"The Bookshop" grand finale

And here it is - the grand finale of "The Bookshop"

Although DS's birthday was at the end of August he didn't receive it until he arrived for Christmas.
He loves it and it went back with him to Germany yesterday.

I will close the last post of 2016 with a picture of my favorite book of this past year. A truly amazing read.

Best wishes to each and everyone of you for a healthy, happy, stitchy, book-filled 2017.

2016 Christmas Ornaments for Grandchildren

Just so that I wouldn't be rushing with the Christmas ornaments in 2016 I stitched the fronts of them in February while my BIL and SIL were visiting from Michigan.
Of course once you know you have a world of time to do the actual finishing your keep on putting it off. At least I do.

Then December 1 rolled around and suddenly I was running out of time to get them finished and in the mail to Norway.
Now of course the thinking process of how to complete the ornaments began.
Well friends - done and done - and here they are before they went on their merry way to our sweet H and S.

Below you can see the beading. A lot of work but fun and a great result.

"The Bookshop" is also finished and mounted and I have the frame at home. Will upload a picture later this week.

Only two years and nearly three months

After only two years and nearly three months "The Bookshop" is finally finished.
Personally I can hardly believe it and I must say it is a bitter-sweet feeling.
Of course I'm thrilled it's finished but after the first euphoria I'm a little sad to say goodbye to a dear friend.

The piece will be on its way to Las Vegas by the end of the week where a good friend will be mounting it and helping me pick a frame.
After that it will be waiting for our son to come and get it (very soon).

What I've Been Up To

It's Saturday afternoon and I was sitting in my reading chair with my book for the Victober reading challenge "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde when suddenly I started feeling a little guilty.
At the beginning of 2016 I promised myself to give this blog a chance for another year, with a post at least once a month.
My last post was in August and all it did was show my gorgeous copy of Winnie the Pooh and the announcement that I was taking part in the Hundred Acre Read Along.

So here goes. This is what I have been up to.

I have made a lot of progress on "The Bookshop" and still enjoying every stitch.
You may remember I was stitching this for our son's birthday in 2015. When it wasn't finished then I figured his birthday in 2016 would be no problem.
Well, his birthday was at the end of August and still I'm not finished. However I now have less that 6000 X's to make and I'm hopeful that I will have it completed by the end of the year.
Wouldn't that be a grand way to end 2016?

I have been meeting some friends to sit and chat as well as knit, crochet etc.
Most of the women knit on a round needle. This is something I had never done but when I saw this pattern I realized it would be easier on a round needle as the entire sweater is knit in one piece.
My friend Vicki suggested I borrow one of her round needles to see whether or not I liked the experience.
So, with a skein of With Love 'Waterlily' 100% acrylic by Red Heart I knit this little sweater for my granddaughter's baby doll (actually her mama's baby doll Kimmy).
The pattern is called "In Threes" and is by Kelly Herdrich.

Since knitting the sweater on round needles was quite a success I decided to buy some myself and knit a scarf.
Now you are looking at the picture and thinking that these do not look like round needles. Right you are!
I figured it would be easier to start the pattern on straight needles and then to change to round needles once I had a good start.
I knit about 20 rows (four patterns) and transferred. On the next row I immediately made a mistake and had the hardest time correcting it.
So, long story short, I pulled it out and started over again on straight needles. I'm much happier with them on this project.
The pattern is "Seiren" by Roko and looks more difficult than it is.
I am knitting with Loops & Threads Woolike 'Denim Blue' yarn which is 85% acrylic and 15% nylon.

Here is the pattern up close.

While we were still living in Las Vegas I bought several Halloween panels.
Now that I have a new sewing machine and have taken a quilting course it is time to do something with them.
So I bought some cute polka dotted fabric for the borders & backing and got to work.
Sewing those borders on was no problem. Getting the layers laid out and pinned no problem.
But now I'm at the point in this project which is giving me a lot of headaches - the kind you give yourself because you are to anxious about what you are doing, keep on putting it off and then worry even more that you are putting it off till tomorrow.
I really have to finish it at the beginning of next week or I'll just put it away until Halloween 2017 with exactly the same feelings I am having now.

For November I've signed up for Non-fiction November #NonfictionNovember2016 which is being hosted by Olive  and Gemma.
I have chosen my books for the four categories.

1. New - "Whatever You Do, Don't Run" by Peter Allison


My cover looks completely different as I am reading it in Dutch (bought for 1 eruo at Zeeman a few years ago when we were visiting The Netherlands under the title "Voor de Leeuwen".

2. Controversial - "Alive" by Piers Paul Read



3. Important- "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali



4. Fascinating - "The Face of Tutankhamun" by Christopher Frayling



I will also be taking part in  Lesley's  "readkidslit in November"
Although I don't know how many children's books I'll be able to fit in with the other challenge I will do what I can and will probably start with Roald Dahl's "Matilda".

Until next time,
Margaret

Hundred Acre Read Along

My 75 year anniversary edition 

Received from my children Christmas 2001

For all my reading friends 

and all the Winnie the Pooh fans out there 

this is a special announcement regarding the Hundred Acre Read Along 

which is being organized by Lesley.

You have heard me speaking about Lesley before as she is one of my favorite booktubers.

This morning Lesley invited us
to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the publication of Milne's first book
by joining a read along from September 14 through October 14.

Visit
 Lesley
and let her tell you all about the
 Hundred Acre Read Along.

End of July update

Since today is July 30 and I can't see too many new stitching and reading activities occurring within the next 36 hours now seems like a good time to post my end of July update.

After another mini marathon half way through July this is where The Bookshop stands.
I love it more every time I look at it. 

Since then I have been working on The Bookshop on and off  but not enough to make a big difference.

I have been reading when I can and am currently reading:

I Capture the Castle is my buddy read with Brenda H.

Brenda & I have also started selecting our books for a "26 in 2017" reading challenge.
We will be reading 20 books (each choosing our own 20) using categories listed in the original 2015 challenge and 6 children's books (chosen together.
The original challenge can be found here:

 

Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Is anyone planning an Olympics stitching marathon next month?

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

DH's uncle Sam nutcrackers on  my Americana quilt top.

On June 30 I held a Bookshop marathon. The purpose was to complete the top of the piece.
It was a very long day but at 12:50 am on July 3 I reached my goal.

I hope to have The Bookshop completed by August 28.