YOP Week #45

This was not a productive week but I sure tried!  Everything I tried failed but never fear.  I learn from my failures so it is never a total loss but I sure don't have much to show for all my efforts.  Stitch Maynia is definitely the focus this month along with gardening and mowing and all the outdoor chores that have been added now that Spring has sprung.
I won't go over each Maynia day.  If you want to see each one you can go back and visit my daily posts.  I don't post on Saturday so here is Saturday's Maynia project for Day #9...........it's also a gift....
 I think it is my tiniest Maynia project and I don't think I will have any trouble finishing this one!

  It will be a pin cushion when I'm done...............this was a pattern I bought from my friend, Helen Phillips, over in the UK.  She has lovely items in her Etsy shop.  You should see all the cute patterns she has.

TOday's project for Day #10 is a big project..............I just worked on it a little this morning but I will get more done before the day is over...............

here' s my little start with my new needle minder............

I did work on my lattice squares and had one almost finished when I ran out of the yarn on the last round! I started another but didn't get very far.  Yesterday I spent the day dyeing fabric for cross stitch but that did not turn out as planned either.  I followed The Real Housewives of Cross Stitch video tutorial but they dyed way more material in their batch than I did so mine turned out too dark.  I learned that you should base your dyes on the amount of material you are dyeing. 

This was the color I was going for and that is what their tutorial was for..........yeah....not even close!

So then I turned my attention to making a cross-stitch project bag with a vinyl window.  I had material and vinyl and so I thought I was set but after watching the Fat Quarter Shop tutorial, I felt like I needed to invest another $40 just to ensure it came out right.  I researched the 'equipment' all evening and came no closer to a finished or even a started cross-stitch project bag.  So this morning I found a more reasonable video tutorial but it is a smaller bag.  I still need equipment so I guess I will be ordering some more 'stuff'.  I wouldn't but I want to make multiples so it will be worth it in the end.  I also realized that the fabric I ordered for my Carolyn Manning Jane's Joy cross stitch is not going to work.  I actually spoke to her and she said the reason she picked the background fabric she did was so it would highlight the cross stitch and not blend in with it.  I'm glad I talked to her.  I had a feeling she had a good reason for her color choice.  So, now I'll need to order more fabric for 2 projects that I thought I was ready for.  Oh well, it could be worse!
  Today, I was going to have my first cookout of the season!  Beer brats with potato salad, a regular salad or some beets (I love beets) plus a dessert.  So I went out to prep the grill (just a little cheapy from Walmart) and it fell apart....literally!  It had rusted.  I guess I should have put it in the garage.  Oh well, I have a grill built in on the porch and also one on my stove or I could just cook them on my stove without grilling.  I wonder what my horoscope was this week?
I do have good news!  My next-door neighbor had hail damage to her car and her roof......me nada!  I am blessed!  My contractor came over yesterday and checked out my roof and said there were a few little spots but nothing serious at all and my car has not one ding on it.  PTL! 
Also, my cousin sent me some pictures of my relatives that I had never seen.  What a great Mother's Day present that was!  The following is a tribute to all the 'mothers' who raised me and loved me and were so patient and good to me..................my mother, the youngest in her family (the blond in the picture)...........

My Aunt Alice and Aunt Edna............

and my Aunt Bernice who really did physically raise me until I was 5 years old and then I lived with her and my Uncle Homer every summer until I went to college............she and my Uncle Homer owned and ran a butcher shop and grocery store.  My uncle Homer was famous for his homemade bologna.  It was wonderful!  This was a newspaper photo to that effect.  I loved my uncles too but today is Mother's Day...I'll honor them come Father's Day.

I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day and hats off to all the wonderful Moms out there!!!
Happy Trails!!!