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. 

All Hallow’s Eve, Cat-o’-Lantern, and Vanished Days

 It’s another gorgeous day here in New England and though I’d like to be out gallivanting with my camera, I’m being good and staying off my foot. 

What have I accomplished this week since I have had time on my hands? 

First up, here is “All Hallows’ Eve” by Lilas Studio on Etsy. I finished stitching it last weekend. The wooden door on which it is mounted came from the Target Dollar Spot and cost a whole five dollars! I knew when I saw it that it would be perfect for this chart. 

Second, I stitched “Cat-o’-Lantern” by Misty Purcell of Luminous Fiber Arts from the Just Cross Stitch 2020 Special Halloween Issue. I had always planned to stitch this piece, but I had not gotten around to it. This “Hello Pumpkin” crate seemed the perfect place to display it. 

I only stitched a portion of each chart. Though I would like to move on to autumn and Christmas stitching this week, there are two small Halloween pieces I am going to stitch first.

In case you are wondering, I had already hauled up my Halloween decor from the cellar before I was grounded.  Fingers crossed, I’m hoping to be out of my trusty, big black boot in time to bring up my turkeys and pilgrims! :-)

My friend Janice loaned me Vanished Days by Suzanna Kearsley. Having read and enjoyed all of her previous novels, I couldn’t wait to begin reading this even putting aside the book that I had currently been reading. Sad to say, reading this was a tough slog. I forced myself to keep at it as I knew that if I put it down for a day or two, I might not pick it up again. It was at times confusing with so many characters and it was not the most interesting book that the author has written. I didn’t see the plot twist coming, and although it was all pleasantly, albeit implausibly, ended, I’m not recommending it. Having said that, if this author is new to you, please do read The Rose Garden, which is my favorite of her novels. It’s a romantic, time-travel, historical work which I absolutely guarantee you would love; I seldom reread any novels, but I have read The Rose Garden twice!!!

Plans for the week ahead? I have a quilt featuring a flock of fun, colorful chickens to work on for my young cousin Miss T.’s birthday on Halloween. The flock won’t be done by then as I am not going to follow Lori Holt’s “Chicken Salad” pattern; instead of pieced sections around each block, I’ve decided to just make more chickens!!! :-) 

I also intend to put a bit of time into a wool applique piece. (I know what you are thinking. . . why don’t you just concentrate on one project and get it finished before starting another one. That’s a swell idea and perfectly logical, but that is not how I roll ;-).

Have a great week. Stay creative and stay safe as Covid numbers are on the rise and please don’t forget to book your mammogram. 

“A Tomorrow” and ‘Fleece Navidad’

Tomorrow, Jan. 6th, we will commemorate the violent insurrection at the Capitol one year ago. We are being crushed by the rising number of covid cases as things once again appear to be spiraling downward. In spite of all that, I promise you, dear readers, that this will be an upbeat piece. 

Let’s start with this ornament that I fully finished this evening. It is Fleece Navidad from Misty Purcel of Luminous Fiber Arts. There are so many wonderful cross stitch designers now. You cannot help but be happy while stitching pieces such as this. I did a lightly stuffed, soft pillow finish for this ornament. 

A friend recommended A Tomorrow, a spoken word piece by Canadian poet Shan Koyczan on Youtube. It runs about seven minutes, and I promise you it is worth your time. Hope is something we all need during these troubled times. Go to Youtube and search for  ‘A Tomorrow’ ; it will make your heart a bit lighter.

May we all have happy, healthy, hope filled tomorrows. 

Greetings from My Castle

It’s Monday, two days after Christmas 2021, and I spent this morning fully finishing three cross stitch ornaments for my new cross stitch tree. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

This little tree was a total impulse buy at Lowes earlier in the month. I am not an impulse buyer, but this tree had caught my eye. Ho Ho Ho is a pattern by Priscilla Blain of Stitching with the Housewives on Etsy. Isn’t Santa adorable in his red long johns! ***

Joy was a complimentary design from Misty Pursel from Luminous Fiber Arts, and this sweet little design with Mrs. Claus, Christmas in the Kitchen: Candy Canes, was a pattern that I had purchased last year but which I did not get stitched until last week. This pattern was also from Misty Pursel. 

 

These last three tiny pieces were stitched during my needlepoint phase. I was delighted to see that one was dated . . . ‘88. :-)

Recommendation: If you have Amazon Prime, definitely watch Being the Riccardos; it’s wonderful!!! Nicole Kidman gives a marvelous performance as Lucille Ball. The film deals with the sometimes stormy relationship of the couple, the filming of “I Love Lucy,” and a political crisis which threatens the program.    

Please do watch it; it is really well done.

Stay safe everyone.

*** Yes, I was curious, so I googled to see why they are called “long johns.” There was a famous boxer named John L. Sullivan who wore this attire into the boxing ring. People started calling them John L’s, and eventually they became long jones. Now you know. :-)

A Bluebird Salute and This Week in my Garden

This adorable cross stitch piece is “A Bluebird Salute” which took me about a week to stitch. The designer is Misty Pursel of Luminous Fiber Arts on Etsy.  I substituted gold DMC etoile floss to give it a bit of sparkle. I’m currently stitching a few more patriotic pieces. 

Here is the back. On this piece, I followed Lori Holt's method of stitching around all four side, making a slash on the back, turning it right sides out, stuffing it, and covering the slash with a bit of wool and buttons. She has many tutorials on Youtube.

 Cuteness Alert! Cuteness Alert! My neighbor has been making cat and dog planters featuring different breeds.  I, of course, ordered a schnauzer one. 

If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I do not know what will. The pink is its little tongue sticking out. 

My gardening mojo is still going strong. I went to Lowe’s last week to see if they had any peat moss; they didn’t, but a woman walked by with a stunning rose in her cart and you guessed it. . . Yes, one just like it came home with me :-() Isn't it  gorgeous!

 

A few other spots of color this week . . . 

A Stella D’Oro daylily after the rain . . . (If you click on this photo or any of the others, you will see a larger image showing the raindrops. I'm not sure about photographing whiskers on kittens, but I do love photographing raindrops on roses and other flowers. 

Two old fashion flowers. . .  Rose campion with its striking magenta color. Once you establish a plant, new plants will pop up absolutely everywhere. I cut it back after it blooms, and I will get a rebloom later in the season. (This plant is said to come in white and pink though I have never seen it in any color other than magenta.)

This is spiderwort. The plant is a bit floppy, but I do give it space in my large garden.

This is the time when the strip alongside my garage is bursting with color. If only it would look like this all summer.

Well, that’s all for now. Next time I will show you a couple of recently completed larger cross stitch pieces.

Have a colorful, happy, safe, wonderful week.