Farewell to autumn...

Hello everyone! Well, I got through Thanksgiving, but, oh, was I wiped out by the end of the day. Having 23 people at my table was more like feeding a small army than a family...All went well, except Mr. Tom Turkey decided to be "fashionably late" to our feast--actually an hour and a half late! That big old 22-pound bird would just not get done! I don't think anyone noticed the late dinner hour (around 7:45 PM) except my husband and me who kept frantically checking every 10 minutes to see whether or not we could safely serve the turkey without sending everyone to the hospital with food poisoning! When we finally sat down, I was able to seat 20 of us at two long tables pushed together that I had set up in my sunroom (as you can see in the photo) and my darling six-year old triplet great-nieces sat at the kitchen counter. All in all, it seemed to be a big success, but I'll be relieved to have a break next year...

One of the highlights of my Thanksgiving was when one of my triplet great-nieces sweetly asked, "Aunt Carol, did you make that?" as she pointed to a very old (2004) Sue Hillis autumn stitching. I told her that I did and she said, "Ohhhh"--quite admiringly so I asked her if she would like to see my other autumn pieces (it's never too early to get a future stitcher addicted, is it?!). I then gave her a little tour of my autumn pieces and thought I might as well show them to my blogging friends as well...



This Bent Creek piece called "Leaf" was one of the first times I used over-dyed threads when I stitched it back in 2005. You see, I had a period of about 10 years when I gave up stitching altogether and didn't take it up again until 2003. I was just too busy with remodeling our house, raising the kids, work, etc. So when I returned, the world of over-dyed threads, hand-dyed fabrics, and such amazingly intricate patterns was brand new to me. I was like a kid in a candy store! Stitching had come a long, long way from the teddy bears, country geese, and quilts that I remembered from the early 90s...



Next up on my autumn stitching "tour" is, of course, a Prairie Schooler seasonal sampler. This one was stitched in 2008 and is from Book No. 123: "Country Seasons." It is one of my all-time favorites--I just love the face on the moon, the turkey running through the pumpkin patch, and the strange looking little squirrel gnawing on an acorn in the tree branch. I think this color pallet (that is seen so frequently in PS designs) is one reason I love their creations so much.



Next, I have yet another Prairie Schooler piece from Book No. 50: "Prairie Seasons." I really never meant to keep it in this frame--I just stuck it in there when I finished it back in 2007 and there it's stayed. Still looking for the perfect frame... Don't you love the checkerboard tail on the squirrel? I'll have to say the pumpkin-head scarecrow doesn't seem to be doing a very good job of scaring away those crows, does he?










The final fall piece that I showed to my great-niece on her tour was the November turkey from Prairie Schooler Book No. 90: "Spring & Fall." I think she loved this turkey almost as much as I do. I finished him up in 2009 as one of my "Ornament a Week" pieces and have used him in my November blog header this month. It was such fun sharing all my autumn stitches with my little niece and I do hope she develops a love of stitching as she gets older...







Just look at what I got from my niece (the mother of the triplets) and her mom, my dear sister-in-law, as a hostess gift on Thanksgiving: a wonderfully monogrammed stitching tote! Don't you love it? I told them they couldn't have given me a more perfect gift and they can be assured that it will be put to very good use in the future... There are two little mesh pockets on both ends to hold floss, needles, and small charts and lots of room inside for my fabric, scissors, and larger charts--perfect!



A special thank you goes out to Veronica at Veronica's Stitching Vault for this lovely scissor fob which I won in her recent giveaway. The purple beads are so beautiful and the tiny seahorse charm at the end makes it even more special. I loved what Veronica wrote to me about this fob...She said that when she first started designing it, it began with one focal bead which she thought was rather ugly, and yet the finished fob ended up being one her favorites. She went on to say how this taught her to open her mind to possibilities. What a great attitude and one that I'm going to try to keep in mind... So thank you, Veronica--I truly love your gift. And it looks just great on this new pair of Gingher scissors that I recently treated myself to!

I'm going to leave you with the photo of my cookie tray from Thanksgiving dessert. This year, my oldest son, baked some of his scrumptious chocolate chip cookies as well... I do love to bake and always look forward to this time of year when I can bake to my heart's content! My family is always very appreciative of the cookies, the pecan, cherry, apple, and pumpkin pies, and the pumpkin-cranberry bread that I make each Thanksgiving. I think if, for some reason, they weren't on our menu each year, there would be a major revolt! It was wonderful to see so many family members, but my very favorite part of the holiday weekend was waking up each morning knowing my visiting sons were all safe and sound asleep in their childhood bedrooms. There was just something so comforting in that thought...

Well, that's about it for my autumn stroll down stitching memory lane. I've carefully packed them up and stored them away until next fall when I will delightedly "rediscover" them! I know that winter doesn't officially start until December 21st, but, for me, the first of the month always seems like the beginning of winter. I'm looking forward to decorating for Christmas and envy those of you who have already started (or finished!)... Hopefully, I can do a bit each week and now that Thanksgiving is over I will finally have some stitching time again. Oh, how I've missed it over the past week or so...

Wishing you a delightful start to December--thank you all for dropping in, saying "hi," and continuing to inspire me with your creativity and stitching. Bye now...

Thanks and Giving

Hello everyone! Hope you've had a nice November so far... For most of my fellow U.S. residents, November is all about Thanksgiving--getting together with family or friends, feasting, and giving thanks for our blessings. I know Canada has its Thanksgiving holiday in October, but do my other international friends celebrate a similar day during the year? Do you have any special foods or traditions for that day? I'd love to hear about them...

This Prairie Schooler Thanksgiving piece (from the "Harvest Time" chart: Book No. 93) was three years in the making mainly because I ran out of DMC 370 and couldn't find a shade to match anywhere. So, the poor turkey sat waiting and waiting for me to finish him. Luckily, my friend, Lee, rescued me (thanks again, Lee!!) and found enough of the old shade in her stash that blended perfectly. This piece was 2/3 of the way done when I took it to our stitching getaway last week and I worked on it the entire time I was there. I was just determined to finish it before Thanksgiving...



I am really thrilled with how this one turned out--love the richness of the colors and the symmetry of the whole design. Speaking of symmetry, for anyone planning on stitching this, beware that there are mistakes in the four half-leaves near the border--they are not charted the same at all. I had to rip out two of them and stitch them again. Oh, it probably wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone but me, but I just had to make them all the same or my eye would always have wandered to the differences... I think the fabric I used is 18 ct. cream colored Davos, but I'm not positive. All threads were the suggested DMC colors.


A very special friend, Mary, celebrated her birthday earlier this month and I sent her this tiny ornament along with some fabrics to help her celebrate. This one is called "Home For the Holidays" by LHN and can be found in the 2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. I stitched it "over one" on 32 ct. Twilight Blue linen, but changed a few of the DMC colors and added a beaded edge. I love how the personalization on the back turned out and Mary seemed to, also!


As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a wonderful three days stitching and chatting and eating, eating, eating with five fellow cross stitch addicts at a wonderful bed and breakfast near Lake Erie in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. The Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast (click on the collage of photos I snapped while I was there for a closer look) couldn't have worked out any better for the retreat. Since we had booked every room in the inn we were able to simply "take over" one of the parlors--ott lights, frames, piles of charts, and stitching accessories were spread out everywhere. Luckily, the innkeeper is a stitcher, too, so she couldn't have been more accommodating.

The first thing we noticed (well, I noticed anyway!)was the big bowl of chocolates sitting there to welcome us. The inn had three resident cats and I'll tell you, having the black and white one (shown in the photo above) cuddle with us while we stitched surely tested my resolve not to get another cat (husband is very allergic). The house was so beautifully decorated it made me want to rush home and work on my own autumn decorating. We laughed and chatted and ate such scrumptious breakfasts that between them and the never-ending chocolate bowl, I ended up gaining three pounds!! I need to double my treadmill workouts for a few weeks, that's for sure. It was a thoroughly enjoyable get-together for all...



For our getaway stitching weekend, we had decided ahead of time to have a bit of an exchange. Not only were we to stitch something small, but also bring a gift representative of the part of the country that we live in. This was the first time I had stitched something for an unknown recipient and I thought it was difficult to stitch a piece that would appeal to just about anyone (we just did a simple number drawing to divvy up the exchange gifts). Anyway, I ended up stitching The Trilogy turkey called "Happy Gobble Gobble Day" and Barb ended up going home with him. I also gave her a local cookbook and a pretty Christmas ornament from Wendell August Forge which is America’s oldest and largest forge and is located right here in western Pennsylvania. The happy gobbler is stitched on 32 ct. Country French latte linen using the suggested overdyeds. I backed it in the brown/orange fabric in the background and bordered it with pumpkin colored ric-rac. I think he's so cute, I just may have to stitch another for myself!



The gift I received from our stitching getaway came from Linda (no blog yet) and I just love it. It is a floss-keeper from Blackbird designs stitched in the prettiest shade of greens and violets. I especially like the way she highlighted the first initial of each of the six of us who got together for that special weekend. (And, yes, if you look closely, you'll notice that there are two "Ls" since there were two stitchers whose names began with the letter "L." Don't you love it?! I wonder how future generations will interpret that one?) She also gifted me with a lovely tray (again from Wendell August Forge) which is embellished with fall leaves and a skein of "Grape Arbor" overdyed floss. How perfect is that?! The name of the floss is the same as that of our Bed and Breakfast: The Grape Arbor! And since Wendell August Forge is located in the same town where I went to college, it is especially meaningful. Thank you so very much, Linda--I will treasure your gifts and think of our stitching retreat often...



I received this cute summery chart by Ewe & Eye & Friends as a giveaway win from Chris at Tot Hill Farm Stitches. What a sweet little piece! I think the watermelons growing underneath the house are so cute and it looks like a perfect thing to stitch next summer. For some reason I have fewer summery stitched pieces around my house than any other season. I have so much autumn and Christmas /winter stitching, but spring and summer things are few and far between. So, thank you very much, Chris! It will really brighten up my house next summer...

I've been extremely busy shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning, and setting up for the nearly 25 of us who will sit down to give thanks at my table next week. One dish which always makes its appearance at Thanksgiving is the Strawberry Pretzel Salad, which is more of a dessert than a salad, but, hey--it does have strawberries! What dish is a "must-have" at your holiday table--that food that makes your family dinner special to you?

I doubt I'll be posting again until after Thanksgiving, so I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and thank you again for your friendship, inspiration, and kind words. I hope you know I count you all among my many blessings! Bye now...

On the homestretch...

I can hardly believe that I'm on my final row of blocks for Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow. I actually finished the cardinals block (one of my favorites) on time for a change which leaves me two months to complete the Block 11 New Year's ship (which is solid stitching)and the final Block 12 cherub and wording, which looks quite easy. I've decided to hold off on revealing the entire piece again until I am all finished up at the end of December. Perhaps, that way, you'll be as excited to celebrate with me as I will be to have finished this mammoth piece. But, that leads me to a question. I really want to stitch my name and the year 2010 in the final block instead of the name and date charted which is "Mary Crow 1801." Now, I am a novice sampler stitcher--this is certainly the biggest one I've ever done so I don't know what is considered proper. Any advice from all of you expert sampler stitchers? I am really torn as to what to do...


How was everyone's Halloween? We only had 9 trick-or-treaters and I felt a bit let down. I miss seeing the excitement and the cute costumes of more children, but we live on a street that doesn't get much traffic because the houses are so far apart. We did have one unexpected visitor that night, though. My two older sons were over for their weekly Sunday dinner (and the way my middle son eats us out of house and home, I think that may be his only decent meal of the week!) and I asked them to bring the pumpkin and decorations inside before they left to go back to their apartment. Well, as they were gathering the items up, they heard a rustling in the bushes by our front porch. Thinking it was a stray trick-or-treater, they called out "Who's there?" Out wandered, of all things, a SKUNK!! Not more than a few feet from my front door! The guys quickly ran inside and slammed the door. Of course then they were afraid that the noise of the slamming door may have caused the skunk to spray. Luckily, after waiting a while, sticking their heads out a window, and giving a sniff, the air was clear. But, now, I am seriously concerned that this skunk may be living under our front porch.


We have so many "critters" visiting our yard, you would think we live in the country. But, no, our house is in the suburbs of a fairly large city. Just look at this photo (click on it for a larger view) that I took looking out my kitchen window this summer--you can see the mama deer with her spotted baby visiting our pond for a sip of water. Now look closely at the front of the photo--why it's the friendly (??) neighborhood groundhog come to nibble our grass. Needless to say, I really enjoy the ever changing scene outside my window...unless Mr. Skunk happens to decide to visit again!







My friend, Mary at Sweet Sentiments and Stitches surprised me with a delightful package of goodies this week: two lovely JBW charts with some Christmasy floss, a bag of chocolates, and the sweet little cat figurine (so cute with his little witchy hat and a dangling star on the tip). But my favorite gift was the leaf pumpkin piece that Mary stitched for me--just look at what a unique finish it is! The plaid background in autumn colors, the wire hanger and raffia bow, and the braided raffia trim and cute buttons. It is one of the most exceptional finishes I've seen (and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, Mary!). I truly love everything and I'm so touched by your thoughtfulness and generosity... Thank you so very, very much! I'll think of you each time I decorate with your special gifts at Halloween.



Our fall colors weren't the best due to our very hot and very dry summer, but I did photograph this tree right outside the library at it's peak. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to settle in with my stitching for the shorter, colder days ahead. Speaking of "settling in"--I'm off to a three day stitching retreat tomorrow with some fellow stitching addicts. We're all converging on a Bed and Breakfast near Lake Erie to stitch the days (and probably half the nights) away. I'm really looking forward to meeting the three stitchers whom I've never met in person and catching up with the other two whom I've already been lucky enough to meet and stitch with several times. I'll have a full report for you when I get back...

Until then, thank you all for your wonderful comments on my previous "Favorite Freebies" post--I loved reading each one and I discovered several new-to-me blogs to add to my blog list in my sidebar. You guys are the best! Thanks for your support and inspiration and, especially, for your friendship. Bye now...