2023 Parade of Ornaments

Greetings! And a warm welcome to the Stitching Dreams annual parade of ornaments! Can you believe this is the 14th year of the parade? Every year when I share my twelve newest little creations with you, I am so proud to have accomplished this. To be honest, as I get older my stitching has slowed down--I noticed that this year in the little notebook where I record my finishes. But, for some reason, I still get a little thrill with each ornament finish... Amazing at how something that small can be so rewarding. It's helped that I have so many wonderful stitchers who are now stitching an ornament a month with me over on Instagram (#12in23ornamentstitchalong). Is anyone in for 2024? I'm not going anywhere and still plan on stitching a little treasure each month. 

So, who's ready for the parade? It's a cloudy December day here for parade watching, but I'm hoping the dozen entries into the 2023 parade will brighten all of our days. So relax, sit back, and enjoy. And as you watch, keep track of your favorite ornament--I'd love to know which one you like best in the comments!

2023 "Parade of Ornaments"

And yes... I still have that red dining room! How many years have I been talking about painting it? Although I love the color this time of year, it makes the room very dark and the older I get the more I crave light and bright. So perhaps, next year, there will be a new backdrop for the parade? I've actually purchased the paint so that's a step in the right direction. Now to get to work and get it painted after Christmas is over! That cute red and white snowflake rug was purchased on sale at Target this year for less than $10! I love it--it's just so cheery!

I'll zoom in on the parade for you as I know the above photo is a bit small. 

January ~ March 2023

April ~ June 2023

July ~ September 2023

October ~ December 2023

It's funny, I didn't think I had stitched many Prairie Schooler designs this year, but it turns out that five out of the twelve are PS: February, March, April, November, and December. As always, I'd love to hear what your favorite is. For me, it's a tie between my December ornament and my May ornament. What's that you say--you'd like a closer look at each so you can really decide? Well, here you go...  (You can click on the name of the ornament under each month to be taken to the post containing more information on each one).

JANUARY

With Thy Needle and Thread: "Rudolph & Friends"

FEBRUARY

Prairie Schooler: "A Merry Mini Surprise" Skating Santa

 

MARCH

Prairie Schooler: "Angels" Angel of Plenty

 

APRIL

Prairie Schooler: "Old World Santas"

MAY

TraLaLa: "Christmas Day"

JUNE

Jeannette Douglas: "Noel Stamp"

JULY

Heart In Hand: "A Very Merry Christmas"

AUGUST

Lila's Studio: "Spirit of Christmas, Set 2"

SEPTEMBER

The Victoria Sampler: "Merry Christmas 2012"

OCTOBER

The Trilogy: "Secret Snowdrift"

 NOVEMBER

Prairie Schooler: 2012 Annual Santa

 DECEMBER

Prairie Schooler: "O Christmas Tree"

So, which one do you like the most? As you can see, my taste is quite eclectic. I love the little pillow finishes the most, but round and oval finishes are also among my favorites. I'm honored that so many of you have told me that my ornaments have inspired you--both here on my blog and on Instagram. I hope that you'll take the time to browse through my past parades and, perhaps, find even more inspiration! You can simply click on each year and be taken directly to the post that has information on that year. If you count them all up, including this years, that is 168 different ornaments. Of course I've stitched more over the years, but these are the ones featured in my parades since 2011. Enjoy! 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010. I also stitched an ornament-sized piece a week (not all Christmas themed, though) in 2009 when I began blogging. If you'd like to browse through that year, you can click right here: 2009

My little red and white Santa keeps guard over my parade again this year. I'm curious to see how this little display holds up when my 3-year-old grandson visits over Christmas ;-)

This little Santa watches over the parade each year.

Here is one last look at the 2023 ornament collection...

A final look at my 2023 dozen

I'll be transferring these new ornaments to my Christmas tree very soon and replacing them on my stair garland with ornaments received from friends over the years. Friends from all over the world will be represented and I love seeing their special gifts each year. It always reminds me of our special friendship and of the wonderful online stitching community we are blessed with. A special thank you to all who have sent me ornaments over the years--I treasure each one.

I hope everyone is enjoying the countdown to Christmas--just a bit more than two weeks until the big day! I still need to get my cards sent out and some presents purchased. I'm also excited to start my baking next week although I won't be baking as much as normal because everyone seems to be on some sort of diet or other these days. Not me--my motto is everything in moderation year-round! Enjoy your weekend everyone! Bye for now... 

Sunny days and snowy stitching

Hello, all! I hope this post finds you doing well? Thankfully, the second half of July has been much, much quieter than the first and I've had some much-needed "me" time. As an introvert, I relish my alone time and truly need it to "recharge" after a lot of social activities like I had in the first two weeks of July. I know that sounds strange to you extroverts who thrive on parties and get-togethers, doesn't it? But, my fellow introverts understand, don't you? So, how did I spend my quiet time? Well by stitching and reading and puttering around the house, of course! 

I actually stitched up three new ornaments, but I'm only going to share two of them with you today. The third isn't fully finished so I'll wait a bit to show you that one. These are my monthly ornaments for the stitch along that I host on Instagram otherwise known as the #12in23ornamentstitchalong. My July ornament is this little cutie by Heart In Hand called "A Very Merry Christmas." It's stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle linen and I changed all of the colors except for the white and the light pink due to the darkness of my fabric. 

My July ornament: Heart In Hand's "A Very Merry Christmas"

I did make a small change in the design--I left off the stocking that was charted on the right and replaced it with two of the smaller light green trees. I wanted this to resemble a cozy looking Christmas house in the middle of a forest of trees and I love the final result! For the finish, I sewed on a narrow strip of red and white striped fabric bordered by some cheery black fabric with white polka dots. Add a white button, little red ribbon, and some white cording--and there you have it... my July ornament all ready for the Christmas tree!

This one just makes me happy!

August's ornament uses basically the same colors so it was easy to just dive right in and begin stitching. This design is by Lila's Studios and is part of her "Spirit of Christmas, Set 2" chart. Isn't that the prettiest shade of red in the bird? I used the suggested GAST color: "Schoolhouse Red" and, once again, chose to stitch it on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle. I love how well white shows up on this pretty shade of brown linen. The green I chose for this piece is CC "Steamed Broccoli."

"Spirit of Christmas, Set 2" by Lila's Studio is my ornament choice for August

The only design change I made was to add three small snowflakes underneath the word "Noel." I just thought it needed "a little something" in that vacant space. I changed the bird's legs to DMC 3021 from the suggested black, too. The finish was easy--just surrounded the entire thing with handmade cording and topped it with a gingham bow, red bell, and some greenery. What do you think? Such a cheery little piece!

August's ornament

It's nice to be a bit ahead in my ornament stitching! Hard to believe there are only five more months left in 2023, isn't it? I'm already looking forward to seeing my Christmas tree all decked out in December!

My July and August 2023 ornament finishes

Giveaway... So, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, how about the chance to win a little gift today? I have a very sweet one passed on to me from Janet in Texas (thank you so much again, Janet) who sent me many, many charts to use in my giveaways. This is actually an entire kit from Lizzie Kate which includes the chart, a piece of the suggested fabric, and two tiny accent buttons as shown in the photo below. Would anyone like to enter the giveaway? If you'd like to win the kit, please follow the guidelines below. I'll announce the winner in my next blog post--good luck to all!

I'm having a drawing for this Lizzie Kate kit. If you would like to enter, please follow the guidelines below:

To be included in the drawing for this Lizzie Kate kit, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win the kit in your comment 

2) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams (in my blog's sidebar on the right)

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

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below. 

 

Getting to Know You... For those of you who are new to my blog, I like to pose these little questions from time to time so I can get to know my friends and fellow stitchers a bit better. After all, you know a fair amount about me from reading my blog, so I'd love to know more about you. Today's question is: "What one thing can instantly make your day better?" Hmmm... there are many things, but one that really stands out for me is the sound of laughter--especially from my grandson or my sons. I still love hearing all my "boys" (who are now grown men between the ages of 35 and 41!) laughing together as they tease and joke amongst themselves. Nothing warms my heart more than knowing my family is happy and enjoying their time with each other. And now that has spread to my little grandson--oh, how his laughter lights up my day! How about you? I'd love to hear your answer to today's question!

46 years... I did have one big event occur in the past couple of weeks and that was the celebration of 46 years of marriage! What?! How can that be? I met my husband as a teenager--we were just 19-years-old and beginning our second year of college. And then at the age of 22--just two months after our graduation, we were married in 1977. That's almost unheard of in today's world, isn't it? We kind of "grew up" together in a way. But, here we are--still smiling and laughing after all those years. No big party or trip this year--we're saving them for the "big one"--our 50th anniversary in four more years! We celebrated with a quiet dinner out with my middle son and his girlfriend at a local Mexican restaurant. Very simple and casual just the way we like things!

Still laughing together on our 46th wedding anniversary!

How is your garden doing this year? Ours is bursting with flowers and tomatoes right now. They've been loving the sunny weather we've had this season. We feel very blessed to have escaped most of the horrible high temperatures that have swept over much of the U.S. and Europe this summer. In fact, many in our area are joking that people will be wanting to move to southwestern Pennsylvania for our climate! Haha! Anyway, we've been very lucky this summer and our garden seems happy.

The bright and beautiful colors of summer

I like to place my zinnias in individual glass bottles on a little tray. Such a quick, fun arrangement!

My husband wanted me to take a photo of him in the sunflower garden to share with his brothers. He titled it: "Too much fertilizer!"

So, that's about it for July! I hope each of you has a fabulous month of August... We don't have any special plans, but, of course, we hope to see our little grandson at some point. We try to get together at least once a month which isn't always easy given our four hour distance from him. But, it sure is easier than when he lived all the way across the country in San Diego and for that, we are thankful...  

Speaking of thanks, I hope you know how much I appreciate each of your sweet comments. I can't always reply to each of you as many of you are "no-reply" commenters and I don't have your email address, but I hope you know I read and appreciate every single comment! Take good care, my friends! Bye for now...

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...

Finishing up my ornaments for the year

And once again, I've finished all twelve Christmas ornaments--one for each month of the year! I really wondered if I would get all twelve done this year as our fall was filled with such sadness and busyness and I just didn't find much stitching time. But, I did it! "Where there's a will, there's a way," as my dear mother liked to say... Would you like to see the final three for 2022? 

For October, I chose a whimsical Santa by a new-to-me designer: My Fanny Design based in Italy. I chose to stitch him on black--over one on 28 ct. black Monaco with good old DMC threads. I did change a few colors to work better with the black and also changed his skin color to DMC 407. This is called "Santa Collection #1" and I love how it turned out! I finished him using some green checked fabric and added handmade cording, some frosty branches, and a trio of rusty jingle bells at the bottom.

How sweet is this green-robed Santa with his little snowmen buddies. Did you notice the tiniest one peeking out of his hat?

I turned to Heart In Hand Needleart for this next finish called "Pocket Round--December 25th." I actually stitched this one four times and sent three of them out inserted in greeting cards to some international stitching friends! This cute design stitched up very quickly and was the perfect solution to creating an ornament in a very busy month. For this piece, I used 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen with a mixture of overdyed threads and DMC. The finish was a simple one--just two rounds of different sizes surrounded by handmade cording. Quick and easy--and I thought the plaid bow was a perfect accent.

My November ornament finish by Heart in Hand Needleart

Now, for my December ornament, I had a bit of a dilemma! I stitched it twice using the same threads, but different fabrics. The end result was one on natural linen that was a bit more rustic and cute looking and one on gray linen that was more elegant and classic. I love how you can get such a different look just by changing up the fabric and the materials used in finishing. 

Can you guess which one I ended up choosing to add to my tree this year? Well, before I reveal that, let me tell you a bit about the chart itself and the changes I made. This is from the Madame Chantilly Chart, "Celebrate Winter." It is just a small motif from the lower left portion of the chart (you can see the entire chart right here).  I fell in love with the sweet bird perched on the tiny white house. So, I ended up stitching it twice! Now, on the original design, there were no snowflakes so I found charts online and added them to form a rounded finish. Here is a great collection of free snowflakes if  you ever want to add some to a winter piece of your own: free snowflakes from Sue Hillis. I think they add so much to the final look!

Same chart, same thread, different fabrics.

I stitched a gray version on 40 ct. Stormy Night Newcastle linen... To this one, I added white handmade cording, a gauzy white bow and just a bit of green holly and three white beads to accent it.

 

And I stitched a brown version on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen... This finish got cording in the same taupe color as the little bird's body and a cute polka-dot bow.

 

Aren't they both adorable??? How to choose, how to choose? Well, since my October and November ornaments were on the whimsical side, I chose... the gray version for a bit of elegance! Which one would you have picked? I will use the other finish on the natural linen as a gift for someone special next year. 

So, here's a question for my longtime readers... do you know what is coming up next now that I've finished all 12 ornaments? Why, it's my annual "Parade of Ornaments," of course! Hope you'll join me in my next post  as all twelve 2022 ornaments are featured!

In the meantime, here's a wonderful dessert recipe for you to make--it serves a lot of folks and is so, so tasty. My middle son has requested this for his birthday ever since he was a little boy--I can't even tell you how many of these I've made each December 4th when his birthday rolls around. We celebrated this past Sunday (a week late this year) and everyone agreed that this "Giant Chocolate Eclair" was as yummy as ever. I actually cut the recipe in half  as there were only four of us so it was more like a "Mid-sized Chocolate Eclair." 

Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to give it a try. It takes a while because there are four layers: the pastry layer;  the cream cheese/pudding layer; the Cool Whip layer, and the swirly chocolate layer. But it is well worth the effort! If you enjoy the taste of chocolate eclairs (and who doesn't?), you'll love this (you can click on the recipe below to enlarge it). If you have any questions, please let me know...

 

I stumbled upon this very cute freebie below from Yarnspirations.com that I thought you might like, too. I haven't stitched it yet, but wouldn't it make a great piece for January? Just click below the photo to download the chart. They have a number of other charming free cross stitch designs for various holidays, too. Just click here!

This cute freebie from Yarnspirations can be found by clicking right here.

A shorter post today--isn't that a refreshing change from me?! I am hoping to get back to my Christmas cards and get started on my shopping this week. I've only bought presents for my grandson so far--I think not having my family here for Christmas this year has not been great for my motivation. I just keep procrastinating and procrastinating as I know I won't see anyone except my middle son and his girlfriend (who live nearby) until after the holiday. Anyway, I hope you're all staying healthy and enjoying your countdown to Christmas. Do take care, my friends! Thank you, as always, for visiting me today and for your very sweet comments and emails! Bye for now...