Saturday, December 31, 2011

The oldest UFO

I managed to stitch my Sailboats and Seagulls today. After frogging and sorting floss for many days I really enjoyed stitching it again. I am much better stitcher now than I was 18 years ago, I see the difference while working on this piece.


If I will have as much enthusiasms for this piece as I had today, I'll finish it in January for Freddy's birthday (January 27th) as originally was to be, 18 years ago...

Do you have an old UFO? Join me and let's them finish! 

So long my friends, this is my last post for 2011. Now it's party time!!!
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 7

We are already in Day 7th!!! Let's keep signing:

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
  • seven swans-a-swimming
  • six geese-a-laying
  • five golden rings
  • four calling birds
  • three French hens
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree 
On the seventy day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:


a chart from Little House Needleworks - Peach Tree Cottage. Rules are same as yesterday.

Today I've reach another milestone - my 250th follower Laurita of Laura Hall is nearby! That deserves a surprise gift!!!

I do not want to make other followers feel unappreciated (you know that TV commercial about ice cream just for the new kid?) so tomorrow I will randomly draw a name from all my followers for another surprise gift from me. Can't tell you what it will be (it's surprise right?) but I can tell you that it will include a "small" stitched by me.

So long my friends, remember to make a wish at midnight - it will come true!
Evalina

ps. I did it!!! I accomplished NaBloPoMo - I posted every single day during the month of December. Congratulations to me!!!

Friday, December 30, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 6

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love give to me:
  • six geese-a-laying
  • five golden rings
  • four calling birds
  • three French hens
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:


a chart with lavender and roses! Rules are same as yesterday (scroll down).

Yesterday was my last day at work this year so today I was trying to finish some things... I manage to put together my ornament (the one that could look good as a biscornu)


and I finished stitching Forgive Quickly, now I have to figure out what to do with it...


Tomorrow is my Oldest UFO day so I will be stitching my sailboats and seagulls and getting ready for the New Year!

So long my frineds,
Evalina

Thursday, December 29, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 5

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
  • five golden rings
  • four calling birds
  • three French hens
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:



chart from Shepherd's Bush - Jeffrey's Stocking. Rules are same as yesterday (scroll down).

These stockings are stitched on 18 count natural linen (over 2) by Wichelt using DMC Pearl Cotton #5, Weeks Dye Works #5 Pearl, and Crescent Colours #5 Pearl. Stitch count: 120W x 167H. They are really easy to work with!

Don't forget to visit other participants of the Christmas Party in Blogland!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 4

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
  • four calling birds
  • three French hens
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

chart from Shepard's Bush - Elisabeth's Stocking. The rules are the same as in Day 1 (scroll down) except I will not stitch it for a non-stitcher (even if I like you a lot). 


So long my friends,
Evalina


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 3

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
  • three French hens
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:


chart from JBW designs "French Hen". Rules are same as in Day 1 (scroll down)

So long my friends,
Evalina

Monday, December 26, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 2

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
  • two turtle doves
  • and a partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas Freddy gave to me:
  • wild birds of the Yukon
  • and the nicest kiss
On the second day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:


chart from Victoria Sampler "Heart's Secret". Rules are the same as yesterday. (just scroll down)

So long my friends,
Evalina

Sunday, December 25, 2011

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 1

There is a confusion in the world about 12 days of Christmas. Many think that it is 12 days before the big day but really it starts on Christmas Day (December 25th) and goes to Epiphany (January 6th).

On the first day of Christmas,


My true love gave me the nicest kiss ever and I'm giving to one of you,


chart by Lizzie Kate "Forgive Quickly". Would you like to have it? Live a comment. If you are non stitcher I will stitch it for you! The draw will be on Saturday, January 7th.

Merry Christmas my friends,
Evalina

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

I wish that this Christmas Eve will bring for you gifts of happiness, good health & joy !

May your holiday season be awesome as a Winter Wonderland!

Merry Christmas !

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching has an Advent Calendar and I am door #24. Thank you for the privilege! All doors are very important in the calendar but the #24 is the last one. We've made it! It's Christmas!


The night before Christmas...the most magical time of the year. Time when animals talk in human voice (right on midnight) and people have power to influence the whole next year. When I was a little girl my mom always made sure that I was a "good" girl. According to the old saying: "As goes Christmas Eve, goes the year".  So just to make sure I will have enough stitching time I will stitch today, to make sure I will have enough study time I will study (just an hour or two), and I will put a very nice makeup and do my hair early in the morning so I look good the whole next year. I will not do any unnecessary housework (why bother, it's a waste of very precious stitching time!).

I'm not superstitious at all, am I?

Merry Christmas my friends!
Evalina

Friday, December 23, 2011

Eureka!

I was looking for new boots today and, believe it or not, I found them in Walmart! The best part? They are MADE IN CANADA!!! After I read the label I think half of Walmart customers could hear my scream of joy.

On the north we do not have many shopping choices. We do not have any department stores, malls - really not many places to shop. It is impossible to find nice shoes, all of them are made in China... You have no idea how thrilled I was to find something actually made in Canada.

Tomorrow already is Christmas Eve and after that 12 days of Christmas starts! You know what that's mean? A party in blogland! I will have a little giveaway every day during the party. Make sure to check my posts daily and if you want to play along you are invited.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Thursday, December 22, 2011

In the middle of Christmas preparation I grabbed the book and got lost in India...  very powerful novel Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. I was completely drawn and absorbed into the lives of these characters. The further I got into the story the more impossible it was to put the book down. 

I do not know much about India and the book was a real eye opener.

Now I can go back to Christmas preparations...


So long my friends,
Evalina

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The longest night

I was looking to celebration of the longest night this year and I slept through it... I can believe it! It happened last night. Yesterday the sun was rising at 10:09 AM and setting at 3:47 PM, today the day is a whole minute longer! The sun rises the same, at 10:09 but will set at 3:48PM.  And I thought that tonight will be the night... Oh, well - there is always next year!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler could be yours!

Many of you complemented my Heart's Secret and fell in love with it just like I did some time ago. I decided to part with the chart and offer it for trade. The chart will come with left over floss and, let me tell you, Victoria Sampler was very generous with their accessory pack - there is almost enough threads left to stitch one more piece! I stitched mine on 32ct instead on recommended 28ct. Maybe that's why there is so much left. The only colour that you will need for sure is the green for the leaves, seaweed from Weeks.

So, send me your offer and it could be yours!

So long my friends,
Evalina 

Monday, December 19, 2011

I love Mondays

And it is Monday! And Christmas Eve is just a few days away, and the celebration time will start! I love Christmas!

I had so many plans for yesterday but did not accomplish even half of them... I hermit and stitched for most of the day. I finished Heart's Secret:


And I found perfect fabric for the back. I think I will make a pillow or should I finish it in some other way? Size of the stitching area is 7" by 7".

I was gonna to work on Pirate Santa but instead I started a new piece (bad, bad Evalina!), an ornament:


and now when I'm looking at it I think it would make a lovely biscornu...

When I took off Hear's Secret from q-snaps I had the urge to start something new... For some reason I can't resist empty q-snaps... (some of you think it's a disorder called startitis). Using my will power I resisted from starting a bigger project and I decided to do something small, something what will not take a lot of time to finish so I still can have Pirate Santa done before Christmas.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Sunday, December 18, 2011

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend

After my hard work now I can just hermit and stitch. Outside it is pitch black, sun doesn't rise until 10:07 this morning and will set at 3:47 PM. We are so close to the winter solstice and the longest night of the year. I think I will keep stitching until morning darkness is gone and some, then I will switch to Christmas preparations. I'm planning to finish today Heart's Secret, there very little left to do:


And then I can work on Pirate Santa that also doesn't require much time to finish.



So long my friends,
Evalina

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Open house

Finally it is over! My open house was a success! In a few hours I made more money than I'm making in a week in my regular job! And I've got a new team member! How exciting is that! Tomorrow I'm back to stitching, decorating house for Christmas and writing all Christmas cards.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Friday, December 16, 2011

After first day of my Christmas Open House

I feel so tired but I'm smiling! Tired because normally I seat by my desk, today it was on my feet a whole afternoon and evening. People were coming and I even had to extend my closing time! Tomorrow is the second (and last) day of my open house (is not really in my house, I rented a boardroom in a hotel in downtown Whitehorse). Tomorrow the story will be longer!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Thursday, December 15, 2011

My secret life...

In my everyday life I am an accountant but in my secret life I am a Mary Kay beauty consultant. I have my secret life for about 18 years now... Last summer I went to MK Seminar, the biggest annual event. It is a three day function filled with training sessions and a Gala Night. Many of you are watching Academy Awards right? Well, the Gala Night is even better! Instead of Oscars MK ladies receiving diamond rings, keys to pink Cadillac, money (lots of it!), tickets to exotic destinations, the list is endless... It was my first MK Seminar and I've got bitten by a pink bug. I decided to give a chance to my secret life... tomorrow and Saturday I'm holding an open house. I'm scared to death that nobody will show up... (maybe I should take some stitching with me, you know, just in case). Please wish me luck!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

supper short post

I am a one happy camper! For many years I was blamed by my sons for leaving their father. And I was waiting very patiently for them to understand that sometimes things just do not work the way we want them to. Deep in my heart I knew that that day will eventually come... Guess what? It came!!! It is the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I did it!

Finally I finished reading all assigned text from textbook and I took my first quiz... I am so proud of myself! I answered every single question correctly and I've got a whole 100%!!! What can I say? I'm smiling from one ear to another and I think I will stitch for an hour or two so I can keep smiling. Maybe I can finish my Heart's Secret...? The stitching part is all done, I'm working on lettering. I will post picture when done.

I've learned something today! In our office we having a new employee. Her roots are from Philippines and today I asked her about Christmas traditions in Philippines. She told me that New Year celebrations are much more traditional than Christmas. They make a lot of noise to scared the bad luck, just before midnight on New Years eve they open all windows, cupboards, draws (practically anything that can be open) to attract a good luck. Wear polka dots clothes to attract money, have 12 different round fruits for every month of the year and the roundness symbolizes (of course) money. There is also a desert from sticky rice so the money will stick to a person. Neat, eh?

In Poland we have a similar tradition but the day is Christmas Eve. When I was a little girl my Mom always told me to be very good on Christmas Eve, be happy and smile a lot - then I'll be good, happy and smiling all year around. Whatever happens on Christmas Eve it will keep happening during next 12 months. So this year I decided to stitch a lot on Christmas Eve, then I will be stitching a lot a whole year around, right?

So long my friends,
Evalina

Monday, December 12, 2011

just rambling...

I decided to do NaBloPoMo (challenge of blogging daily for the whole month) and so far so good, I didn't miss posting in December yet... and it will not happen today even though I do not have much to say. I feel like an empty balloon, no energy, tired... not a clue what to write about. The cat and the dog are sleeping, washer is doing laundry, Freddy is in his world of spreadsheets and graphs... I even do not want to open a book (I guess I'm all read out with textbooks!) or watch TV. I need something to "pick me up".  Normally I would go to bed but tonight I started that darn laundry... maybe I will stitch a little. Of course I would love to start something new (it always happens when I'm bored and pooped) but it would be much wiser to finish something...

What do you do when you feel like that? Do you have any "pick me up" secrets?

So long my friends,
Evalina

Sunday, December 11, 2011

There is a party in Blogland!

Finally! I am in a Christmas mood. For me Christmas is a time of friendly visits, great food and fun! I love visits and guests, and an idea came to me... how about during Holidays we will visit each other blogs in our Blogland. It would be so awesome to say Merry Christmas across the globe and see what are we up to! If you would like to play with me click on the picture below for more information and/or to sign up.

  
Till next time,
Evalina

Saturday, December 10, 2011

full moon

For some reason all day today I had memory flashbacks... flashbacks from thirty years ago.

It was a cold and snowy Sunday morning on December 13, 1981. I woke up to find my country under Martial Law (literally - The State of War or "stan wojenny"). 

Thousands of Solidarity leadership and activists were arrested and imprisoned without court sentence. The borders were sealed, airports were closed and road access to main cities was restricted. Travel between cities required permission. Curfew was imposed between 10 pm and 6 am. Telephone lines were disconnected. Mail was subject to censorship. All trade union and other independent organizations were de-legalized. All TV and radio transmissions were suspended (except one government TV channel and one government radio station). Public administration, health services, power generation stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management. The employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial. Classes in schools and at universities were suspended. 


From the early morning hours the only TV channel and the only radio station transmitted Gen. Jaruzelski's(our prime minister at that time) address . The anchors wore military uniforms. Only newspapers controlled by the Communist Party or the military were published. 

And there were tanks on the streets and soldiers... they were wearing Polish uniforms but could not speak Polish. (I know because one day I was pretending that I'm lost and asked for directions. The soldier look at me like a space cadet with cold eyes of a shark and said nothing. I swear he was Russian.)

A few days later there was no food in the grocery stores. Can you imagine walking into Safeway or Stop and Shop and see only vinegar on shelves? Well, that's what I saw. And I had two little children at that time... 
My memories are so fresh, just as all events happened yesterday. My eyes are dry but hands clenched into fists. 

I remember smuggling food from farms, even making my own booze! The life was so hard but we tried to make the best of it. Despite curfew hours the social life was booming, we just had to be careful not to get cut.

The Martial Law was suspended in the summer of 1983. 

So long my friends, I hope tomorrow I'll be in the lighter mood (today I can blame the full moon for my state of mind)
Evalina

Friday, December 9, 2011

What a day!

I feel like I've accomplish a lot today! This semester I'm taking Business Communication course and I read close to 100 pages from the textbook (tomorrow I'm ready for my first quiz). To tell you the truth, this is my first time taking an English course. When I came to North America I didn't speak the language, any school was to slow for me (you know, I had to speak "yesterday") so I marched to the bookstore and the library and did it all on my own. Now I see how much I have to learn, particularly the grammar. (Please, feel free to point any mistakes that you may notice. It will help me to learn.)

When my brain got "fried" a little and steam started to come from my ears I went to play with Topaz. I feel guilty for not having  much time for our games... She is a very sweet girl and despite her age (she will be 9 soon) she loves to play like a puppy!



And I stitched! I worked on Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler. I absolutely love this piece. It's done with Gloriana silks and Weeks Dye Works threads. Since it is so lovely to work with it it is very addictive, I can hardly put it down...


If I do well on tomorrow's quiz I will do a little stitching marathon and try to finish it.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas Eve food - dish # 2

Today I'm sharing with you my favorite recipe of all times. I love herrings and I'm making this dish not only for Christmas Eve but on many occasions during the year. It is so simple, all you need is a jar of pickled herrings, sour cream, red onion and a dash of sugar.

Slice onion very fine (or chop it very fine) and mix in the bowl with sour cream and a dash of sugar. You can add a couple of tablespoons of white dry wine if you like. Add herrings to the mixture, decorate, grab a glass of champagne (another favorite of mine) and bon appetite!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas Eve food - dish # 1

Christmas is just around the corner, lets talk about food. I will start series of Polish traditional recipes for Christmas Eve.

One of the twelve traditional meals served during a Polish Christmas Eve Supper is always "Kutia". (The tradition of serving Kutia is spread to other Easter Europe countries as well.) Here is the recipe from the "Ukrainian Daughter’s Cookbook" from the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada, Daughters of Ukraine Branch, Regina, Saskatoon. There are more complicated versions of "Kutia", but the basic recipe is the same. It should be sweet. The wheat celebrates the staff of life and the honey represents the spirit of Christ. 

2 cups wheat
3 quarts water
1 cup poppy seed
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup honey, dissolved in ¾ cup hot water
½ cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans
  1. Dry the wheat in an oven at 250 F for one hour, stirring occasionally. Wash and soak in cold water overnight.
  2. Next morning, bring wheat to the boiling point; simmer for 3 to 4 hours, until the kernels burst open.
  3. Scald the poppy seed and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and grind with either a mortar and pestle or a food processor using the finest setting. Set aside.
  4. Combine honey and sugar in hot water. Set aside.
  5. Before serving, add the sweetened mixture, poppy seed and the nuts to cooled, boiled wheat.
I did not have Kutia for over 20 years, I'm making it this year! I'm not sure where in the Yukon I would find wheat or poppy seeds but I'm going to check some Polish Delicatessens - hopefully  they will be able to send it.

So long friends,
Evalina

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

St. Nicholas Day!


Many celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. Do you know who St. Nicholas was? He was a priest known for secret gift-giving, patron of children and sailors. I think (and many others) that our dear Santa was created based on the legends of Saint Nicholas.

If you would like to read more about St. Nick here a couple of links:
Do you know any stories or legends about St. Nick? Please share them with me!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Monday, December 5, 2011

the weather

This evening I came home exhausted! Out of the blue it got warm. Since I came north I have never seen such temperatures (way above freezing point) in December. I drove to work this morning and it was raining. I was glad because my car got a "free car wash". Did you know that in the whole Yukon we do not have automatic car wash? All of them are the "do yourself" type except one... in that one you drive in to the bay and couple guys come and wash your car while you sit in it. So it is kind of automatic I guess... Back to the weather. It rained all the way to Whitehorse (my commute to work is about 50 miles on Alaska Highway). I parked and started walking to the office. Before I reached the building the rain changed to snow. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees. And it was windy. With the snow blowing I could hardly see the other site of the street.  And it lasted like that a whole day. I worked again late today, I was leaving the office about 8 PM. It was cloudy but not snowing anymore. I walked to the car and what a picture - the car was buried under the snow! Thank goodness for the shovel in the trunk. It took me about 20 minutes to dig my baby out and then a long way back home. The highway was plowed but there was not a grain of sand. Beautiful, shiny black ice and drifting snow... Can you imagine? I do not think that I ever hold wheal so tight. I think my knuckles turned pure white and I had a hard time to straighten my fingers after parking on my driveway... I think I'm still shaking a little.

The good news is that tomorrow the weather is back to normal, cold and sunny!

Goodnight my friends,
Evalina

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Stitchy Sunday

Thank you so much for all kind words about my shoulder. I'm better today and I even slept a little last night. I think it is a pinched nerve because it is taking forever to heal. I hope that one day I will be able to do my hair again. It's pain to do it with one hand only.

Yesterday I was looking for something to stitch... I wanted a new start. And it was the Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler. Here is my progress:


Heart's Secret originally was a part of my 2012 crazy January challenge, I just couldn't wait that long. Now I must replace it with something else.

Last month I was working on Computer Catastrophes. Not much progress there but every stitch counts!


Now back to my assignment... gosh, after I'm done with these courses I will never look at any textbook again!

So long my friends
Evalina

Saturday, December 3, 2011

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Today I'm just sore and tired so I will wine a bit. I have no idea what I've done to myself yesterday but again I had a sleepless night. My shoulder bothered me a lot... I went to see my doctor at the end of summer but he had no idea what's wrong with it. The ex-ray didn't show anything abnormal and I  knew I do not have any broken bones. I am very disappointed with my doc, well to tell you the truth I'm outraged by his luck of professionalism. Do you know what he told me? "Ma'am you are 57, what do you expect?" Really I was going to sue the bastard! For god's sake, my vet is treating my pets better than he treats patients. Maybe I'm to sensitive because I'm in pain for so long, just for some reason I do not think so.

On the north we have a serious shortage of doctors. I guess Yukon is happy to get any doc, the bad one is better than none... (the one I'm taking about came straight from India). Can you imagine a doc who Google the net while doing diagnoses??? Oh, gosh! You have no idea how much I miss US and my visits to medical clinic. I didn't have any insurance then, for every visit I paid from my own packet but, oh boy! the service was fantastic.

A month from now I'm going for MRI (I had to ask for it!), maybe that test will get me some answers.

Maybe I should stitch a little... stitching always puts me in a better mood. And tomorrow is a new day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring for me?

So long my friends,
Evalina

Friday, December 2, 2011

My first time

 Julie wrote about her first time and Meari did it too, so, why not, I'm brave enough to tell you the story about my first time.

I'm kind of late bloomer, I did my first time when I was about 37. Do not get me wrong, I did try before and I'd try different styles before but not the way when I did it first time. I was far away from home and family, sometimes feeling very lonely in a big world and living on my own. At that time I lived in California... (it's not only my heart that I lost in San Francisco...)

I was shopping and a few Santas caught my eye, shortly after they was driving with me home. My English was very poor, but I thought: how difficult it could be? I have the chart, the legend and the dictionary. I can do it! And I did it! It wasn't perfect but I loved it. And I've got hooked! Here is the evidence of my first time


And I display it with pride every single Christmas since then...

So long my friends,
Evalina

Thursday, December 1, 2011

NaBloPoMo

So many blogs are talking about some NaBloPoMo. I did a little research and actually I like the idea of daily postings. You know, English is my second language and what a better way to brush up my writing skills. So here I am promising to post daily and to have more fun with it I also dare you to do the same! Would you join me in the challenge? You can click on the NaBloPoMo above for more info.


So long friends,
Evalina

The oldest UFO update

Here it is, my oldest UFO brought back to life after being neglected in the drawer for 18 years...


All old mistakes are frogged, the mast is straight - I think I might finish this piece before the year end. 

If you have an old UFO and would like to join me in the fun you can sign up here.

Right now all my stitching and other pleasures are on the back burner, again I'm working crazy long hours and I'm enrolled in two accounting courses with assignments due December 7th. After that I will have a day break to catch up on emails and other blogs.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Monday, November 21, 2011

Pictures!

As promised earlier, here they are!

Frost was busy painting my windows...


I look at the outside thermometer and literally froze


Mind you, the winter didn't start yet... birds didn't mind at all





but I was stitching! Here is my Pirate Santa


and Computer Catastrophes


So long friends,
Evalina

IHSW - Sunday

The temperatures dropped to -35 C, perfect day to stay indoors with a hot cup of coffee and stitch the day away. And again I hoped to accomplish much more that I actually did... I did not make the ornament, I stitch very little on my Pirate Santa but I brought to daylight Computer Catastrophes again. I stitched part with a lot of confetti stitches so I didn't go very far...

There is no pictures in today's post yet but I promise, cross my heart, that they will be here shortly. I stitched last night until my eyes could not see any more and I was to tired to do updates. I will do them this evening!

So long friends,
Evalina

Sunday, November 20, 2011

IHSW - Saturday

I thought I would accomplish a little more this Saturday... well, I stared my day with visiting other blogs, yahoo groups etc. and before I knew it, it was a lunch time!

Regardless my late start I stitched an ornie that I will try to finish today (actually make an ornament from that stitched piece)


and worked a tiny bit on my Pirate Santa...



Now it is only 7 in the morning and we'll see what a new day will bring...

So long my friends,
Evalina

Saturday, November 19, 2011

IHSW - Friday

It was a first day of International Hermit and Stitch Day hosted by Joyce and since it was a cold day in the Yukon I hermit inside my cabin and didn't go outside even for a minute. I changed my working hours, I work 10 hrs a day for 4 days and I'm taking Fridays off. It saves me couple hours of commuting to work and gives me an extra day off!

In the late morning I was distracted by visitors:



awesome looking Pine Grosbeaks. They do not visit often but yesterday they were all over!

And, of course, I was stitching. I decided to pick something from my last crazy January challenge, something that I could finish during this weekend. Pirate Santa looked like a nice project, so Pirate Santa it was!


Today is as cold as was yesterday so thanks to Joyce for IHSW! I will work on my assignment (yeah, I'm taking another course - managerial accounting is on today's burner) and I will stitch and stitch and stitch some more! I have no idea which project will grab my attention, please comeback later to check it out.

So long friends,
Evalina

Thursday, November 17, 2011

weather

It's cold in the Yukon.Click here to see for yourself! I should now better, it's my seventh winter here. No matter what, I am not ready for temperatures "below normal" and that's exactly what is happening now. So much for the global warming. It suppose to affect north the most and I was hoping for some decent weather but guys, believe me, nothing like that is happening here, just wishful thinking. The truth is that we are going into the ice age!

I decided to join International Hermit and Stitch Weekend hosted by Joyce (it's not too late, if you want to join us just pop in to her blog and sign up). So I will stay home by my cozy wood stove and stitch, and stitch and stitch some more. I think I will work on my Pirate Santa, the oldest UFO, some Christmas ornies and Computer Catastrophes.

look what I've got!

A while ago Helen was looking for a beautiful Acorn Sampler. She asked her question on a few cross stitching yahoo groups and got the answer... it was in Donna Kooler's encyclopedia of needlework. Since a fell in love with this sampler also, I ordered the book... It came yesterday!!!


OMG, what a treasure! I found there tons of awesome things: new stitches, new techniques, just to name a few.


Of course I will stitch the sampler


But look on that needlebook, isn't lovely?


and that beautiful pillow...

I want to learn all these techniques and do them all!

hugs,
Evalina

Sunday, November 13, 2011

poppy biscornu

Finally I put together my poppy biscornu and, IMHO, it is the prettiest biscornu I've ever done!

both pieces stitched, cross and back, beads are added

and 
TaRa!
all done!

Now, back to stitching!
Evalina

Friday, November 11, 2011

In Flanders Field

Colonel John McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University in Canada before WW1 (joined the McGill faculty in 1900 after graduating from the University of Toronto), first described the red poppy, the Flanders’ poppy, as the flower of remembrance.
Although he had been a doctor for years and had served in the Boer War as a gunner, but went to France in WW1 as a medical officer with the first Canadian contingent.


At the second battle of Ypres in 1915, when in charge of a small first-aid post, he wrote in pencil on a page from his dispatch book a poem that has come to be known as "Flanders’ Field" which described the poppies that marked the graves of soldiers killed fighting for their country. The major was no stranger to writing, having authored several medical texts besides dabbling in poetry. In the nearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wild poppies that sprang up in the ditches in that part of Europe.

McCrae's "In Flanders’ Fields" remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres salient in the spring of 1915.

In Flanders’ Fields


In Flanders’ Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.



The wearing of the poppy to keep faith began when an American, Miss Moira Michael, read the poem "In Flanders Field" and was so greatly impressed that she decided always to wear a poppy to keep the faith. Miss Michael wrote a reply after reading "In Flanders Field" entitled "We Shall Keep the Faith":



Oh! You who sleep in Flanders’ fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew;
We caught the torch you threw;
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders’ Fields.
And now the torch and poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead
Fear not that ye have died for naught
We’ve learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders’ Fields.