Sunday, December 7, 2014

Christmas is coming....

 
I always enjoy the holiday
season and look forward to
rediscovering all my
stitched treasures
celebrating Christmas.
 
 
 
I am happy to add these
beauties from
Plum Street Samplers
to my collection.
 

Plum Street Samplers "Christmas is Coming"
stitched on PTP Sand with Victorian Motto
 
These turned out to be a fall project.
They were stitched in August.....
Sewn in September.......
Stuffed in October......
and finally 'finished' in November!

 
 
 
So simple yet so lovely.....
I will definitely look forward to
rediscovering these in
the coming years.
 
 
*   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *
 
I have always dreamed of having
a hand-stitched ornament tree.
 
We decided on a smaller tree and I
found it to be just the perfect
size for an ornament tree.
 
 
   It is amazing how I can still
remember when an ornament was
stitched and what was going on in
life at the time.  The same is true
for the many I have received
from exchanges or gifts.
I have met so many great stitching
pals over the years and it is
extra special that many are a small
part of my holiday celebrations.
Makes my heart smile....
 
*   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *
 
Well...you can never have enough
Christmas so I am off to start another
holiday project.  Happy stitching...
 
 
 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

A cloud of blackbirds.....

 
(Thanks to Google for my title....
glad to offer a little knowledge here too!)
 
Now on to the stitching....
 
I have been absent from my blog but
 stitching has been happening.
 
I have been in a Blackbird Designs mood this
month and stitch a few that have been
patiently waiting in my stash.
 
I picked up "Country Garden" from a clearance
bin while travelling in Virginia this summer. 
I don't why I love this design...
probably the olive green/pink combo....
so I decided to stitch it.
 
 
Once I decided to stitch it I wondered
what I would do with it.  Something
about this design whispered it would
be a great embellishment on a
stitching bag.   I stitched all but the
house and made the decision to stitch
my initials with some smaller motifs.
 
BBD Country Garden
stitched on 32ct hand dyed linen with
Victorian Motto/WDW threads
 
You can't tell from the photo but I stitched
it on 32 ct. linen dyed with onion skins. 
I loved the yellowish/pinkish hue
this gave the linen and will definitely
do this again.  Best part is it took a small
amount of onion skins to get a good color.
 
My sewing skills are very limited so I
decided to make a little "envelope" type
project bag to accommodate a small project.
 
 
I am so happy with this lovely little design
and the colors are just so pleasant.  
Definitely puts me in a happy mood
when I am sitting down to stitch.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *  
 
I have wanted to stitch BBD "New Love"
forever but just couldn't find the right
red/light red combo to stitch.  Thanks to
Victorian Motto, I had two wonderful
shades of red that were just perfect.
 
BBD "New Love"
stitched on 32ct hand dyed linen
with Victorian Motto threads
 
I thought this would make a great
embellishment for another project bag
and I had a fabric I just loved so back to
the sewing machine I went.
 
 
This bag measures about 12 x 15 which is
perfect for larger projects.   I decided to
stitch hubby's initials as well as my own and
not sure why I chose to date it "2014". 
Hmmmm...at least I will always
remember when it was stitched.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I just love this little sampler from BBD
"Agnes Platt's Strawberry Sampler" booklet.
 
BBD "The Bee Skep"
Loose Feathers Spring 2013
stitched on 36ct Lakeside Linen
with Victorian Motto threads
 
Thanks to the recent Pals "Stitching at the Beach"
retreat I was able to crank this one out in
a few days.   It was a very easy stitch and
I can't believe I waited so long to stitch it!
 
 
Victorian Motto's 1795 Faded Sampler Red Light
had the perfect variation to stitch most
of the bricks in the little house. 
 
 
My other favorite part is the beehive using
the satin stitch.  My gold I chose is a
little bright but I am still very happy
with how this one finished.   This
one is destined to reside on my
"wall of bees" in the kitchen someday.
 
~   *    ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I am now stitching the 'Fragments of Time'
series from Summer House Stitche Works
and loving them.   She was one of the
vendors at the Pals Retreat and such a
nice lady.  I just love her designs so you
will probably see some more of these soon.
 
Thanks for visiting and I hope to be back
soon with some more finishes! 
Happy stitching.


Sunday, August 24, 2014

Let it snow.....

 
 
Christmas stitching continues and
I needed something "cool" to
deal with the hot temps here in
the sunny South this week. 
 
A fellow blogger...can't remember who...
posted a link to a freebie for these
snowflakes and they were exactly
what I was looking for.
 
Freebie--Estonian Snowflakes
stitched on 32ct natural linen
w/ Victorian Motto
 
I had some of the MCG Linen in my stash
and thought this would be a great way
to use it.   It is very rough and not a
pleasant fabric to stitch on but I a
m happy with the finishes.
 
 
I toyed with the idea of stitching them twice
so that I could finish both sides into
an ornament with a beaded edge.
Of course my "laziness" reared its ugly
head and I settled with a motif from
each for a simple back finish.
 

 
The imperfections of this fabric made
the beading more difficult and the
edges look "sloppy".  That's okay...
they will still be great new
additions to my Christmas tree.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Christmas stitching continues and I
hope to be back soon with three more
Yuletide finishes Plum Street. 
Hope you are staying cool and
enjoying the last of summer. 
Happy stitching....


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Christmas in August.....

 
The mood to stitch Christmas struck me
this week and I thought ornaments would
be the perfect quick fix.  Lizzie Kate is
always a fun and quick stitch and
these little cuties were just that.
 
LK "Flora McSample 2012 Ornaments"
stitched on 32ct LL Toasted Almond
w/Victorian Motto threads
 
I decided on a simple finish for these ornaments
which didn't require my sewing machine.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Once I got in the "finishing" frame of mind
I decided to finish two other Christmas
finishes that have been hanging
out for a few months.
 
I stitched this in December while
vacationing in Arizona.  I usually take
a LK design on vacation since they are
easy to pick up and put down while
traveling. I also love that I can look at
these designs and it brings back
great memories of our trips.
 
LK "Be Naughty"
stitched on 14ct mocha Aida with DMC
 
One of the things I love about LK
is the simplicity of her designs and
I really like stitching them on a
simpler fabric like 14ct using
DMC.  This is definitely one of my
favorites and I can't wait to quietly
display it in a side chair this
holiday season.
 
Since I had the sewing machine out I
finished this into a cute little ornament.
 
CHS "1999 Christmas Sampling"
stitched on Black 28ct evenweave over one
 
I wasn't too fond of the over one stitching
on black but I just love this ornament.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Well...I am off to find some more
ornaments to stitch! All of WIPs are
pretty large right now so the quick
gratification from an ornament
finish is feeling good!
 
Thanks for visiting and happy stitching...



Saturday, July 5, 2014

How I spent my summer so far.....

 
I know summer technically started less
than 20 days ago but we have
been going full force since mid-May.
 ***************************************
 
We visited the The White House in
Heath Springs, SC.   They have wonderful
fabrics and vintage trims all at great prices.
(Picture from web) 

 The most interesting thing about the
White House, though,is it is owned by
Jim Shore and his wife, who turned their former
home into a quilt shop and a showcase for
the complete Jim Shore collection.
 
I have lived in SC all of my life and had no idea
Jim Shore was from little ol' Health Springs....
small world!
****************************************
Next it was off to my niece's graduation....
 
Beauty and brains...giving her Salutatorian speech.
 
********************************
 
Then there was my hubby's 30th class reunion...
 
Allendale Academy Class of '84 rocks!
 
*******************************
Then vacation took us on the trail of
Lewis and Clark
in Virginia and Washington DC.....
 
Can you say history field trip?
 
I was able to visit two cross stitch shops
and come home with some goodies....
 
Cross Stitch Station
Waynesboro VA
 
Johnson City TN
 
Both were very nice so if you are ever in the area...
 
**********************************
 
I have found some time to stitch too!
 
Priscilla's Pocket "Liberty"
Stitched on 32 ct.coffee-dyed millennium blue
w/Victorian Motto
 
I finished that in time to stitch this little freebie...
 
Primitive Betty's "Liberty" freebie
stitched on 32ct Mocha WDW
w/Victorian Motto
 
******************************
I finally started Homespun Elegance's
The Sheltering Tree.  
This one has been in my basket for years and
I just couldn't wait any longer.
 
HE "The Sheltering Tree"
stitched on 35ct linen
with DMC
 
This design has some funky flowers but
I do love the house on the hill.
 
 
Funky flower.....
 
 
and more funky flowers.....
 
 
I put the last stitch in this morning and really
do like it even though I find it odd.   
Not sure why I love it so but I do.
 
********************************
We had a quiet July 4th weekend and I can't wait
to see what the second half of summer brings.   
I do plan to start something patriotic since
the holiday has me in the mood.
I do hope you had a great weekend and
thanks for visiting.
 
happy stitching....

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Happy Saturday.....

 
and Happy Mother's Day
to all of you enjoying the weekend.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Lizzie Kate is one of my favorite designers
and I just love her fun, simple style.
This design caught my eye and I couldn't
resist stitching it any longer.
 
LK "Think Deeply"
stitched on 40ct linen with Victorian Motto
 
I love the message in this one.

 
I did change the colors to suit me trading in
the bright pastels for reds and browns.
 
 
I also eliminated the fill for the "T"
for a simpler finish.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I have another project underway and
this sweet BBD is perfect.
 
BBD "Hannah's Small Basket"
from Schoolgirl's Work
stitched on 40ct linen with Victorian Motto
 
 How have I not stitched this before now? 
I just love it and have a special
finish planned for this one.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I am off to visit my Mom.....
if I can tear myself away
from the NFL draft.   I don't know why
I am so interested in it....other than
seeing my favorite players being drafted.....
but it has made the best stitching t.v.
 
Hope you have a great weekend and
enjoy some stitching time!


Sunday, April 27, 2014

Framed goodies.....

 
It's a birthday tradition of mine to treat
myself and frame some of my stitched goodies.
Love this year's lucky ones.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Threadwork Primitives "Bee's Gathering"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~

BBD "Autumn Silhouette"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~

BBD "It's Berry Time"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
 HE "Land of Peace & Plenty"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~

Plum Street Samplers "Colonial Garden"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Thanks for visiting!  
I am off to stitch and hope to be back
soon with another finish.
 
Hope you have a great week and happy stitching.


Sunday, April 20, 2014

be happy.

 
Work is just too draining sometimes and I find
myself having to remind myself to be happy.
 
Solution?
Find some happy fabric....
 
 
and create a basket of happy.... 
 
 
It begins with a
simple alphabet....
 
 
  with simple Aida....

and simple finishing....
 
  for a wonderful start.
 
 ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 Thoughts of spring flowers....

they sneak into my basket too!
  
Whether at work or home.....

 
 I am reminded to keep happy thoughts.
    
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Easter is such a wonderful time to reflect
on how fortunate I am to have my faith,
family and friends.  I hope you can enjoy
this time and have a wonderful week.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Weird week in South Carolina....

 
Pax aka "Winter Mess 2014"
 
The week started with the impending visit
from Pax to South Carolina.  It is uncommon
that we get hit with snow and ice and this would
be the second time in two weeks.  We stocked up
on every possible junk food item needed to
weather the storm.  We received more ice than
snow and were so fortunate not to lose power.  
Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands were
not so lucky and they estimate there were still
100,000 without power as of this morning.  We
have several family members and friends who
have been out since Tuesday night.  I know the
utility employees are working hard to restore
everyone and I am praying
everyone will be back to normal soon.
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Thanks to Pax, we got three snow days and 
hubby  thought it would be a good idea to
get caught up on some household chores
....seriously????  
These are a gift so I quickly declared them
"stitch days" and made the most of them.
 
The Primitive Hare "Love Never Fails" freebie
stitched on 32ct coffee dyed linen with
Victorian Motto
 
I stitched this cute freebie last weekend and got
the finishing done just in time for Valentine's.
 
Since I had the sewing machine out,
I finished these recent finishes off too.
 
Homespun Elegance "Majestic Bird"
 
 Summer House "Simple Abundance"
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I made good use of my stitching time on
Part 2 of Thirteenth Colony.
I was able to finish one page of the 4 page design.


 By The Bay "Thirteenth Colony-Part 2"
 
My last stitch was put in Friday night around
10:20 when hubby and I felt some rumblings.  
At first we thought we were crazy ... you know
that second you think "did that really happen?"
Lo and behold.... it was an earthquake.
There was a second aftershock this afternoon
but was too weak to be felt 60 miles away.
 
Needless to say, that just capped off one of
the weirdest weeks here.  Glad to see things are
getting back to normal and am actually looking
forward to going back to work tomorrow.
 
Hope you all have a great week and
happy stitching!


Sunday, February 2, 2014

A new pin pillow....


Last year I admired a beautiful design June
was stitching and she was sweet enough
to let me borrow it once she had stitched it.
 
I finally decided to move this one to the
top of the pile and I am so glad I did.
 
Here are all of the stitched pieces
for my little pin pillow.
Jardin Prive "Carre d'Abeilles"
stitched on 32 ct. white linen w/ DMC
 
I am in love with the colors..... 
the pinks and greens are just perfect.
 
And there are bees.....what could be better?
 
 
Lovely little design for the sides.
 
When they all come together, you have
this wonderful little treasure.
  
Precious comes to mind when I look at this.
  
 I had the best idea to stitch my
initials and year on the back.
 
Unfortunately....it remained just an idea.
remembered once I had stitched it together. 
 
Either way....I just love it!
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~    *   ~
 
I was lucky to meet up with Charlene,
Faye, Nicole and Linda a few weeks
ago for shopping and stitching.  Faye
treated us to the cutest little pin
cushion.   I just love the little
pin with a wool penny decoration. 
  
 
 
~    *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
I am trying to keep track of my stitching
progress this year and here are my
efforts from January....

Scarlett House "Ann Topley"
started January 1, 2014
 
Dames of the Needle "Ode to Mary Needleroll"
started January 2013
 
~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~
 
Thanks for visiting and I hope you
have a happy stitching week!