A simple September check-in

Good September morning to you, my friends! I hope the first few days of this new month have been treating you well. I'm sad that summer days are winding down, but hoping for at least a few more weeks of warm, sunny weather ahead. Oh, these nights, though--so very chilly. I think it's time to bring out the flannel sheets for our beds--how about you? 

This will be a very quick post (for me, anyway!), as I only have one ornament finish to share with you today. It's been a quiet couple of weeks since my last post so I have little to report. I did finish my ornament for August, though, and it turned out so cute! To make this sweet piece called "Gathering Holly" (by Annie Beez Folk Art) a suitable size to fit on my tree,  I had to stitch it "over one." (I really prefer to keep my ornaments on the small side and this one ended up being just about 4 inches square). I ended up choosing 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana and I love how well the white threads show up on it. 

I used most of the suggested colors, but did make a few changes. I thought the little maiden looked a bit chilly in the sleeveless dress that was charted so I added some sleeves (bonus: the sleeve color shows up much better on this fabric than the flesh-toned DMC 950 would have!). I also added additional snowflakes to the bottom of the design, added eyes (just using tiny straight stitches) to the woman, and used straight stitches for the bird's legs rather than the called for cross stitches. 

After adding the cording made of DMC 3777, I attached a black and white polka-dot bow and some "holly" that I crafted by snipping off leaves from a garland and gluing on some red berries. Everything, including the cording, was attached using Aleene's Tacky Glue (original). I've had several folks on Instagram ask about my cording so I'm linking to my 2019 post that outlines the way I do it (I am certainly not a professional finisher!) right here (you need to scroll down a ways in that post). Here is a close-up which might help you see the details a bit better.

Lyme Disease update: I had several of you ask about the Lyme Disease updates for my husband and myself. I'm happy to report that he is doing fine (so far) after his positive diagnosis and taking the antibiotic for two weeks. If you recall, my doctor didn't test me right away and just put me on the antibiotic. Because I've had some unsettling symptoms for the past six weeks or so, I finally was tested for it and it came back negative. Whether I had had it and the antibiotics took care of it or what, I don't know. But, I'm still having symptoms so more tests are ongoing... Nothing is showing up so I'm hoping it is just residual effects of the virus I had back in July or possibly, anxiety. Hopefully, I'll receive some answers soon--it always shocks me how long it takes to receive certain test results!

And that's it--a drive-by posting today! I am going to be taking a blog break for most of September so, if you don't hear from me on your blogs or through email, please don't worry. I will be working on my September ornament and a charming design by Scarlett House in the meantime. Thank you for all of your kind comments on my previous post--so glad you enjoyed my travel photos from New York and Maryland. I never know whether you'll be interested in them or not, but since this blog serves as a sort of journal of my simple life, I just include them anyway. Wishing each of you a beautiful month ahead! Bye for now...

Christmas stitching as Spring approaches

Greetings on what was a sunny (but quite chilly!) last day of February! I always love having this "extra" day every four years, don't you? And to those of you born on February 29th--I bet you especially love it! Can you believe March begins tomorrow? February was a good month here--I felt we got a lot accomplished around the house. So many projects that we've procrastinated about for years are done--the main one being the wallpaper removal in our bedroom. My husband painted our bedroom last weekend and it's so wonderful to have the old wallpaper and chair rail gone and the room looking brighter and refreshed. It really gives me a lift when projects like this are finished. Next up? The dining room! I've been saying that for at least five years now, but that red paint in there has to go. I need something lighter and airier in my life right now rather than the red walls that were so popular for kitchens and dining rooms twenty years ago. 

Unfortunately, due to all of the house projects, my stitching time has been limited. I did manage to get my two ornaments finished for February and March, though. My taste in ornaments is very eclectic--have you noticed that? Last month, I stitched that elegant wreath with the cardinals and the two I have to show you today are just plain fun and whimsical. For February, I stitched yet another Crocette a Gogò design--the little gingerbread boy from the "Christmas Green Chic" pattern. I had a small scrap of a mystery sage green 40 ct. linen left and thought he would look perfect on it. I used most of the suggested DMC colors, but changed the gingerbread boy himself to DMC 167 and chose to use DMC 816 for all of the reds. A simple sage green cording and a row of rusty bells sewn to the bottom finishes him off quite nicely. He is very small--the finished pillow is just 3 inches square!

Too cute to eat! A new gingerbread boy ornament for February.

March's ornament is a bit larger even though I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana. This is "First Snow" by Annie Beez Folk Art and I actually used all of the suggested DMC colors (for a change!). I just love that little snowman head she used to represent the letter "O" in the word SNOW. The ornament is surrounded by cording in the same green I used for the pine needles (DMC 580) and the fabric you see on the larger circle is wool felt. I thought the green and cream checkered bow topped it off nicely. I did move around/add some snowflakes to achieve the round ornament I desired.

My finish of "First Snow" by Annie Beez Folk Art

I've had questions as to how I finish the back of this type of round ornament... Very simple! I just cut out a round piece of wool felt (in a coordinating color) to cover the area and use some spray glue to carefully press it in place (spray the piece of felt with the glue--not the ornament back). Below is what it ends up looking like. I do this to save both time and money on supplies. I'm not fond of bulky ornaments which happens when you add yet another covered fabric round to the back.

The felt covered back on my round ornament finish. Simple, but effective!

 

One additional ornament was sent out as a gift to a special friend who has a family member dealing with a very rare health issue. I just wanted to bring a smile to her face as she and her family deal with a very scary and worrisome situation. This is one you've seen before--a small motif from Madame Chantilly's "Celebrate Winter." It's stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle with some added snowflakes to shape it into an oval ornament. I love the little polka-dot bow and brass bell and so did the recipient. Thinking of you, my sweet friend--and sending caring hugs and prayers your way!

I love this motif of the sweet bird perched on the white house and have now stitched it four times!

The only other new things I "made" this month, were some tasty mini-Bundt cakes for my middle son's girlfriend's birthday on Monday. I didn't know what to bake, but decided on these cute little chocolate cakes using the recipe found right here. They were very rich and I could only eat half of mine! I used sour cream in this recipe, but I'll use buttermilk the next time as they were a bit dry for my taste. The recipe made 12, but I halved it for the four of us. Of course, whipped cream and fresh raspberries hopped on to the plate, too! Doesn't this little Bundt cake look pretty?

One of the Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes for a birthday celebration

 

I had a wonderful trip down memory lane this past weekend. We were invited by friends to attend a musical tribute to Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday. I thought it was just going to be a selection of some of the musical numbers, but it turned out to be almost the entire play, dialogue and all! As soon as the orchestra began to play the first few notes, I was immediately transported back to my high school auditorium where our drama club performed Fiddler on the Roof to standing ovations in March of 1972. Imagine that... over fifty years ago and I could still remember (almost) every word to every song. I was one of the "villagers" in the play--no speaking part (heavens, I was way to shy even back then!). The villagers sang as a chorus, did a few (very minor) dance steps, and simply "created magic" as our director wrote in a letter to each of us after our play was over.  I smiled wistfully throughout most of the production on Saturday night as I remembered my high school friends who acted in the play with me and all the fun we had during those rehearsals so many years ago. I also got a bit teary-eyed during the very sad parts as the villagers are forced from their homes in the little town of Anatevka by the Russians (the very same thing that is happening in Ukraine today).  Anyway, it was a night I'll never forget...

I'm thrilled to report that my youngest son and his girlfriend returned safely from their vacation in Oman with glowing reviews. He said one of the best things was that where they were staying was within a two-hour drive of the mountains, the beach, or the desert. In fact, they even spent a night in the desert at a remote camp. I have since learned that Oman is considered the "Switzerland of the Middle East" due to it's neutrality so I guess I had nothing to worry about concerning their safety after all, did I? But, a mother always worries--even when her "baby" is 35 years old!

A beautiful view of the sun over the sand dunes in Oman sent by my youngest son

 

We've had a couple of huge rainstorms this past month and when that happens, we get what we call "the second pond," in our back yard. Oh, the deer just love to come visit it to get a drink of water and romp and splash through the giant puddle. Here they are with white tails flashing danger after they spotted me walking toward them... There were actually nine deer in the yard at that time, but the rest are out of the photo frame. I think that's the most we've ever seen at one time! Now, do you understand why growing flowers or vegetables outside of a fenced in area is impossible in this area?

The deer romping through the water in our "second pond" that forms after heavy rains.

 

And I saw my first robin of Spring last week--always such a joyous and welcome sight! Although this hasn't been a hard winter here, I still look forward to the beauty of spring--the longer daylight hours, the pretty pastel flowers, the smell of the fresh air wafting through open windows. Ahhh... I spotted these two new With Thy Needle and Thread designs last week (when I was buying some overdyed threads online) and I just couldn't resist them. How about you, are you buying/stitching anything fun for Spring? 

Two new additions to my Spring stitching line-up!

 

I want to thank you for your visit today! I'm so glad when I see your comments pop up letting me know who has stopped by... Thank you, each and every one, for your very kind emails and your words in the comment section. I do appreciate each of you--I hope you know that! Wishing you a wonderful March ahead filled with warmer days and lots of sunshine. Bye for now...

Welcome, March!

A new year begins...

January is half over and I haven't even popped in to wish you all a Happy New Year yet! I hope your 2023 is off to a great start... All is fine here and tomorrow I'll be celebrating yet another birthday. How can that be? It feels as though I just wrote about my 67th birthday and here I am 365 days later... Yes, I'm turning 68 tomorrow--just two years left until the big one! I've received some lovely birthday gifts and cards which I'll share with you in my next post. Today, I want to concentrate on the last of my stitching for 2022--the gifts I sent to friends around the world. As I've said, many times, I so wish I could send out more gifts, but I am only human. Perhaps if I could exist on two hours of sleep each night? Anyway... I hope you enjoy these and, perhaps, get some inspiration for stitching gifts of your own.

This JBW Designs star is from a chart called "French Country Ornaments." I left off the word "star" that was on the original chart and finished it as a simple round ornament. This one is stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle linen with one strand of Sulky thread 1169 (which is similar in color to DMC 221). I made some cording using DMC 221 and added a gingham bow and gold star charm to the bottom of the ornament.

JBW Designs "French Country Ornaments"

 

The Prairie Schooler deer design is one I've stitched before--a couple of times in fact! It is from the 1998 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine and is called "Two by Two: Deer." It was stitched on a piece of 40 ct. mystery linen with the suggested DMC colors. Again, I made some cording and added a gingham bow (have you noticed how much I love little gingham bows?!).

Prairie Schooler "Two by Two: Deer"

This pair of Prairie Schooler Santas will also look familiar as they among my favorites to stitch for gifts. I've stitched this one at least six times, I think! One of these was a Christmas gift, one was a thank you gift and, I'm happy to say, both were very well received. This Santa is from the Prairie Schooler "Kris Kringle" (book no. 62) and was finished into an oval. I believe these were stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen--not quite sure as I forgot to write it down.

Prairie Schooler "Kris Kringle" (book no. 62)

Another design that I've stitched several times before is the JBW Designs "Christmas Motif Sampler II." These are such fun pieces to stitch with all the miniature motifs charted to form a Christmas tree. I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. Victorian green Lugana using DMC 3865. I did make one change and substituted another bunny for the deer that was charted underneath the tree. I liked the symmetry of the two rabbits facing each other (of course!). The two-toned cording and satin bow finished it off quite nicely, don't you think?

JBW Designs "Christmas Motif Sampler II"

This sweet cardinal stitched on black is one of my favorites! He is from the Plum Pudding Needleart "Winter's Song" chart. For this one, I used 28 ct. black Monaco and the suggested DMC colors. Such a cheerful little ornament!

Plum Pudding Needleart "Winter's Song"

My final stitched gifts were made into cards for various friends. The three on the right you'll recognize because I stitched that design for my November 2022 ornament, too. It is by Heart In Hand and is called "Pocket Round: December 25." It's stitched on 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha Newcastle using a mixture of DMC and overdyed threads. The pink design (using DMC 3326) is a freebie from L'R de rien which you can find right here. I used 40 ct. white Newcastle to make it small enough to fit into the card opening. Finally, the card on the bottom left may look familiar because it is a smaller version of my ornament from December (which you can find more information about here). It is a sweet motif from Madame Chantilly's "Celebrate Winter" chart  and is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using most of the suggested DMC colors.

 Stitched cards sent to friends around the world

 

Last, but certainly not least--I stitched an ornament for my 2 1/2 year old grandson's third Christmas. I thought this Annie Beez Folk Art design was so adorable with that cute snowman trying to sell his wagon full of snowballs for 5 cents each! It is part 4 of her "Snowy 9 Patch" designs. The original had a square red zig-zag border, but I wanted a round ornament so I gave the poor one-armed snowman another arm and left off the border. This was the first time I had stitched on the 32 ct. petit point raw/white Belfast linen and, to my surprise, I rather enjoyed it! The coverage of the white printed dots was quite good using two strands of thread. I stitched Mister B's name "over one" using black DMC thread and it looks so cute. For privacy, though, I've covered up most of the name.

Annie Beez Folk Art "Snowy 9 Patch" (block 4)

And here is a photo of the little elf himself "fixing" the tree at our belated Christmas celebration last Sunday in Maryland. He rearranged the ornaments many, many times as you can imagine! I just can't get over how tall he has grown--very "long and lean" as they say. What a change from the little baby shown in this photo on his very first Christmas back in 2020!

Santa's little helper--Mister B!

Thank goodness I snapped a photo of him in his Santa suit early on as that hat didn't last long! Here he is again with Nonna and Pompaw before opening presents. We had such a fun morning watching him open his gifts! He was so excited over each and every little thing (well, except for the clothes--ha ha!). My youngest son and his girlfriend were also able to join us as they live just 40 minutes away from my grandson and his family in the heart of Washington, DC. We all enjoyed  a tasty brunch of blueberry pancakes, French toast casserole, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and orange juice before opening gifts. I'm already looking forward to next Christmas when everyone will be here!

Belated Christmas in Maryland

I meant to share the following photos with you in my last post, but it slipped my mind. After I take the "Parade of Ornaments" pictures each year, I move my dozen new ornaments to my Christmas tree. But, I certainly don't want to leave the stairway garland bare so I've begun filling it with ornaments I have been given over the years. Some are from long ago friends who no longer blog, some are from current stitchers and Instagram friends. Chances are, if you've ever sent me an ornament--it is on this garland. I love seeing these beautiful reminders of stitching friendships that started from the time I began blogging in 2009. Thank you one and all--these mean so much to me!

Ornaments from stitching friends around the world!

 

Giveaway winner... Thank you for joining in on the fun and answering the last "Getting to Know You" question! I enjoyed reading about your goals and resolutions for this new year. So far, I'm not doing very well on my goal of getting out of bed earlier--it's just too cold! I want to snuggle under the covers and read the morning away! I hope you are all achieving your own goals a bit better...  I had several entries for the Waxing Moon winter chart and the winner is...

Kathy H. from New Hampshire

Kathy H.--you are the winner of the "Winter Things" chart. Please email me with your address and I'll get the chart off to you this week!

If you are a Christmas ornament stitcher, you may wish to join me in my #12in23ornament stitch along over on Instagram. The goal is to stitch and finish one ornament each month in order to have a dozen new ornaments for your tree (or to give as gifts) by year's end. It's so much fun to see the cute finishes from stitchers around the world each month and it's a wonderful way to "meet" new stitching friends. No need to sign up--just add the hashtag #12in23ornamentstitchalong to your ornament posts on Instagram. This is our third year creating ornaments for the stitch along and we'd love to have you join us!

A new year--a new ornament stitch along begins!

 

My views on January have definitely changed over the past few years... I used to hate the month and dread the way its gray days and cold nights seemed to drag on forever. But now I relish the peace and quiet of the month after the hustle-bustle of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy the soft blues and whites in my more limited decorations and I truly enjoy the extra time I have to stitch, read, and just putter around the house. Who else loves to putter (or potter as they say in England!)? There is nothing better than a day with no outside commitments where you can just stay inside and do whatever makes you smile! So, January--forgive me... for so long I viewed you as my least favorite month. Now you've jumped near the top of the list! 

My grandma's dough bowl is filled with lots of pale blue and white ornaments and is sitting on a vintage quilt from my husband's family. The whole vignette makes for a cozy winter scene on our kitchen table this month!

And that wraps up the first post of the new year! Did you know that January 24th will mark the 14th anniversary of my blog? The world of blogging has seen many changes since I began "Stitching Dreams" in 2009, hasn't it? Reading blogs has definitely become less popular, but I still view it as my primary connection to cross stitchers. The relationships formed are stronger and much less superficial than those made on other social media platforms. So, thank you--each one of you, who has left a comment or sent an email my way because of "Stitching Dreams." You've touched my life in such wonderful ways. Here's to another year of successful blogging and stitching--I hope you'll join me! Bye for now...

Fall finishes and helping out a stitching friend

Happy October to you! October is one of my favorite months of the year and it's been a great month, weatherwise, so far. We started off with cooler, wet weather, but the past five days have been just perfect. My heart goes out to all of you in the Carolinas, though--such devastation from the rains and floods and broken dams. Oh my--it is just heartbreaking to watch the news coverage... 

Well, I've had  more stitching time lately as I continue to recover from the bone bruise on my left foot. When you hear the word "bruise," it doesn't sound serious, but a bone bruise is very different than a bruise suffered on your arm or leg when you hit it on something.  The pain is much more severe and can last months. I've been following the RICE treatment plan: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation and it seems to be working. It's been three weeks now, and the pain is subsiding, just leaving me with a bit of tenderness and swelling. I so miss my daily treadmill workouts, but they will have to wait until I am completely healed. I've just begun riding a stationary bike for a bit of exercise this week and it feels so good to be doing something physical again! I have been able to work and my new odd gait as I hobble across the floors at the library has earned me a new nickname: "The Limping Librarian!" Hopefully, by my next post, I'll be feeling significantly better.

I have a few finishes to show you today and the first is a big one (for me anyway!). I finished the Prairie Schooler Band Sampler (Tall Oaks) from Book No. 40 that I showed you in my previous post. Isn't it pretty for this time of year? I'll be framing this one--eventually! All of you know, I'm much better at finishing smalls, than getting larger pieces framed!

Prairie Schooler's Band Sampler (Tall Oaks)

I just love all of the squirrels in this piece--the two little guys holding their acorns below the tree, the wild looking giant squirrel climbing up to the top of the tree and the two tinier squirrels scampering away in the bottom border.

I did make a couple of changes to the piece. Notice the vacant space above the two squirrels under the tree? That was supposed to be personalized with my initials and year. I really loved the empty look, though--I think it gives the eyes a place to rest. So, I simply stitched my initials and the year 2015 discreetly at the bottom of the sampler. I also changed the color of the acorns to DMC 3045 so they would more resemble acorns in my part of the country.

One of the reasons this piece is so special to me is because of this tree:

It is an oak tree--the only oak tree in our yard--and the story behind it is one that most mothers will appreciate. It all started one day back in the mid-80s when my oldest son was about 3 or 4 years old and he noticed a teeny tiny sapling that had sprung from an acorn (probably carried over by a squirrel from one of our neighbors giant oak trees) growing right beside the parking place in our driveway. He basically claimed the tree as his own--it fascinated him and he enjoyed watching it grow year by year. The oak sapling soon became too large to remain in its place right beside the driveway so we moved it to the front yard. When we totally remodeled our home almost 20 years ago, we had a decision to make: should we cut down the tree or move it? With the pictures of my son and his love for that tree  in our minds, we chose to pay to have it moved to its present location in the back yard. It is now about 30 years old, growing straight and strong and every time I look at it, I am reminded of the saying "Tall trees from little acorns grow" and of one very dear little boy.

A couple of blogging friends recently celebrated birthdays and I wanted to stitch them something special. To my friend Lois in Northern Ireland, I sent a small pillow as a token of our friendship. This is a design by Annie Beez Folk Art and is appropriately called "Such Friendship." Stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle with a mix of overyded and DMC colors, I just love its simple message and I hope it conveys to Lois just how much I treasure our friendship!

I made a wee pillow so she can set it on her mantle or bookshelf or place it in a bowl full of other small gifts. It is backed with the fabric shown behind it and finished off with just a bit of lace and some handmade cording.

"Such Friendship" finish

And for one of my very first blogging friends, Myra, I made this cute Halloween witch. Yes, you've seen it before--this is the third time I've stitched her, but I never get tired of that cute little face! The design is from Mary Garry's "Seasonal Mementos" booklet and is stitched on 32 ct. bay leaf linen with the suggested DMC colors. (And aren't those autumn hued mums in the background pretty? A nice "get well" gift from my oldest son and his girlfriend after my oral surgery last month). Myra loves anything Halloweeny and I know this gift will fit right in with her decorating this month!

Mary Garry's "Seasonal Mementos" witch

Helping out one of our own... Have you ever asked yourself, what you would take from your home if you had to leave suddenly? For me, it would be my family photos and my giant box of stitched Christmas ornaments. But, what if you could take nothing? What if you had to vacate suddenly and leave everything behind. Well, this is what one of my long-time blogging friends faced recently. Cindy and I bonded over our love of stitching smalls--especially Christmas ornaments and we've exchanged both birthday and Christmas gifts over the past six years. This summer, when Cindy kept getting sicker and sicker, she found that her apartment was contaminated with a deadly black mold and, to save her life, she had to leave literally everything behind and move out. You see, the black mold spores can spread everywhere and, you guessed it, all of her stitching fabrics, threads, charts, finishes, and gifts had to be thrown away. Can you imagine? Cindy has posted about the black mold problem and is attempting to do her part to shine awareness on just how serious it can be. You can read all about it in  her post.

Would you like to help? As soon as I received her email about this crisis, I began putting together a care package for Cindy of charts, threads, handmade cording, fabrics, and a gift card to Joann's and sent it to her last week. She was so touched and since then, I've had others asking me for her address because they want to help her re-build her stash, too. Would you like to help, too? If so, please email me (my address is in the sidebar--just click on the little girl with the black cat in my profile to find it) and I will send you Cindy's new address. Stitchers are such generous folks and I know she would appreciate any bit of help--even a skein of DMC in an envelope would be appreciated. And if you can't help by sending a little something, please keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming her way... Right now, Cindy is focused on getting her health back and returning to work. I really think receiving little care packages from the stitching community would go a long way toward helping her recover, don't you?

And here I thought this was going to be a short post! Ha! I always love October for another big reason, too, and that is that I'll be going to my annual stitching retreat in a couple of weeks. Just five friends sitting, chatting, eating, and stitching for 3 days--what could be better? This year, we are taking a break from making each other anything--it's just been a crazy year for some of us (do you think I'm one of them?!) and it will be really nice to just show up and enjoy myself without worrying about getting four gifts finished up...  Until next time, happy stitching, my friends, and thank you all for your much appreciated comments and email! Bye for now...