May 27, 2012:

Today I finished The Bead Fairy.  This is the fourth I've completed in the Stitching Fairies series by Nora Corbett.  I still need to stitch The Linen Fairy and The Thimble Fairy but have to order some more Bamboo thread and Kreinik #4 011 before I will be able to complete them.  I love this series and can't wait to finish them all and frame them.  I plan on hanging them together in a collage over my fireplace in the living room.

I didn't feel like going back to The Madonna of the Garden just yet so I decided to start The Easter Fairy, also by Nora Corbett.  She will be the 5th in the Holiday Fairies series.  Once I have finished her I will only have The New Year's Fairy left to stitch.  I don't have The New Year's Fairy yet I will have to find her soon.

This is my progress so far - not bad for less than one day of stitching.  She should be done fairly quickly:

Since I last posted I have received some new stitchy stuff.  The Easter Fairy is a new arrival.  I also received Le Nouveau Sampler by Nora Corbett, which has been added to my to be stitched list.

I've also received several new fabrics.  Some from the Silkweaver Facebook sales and two new ones from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.  If you are a fan of hand dyed fabrics and haven't ordered any from Stephanie yet you need to give her a try.  Her fabrics are gorgeous.  I ordered Heaven, which is red and blue mottled.  I plan on stitching Joan Elliott's Rose Goddess on this one.

I also ordered Nature's Dance which is greens and browns.  On this one I intend to stitch Joan Elliott's Earth Goddess.

These picture are both of the same fabric and definitely don't do it justice.  Be sure to check out Stephanie's website her fabrics are beautiful and very reasonably priced.  www.stephsfabbys.com

Only 8 more days with students and then three more work days and summer vacation is here at last.  Then I will have plenty of time to stitch.  It's been busy wrapping up the school year.  Student assessments are almost done.  We still have EOG retakes to get through.  I did successfully complete my first district training.  I trained a group of year-round Kindergarten teachers on the Letterland reading program which is being adopted by the district.  I was very nervous, it is a lot more difficult teaching adults/peers than 5-8 year olds.  I think it went well though.

My goal for the summer is to finish Madonna of the Garden, the Holiday Fairy Series and the Stitching Fairy series.  I'm still trying to decide what my next big start will be.

May 16, 2012:

"The Bead Fairy" from Nora Corbett is really coming along.  It's a quick stitch.  This is the 4th of the Stitching Fairies that I have done.  There are two more after this one.  Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to order some more Bamboo thread before I can stitch the others.  I think I have enough of the other colors.  I hope to have this one finished before the end of the weekend, then I will switch back to Madonna of the Garden for a week or two.

Got some stitching stash in the mail today.  I received two Giulia Punti Antichi Pincushion Dolls:  Assisi Pincushion Dolls and A Sampler Doll Pincushion.  I will eventually get the others in the series but I had to budget myself and these are my favorites.  Now I just have to save up for the half dolls.

I also got a package from Silkweavers with two more beautiful fabrics.  I couldn't get decent pictures of them, but a wonderful chocolate brown and a very pretty green/tan.  I now have quite a fabric collection - I just have to decide what to stitch on them.

T-minus 15 days until Summer Vacation and lots of free time to stitch.  I love my job and my students but am so ready for this school year to end!!!

May 12, 2012:

I have been working on Madonna of the Garden for the past couple of days.  I love her on this fabric.

Today I went to a few lawn sales looking for chapter books for my son and I picked up 16 boxes of Iris thread (24 skeins in each box) for $5.00.  Not sure what I'll stitch with them, but couldn't pass them up for the price.

I think I've decided to put The Bead Fairy by Nora Corbett on the scroll rod I freed up.  This will be the 4th of the stitching fairies that I've done in the series of 6.  I plan on stitching all of them.  The Stitching Fairies are quick easy patterns and will be a good one to tackle when I need a break from Madonna of the Garden.

These are the three that I've finished - one I even managed to get framed.  I hope to eventually have all 6 framed and hung in a grouping by my fireplace.

May 10, 2012:

Miss Valentine is done.  She was fun to stitch, very pretty.  I wished I could have done her on some of my over dyed fabrics, but I stitched the rest of the series before I discovered the over dyed's and I need her to match... oh well.  She is beautiful.  Now I just need to get my hands on Miss New Year's and Miss Easter and I can finish up the series.

Now what other project to put on the scroll rods that I have freed up.  I'm going to have to think about it for a couple of days.  Maybe one of the stitching fairies I have remaining, I have three to go.  I could start the muses.  I have Bloom and Panoply of Pods and Puffs ready to go.  I could go with something a little more complicated like Heaven Above (done on 40ct).  A lot to think about it.  For tonight I am going back to Madonna of the Garden.  Can't wait to finish this one.

May 6, 2012:

It's been awhile since my last post.  I've had a week of migraines and not much stitching.  This weekend I felt a lot better though and was able to get some work done on Miss Valentine.  She is almost done, two more colors, backstitching and beads.  I hope to have her finished this week.  Now I just need to get Miss New Years and Miss Easter and I will have stitched the whole holiday series.

Received some new stash this week as well.  Two new patterns from the online Needlework show:  Bloom by Art to Heart with a button pack from Just Another Button Company and Panoply of Pods 'N' Puffs by Tempting Tangles Designs.  They are both on my wish to do list.

 I also received a shipment of fabric and floss for a variety of patterns:

I've started my summer count down:  26 days until summer break (23 with students), then the summer stitching may begin.  It's been a long very hard school year and I'm looking forward to getting my house in order, spending some time with my boys, and stitching and relaxing.  My Mom will be coming for a visit over the summer which we are really looking forward to.  She hasn't visited us since we moved to North Carolina so we have a lot to show her.  Toward the end of the summer I'll be traveling to Memphis for a stitching class with Susan Greening Davis, really looking forward to that as well.