January musings

Well, this has certainly been one frigid month, hasn't it? I'm hoping that when February arrives the tide will turn and things will begin to warm up... It does make for good stitching weather, but I've found it hard to settle lately. The world seems to be spinning out of control lately and even my stitching doesn't  seem to be helping relieve the stress. So few stitches have been added lately...

The finishes I'm going to share with you today were all stitched and given away as Christmas gifts in December. Thankfully, all arrived safely and in good time. After much thought, I've come to the decision that I won't be exchanging stitched gifts any longer. To be honest--I'm simply getting older and my eyes are as well. I just don't stitch as quickly as I used to and what extras I do stitch, I'd like to be for my family. I truly hope everyone understands--and may even be a bit relieved! I've received so many wonderful gifts over the past 17 years since I began blogging--from all over the world: the U.S. and Canada, of course, but also England, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, The Czech Republic, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa! Amazing, how a simple hobby like cross stitch can draw us together. We may not speak the same languages, but we speak the language of needle, thread, and fabric--one tiny thread  on a blank canvas that starts out as a single stitch and grows into a beautiful design. I'm so thankful for each of the gifts my fellow stitchers have sent me since I began my blog on January 24, 2009 (17 years ago tomorrow!). But, I'm even more thankful for the friendships!

Many of these designs are ones I've stitched for myself in the past, including this first one. I'll post the details on each finish in the caption underneath the photos...

"Joys of Christmas" by The Drawn Thread stitched on 28 ct. dirty linen. Love the two-colored cording and teeny buttons on the snowman!

 

"Good Tidings to You" by The Sampler Girl (found in the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine). I stitched this one "over one" on 28 ct. tea dyed Monaco with DMC threads (I changed the red to DMC 221).

 

Prairie Schooler's "A Christmas Visit" (Book No. 48). I stitched this sunflower Santa on 40 ct. vintage country mocha with the suggested DMC threads. 

 

This cutie gingerbread boy card is by Crocette a Gogò from the chart called "Christmas Green Chic." I also stitched this one in 2024 and made it into an ornament which you can read about here. 

 

Peace and Noel from Hands on Design's "Oh, Christmas Three" chart made into greeting cards. They're both done "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana.

 

A trio of charming cardinals, stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha are from "Christmas Advent Calendar" by Crocette a Gogò. She also has some wonderful free charts on her website right here.

 

For my 5-year-old grandson, Mister B, I made this cute dinosaur sporting a Santa cap. He is stitched "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana with the suggested DMC threads. The chart is one I found on Etsy (right here) by MaxStitchesArt and is called "Christmas Velociraptor."

 

And I know you'll recognize this gingerbread boy ornament--I think I must have stitched it at least 10 times now! It is from the JBW Design's chart called "Baby's First Christmas." I changed up the colors a bit and stitched it on 32 ct. black Belfast linen. This was for my youngest grandson and is always my go-to gift for new baby boys.

  

 

Shoulder replacement surgery update... Thank you to all who wished my husband well on his right shoulder replacement surgery which took place on January 5th. The surgery itself was supposed to last 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the 3rd hour wrapped up, I was beginning to worry that I hadn't heard from the doctor yet! About 15 minutes later, the doctor finally appeared in the waiting room to say everything was fine. She explained that it took longer than normal because "the component was larger than expected." WHAT?! I can just picture them scrambling around to find the "right size component" for my husband's shoulder! Anyway, he's been home recovering for over two weeks now--and, like most men, he is a very "impatient patient." At times I feel like I'm having to tell a toddler "no!" "No, you can't go shovel the driveway," "No, you can't do a spin on the exercise bike," "No, you can't lift that heavy pan!" You get the idea... 

He received some much appreciated and extremely thoughtful gifts during his recovery. For those of you who are looking to do something special for someone who is recovering from surgery, any of these would make fine gifts. It looks like a lot of food, but my youngest son had driven up from D.C. to assist us that first week and he certainly helped gobble everything up very quickly! 

The dried fruit tray on a bamboo cutting board was a gift from his old office and came from 1-800-baskets.com. The wonderful fruit and chocolate tray came from a former coworker from Edible Arrangements. And the containers of chicken noodle soup and yummy rolls and cookies came from my youngest sister and her husband from Spoonful of Comfort. All were just wonderful! 

Another trip around the sun... Yes, I'm a year older! After all that worrying when I turned 70, I'm happy to say I survived my first year in my '70s just fine. My 71st (how can that be?!) birthday on the 16th was very quiet this year since my husband was recovering from his surgery. My middle son came over that evening and picked up pizza on the way so I wouldn't have to cook. I received some wonderful cross stitch charts and linen, gift cards to a restaurant, Etsy, and 123 Stitch, and a box filled with a dozen tasty chocolate-covered strawberries. But, the very best gift of all (in my eyes) was the fact that my dear husband, one-handedly, made cupcakes so I would have a sweet treat. Now, in our nearly 49 years of marriage, I don't think he's ever baked a cupcake--and for him to do so while recovering from shoulder surgery truly touched my heart. They were so good--chocolate (made from scratch!) with peanut butter frosting (I did make the frosting and decorate them for him as he couldn't use the mixer or pipe the frosting with one hand). For me, it's always been the simple gestures like this that have meant the most in our marriage. How about you? 

My 71st birthday and still smiling :) 

The best thing about growing older has been experiencing being a grandmother. The joy that Mister B and Baby N have brought me is almost indescribable. They just love me for me! Even if I appear on FaceTime with rumpled bedhead hair still in my pj's--they still smile and seem excited to see me and my heart just melts. 

Grandma stage--the best stage in life!

Time does pass by way too quickly in our older years, doesn't it? As kids, we were always anxious to get to our next birthday or next milestone, but when you're older, you only wish for time to slow down. I'm still in awe of the many changes a baby goes through in that twelve month period before the first birthday. From helpless blobs to rolling over to sitting to crawling to standing to those first hesitant steps. It's quite a miracle, really. I'm so blessed to still be here to witness these sweet boys growing up!

Baby N turned 8 months old this month

 

Mister B instructing Baby N in the fine art of car racing!

So, what's on my agenda for the last week of January? Would you believe I still have my Christmas tree and outdoor lights up?! That is a new record for me, for sure. I've so enjoyed the light from them this month, but it's time... I'm not going to turn into one of "those" neighbors :) So, after the last bit of Christmas is tucked away, I plan to do some cleaning out of closets and drawers. Who am I kidding that I'll ever wear those clothes from fifteen years ago that no longer fit? I hope you enjoy this final week of what always seems to be a long, dull month. Take care now--especially those of you who are in the path of the ice and snow storm that is forecast here in the U.S. A foot of snow is expected in our region--we'll see how accurate the weather service is this time! Thank you all for stopping by to say "hello!" Bye for now...

♪♫♪ Noel, Noel ♪♫♪

Well, I'm back with one last finish for 2024--and it's probably my biggest! May I present the lovely "Noel Sampler" by With Thy Needle and Thread. Now, I'm not much of a sampler stitcher, but this one really caught my eye with that beautiful red house, the noble looking deer, and the tiny figures. It is stitched on 40 ct. porcelain Newcastle linen with most of the suggested threads. I love that this piece used only DMC threads! I did darken up some of the snowflakes and made a few of the letters either darker or lighter than charted so they would show up better on my chosen linen. 

"Noel Sampler" designed by With Thy Needle and Thread

Don't you love a nice red house at Christmas time?

The main change I made to this finish, was to stitch an entire family down at the bottom left instead of just a man and woman. I chose to stitch three little boys instead of the trees that were charted to represent my three sons. No, they're not triplets--I just made them the same size because it was easier :) Today, as young men of 42, 39, and 36, they are all about the same height with my middle son being just a bit taller than his brothers. I did give them hair color to represent each, though--the oldest has the darkest hair, the middle the lightest, and the youngest has hair in a nice shade of brown.  I also chose to stitch our dear all black cat, Shadow, instead of the dog that was charted. Shadow was my sons' steadfast companion for 14 years and such an integral part of our daily lives and holidays. He was a huge guy weighing in at 20 pounds--not overweight, just giant! The veterinarian once told me he could double as a black panther if anyone was making a movie.

My little family. I was the only girl--even the cat was male!

Below is a collage of three photos from the early 1990s  of my three boys with their beloved Shadow cat. 

Such wonderful memories of Christmas in the early '90s!

I truly love how this sampler turned out and hope to have it professionally framed. It may actually stay up on my wall year-round... We'll see! Do any of you leave out Christmas stitching all year? It seems a shame to put these big pieces away for eleven months of the year after all that hard work. 

As you know, this was the year of my plan to stitch some larger pieces for Christmas in addition to the small ornaments that I'm usually sharing with you. I'm happy to say that I finished five larger pieces this year! Would you like a recap? If you'd like more information on what fabric or threads were used, just click on the title for each one.

"REINDEER GAMES"

In April, I finished "Reindeer Games" by Erica Michaels. Such a fun and unique design!

"CHRISTMAS IS COMING"

In May, I completed "Christmas is Coming" by Shakespeare's Peddler. I just love stitching words so this one was a real treat.

"SANTA STOPS HERE"

August brought the darling "Santa Stops Here" by With Thy Needle and Thread. The colors and charming house made this one a joy to stitch!

"GLAD TIDINGS"

And in November, I finished "Glad Tidings" by The Drawn Thread. The silk threads I used added such depth to the color in this piece.

So, which one is your favorite? Oh, this is a hard choice for me, I truly love them all! Two are quite whimsical, two are very classic, and the fifth is just plain sweet. However, those darling stocking-capped birds in the Drawn Thread "Glad Tidings" finish have captured my heart so I'll pick that one. Now to get them finished and up on my wall by next Christmas. Wish me luck! You all know I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to framing pieces. 

Seven days left until Christmas... I can hardly believe it. I still haven't sent out cards and also have shopping to do. But, because we'll be having a belated Christmas celebration with my grandson in January (he'll be in Texas with his mom's side of the family on Christmas Day), I feel like I have a bit more time on my side. Tomorrow, I will work on my cards and finish decorating my tree. I'm finally getting my energy back after that prolonged virus--almost three weeks of feeling yukky. Thank you all so much for your well wishes in my last post. It sounds like this virus is making the rounds in all parts of the U.S. and I hope it's gone for good soon! Anyway, thank you so very much for stopping by during this busy time of year--I do love hearing from you. Take care now, my friends. I'll be back one last time before Christmas. Bye for now...

A sweet Christmas finish and a visit to France

Hello, all! How is November treating you? What is everyone up to this month? We'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner here on the 28th for a much smaller group than normal ("only" 14), so that is occupying much of my time. I've been busy cleaning, decorating, pulling the menu together, grocery shopping, and doing some baking ahead of time. I'm really trying to scale the dinner back this year for one simple reason--I'm getting old! I'll be 70 (gasp) in January and although my spirit is willing, I just don't have the stamina or energy that I used to have. I really hope everyone understands that things will be simpler. I've already asked our guests to bring a dish or two and everyone is very willing. (To be honest, I think they're just relieved not to be hosting it in their homes :) But, even with my busy month, I've still found time to stitch every day--it really does help with stress, doesn't it?

Last year I made plans to stitch and finish some larger Christmas pieces in 2024 and I've done pretty well. Are any of them fully finished/framed yet? Well...no. But, at least they're stitched! I'll do a little recap of the ones I've done over the past eleven months soon, but for now, I wanted to share my latest finish, this charming Drawn Thread design called "Good Tidings." I just loved everything about this piece as soon as I saw it... the pine needles, scattered snowflakes, the colors, and especially those sweet stocking-capped birds.

"Good Tidings" by The Drawn Thread

Isn't it darling? I stitched "Good Tidings" on 32 ct.  Wichelt Tumbleweed using most of the suggested Dinky Dyes and NPI silks. For the birds beaks and legs, I substituted DMC 3828.

This piece is stitched with silk threads--a real pleasure to work with!

All of those individual pine needles took a while to stitch as did the Smyrna stitched snowflakes scattered everywhere, but I love the final result. Here is a close-up of one of the sweet birds and some of the pine needles.

The little pearl star button on the bird's cap is so sweet, don't you think?

I'd like to find a pretty white driftwood-like frame for this one, but it will have to wait for next year. I'm just too busy right now preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This piece, on 32 ct. fabric, is not huge--it measures 10 1/2 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches high, but it's so much larger than one of my typical ornaments, that it's going into my "big Christmas finish" category!

I'm working on finishing up one last big Christmas piece for this year along with my final two ornaments for 2024--hope to have those ready to share with you very soon!

Giveaway winner... There were several stitchers who put their names in the hat for the cute Cats & Quilts autumn chart that I offered in my last post. And, drum roll please...  the winner's name is:

Lee (in Michigan)

Congratulations, Lee! I hope you enjoy stitching this one... Please send me your mailing address and I'll get this right out to you. (My email is in the right sidebar under "A Bit About Me.") If you didn't win, please keep an eye on this space as I'll be offering another giveaway soon!

So, let's continue our Rhine River cruise, shall we? This week we are going to France--my first ever visit! I wish we had had more time to spend in the first stop, but another tour was scheduled for the afternoon. So, the morning tour felt very rushed. Still, it was a visit we'll always remember in the beautiful city of...

Strasbourg, France 

Strasbourg is located right on the border between France and Germany. In fact, our ship docked in Germany and then we took a bus ride the short distance to Strasbourg. The city itself is large (over 300,000 people), but, of course, we only saw a bit of it. Below are some of my favorite sights--hope you enjoy them, too! (All pictures are clickable for a closer look).

Loved the beautiful city hall with the French flags flying and the words "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" emblazoned on the front

The steeply pitched roofs containing tiny dormer windows are typical of this region of France.

One can't visit Strasbourg without touring the gothic Strasbourg Cathedral. The prettiest pink sandstone was used in the construction of this beauty. The oldest portion of the cathedral that remains (the crypt) was built in the year 1015. Since then it has grown in size to become one of the most visited cathedrals in the world. French author, Victor Hugo, described it as "a skillful combination of monumental size and delicateness"--a perfect description, indeed!

One of the cathedral's entranceways features a red door and intricately carved figures.

A close-up of the beautifully carved entrance

 

A view from the side showcases the many spires and arches

The soaring nave with the organ in the upper left

The Rose Window and the impressive organ (on the right). The cathedral's many stained glass windows were seized  by Hitler's men during WWII. Thankfully, they were discovered in a German salt mine in 1945 by American soldiers and returned to their rightful home in Strasbourg. The 2014 movie "The Monuments Men" describes the rescue of the Strasbourg stained glass along with countless other art treasures (from all over Europe) that had been stolen by the Nazis.

This is the third astronomical clock housed by the Strasbourg Cathedral. It was installed in 1843 and features a planetary dial, sculptures of Christ and his apostles, along with sweet cherubs. When the rooster crows, the apostles move around the clock.

A few close-ups--the sweet cherubs were my favorites!

The stunning altar and the "Pillar of Angels" which dates from the 13th century. Such beautifully carved figurines and angels!

After we toured the cathedral, we wandered outside and passed a statue of Johannes Gutenberg next to a lovely old carousel. What is a statue of Gutenberg, a native of Germany, doing in Strasbourg? Well, it was in Strasbourg that he perfected the secret of printing (in 1440) that led to the invention of the moveable-type printing press that would change the world and the way information was shared.

The Johannes Gutenberg statue in Strasbourg.

The formerly blue skies became increasingly cloudy as we walked down to La Petite France, a lovely area of cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and beautiful canals. I so wish we could have spent more time there wandering the old streets. 

I felt like I was in a storybook!

Notice the grey clouds looming and the raindrops starting to fall on the canal

Umbrellas started popping up as the rain worsened.

As the cloud cover became more dense and the rain increased, we began making our way back to the bus to return to the ship, when... OH, MY! An epic hail storm began pelting us with pea-sized hail that stung any part of our body that wasn't covered. We hadn't brought umbrellas (reminder to self: always bring an umbrella when out on tour!) and our shoes and pants got completely soaked as we rushed to the meeting point for the bus. Once we got to the town square we then had to wait until the bus came to pick us up while it continued hailing the entire time. It was probably only ten or 15 minutes, but it seemed more like an hour! It was certainly an experience we'll never forget--have any of you been outside in a hail storm? It was shocking just how much those little ice pellets hurt--I'm so very thankful that the hail wasn't larger. My sister took the photo below of the hail collecting on top of one of the awnings of a restaurant and falling on the ground to the right--amazing how quickly it piled up!

Hail, hail everywhere!

Thankfully, we had packed extra pairs of shoes! We certainly needed them for our afternoon tour when we ventured behind the scenes at the...

MAGINOT LINE:

Four-à-Chaux Fortress, Limbach France

When you think of visiting France, I doubt that visiting a portion of the Maginot Line is what comes to mind, is it?  But this was actually a part of the trip that I was especially looking forward to. Am I weird? As an avid reader of WWII historical novels, I had often seen references to the Maginot Line and I was anxious to see part of it in person to get a better idea of what those brave soldiers experienced as they defended France against the Nazis. The 280 mile long Maginot Line was built in the 1930s to deter invaders and force them to go around the line. It included a series of mine fields, bunkers, gun batteries, and underground fortresses like the one we toured.

The soldiers' entrance at Four-à-Chaux Fortress

We entered through the artillery entrance... down, down, down steep ramps into the complex that was nearly 82 feet underground.

The temperature dropped noticeably as we descended into the darkness and the whole complex had a damp, eerie feel to it. Nearly 600 men manned the fortress at any given time, but were usually on a two week rotation. I can see why! Just spending an hour in that dimly lit, chilly, and humid space left me itching to see daylight again.

The fortress (shown in the map above that still hangs on the walls in the old logistics room) consisted of six combat blocks that covered nearly 75 acres of land and almost 3 miles of underground passageways. The small portion we toured was in Block 2 which had been refurbished after being badly damaged by Nazi troops after they seized the forts of the Maginot Line.

Each block was like a small community and contained a hospital, kitchen, bunk rooms, toilet/shower rooms as well as all of the communications and operations centers.

Throughout the tour, mannequins in uniform occupied the main areas.

I'm not sure I'd want this doctor performing surgery on me!

The communication room with two soldiers at the ready

This old Mickey Mouse themed piece was sketched above one of the sinks and is now covered with a piece of clear acrylic to help preserve it. I wonder if the soldier who drew it survived the war?

Just one of the huge and impressive pieces of artillery used to defend France.

Such an interesting glimpse into history! I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting the Strasbourg area. 

On our bus ride back to the ship, this pretty scene caught my eye.

As we sailed to our next port that evening, we were treated to this beautiful sunset while we were enjoying dinner. As soon as she spotted it, my sister ran up to the top deck and captured this lovely photo.

So, that concludes this leg of our journey... Next time we'll travel to one last location in Germany before heading to Switzerland. Hope you can join me! Thanks so much for visiting "Stitching Dreams" today and for your kind comments and emails. A reminder to any of you who have questions for me, please use my email (found in the sidebar under "A Bit About Me"), to ask them. Most of you are anonymous commenters and I have no way of replying to you unless I have your email. I'm not sure if I'll be back again before Thanksgiving, but I'll try! Bye for now...