Goodbye 2022 . . . Hello 2023

Well, today is the last day of 2022, and I have three last cross stitch pieces to show. Jingle Bell Cafe and Bakery is a chart by Priscilla Blain of Stitching with the Housewives on Etsy. I did not stitch the bottom row of the chart so this piece would fit on this canister from Hobby Lobby. I had started stitching it the week before Thanksgiving, and it took close to a full month to finish it.

There are two vintage cookie cutters on top along with a small rolling pin. The good thing about display pieces like this is that you can then store away stitched pieces inside. 

“Holiday Spirit” was a complimentary chart by Robin Shappell of Samplerbird Stitchery. The words are stitched in a pretty green, and I have ordered some chenille trim to put around the edges. I also plan to add trim around this vintage Santa from “The Prairie Schooler Kris Kringle - Book No. 62.” I stitched two of these Santas this year, and there are six more in the set to stitch. 

These Santa ornaments go well with one of my all-time favorite quilts. “Old World Santas/ Classic Santas” by Sue Garmin. That quilt was a joy to make. According to the label on the back, this was finished in 2010. I love it. 

I had planned to put away the outdoor decorations this morning, but rain prevented that chore. The inside decorations won’t get packed away until after the Epiphany, January 6th. Why rush when the house looks so festive?

I keep finding new places to display my work. :-)

This year I started decorating early, so I could whittle down and pass on some treasures. It worked well as I only added two items this year. One was the small Santa baker on my kitchen counter and this cute little piece.

I had brought a good size box of Christmas items to the thrift shop, and as I entered, I kept thinking . . . don’t look around . . . don’t buy anything. That didn’t work as I did purchase this sweet piece, but it was half priced and only cost $4.00!  :-)

May the year ahead bring us all health, happiness, and peace.

Vegging Out the Day after Christmas

I spent a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family in Watertown. On the way home, I stopped to photograph this wonderful nativity display in front of St. Patrick’s in Watertown Square. It was bitter cold, so I only grabbed a few quick shots. (Interesting note. . . my dad’s paternal grandparents were married at St. Patrick’s on December 25, 1870. From what I have read, it was not unusual to be married on Christmas Day as people in those days would work six days a week. My great-grandparents would have been married in the old church as this church was dedicated in 1906.)

 Cluck! Cluck! Miss T received her chicken quilt on Christmas Eve. Cluck! Cluck!

 Miss T is on the left and Miss L on the right. If you have been following my blog for a number of years, these are the two young cousins who when there was an in-service day/early dismissal at their grammar school would come with their mom for “Ladies Lunch.” After lunch at a restaurant, we would come back to my house usually to do a craft project, go to the playground, or to play games. We did it from the time Miss L was in first grade and  Miss T was in nursery school. What happy, happy memories! 

Note about the quilt: I used templates designed by Lori Holt to create this flock. The fabric was also from a line designed by her for Riley Blake. It was designed for use in her Happiness Quilt which I had purchased a few years ago but which I didn’t make. With the pandemic, I hadn’t felt inclined to make a “happiness” quilt, but I was “happy” to have that fabric to make these chickens. :-) If you are a quilter or a cross stitcher, you should definitely follow her blog, Bee in My Bonnet and view her shows on Youtube. 

Santa brought Emma this pretty jacket for Christmas. Actually, he dropped it off a few days earlier as we have been having some bitter cold weather. B’rrrrrrrr. This new jacket will keep her toasty warm. 

It doesn’t seem possible that my little bundle of fun and energy will turn eleven at the end of this month. How can that be? For that matter, how can all of my seven young cousins suddenly be so grown up??? They now range in age from ten to seventeen. Yikes!

Well, I had planned to work on a few things today, but this post was my sole accomplishment. Maybe I will do better tomorrow . . . :-)

Stay safe.

White House Ornaments, The Boys, Two Santa FFOs, and Hello Winter

 

Happy Winter! Yes, dear readers, today is the first day of the glorious season of winter. B’rrrrr . . . 

I have been collecting White House Ornaments for a number of years and this year had decided to skip it. Well, that is until I saw this year’s design, a gingerbread version of the White House. How could I resist?

In previous years, they had been displayed on a two foot artificial Christmas tree. It served its purpose, but the ornaments were crowded together. Last month, I saw this ornament tree stand in the Herrschners catalogue. I love it. My vintage, ceramic Christmas tree is taking a rest this year, and this display has replaced it on the credenza. 

The seated Lincoln figurine, which is always part of my White House Ornament display, was a rummage sale find many years ago by my friend also named Janice. :-)

Book Talk : Have you read The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard? I’m sure you recognize the names, but in case you don’t, many moons ago Ron played Sheriff Andy Taylor’s little boy Opie living in Mayberry and Clint was friends with a bear named Gentle Ben. It is a very pleasant read. It deals with their childhood, but also explores Ron’s “Happy Days” and his desire to become a director. You will enjoy it.

I’ve added two cross stitch ornaments to my tree. The first is from “A Merry Mini Surprise,” a collection of eight small ornaments by The Prairie Schooler.”

The second is from the eight pieces “Kris Kringle” collection also by The Prairie Schooler. I especially love the second collection as my favorite Christmas quilt is my “Old World Santas” quilt. 

I have a few more ornaments to finish and show and a larger piece which is finally completed, but now I want to watch President Zelensky’s Address to a Joint Meeting of Congress. Bless President Zelensky and all the people of the Ukraine.

I’ll try to pop in again before the weekend. As always, thanks for reading my ramblings. :-)

Countdown to Christmas

 I had planned to do a series of short posts leading up to Christmas, but my ten year old iPad had other ideas. :-( It went kaput early last week, and I wasn’t able to replace it until the other day.

So, what have I been up to? Well, last Sunday I attended a holiday concert at the school where my young cousin, the lovely Miss L goes. The Holiday Pops Concert featured the Parkway Concert Orchestra, and the school’s chorus of which she is a member also performed. It was lovely, but it wasn’t lovely coming out to find it was snowing. Snow is one thing, but slippery, treacherous roads are another. A car two cars ahead of me on the highway onramp slid right into the guardrail. Thank goodness folks on the highway were keeping their speeds down. The snow was coming down so hard, that they didn’t really have much choice. I thankfully made it home safely, and this is what I saw as I pulled into my driveway. Wasn’t it pretty?

Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend either quilt guild’s holiday meeting, but on Thursday, I went out to lunch with friends. After lunch, we went to our friend Kathy’s new home for dessert. Her home was beautifully decorated for Christmas.

I, too, love decorating for Christmas, and this year made some changes. As I mentioned in my previous post, I was inspired after watching Deb’s holiday home tour on the Country Stitchers flosstube channel on Youtube.

Usually, the nativity figures are displayed on the mantel, but I love this new look. Note: that little red wooden sleigh on the end is older than I am! I don’t remember the last time that sled has made it out of the cellar to join the rest of the decorations. :-) 

This beautiful set which had belonged to my aunts is this year displayed on the bookcase. 

My aunts used to let me set up the figures, and this camel was always my favorite. :-)

Remember how big and boxy TV sets used to be? It used to be so much easier to find a place to really spread out the figures. :-)

I am cross stitching my share of Santas, but I also thought it important to stitch this little piece. It’s a design from Crocette a gogo on Etsy. It’s mounted on a board from the Dollar Store. When I found the unfinished piece, I thought the shape resembled a stable. . . all it needed was a bit of brown paint. (Update:  I follow this Italian designer’s blog and today she posted an adorable free Christmas chart for all who would like it. There’s no time to stitch it for this year, but I will definitely download it to add to my chart stash. . . Actually, it’s so cute . . .  I just might try to squeeze it in this season.)

Yesterday, I attended a family party and getting there took longer than expected. Everyone seemed to be rushing somewhere on the highway. H’mmm, where could everyone be going the week before Christmas???

In my next post, I’ll show you some of my other cross stitch finishes. Tomorrow, I need to concentrate on binding my young cousin, Miss T’s quilt. Yes, I picked it up from the longarmer on Tuesday and now I have to hustle to get it finished by Christmas. What a colorful collection of fun, fancy fowls it is!!!  

Keep calm. No stress allowed. You’ll get everything done as you always do . 

A Fun, Festive Weekend

Happy Monday! My friend Marilyn and I attended a Boston Pops Holiday Concert at Symphony Hall yesterday afternoon. Neither of us had ever attended this seasonal concert, and it was wonderful. The Tanglewood Choir joined the orchestra for many numbers. During the second half of the concert, the orchestra and choir performed a unique version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” (I won’t say any more in case you might be planning to attend the Pops this season.)

The music was spectacular and there was even a quick visit from Santa Claus. He received a wildly enthusiastic greeting from both children and adults alike. I was surprised by the number of children in attendance; there was a family in front of us with children I would judge to be under the age of four. They all seemed to be enjoying the performance. 

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I did have a question though . . . however did they manage to get those Santa hats way up there atop the statues??? H’mmmm…..

I also attended the Jingle Ball on Friday evening and all day Saturday. Jingle Ball??? Yes, it was an online event which was the brainchild of cross stitch designer Stephanie Webb of Lindy Stitches. She invited twelve designers to take part. There were classes offered but those had sold out quickly. Each designer held a one hour virtual meet and greet, and they were all very interesting. Each designer discussed her background, her design process, and took questions from the audience. To give you an idea of how big it was, many of these virtual meet and greets had over five hundred people in the  zoom presentations and  there were participants from around the world. There were also many themed rooms where you could gather and stitch with other stitchers though I didn’t do that. Believe it or not, I only purchased one chart in the virtual shopping hall. :-)

Today it was time to take advantage of the somewhat warmer weather and decorate outside. I dragged the Flexible Flyer sled from the garage. This sled belonged to my dad’s family and must be a hundred years old. I attached ornaments and a bow and wired it all to the lamppost. Next out came the wood Christmas tree with colored lights that my neighbor made for me a few years ago. Then, as always, I attached ornaments to the front railings. I did a few more things and set up the spotlight. Phew . . . all that took a couple of hours, but it is finally done. Tomorrow I’ll continue decking my inside halls. :-)

One last thing, do you enjoy seeing how other people deck their halls? If so, go to Youtube and search for “Country Stitchers.” You will see a recent episode which features Deb giving “A Silent Night Tour” of her log cabin Christmas decor. Her home is so warm and inviting that it prompted me to do a bit of shopping to update my Christmas decor.

Have a happy, stress free week.

Birds, A Book, and a Santa Star Ornament Finish

 Hi Everyone, Happy Wednesday! 

Early yesterday morning my neighbors called to alert me that there was a hawk in the woods beyond my backyard. They were concerned that I might let Emma out and the hawk might swoop down. The hawk would not be able to carry her off, but it could attack. I went out with her, and indeed, the hawk was watching us. It was a red tail hawk with quite a wingspan. He was back again this morning searching for his breakfast, and he is most welcome to all the tiny critters that he can consume.

When I returned from driving my friend to the grocery store, there were two turkeys in my driveway brazenly staring at me. I telepathically conveyed the message that it was my driveway and that I was indeed going to pull my car in. The message was received and they slowly moved on to the lawn. Well, those were my breakfast and noontime sightings; I wonder what dinnertime will bring???

These roses were from my godchild, her family, and her pets for Thanksgiving. Isn’t the color gorgeous!!!

Book Talk  :  A few weeks ago I read a book which you might find interesting.

The Secret History of Home Economics . . . How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live by Danielle Dreilinger. Isn’t that a mouthful! If you only think about home economics as a required class in middle and high school that may have taught you a bit about sewing, baking, and child care, you have much to discover. The author writes a thorough history of the home economics movement. It is not a dry study but rather it is written with at times a light touch. Reading this, you will discover how women’s lives were enriched and changed by many aspects of the home economics movement. Truth to say, I did not read it straight through but rather a chapter here and there along with other books I was reading. I learned so much from reading this book, and I do recommend it.

Last up, a Teresa Kogut cross stitch design, Santa Star Ornament. The shape was challenging to fully finish, but the wonderful Vonna Pfeiffer, the Twisted Stitcher, offers a video on finishing star ornaments on her blog. I attached the ribbon hanger with a gold star button and added the year. (Helen D. who also offers cross stitching finishing tutorials on Youtube suggests coating the year charms with clear nail polish to prevent them from tarnishing.)

Well, that’s it. Now I’m heading down cellar to begin hauling up Christmas trees and decorations. :-)

Christmas Tree For Sale

 Last night on the news the owner of a Christmas tree farm in this area was lamenting the devastating effect the drought has had on his trees.  They showed a large field of dead saplings. He said it takes eight years to grow a Christmas tree. He also closed his ‘cut your own’ tree section because he didn’t want folks to be disappointed by the straggly nature of those trees. He is still selling fresh, healthy trees which have been brought down from Canada, but of course, as expected the prices have skyrocketed. 

But have no fear, dear reader, as I have just the tree for you!!! While running errands this morning, I spotted this beauty. This festive splendor complete with star can be yours for a mere $50. 

Isn’t it something!!!  I have to admit that I almost laughed out loud when I saw it. But, since taste is subjective, if this is your dream tree, email me and I will let you know where you may purchase it. Hurry as I don’t know how many of these gems they have in stock. It makes Charlie Brown’s tree look good. :-)

Peace out.

Autumn Ramblings

 Most of the leaves have fallen with only a spot of color remaining here and there. The leaves on the mighty oak at the end of my driveway have yet to fall; fingers crossed a final clean up will get done before the first snowstorm. Speaking of snow, I cannot imagine living in Western New York where a record storm has left six feet of snow. Unbelievable. . . 

We have had freezing temperatures but this plant and rose haven’t given up yet. Thanks to my friend Maribeth and my cousin Kristin, my garden is ready for winter. There are four large ceramic pots on my deck which I will deal with next week when we have a brief warm up. I am finally out of my trusty, big, black boot after about five weeks. There was a bit of a set back after the first three weeks which necessitated no weight bearing for two full weeks. That’s when Maribeth and Kristin stepped in to help me out. Emma spent those two weeks at her home away from home with her Auntie Annmarie and Uncle Bruce. I am so blessed to have friends to help me out. So far, things are going well, and my boot is stashed back in the closet. Yeah!!!

When Kristin came to help, I was able to give her this quilt. It’s a  pattern by Marge Tucker Quilts, “Eel Grass and Eddies.” All of the blocks were sewn before the pandemic; I finished it for our recent HRQG quilt show. 

To continue the autumn theme, here are my latest cross stitch FFOs. The first is “Let’s Talk Autumn” by Cathy Habermann of Hands on Design.

The second is “Alphabet Pumpkin,” a design by Judy Whitman of J B W Designs.

 

Well, that’s enough rambling for now. May I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s Been a Minute

Hi Everyone, it’s been a minute since my last post. I have a few things to show that I have accomplished. Here’s Halloween Parade by Misty Purcell of Luminous Fiber Arts. I believe this chart was in the Fall 2022 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher. (If that is not correct, I’ll correct it in the next post.)

Teresa Kogut has a wonderful new fabric line with Riley Blake. I couldn’t resist making this small project bag.

Isn’t this fabric fun!!! Teresa is a wonderful artist and designer and I always enjoy her Youtube channel, Teresa Kogut’s Creative Whims. While I had the vinyl out, I also made this Christmas bag from fabric in my stash. Yes, a bag for the cowgirl in all of us. :-)

Work continues on my cousin Miss T’s chicken quilt. I’m using the fused applique method and have used a zigzag around each piece in the block . 

I still have to stitch legs on the chicks and will add button eyes after it is quilted. I used the templates from Bonnie Hunter’s Chicken Salad quilt; I’m using the templates but not following her pattern.

Recommendation: One morning last week on the CBS Morning program, they were talking about a new limited series “from Scratch” on Netflix. Oh my gosh! I cannot recommend this more highly. It is the story of a young American woman who falls in love with a chef from Sicily. The first episode filmed in Florence is beautifully filmed. You will be drawn into this romance which is based on a true story. The casting is simply perfect. I will warn you that as the story continues you will need a box of tissues but please don’t let that deter you; it’s simply too wonderful to miss. 

Let me leave you with a smile sent along by my friend Laurel. 

Miss Emma spent the last week at her home away from home with Auntie Annmarie and Uncle Bruce while I haven’t been allowed to put any weight on my foot. How blessed I am to have friends who will welcome her, and from all reports she happily settles right in. She came home today as I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow who I hope will ease the restrictions. Fingers crossed . . . 

I don’t know where you all live, but in Massachusetts, we are having gorgeous, warm weather. The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a hard winter; let’s hope they are wrong.