"Hot Cocoa" progress

This is my little bit of progress on "Hot Cocoa". I hope to add to it today. The picture is pretty accurate as to color and I am really pleased with the colors of the fabric and silks working up.

Not much stitchy stuff going on in the Thicket but yesterday my third call (at work) is one I would like to share. I spoke with a Mrs. Kathy who is 62 and she up front said she is told she gives way too much info. She wanted to refill a prescription which I helped her with but she went on to tell me she was bi-polar and the challenges she had in her life. She was VERY spiritually founded and as I have long believed, people with mental health issues seem to be be much more connected with God. It seems He connects with them in a more profound way then with individuals such as myself who are deemed "healthy" in a mental capacity. I could have talked with her all day as she was SO full of wisdom. She shared she had 3 times in her life where she knew God was right there with her. I told her I had only had 1 experience where I knew God was in my presence here on earth. I told her the feeling was beyond words but SO intense and I was very emotional as I was saying this to the point she heard it in my voice. I told her I prayed for another experience just like that, to feel God inside me and surrounding me all at once. She told me that her minister told her that is exactly what the Rapture will feel like and that blew me away! As we were ending the call she told me she had 159 angels all over her house which she collected over the years and she wanted me to know that she had just named one after me. I was sobbing as we hung up, told her I loved her and would pray for her. There are NO coincidences as to who comes into your life on a daily basis and I have NO doubt that she was sent my way to strengthen my faith and love of God.



Mrs. Kathy struck me as a true gift from God. She said life brought some very troubling people into her life but told me that Billy Graham said our job is to love these people and it is God's job to judge these people that are troubling and then to judge us on how well we loved these troubling people. How simple and yet, difficult.



Thank you God for sending Mrs. Kathy my way, she has forever changed my life. So here at the Oh, so humble Lilac Thicket we pray for blessings for you.

My new project

This is my newest project "Hot Cocoa" offered by Casey Buonaugurio. I purchased this from another stitcher on 1-2-3! message board. I bought the Hand Dyed Fibers from Vicki Clayton and they are so pretty and vibrant. The fabric is an un-named evenweave which I purchased at C.C. & Company from the bargain bin with Miss Cathy's great help and actually I like it much better in color than in the above photo which is from the leaflet. My fabric has a little more brown to it and wow the silks look great. I stitched yesterday and all afternoon. I definately have sore muscles in my right arm which come from the stitching. But it has been a while since I really enjoyed stitching.

I have ordered more skeins of silk from HDF for an older Four Oaks design called Rhapsody in Blue which is shown on the leaflet in NPI silks. What I loved about it was it reminded me of an old postage stamp. I collected stamps when I was young and there is one very old US postage stamp which is quite rare and it reminded me of the color of that stamp.

I want to hit C.C. & Company on my next days off and pre order and pay for the new Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. I will get a coupon for 25% off a piece of fabric for doing that. I haven't been there in a while so it will be fun to see what is new. I haven't been up to the Old Mill in Liberty in a while either and I would like to take a drive up there, maybe eat in the tea room for lunch and enjoy a leisurely outing.

We had some thunderstorms rumble thru the Lilac Thicket this morning. I would say about 8 a.m. When I drove the streets on my way to work, the birds were hunting the roads for little pockets of water in the cracks of the pavement. I am so afraid I am going to hit one. We shall see how much rain we get today and see if it clears the humidity here in the wilds of my Thicket. Until we meet again, may all your stitching be peacefull!

A knitted finish!!

It has been a while since my last entry. My computer is fritzing here in the Lilac Thicket and I know I will have to get a new one some time soon but I have to take care of a couple of things and then I want to save up my money and hopefully by Christmas I will have the money to pay cash for a laptop and take advantage of awesome Christmas sales.

No stitching to speak of. I have a project put together to start. I also have many WIPS in the Thicket so today I want to sit down and stitch. I have been pawing thru my stash and WOW do I have some great stash. I will share later! Onto my pride and joy, for the moment.

The lining was machine sewn, the handles attached via sewing machine and then tacked into the knitted purse. A pen pocket, a key loop and a larger pocket were also attached to the inside lining.

This is the fabric for the lining. I wanted the dark green/black color so it would co-ordinate with purse and the beads. I love the summer tropical motif of the fabric.

A close up the beads which I strung and attached. Love them, they are just the right size.

And this is the finished product. One skein of Lana Grande, a chunky alpaca yarn. 60 stitches cast onto 15-16 circular needles and just keep knitting until the yarn is gone. Very simple and I am so pleased with my project. There are a couple of twisted stitches but the tension is very good for my first knitted project.

So there is a brief but truthful entry to the happenings at the Lilac Thicket. May your days be filled with sweet tea and daydreams and your nights be filled with fire flies and wonderful dreams.