A Cozy Cross Stitch Cottage

Back so soon? Why, yes, I am because I wanted to show you my FFO  that I mentioned yesterday. This is the October month in the series by Country Cottage Needleworks.  I plan to order a few more of these cottage patterns. (Boy, this is a really, really, deep hole that I have tumbled down, but some of these cross stitch patterns are positively irresistible :-) On floss tube I have seen these cross stitch pieces finished various ways. . .  often with clusters of autumn flowers and big coordinating ribbons, trims, and bows, but I chose to do something much simpler and I am pleased with how it turned out. 

The cross stitch has a washer glued to the back and there is a large magnet on the back of the stand. It will be easy to pop this one off and then add another cross stitch piece with different elements on the bottom.

I have placed this piece on my mantel, and I'm leaving it there until the end of October. Wait you say. Doesn't she realize that it is still August? I do, but I don't care. I have this "October"  piece on the mantel and across the room I have my little red wooden Adirondack chair with the Summer pillow. It's 2020; this year anything goes!!!

Interesting covid-related item . . . the Boston Parks Department has had to drain the lagoon in the Boston Public Garden. Since 1877 the Paget family has offered rides on its pedal powered iconic swan boats, but not this year. There would be no way to accommodate coronavirus safety guidelines. Since the boats will not make an appearance this summer, the water in the lagoon has become stagnant which puts the water fowl at risk. Hopefully this family run business will be able to entertain children next year.

Today's smile . . . 

 

Stay safe and strong. Have hope. Be especially kind to yourself and others. 

God Bless those affected by the devastating wildfires in California, the storms in Iowa, and the hurricane  in the South.

Busy As a Bee . . . Stitching Up a Storm

 

Hi Everyone . . . How are you doing this week? I was getting tired of staying in my house, so the other day I grabbed my camera and went for a ride. I didn't find much to shoot except for these industrious bees going from one rosa rugosa (beach rose) to another at the edge of the parking lot at the Scituate Lighthouse. I took pictures of the lighthouse, too, but they were somewhat blah, so I won't bother posting them.

 Anyway, I've been busy as a bee, too. My 90-Day Circle - Sue Spargo wool piece is finished Yeah!!! I brought it to the framers today.  It will take two or three weeks, and I can not wait to see it!!! 

I also finished a cross stitch piece which I started "finishing" this afternoon. Huh? Finishing a finished piece? In the cross stitch world after you complete the stitching, you either frame it or find some cute little way to display it, and either of these processes is called "finishing." After this step, you have an FFO . . . a fully finished object. :-)

My quilting mojo is coming back and I have made about thirty blocks for a quilt using gorgeous Kaffe fabric ,and of course, mask making continues.

I am having all kinds of issues with my laptop this evening; it has shut down three times so far so I'm going to stop here. (This problem is not new; it has been going on for a few months.)  It is time to face the fact that I need a new laptop. The system is up to date, but the machine is ten years old. Anyway, it is not as if I could be spending the money on a swell vacation any time soon. I might as well have a computer that works. :-)

Stay safe. Have hope. Keep being creative. Find something to smile about every day and most of all, be kind to yourself and others.

Farm Livin' Is the Life For Me

The trims that I was considering for this piece proved not to have enough contrast, so I added a piece of ecru trim instead. My next consideration was where would I put this tiny pillow? I passed by this little red barn piece on my sunporch, and the wheels started turning. 

Feel free to sing along . . .  All together now . . .

"Green Acres is the place to be.

Farm livin' is the life for me. . . 

Land spreadin' out so far and wide

Keep Manhattan, just give me the countryside."

You don't feel like singing? Okay. Anyway, I gathered every farm animal that I could find from the far corners of my house and created this little tablescape for my kitchen table. Silly, I know, but it makes me smile.

The two horses came from my first trip to Ireland while I was in college,  the Belleek pig had belonged to an aunt, the tiny "walker" cow in the foreground is as old as I am,  and the Vermont cow creamer offers the touch of sophisticated elegance for which I am known. :-)

For those too young to remember, Green Acres was a sit com which aired from 1965 to 1971. I hardly ever watched that program as I preferred the other denizens of Hooterville, Kate Bradley and her girls at the Shady Rest in Petticoat Junction which ran from 1963 to 1970. My friends will tell you that I will break out in to that show's theme song at a moment's notice. Just let me see the word "Junction" on a sign, and off I go with a chorus or two or three of "Petticoat Junction." 

All right, enough of that . . . today marks one hundred years since the ratification of the 19th amendment and the granting of women's suffrage. Here is a cross stitch pattern that I hope to work on before the year ends. (Some of this floss is for another project.)

 

 

Has the postman brought any other cross stitch purchases lately? Well, as a matter of fact, he has. I can not wait to start on this Halloween - Hocus Pocus kit, but I have promised myself to complete the piece upon which I am currently working first. Isn't it adorable!!!

I also bought a kit that I will begin on January First, 2021. It's a temperature tree. Quilters know that there are quilts based on this premise as well. 

 

Each branch represents a month, and you add a leaf for each day based on that day's high temperature. Each floss color represents a range of temperatures.  If you are interested, it is called "Temperature Tree" by Stitchin' Mommy. Stitchin Moomy has an Etsy shop where you can purchase this kit.

So, as you can see, I will have plenty to keep me busy in the months ahead however things go.

That's all for now as I want to watch night two of the Democratic convention. Last night's two hour program was excellent. I wasn't sure how it would be given the covid-19 constraints, but it went off very well.

Stay safe. Have hope. Stay strong. Wear your mask and try to find something to smile about each day.

Oh, by the way,  if the theme from Green Acres has become an ear worm . . . sorry about that. :-)

Blessed

 

 

 

Blessed . . .  Yes, I am blessed in so many ways :-). When I saw this free cross stitch pattern/chart on Priscilla's blog last week, I knew that I would stitch it.  It was a quick little stitch that I finished last night. Here it is surrounded by green backing fabric and some possible soft green trim choices. I included a ruler so you can get an idea of its size. (I'm sure part of the attraction of cross stitching for me is the finishing process. If you follow my blog, you now that I love all kinds of trim, buttons, charms, and geegaws.) I plan to make it into a tiny pillow after I finish this post.

So, are you tempted to try your hand at cross stitch again or maybe for the first time? If so, this would be a fine start. Priscilla of the Real Housewives of Cross Stitch is offering this chart for free. You may download it here.  What else would you need? Not much . . . a small piece of cross stitch fabric (I would recommend 14 count Aida,) some floss (I used two shades of green, two shades of brown, and a bright yellow, ) and a #24 tapestry needle. That's all. Because Aida fabric is a bit stiff, you would not need a hoop, and the holes in 14 count are clear to see, so you would not need any magnification or special lighting.

 

 

You could find these items at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or probably JoAnns. The very best place would be at a needlework shop if you are lucky enough to have one in your area. If you are like me and avoiding brick and mortar stores as much as possible, then go online to 123 Stitch. They have very fast service and offer very reasonable shipping rates. BUT, be forewarned; do not be tempted to check out the cross stitch patterns as you, too, will come tumbling down the cross stitch rabbit hole after me!!!

Speaking of the Real Housewives of Cross Stitch, you may find their cross stitch videos on Youtube, and because I know many of you are also gardeners, you might enjoy their July Garden Tour and a fairly new one in which they planted up a big, old trough. That one is fun to watch.

 

Another Fungus Among Us . . .  Doesn't it look like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland? You might be wondering why I post these photos. Do I like mushrooms and fungus? No, not in particular, but I do find them oddly interesting. This one is growing at the base of the mighty oak tree in my front yard. 

The heat wave is finally over; it only 85 degrees, so I am going to turn on the oven tonight! What am I going to have? Pork chops with rice. I got the idea while food shopping this morning. I picked up some pork chops and when I returned home, I dug out my mom's cookbook which is stuffed with favorite recipes, recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines, and some of my favorite recipes, too.

I'm sure this came right from the back of a Lipton soup package back in the day, but let me tell you, it is so good! (Note: You put the rice on top before covering it; the rice cooks along with the pork chops and soup and absorbs all the yummy goodness.) This was my mom's printing. . . nice and legible, isn't it.

Today's smile . . . 

One last thing . . . I had a comment left on my last post saying that the reader would no longer follow my blog as it was getting political. I don't think so, but I respect everyone's opinion. Some people have had enough of the news and politics and the pandemic and do not want it to seep in to every corner of their lives. I get that! I see it in the angry comments left on certain cross stitch youtube videos when the cross stitch Youtuber expresses feelings and opinions about what is going on in our country. So, anyway, here's the deal. I do not comment on politics often, but in the future, I will make any such comments at the end of my post, and I will warn you. (Warning!Warning! Danger coming Will Robinson!!!) Okay, maybe not quite like that), but I will forewarn you and you can then choose whether to continue to read that post or not. How does that sound? 

Enjoy the weekend. Keep save and strong, and as these guys suggest . . . sit, stay, and wear your masks. :-) Peace out.

A Stitching Update and Political History Being Made

 Hi Everyone, how are you all doing this week? Those of us in Massachusetts are in the midst of another heat wave. Boy, is it hot!!! I had planned to head down to the Cape Cod Canal to see the Mayflower II come through the canal on its voyage back home to Plymouth. It was returning after three years of major restoration.  Sunday night I had seriously considered driving down early Monday morning as it would have only taken an hour or so. Monday morning I changed my mind after hearing the weather forecast. My cousin and his family did go to view it, and he reported that the ship was late, it was very hot, and the parking along the canal was very difficult. He did, however, get an awesome photo which somewhat made me regret my decision.

Since the heat has been so oppressive, other than taking Emma outside I have remained inside stitching. My sewing mojo has not returned, but my hand stitching has gone in to overdrive. Here are some photo updates of projects previously shown.

Santa now has a face. (As of today, he also now has shoulders and part of a beard :-)

My cross stitch rule #2 states that I will not work on more than three to five projects. Well, since I finished the summer piece shown in the last post, I started this new piece. I was drawn to its soft autumnal colors. You can not really see it, but this oatmeal colored fabric has flecks of gold woven through out it. I will try to get a better photo in the next update.

The really big stitching news is that I am only ten circles away from completing the Sue Spargo - 90 Day Toned Down Sampler. If you have been following my blog, you will recall that my piece is not toned down and that I chose not to stitch all of the suggested circles. There were a number of "critter" circles and a few others that did not appeal to me. I had to come up with my own designs for about 15 - 20 circles. This has been a good, creative challenge for me.

Political News 

History was made this afternoon with the announcement by Joe Biden's campaign that he has chosen Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate. The selection will make Harris the third woman and first Black and first Asian American candidate to be nominated for vice president. 

What was the reaction of the current occupant of the White House? He claimed that she was mean and "nasty" to Brett Kavanugh during his senate confirmation hearing. What is it with him that he uses that word with any woman who opposes or questions him? How many times has he used the word "nasty" with female reporters at his news conferences??? I pray that every" nasty" woman in America votes in November to insure that he is a one-term President.

After the announcement, I thought of Shirley Chisolm and Barbara Jordan who are no doubt smiling in heaven tonight. 

Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay cool. Have hope and vote.

Death Toll in the United States - 164,000.

This and That Thursday 8/6/20

Today's post will be really random. It has been that kind of a week.  On a positive note, I completed this little cross stitch pillow. If things are getting to you, I highly recommend cross stitch which has a pure, meditative quality to it. Try a small little piece. It's easy, and I think you might truly enjoy it.

I'll show you the progress that I am making on my cross stitch WIPS in my next post.

Truth is, I have not felt like doing much quilting. I have a dining room table covered with projects, but I just don't have the desire to work on them.

A bright spot over the weekend was this blooming dinner plate hibiscus. The blossoms are quite big, hence its name. I have a light pink one which has yet to bloom. Thankfully, the heavy winds of Monday's tropical storm did not harm any of my plants. The wind was constant and ferocious, but unfortunately, there was little rain around here. The phone line did blow off the side of my house. It was a dead wire which then whipped back and forth across the road. Cars were dodging the line until the police showed up and cut the wire. Try getting through to anyone to have the rest of the line removed which is still attached to a box on the side of my house. . . impossible.

Another positive note . . . I finished this 1,000 piece quilt block puzzle. Thank goodness!!! It was an absolute bear to complete.  Anyone want to borrow it??? :-)

I made a quick trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday to get some floss that I needed. (I was there when the store first opened and while sorely tempted to wander aimlessly around the store, I made a fairly direct bee line to the floss. Okay, I did also find this glitzy Eiffel Tower charm for my recent project bag.)

Okay, one more quick purchase, this wall hanging which was in the spring, 70% off section. This was marked down to just $3.50, and it is now hanging in my kitchen. (It measures 10x14 inches.) The message is one that we should all embrace during these horrendous times.

One last thing . . .

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Stay strong. Try to stay positive which seems to get more difficult with each passing day. Today, the White House experts released the terrifying predictions that the death toll in the United States could reach 300,000 by the end of the year. Please stay safe.