Christmas stitching on Halloween

Happy Halloween! Do you have your candy and treats all ready for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters? What are you passing out this year? With the ever-increasing price of chocolate, we've chosen to hand out bags of popcorn and cookies this year instead of our usual candy bars. I adore chocolate and refuse to stop buying it for myself, but I've definitely cut back. Those chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe's are my favorite after-dinner treat. I'm just limiting myself to one or two at a time these days as I try to make it last longer. So, do you celebrate Halloween in your country? It seems that it is spreading in popularity all around the world... I honestly think my grandson, Mister B, is even more excited about Halloween than he is about Christmas. He's dressing up as Snoopy from the Peanuts comics this year and has enlisted lots of relatives to join him. His little brother, Baby N, is going to make the most darling yellow Woodstock bird, his dad will be Charlie Brown, mom will be dressed as Snoopy's doghouse, his uncle will be Linus, and his aunt, Peppermint Patty. I can't wait to see a photo of the whole gang!

I should be stitching something for our next holiday here in the U.S. -- Thanksgiving. But instead, I've been working on catching up on my monthly Christmas ornaments.  For September, I chose this quick-to-stitch Prairie Schooler "tree" from the 2013 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine. It's stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle using DMC threads. I did change the suggested green color to 520 and used DMC 610 for the deer. I also rearranged and added a few more snowflakes at the top of the triangle.

A classic Prairie Schooler "tree" finish for September

To finish this one, I created a triangular template on my computer using the measurements of the three sides and then cut out a piece of sticky board a bit larger than that. After applying a layer of batting to the sticky part, I simply attached the fabric to the padded triangle using glue. I then made the same sized backing piece, covered it with green gingham fabric, and glued them together. I surrounded it with cording and added a yellow star from my stash for a cute accent. I debated whether to try to insert the little stick (found in my yard) in between the two layers, but ultimately decided it would be too bulky and it would leave a lump in the front. I don't know about you, but I care more about what my ornaments look like from the front than the back :) So, I ended up simply gluing the stick on to the back as shown below. 

I simply glued a small stick to the back for the tree trunk

October's ornament is a darling design called "Letter to Santa" by Living on the Rainbow. She has such fun and creative charts sold here on Etsy. It's stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle with DMC threads: 04, 310, 321, 322, 745, 3818, and white. Santa's beard and eyebrows are supposed to be stitched with Rainbow Gallery Wisper thread to make them fluffy. Unfortunately, I had none and didn't want to wait for an order to arrive so I just cross-stitched them. Not quite as cute, but probably easier :) I've never worked with Wisper thread, but I heard it's a bit tricky. Any pointers in case I choose to use it in future projects? 

Love the detail in Santa's face on this one!

What I love about this one, is that the backside is also stitched, making it look like a true letter! That checkerboard border on both sides about drove me crazy, but I'm very happy with the final look of this ornament.

Even the back side of the letter is adorable!

 

My Christmas ornaments for September and October 2025

 

I don't always decorate for Halloween since my dad died on that day eleven years ago. But, this year, with my grandsons visit in mid-October, I decided to pull everything out. I hadn't decorated my Pottery Barn cubby for Halloween in four years and it was so nice to see these old friends again! My five-year-old grandson loved the display and had fun counting the number of black cats (I believe there are 24!) that he could spot... so cute! 

Halloween stitching has taken over my Pottery Barn cubby. As always, my mom's silhouette occupies the center space.

Here are a few close-ups. I just don't have time now to link to each finish so if you have a question about a particular piece, feel free to email me or go to the "Halloween" and "Halloween stitching" labels in my sidebar to the right to do a search. Do you have a favorite in the bunch?

 

Giveaway winner... There were only a few entries for the "Autumn Walk" chart with the black cat which I offered in my last post. The winner's name picked at random is...

Marilyn H.

The winner of the "Autumn Walk" chart is Marilyn H.

Congratulations, Marilyn H.! Please send me your mailing address (my email is in the sidebar to the right under "A Bit About Me") and I'll get the chart out to you as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy stitching it!

Do you enjoy seeing photos from people's travels? I always do, so I thought some of you might like to see the photos from my youngest son's recent trip to the Patagonia region in South America. He and his fiancée (did I tell you he is engaged and their wedding will take place next June? We are so happy and excited for them! ) have traveled the world: Iceland, Norway, Oman, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc., etc. They truly love to travel together and experience different cultures. In fact, they are planning their honeymoon in Africa! Oh, to be young again :) Anyway, their pictures from Chile and Argentina were so stunning that I thought I'd share them with you today. Hope you enjoy...

Love the color of the mountains as they reflect the setting sun.

  

Wild and wonderful Patagonia

Oh, that blue!!

A lone cow gazes and grazes with those stunning, snow-covered mountains in the background.

My son and his fiancée did a grueling 14-mile hike one day. Don't think I would have made it!

Some of the wonderful animals they spotted on their Patagonian travels earlier this month. That fluffy, white pair of ewes is just so sweet, isn't it?

Another month is over and two very busy months lie ahead... I'm still in shock that 2025 is winding down so quickly, aren't you? Since becoming a grandmother, I feel the days pass by faster than ever. Or, maybe it's just getting older that causes that feeling. I don't like it, though, and wish the days would go by at a slower pace and last longer. Speaking of shorter days... we wind the clocks back this weekend--probably my least favorite weekend of the year. I dread the darkness that creeps in about 5:00... Anyway, nothing I can do to change that, right? Hope you all enjoy this last day of October! And, as always, thank you for your visits and kind comments. Bye for now... 

We did end up getting a bit of color in our front yard this year. Love the red berries against the orange leaves of the maple tree.

A Santa, a ghost, and a spider

Hello, everyone! I fully intended on posting last week, but then my grandsons arrived for four days and I was busy getting ready for their visit. And, of course, nothing stitching related got done while they were here--such busy, busy boys! So, how is everyone doing? Before I get to my stitching, I simply want to thank the many folks from around the world who left comments last time! I had no idea so many stitchers visited my blog and it truly warmed my heart to know I have "friends" all over the world who enjoy reading "Stitching Dreams!" Thank you, one and all! 

If you've been following my stitching this year, you know I've fallen in love with Teresa Kogut's Santas! And a new one has joined the group... May I present "Green Coat Santa" from her "Hello, Santa" booklet (a truly wonderful collection of Christmas/Santa themed designs that I highly recommend). For me, her pieces offer pure comfort stitching just like my beloved Prairie Schooler designs. I used the suggested DMC threads with only a few changes (I used DMC 420 for the hat's pom-pom, changed the little snowman on the right to DMC 712, and stitched his stick arms in 612). I also satin-stitched the snowman's nose in DMC 921 and used Smyrna stitches for the eyes on Santa, the snowmen, and the reindeer. Finally, the main change I made was to leave off the black border.

"Green Coat Santa" finish

He (along with the other two Santas I've finished), is stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha linen.  I actually call him my "Jolly Green Giant Santa" because of the way the little deer are staring up at him as if in wonder. He sure is one big guy!

That tiny deer seems to be amazed at the size of "Green Coat Santa!"

 

Joy, indeed! Stitching Teresa Kogut's designs always fills me with joy!

 

The gold, the red, or the green? Which Santa do you like best? For me, it's the big gold guy with the tiny snowman in his bag.

I purchased black rustic frames for each of them and fully intend on framing these before Christmas arrives. Hopefully, by putting that statement into words, I'll actually get it done :) 

A few days before my grandsons arrived last Friday, I suddenly got it into my head that I wanted to stitch them each a little Halloween ornament! Luckily, the talented Melisa over at Pinker 'n Punkin Quilting has generously designed some quick-to-stitch Halloween freebies for us so I had no trouble stitching and finishing both of these cuties in three days.  

A pair of not-too-scary Halloween ornaments for my grandsons. The orange and black polka-dot woolies flannel is what I used for the backing fabric.

For five-year-old Mister B, I stitched "Eek! A Spider!" on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle. I used DMC white, black, 3826, and 3347 for the colors and added a stitch of orange to the tips of each of the spider's legs. My grandson is already learning how to read so well in Kindergarten and proudly read "EEK" with no problem!

The cording is done in DMC 3826.

And, for five-month-old Baby N, I stitched the sweetest baby ghost! I used DMC white, black, 3826, 353 (for the cheeks) and 469 on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle. I also added three "doo-dads" to the background to fill in some of the empty space. 

 

I just love this sweet baby ghost!

 

So, what will they do with their little ornaments? Well, I also gifted them a wrought iron "tree" that I'd bought years ago fully intending to make myself a Halloween tree. That never came to fruition, so I thought it best to get it out of the attic and pass it on. I planned on making an ornament each year for them to fill it up... But, after counting the remaining hooks, I realize that I'll be stitching these until I'm 93 years old as there are 46 open hooks! Um... not going to happen. So, maybe I'll try to make them each two a year? Of course, the boys can always make little decorations of their own to add to the tree--I hope they do!  

I'm going to have to step up my Halloween stitching in order to fill up this tree for my grandsons!

Giveaway time... I came across this charming autumn chart the other day that I'd always intended to stitch, but never found the time (too many charts, not enough hours in the day as you know!). Would any of you be interested in stitching it? I've removed the pages of this sweet scene (a black kitty gazing at a wooden wheelbarrow full of autumn harvest) from an old Just Cross Stitch magazine (October 1999).  The chart will be folded and mailed in a legal sized envelope to save on postage...  I'll draw a name on my next post and all you have to do to enter is: 

1) Specifically mention in your comment that you want to win the chart

2) Tell me your favorite places to purchase your cross stitching charts and supplies

3) Be sure to leave your email address if I don't already have it

To enter the giveaway for this chart, please follow the guidelines above. I'll draw the winner's name and announce it on my next post.

Q & A: I was asked by someone in a comment last time where I purchase my stitching items. Sadly, for me, everything (except DMC floss) has to be purchased online. We have no local cross stitch shops at all. The nearest is 1 1/2 hours away! So, online it is... My go-to shop is 123 Stitch although I occasionally buy from other online shops if I can't find what I want there. I also purchase charts from Etsy now and then, especially from foreign designers who offer only pdf charts. My frames are usually thrifted or I get them from Franken Frames online. I imagine it must be magical to have a wonderful local cross stitch shop nearby--I hope those of you who do know how lucky you are! 

We so enjoyed our visit from our grandsons! Such busy little fellows... Mister B is so into reading and writing these days and loved the blank notebook that I gave him. He immediately began writing his own "chapter book" in it, complete with illustrations. So cute! And Baby N is just a charming, smiley bundle of love. He's rolling over, almost sitting on his own, and just a joy to be around. They'll be back for Christmas and I can hardly wait! Time to finish their ornaments... 

I hope your October is going well and that you're finding more stitching time now that the days are growing colder and shorter. I do love fall and winter stitching because I don't feel guilty about the outside chores that I should be attending to! As long as the sun shines and I can stay inside, I really don't mind the cold, do you? Thank you, as always, for taking time out of your busy day to visit my little old blog. Enjoy your week, everyone! Bye for now... 

My lone September post

Where did September go? I haven't posted in over four weeks! Nothing is wrong--I've just been very lazy about posting this month--both here on my blog and on Instagram. We've experienced the most wonderful September weather here in western Pennsylvania that I can remember. Day after day of warm, sunny skies and very low humidity--my kind of weather in every way! Oh, we definitely could have used more rain--we were actually experiencing drought conditions before the little bit of rain we had last week. Our lawn is very burned out and many of the plants seem to be in shock. Quite a few leaves have already fallen this month due to the dry weather and the experts are predicting that the lack of rain will lead to an autumn without much color on our trees. How's the weather in your part of the world? I say world, because I seem to have more international readers and commenters than I do from the U.S. And I thank you all so much--there are many from Germany and France, a few from Spain and Italy, and a couple from England. I truly appreciate the extra effort you make to translate my blog into your language and leave your sweet comments. Thank you! 

I've noticed that, although I have many Christmas-themed pieces, I have stitched very few pieces that I can leave up for the entire winter. In an effort to remedy that, I stitched this charming little piece by Plum Street Samplers called "A Country Winter." I thought the 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle linen was perfect for this piece. And how about those touches of pink on the barn? I did change a few colors: used Colour and Cotton "Tree Lot" for the trees and CC "Trail Dust" for the deer and tree trunks. I also changed up a couple of the snowflakes.

"A Country Winter" by Plum Street Samplers

 

That tiny "over one" quilt that the snowman is holding is just too cute!

Although this is a small piece (finishing up at 3.5" x 6"), I chose to frame it and I love how it turned out. Using a frame I recently purchased from Franken Frames online, this was such a quick and easy finish. For once, I didn't procrastinate for years on my framing (the way I usually do)... I need to do that more often!

I'll enjoy having this one on display all winter long.

This second framed piece followed my usual method of operation... Stitch something, stick it in a drawer, and years later bring it out and frame it! Yes, this piece called "Be Merry" by Little House Needleworks was stitched almost nine years ago--in December of 2016! You can read about my finish in this post. If you've stitched this yourself, you'll notice I made a few changes to the piece--most notably changing the date to 1895 in honor of my paternal grandmother who was born on Christmas Day in that year. I also used the words "Merry Christmas" instead of "Belle Pepper" which was originally charted (I think that is the name of the little girl?). I don't know how long I've had this thrifted frame in my stash, but I decided it was just too pretty not to use. So, by adding some coordinating fabric and a bit of Christmas-themed ric-rak to the stitched piece, I now have a newly framed Christmas finish. What do you think? 

Finally framed after 9 years--Little House Needleworks "Be Merry"

There was a zig-zag motif at the very bottom which I had already stitched, but ended up removing. It clashed with the look of the pretty ivory, red, and green ric-rak. Below is a close-up of the beautifully carved frame--so dainty and perfect for this sweet piece! I rarely find thrifted frames this pretty, unfortunately. 

Such a wonderful antique frame!

I'm also working on my Christmas ornaments for September and October which I hope to share with you next time along with some Thanksgiving stitching. What are all of you working on this week?

This past Sunday, I spent some time bringing out my fall decorations and decorating our kitchen. 

A corner of my kitchen all ready for fall

I had never decorated this corner of my kitchen before, but I'm so pleased with the spots of fall color it brings. You'll certainly recognize the larger framed piece as a Prairie Schooler--one I stitched way back in 2007 even before I began blogging. 

"Autumn" from the PS Book No. 50: "Prairie Seasons"

In the little wicker tiered basket are three more stitched pieces--all oldies, but goodies! On the top is a block from Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow which I stitched back in 2012. I changed the lambs that were charted in the block to squirrels. (We really don't have lambs lounging in our woods here in Pennsylvania)! If you'd like a closer look at this finish--just click here. The bottom front piece, "Pumpkin Patch," featuring the little scarecrow and black cat, is from a very old Just Cross Stitch magazine: September/October 1988! Yes, 1988! I stitched it in 2009, the first year I began blogging, but didn't finish it for another ten years. You can see a better photo of it and read about my finish in this post. And finished in a round black box (way in the back) is a Drawn Thread design called "Full Moon" which I actually stitched five times--once for me and the others for four stitching friends at our mini-retreat back in 2014. I love how they turned out; for more information, you can see the boxed finishes right here. 

I love this small tiered basket for smalls--it was purchased at Target a few years ago for $5.00.

In the first photo of my kitchen decorating, you'll notice some homemade raisin granola bars that I baked on Sunday. Oh, my! This was my first time making them and I actually had to freeze most of them to stop myself from putting one after another into my mouth. Really, really tasty and oh, so easy--they were a big hit with my husband!

Bet you can't eat just one! 

 

Homemade Raisin Granola Bars recipe

My kitchen corner cupboard is ready for fall, as well, with pieces by  Homespun Elegance, Bent Creek, and Prairie Schooler. 

This pretty ceramic trio (all of which I've thrifted over the years) adds some welcome fall color to my white countertops. 

So tomorrow October arrives--time to decorate for Halloween! I don't always put up Halloween decorations (even though I have a ton of stitched pieces for the holiday) because my father passed away on that day eleven years ago. But, this year, my little grandsons are coming for a visit in a couple of weeks and I know Mister B will love studying each skeleton, ghost, witch, and bat that he spies in my stitching. He loves Halloween--just like his dad!

Q & A TIME: I had a couple of questions from readers who left no email contact so I thought I'd answer them here since they are very general and everyone might enjoy reading my answers:

1. QUESTION ONE: "Yikes I just learned to do cording. How many strands of DMC do you use ?!! We used the 6 strands as is and doubled it but still did not seem as thick as you do. Thanks!"

MY ANSWER:  The number of lengths of  DMC thread I use depends on the size of my ornament or pillow. For smaller items, I use three 6-strand lengths with my Kreinik corder. That is how I make most of my cording. If I want it thicker, I use four 6-strand lengths. I wrote an extensive blog post on cording back in 2019 that you might benefit from reading. You can find it right here. Good luck! 

2. QUESTION TWO: "Have been stitching for 3 decades, in hand, q-naps, roller stretchers, etc. How do you do such beautiful work so quickly???????????????? Is it the linen, the thread, the technique? Please share your secret!!!!"

MY ANSWER:  Oh, this one actually made me laugh out loud as I don't consider myself a quick stitcher at all! As a monogamous stitcher, I feel that I rarely have much to show, but I appreciate your compliment! I can't say I have a secret, but in three words: I AM RETIRED! Yes, that leaves entire days to stitch, although I rarely stitch more than 3-4 hours a day. I stitch in hand with the good old "stab and stitch" method--no sewing method here. I tried it, but just didn't enjoy it at all... Additionally, I almost always stitch on 40 ct. fabric using one thread. To me, that is much easier and faster than trying to stitch on lower count fabrics and worry about your two threads twisting. I think the most important thing to remember is to stitch whatever way makes you the most comfortable--and remember, it's not a race. Enjoy the journey! 

On to October--can you believe it? Only three months left in 2025 even though it seems like the new year just began. I always get a bit sad at this time of year because I truly miss the warm, sunny days. I do love living in a part of the world where we get to experience all four seasons, but I so wish summer lasted longer. I dread the time change in November when it gets dark so early, don't you? Thank goodness we have the joy of Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to and brighten up those dark months ahead. Wishing you a lovely October and thank you so very much for visiting today! Bye for now...

Although many of our flowers have dried up, I managed to pick this beautiful bouquet from our garden last week--just perfect for fall! 

 

The end of an extremely chilly week!

BRRRR... Do you live in the eastern part of the country that's experienced this late-August cold spell? It was 46° (7.7C) here this morning! Yes, 46!  But, I absolutely refuse to turn my heat on in August so I've been bundled up in long pants and a heavy shirt topped with a fleece jacket most of the day. It did warm up this afternoon, but the house remains on the chilly side. Thankfully, it's going to warm up again for Labor Day weekend. 

I feel like I've had quite a good stitching month! In addition to the two bee-themed pieces that I shared with you last time, I finished two Christmas pieces: my ornament for August and a classic Prairie Schooler design. This sweet little design is called "The Carol Singers" by Perrette Samouiloff and as soon as I spotted it, I put it on my Christmas list last year. My oldest son found it on Creative Poppy website and downloaded it to give me for Christmas last year. (Unfortunately, it looks like Creative Poppy no longer carries Perrette Samouiloff's designs).  I just love these little children! So adorable, aren't they? What I didn't care for were the suggested colors so I changed out every single color in the chart. Basically, I chose colors from Prairie Schooler designs that I've loved for many, many years. I think the changes worked out so well!

"The Carol Singers" by Perrette Samouiloff

I also changed "Merry Christmas" to straight stitches (instead of cross stitches) and added some musical notes on the ends to roughly form it into an oval shape. The finish is very simple using some handmade DMC 223 cording and a small white metallic snowflake. Eight ornaments down for 2025, four to go! This year sure is passing quickly...

My August 2025 ornament (stitched on 40 ct. summer khaki Newcastle)

 

So, do any of you stitch a design more than once? I've done many baby ornaments and small Christmas ornaments more than once, but I think this was the largest piece that I've stitched twice. I originally stitched it more than 20 years ago as a Christmas gift for my best friend. It is from the Prairie Schooler booklet No. 96 called "Woodland Santas." This piece is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle with all of the suggested DMC threads. I can always count on PS colors and that is what makes them such pure comfort stitching! I especially loved the little pheasants and bunnies in this piece (although, those bunnies gave me fits--my aging eyes read the symbol wrong and I had to re-stitch two of them!). I'm not sure how I'll finish this one yet as there are three others in that booklet that I'd like to stitch. So I may wait until all four are done and then decide. 

One of the delightful Praire Schooler scenes from "Woodland Santas"

Which one do you think I should I stitch next? I do love all four, but I think I'm leaning toward the Santa with the reindeer  (or maybe the Santa in the sleigh--who knows!). As you can see, I have an older Prairie Schooler cardstock pattern from 2001. It has been reprinted since then, but the quality is just not the same. If you're looking for this chart (or any older PS charts), I suggest paying the extra money for the original cardstock patterns if you can find them on eBay or Etsy--definitely worth it!

 

One of my favorite PS books! Hard to decide what to stitch next!

I'm so happy to let you know that Mister B's first solo visit with us went exceedingly well! No, homesickness at all--in fact the last day of his visit, he wistfully told us he wished he could "stay a couple more days." So sweet! We were tired, but fulfilled at the end of each day. We kept him busy: visiting a local farm market, going to see his uncle and aunt (to visit Spike, their cat, and to play video games--a rare treat!), and having birthday parties in the basement for the stuffed animals that once belonged to my sons. He helped me make cookies and picked tomatoes and fed the koi in our pond with my husband. And on the last day of his visit, we went to the zoo (where his biggest desire was to see cheetahs ("because they're the fastest animals on earth!"). The hot, humid weather of that week had vanished and our zoo visit weather was perfect with highs in the 70s and low humidity. Thorough spoiling (a grandparent's prerogative, right?!) occurred in the form of blue cotton candy, popcorn, and cherry slushies (but don't tell his parents--ha ha!). 

A sunny day at the zoo with lions, and zebras, and ocelots, and Mister B!

 

Did you know ostriches are the fastest two-legged animals on Earth?

The more I read about the intelligence, social structure, and feelings of elephants, the more I want to learn about them. 

At the local farm market, Mister B gets acquainted with a friendly goat.

We would have let him visit longer, but he had to get home to get ready for school--you know all those last minute items on the checklist! Haircut, new shoes, new clothes, new backpack, pencils, crayons, etc. Yes, Mister B--that little baby born during those awful Covid months in 2020, has entered Kindergarten! So far, he's loving it and said he wants to go "every day of the week!" Hope that attitude stays with him... I always loved school, too. I liked the routine and seeing my friends and (most of) my teachers. I loved learning new things (except in math and science!) and adored library time. How about you? Were you someone who liked school?

Our garden is drying up quickly due to the time of year and the lack of rainfall over this past month. But, the tomatoes are still ripening along with some squash. And we were very surprised to find some miniature pumpkins (that we didn't plant) appearing. Did a bird drop a seed? Who knows, but I hope they'll survive so we'll have a crop for fall decorating! 

Miniature pumpkins appeared from nowhere this year! 

We've seen some beautiful monarch butterflies visiting the garden lately, too. Not only are the lovely, but they are excellent pollinators. 

  

Such a regal looking butterfly!

 

The monarch butterflies especially love our pink zinnias this year.

So, do you have any special plans for the Labor Day weekend? I'm seeing lots of  three-month-old baby cuddles and five-year-old bear hugs in my future--hooray! Nothing better in my opinion. If you're traveling, I wish you a safe trip. That's about all for today... So glad you popped in for a visit--thank you for your always appreciated comments, too. And as that wonderful old song goes, I'll "See You in September!" Bye for now...