Happy Anniversary!

 It's been 45 years today!  Love you!

 

 

 

I stitched a small Blackbird Design in honor of our 45th!  Not sure yet if I want to frame it or put in the display bowl...

 

 Hearts in Bloom Sewing Tray

Blackbird Designs 

Book: A Stitcher's Journey

c. 2011

36 ct. stitched 1 over 2

Don't know where the time has gone... A long time since I last updated.  I have lots to show, but it may be after Christmas before I get back.  

Little Halloween Finishes

 I have two little Halloween finishes.

The first one is from Just Cross Stitch.  October 2013, I believe. I didn't have the button called for, nor could I find one similar after doing a quick internet search.  So...I made one. I cut a tiny triangle from basswood, drilled two holes and painted it.  Looks good to me! I will sew it on as I'm doing the finishing.

 

Smilin' Jack

Amy Bruecken Designs

c 2013

30 ct linen

2 over 2

The next one is a little freebie  and  it turned out really cute!

Spooky 2

Heart in Hand Needleart
c. 2021

30 ct hazelnut dyed lined

2 over 2

Can't wait to get these finished for the bowl!!

I got the injection in my thumb last week. No pain now, but it is still "clicking", and that should go away soon.  If it happens again, surgery may be the next solution. But, I'll cross that bridge when I need to!

Until next time, take care!

 

Three Little Pumpkins

Another small finish for the bowl.  Even though it's a little one, it seemed to take forever to stitch...I guess it was the monotony of so much black.  But, I really do love it, and can't wait to see what fabrics I choose to finish it with!  This is a really old piece of Hardanger that has been in my stash a very long time.  It is more of a rust color, but the lighting makes it look more orange.  I stitched just a portion of the design from the magazine.

Ghosts Unseen

Cathy Habermann of Hands On Design/JCS Halloween 2015 

22 ct. Hardanger

1 over 1

 

In several posts back I mentioned my thumb that is a "trigger finger/thumb".  Well, for the past week or so it locks and I can't get it to move. When I wake up it is very stiff and hurts if I try to move it. I just let it be and by about mid-day it is a tiny bit moveable.  My appointment is next week and I can't wait!!

Until next time...take care!

 

 

Fall Stitching and A Thumb!

 I have moved on with my stitching to Fall. Over the years I've stitched a few for the seasonal bowl, but need quite a few more to fill in. This was a very quick stitch with pretty Fall colors.

 

Give Thanks

Lizzie Kate

c. 2018

30 ct. linen sand

2 over 2

I have lots of little scraps of linen or evenweave.  Most are usable for small designs, but not quite big enough to use Q-snaps or a hoop.  Since I have never really been able to stitch in hand, I came up with a solution.  Many of you may already be doing this.  I cut strips of cloth and baste onto the linen on all 4 sides (or one, two or three). That makes it easier to use the hoop or Q-snap to hold the fabric tighter. I really like to look through my tiny pieces and use them first before cutting into a larger piece.

Only 4 inches by 5 inches!

 

Here is an example of using the strips on 2 sides. (I really do need to finish these PS Santas!!)

I'm on a roll! Here is another little Fall finish. Such a quick one, too! A little freebie that came with an online order a while back, I think.  It has the same name as my last finish! Since I still had the threads out from it I just used the same ones, as the chart didn't give any specific colors. Turned out cute!

 

Give Thanks

Hands On Design

c. 2019

18 ct. khaki Davos

2 over 1

Well, I have a problem with my right thumb...I have a trigger finger/thumb.  Last July I was hanging a window blind and it fell on my right hand across the base of my thumb on the back of my hand. No problem then.  But, the next morning when I woke up my thumb was doing the trigger thing.  I knew what it was because my hubby has had that problem with several of his fingers. It wasn't bad and I just let it go for a while until it really did get painful and would stick in position and was hard to bend back. In October I went to an orthopedic hand doctor and got an injection of cortisone into the base of the thumb. It helped right away and I was good for 6 months.  One morning in April I woke up and it was starting to lock again, but not very bad.  Now, it's starting to hurt, swell and it's harder to unlock.  I have an  appointment for another injection in a few weeks.  Surgery could be an option down the road, but I'll put that off as long as possible!

A Little Update

 Time is flying by! It's over half way through June already! I have a few more finishes to share. These really are the last of the patriotic stitches for the time being! I have pulled out some finishing fabrics and hope to sit down and get all of the ones stitched lately into little display pieces.  

 

Let Freedom Ring

Lizzie Kate

28 ct. Ginnie Thompson Linen Plus (tea dyed)

2 over 2

 

And, since it has been a while since stitching a PS Santa, it was time for another. Of course, I pulled out the patriotic one from my stash.  Love it!

 

Prairie Schooler Annual Santa 2002

c. 2002

25 ct. Mushroom Lugana

1 over 1

 

And, since it is time to move on with the seasons, I stitched one that was kitted up for a while and sitting in the bottom of my suitcase. I always have a few small "kits" to take with me in case I run out of something to work on! As you can see, there is not much extra room to use for finishing, but I liked this piece of linen that I dyed with hazelnut shells, so I'm going to do the best I can.  It's stitched with Victorian Motto thread in Barn Red.  Not a true red but I think it's sweet.  Hopefully I can find or might even have a great fabric to finish it with. A free pattern, found here.

 

Valentine

The Primitive Hare

C. 2012

30 ct. linen (hazelnut shell dyed)

2 over 2

 

 

It's been sooo hot here this week! Where we live there are four distinct seasons and the weather is pretty perfect. (that's why we moved here) The humidity is low year round, unless of course it is raining, but we don't get much. Our elevation is much higher than Phoenix, so in the summer we don't get their heat, but this past week the weather pattern brought high temps to our area! I love to sit out on the patio in the afternoon and stitch, but this week it was done inside! 

 

Last night we hosted a little get together with some of our neighbors since we hadn't been able to do that for so long.  We had it indoors, of course! It was nice. One of the things I made was a charcuterie board.  I'd not made one before, but I see so many on Pinterest. It seems to be a trend lately. Here is mine. 

 

 

That's all for now. Will be back soon!

Memorial Day Finish

Well, I had said no more patriotic stitches for a while, but I just couldn't resist this wee star stitched on black.  And, 28 ct. at that!  It's only 1.75 inches! I had to do the navy stitching outside...in the sun, so an added bonus was a tan!!! I love the way it pops on the black and will be so cute finished for my bowl. 

 

Star

The Prairie Schooler

28 ct. Jobelan black

1 over 1

 Enjoy your Memorial Day!

Patriotic Finish and Some Sewing

 I stitched up one more little patriotic design. This little chart has been in my stash for a long time! Even though it is pretty small, it took a lot longer than I anticipated.  I stitched it 1 over 1 on 28 ct. Jobelan and it was a little hard to see, especially the rows stitched with DMC 712!! But I really like the way it turned out.  I have several more patriotic that I want to stitch, but I think I'll hold off and try to get all my recent ones finish-finished!  Will soon be time to think about fall and then.....Christmas! Wow!

Patriotic Heart

The Sweetheart Tree

c. 1987

28 ct. Jobelan Ivory

1 over 1

I made 2 project bags.  I needed a little something new and cheery to carry my stitching in.  The small one is 10" x 10" and the large one is 12" x 12", and they are fully lined with coordinating fabric.  The perfect sizes for 6 and 8 inch Q-Snaps. They were fun to make and I'll be sewing up a few more!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Update

May is flying by! I've been busy, as usual. Lots (24) of bears have been completely finished and delivered!

On the stitching front here are 3 finishes. I am working on some patriotic smalls and will finish-finish them all at the same time. I have to pull out fabrics and choose embellishments from the "depths" of my craft room closet and that is a chore! So, unless I just have to, I prefer to finish up several at a time.

Tree of Life

Graphs by Barbara and Cheryl

30 ct linen ivory   2 over 2

Olde Glory (Wee One)

Heart in Hand/Cecilia Turner

18 ct Davos oatmeal   2 over 1

July 4th

The Stitcherhood (free design found here)

32 ct Lugana ivory    2 over 2

I decided after stitching some of the border to just leave off. I like it better without...I think! 

And, finally, I received these beautiful flowers from my daughter and her family for Mother's Day/my Birthday!  They are beautiful and so fragrant!  

Thanks for stopping by!

At The Beach

 

 After being confined close to home for the past year we finally decided to take a trip that was longer than just overnight. We've both been vaccinated and feel pretty comfortable about being out and about. We flew to Galveston, TX for a week. The flights were good. Don't know if it was planned by the airline or just not as many people flying, but on both flights we had the middle seat empty! I usually end up with that one, so it was wonderful for me!

We stayed in a condo which was just lovely! A very "beachy" decor done in white, grey and blue. Very peaceful indeed! We had a great view of the gulf from the living room.

And another view from the balcony of the beach and the pool. I loved sitting out there in the afternoons listening to the crashing waves and the seagulls! That's also where I got a little stitching and crocheting done, when I didn't fall asleep!

The sky was grey the entire week, but it didn't rain during the day. The sun came out on our last day which was wonderful! I'm sure that cut down on the crowds, as we mostly had the beach to ourselves!  I'm not a fan of getting in the water even on a hot day, but I can walk for miles looking for shells. I just love them and think that each one is so beautiful.  But, you can only pack so many to bring home!

On our last night we were walking on the beach right at dark so it was really hard to see much in the sand, but at one point I looked down and spied this little beauty!  I'd seen many of them during the week, but all were broken.  This was the perfect one!

I didn't get much stitching done, but this seemed about right for the beach.  I found some wee shells and when I decide which one I like the best I'll attach it and finish into a little pillow for the bowl.  Any thoughts on which??

Seaside Sunshine

2003 Cross Stitcher's Surprise Series From Rainbow Gallery (August)

Erica Michaels

C. 2003

28 ct ivory Lugana 

2 over 2

 

Also got this little quickie stitched. Also to be finished for the patriotic bowl.

Liberty

Lizzie Kate

c. 2002

28 ct ivory Lugana

2 over 2

  

We fly out of Phoenix and when we have a morning flight we usually go down the night before so we don't have to get up so early and also to make sure we get to the airport on time.

 

Here is  a funny story... or not...

 

 We drove to Phoenix in my little red car. At the hotel we parked by the building in an end spot under a light. Before bed I looked out the window (we were on third floor) and saw my little red car on the end right where we parked. I told hubby “ we can watch the car tonight!” The next morning after we got dressed I opened the drape and looked out and the car was gone! I said”our car is gone!!” You can’t imagine what ran through my mind...we were flying in 3 hours! I grabbed my purse and mask and ran to elevator to go out and look. Went out the front door and there she was ...right where we parked! Our room was on the back of the building and we parked on the front. Just so happened there was a red CRV in exactly the same spot as us, but on the back!! Whew!

 

That's about it for now. Thanks for stopping by!

20 Little Bears

 I managed to get 20 more bears finished up for Project Linus. I dropped them off yesterday. About 20 more to finish...

Thanks for stopping by!

A Blue Santa!

 

2009 Santa

HeartStrings/The Artists Collection

JCS Ornaments 2009

28 ct. mystery blue linen

2 over 2 

I 've loved this Santa since it was published in 2009 and have had it kitted up about that long, too!  It turned out really cute. I haven't sewn the buttons on the bear yet, and I don't have the star for the top of Santa's staff....guess an online order will be in my near future!!!

 

Spring House Finish

 I needed a "carry along" project to work on away from the house.  And, I also needed something for Spring to to make into a pillowcase for my bench in the kitchen.  After rummaging in my pattern stash I found this old pattern and pulled it out. I wanted the design to finish up a certain size, which was perfect for 14 stitches per inch.  I really don't like stitching on 14 ct but this time it was necessary.  I had an old piece of 14 ct Aida the right color.  I have several new pieces of 28 ct Lugana and Monaco in that color as well for when I stitch 1 over 1, but I couldn't bring myself to cut into either piece!  Crazy, huh?  And...I can see the 14 ct better when away from home without good lighting!!

Spring House

The Needle and I

c. 1987

14 ct. Aida Khaki

2 over 1

And, I've also finished up some bears for Project Linus. 10 were dropped off in February and the other 10 will be going this afternoon. We still aren't meeting as a large group at the library, and haven't for a year now. But some of the group meets at a nearby park in the open, so I will be going this afternoon for a while.

Thanks for stopping by! Stay safe!

Two Finishes!

 

Had a finish on Thursday night late, and another last night.  Both are small, but they count, right?? The PS Annual Santa had a lot of white!  That has to be my least favorite color to stitch with! I've noticed that the last few years have a large white animal in the design...

 

 

 

Santa 2017

The Prairie Schooler 

c. 2017

25 ct mushroom Lugana

1 over 1

This has been my "take along" project.  When I need something to do while waiting in the car for Hubby when he is at an appointment.  This is the 4th one I've stitched out of 8 in the leaflet.  I'll just start another!

Santa With Pipe from St. Nicholas II

The Prairie Schooler

c. 1992

18 ct. khaki aida

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay well!

 

Harvest Blessing

Harvest Blessing

Mary Beale

32 ct linen  2 over 2

 

Harvest Blessing was completed last night!  I just love the combination of colors. It took longer than I thought it would, but every stitch was enjoyable!  I may have a frame that will work for it...will have to go into the depths of my sewing/craft room closet soon to check!  I charted a tiny vine and flower to add to the area where the initials and date are. It just seemed to be too much "blank" space otherwise.  

Now, I can look through my stash and kitted projects to see what might catch my eye.  Of course there are always older WIPs I could be working on...  We'll see!

This past week my dear aunt passed away. She would have been 100 on her birthday, April 4th.  Even though I haven't been able to visit her a lot over the past years, we've kept in touch. She was the last of my aunts/uncles on either side of the family.  I'll miss her.

I used to receive email notifications when a comment was made on my blog. Nothing has been showing up and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get this reset. Lots of changes have been made to Blogger and I've done what was suggested to do in the help section.  Nothing seems to work.  If anyone can help, I'd appreciate any suggestions. I like to acknowledge all comments, but for now I just can't.

Thanks for stopping by!  Be safe!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 I can finally show what I've been working on for my granddaughters.  We Face Timed and I watched as they opened their package yesterday and they seemed to really like them! They were fun to do until I got to the hair...pulling the yarn through piece by piece really did hurt my hand and nearly gave me a blister...But I stutck with it and got it done!!

 

I made a Raggedy Ann doll for my daughter when she was little and it is still here.  She played with her so much that she needs a really good bath, and her clothes need to be washed and ironed. I will try to get that done soon so I can mail to daughter.

Thanks for stopping by!