Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A Prairie Schooler, A Present, and Patagonia Pictures

Good morning, my friends! I hope June is turning out to be a wonderful month for each of you... I'm loving these extra hours of daylight--more good stitching time!  It's been good to have more stitching time to keep my mind off my youngest son who is happily exploring China. I worry about my guys when they are so far from home--do you do that, too? No matter what age, I suppose a mom is always worrying until her "chicks" are back in their own homes safe and sound...

Well, no one guessed what chart I was working on last month, although many of you had the designer correct... Yes, it is a Prairie Schooler and, guess what? I have a finish to share with you... This sweet scene is from the  Village Green chart (Book No. 89). Doesn't it bring to mind a warm, summer morning with the cute roosters gearing up to cock-a-doodle-doo their greetings to the world?

Some funky chickens

In the middle section is a soft yellow house (with a blue door, no less!). Don't you love yellow houses? I've always imagined that the people who live in them must always have smiles on their faces... And how about those bluebirds (giant ones, at that!) flying overhead?

A large yellow and blue house

The final part of the pastoral looking scene has an old burnt red farmhouse with a field of corn and a wooden wheelbarrow patiently waiting for the farmer to wake up and put in a long day's work. I'm not sure if that creature in the forefront is a dog or a deer, but he is very cute!

An old farmhouse and field

Would you like to see how the whole scene comes together?  It's hard to get a good photo of it because it is long and narrow, but I think you get the picture (you can click on the image to enlarge it, too). I thought the pretty border on this one was an unusual touch for a Prairie Schooler design, but I think it adds so much. I used all the suggested DMC colors on 40 ct. antique white Newcastle and plan to frame this one for my family room...

Village Green finish

My other finish is a birthday present which was sent off to England for dear June. This was a freebie from a beautiful large design which can be found on Les Marottes de Nathalie blog. I only stitched a tiny portion of it and turned it into a small pillow for June's gift using the soft colors that she loves so much.  I used a combination of overdyed threads and DMC on 40 ct. antique white Newcastle for this finish and I'm happy to say June received it in time for her birthday. I'm so glad she likes it!

Birthday gift for June

PATAGONIA PICTURES... On to--finally--my photos from our last stop in our great Argentinian adventure trip: Patagonia! Where to start, where to start?!  This is the fourth (and final) installment in my Argentina travelogue. If you want to read the previous entries, please check out these posts: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Part One); Buenos Aires, Argentina (Part Two); Uruguay.

Our November 2015 journey from western Pennsylvania to the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, (commonly known as the southernmost city in the world) was almost 14,000 miles long (round trip)! I've shown this graphic before, but, for any new readers, here is a better look of just how far we traveled way down to the very tip of South America...

Our flight from Pittsburgh to Tierra del Fuego

With the very first glimpse of the mountainous foothills of the Andes from our airplane window, I knew I was in for a treat in Patagonia. I love mountains! Some people love the beach--I love the mountains...

Snow-capped Andes Mountains


When we got to our hotel, this was the beautiful view that greeted us from our bedroom window overlooking the Beagle Channel (named after the ship that Charles Darwin sailed on in the early 1800s). I literally sighed the first time I looked out the window and felt myself begin to totally relax...

View of the Beagle Channel in Tierra del Fuego


Here is a look up at our hotel,  Los Cauquenes,  from the stony beach along the Beagle Channel...

Our hotel for three nights


The beach was very rocky and filled with mussels during low tide.

The rocky shoreline on the Beagle Channel



We had hired a guide for the first two days of our Patagonia trip and he was well worth the expense. Valentine was funny, knowledgeable, interesting, and did a great job of keeping our diverse group on task. You see there were people from all over the world in our small group of fifteen to twenty tourists: people from Italy, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and even a Russian couple who lived in Texas. Our trip was very physically demanding--long days filled with kayaking and hiking. We fell into bed each night, exhausted, but enthralled with all we had seen...

A family of birds watches us from the rocks


Some brightly colored homes sprinkled at the base of the       Andes Mountains

The so-called "flag trees" are shaped from the incessant winds that blow through Tierra del Fuego.

Shaped by years of wind and rain

 
While kayaking the first afternoon, we spotted this group of wild horses grazing along the lake.

The horses were totally oblivious to us humans!


We learned that wild horses sometimes breed with ranch horses and roam freely throughout the Patagonian landscape. The offspring of the wild horses and domesticated ranch horses have a rough coat like this young fellow. We were just hiking through the woods when we happened upon him! Such a surprise, but he didn't seem to mind us trespassing in his territory...

A sad looking little pony in the forest

Notice the many fallen trees in the background. They fall not only due to the high winds, but due to the giant beavers that have been decimating the forests. Much of the forest landscape in the Tierra del Fuego National Park looks like it is "littered" with fallen tree trunks. The trees are beach trees and often are blown over due to the high winds. However, decomposition takes an extremely long time due to winters that hover around the freezing mark and cool (40°s and low 50°s) weather in the summers. Therefore, the trees just lay there for years and years without decaying!




Can you spot the pony in the thicket of trees?


A lovely day for a hike!

These birds are called Cauquenes--what a pretty pair!

On the second day, our Argentinian guide, Valentine, thought the four of us (my middle son didn't go on this trip with us) were ready for a solo run. Yikes! It was very windy and the water level was very low so we kept getting caught on sand bars. It was a bit scary at times, but we made it! My youngest son told me I was doing more of a "Parisian paddle" than a "Patagonian paddle," though. Oh well... At 60, I was the oldest member of our group (my husband is 6 months younger!) and I'm really proud of my efforts!

Row, row, row your boat!

I had an incentive to paddle harder, though--we were finally going to see the penguins!! After landing our kayaks on a sandy inlet, a boat picked us up for the ride to Martillo Island.  It was a sight I'll never forget--a tiny island literally covered with over a thousand  Magellanic Penguins.

My first view of Martillo Island!

As we drew closer, it became clear just how many penguins there were; not only were they on the beach, but covering the hillside as well. Magellanic Penguins are only about 2 to 3  feet tall and weigh between 6 and 15 pounds.

Penguins, penguins, everywhere!

We weren't allowed to walk on the island, but the penguins weren't shy about walking right up to our boat, which was resting on the sand, to say "hello" and wave those little wings at us.

Aren't we cute?!

Some took a dip in the frigid waters...

Bath time


 While others preened and strutted about...

Notice how large his feet are!

I would have loved to watch them all day, but we were on a tight schedule so we were only there about an hour. Penguin island was a sight I'll never forget... Apparently, there was a smell you would never forget either. Luckily, I had a cold and couldn't smell a thing!!

Black and white as far as the eye can see

After our morning of kayaking and penguin watching, we were dropped off at Gable Island for lunch near this old sheep-shearing shed.

An abandoned sheep-shearing shed on Gable Island

We then set out on a long hike over the island--this little guy accompanied us most of the way!

Argentinians love dogs--we saw one in almost every yard

Such pretty scenery greeted us along our hike... I can see why the Argentinian flag is light blue and white--it perfectly matches this sky!

We couldn't have asked for better weather.

View on Gable Island hike: November 2015

View of Beagle Channel

Our last stop of that day was  Estancia Harberton, the oldest estancia (large ranch/farm/estate) in the province of Tierra del Fuego.

Estancia Harberton on Gable Island

Our final day in Patagonia was spent hiking part of the way up to Martial Glacier. 

An icy scene in Tierra del Fuego

The higher up we hiked, the more snow we saw...


Our snow covered path


Me, taking a breather!

The latter part of the hike was very difficult--we had to walk at a steep angle and there were lots of lose rocks.


Not the easiest hike I've been on!

But, the view at the end of our hike was worth it! That is the city of Ushuaia down in the distance.


View from the top!

The hike down was much easier and we treated ourselves to a hot drink in this quaint tea house at the bottom of the mountain. Don't you love the yarn-wrapped tree?


Knitting is universal!

Our final evening found us in the city of Ushuaia which has become the stopping off point for cruises to Antarctica.  You can see the city of brightly colored houses nestled in front of those majestic mountains.

The port at Ushuaia--notice the large cruise ship on the right.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this cute penguin mural painted on the side of a local store.

The penguin theme is everywhere in the city

I'll leave you with my two favorite photos of our trip... The first was taken at the end of the first day of kayaking and hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park. We all look so happy and proud! (The only thing that makes me sad, is that our middle son isn't in it as he chose not to go to Argentina). It was such an amazing feeling to think we were at the very tip of South America! From left to right are my husband, me, my youngest son, and my oldest son.


Happy smiles at the end of a busy day of kayaking and hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park.

And this was the view from our hotel room at sunset. Every time I look at this photo I relax. I hope to get a larger print made and then plan to frame it. It is that special to me... I have to say this is my favorite photo of our trip.

The sun sets on Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego

I hope you've enjoyed my Argentina photos over the past few months... It was a trip I never thought I'd be making, but your kids end up enticing you to the most unusual places! If my youngest hadn't chosen to study in Buenos Aires last semester, just think of all these amazing sights I never would have seen. This was definitely a trip "outside my comfort zone." As I mentioned earlier, it was very physically demanding for me and I was proud of myself for faring so well after just coming off a serious foot injury. I took a chance and got a bit venturesome and it was worth it. You just never know where this journey called life will take you, do you?


Thanks so very much for visiting today... I want to welcome all of my new followers and say a heart-felt "Thank You!" to all of my loyal commenters. You really make my day... As always, I'm happy to answer questions--just be sure to leave your email address so I have a way to get back to you. Bye for now...

72 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures, Carol! It is never nice to have a cold, but I am glad you could enjoy the penguins without the smell! Your PS finish is so pretty. I'm sure it will be a beautiful addition to your decor!

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  2. Lovely post Carol and beautiful pictures of your trip with your family. Sweet memories, and good for you for and all that physical activities. That's what keeps us young. :) Love the PS and the small pillow finish for June. Beautiful finish.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  3. What a pretty PS stitch. Love that border. Our first home was a yellow one. I still love a yellow house. And a pink one. ;)
    Oh Carol! This is my favorite South America post yet. Wow! Wow! Look at what YOU did!! Amazing. And very gorgeous.

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  4. Congratulations on your PS finish! It turned out beautifully and know you are thrilled with it. What a lovely gift you created for June! Oh my, what fabulous pictures you shared from your Patagonia portion of your trip!

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  5. I've never seen that PS design before. Really pretty and you did such a nice job stitching it. Great idea to use a piece of that Jardin Prive sampler for an ornament. I always think I'll do the whole thing one day and I never like to stitch anything twice, so I've avoided using snippets of it.

    Great travelogue! So cool to see you paddling along to get to the penguins! That really was a trip to remember and you have chronicled it so well with this photo-journey!

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  6. Lovely PS stitchng Carole and I love your gift for your friend.
    Your holiday photos are wonderful.What a marvellous experience.Your favourite picture is stunning. Thank you for your explanations and descriptions with all your holiday pictures.

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  7. Hi Carol !
    I love your stitchings ! Prairie Schooler is one of my favorite designers.
    Thank you a lot for sharing these pictures of Patagonia ! A beautiful country indeed !

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  8. Dear Carol - this was just the most wonderful post. As long as I've been stitching, I don't remember ever seeing your Prairie Schooler design before. And I know I'll never make it to Argentina or Patagonia, so I thank you for our armchair travel this afternoon. What a beautiful world we live in.

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  9. Beautiful stitching as usual, just lose Prairie Schooler's designs! Thank you for sharing the beautiful photos of your trip! Hope to visit South America one day ha ha!

    Hugs,

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  10. Gorgeous pictures and gorgeous stitching!! You never cease to amaze me with your darling finishing. I sure wish you did it for a living....lol!!!!

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  11. Gorgeous PS finish! I really love the border on that one. And your girl for June is lovely...very feminine and delicate. I am sure that she loved it! What wonderful photos and memories you have of Patagonia. That really is a trip of a lifetime and amazing you got to see penguins in their natural habitat. So exciting!

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  12. I always love your pillows Carol. What colors did you use if you don't mind me asking? I thought of you when I saw a sneak preview of Blackberry Lane Design's new Christmas ornament. It is called "When Cardinals Appear." I believe it will be available for Christmas in July. Have you seen it? The pictures were so nice!

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  13. Carol,

    I love the PS project that you stitched; it is one that I have on my to do list. The pillow for your friend is so beautiful, and I love the finishing that you did; I can only imagine how happy she was to receive it! It is so fun to make something for someone who you know will love your gift!! I so appreciate all of the pics and stories from your trip to South America. I am so glad that you shared all of it especially since I know that I will never make such a trip. It is fun to see places like that via your travels. Thanks so much for your posts; I love to visit your blog. Keep it up................

    Pam from Kansas, USA

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  14. Your trip photos have been such a treat! What an adventure you had. Our kids do take us amazing places. I would probably never have found Washington state if it had not been for Laurie, who moved here first. And most certainly, I would not have gone to Germany except for Jeff. I have really loved all the trip pictures and thank you again for sharing them. You do have a great looking family. It's great you shared this trip with all but one of them.

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  15. I love the Patagonia pictures. I know how you feel about your son. My son currently lives across the country from us and I worry about him all the time. It is funny that your son is currently in China as my son was supposed to be visiting there this summer also, but he broke up with his Chinese girlfriend. I was dreading that proposed trip. Your son will be home soon with lots of adventures to share. On a side note, I really like that birthday present you made.

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  16. Hi Carol! I have so enjoyed your South American adventure and those penguins are super special. What an amazing and incredible trip! The past few weeks have been crazy busy with no end in sight for a bit but I wanted to make sure I posted when I read your blog (as last time I read it and said I would post later and never did). Your blog just makes me smile and I so appreciate it and you Carol. Your stitching and finishing are exquisite, as always. Hope you have lots of stitching time for the rest of June. hugs, Wanda

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  17. Hi Carol.....I love yellow houses too... in fact I grew up in a yellow house :) I fell in love with your Prairie Schooler finish because of that yellow house. It just makes me smile. The finish for June is beautiful too....another little house to love! Your pictures are just lovely and those penguins are just adorable. I know, I know....I love penguins too. Hope your week is starting well.

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  18. Amazing pictures and again wonderful stitching and finishing. The pillow is lovely.
    I agree, a Mom is always a Mom!
    Hugs

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  19. Carol, I hope that at 60 years of age I can traipse around the countryside like you did. Great pictures of your family minus a son and of Patagonia. I love mountains myself. Beautiful gift you made, so pretty! Yes, I worry about my 21 year old daughter incessantly but I have to give it up to the man upstairs or I would never sleep! It's good to have something to keep our minds busy when our kids are off somewhere!

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  20. Both PS and your gift to June, like always you finish it beautifully.
    Thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures of your SA trip. The family shot is priceless and you look very good Carol, no where near.... how old you said you were?
    Naaaaaah !

    Love the sight of the penguins. The people in Argentina seem to be very artistic too. I would love to visit this country someday.

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  21. Love your PS finish. A very sweet design, another one for my wishlist (sigh!).
    Such a gorgeous small that you stitched, I am positive it was well received. And lastly, those wonderful photos of Patagonia. Your trip was certainly amazing! I also admire you for your fortitude with all that exercise! Great post, Carol. K xoxo P.S. inspiring me to finish my very belated Taiwan trip posts.

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  22. Carol, I just love the Village Green pattern that you stitched. Some of Prairie Schooler's older patterns really are atypical of what we think of as a "Prairie Schooler," aren't they? The pillow that you stitched for June is adorable! And your photos from Patagonia are just breathtaking. I would love to see all those penguins in the wild. And who would have thought that people do yarn bombing in Argentina, too! Thanks for taking us along to the southern edge of the Americas.

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  23. Wonderful photos of your trip! I've loved seeing them. And the penguins, oh my! i remember the first time I saw dolphins in the wild. I can only imagine how cool it was to see so penguins! Thanks for sharing, Carol!

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  24. Hi Carol , Your stitched finish is looking fantastic and so is the gift you made for your friend :)
    I loved your trip photos and it was so nice to see your picture first time with your family:) I also love mountains more than beaches. The joy of seeing the Penguins in their real habitat than in the zoo is a great opportunity as I also felt the same when we were at Phillip island in Australia. The penguins are wonderful creatures and I hope they might be looking at us the same way.

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  25. I loved my pillow sweet friend it is beautiful.

    Your new stitch is lovely and will look lovely on your wall.

    Amazing photo , you look us on a wonderful trip thank you.

    Enjoy your week .

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  26. Hello Carol,
    a wonderful PS stitching and a lovley gift for June.
    Thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos from your Argentinien Holiday.
    Greetings, Manuela

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  27. Oh Carol, I don't have words after looking at all these gorgeous pics.Love the snow laden mountains and the clear skies.
    I'm a mountain person too. And my favorite animals are Penguins. I just love them.How come you don't have layers on you while being so close to the glacier?
    Thank you for sharing the pics of your amazing vacation with us.

    And yes, the gift for June is pretty...lol


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  28. Oh Carol,
    what a most amazing post! I loved all your Argentina photos and stories, but I have to confess, this one I love the most.
    This pictures are so beautiful. It seems to me as Patagonia would be a county I wood like to see too. It seems to me as if I can smell this fresh and crispy air and feel the wind on my skin. Thank you for sharing (especially the pictures with you and your boys ... so pretty!!!)
    Well - it does not happen very often, that I mention my pleasure about your stitching in the second part of my comment: The TPS finish is amazing. All these little details on it - very cute. And I also love the little stitching for June - especially this tiny bird with the rose in its beak flying directly to June's home ...

    Thank you for this wonderful post!

    Hugs
    Hilda

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  29. Your PS stitching is great and how wonderful is the gift you created for June. Lovely , lovely finish.
    Thank you for nice armchair trip to South America. You have taken beautiful photos. I like the pic of painted penguin mural, it's funny and of course the all pictures are amazing and especially the family and sunset pictures are awesome.

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  30. Village Green is so pretty, and the pillow finish is too.
    Thanks for sharing the pics of Patagonia.
    Marilyn

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  31. I enjoyed reading this post, Carol. Just love the Village Green which I would not have thought was Prairie Schooler. As always your stitching is immaculate. What an amazing trip you had and what interesting sights. Such travel can make you appreciate the world and also what you have at home. Happy stitching.

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  32. Hi, Carol! What a fabulous post! Loved, loved the photos of your Patagonia adventure. What fun! And what pretty stitching.....of course, I love both designs. Lucky June!
    xxx

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  33. What a lovely Prairie Schooler piece. The snippet from the larger pattern is so cute and nicely finished. Lucky birthday girl.

    Such amazing sights! I always wonder what life is like in towns that are at the edge of the world like that.

    Pam

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  34. Lovely post with beautiful pictures of your trip.
    Congrats on finishing this sweet cross stitch project and great make for June too :)

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  35. This Prairie Schooler that you were working on last time already and that you have finished now definitely has a very unusual border, unusual for PS, I mean. Last time I recognized the PS style when looking at the chickens and the house but had no idea which design it was, because of the border. It's a very unusual beautiful piece. I also love what you stitched and finished for June. Such a sweet gift for her, right her cup of tea :)

    I was so looking forward to seeing your pictures from Patagonia knowing that there would be pictures of mountains. Like you I adore the mountains, no matter where they are. The hike that you made in this region certainly was strenuous but I'm sure that all the memories that you were collecting during that trip will always stay with you. Thank you so much for sharing all the beautiful pictures of that mountain scenery. And your family pictures - so nice to see you all together (besides your middle son). And also the pictures of the penguins which are so adorable.

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  36. Beautiful stitching!!

    What an adventure for you!!

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  37. LOVE the picture of your trip! Pretty finishes too!

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  38. Congrats on your beautiful stitching finishes. I really enjoyed your vacation photos. Thanks for sharing!

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  39. The big prairie schooler piece is so pretty. The sweet gift for June is adorable. I really enjoyed the pictures from your trip. Hard to believe JuNE is almost over. You have a beautiful family.

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  40. Your Patagonia photos are breathtaking! What a wonderful trip!

    Love your sweet little stitch for June, so pretty. Village Green turned out great too!

    What you said about people who live in yellow houses is so funny - my house is a little old farmhouse with bright yellow siding! It's lovely to come home to, so cheerful. (Even though it has SO many old-house problems, oh boy.)

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  41. What lovely stitching! Our house used to be yellow, but my husband felt it attracted too many bugs, so when it was time for new siding... Sigh. I have really enjoyed traveling "with" you - thanks for sharing so many sights along the way - and I certainly see why the last photo is your favorite. I think I'd have it printed on canvas for hanging. What great family memories you made!

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  42. Hi Carol, I'm a longtime reader, but a first-time commenter! I really enjoy reading your blog and seeing all your beautiful stitching. It is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing all the photos of your trip. What a beautiful adventure. I promise to speak up more and not be a ghost visiting your blog. I really enjoy the glimpses of your life that you share. Sincerely, Emily

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  43. Hello Carol - really good to see your new post. I love your stitching - I hadnt seen the PS design before. Your finishing is so perfect, it sets off your stitching beautifully. Amazing photos from your trip - what an experience! The photo you want to enlarge is wonderful, such an amazing subject to photograph. The little wild horse in the trees looks so lost - perhaps he was hoping you would take him home!!
    I hope you are well, and still enjoying your lovely summer. We are having the wettest June on record!!
    Will write soon.
    Take care my friend,
    Love,
    Lynda.

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  44. Those finishes are just too pretty! I'm glad you mentioned June's blog as I hadn't been there before and it looks right up my alley!
    What a great experience you had in Argentina: I think these last photos are my favourite.
    Happy Days!
    Jenn

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  45. Pretty stitches. I will admit Argentina has just moved up the list of places I want to go. Thanks for the photos.

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  46. Thanks again for sharing photos of your trip Carol. It's been so interesting. I love the bright coloured houses nestling in the mountains.
    Lovely stitching too!

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  47. Hi Carol. These pictures are stunning...just like your finishing! What a beautiful area. I will never get there, but lovely to see through your photos. Love the PS finish. And the pillow for June, perfect finish. You know I am in awe of your finishing! Thanks again for sharing your lovely trip to South America. Happy summer!

    Judy Heartland stitcher

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  48. Another great PS finish. Your pillow is adorable. Thanks so much for sharing the great pictures of your amazing trip. Hope you had a nice visit with your mom.

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  49. Your PS is adorable Carol. The border is the perfect touch too....and doesn't seem to be a "usual" for PS
    What a lovely gift for June's birthday...you are so generous and thoughtful with your stitched treats.

    Thank you for sharing your travel pictures. I feel as if I am right there with you. Patagonia looks breathtaking, exciting and peaceful rolled into one!
    You have such keepsakes for your family and many treasured fun memories.

    You look great and are blessed with a handsome, loving family.
    I agree that it's always hard when one of the chicks is missing from the group.
    I can agree with you about your travel worries w/ the boys.
    They don't worry like we do....that's why we see grey hairs....hahaha

    I hope you have a restful summer. These longer, warmer days are a blessing as long as the humidity stays away (like that's going to happen!)

    HUGS TO YOU MY DEAR FRIEND,
    Mary

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  50. I love your PS finish, Carol. That border just sets off the design. And what you stitched for June - so pretty!

    Thanks for sharing the photos of your trip. I am sure it will remain as one of the happy special memories for you all. The family photos are wonderful keepsakes!

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  51. I really like the border on the PS but I have to say, I enlarged those closeups to get a better look at your stitched. Good grief Carol they are absolutely perfect! Uniform, tension thread is amazing, each stitch the same! Mine are tight, loose, twisted floss, a mishmash! Do you complete each stitch or use the sewing method on larger areas? I feel so inadequate. As for your adventure, good thing you are physically fit! A remarkable trip. And such a good looking family!

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  52. Congrats on the cute finishes Carol. I need to start that PS one. Great pictures of your trip. You have a lovely family.

    Linda

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  53. Your PS finish is fantastic - I love everything about it! Those big blue birds, the soft yellow house and those strutting roosters are fantastic.
    Loved the pics of your trip and I can see why you should frame the landscape photo - it's gorgeous! What a wonderful family (almost complete) experience.

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  54. Imádom a képeket, gyönyörűek! Ezek csodás helyek:-)
    Magyarországon most nagyon meleg van:-)

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  55. Carol: What a lovely gift to June so pretty.
    The Prairie Schooler is beautiful.
    I am in love with Penguins, what a treat it must have been for you to see them in person, love your vacation photos.

    Blessings
    Catherine

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  56. Hi Carol. What wonderful pictures of an amazing trip! I know I will never go there, so it is great to see your pictures. The penguins are so cute. It is kind of mind boggling to think of how far away you were, almost to the bottom of our earth.

    Your stitching is beautiful. Your prairie schooler piece turned out great. Also the gift for your friend is a beautiful finish! I'm glad you were able to make this amazing trip with your family.

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  57. First off, I love your Prairie Schooler finish! Beautiful! I'm going to have to look and see if I have this one. I probably do. :D Love your present to your friend too. And your Argentina pics. Wow! What a trip you had! To see such sites, such penguins, to be so adventurous -- wow! I admire you for taking such adventures on. Thanks for sharing too! As for worrying about your youngest. Of course! I would worry too! But he'll be fine, and he's enjoying himself too, I bet. China -- so exotic! I was only there once -- before a lot of the changes happened. I have no desire to go back. I'm not adventurous. lol!

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  58. So glad you took the time to compose and publish your post re Patagonia. What an amazingly beautiful place. I commend you on all your outdoor adventures - you really explored and experienced Patagonia. I must say Carol, that you and your husband and sons - wow - what a handsome family you have!

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  59. Oh my goodness.. that Prairie Schooler! Thats going to be my new mission ...finding Village Green at a "decent" price! Yours is beautiful Carol! Love all your trip photos ..and we get to see you !

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  60. Wow u have a great blog awesome pictures . I liked the June gift , the tree by wind and the cutie penguins . Lovely seeing your page

    http://shilpachandrasekheran.blogspot.ae/?m=1

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  61. Beautiful stitching and I adore your little cushion finish, I'm struggling with finishing and this looks like my kind of finish, thanks for inspiring me. Your holiday photos are amazing, you had an awesome time and yes I always worry about my children too even though they're very grown up x

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  62. Your travels have been amazing! I know these are memories of a lifetime~ I really enjoyed the picture walk with you tonight.... Happy stitching as well.... All incredible~

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  63. Loved seeing this post, with beautiful landscapes and PENGUINS! But am sad it is the last one... :( The family picture IS a great one--have it framed too! That PS design is the first I have seen stitched of it... and that border IS totally different from their normal style, but it definitely works! Thanks so much for sharing your life with us! Big Hugs!

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  64. Your PS finish is truly beautiful and such a change to visit here and see a larger project completed.
    Great and stunning pictures of your energetic trip. You have a lovely family. I can fully understand you wanting your sunset picture in the home, it does invoke a deep breath feeling when looking at it.... magnificent.
    xxx

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  65. I'm in love with your PS finish! I'm really hoping I have this chart somewhere in my collection. : ) And the little snippet of design you used for June's gift is so sweet! I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed seeing all of your trip pictures. I love the mountains, too, and the Andes must have been spectacular. So hard to believe that creatures as cute as the penguins could come with such a smell - glad you weren't able to smell them. : )

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  66. Amazing post. Your pics are wonderful. It was a great trip I suppose. Your stitching is lovely. Congratulation on beautiful finsh.

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  67. Wow, your pictures of Patagonia are just amazing - what a beautiful corner of the world! Glad you were able to enjoy the time with two of your sons - it seems you've raised an adventurous crew! Thanks for sharing your pictures and stories - it has been fun to travel along with you! Lovely stitching for the month too!

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  68. Such beautiful places in South America... Wow! Thank you for sharing. :) I always enjoy seeing new places.

    Your stitching is beautiful!

    Hard to believe June is over.

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  69. Hi Carol, I'm so happy to have stumbled upon your blog...it's WONDERFUL to find someone else from my area! I'm a Western PA girl through and through!:)

    Your vacation pictures are fantastic, and your stitching is lovely, I can't wait to read up on your posts! What an adventure! Thank you so much for sharing. Hope you're having a lovely holiday weekend!

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  70. Dear Carol, precious embroideries especially the first. And I've enjoyed your trip to Patagonia with your photos, I'm glad to see how good you you passed it, it is incredibly beautiful. Stiff that these penguins that funny.
    A kiss.

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  71. Que maravilla!! un viaje inolvidable me imagino!

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  72. Oh Carol what a wonderful post. Great photos of your trip to Patagonia. Live the penguins, they do make me laugh when I see them on the TV. How they waddle along and then flop on to their bellies and push themselves along.:)
    Beautiful stitching, a wonderful pillow for June. Such pretty colours too and perfect fabric choice.

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Hello! So glad you dropped in and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I truly appreciate each and every one...I'm happy to try to answer any questions you may have, but please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you...

Hope you have a wonderful day!
Carol