Feeling Thankful

It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S.! Have you started thawing those turkeys, baking those pies, chopping those vegetables? This year seems a bit different for us as our three sons will all be at their significant others' families--the oldest in Texas, the youngest in Puerto Rico, and the middle son will be going to his girlfriend's family's big Thanksgiving lunch which is a bit more local. We were invited to go with them, but I've been sick off and on all month so I don't want to take a chance on: 1) me getting sick again or 2) infecting anyone else. So, we'll be staying here and having a simple dinner on our own. 

The beginning of November started off so nicely--we drove down to visit our grandsons in Maryland for a few days. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds and were so much fun to be around. Except for one thing, that is--they "nicely" shared their colds with us. Well, not us--just me! My husband remained healthy. But, oh, I was so sick--terrible headache, fever of 101.5, severe body aches, congestion, etc. I think it may actually have been the flu. And just when I'd been feeling better for about a week or so, a different ailment descended upon me--this time it is definitely a cold. Ugh! I'm not often sick and I'd forgotten how awful it is... Luckily, I was still able to stitch and I got a couple of cute autumn themed pieces stitched (and framed!). 

Just in time for Thanksgiving comes this oldie, but goodie, called "Be Thankful" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I've had it in my stash forever and thought it would stitch up quickly--boy, was I wrong! There are a lot of white stitches in this piece. Love how well they show up, though, on the 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle that I used (unfortunately, the color has been discontinued here in the U.S.). I used all of the suggested overdyed and DMC threads except for on the crows and dark lines which I changed to DMC 3371.

An older Country Cottage Needleworks chart (from 2012) finally stitched

 

Now, I hadn't planned on framing this piece right away, but then I spotted this white frame (ordered from Franken Frames online) which I had purchased for another piece. When I held it up to "Be Thankful" (just intending to check the color of it against the fabric), what do you know--it was a perfect fit! What luck!

Love the row of white pumpkins!

I'm very pleased with the final look and will be so happy to have yet another Thanksgiving piece on display when we host Thanksgiving next year!

 

Another fall design that recently caught my eye was this cute "Chubby Squirrel" chart by Jeannette Douglas. Isn't he adorable? He's stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha with some of the suggested threads and some of my own substitutions. I debated whether or not to change him one into of the gray squirrels that we see more commonly here in Pennsylvania, but, in the end, I decided the cinnamon color offered more of a fall look. We do have red squirrels here, but they are usually skinny things who are very naughty and mischievous. I ended up using WDW Pecan, CC Straw Hat, and WDW Havana for the squirrel's body. I'm really happy with how the little fellow turned out!

"Chubby Squirrel" by Jeannette Douglas Designs

I had originally planned on finishing this one into a round hanging ornament, but when I found this perfectly colored frame in my stash, I reversed course! I attached a brass acorn charm and bordered the round shape with some cording made from DMC 434. Love how it looks in the frame with the piece of fall-colored flannel in the background. It's a very simple finish, but the frame makes it seem a bit more impressive, don't you think? 

A thrifted Goodwill frame worked perfectly for this finish

 

Here is "Chubby Squirrel" on my kitchen sideboard with my grandmother's carved squirrels in the foreground. I just love those wooden squirrels and so did my grandson. When Mister B last visited, he had the best time making them dance to the sounds of "Hakuna Matata" from the Lion King musical. The squirrel couple may be a bit more chipped after his visit, but that's okay--I treasure memories like that!  

I treasure this carved wooden squirrel couple that once belonged to my maternal grandmother.

 

So, it's on to my last two ornaments for 2025. I have them stitched, but not finished, so I'll share those with you next time. Who else is stitching for Christmas? I still have some gifts to stitch and my ornament for Baby N. But, because we aren't hosting Thanksgiving--I have already made a start on my Christmas decorating in my kitchen and family room and it feels great! Hope to get my tree up and the outdoor porch decorations done next weekend. And then, I get to just relax and stitch (famous last words!). 

A few of you asked if I would share some of the Halloween photos from October so I thought you'd enjoy seeing little Woodstock, Snoopy, and the Doghouse (aka Snoopy's mom!). I didn't have a good photo of my son as Charlie Brown so he's not pictured. 

Six-month-old Baby N made such a cute Woodstock!

 

Snoopy salutes as he sits on his doghouse (otherwise known as "mom")!

I asked about Mister B saluting like he was in the above photo and they told me he was trying to imitate Snoopy as the Flying Ace battling the Red Baron. If you're at all familiar with the comic strip or television shows, you'll know exactly what I mean. 

Snoopy and his army of tiny Woodstocks :) 

So, that's it for this post... I want to wish all of my U.S. friends a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. One of the things I'm most thankful for is my stitching (honestly, I can't imagine life without it--can you?) and the special stitching friends I've made through this little blog of mine. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts, leave comments, send emails, etc. I know many of us have precious little free time so I truly appreciate each of you and your friendship! Enjoy this last week of November! Bye for now... 

Boo! (and Whoo!)

Oh, my... I think this has been the most glorious October ever! Day after day of sunshine, warmth, and blue skies. They are predicting that Halloween will be in the high 70's here--so much nicer than our usual night of trick-or-treating where the children have to wear heavy coats that cover up their costumes due to the frosty temperatures. For my long-time readers, you know Halloween is a bittersweet day for me. In fact, tomorrow marks the ten-year anniversary of my dad's death. So hard to believe that it's been a decade... Losing someone dear to you is especially hard when it occurs on a holiday, isn't it? The way I celebrate Halloween is so different now compared to the years before his death. In fact, this year, I didn't put up a single decoration and my many stitched Halloween pieces remain in the dresser drawer that houses them all year. I do get them out some years, but this year, I just wasn't feeling it...

I still enjoy stitching "cute" Halloween pieces, though, but no gory or scary stuff for me. In my mind, no one does cuter Halloween designs than Misty from Luminous Fiber Arts. I just love her whimsical cats and owls and I knew my four-year-old grandson, Mister B, would, too. So I quickly stitched and finished these cuties and gave them to him when we visited last week. Meet "Boo" the black cat and "Whoo" the wise owl. I mean, even if you aren't a Halloween lover, you have to admit that this pair is pretty adorable, right? For the finish, I covered the larger piece of sticky board with black and tan gingham, glued on the stitched piece that had been attached to the smaller piece of sticky board, added handmade cording and a jute bow, and topped it off with a layer of black and orange buttons.

My finishes of "Boo" and "Whoo" by Luminous Fiber Arts

 

I stitched these on 40 ct. platinum using DMC 311 and 3826, leaving off the charted border. For Boo's bow tie, I included black Smyrna stitches and for Whoo's hat, I used orange Smyrna stitches. I also used two threads to stitch their names so they would stand out more. And I left one orange stitch out of Whoo's eye so it would be more pronounced. So which one is your favorite? You all know me and my love of black cats--I choose "Boo!"

I cover the backs of finishes like these with felt (I simply use spray glue on the felt and then press it onto the back). It is quick and easy and much simpler than making a flat-fold finish. This is the first time I added the small plastic easels (like the ones pictured below) to the backs of my stitched finishes. I got them from Amazon and simply glued them on using Aleene's Tacky Glue. These aren't meant for anything heavy, but, boy, do they work great for light cross-stitched pieces. I know I'll be using them again and again. The ones I purchased (the 4.64 inch size) can be found right here.

How I finished the back of these stand-up flat finishes.

 

Here they are standing up with the help of the attached plastic easels--no more propping things up with vegetable cans like I've done in the past :)

Giveaway time... As I was looking through my older charts, I came across this sweet Diane Graebner chart called "Cats & Quilts" that I thought would be perfect for a fall giveaway. If you are a quilt lover or a black cat lover (like me!), you may just want to enter the giveaway.  Just let me know, specifically, in your comment below that you'd like to win this chart and tell me your favorite thing about autumn. For me, it's the way the light filters in the windows casting such a soft, gentle glow on everything. Very different than in other season. I'll leave the giveaway open until my next post in November, so keep an eye on this space for the winner's name. Good luck to all...

 

If you would like to enter the giveaway for this chart, please follow the guidelines above.

 

So, how has your October been? As I mentioned, we spent last week visiting my oldest son, daughter-in-law, and Mister B in Maryland. It was a beautiful drive down with all of the autumn colors on full display. Coming home, though, many had already passed their prime color. We had such a fun visit--if a bit exhausting. It's tough to keep up with a four-year-old and we pretty much fell into bed very early each evening. I've discovered that white noise is a huge help for me when I sleep and have been regularly using it at home since we got back from Europe. I used it over there to block out street and hotel noise and it worked so well that I began using it here, too. I know you can buy various machines and gadgets, but I simply use the "White Noise Lite" app on my iPhone which comes with many different sounds: the ocean, jungle, thunder, wind, and a variety of rain noises. Personally, I like "Rain on Lake." I just thought I'd pass this along because I know many of you struggle with sleep like I do... Something about a constant background noise like this just seems to help me "turn off" my mind at night so I can sleep! Every night is not perfect, but I'm sleeping so much better than before.

I know I promised that we'd go to France on the next stop of my travelogue, but it will have to wait until a future post. Being away for almost a week set me behind on everything so I'll share my France photos with you in November. I do have one last sweet photo for you... What is better than the joy on a child's face as he jumps into a big pile of crunchy fall leaves? Mister B decided to make a huge pile of leaves when we were at the park just up the street from his house. Soon we were all joining in and gathering leaves of golds and reds and yellows to help him make it "bigger and bigger!"

Ahhh... the joy of jumping in a big pile of crispy autumn leaves!

So, enjoy this last bit of October, my friends! I sure hope our November weather is as delightful as this month's has been. Thank you so very much for stopping in and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to leave such kind comments. I really look forward to hearing from you! Take care now--and happy stitching! Bye for now...

Cooler days and a sweet fall finish

October is definitely here as evidenced by the much cooler temperatures and the rainier days this past week. I've been a bit laid up with a cold so staying inside and nesting was perfect for me, though. My whole family visited last weekend and I'm sure I caught one of their colds. But, it was worth it--it's always fun to spend precious time with my sweet grandson. It's been a week since I got sick now and I'm almost feeling "normal" again. I just seem to get more tired after doing chores like laundry or cleaning. Anyway... I have nothing to complain about in light of all the horrific things going on in the world. It's all just so very sad...

I have a very cute fall finish to share with you today... As soon as I saw this chart, I ran to Etsy downloaded it, printed it off, and began stitching! This is called "Pumpkins" and is from a Polish designer. You can find the chart right here in her "Cross With Me" Etsy shop if you are interested. I used the suggested colors and stitched it on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen. I did have to outline the upper left pumpkin in a darker tan color as it just wasn't showing on the fabric.

Such a pretty fall piece

I love the  simple beauty of this piece and it will be nice to have it on display from September through November, don't you think? I had a barnwood-look frame in my stash that my daughter-in-law had given me and it was just perfect. A very simple finish, but I love it! The trio of pumpkins shown on the sides came from a local pumpkin farm that we visited with my grandson last weekend. He loved the tiny pumpkins the most and picked out four of his own to take home with him. And while at the farm, he insisted on pulling the big wagon (complete with his four mini pumpkins) all by himself. I wish I'd taken a photo of him, but I bet you can picture it! I'm sure his mom and dad will be buying a bigger pumpkin to carve for Halloween in a couple weeks, too. He is so excited and already has his costume--he's going trick-or-treating as "Chase" one of the Paw Patrol pups that are so popular with toddlers.

My finish of "Pumpkins" from the Cross With Me Etsy shop

 

I am not a fan of the evening darkness that is creeping in, and I know it will get much worse when we change the clocks on November 5th... But, we've been having dinner by candlelight each evening to combat the darkness. I put together this cozy looking display for our kitchen table. (I already shared this photo on Instagram and one of the comments was that it "looks like autumn on a tray!" I love that!).  The front piece of stitching is from an old Just Cross Stitch magazine (I'm not sure of the exact date, but think it was in 2006 or so). I stitched it "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco way back in 2015. You can read more about my finish in this post. And the "Season of Plenty" piece in the back is by Little House Needleworks and was stitched way back in 2009--the year I began my blog! Have any of you been with me since that first year? It seems like such a long time ago... If you'd like to read about that LHN finish, check out this post. How about you, do you light candles for dinnertime in these darker months? What's in the center of your dining table?

Love having dinner by candlelight in the fall and winter

Giveaway time... Today's offering is perfect for all of you cat lovers out there! Or for those of you who enjoy monthly designs. It is from an old Leisure Arts magazine (I'm sorry, I do not know which issue) and is called "Purr-fect" Holiday Wreath. A cute kitty is featured in twelve small monthly designs that you can make into little pillows or simply frame and change out the piece each month. Would any of you like to enter this giveaway? If so, please follow the guidelines below and I'll announce the winner in my next post. (Please note: The three pages are torn from a magazine and will be folded and mailed in a legal sized envelope to save money).

I'm having a giveaway for this chart of 12 monthly cat designs

To be included in the drawing for the monthly kitty charts shown above, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win it 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... Since Halloween is nearing and that usually means spooky and scary stuff, today's question is: "What is one of the scariest things you have ever done or experienced?" For me, that's an easy one... It was the hike in the jungle that my family did when we visited Panama in 2018. Honestly, I thought we were going to die--I still get anxious just thinking about that trek. Looking back on the photos in the piece I posted about that horrible experience brings back all sorts of feelings--none of them good! If you are new to my blog and would like to read about my "hike from hell," check out this post. Now it's your turn--what is the scariest thing you have done or experienced? I'd love to get to know you better!

 

  

I have some welcome news for our stitching community, too. Do you all remember the pretty patriotic finish I shared back in August called "Land of the Free?" Well, the designer of the chart, Willow Hill Samplings, has reopened her Etsy shop--you can find that chart again right here. Go check it out--there are so many cute designs available!

Blog commenting problems... and a possible solution? Recently I've had trouble commenting on certain blogs. Not all, maybe three or four of the ones listed in my sidebar. Interestingly, I've discovered that I have no trouble at all if I use a different browser. I normally use Firefox, but, for some reason, it refuses to let me comment on those few blogs. I've had others tell me that they've had trouble commenting on my blog as well. So, give another browser a try--I used Chrome the other day and had no trouble at all leaving a comment on those certain blogs!

It's SUCH a gloomy day here so I think I'll just post this and go sit and stitch the rest of the day away. Hope your second half of October is going well so far. Honestly, this year is just speeding by way too quickly for me! Thank you, each and every one, for visiting me today and for your kind comments and emails. I appreciate them ever so much! Bye for now...  

Four days that turned into two weeks...

Well, once again, I've only managed to produce one meager blog post for an entire month! I do have a good excuse, though... My trip to help my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson with their move to their newly renovated home in mid-September ended up being "just a bit" longer than I expected--ten days longer, in fact! I'll get into more details later in this post, but I know many of you are only here for the stitching so let's get to that first...

Before I left to help with the move, I was able to stitch this darling squirrel couple, but only got to the finishing today. "Autumn's Acorn Gathering" by With Thy Needle and Thread is stitched on 40 ct. summer khaki Newcastle linen with a mix of overdyed threads and DMC. I did change a few colors--primarily the blue of Mrs. Squirrel's frock and the pinstripes of Mr. Squirrel's britches where I used GAST Dungarees.

Such a charming couple!

I finished each one as a simple pillow with handmade cording in DMC 3033 which coordinated with the apron and the shirt. Tip: to get the ends of the cording to look nice, I iron the ends, sort of "comb through" them with the tip of my scissors, and then iron again. Then I carefully cut the edges as straight as possible with very sharp scissors.

I left off the jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin basket--just wanted it to be more fall themed than Halloween. I also omitted the thread bow on her dress.

There is some satin stitching on the acorns and on the wings of the crow. I love these special touches that Brenda Gervais adds to her always charming designs!

Aren't his little suspenders the cutest? And how about that spiffy orange striped tie!

I haven't had a chance to do much fall decorating yet, but I did manage to set up this little display in a corner of my sunroom. I'm hoping to do more fall decorating next week. The brown carved wooden squirrels (on the right) belonged to my maternal grandmother and I collected the tiny acorns last week when we took my grandson to a local park for an afternoon.

The extent of my fall decorating so far!

 

So, there you have it--the extent of my September stitching! I didn't even manage to get my monthly Christmas ornament finished (although it is stitched). Hopefully, October will be a bit more productive in terms of stitching...

As I mentioned in my last post, my husband's extended family gathered for a memorial service for his parents on September 9th. Two of my nieces planned a truly special day for 40 of us that included the graveside interment of ashes, lunch afterward at a botanical garden, and a wonderful dinner (filled with lots of family stories) at a nearby restaurant. We saw relatives we hadn't seen in ten years so it was a very special celebration of my in-laws' lives. In between lunch and dinner we all took a walk in the woods near my in-laws' old home to spread some of their remaining ashes.  It was a cloudy, cool day, but just as my brother-in-law released the ashes near a beautiful old tree, the sun came shining through the clouds illuminating the remains as they drifted through the air. I drew a sharp breath and turned to my niece saying, "Did you see that?" "Yes," she replied with a smile and glistening eyes. I do believe in signs from our loved ones who have gone before us and this was definitely one.

The woods where my in-laws' ashes were scattered is so pretty and peaceful.

 

On Sunday, the day after the memorial service, we hopped into the car for the four hour drive to Maryland to help with my oldest son's move to his newly remodeled home. We cleaned out cupboards and closets, packed boxes, and gave the house one last cleaning. We worked from dawn to dusk on Monday as the movers were coming on Tuesday--there was so, so much to be done! Thankfully, their new home was just around the corner from the home they had been renting for the past two years so the movers didn't have far to go. After the truck was unloaded, we quickly realized that there was no way we could sleep in their new home due to the overwhelming odor of polyurethane on the newly refinished floors so we headed to a hotel. It was nice to just take a shower and relax in a calm, dust-free environment for a night. 

The next morning we were back at it, unpacking and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning (dust was everywhere as the entire home has hardwood floors that had been sanded). And... all while the workmen who have been doing the remodeling for the past five months were still there! We soon realized that four days was not long enough to make even a dent in the unpacking/cleaning/organizing/setting up a working home so I decided to stay longer while my husband left for home. He had to take care of a home improvement project that was scheduled at our own house that Monday. My son and daughter-in-law were extremely thankful for me extending my visit and said they couldn't have managed without me--I was so glad I was able to be there for them. 

Packing up the kitchen for the move. My son and daughter-in-law will definitely not miss that galley kitchen in their rental home!

All did not go without a hitch, though... the toilet for their primary bathroom arrived cracked, the dryer was delivered with big dents on both sides, the existing vent isn't large enough for the new stove, light fixtures were installed in the wrong location, etc., etc. Worst of all, they have no heat! The plumber who was supposed to call the gas company about connecting the gas line neglected to do so and it can take months. The previous home owner had oil heat, but my son had the oil tank removed never dreaming that it would take this long to connect to gas.  But, I have faith that eventually they will have a lovely home. It may be a while until they can purchase furniture, but they'll get there!

The outside of the house is looking great as a landscaper and his crew gave the home a quick makeover (it only took a day plus a few hours!). This is their new home--isn't it pretty? It's big, but they need all that space as my son and daughter-in-law work from home so they both need offices. And, of course, they need a guest room for us :) All of those big overgrown shrubs were removed and the sidewalk was replaced. The whole look is much cleaner and tidier, and best of all-- none of these plantings require much maintenance. We were all very pleased and the neighbor across the street liked it so much, he came over and asked the landscaper to do the exact same thing at his house!

My little grandson is, unfortunately, having a bit of trouble adjusting to the move. The house is much bigger than their rental home and I think Mister B is feeling a bit lost in it. He was very clingy--only wanted mommy or daddy and wouldn't even let me or my husband care for him. He did let us pick him up from pre-school one day and take him for an outing at a local park for a few hours. It was so nice to just relax away from the workmen and the chaos and stress of the move for a few hours.

Mister B loves to check for mail each day at his new house!

My husband drove back down to pick me up, stayed a few extra days, and we finally got home last weekend, tired, but fulfilled. We both enjoy doing projects that make a difference and that have a beginning and end. We put up curtain rods and hung curtains, replaced light switches, hung a new light fixture, did a mini-makeover on the guest bathroom with my daughter-in-law, hung pictures, etc. And since returning home--guess what?! That insomnia that I wrote about in my last post has just about disappeared. I so appreciate all of your suggestions on how to deal with it. I think, for me, I just needed to make sure that their move was over and they were safely in their home and then I could relax and not stay up half the night worrying about them!

My husband and I took a drive yesterday and discovered a wonderful walking path at a nearby park. It was so peaceful strolling through the woods as the sun drifted through the slowly-turning leaves.

 

A beautiful fall day for a walk in the woods

More signs... As we walked, my husband spied some round things on the ground, "Look at those walnuts." I didn't think they were big enough to be walnuts so we stomped on a few and cracked them open. They were hickory nuts--something I should have recognized as my childhood home had two huge hickory trees in the front yard. Each fall, my mom would settle all of us kids at the kitchen table cracking the nuts to make her once-a-year hickory nut cake. It took forever as there is very little nutmeat in each one, but the result was worth all the effort!

Hickory nuts and maple leaves--memories of mom.

I'd been really missing my mom lately and just know that those hickory nuts were a sign from her. And if that wasn't enough proof, as I walked back to the car after our walk (hickory nuts safely stuffed in my pocket), I heard a mother calling to her little girl on the playground, "Way to go, Elinor!" Again, I smiled to myself--Elinor was my mother's name. Thank you, mom--I love that you are still here watching over me when I most need you. How about you? Do you believe in signs from beyond? 

That was a long post! Yikes... I hope some of you are still reading along. We are expecting one last week of summer weather ahead (with temperatures in the high 70s) and I'm so happy. I dread the cooler, darker days that are coming. Hopefully, I'll be back a couple of times in October--that is always my goal--to blog twice a month--but sometimes, life interferes. That's okay--I wouldn't have traded those two weeks helping my son's family for anything. But, it sure did feel good to plop down in my stitching chair once we returned! I broke the cardinal rule of stitching: ABC (Always Bring Cross stitch!) when I went to help them move. I never dreamed I would be gone for so long and I think that is the longest period I've gone without stitching in 20 years! Remember that when you travel somewhere: ABC! Happy October, my friends--hope it is a good month for each of you. Bye for now...

Simple Beauty and a Big Surprise!

I'm hoping you are all feeling as happy as I am on this, the final day of September?! It's been a great month and an especially wonderful last week for me, so read on for the very best surprise of all... First of all, let me share my latest finish with you. I worked on this piece of summery sunshine on and off over the past few months and am proud to show you my completed "There Is Beauty In Simplicity" today. (It was a cloudy day when I took the photos so they don't accurately show how pretty this piece really is). The goldfinch is so beautiful, isn't he? And I think the choice of daisies depicts simplicity at its finest!

"There Is Beauty In Simplicity"

 

Some of you may recall my post about finding the goldfinch feather (pictured above) soon after my mother died in July of 2020. In that post, I wrote about seeing an abundance of goldfinches, receiving a card from a friend with a goldfinch on it, and then finding a goldfinch feather right outside my kitchen window. After doing some research, I learned that different colors of feathers have specific meanings and that a yellow feather represents joy and happiness. It also serves as a reminder to slow down, enjoy life, and be more mindful of the present. I've kept the yellow and black goldfinch feather in my Pottery Barn cubby ever since I found it and truly believe it was a message from my dear mother. If you'd like to read the entire post on the feather you can find it right here. 

The colors in this piece are so cheerful, aren't they?

 

Now you know why this finish is so special to me. This is the fourth of the Cottage Garden Samplings "Songbird's Garden Series" that I've completed. Would you like to see all four? I'm stitching each of them on 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle with the suggested threads. I think my favorite parts of these designs, besides the stunning birds, are the little houses--aren't they charming? I especially love the newest one as the wee golden brown house looks like it is sprouting right out of the daisy!

Which one is your favorite?

And, I had another start which I'm absolutely loving: Prairie Schooler's "Christmas Village" (book number 79). I just don't understand why I put off stitching it for so long?! Honestly, I could have had this stitched and on display at Christmas (or even all winter!) for many, many years. I don't think I'll have it finished by this Christmas, but I truly am loving every stitch. I'm using 40 ct. antique white Newcastle with the suggested DMC threads. I "only" have 1 church, 1 snowman, 2 sleighs, 3 deer, 6 geese, 6 houses, and 54 trees left to stitch. I'm trying to do a few trees for every house so I'm not left with them all at the end. For me Prairie Schooler designs are my "comfort stitching." What is yours? 

I love all the details in this sweet village!

On Monday, I received a lovely surprise from one of my Instagram friends, Cindy C. from Virginia (she is cindycstitches on IG). She sent me this darling bee pillow to add to my bee display next summer. Isn't it cute? So beautifully stitched and finished, too. Cindy, I love it and will think of you each time I put it out--thank you so much, my friend. You are always so kind and thoughtful--and I truly appreciate our friendship!

Thank you so much, Cindy--what a great addition to my bee display!

 

So, what else have I been up to since my last post three weeks ago? Well, I became a great-aunt to a sweet baby girl who was born to my nephew and his wife just over a week ago. This was the first girl baby born on my side in this generation--how my mother would have loved having her first great-granddaughter. I also went to Connecticut for another nephew's wedding (the second of three nephews who are marrying within three months of each other!). It was a long, long drive as we dealt with the horrific traffic around New York City (I can't imagine living in that busy area), but we made it and were rewarded with a beautiful Airbnb which was our home for three nights. It was right on Long Island Sound and this was the view that we woke up to each morning--that beautiful blue water glistening in the sunlight. So relaxing and peaceful!

The view from our bed at the Airbnb in Connecticut

 

In addition to the wedding (which was so much fun as we hadn't seen some of our relatives in over two years!), we went for a relaxing beach walk along Long Island Sound. The beach there is filled with shells and large rocks although there was a sandy beach further down from the house we were renting. The weather couldn't have been nicer--low 70s, clear blue skies, and sunshine. Here are some of the photos I took last Saturday morning before the wedding.

Scenes from our beach walk with views of Long Island Sound

 

And because we were so very close to Yale University (the third oldest university in the United States), we spent a couple hours walking around the campus (and now I can truthfully say, "I went to Yale!"). Since it covers 260 acres, we only saw a tiny portion, but made a point to track down the oldest existing building on campus. That was Connecticut Hall, built in 1750 which housed such notable Americans as Eli Whitney (the inventor of the cotton gin), Noah Webster (the author of the first American dictionary), and Nathan Hale (the American Revolutionary War patriot who purportedly stated, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" as his last words before he was hung by the British in 1776). Connecticut Hall is pictured in the lower right below. It is now used to house Yale's Department of Philosophy.

Scenes from Yale University include (clockwise from upper left):  The quad at the Old Campus, Battell Chapel, Connecticut Hall, and Farnum Hall

Fall is very slowly creeping into western Pennsylvania and the leaves are a bit late turning color this year. The temperature at night has begun dipping into the 40s this week, though, so that should surely hasten the bright reds, golds, and oranges that we all look forward to here in the northeast at this time of year. My husband and I took a walk around a local lake last week hoping to see some color in the trees, but very little was to be found. It was still a lovely day, though, and I took a few photos to share in the collage below.

Hints of fall are beginning to appear

 

With the cooler days, fall baking is on my mind and I made a cake that had both my husband and I saying "Yummmmm!" as we took our first bite. Now, it sounds like a strange combination, but, trust me--this recipe is a keeper. You must use very ripe bananas for it, though--very important! It is so moist and tasty and, although I don't even drink coffee, the combination of the banana cake and coffee flavored frosting was out of this world! Give it a try and let me know how you like it? You can find the recipe for "Potluck Banana Cake" right here. Does your family have any tried and true fall recipes that you're planning on making soon?

Banana cake with coffee frosting anyone?

 

And, I've saved my most happy news for last... We will no longer be making that exhausting cross-country trip to San Diego, California to see my grandson and his mom and dad, because, guess what?!?! 

They have moved to the east coast! 

We've known about their plans for a while, but I didn't tell many people because I was so worried that something might go wrong. However, as of Sunday, the little family is living in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.--just a four hour drive from us and only 30 minutes from my youngest son who also lives down that way! We couldn't be happier for them and, although it will take some adjustment on their part to having four distinct seasons and dealing with snow, ice, and cold weather, I truly think this will be wonderful move.  My daughter-in-law has taken a new job at the National Institutes of Health and since my son has always worked from home, he can follow her wherever her career takes her. This new job offers her more normal work hours, less stress, and a great bunch of co-workers. She's been working remotely for the past six weeks and I can already see a big drop in her stress level.

My sweet grandson after landing in Maryland enroute to his new home! I think he's excited about being closer to Gramma and  Grampa (but it could just be that big smile is a reaction to his tasty snack :)

 

So you can plan on reading about lots of road trips to and from Washington DC--in fact our first one is coming up tomorrow. We plan on helping them unpack, organize, and clean their new home (they are renting for now until they see what area they'd like to buy in) and, of course, spending lots of time with "Baby B" who is thoroughly enjoying the extra space in his new home already. No more apartment living for him! To say we are thrilled doesn't begin to express our excitement. I know for many of you being four hours apart doesn't sound that close, but after living on opposite sides of the country for the past five years, it will seem like they're living next door! I wish them all the best in this new chapter of their lives...

Well, time to bake some goodies to take to my son's family, pack my suitcase (again!) and do a bit of cleaning before we leave tomorrow so I'll sign off. Thank you all for visiting me today and a special thank you to those of you who leave such nice comments. I love reading each and every one and appreciate the time it takes you to write them. I'm still hanging in there with my blog for now, but thoughts of when to stop writing it are increasingly on my mind, so we'll see. Take care, my friends. Bye for now...

For the Love Of Black Cats

Happy end of September! Are you ready for a new month? In some ways it seems 2020 is passing at a snail's pace and in others, it is like a runaway train--speeding by with no sense of direction. It's been a beautiful month here in the mid-Atlantic states with warm days and cool nights--perfect sleeping weather. The cooler weather moved in yesterday, however, and I think it's here to stay. Great stitching weather, though, and I'm looking forward to it. 

Today I have a trio of finishes to share with you on one of my favorite subjects: black cats! Oh, I know... black cats are supposed to bring bad luck and they are even adopted from shelters at a much lower rate than other cats because of that superstition. Well, having had a black cat named Shadow for 14 years when my sons were growing up was one of the best chapters in my life. Ever since then, I've had a love for the sleek felines and, if it weren't for our travels and my husband's allergies to them, I would definitely adopt another one. 

These cute pillows are all designed by Blue Ribbon Designs and were featured in various Just Cross Stitch Magazines. I had stitched the one below on the left last year and decided to make two more and finish them in a similar way to display in this little wooden tray.

A trio of black cat finishes

 

The chart from the one I stitched last year can be found in the October 2018 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine and is called "Startled Superstition." Don't you love the expression on the cat's face? Now, hovering right above the cat are two things I do fear--bats! Ugh!!!

 

"Startled Superstition"

 

I used 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle for these and changed the colors to all DMC: 311, 3826, 976, 640, 729, 648, B5200. I also changed the outer border from orange to black. To finish it, I added some black ric-rak and a thin border of an orange and black print fabric to the side. Of course, I had to add my cording along with a black button, topped with a rust colored button, topped with a little checked bow.

 

Love black cats, but don't care for those bats!

The second pillow, called "Midnight Meeting" (from the October 2016 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, was stitched on the same fabric with the same thread colors that I chose for the pillow above.

"Midnight Meeting"

I wanted the borders to match on all three, so I changed that up a bit, too. I think the shy smiles on the little ghosts are so sweet! This was the narrowest of the three designs so I did a border of ric-rak and fabric on each side, topped it with a gingham ribbon and an old brass jack-o-lantern charm.

Love the cute ghosts!

The final black cat stitchery is called "Scaredy Cat" and can be found in the Just Cross Stitch Halloween magazine from 2011. It's also stitched on 40 count vintage country mocha with the same DMC threads. I began stitching this one and thought, "Wait a minute! If I'm going to display these together, I want the two cats on each end to be facing each other." So, I took a photo of the chart with my phone and flipped it so it was the mirror image. Luckily, I had only stitched the cat's tail so I didn't have much to rip out!

"Scaredy Cat"

The border on this third design was totally different and done in green so I re-charted it to match the borders on the other two. Here is a close-up of it all finished up... what do you think? As you can see, I put the fabric strip on the opposite side of that in the first finish. I love the way all three look together and think this is a cute Halloween display without being creepy or scary. I haven't done much Halloween stitching since 2014 when my dad died on Halloween, but I'm hoping to do a few pieces now and then. It definitely changed the feeling of the holiday for me.

It was nice being able to use the same colors and fabric for all three!

So, do you have a favorite? I think I like the last one the best--not sure why! I like the happy (rather than scary) pumpkin in it, too. I haven't stitched very many Blue Ribbon Designs, but will definitely be doing more.

 

One final look at the black cat trio.

Would you like to see a photo of my sweet Shadow who started my love for all-black cats? He was one big black cat--nearly 20 pounds! The vet said he could double as a panther in an action movie--he was that big. And, he was the very best pet for our boys--he followed them around in the yard, slept with my middle son, and really behaved much more like a dog than a cat. He, sadly, developed a tumor in his intestines and, even though we had him operated on, he ended up dying of it about 18 months later. Shadow was 14 years old when he died in 2007 and I still miss him dearly.

Shadow, 1993-2007

Gifts galore! In other stitching news, I've received some lovely gifts from stitchy friends from both Instagram and fellow bloggers. I still feel quite overwhelmed at the sheer thoughtfulness and generosity found in our community and I hope this kindness spreads to other online communities as well. This year, more than ever, we need a lot more kindness in our world, don't you think? Thank you to all of my sweet friends who surprised me with little bits of happiness in my mailbox recently...

 

Instagram friend Claire, in Canada, made me this darling scissor fob with the tiniest "over one" cardinals and the letter "C."

Instagram friend, Lois, from Northern Ireland sent my grandson this adorable book by two of my favorite children's authors.

Instagram friend, Tricia in Illinois, sent me some delicious honey harvested from her husband's beehives, two beeswax candles and these sweet bee-themed scissors.

Blogging and Instagram friend Stasi, in Virginia, sent this wonderful selection of ribbons for my finishing and two sweet "Handmade With Love" charms.

Blogging friend June, in England sent me a cute beveled frame so I can put some stitching or photos in it for my grandson's room.

Giveaway time... I haven't offered a giveaway in a while so how about the chance to win these two charts? I'm offering both because the chart for one is on the back of the photo for the other and I can't separate them. These are from an old Leisure Arts magazine (sorry, but I don't know the issue). One is a seasonal band sampler called "Peace and Plenty" and is filled with pumpkins and sunflowers and a pastoral looking farm scene. And the other is called "Toy-Lovers Santa" and features good St. Nick carrying a bag of toys and carrying a snow globe with what appears to be a tiny Nativity scene inside.

If you would like to win these two charts, please follow the three steps below and I'll pull a name from the hat and post it sometime in October.

If you would like to win these two charts (which are torn from a magazine and will be folded to fit in a legal sized envelope to keep postage costs down): 1) Please let me know you are entering the giveaway in your comment below; 2) Make sure to leave your email if I don't have it already, and 3) Answer the question in my "Getting To Know You" section below. I'll let you know the winner in late October so you have a while to enter! Good luck to all!

Getting to know you... For today's question, I'd love to know if you like your first name and why or why not? My answer: Actually, I do like my first name even though "Carol" definitely screams "born in the 1950s." My mom and dad named me Carol as I was supposed to be born on Christmas, but just wasn't ready to appear until mid-January. "Carol" originated in France and means "song of joy"  and, to me, it always sounds like a happy name. ♪♫♪ I wasn't named after anyone... my parents simply liked the name and I'm happy they chose it!

So, now it's your turn... Do you like your first name? I'd love to get to know you a bit better...

With fall comes the job of cleaning up the garden which I leave to my husband. This spring he put up a new deer and critter-proof fence  and halved the size of our garden. This fenced in area is the only place we can grow flowers due to our overly abundant and very hungry deer, so the four raised beds are used for both vegetables and a few flowers. This is what it looked like in early summer (my husband surprised me by planting those small sunflowers when I returned from caring for my mom in May). I love the concrete slabs in between the beds as they keep your feet free of dirt when picking vegetables or flowers.

The newly configured garden in spring...

And here is the view at the end of summer. There were lots of tomatoes and butternut squash...

... and in fall 2020

Actually, there are way too many butternut squash--we have almost 20! Does anyone have any good recipes to recommend that would use up some of them? I am not usually a squash eater, but I may have to force myself this year!

I need Butternut Squash recipes--help!!

 

This year was definitely a transition year and my husband hopes to plant more flowers and a wider variety of vegetables next year. I did manage to get some pretty bouquets from our garden, though!

Love how the pink and white flowers look in the Delft pieces from my dear mother.

These gorgeous mums were sitting beside mom's grave during the funeral service and each of us kids took a pot of them home. 

Mom would have loved these mums so very much... She always enjoyed the colors of autumn in the northeast.

I'm still planning on doing a memorial tribute for my dear mother, just need to get a bit stronger. The good news is that I am getting less weepy--I noticed a distinct improvement this weekend so I'm hopeful... I still miss her dreadfully, though.

Well, that's it for me for September. I'll be taking a bit of a blogging break for part of October... Bet you know what that means, right? Yep--we are off to visit our little sweetheart grandson, "Baby B" who is now nearly 3 months old. I can't wait to hold him again--although he will look nothing like the nine day old cherub in this photo below. I mean look at that sweet dimple... sigh! Once again, we will be quarantining in an Airbnb before moving in with my son's family just to make sure we didn't pick up Covid on the flight to California. Wish us luck! I will be able to read your blogs while I'm gone, but won't be able to comment on them.

I have this photo of my sweet grandson right here in my kitchen where I can see it as I cook!

Don't forget, if you want to enter the giveaway, please make sure to include your email address (and that goes for anyone who wants a reply to a question as well, please). I hope you all have a wonderful October ahead and thank you all for visiting "Stitching Dreams," reading my way-too-long posts, and commenting--I do appreciate each of you so much! Bye for now... 

♥ Happy October to all! ♥