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.
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| "A Country Winter" by Plum Street Samplers |
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| 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!
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| 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?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| "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!
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| Bet you can't eat just one! |
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| Homemade Raisin Granola Bars recipe |
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| My kitchen corner cupboard is ready for fall, as well, with pieces by Homespun Elegance, Bent Creek, and Prairie Schooler. |
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| 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!
