Friday, August 26, 2011

A bit more of the same....and Hawaii

Well, hello there !!!

Long time no see :-)  I don't really have any excuses for my lack of posting, other than laziness.  I really have not been in much of a blogging mood, but I certainly have been reading all of your blogs and admiring your beautiful work.


Well, it seems unbelievable that the summer is almost over by now.  The highlight of my summer was our trip to Hawaii for a week.  It was truly a blessing to have that time off and it couldn't have come at a better time.  It was peaceful and relaxing.  Breakfasts with an ocean view, days at the beach just reading and resting, lots of friends to catch up with, my niece's company and time with my dear husband.  The highlight of my trip was swiming with the dolphins !!!  Oh my gosh, what amazing creatures... I almost cried when my hour with them was up.  So precious.... I can close my eyes and I am back in the water with them.  So amazing, and something I'll never forget.


Well, I wish I had tons of new things to show you, but I don't, really.  I have continued to work on my two wip's: I Sigh Not For Beauty and Spanish Mystery sampler, as I am determined to finish them before I start something new.  But I've also found a little bit of time to work on a couple of little things.  Below are some pictures:

This is a design by Rovaris that I though was finished in such a clever way, isn't it?


This is my progress so far.  It is a very easy stitch and can be done almost anywhere and at any time.  Cute !!



Another thing I've finished and I don't think I've shown you is the little Hornbook by CHS.  I truly enjoyed this guy and I have the hornbook frame all ready for it.  I just need to pin it and frame it.  I did't use the colors it asks for because they were not very colorful and they all seemed to blend together in a too boring way, so I chose my own.  It is stitched with NPS and I don't remember the color of the linen !!



Here is my progress on the Spanish Mystery Sampler.  I absolutely love this piece and I can't wait to finish it.  I am enjoying it so very much.  I love that red color in the middle of it, don't you guys?  I think it gives it character :-)







And here is my I Sigh Not For Beauty....I heard from Fran, the designer of I Sigh Not to let me know that the fabric I am using is not the one she actually chose for the sampler.  So I think there was some mix up between me and the store where I ordered the fabric from.  Oh well..... I am not going to let that bother me anymore because I really love the sampler. 




Below is my name and date stitched the correct way.  I initially stitched it and when I took the linen out of my q-snap, I realized I had stitched my name upside down !!!!  Certainly not one of my finest moments.  Yikes !!  I had to frog everything and stitch again.......over one !!



Here are some pictures of my trip to Hawaii.  I've taken some pictures of Hawaiian quilts for you quilters out there.  Aren't they beautiful??





This was the view from our resort room.  To wake up every day to this..... can it get any better???



My husband and I on our way to the Luau :-).  I wish the man had kept his eyes open because I think this picture is beautiful with the sunset in the back.  


Part of the Luau....



My niece Marina, hubby Brent and I



This is my niece Marina stitching at our favorite breakfast place



And I left the best for last !!!  The sweet, sweet dolphins that I absolutely loved.  What I joy it was to jump in the water with them.  




This is it for today...... Thank you kindly for stopping by, I appreciate each and every one of your comments.  Enjoy the rest of the summer !!

14 comments:

Margaret said...

I love your stitching projects!! Wow! That xmas tree piece is so cool! The Spanish Sampler is just gorgeous -- you're right, the red is a great touch! And that hornbook piece! Wow! Love the colors you used, and I love the piece! And of course, I Sigh Not is gorgeous too. But I have to say the Spanish Sampler is going to be spectacular. As for your Hawaii pics -- well, I still love them too. The Hawaiian quilts get me every time. So glad you had a wonderful vacation!

valerie said...

Gorgeous Stitching Natalia! Love the Hornbook finish and your choice of colors and the Spanish Sampler is really coming along! Great progress on I Sigh Not For Beauty. What a drag about restitching your name...how frustrating!

I'm glad you enjoyed your Hawaii vacation! The photos are beautiful...def. a place I would like to visit someday.

gracie said...

Your projects are wonderful and I must say the picture of you and the dolphin is beautiful.

Mindi said...

I love projects you're working on right now, but Spanish Mystery Sampler has to to be my favorite!

Laurie in Iowa said...

All your stitching projects look fantastic. I love the way the Christmas piece is finished.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful Hawaii pics with us.

Wagapapa said...

Hola de nuevo!

Veo que lo pasastéis genial en Hawai, qué suerte!
Me encanta como va quedando el Spanish Sampler y el diseño de Rovaris que estás haciendo es espectacular, espero que lo tengas terminado y montado para las fiestas.

Un saludo,

Noemi

Siobhán said...

Your stitching projects are all fabulous, Natalia!! I love the Christmas piece! All that over one work on I Sigh--good for you. The hornbook is so pretty, too. Your Spanish Sampler is going to be a masterpiece.

I loved the Hawaii pics!

Your blog header collage is fantastic. All the stitching is gorgeous, but those two pups of yours steal the show. ;)

Katrina said...

Gorgeous projects!!!!! I am so happy I get to see them in person all the time ;-). I can't stop thinking about the Spanish Sampler and the Hornbook is just too cute.

Love the Hawaii pics and the dolphins are so sweet!!!! I was so glad to see a post from you this morning :-).

Patti-Rocky Mtn Stitcher said...

Your stitching is coming along beautifully. Love-Love the Christmas design. Isn't it amazing how we found time to throw a stitch in while we were in Hawaii? Can’t wait to see you in Sept!

Carol said...

Such wonderful photos from Hawaii, Natalia!! I do hope to get there some day myself :)

Your stitching is gorgeous and I am in love with your I Sigh Not For Beauty WIP--just stunning...And that Christmas tree piece is going to be so cute--what a fun design :)

Loraine said...

Just found you blog, and had to comment! Oh, what a fun summer you have had. I love Hawaii. I think it's just about the best place in the world! Been there 7 times, and wish I lived there. Great pictures, and I love the view from your room! Don't you think life would be so much less stressful if you could see that everyday? LOL. How fun to swim with the dolphins! That would be a real thrill.
Love your stitching too. Such wonderful pieces you are working on. I will add you to my blog role, so I can see more of it!

Michelle said...

Natalia, all of your stitching is gorgeous. I'm so in love with the Spanish Sampler!!! And your photos from Hawaii are stunning - I especially loved seeing the Hawaiian quilts!

Michele B. said...

What lovely projects you have! And your "I Sigh Not For Beauty"!!!!! It's gorgeous! I'm going to have to dig that out of my stash soon. Your pics of Hawaii are wonderful...what a great trip (and to be able to mix some cross stitch in with it)!

Michele

cottasofia said...

All of your stitching is gorgeous well I still love them too.
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Murano Glass