Christmas Ornaments on Black

Hello, my stitching friends! I hope this post finds you doing well and enjoying the countdown to Christmas! First of all I want to thank you for your lovely (and always appreciated!) comments on my last post. I usually try to thank those of you who I have emails for, but I haven't been on my computer very much between trying to decorate, bake, and get my Christmas cards out. Why, I haven't even gotten Baby N's first Christmas ornament stitched yet! Hopefully, this weekend... On top of all that, I'm still struggling off and on with cold symptoms after an entire month. I did test for Covid and it was negative. It's the strangest thing--every other day, I seem to feel poorly and then the alternate days I have more energy and the cold symptoms are lessened. I went through this same thing last year in November/December and it's so frustrating! Anyway... I have been squeezing in time to stitch each evening and managed to finish my final two ornaments for the #12in25ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram. 

For November, I stitched "Winter Rose Manor Pincushion" (which is part of the "Winter Rose Manor" chart) by With Thy Needle and Thread. It is stitched "over one" on 25 count black Lugana using all of the suggested threads, but one. I did change the cardinal's face to DMC 844 so it would show up better on the black. I also added (and rearranged) a few of the snowflakes.

"Winter Rose Manor Pincushion" 

I do love a round or oval finish, don't you? I added some handmade cording (using DMC ecru), a satin bow, and some pearl-headed pins around the perimeter. At the top, I simply glued a larger "pearl" that I had snipped from a Christmas floral pick. What do you think?

Don't you love that cardinal and the colors in this piece?

These sweet mice in "Plum Pudding" (also by With They Needle and Thread) had been squeaking at me for years to "Please, please stitch us!" This month, I finally took a deep breath, picked up my needle, and got started. And although it took a while, I love the final result of my December ornament. This one is also stitched "over one" on 25 count black Lugana, but I did change many of the threads. The green dress is done in DMC 3347 and the red in Colour & Cotton "Cherry Cobbler." I also made their wee shoes match the colors of their dresses (I think those mice have more of a fashion sense than I do, that's for sure :). 

"Plum Pudding" mice in the kitchen

 

To finish it into an ornament, I simply made it into a little pillow, surrounded it with green cording (and a very, very short hanger because I ran out of DMC 3347!), and added a polka-dot bow. This is definitely one of my all-time favorites. I love to bake (although I don't do it nearly as much as I did when my three sons were living here) and I plan on incorporating this ornament into a cute baking-themed display that I have planned for my kitchen. Stay tuned... 

My December ornament--hard to believe another year of ornament stitching has come to an end!

I think you can see from my final two 2026 ornaments, that my taste in Christmas decorations is very eclectic. I have to say, though, that the ornaments stitched on black are among my favorites. This year, they've taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for Christmas. Here are 24 others that might provide you with a bit of inspiration... As always, my mom's sweet silhouette graces the center cubby and she is surrounded by angels. I miss her so very much, but never more than at Christmas time...

My ornaments on black have taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for December

 

I took some close-up photos of the ornaments that you might enjoy. Do you have a favorite among these? I think mine is the one right above my mom with the two little angels holding five golden rings. I stitched it way back in 2012! "Five Golden Rings" was designed by Cottage Garden Samplings and is still available for sale.

This is my very favorite of my black ornaments--stitched 13 years ago!

 

 

Which ornament is your favorite?

One of the very first Christmas decorations to be put up each year is this wonderful hand-carved wooden Nativity set. My parents bought it in Italy and gave it to me when I was first married--almost 50 years ago. I still have the handwritten note that mom included when she sent it to me and I get a bit teary-eyed each year when I read it as I carefully unwrap each character and animal and place them in the stable. 

The workmanship in this wooden Nativity is gorgeous!  I bought the pretty red silk lamp shades this year on Amazon which really brighten the display in my kitchen.

Above the Nativity is the largest piece of cross stitch I've ever completed: "Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow." Oh, my--I still remember struggling to hold that giant piece of linen (since I don't use hoops or frames when I stitch). I did a block each month during 2010 on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen using most of the suggested DMC threads. If I was stitching it today, I would use 40 ct. because I just love stitching with one thread. I can hardly bear it if I have to use two threads these days! If you'd like to see a close-up of this huge piece, just click here. 

"Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow" gets a place of honor each year.

 

 

Gift-giving question? My little family of five has grown to ten now (with the addition of grandchildren and significant others) and I've been struggling with how to give gifts. The little grandsons are no problem at all. It's the adults--I just don't know what anyone wants (and it seems like none of us truly need anything). How do you handle gift-giving with adult children? Do you pick names, buy them each presents, give money, skip it altogether? I've come up with a plan for this year that I hope will be easier on me (since I am the prime gift buyer in the family :). I've asked each couple to give me three suggestions: 1) something they need for the home or garden, 2) a favorite restaurant so I can purchase a gift certificate, and 3) a membership or experience that we might give them (a zoo membership, tickets to a concert, etc.).  What do you think? Will this make my gift-giving easier? I'd seriously love to know what all of you with grown/married children do in your family! All suggestions are welcome :) 

First snow of the season... There is something so magical about that first snowfall, isn't there? I still remember waking up as a little girl, raising the shades, and gasping with wonder as a fresh white landscape greeted me outside my bedroom window. And, as an adult, I feel the same way! We got about three or four inches last week and it was that beautiful kind of snow that sticks to every twig and tree branch. Sadly, most of it has melted away now even though we've had extremely cold temperatures in southwestern Pennsylvania. I do hope we have a white Christmas this year--fingers crossed!

Our first snowfall of the season in early December.

 

The male Cardinal and little Tufted Titmouse enjoy a snack on a cold snowy day. 

The female Cardinal shares her perch with the tiny Chickadee

It's funny, I always think I don't have much to write about at the beginning of each blog post, and then they end up running on and on! I hope some of you are still with me at this point... What is on your agenda for the week ahead? I need to finish up some stitched gifts (including my youngest grandson's!), send out my cards (which I'm definitely cutting back on this year), and start my baking. It will be a busy, busy week, but I hope to just rest that final week before Christmas (famous last words!). Hope you each have a wonderful week ahead and will stop in for my annual "Parade of Ornaments" post next time. Take care now and thanks for popping in! Bye for now... 

Feeling Thankful

It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S.! Have you started thawing those turkeys, baking those pies, chopping those vegetables? This year seems a bit different for us as our three sons will all be at their significant others' families--the oldest in Texas, the youngest in Puerto Rico, and the middle son will be going to his girlfriend's family's big Thanksgiving lunch which is a bit more local. We were invited to go with them, but I've been sick off and on all month so I don't want to take a chance on: 1) me getting sick again or 2) infecting anyone else. So, we'll be staying here and having a simple dinner on our own. 

The beginning of November started off so nicely--we drove down to visit our grandsons in Maryland for a few days. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds and were so much fun to be around. Except for one thing, that is--they "nicely" shared their colds with us. Well, not us--just me! My husband remained healthy. But, oh, I was so sick--terrible headache, fever of 101.5, severe body aches, congestion, etc. I think it may actually have been the flu. And just when I'd been feeling better for about a week or so, a different ailment descended upon me--this time it is definitely a cold. Ugh! I'm not often sick and I'd forgotten how awful it is... Luckily, I was still able to stitch and I got a couple of cute autumn themed pieces stitched (and framed!). 

Just in time for Thanksgiving comes this oldie, but goodie, called "Be Thankful" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I've had it in my stash forever and thought it would stitch up quickly--boy, was I wrong! There are a lot of white stitches in this piece. Love how well they show up, though, on the 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle that I used (unfortunately, the color has been discontinued here in the U.S.). I used all of the suggested overdyed and DMC threads except for on the crows and dark lines which I changed to DMC 3371.

An older Country Cottage Needleworks chart (from 2012) finally stitched

 

Now, I hadn't planned on framing this piece right away, but then I spotted this white frame (ordered from Franken Frames online) which I had purchased for another piece. When I held it up to "Be Thankful" (just intending to check the color of it against the fabric), what do you know--it was a perfect fit! What luck!

Love the row of white pumpkins!

I'm very pleased with the final look and will be so happy to have yet another Thanksgiving piece on display when we host Thanksgiving next year!

 

Another fall design that recently caught my eye was this cute "Chubby Squirrel" chart by Jeannette Douglas. Isn't he adorable? He's stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha with some of the suggested threads and some of my own substitutions. I debated whether or not to change him one into of the gray squirrels that we see more commonly here in Pennsylvania, but, in the end, I decided the cinnamon color offered more of a fall look. We do have red squirrels here, but they are usually skinny things who are very naughty and mischievous. I ended up using WDW Pecan, CC Straw Hat, and WDW Havana for the squirrel's body. I'm really happy with how the little fellow turned out!

"Chubby Squirrel" by Jeannette Douglas Designs

I had originally planned on finishing this one into a round hanging ornament, but when I found this perfectly colored frame in my stash, I reversed course! I attached a brass acorn charm and bordered the round shape with some cording made from DMC 434. Love how it looks in the frame with the piece of fall-colored flannel in the background. It's a very simple finish, but the frame makes it seem a bit more impressive, don't you think? 

A thrifted Goodwill frame worked perfectly for this finish

 

Here is "Chubby Squirrel" on my kitchen sideboard with my grandmother's carved squirrels in the foreground. I just love those wooden squirrels and so did my grandson. When Mister B last visited, he had the best time making them dance to the sounds of "Hakuna Matata" from the Lion King musical. The squirrel couple may be a bit more chipped after his visit, but that's okay--I treasure memories like that!  

I treasure this carved wooden squirrel couple that once belonged to my maternal grandmother.

 

So, it's on to my last two ornaments for 2025. I have them stitched, but not finished, so I'll share those with you next time. Who else is stitching for Christmas? I still have some gifts to stitch and my ornament for Baby N. But, because we aren't hosting Thanksgiving--I have already made a start on my Christmas decorating in my kitchen and family room and it feels great! Hope to get my tree up and the outdoor porch decorations done next weekend. And then, I get to just relax and stitch (famous last words!). 

A few of you asked if I would share some of the Halloween photos from October so I thought you'd enjoy seeing little Woodstock, Snoopy, and the Doghouse (aka Snoopy's mom!). I didn't have a good photo of my son as Charlie Brown so he's not pictured. 

Six-month-old Baby N made such a cute Woodstock!

 

Snoopy salutes as he sits on his doghouse (otherwise known as "mom")!

I asked about Mister B saluting like he was in the above photo and they told me he was trying to imitate Snoopy as the Flying Ace battling the Red Baron. If you're at all familiar with the comic strip or television shows, you'll know exactly what I mean. 

Snoopy and his army of tiny Woodstocks :) 

So, that's it for this post... I want to wish all of my U.S. friends a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. One of the things I'm most thankful for is my stitching (honestly, I can't imagine life without it--can you?) and the special stitching friends I've made through this little blog of mine. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts, leave comments, send emails, etc. I know many of us have precious little free time so I truly appreciate each of you and your friendship! Enjoy this last week of November! Bye for now... 

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...