December 2018 update & Happy New Year!

Hi everyone,
It's time to share what I've been up to this month  it was a busy month with very little stitching until after Christmas.

I did get a few small ornies stitched up... early in December.
Merry Christmas Cat © Teresa Wentzler
published in the November-December 1990 Issue of Just Cross Stitch 
Fabric: grab bag linen tan color
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 38 x 34, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, 1/4 stitches. back stitch, straight stitch





Since that went so well, I saw a freebie on CEC website and figured that it would be a quick and easy stitch...It was late when I picked this one up... didn't read the chart symbols for the white being french knots instead of cross stitch... guess I  was so used to the french knots for eyes that I completely ignored that there could be other french knots... so here is my late-night version....

Moose Smooch © 2018 the Cricket Collection freebie
Fabric: 28ct Antique white evenweave
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 39 x 39, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, back stitch, fractional stitches, french knots

I'll probably re-do sometime as I want to try using a wooly white for the beard (knots) and maybe a red velvet for the cap.




Then this week I finally was able to pick up

2013BB SAL QS Mystic Garden (It is a cropped version of Peacock Garden.)
Design by Michele Sayetta Artwork by Ciro Marchetti
28ct Picture this Plus Valor
DMC & Kreinik#4
Stitch Count: 139 x 138, 1 over 1 full cross

November 2018 at 14050 stitches complete, now at 14350 complete. Only a little more to go to get this one finished...hopefully by springtime. (that's usually May around here)


First weekend of December is usually our town's craft fair/bake sale. Mom had a Dr. appointment that day so I made arrangements to bake my pies late the night before so I could get them picked up while I was gone. I had everything laid out on the counters... started the first pie,...and noticed that there was water on the floor by the sink cabinet... Oh no! Drain pipe had a crack in it leaking...and was causing pressure from bathroom sink to back flow and spray water in the kitchen.. had to cleanup using a bucket and dumped the dishwater outside.. felt like we were teens again and camping....called more than one plumber... all too busy with heating issues. So a neighbor nicely helped me out the following week.

 I took part in a birthday floss club this year.. My mailbox was overflowing with such nice cards....we were assigned a floss color to send to each person in the club during their birthday month. Our assigned colors were from the new range of DMC. I was the last one in the group this year. 

This wasn't a milestone year.. although I'm looking forward to next year when I will be old enough (55) to begin collecting my pension.

Look at these lovely new threads...



 




 

And since it was my birthday earlier this month, DH was nice enough to let me pick out a bunch of trims from Lady dot's etsy site... I'm looking forward to using these on my finishing.













 chenilles...

 
 



rikraks...










ribbons and pom-pom trims










So while I was getting these lovely envelopes in the mail, I was getting my packages and cards sent out - Just in time for Christmas.

On the day before Christmas, I was starting to make desserts for family dinner and I noticed that my oven was taking a really long time to heat up (over 1 hour)...Another Oh No!.. moment... Made plans to cook at Mom & Dad's house for the next day... prepped all the food I could ahead of time using the stove top...Christmas day I tried the oven and set the timer to see how long it took so we could inform the repair person.. and ... it worked fine.. best guess is that there was an impurity in the propane that was plugging the line.. Seems to be working okay now. (LOL!)


I really haven't made many plans for next year stitching wise... Probably because DH has cataract surgery coming up in the spring, and after that we are planning to adopt a new furry friend. I know I have a few  HAED, a Kustom Kraft (snowy), and a White Willow (chart that I got as a Christmas present)  that I want to start... and lots of smalls ready for Dr. visit waiting rooms. I guess it will be a surprise what I get done as the best laid plans often go off the rails pretty quickly. I am hoping to at least "finish" one of my smalls each month - my basket is overflowing and it would be nice to get some of them completely finished.

It wouldn't be December without a bit of Christmas stash...I'll share next month. I'm waiting for a few threads that were back-ordered.

December weather was a lot of nuisance storms... dusting of snow and lots of snow/mixes that sometimes changed to rain... we are expecting 2-4" tonight that will change to rain sometime tomorrow afternoon. But despite all the rain, we still have the ground covered in a blanket of snow.


Until next time,
Happy New Year & Have a wonderful day!
Lisa M.

April 2018: Back after a long absence

Hello everyone,
Apologies for the long absence. February was a tough month. Superbowl Sunday we had about 12" of snow. The following morning Dad got the stomach flu bug. A few days later Mom had come down with it and then a week or so later it was in our house with DH & I sharing a cold for the rest of the month. March came in like a lion... we got hit with 3 coastal storms. This month we saw a touch of spring with the robins returning earlier this week before the arrival of more snow.

I mentioned on an earlier post that I had signed up for a bookmark exchange on the 123stitch message board. The exchange is over so now I can share. We listed a few of our favorite things, and since birds were on her list, I chose to stitch for my partner this lovely
Chickadee Bookmark published in the December 2008 Issue of The Cross Stitcher (US)
Design by Melinda Medeiros
Fabric: 32ct Silkweaver Spanish Moss Belfast
Threads: DMC, DMC Color Variations
Stitch Count: 34 x 87, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back Stitch, Four Sided Stitch, Hem Stitch


 I'm so glad my partner like it.

 





I listed some animals that are my favorites, and my partner selected and stitched me this lovely wolf design.

Such a beautiful job of stitching and finishing... I just adore my new bookmark.

















When I finally felt better I picked up this quickie...

Christmas Log Carrier Ornament
Design by Judy Ignasiak
Published in Just Cross Stitch February 2018 Issue
Fabric: 18ct Fiddlers Light Oatmeal
Threads: DMC
Stitch count:42 x 41, 2 over 1
Cross Stitch, Backstitch, French Knots, Modified Smyrna Stitch



 




Next stitch was this lovely design:

Woodsy Bookmark © Design by Nicoletta Farrauto of Nikyscreations
published in the February 2018 issue of Just Cross Stitch.
Fabric: 28ct WDW Natural/Tin Roof Gingham
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 33 x 85, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch, Back Stitch, Smyrna

 

 Then I picked up my beading so I could get this present for DH finished for opening week of baseball season...  These bracelet cuff patterns make really nice bookmarks.

 Miyuki delica beads
White Silamide thread
98 Rows , 36 columns




I'm currently working on another beaded bracelet cuff panel from the same etsy store (Lisa Strassheim/SmartArtsSupply) that will be finished as a bookmark - will share next month.

I also stitched up some St. Patrick's day themed smalls.. but I have to wait for the camera batteries to charge .. so I'll share those next time.

Samantha is doing fine... just had to share this ... she's must have been watching the commercials leading up to the dog show on Animal Planet.. (Actually DH sneezed- she got scared and this was the result!)

She also had a grand time with the snowfall during the coastal storms...

Stash: I saw a design by Frony Ritter (Lucky Charms) in the April 2018 issue of Just Cross Stitch. It used a metallic thread by Threadnuts.. so I went to their site and a few items hopped in my shopping cart with it. Aren't these lovely looking fibers?

This was Friday night... looks so nice - but only if you don't have to go anywhere.

Sunset Early April.

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day,
Lisa M.

July patriotic stitching - Update

Hello everyone,
I seem to be back on track.
July has been HHH (hazy, hot & humid).
The deer ate most of my hosta plants so I've been busy keeping the hummingbird feeders filled.

But nothing says summer like some patriotic, reading and baseball themes.

I managed to dig out some lovely projects this month - just didn't have enough time to finish all of them - so maybe I'll have more of them to share next month.

I found this older freebie on the back page of a newsletter (November 2001) from Cross Stitch and More, Inc. that was included in a care package from my brother in Florida.
Land That I Love by Erica Michaels
Fabric: 28ct PTP Fog (3024) ** Pattern calls for stitching over 2 on 18ct mountain mist
and finishing as a bellpull- instead this will be a cute little pin pillow finish.
Threads: WDW and substituted HDF Magpie Tears for the Deep Sea since my skein went missing (found it after I ordered a replacement and had already finished this)
Stitch Count: 22 x 53, 2 over 2 , Cross Stitch

Then I finished this up (This was one of my take along projects to Dr. visits )
Jefferson Quotation Bookmark  Kit PC-1504 © 2012 The Posy  Collection
Designer: Ceil Humphreys
Fabric: 18ct Charles Craft Ivory Aida
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 120 x32, 2 over 1
Cross, Stitch, Back Stitch, Long Stitch, French Knot

Next I wanted a cute summer fun stitch, so I chose this
Hootie Baseball Let's Play Ball (This was a Hootie Single)© PinoyStitch 2016
Fabric: 14ct Blue Aida
Threads: DMC
Stitch Count: 31 x 37, 2 over 1
Cross, Stitch, Back Stitch, Long Straight Stitch

Then I remembered that I had this lovely design kitted up - from the August 2014 Issue of Just Cross Stitch
Flowers & Flag Hornbook & Pincushion © Designs by Elizabeth Talledo of Dames of the Needle / Finger Work.
Fabric: 35ct Weeks Dye Works Cocoa
Threads: WDW, GAST and substituted  DMC 310 for the Nun's stitch
Stitch Count  - Pincushion: 35 x 35, 2 over 2 **I really should read the directions before starting - It calls for 1 strand over 2

and Hornbook...
Stitch Count  - Hornbook: 54 x 78, 2 over 2 *** I kept using 2 strands to match the pincushion- still have to complete the nun stitch border and paint my hornbook
Cross, Stitch, Nun's Stitch

Then when I was putting away my magazine, I quickly glanced through the pages and found this cute little design that I could make into a scissor fob. Fireworks Tag as published in the August 2014 Issue of Just Cross Stitch Design by Elizabeth Spurlock
Such a quick stitch - I just might do it again on black fabric as I expect the metallic threads will really pop.
Fabric: 40ct Misty Rain
Threads: DMC Light Effects & DMC Metallic
Stitch Count:33 x 33, 2 over 2
Cross Stitch

I also worked on 2 take along projects...will share all the details when I get them finished.








New Stash!
I ordered : The JCS Halloween issue, Imaginating Wild Animals Bookmarks, Hinzeit Love Dogs & Love Baseball, Just Nan Romeo Mouse, Heartstring Samplery Grand Old Flag Pin Drum - and a few skeins of threads.

After I sent my order in, I found there is a companion piece to the above Dames of the Needle Design - Flowers & Flag Tall Drum  - I just might have to get it!

Samantha went to the vet early this month for her necessary blood work - liver showed some improvement so the Denamarin seems to be working, and her thyroid levels were right where we need them so medication stayed the same. He did find that she had another yeast ear infection so tried a different medicine. Bucky is doing fine although this long stretch of Hazy Hot & Humid has their appetites diminished and their siesta times increasing- only when it is cooler late at night do they have lots of increased energy and appetites.

DH had some eye surgery to remove cysts and skin tags that were affecting his vision - much better now - even has some new glasses coming. Next month is the next cortisone shot in his back.

My Dad had a follow-up for his leg bypass surgery - there is a point in his thigh that has significantly increased velocity - might need a stent in the near future - but primary wants a repeat ultrasound and PVT test done first. So looks like August might be another busy month.

Until next time,
Have a wonderful day!
Lisa