the top bird and outside the area the class covers - but that's okay. The teachers were great about it - the piece is limited in size to 196 sq in - so I marked off to essentially do slightly more than 2/3, There are also leaves/branches/vines & some flowers. Very nicely, I had some awesome JL Walsh silk, which is no longer made, and between myself, and their stash - we had enough - as none of us can use it for a teaching piece. So very kind of them to give it to me - like 5 skeins (3 colors). But, I'll be recompensing with some refreshment when we're all at seminar in August.

So, I've been doing some stitching - albeit slowly.

Well, that's the deal here - today DH was off work for some DC kind of reasons involving it being better to avoid where he works. So we took advantage of the fabulous weather, and after taking our digi=projector to loan to the EGA chapter president, then hit the road west, to a vineyard we like - and went wine tasting (using a great coupon from a site sponsored by the local Fine Dining group or somesuch). It was a bargain - expires on the

31 - so we thought to beat the crowd - they're open on Friday. Beautiful out in the hills - had tasting of 4 reds, 3 whits, cheese/cracker plate & 2 glasses of wine, plus $20 towards a bottle of wine. So, we left with 3 bottles of wine - and this is the vineyard that sells at our farmers mkt - so the manager actually gave us the employee discount - it was quite a bargain day - considering I think our coupon only cost $30. And they had just started selling a new vintage of one of the reds... Then on the scenic route home - windows open, saw lots of horses all out and about - we stopped at the very good pizza place owned by/adjacent to our favorite restaurant in Leesburg and had a little pizza & salad - pizza with mushrooms,sausage, caramelized onions/garlic, feta cheese & white truffle oil. Yum. Then home. Very good day.

With any luck the CAPS will win a game tonight. Or not.

Ellice

Every advance is a big deal

Cheryl

LOL- Well no doubt they'll get far along in the future as well. So, we'll do some bragging, too. Also - what's with the NCAA Hockey logo - they have nubs for feet - lobbed off with no skates - I'm thinking of writing a letter!

While the CAPS are doing some historic DH's alma mater - Big Red - Cornell - took out Michigan last night in a great game. Unbelievable & weird officiating - there were more than 2 times as many penalty minutes against Cornell as Michigan, including a 5 on 3, during a 5 min major. So, we actually were supposed to be watching the CAPS vs Winnipeg game, but were switching a lot. Eventually just went to the Cornell game - especially after the final choking of the CAPS in the OT. Seemed the college game was about the same speed by then - they're not really IRL - but seemed so.

We're happy to see that - so DH will be parading around the house wearing his little tuque - when he was the back-up goalie at Big Red - they didn't have to wear their helmets on the bench, so that is what he wore. Consequently, he cherishes that 30 year old knit cap. It is very carefully washed - and he wears it when there are tourneys here that he's officiating at in some capacity - like when we worked off-ice official stuff at the frozen four last year, or at Midget Nationals and at the Women's Juniors this year.

Go BIG RED!!!!!!!!!!

Ellice

Yes, I'm still here. Just trying to do too much in too little time.

After 31.5 years, my microwave finally needs to be replaced. I'm going to write GE a love letter on how well their stuff is built, and see if they would like it back to put in their museum. It actually still runs, but some years ago, someone who shall remain nameless spilled quite a bit of water and didn't wipe it up. By the time I discovered it, the paint had already bubbled and rust was starting to form. When I turned it on the other night, the rust spot was glowing orange like it was about to catch fire, so as a safety matter, I ordered a new one.

COPYRIGHT 2012 -- PERMISSION GIVEN TO POST ON USENET AND GOOGLE GROUPS NEWSREADER ONLY, BUT IF FOUND ON TWITTER OR SEW GIRLS, IT HAS BEEN REPUBLISHED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION WHICH CONSTITUTES ILLEGAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

*big snip* Correcting my typo

Choking....

It is. Unfortunately they lost at the regionals this weekend. Waaaaah!

You should! That looks ridiculous. Maybe someone found having skates on the logo was abusive and offensive!

Hopefully he'll have on more than just that! lol

Certainly sounds like it needs replacing! Good thing you caught it when you did!

Yeah - we share that pain - DH was only a bit mopey.... There's always next year.

Ellice

ROFLMAO - well, yes. Now that we're an old married couple - not that it might not have happened in the younger, courting days post hockey, after much liquid replenishment.... And it may have been said that I perhaps did marry him for his "perky, Lithuanian, goalie-boy butt" amongst other attributes.... There is something to be said for a guy who has spent virtually his entire life doing a sport that involves a serious amount of leg & gluteal muscle strength & endurance - if that appeals to you. As long as everything else doesn't go to seed - I just feel bad that he's kind of stuck with me after my warranty so clearly has worn out - so to speak. The tuque is away now, safe for the season. But, hey, evidently Ovie decided to come back to play for the last several games....

Ellice