Four sweethearts and a snowman!

Greetings from an unusually warm western Pennsylvania! 84° in mid-October? Unbelievable, but that's what they're forecasting for later today and I'm loving it. I know it won't last forever, but the winter will surely feel shorter due to this amazingly sunny, warm fall we've had so far. 

Today, I have a couple of finishes that are long overdue. You see, way back in this post from August 2011 (yep, more than 5 years ago!), I wrote that I would be stitching the most famous crow couple Ida Mae and her honey, Ira Ray "next." Ha! I wonder what happened? They have been kitted up all these years just patiently waiting for me to pay them some attention. And you know what? I'm sorry I put off stitching them so long because they were both so delightful to stitch!

I had originally picked the suggested 35 ct. WDW straw linen for the crow couple (designed by The Good Huswife), but after just a few stitches, I knew it wasn't for me. It was so flopsy--it about drove me crazy! So, I switched to what lately seems to be my "new best friend"--40 ct. country mocha  Newcastle. Here is Ida Mae in all her glory stitched with the suggested NPI silks. Isn't she adorable? I just love her polka dots!

Miss Ida Mae Crow

Seriously, who could resist her? Well, certainly not Mr. Ira Ray Crow in his bright green vest and chocolate striped pants. I did make some changes to the flowers surrounding Ira Ray--I omitted the bright orange and used the same colors that were found in Ida Mae's palette. I changed the color of his buttons, too, from ivory to gold because they showed up better.

Mr. Ira Ray Crow

Um, let's talk about those pants of Ira Ray's--don't they totally remind you (well, those of you old enough to remember the fashionable 60s, that is!) of the slacks sported by many of the boy bands of the decade? Why, I know I dated a few guys who wore them (and, I "might" even admit to having owned a similar pair, myself--but don't tell anyone!!). I found this great old photo of a 60s band online (sorry, but I don't know the name of the group) and just look at the striped pants on the second guy--notice the resemblance? Too funny!!

So, what do you think? Are Ira Ray and Ida Mae in the courting phase or are they married? I think it's the former... They both have a sort of hesitant, shy look about them. Ah, young love in bloom! I plan on framing them  in black, rustic looking frames and hanging the pair in my family room.

Two sweethearts in love...

And I have another snowman ornament finish--my ninth of the year. Oh, wait, this is the 10th month of the year, isn't it? Yes, I'm behind--still need to stitch my snowman for October. I needed something quick and easy so I chose this little guy  by The Little Stitcher called "Blue Snowman." He can be found in the 2016 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. Once again, I used 40 ct. country mocha Newcastle--just love it!

"Blue Snowman"

I changed the color of blue to DMC 930 (from the turquoise hue that was suggested) because I wanted to coordinate it with the Woolies Flannel that I chose for my finish. I'm so pleased with the final look. The blue wool flannel reminds me of a snuggly  blanket and the ivory braided trim resembles a warm winter sweater giving this ornament a nice cozy feel. I surrounded it with some handmade cording and added a couple of rusty bells hanging from strands of DMC 930 to finish off the ornament. Only three ornaments left to stitch for the year--hooray!

A ninth snowman ornament for my tree

So, that is my stitching news for this post...

But, don't leave yet! I've got some other news... Big news!! Look at the title of my post--it reads: "Four sweethearts and a snowman," doesn't it? Who are the other two sweethearts??? Well, remember my oldest son who moved to California last month? What I didn't tell you is that he left with a ring in his pocket... a beautiful diamond ring. And, on a lovely San Diego evening, while drifting down the canals near Coronado, he asked his very own sweetheart to marry him as they watched the sun set from a gondola. They are planning a fall 2017 wedding and we couldn't be happier for them... 

An engagement at sunset

So, there is lots of happiness in my household in spite of a very tumultuous time in United States history. Thank goodness I have my stitching and Netflix watching so I can avoid the political commercials and stressful moments that this election is causing--at least, to some degree. Is anyone else stressed out? Yikes!! Pure craziness...

I plan to be back with a couple of Halloween finishes before the end of the month, but until then--"Happy Stitching" everyone! And thank you all for your sweet comments and emails. The fact that you take a few moments out of your day to leave a comment really means a lot to me! Bye for now...

Changes of the season

Happy September! How has your first week of this new month been, my friends? I usually love September--the cooler nights, the changes in the way the sunlight filters through my windows, the fun of fall decorating and baking. But, this year, I've been dreading this month... I'll tell you why after I share my stitching news with you...

I am so pleased with how my latest fall finish turned out! I actually did the stitching of "Crow On a Pumpkin" last November (you can read about it right here). This is a design by Samplers Not Forgotten that can be found in the 2015 Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue. I have fallen in love with the Woolies Flannel to use in finishing off my little pillows--it is wonderful to work with and comes in such rich, warm fall and winter colors. I wish you could feel the gold wool flannel strip on the left of the pillow--so soft to the touch! The back of the pillow is the black and tan checked homespun that I also used to make the yo-yo flower on the front. This has to be one of my favorite fall finishes ever.

Final finish of "Crow On a Pumpkin"

So, I have another little pillow to add to my ever-growing crow display here in my kitchen... I don't want to give you the impression that I am in love with crows or anything! The ones that visit our back yard are big... and noisy... and tend to bully the other birds. But, there is just something about the crow/sunflower/pumpkin combination that I love to see in fall stitching...

Lots of "caws" have been heard coming from my kitchen!

I also pulled out an older project, With Thy Needle and Thread's "Birds Of a Feather Mystery Sampler," that I began a couple of years ago. I know exactly why I stopped working on this one--because the lack of the "J" in the alphabet bothered me. I know that is how the designer charted it (and you can read her explanation of why right here), but I wish it was included. Anyway, I debated whether or not to add it myself, but after going back and forth many, many times, I decided to just leave it as it was charted and plunge ahead. I soon discovered that you need more than one skein of WDW Kudzu for the many leaves so that is why I've stopped for now--some is winging its way to me as I write this!

Birds Of a Feather Mystery Sampler progress

I'm almost half done, but there is a lot of border and a big old hill and house of solid stitching waiting for me on the bottom half which will take quite some time. I do love the colors in this so much--wish they had photographed a bit truer in my picture!

My monthly snowman ornament stitching is falling behind--I do have the one for August stitched, but not finished. I was playing around with fabrics and trims for the finish and may be using these. But, maybe not; it's always a last-minute decision. You'll recognize this pleasingly plump fellow as a Prairie Schooler design from the "Holly Day" (Book No. 157) chart. I changed his nose color from red to black because I wanted it to look like a piece of coal--otherwise, he is stitched using the suggested colors on 32 ct. flax Jobelan. Now, to pick a snowman for September!

Prairie Schooler "Holly Days" snowman

With all of the snowman stitching I have going on this year, I treated myself to "just a few" fat quarters of finishing fabric. I found a wonderful deal on eBay on a complete fat quarter bundle of Moda's "Snowman Gatherings II" that I couldn't pass up. Now, how will I ever use all of this? I suppose I could learn to quilt when I retire? Or get up my nerve and try to make some pretty project bags? I just loved the colors and many of them will be useful for patriotic or primitive finishes as well...

So, that was the happy part of my post... September 17th brings a day I have been selfishly dreading for a while: my oldest son is moving almost 2500 miles across the country to join his girlfriend who moved to San Diego in July. I am so happy for him--he has found a lovely, intelligent, kind, and giving young woman to share his life with. But, oh, how different life will be here in Pennsylvania with him way out in California.

You see, because our oldest works from his home, he was the one we always counted on to be there when things went wrong.  He had the flexibility and freedom in his work schedule to be able to drive over and help out with this or that whenever needed. He actually moved right in with us when my husband broke his neck in last year's fall down the stairs. He fixed our computer problems, challenged our thinking on various subjects, and made us laugh with that dry sense of humor that we so love.

There will be a big void in our lives with him so far away, but at least San Diego is (I've heard!) a lovely, lovely place to visit. It won't be the easiest feat to get there, as there are no direct flights from here, but we will definitely fly out a couple times a year. And, thankfully, technology has made keeping in touch so much easier. We are blessed to have the middle of our three sons still nearby in Pittsburgh. I hate to think that everything will get dumped on him, but he is so very loving and capable, too, that I know we're in good hands. No matter what they say, parents do need more help from their kids as they age...

Anyway, I wish my oldest and his girlfriend all the best in their new life out in the Golden State...  

You will be missed more than words can express...

Thank you all for visiting me today--and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to leave a little comment. Blogging seems to be on the wane and so, for those of us who do still take the time to post now and then, your comments mean ever so much... I'm heading up to New York this morning to visit my mom for five days so I'll be a bit out of touch. But, I'll catch up with everyones blogs when I return! Bye for now...

Stitched, but not finished

How are my blogging friends, today? I hope November is treating you well? We enjoyed a gorgeous, almost summer-like, first week of what is normally a very gray and chilly month--I loved it! It made me realize that living in a part of the country that is always warm and sunny would be so different than living here in the northeast. You would actually be able to get outside to walk and just enjoy the fresh air whenever you wanted. Am I ready to move south? No, I'm sure I would miss the four seasons, but I do admit the idea of warm weather year-round is becoming more and more tempting as I get older!

This week has brought back the normal cool, rainy weather that November is known  for so I've been nesting in my stitching chair and binge-watching a couple of older television series via Netlix (Parenthood and Foyle's War--love them both!). The problem is, when I'm watching television, I can't finish anything so all I have to show you today is stitched, but not finished pieces. I know many of you come here for finishing inspiration because you've told me so, so I hope you're not too disappointed today...

I've finished my very first Plum Street Samplers chart! I just fell in love with the adorable turkey family in this piece and knew I had to stitch it. I had begun this one before I went to my stitching retreat two weeks ago and managed to finish it there. How cute is the littlest turkey riding on the Mama turkey's back? And I love the Pilgrim hat that Papa turkey is sporting. And how about the giant whimsical sunflower? This piece was such fun to stitch!

Plum Street Samplings "Thankful For Thee" finish

I used a new-to-me 40 ct. linen and really liked the color: Burch newcastle. Most of the suggested DMC threads were used, too, but I did make a couple of changes so the golds would show up better on the fabric. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it before next Thanksgiving because it doesn't look like it's going to get done this year!

My second finish is from the Just Cross Stitch 2015 Halloween issue and is called "Crow On a Pumpkin" by Samplers Not Forgotten. I used 36 ct. summer khaki linen, but had some issues with the thread coverage so this is stitched a bit differently than what I normally do. In some places (the crow, the pumpkin, the tablecloth, the berries, and the flower centers) two threads were used (just chose my own selection of overdyeds) and for the leaves and gold sunflower border, I only used one thread. Did I do this on purpose? No, I first stitched the leaves with one thread and thought they looked fine, but when I began doing the crow with only one thread, he looked a bit sickly and anemic! I just couldn't bear the thought of going back and ripping out all of the leaves to re-stitch with two threads so I left them as I had stitched them. What do you think? I actually think it turned out quite well... the flowers and leaves have a more lacy appearance which, I think, looks pretty.

Crow On a Pumpkin

And I have a new Prairie Schooler Santa to add to my collection. This is one I also stitched last year. But, since that one was sent away to my friend Lois in Northern Ireland (you can see the finished ornament in this post), I decided to stitch one to keep for my own tree. This golden Santa is from Book No. 43, "Father Christmas" and is stitched on 40 ct. raw Newcastle with the suggested DMC threads (although I did change the green of the wreath to DMC 520). This makes the fifth PS Santa that I've stitched this year. My Sunday Santa SAL partners Melissa in Canada, Hilda in Austria, and I were trying to do a Santa a month, but all of us have failed. Oh well, we have all stitched a few and should be proud of that fact, right? Now, to get them finished and ready to hang on the tree--not much time left!!

Prairie Schooler Santa (Book No. 43: "Father Christmas")

I was so touched to receive a wonderful package of goodies from Charlene at Paraclete Designs. She thought I deserved a little something for spreading the word about my friend, Cindy, who lost everything to black mold. (If you haven't read about Cindy's plight, please go to this post). I also mentioned Charlene's Paraclete Designs which collects unwanted stitching stash to pass along to different charities and mission projects and she wanted to thank me for getting the word out. Anyway, just look at what arrived in my mailbox--the entire collection of Heartstrings "The 12 Days of Santa" along with some buttons, perforated paper, and a couple of other cute small kits. Charlene--you are such a generous soul! Thank you so very much--I know I'll enjoy stitching these chubby guys and I wish you much luck in your mission to spread the love of cross stitch...

I've been published! Well, self-published, that is... I had been wanting to get a hardcopy of my blog printed for a few years now and when a 20% discount offer appeared in my email last month, I finally took the plunge. The result is this two year compilation (2013-2014) of Stitching Dreams which weighed in at a solid 314 pages! Every photo, every word, every finish shown on my blog from 2013 and 2014 is here! This was quite a splurge for me--even with the discount, but I am thrilled to be able to sit down and read through two years of memories in book form. Now to save up enough to publish 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. 

My blog--in book form!

The service I used is called Blog2Print and it was so easy. My only complaint is that my photo captions weren't centered under the photo itself, but were off to the side. However, the paper quality, layout, and solid construction of "my book" are just wonderful. Here is a look at two of the interior pages so you can get an idea of what it looks like... I know I'll enjoy sitting down and looking through this when I'm old(er) and gray(er) and want to marvel at how I was able to see well enough to stitch such tiny creations!

When I'm not working, sleeping, stitching, or reading, I seem to be spending time getting ready for our upcoming trip to Argentina. Oh, my, how do I pack for this trip? You see we'll be spending part of our visit in northern Argentina where it will be warm--high 70s / low 80s. And then we'll be flying way, way down--almost 2000 miles--to southern Argentina where it will be cold and very windy. Yes, we're going to Ushuaia in Patagonia, commonly known as the southern-most city in the world. And guess what we're going to see? Those darling little black and white tuxedoed guys known as Magellanic Penguins!! Yes, I'm beyond excited to be able to see them in person. Well, not as excited as I will be to see our youngest son who is studying international relations in Buenos Aires--but close!!

Thankfully, the bone bruise on my left foot is almost totally healed and I am walking normally again. I get a twinge of pain every now and then, but it should be fine for the tours and hikes we will be doing. I bought some great new hiking shoes which will give me even more stability so I should be in good shape. Now, we just have to hope the weather cooperates!

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from my kitchen... I tried this recipe for Dutch Apple Pie on Sunday and it turned out very well. I thought I could have cooked the pie longer as the apples were just a bit on the firm side, but the flavor was wonderful--especially when topped with ice cream!

Apple Pie, anyone?

I snapped this photo of our kitchen eating area to send to my youngest son one sunny morning. Thought he might like a "bit of home." We just heard that he plans on spending about two weeks with us over the Christmas holidays and I'm so excited. I love cooking and baking for that "kid" as he truly loves to eat and really appreciates my meals. Anyway, the kitchen just looked so pretty with the sun streaming in the (dirty!) windows... Thought you might like to see it, too!

I want to welcome all of my new followers--so glad you're here! Please remember that, if you ask me a question and want a reply, you need to leave your email address for me. Otherwise I have no way to respond to some of you who are "no-reply bloggers." I hope you can find some time to sit and stitch in this very busy pre-holiday season--it is so good for the stress-levels that seems to skyrocket at this time of year... Thank you, as always, for each and every comment--I truly appreciate them! Bye for now...

Something To Crow About!

What a crazy week in the eastern United States--an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week?! How did all of my blogging friends fare? I feel almost guilty in reporting that we've enjoyed nothing but a string of sunny days here in western Pennsylvania while those of you along the east coast struggled with the rain and winds, floods and power outages... Many of us felt the earthquake locally (not me, however my son's office building here was evacuated!), but thank goodness there appears to be little serious damage. I wish the same could be said for Hurricane Irene. I just heard on television that the estimate of damage is between seven and ten BILLION dollars--just devastating. Anyway, I want my east coast blogging friends to know I'm thinking of you and hoping things return to normal for all of you very soon.

Well, on to more enjoyable topics--like stitching! Have you ever stumbled upon a "new to you" designer and wondered how you missed her work? That happened to me recently with "Chessie and Me" designs. How did I ever miss Bunny Sampler, Love Liberty, and Pumpkin Hill? Aren't they charming? I think a few of them will be popping into my next online shopping cart! This sweet freebie, Chessie and Me's "Bird & Flower," can be found right here. Just click on "Newsletter" in the left column, and you will find it on page three of the May 2009 issue.

This one is stitched on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen using WDW and Sampler Threads (if you're interested in the colors I used, just email me!). I found an old purple button in my button jar and topped it off with a small sage green one to accent the empty space. You could certainly fill that space with the date or your initials if you wanted to. Finally, I backed it in the fabric shown and attached a straw colored handmade cording.

I loved this "With Thy Needle and Thread" freebie when I first caught a glimpse of it two years ago and I'm so glad I finally found the time to sit down and stitch it. Brenda's free chart can be found right here. I so appreciate designers' time and effort in creating these beautiful free designs for us! This crow perched on a pumpkin uses DMC, WDW, and Crescent Colours and is stitched on 32 ct. cafe latte linen.

I originally planned on framing it, but I decided to just make a simple pinkeep out of it and top it off with a black bow and gold colored pin. The sides look a bit wonky in my photo, but they are actually pretty straight--not perfect, but "good enough" (which, by the way, is my new motto--"good enough!"--life is really too short to worry about being perfect all the time, don't you think?). Again, if anyone wants to know my color choices, please email me and I'll be happy to share them with you.

Primitive Betty offered this cute crows and sunflowers freebie back in July and I thought it would be a perfect addition to my little collection. Click here for the chart. She has so many cute freebies on her site which I'm sure most of you have seen, but for those of you who haven't, head on over and check them out.

This one is stitched "over one" on 28 ct. clay Lugana using DMC threads. I finished it into a tiny pillow with some coordinating fall leaf fabric, a black satin ribbon, and orange ric-rac. It will be a nice addition to my fall decorating, don't you think? (You can click on the photo to get a bigger view.) So are you sensing a theme here? I'm calling all of these birds "crows," but they very well could be ravens or blackbirds. Did you know that a group of crows is called a "murder" and that they are among the smartest creatures in the world? Just a bit of librarian trivia for you!

And of course, I couldn't finish off my crow stitching without including a Prairie Schooler, could I? This is from PS Book No. 132: Autumn Leaves. I stitched it on 32 ct. grey linen using DMC threads. I wasn't really sold on the darker fabric color at first, but kept stitching away and I'm quite pleased with the end result.

For this finish, I attached it to a fabric covered piece of mounting board (I applied thin batting on the top of each piece underneath the fabric) and then applied a trail of the teeniest pom-pom beading around the perimeter and attached it with just a bit of fabric glue. I'm planning on covering the back with a piece of black felt--just didn't have any on hand...

So, what did I do with all my crows? Why, I created a little fall display in my kitchen. My two older sons were over for dinner on Sunday night and just looked at me with raised eyebrows as if to say: "Crows?? Mom--really!! That's pretty weird." I'll tell you, these guys of mine just don't get me at all! But, I love them anyway, and I love my stitched crows as well. I even found a cute crow mat and metal black statue to display with them along with an older crow on a picket fence piece that I stitched back in 2009. What do you think? Cute or weird? I think they'll make a fun and whimsical September display before I put out my Halloween pieces...

And, oh, yes--I plan on adding to my crow table! Just look at what I'm stitching next! That's right--Ida Mae Crow along with her sweet husband Ira Ray. Don't you love them? I showed them to the guys and of course, they just groaned: "Those are really weird, mom!" Sigh... Do you see why I count on you, my blogging friends, for your supportive comments?

SEVILLE ~ the capital of Andalusia...
Our final stop on our European adventure was really the city that began our whole trip. You see, my youngest son studied abroad in Seville in the summer of 2009. When he returned to the U.S. with such enthusiasm for his experiences, he encouraged the whole family to travel there some day. And so the seeds for this trip were planted...

The beautiful Plaza de España was built in 1928

for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
Portions of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
were filmed here in 2000.

The lovely blue and white ceramic railings at Plaza de España.


More detailed look at those stunning railings.

Even the bannisters were blue and white!

One of the "Alcoves of the Provinces" at Plaza de España.

Waiting for a passenger, horse-drawn carriages were a common sight.

As a librarian, I was captivated by this darling statue of
Clara Campoamor (1888-1972), a Spanish politician and feminist.
Notice the tiny mouse sitting there reading a book of his own!

The wrought-iron work was so beautiful.



Orange trees were everywhere!

A co-worker who travels a lot advised me to go "off the beaten path" a bit to get the true flavor of a city. She was right! Without wandering down some side streets, we would never have come upon this parish festival complete with a religious parade...

We followed the colorful paper flowers and came upon...

Seville children all dressed up for a religious festival and parade.

This young man is taking his job very seriously...

How sweet!

My very favorite photo of our entire trip!


View outside our hotel...such pretty colors!

Seville Cathedral, built in the 15th and
early 16th centuries, is the largest in Europe.

Inside the Seville Cathedral.

La Giralda, a former minaret that was converted
to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville.

Bells and views of Seville from La Giralda.

The Real Alcázar was built in the 14th century.

Patio de las Doncellas (Patio of the Maidens)

Such beautiful mosaics and intricate carvings...


Gardens of the Alcázar of Seville.


This mama duck and her brood were right
at home in the middle of the garden!

Peacocks, flowers, water scenes of the gardens of Real Alcázar.

My youngest son was so right--Seville was indeed a gorgeous spot to visit. We hope to visit more of Spain's lovely cities some day. That concludes my European trip photos--thanks for coming along with me as I relived those special memories!

I want to thank Marly from Samplers and Santas who was having a stash clean-out and offered up some of her goodies in exchange for postage. I was lucky enough to win this beautiful lot of lugana--perfect for my "over one" stitching. She also included these pretty beads as well! Thank you so much, Marly; your fabric has found a good home. In fact, I already have put it to good use--it is your lugana in the little over one crows piece shown above.

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my last post--I guess everyone loves a good fireman story! As I told many of you, that will definitely go down into our family history and be told and re-told again and again. I also want to welcome my new followers...I've tried to visit your blogs and say hello, too. I am in awe that my follower numbers are approaching 500--sounds like a giveaway should be coming soon, doesn't it? Let's all hope this week brings no more natural disasters for any of us...Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend, and thank you again for your friendship, comments, and emails--I can't even begin to tell you how much they mean to me. Bye for now...