Catching Up With Christmas On a Very Special Day

Good morning everyone! Well, it's a special day for me, which I'll get to later in my post, but first I have some stitching finishes I'd love to share with you. Many of you have been asking about my monthly Christmas ornaments. Am I still doing them, when will I show them, etc. Well, I'm happy to say I've finally caught up--I hadn't finished a Christmas ornament since March so it was a lot of work, but I love how each and every one turned out! Below is a shot of the stitching along with some of the finishing materials I gathered. Sometimes I think finding the perfect trims, fabrics, and buttons to finish a piece is as much fun as the actual stitching!

Monthly ornaments waiting to be all finished up

My ornament for April was actually started last November and then got cast aside during the frenzy of Christmas stitching. Finding this little snow guy half-finished was like running into an old friend. How can you help but smile at that crooked grin of his? The suggested DMC colors and a mystery piece of 32 ct. linen were used. I think this finish is a perfect example of how you can take a simple design ("Let It Snow" by A Stitcher's Hands) and make it more special by adding fun fabrics and trims. The wee orange nose was called for on the chart, but I added the white pompom and jazzed him up with two fabrics, white ric rak, and a candy-cane striped hanger. The chart includes three other charming snowmen, all wrapped up in their warm scarves and knit hats, which I also hope to stitch one of these days.

"Let It Snow" by A Stitcher's Hands

I honestly enjoy (gasp!) stitching on black--in fact three of my seven ornaments for 2012 are stitched on black so far! The May ornament is stitched on 32 ct. black Belfast linen with DMC threads. I love how white just pops on the black fabric and with snow and wintry themed charts, there is always a lot of white on Christmas ornaments. This cheery piece is Sue Hillis's "Candy Canes" and includes a little brass candy cane charm. The color of the red is really more of a maroon shade than is shown in the photo. I changed it from the suggested DMC reds to DMC 815 which I also used to make the red and white cording. It is backed with coordinating red and white striped fabric and topped with a little white pin. I left off the backstitching for obvious reasons. That's another good thing about stitching on black fabric--no need to backstitch!

"Candy Canes" by Sue Hillis

For my June ornament, I stitched the winsome Trilogy design called "Cheer." This is the second one of their little trees that I've done. I also stitched the Spooky Tree for my dear friend, Myra back in 2010. If any of you are familiar with the original design, you'll notice I left off the rectangular border and one of the little stars and finished it into an oval shape with a ruched ribbon and bow in slate blue. It is backed with the beige and white homespun fabric shown. Some miniature white buttons serve as snowballs just waiting for that next snowball fight between this trio of little guys. I don't know about you, but the sight of them certainly brings me "cheer!"

"Cheer" by The Trilogy

And finally, back to my all-time favorite designer, Prairie Schooler, for my July ornament! "A Visit From St. Nicholas" is from Book No. 48, "A Christmas Visit" and is the second piece I've stitched from it. The first was Sunflower Santa done back in 2010. Again, I love every single design in this booklet and I hope to complete all seven. This one is stitched on 40ct. flax Newcastle linen using the suggested DMC threads and is finished very simply with handmade cording in DMC 221. A red and white gingham bow was added to the corner to cover where the cording ends meet.

"A Visit From St. Nicholas" by Prarie Schooler

And here are all four--April through July...ready and waiting for December's Christmas tree:

April, May, June, July 2012 ornaments

I've had some lovely gifts arrive on my doorstep lately from three blogging friends around the world. First of all, Suzanne in Washington state (no blog) sent me this sweet Lizzie Kate kit as a thank you for lending her an out-of print chart. Secondly, Melody from Bookwoman Stitches blog sent me this cute "Jolly Jack" chart to thank me for lending her two out-of-print charts. She's hoping it will make the cut for my "October Bowl"--I just bet it might, Melody!! And finally, all the way from England, came these gifts from Linda. Linda doesn't have a blog, but has written to say how inspirational my finishes are and wanted to send me a little token to show her appreciation. She sent me my first (and probably only!) souvenir of the Diamond Jubilee and a wonderful bookmark with "Desiderata" on it (boy, does that take me back to my college days in the mid-'70s. I think every girl in the dorm had a poster with that lovely verse on her wall. If you would like to read the whole thing for yourself, click here ). She also included some postcards and leaflets from Sandringham. I am so touched by all of your gifts, my friends. Really, nothing is expected when I lend my charts out, but I so appreciate your friendship and generosity!

A most special day: July 23rd, 1977...My wedding day--which makes today our 35th wedding anniversary! I seem to find myself humming that old Carpenters tune We've Only Just Begun quite a bit lately. (For all of you in your fifties and sixties you'll love this old video--does that bring back memories or what?! I think I wore out multiple copies listening to the Carpenters' records over and over when I was in high school!).

"We've only just begun, to live...
White lace and promises,
A kiss for luck
And we're on our way..."

We were so young and so full of hope. Our sons can't believe we married at age 22, but that's the way it was done back then... graduate from college, get married, work for a few years, and have kids. Today the order of things has definitely changed up a bit, hasn't it? And the time-frame has certainly slowed down. But, you know what, I wouldn't change a thing about the way we did things way back when...

Wedding Day Memories

Here is a tiny snapshot from our big day along with our wedding invitation (yes, it was the palest blue color!) featuring the quote "And this... our life, our beginning." The white lace is all that remains of my wedding dress which was damaged and discolored beyond repair from decades of storage in my parents' attic. So, I removed a few pieces to save before discarding it. (Having no daughters who might want to wear it someday, made that decision a bit easier!) And how about that 13¢ butterfly stamp--that just shows you how prices have jumped over the past 35 years--today it costs 45¢ to mail a card this size! (If it looks like there are no people in the pews behind us, that is because the minister would not allow photos during the church ceremony, so this was "staged" after the actual ceremony. There were actually nearly 250 people in attendance!).

So, how will we celebrate? Well, believe it or not, my husband is 3183.11miles away right now. He is on a week-long biking tour of Alaska! (This is not him in the photo, but I'm expecting some equally breathtaking shots to be taken by him this week.) I'm a bit sad, of course, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip and biking is to him what stitching is to me. I know we'll celebrate later, in fact we already have plans to head down to the mountains of North Carolina (Asheville vicinity) this fall. And this is where I could use your help--have any of you vacationed there who could give me advice; the best time to go to see the leaves changing, must-see sights, good restaurants, even the name of a great place to stay (I'd love to stay in a little cabin!)? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Well, that wraps up another very lengthy post--I hope you've enjoyed your visit today! Welcome to my new followers; so glad you've joined the fun. As always, your comments and emails are very much appreciated--thank you, my friends. I'll close with the final lines from Max Ehrmann's "Desiderata." Although written in 1927, it is still so applicable to today's world...

"With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy".

May your week be a special one! Bye for now...

Ornament Finishes and Giveaway Winners

Greetings from Pennsylvania on a lovely spring day! Yes, it is finally beginning to feel like spring after our record-breaking low temperatures last week. It was a frigid 19° on April 4th--can you imagine? According to our local newspaper we were colder here in the Pittsburgh area than in Juneau, Alaska or even Moscow! But, today we are supposed to reach a lovely 67°--it was so nice to wake up to the sounds of the Mourning Doves' coos today. I hope the rest of you who have endured an "endless winter" are enjoying sunnier days, too.  

Someone asked about my Christmas ornaments in my last post... Oh, yeah, that's right, I was supposed to be stitching one a month, wasn't I? Well, I'm just a bit behind--four months behind to be exact! The good news is that I made some progress and finally finished these little cuties for my January and February selections. First up, is another of the four snowmen featured in the chart "Let It Snow" by A Stitcher's Hands. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll remember I stitched his red, white, and blue themed buddy last year (you can see him by clicking here). I used the suggested DMC threads on a piece of 32 ct. mystery linen and embellished his hat with a little white pompom. The plaid fabric was a sample scrap from Joann Fabrics and the backing fabric is the gold-toned napkin shown in the background which I picked up at Kohl's. There are two snowmen left in this booklet--hope to get all of them stitched at some point.

A Stitcher's Hands: "Let It Snow" snowman

My February ornament is one of my favorites from the Little House ornament series called "Bringing Home the Tree." It is stitched on 40ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using the suggested threads. I just love that little black Scottie with his red collar and booties--so sweet. I really liked the border in this one, too. To finish it off, I simply ruched some sage green satin ribbon and added three white pearly pins at the top. What do you think?

 

"Bringing Home the Tree" (Little House Needleworks)

I'm currently working on my third and fourth ornaments of the year and hope to have them done by the end of the month so I'll be all caught up...

GIVEAWAY WINNERS: OK, admit it, how many of you skipped down to this part of my blog to see who won my 1000+ follower giveaway?  Oh, I know many of you did. And chances are all but three of you were a bit disappointed. This is the hard part for me--I so wish I could give each of you, especially those who regularly comment, a little something. But, I simply don't have the time or resources to send so many gifts all over the world... I was truly honored that so many of you (almost 200!!) entered my giveaway for my simple handmade pieces. I mean I wasn't giving away anything very valuable, so it meant all the more that so many of you wanted a little something made by me. A simple pillow didn't seem like much, so I've added a few more goodies to the winner's packages, but will keep everything secret until they arrive at their new homes. My husband did the honors in picking the names out of the hat (well, really, it was just a plain old paper bag :) and, without further ado, here they are:

PRAIRIE SCHOOLER BUNNY WINNER:

 Julie (Julie's Stitchy Knitter Journal)

 

PAINTED EGG WINNER:

Passion Fruit Princess (Ana Paula)

"S" IS FOR SPRING WINNER:

 Pam in IL (Pam)

If the winners will please contact me with your mailing addresses, I'll get your packages out to you soon. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed stitching them! And for the rest of you, all I can offer is my sincere thanks. Thank you for your wonderful comments, your emails, your friendships and support. I truly loved reading about the simple things that made you smile in your entries and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who enjoys "a simple life!"

SPECIAL THANKS: Imagine my surprise when I received two wonderful packages in my mailbox this past week. First of all, my new blogging friend, Dawn, sent me one of her sweet scissor fobs as a Random Act of Kindness. I was so touched and honored that she would think of me and wanted to make me smile. I just love it, Dawn--the colors of lavender are perfect for me and the flowered white beads are so sweet. Doesn't the fob look lovely on my favorite pair of scissors? Thank you so very much, my friend--I'll think of you and your kindness each time I admire your beautiful creation!

Scissor Fob RAK from Dawn

Thank you, my friend--it is beautiful!

And from one of my long-time blogging buddies, Valerie (Fog City Dweller blog), came a belated birthday present package (which, believe me, was well worth the 3 month wait!!). I honestly gasped, "Oh, it's beautiful," when I removed this beauty from the package. Just look at this stunning Drawn Thread ornament that Valerie made for me--perfectly stitched and finished! And you know what, I had picked this exact chart to stitch for my April Christmas ornament--luckily I hadn't begun yet! This is from "The Holly and the Ivy Sampler" chart and is one of my favorites. How did you know Valerie? 

"The Holly and the Ivy" birthday gift from Valerie

I adore it, my friend--thank you so, so much!

As if the ornament wasn't more than enough, Valerie included all of these goodies, as well... There was a cute LHN chart, a blue skein of silk, a blue notepad, and a cute key chain from Valerie's beloved San Francisco. I told her I honestly plan on visiting her fair city one day--especially if she agrees to be my tour guide. Thank you, thank you, my sweet friend--I am so happy we've "met" through our blogs...

So many birthday goodies from Valerie!

SUGGESTIONS NEEDED: Is there anything more heart-warming than welcoming a new baby to the world? Well, how about welcoming three new babies to the world? My best friend's daughter recently gave birth to triplets--two dear baby girls and a precious baby boy. I had the best time shopping for these little outfits and even made a card to welcome them (definitely outside my comfort zone--I am not a papercrafter by any means, but it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself). I fell in love with these sweet pink dresses with matching hairbands and I think the little boy will look mighty sharp in his plaid shorts and spiffy white crested shirt, don't you? Now, I would love to stitch some little Christmas ornaments or a triplet themed sampler for them and that is where I could use your help. Have you stitched or received anything that would be appropriate for a trio of new babies? I'd really like to make something special for them as I watched their mom grow up from the time she was a tiny baby herself and her family moved in three houses down from me. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be so appreciative.

Baby gifts and handmade card 

to welcome a trio of new babies

After all of these years, I've finally read an old classic, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and, oh, how I enjoyed it. Am I the only adult who had never read it as a child? I actually think I probably appreciate it and enjoy it more now than I would have as a child. And, of course, I had to watch the movie as soon as I finished the book, and it was charming. A perfect movie for spring with all of the budding gardens and newborn animals--and did I mention the sheep? Lots and lots of sheep for all of you cross-stitch sheep lovers (myself included!). Anyway, if you haven't read the classic book or seen the movie, I highly recommend them both...

MOVIN' TO BLOGLOVIN':  With the upcoming demise of the Google Reader you can now follow my blog in a new reader simply by clicking on this link and signing up: Stitching Dreams blog. Hope to see you all there!

Well, that's it for this week, my friends... Thanks so very much for stopping by and saying "hi!" I do appreciate each and every comment so very much. I wish you a week filled with sunshine! Bye for now...

Three for my tree...

Good morning, all! I plan on making this short and simple today (I can already hear some of you snickering at the idea of me writing a "short" post, but I really am going to "try"!). I'm busily packing away for my stitching retreat this afternoon so I have a bit of a deadline here... After all, I have to get the important stuff packed--the charts, fabrics, threads, needles, and Ott light! I have set aside way too many projects to take with me for what amounts to 2 1/2 days of stitching, but isn't that always the case? If you're anything like me, the thought of not having enough stitching to keep myself busy is one of my worst nightmares. So, I always end up bringing too many projects! I'm so looking forward to seeing my four stitching friends later today as I haven't seen any of them since last year at our retreat. That's pretty sad considering two of them live within an hour and a half of me, but we all lead busy lives and this year was particularly crazy for some of us...

For those of you who are new to my blog (a big welcome to you, first of all!), I have been stitching an ornament a month for my Christmas tree since January of 2010. Creating ornaments really is my first love when it comes to stitching--there is just something special about bringing them out of hiding each December and carefully placing them on the tree. I have three new creations to share with you today for the months of August, September, and October.

For August, I stitched "Winter's Night" by Grandma Kringles. It seems that Grandma Kringles is no longer designing, unfortunately, because she really had some darling ideas. Her blog is gone, but you can still find some of her patterns available online.This one is stitched on 32 ct. dirty Belfast linen with the suggested  DMC threads. Although I love the way it turned out, I really struggled with the stitching. I've gotten so I can barely stand to stitch with two strands anymore, which is why you see me mostly stitching on 40 ct. or stitching "over one" on 28 ct. fabric. I stitch so much faster with one thread and there is no worry about the threads twisting up or laying flat. Does anyone else feel that way?

To finish "Winter's Night," I sewed a strip of burgundy gingham on one side, stitched some little x's on top where the two fabrics joined, stretched out a spring (I confess that I needed my husband's help with that chore!) for a hanger and added a strip of the frayed gingham in the corner. Oh, and I added a rusty bell at the tip of Santa's hat...  A really simple finish, but I love it!

September brought an ornament finish called, what else, but "Merry Christmas!" This design is from All Through the Night and was stitched over one on 28 ct. white evenweave using DMC 115.

I thought a round finish with some ruched gingham ribbon would be perfect for this one. Many of you have asked about how to ruche ribbon. The way this blogger makes the stitches in her ribbon is how I do it, too: ruched ribbon tutorial. Work slowly and gather the ribbon after you've made the zig-zag stitching on about a two inch length--don't wait until the very end and attempt to gather it all at once! I glue my ruched ribbon on with just a teeny bit of Aleene's Tacky Glue applied sparingly with a toothpick.

And for my October ornament, I couldn't resist making another of the snowmen featured in the "Let It Snow" chart by A Stitcher's Hands. Meet the third jolly snowman that I've stitched from this chart. He is stitched on some sort of mystery 32 ct. linen. Are you smiling now?  C'mon--how can you resist that crooked grin of his?

I finished him using fabrics that picked up the blues and greens in his hat and scarf along with a mini-pompom on his hat and some white ric-rak. The blue and green plaid is from a cloth napkin I picked up at Kohl's last spring. I wanted to give all three snowmen a similar finish.

Here are all three together--do  you have a favorite? You'll notice that my newest one is wider than the others. Since I used the exact same piece of fabric for all, I can only assume that the fabric wasn't square as this newest guy clocks in at 1/4 inch wider!

Here are my three newest ornaments all together. As you can see, I have rather eclectic taste! You've got a more primitive Santa, a cutesy snowman, and a traditional bird and holly ornament. I really enjoy mixing things up in my stitching and will stitch just about anything except fairies, dragons, or extremely primitive designs. How about you?

Gratitude... To say I was touched and gratified by the number of you who emailed me wanting to help out my friend,  Cindy, who lost all of her household belongings and stitching stash due to a deadly black mold infestation, is an understatement. I can't begin to tell you how wonderfully generous the stitching community is--but, then again, I think you already knew that, didn't you?!

I heard from fellow bloggers, both here in the U.S. and overseas;  many stitchers that had never before commented on my blog, but must read it (which made me happy!);  an EGA group near Binghamton, NY;  a New Jersey cross stitch store owner (Where Victoria's Angels Stitch); and a woman who runs a group that accepts donations of stitching stash to pass on to others. Charlene set up this group, Paraclete Designs, which is involved with accepting the donations, sorting,  repackaging, and sending them on to various charitable organizations, teachers, and street ministries to spread the love of cross stitching to others. A very interesting mission that I never knew existed! You can read more about it on her website. Each of these people and groups wanted Cindy's address so they could help her rebuild her stash. If there is anyone else interested in helping her out, just email me and I will send you the details. I'm happy to report that Cindy's health is improving day by day, she has begun stitching again, and has just returned to work. I can't help but think that knowing so many fellow stitchers were thinking of her and praying for her recovery is helping her in so many ways...

Have you noticed anything missing from my blog this month? Yes, there is no evidence of Halloween stitching... You see, my dad died on Halloween last year, and I just haven't had it in me to even put out so much as one of my Halloween decorations or pieces of stitching. I know this feeling will pass gradually, but the "missing him" is still a bit too fresh this year. I have enjoyed seeing all of your spooky stitching, though, and I wish you all a very fun Halloween!

Thank you for your well wishes regarding my bone bruise. It really is beginning to feel better and I can walk around the house (and work!) without limping. But, it still hurts to walk any distance so I can't yet use my treadmill. I'm encouraged by the healing that has taken place since my last post, though, so I know I'm on the right track!

Well, so much for a "short post," eh? I tried--I really did!  Thank you, thank you for your visit today, and a special thanks to those of you who take the time to comment. I never know how many of you actually read my words or if you just look at the photos, but it's nice to hear from you just the same! Bye for now...

2013 Parade of Ornaments

Only 8 days 'til Christmas? Who else is nowhere near ready? With my recent trip to New York, I am farther behind than ever...  My husband, thankfully, went with me this time and I was so relieved. Let's just say the driving conditions around Buffalo, NY were less than desirable! My old hometown certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the snowiest cities in the U.S. And then while visiting my mom, it snowed almost the entire three days we were there! Our return trip home on Sunday was slow, but not nearly as bad as the one up. Not the best time of year to visit, but I'm so glad we went when we did. My father, who many of you know suffers from Lewy Body Dementia, had to suddenly be moved from his dementia facility into the hospital. Today, he is scheduled to be moved into a more medically based nursing home. I know my presence helped my dear mother get through this unexpected turn of events. We'll see what happens next... With this disease, you just never know.

But, on to happier things... It seems like just yesterday that I was posting my 2012 ornament review and here we are at the end of 2013!  For those of you who are new readers of Stitching Dreams, I have posted my monthly ornament finishes on my stair garland for the past few years. If you would like to see previous years, you can see 2010 here, 2011 here, and 2012 here.  The following pictures aren't the best as it was overcast when I took them yesterday, but I think they'll give you a good idea of my 2013 collection:

2013 Monthly Ornament Finishes

January ~ March 2013 ornament finishes

April ~ June 2013 ornament finishes

July ~ September 2013 ornament finishes

October ~ December 2013 ornament finishes

So, which one is your favorite? I'd love to hear which one you like the best... Would you like a closer look still?

 January

A Stitcher's Hands: "Let It Snow" 

 February

LHN: "Bringing Home the Tree"

 March

Midnight Stitching: "Heartstruck Friends" 

April

Madame La Fee: "Candy Cane"

May

LHN: "Baked Goods"

 

June

Homespun Elegance "Santa Arrives Tonight"

 July

Stoney Creek Magazine: "Birds & Berries"

 August

Prairie Schooler: 1994 Annual Santa

September

The Victoria Sampler: "Baby Cardinal"

 October

Plum Pudding NeedleArt: "Let It Snow"

November

Needleprint: "Estonian Snowflake freebie"

December

Prairie Schooler St. Nicholas II Santa

It's really a tough decision for me to narrow down a favorite; it's kind of like being asked to choose a favorite child! I spend so much time on each one--not just in the stitching, but in the finishing, too, trying to make each one special. But, I think, this year, my favorite finish has to be my October snowman. I really love the combination of fabrics and trims on that one, along with the black fabric. My oldest son asked me a while ago, "Mom, just how many of these things are you going to make?!" I think he thinks "enough is enough!!" Obviously, he doesn't know I'm secretly addicted to making Christmas ornaments, does he? I get such pleasure out of creating these little cuties and I hope, that, someday--just maybe--my sons and their families will, too. 

I've received some lovely Christmas gifts from around the world, but will wait to show you them in another post. I haven't even had time to photograph them properly and everything I've received is just so very special, I want to do a post just for my gifts...

I hope to get one more post in before Christmas. I actually have a larger piece that I've been working on "behind the scenes" which I hope to finish and, of course, I need to get my Christmas tree photo up with all of the ornaments adorning it from top to bottom. Until then... stay warm, enjoy this last week before the big day, and please know how much I appreciate all of your wonderful comments and emails! Bye for now...

Buzzing in with a late summer finish!

Well, hello there! And how are my stitching friends on this fine morning? Well, it's not exactly fine here in western Pennsylvania--it is grey, drizzly, and extremely humid. And the outlook for the weekend doesn't look much different. Not a very satisfactory August in terms of weather, but other than that, all is good. Busy, but good! I only have one stitching finish for you today, but it is a fairly large one (for me, that is!).

I am, for the most part, a one project at a time stitcher... Oh, I have a couple of unfinished projects patiently waiting in the background, but I know myself. If I leave a project, I have a hard time going back to it which is why I tend to stick through my current project until completion. Today's finish is from a very old Prairie Schooler Chart called "Garden Verses"  (Book No. 49). Unfortunately, it is not one that has been reprinted yet so it is not easy to find. I'm sure I paid way too much for mine on eBay a few years back...

Prairie Schooler Garden Verses (Book No. 49)

For this lovely piece, I used DMC threads on 40 ct. burch Newcastle and I am so pleased with how well the white shows up. When I posted this on Instagram yesterday, several people commented that the colors look a bit different than those on the chart. Well, I did make some color changes! The main thing I did was to use more pink in this piece. I substituted DMC 356 for the suggested 632 and DMC 3779 for 407 in the flowers. For the highlighted words ("busy bee," "honey," "flower") I used DMC 420 instead of the suggested 632. Other than that, the colors are as charted.

One busy big bee

The hive seemed to take forever but I decided to just buckle down and "get it done!" And all those little bees--whew! I tried to add some little black stripes to their tiny bodies to look more like bumblebees, but they ended up looking like prisoners or something evil, so I left them as charted with just the white and gold.

And lots of tiny little bees

It's funny, but bee charts have been calling my name lately... This is just one example of how a stitcher's tastes can change over the years. I was never particularly interested in them before. Has that ever happened to you--a sudden interest in stitching a subject that had never appealed to you before? There are two other lovely garden themed charts in this booklet and I can picture myself stitching them in the future, too!

I "pinked" up the flowers a bit!

We've seen a lot of these fuzzy little guys on our zinnias this summer. If you click on the photo for a better look, you can even see the yellow pollen on him! Yay--spreading the love!

This fellow just flew from flower to flower

I wondered about the sentiment on this Prairie Schooler sampler and discovered that it was the first stanza of a short poem penned by English theologian,  Isaac Watts back in 1715 titled "Against Idleness and Mischief."  Basically, it was used to encourage children to stay busy and not be idle or they'll get into trouble! Hmmm... I think there may just be some truth to that.

When we were in Washington, DC a couple weeks ago to visit my son, we stopped in at the International Spy Museum because it was a rainy day and what else do you do on a rainy day in DC, but go to a museum?   Now remember, I am surrounded by all men in my family so this is the norm for us--we do not visit stitching shops or tea parlors or any of the fun things that I read about on your blogs. But, it was interesting and, guess what?! I found a giant piece of cross stitch!! I'm not sure if this is a vintage piece, but my guess is that someone stitched it in honor of Rose O'Neal Greenhow who was a Confederate spy during the Civil War, but just look at it! The full quote is actually: "God gave me both a brain and a body, and I shall use them both." The whole thing was huge--probably four feet long by a 18 inches tall, I'm guessing. Love the giant bees that flank her name...

A piece of stitching found at the Spy Museum!

Long-time readers of Stitching Dreams know what problems we have with the deer in our yard. Yes, they are adorable and fun to watch,  but they do take the joy out of gardening. We've pretty much thrown up our hands in surrender over the past two years and, unless we can plant within the fenced in portion of our yard, things don't get planted.  Anyway, my husband was able to capture this adorable video of a mama deer and her triplet fawns frolicking in our back yard. I love how mama simply stands and eats our trees while her babies cavort in the background! He took it on his iPhone through our kitchen window so it's not the clearest, but it was just too sweet not to share. If you click on the "full-size" symbol in the lower right corner, you can get a much bigger picture of it... Enjoy!

I have a busy weekend ahead with family visiting and dinner guests on Saturday so I'm off to clean the house and do some last minute grocery shopping. It seems like every weekend has been scheduled with something or other since early May and I am longing for a weekend of simply sitting and stiching. At this rate that won't happen until after our son's wedding, our Hawaii trip, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all over--in other words, until next year! Oh well, at least we're making plenty of wonderful memories this year! Enjoy your weekend, my friends, and thanks for visiting and saying "hello"--you are the best!  Bye for now...