2011 Christmas Ornaments and Crazy for Cranberries

Good morning my friends! And how is the countdown to Christmas progressing for you? I'm slowly making some headway, however it seems to be taking me longer than ever this year. If I can just get my cards done and a few more cookies baked, I think I'll be in fairly good shape, though! I do have some good news--my final monthly ornament has been stitched and finished and I couldn't be more pleased seeing them all displayed together. My December ornament is from a very old Leisure Arts Magazine from way back in February 1993. It is actually just the bottom motif of a very pretty monochromatic sampler called "Woodland Peace". I enjoyed stitching it so much, that you may just be seeing other motifs from this sampler stitched up as ornaments in the future.












DMC 3750 was used for my December ornament--and it has to be one of my favorite DMC colors. It's blue after all and I love any and all shades of that color as I'm sure you know if you are a regular reader of my blog. This skating scene is stitched over one on 28 ct. white evenweave and then accented with a pretty coordinating blue snowflake fabric, some tiny lace trim, a silver button, and a couple of silver bells. This whole ornament has such a nice old-fashioned appeal, don't you think?

So do you want to see my 2011 monthly ornaments displayed all together? Do you? Do you really? I've had emails and comments saying just how much some of you enjoyed last year's 2010 ornament post and I'm truly touched. So, I decided to recreate it for you with this year's ornaments (all pictures are clickable for a bigger view)...

Monthly Ornaments: 2011

2011 Monthly Ornaments: January ~ March

2011 Monthly Ornaments: April ~ June

2011 Monthly Ornaments: July ~ September

2011 Monthly Ornaments: October ~ December

Do you have a favorite? I think mine is my October ornament "Good Tidings To You," but close seconds are November's "Oh, Joy" and January's "Santa Quartet." I tried to make each one a bit special with added buttons, bows, and bells. Some are frilly, some cute, some a bit country, and some are more traditional--but, overall, I'm very proud of my "2011 Collection"!

On to the second part of my blog post title: Crazy For Cranberries... Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Lee and Linda for lunch and a bit of shopping and stitching. I wanted to take them a little gift for Christmas so I whipped up two of these tiny treasures. What does this have to do with cranberries?







Well, the name of this design is Cranberry Deer Pinkeep by Beehive Needleworks. It was the first time I had ever stitched one of Judy's designs and I really enjoyed it. These are stitched over one on some mystery 28 ct. linen with DMC 221 (which I call the Prairie Schooler Christmas red!). I couldn't decide whether to turn them into hanging ornaments or just leave them as pinkeeps so I included a little hanger made out of the same cording for Lee and Linda. That way they can decide how they want to display their pieces and it took the pressure off me. Too many decisions this month anyway, don't you think?


I also gave each of them a loaf of my Cranberry Pumpkin Bread. Here is a photo of all that I was able to hide away from my husband who is just crazy about this stuff. It has a really unique flavor with the tang of the cranberries and the sweetness of the pumpkin and spices. A perfect bread for this time of year and it's always a big hit when I serve it at Thanksgiving, too. If anyone wants the recipe, just let me know...

So what started my cranberry craze? Well, my two older sons came over for their usual Sunday night dinner last week and I mentioned that I really wanted to string popcorn and cranberries to use as the garland on my tree in the kitchen. Honestly, the looks they gave me--it was like I had just grown another head or something. They thought that was one of the silliest ideas ever: "Why on earth would you want to do that, mom?!!" Because, it's something I always wanted to do...Because, to me, stringing popcorn represents a time when Christmas wasn't so crazy busy and handmade gifts and simple, good cheer were more abundant...Because, simply put, it would make me happy...

So, I set out to do it all by myself (which seems to happen a lot at Christmas time when you are the lone female in a family with older sons!)... Did you know that you can pop regular old popcorn right in the microwave?? Who knew?? All you do is take about 1/4 cup of plain popcorn, place it in a small, brown paper lunch bag, fold down the top edges several times, lay it on its side, and microwave it on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (remove when the popping slows down so it doesn't burn). I then took some invisible thread, a long, strong needle, and my cranberries and set to work. You can use any pattern you want, but I chose a three popcorns to one cranberry ratio. One hint to make the stringing easier is to use day old popcorn so it doesn't crumble as easily.



The result of my efforts were these cranberry and puffy white garlands that now adorn my little "snowman" tree in my kitchen. What do you think? For years we had had this 4-foot tree downstairs in the basement where the boys and their friends used to gather to play video games or watch television. But, with my sons all grown and gone now, I decided to bring it up into the kitchen. I wish I had done this years ago as I just love seeing the soft white lights as we eat dinner or do the dishes each evening. Yes, every single ornament on it is a snowman with the exception of a few red and green jingle bells... We have snowmen (and a few snowwomen) of every size and shape. There are sledding snowmen, skating snowmen, even a snowman fishing. (None of my stitched snowmen are on this little three foot tree--I save them for my big tree). With all those tiny faces grinning at me each morning, it certainly gets my day off to a great start!

Snowman Tree: December 2011

I recently lent one of my charts to my friend, Lynn, in Canada and as a thank you she surprised me with this lovely tree of gifts. A smiling snowman notepad, a snowman magnet, and the prettiest snowflake fabric in the most wonderful blue color. Thank you so much, Lynn--it was not necessary at all; I was happy to share my chart with you. But, I truly appreciate your kind gifts...


My first Christmas gift arrived all the way from England... Just look at what my friend, June, made for me! The prettiest pink and brown heart-shaped sampler I've ever seen. And look, there is a little cat at the girl's feet...Just adorable, June--you couldn't have made a better choice for me. Your work is so special and perfect and I will treasure it always. Thank you for thinking of me and for the pretty blue thread as well! I can't wait to find the perfect project for it...

I'm so sorry these posts of mine are so exhaustingly long--thank you to any one who has reached this final paragraph! Perhaps in 2012 I'll start learning to write shorter posts and post more often. We'll see... Enjoy your week and, as always, thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. I so appreciate each and every one! Bye for now...

The Gift of Cross Stitch

Happy December, everyone! How on earth did it get to be the final month of 2011 already? It seems like just yesterday that it was January and I was complaining about the cold weather and planning my stitching goals for a new year. I'm beginning to think the older I get, the more quickly time passes--do any of you notice that?

Unfortunately, I have no "new" stitching to share with you today, but I do have some "new to you" pieces that I want to show you. Most are things I stitched before I began my blog in 2009. While visiting my parents and my sister over Thanksgiving, I was delighted to notice just how many of my cross stitched gifts they had displayed in their homes. You don't think they just put them out because they knew I would be visiting, do you? No--they truly appreciate the time and effort a stitched piece takes and I think they genuinely enjoy the stitched gifts I've given them through the years. Anyway, while I was up in New York for Thanksgiving, I snapped these photos to give you a little tour of pieces I've given them for special occasions.

First up, is "Outside My Window" by Lynn's Prints (from the 2005 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue). I stitched this for my mom a few years ago because it reminded me of the cardinals that used to visit the bird feeder outside the kitchen window each winter in my little hometown in western New York. Aren't the little "icicle" beads cute?

My mom loves birds just as much as I do, but she's especially fond of hummingbirds. I'm not sure what magazine the chart for this little hummer appeared in, but I placed him in a flowery frame and he now sits on my mom's nightstand next to her bed.

This Just Nan design, called "Robin's Wreath" was my mom's Mother's Day gift a few years ago. It's normally displayed on her bedroom wall (I took it down to photograph it).

Here is a closer view of Robin's Wreath. Don't you love the tiny robin's eggs in the nest in the lower right corner? I think the colors and details in this one make it one of my favorite finishes ever. The color of the fabric is more accurate in this photo--if I remember correctly, I used 28 ct. glass blue Monaco.

Another Just Nan finish called "High Hopes" is displayed in my sister's breakfast room. I gave this to her back in 2008 when she moved to a new home in a new city in a new state. It was a fresh start for her and I thought the saying on it "High Hopes Grow Here" was perfect for that time in her life. I changed the cat to an all black one to represent her old cat, Cinders. In the very center of the stitched garden is a silver birdbath charm. I'm sure the kitty is eyeing the birdbath with high hopes of capturing one of the feathery bathers!

I've stitched this Prairie Schooler "Good Morning" piece a couple of times and this one now hangs in my sister's rooster-themed kitchen at her lake house. I recently gave it to her in September for her 50th birthday and she just loves it. This chart appeared in the January/February 2002 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine.

I wanted to show you the little labels that I make for each of my framed cross stitch gifts and below is a good example. I take some theme or element of the design and create a "little something" on the computer to note the occasion and date... In this case I found a vintage-looking rooster and added a note to my sister along with my birthday wishes. Then I simply printed it, cut it out with fancy scissors, and apply it to the back of the gift with double-stick tape. It just gives the framed piece a bit of an extra personal touch!

The final stop on my cross stitch "tour" is this stitched bouquet of wildflowers that was placed in a frame with a mirror below. My mom has it hanging right by her front door in the her new home, but for years it was in the dining room of my childhood home. I checked the date on it and it was stitched in 1985!! It's held up quite well don't you think? This one was from the "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" cross stitch booklet.

Do any of you remember the actual book, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, that the designs were based on? It was so popular back in the late '70s (I know, I know...some of you weren't even born yet!!). The book was actually a reproduction of an authentic 1906 diary filled with the most lovely drawings and paintings of wildlife along with the author's observations and thoughts on nature. I think it is still one of the most charming books I own. In the upper middle of the collage below, is the drawing that the cross stitch was based on.

The year that I stitched the above piece for my mom has a very special meaning to me as well. 1985--that means I was stitching it while pregnant with my middle son. Yes, he will celebrate his 26th birthday on December 4th. He'll be coming for dinner and, of course, that very special dessert that he requests each and every year, "Giant Chocolate Eclair." It's been a good year for him with a very positive job change and I have faith that 2012 will bring him even more happiness. So... ♫♫♫ Happy Birthday ♫♫♫ to you, my dear middle son!

The winner of the LHN "Season of Plenty" chart is ... Hazel! Congratulations, Hazel--please email me with your postal address and I'll get this off to you right away. Of course, who knows how long it will take to travel all the way to The United Kingdom at this time of year. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did, Hazel, and that you'll pass it along to another stitcher when you're finished...

Before I forget, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments on my "Thanksgiving Comes Again" finish in my last post! You really made me smile with all of your compliments... And, I'm glad I was able to suggest a way to help many of you change the picture display on Blogger. I honestly prefer the old display rather than the black "lightbox" effect and I'm glad Blogger is giving us an option.

I'll be back soon with a more "seasonal" post--I promise!! Until then, try to find some time for yourself in this very busy month! Bye for now...

Thanksgiving Comes Again

Hello, my friends! I've been busily working on a surprise finish for you (although my buddies from the weekend stitching getaway already know about this piece). Just in time for turkey day, I'm so pleased to present my finish of Prairie Schooler's Book No. 141: "Thanksgiving Comes Again." I've been working on this one over the past month in between all my little ornaments and smalls. Even though stitching little things brings me the most pleasure, I do love a larger piece now and then...especially when the colors are as gorgeous as these!

This finish is stitched on my favorite 32 ct. flax Belfast linen with the suggested DMC threads. The tiny details in this piece really appealed to me: the steaming apple pie, the pumpkin-filled wheel barrow, the cornstalks left standing in the fields... I truly enjoyed stitching it all--even each of those words! So what are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you all busy gathering your food and supplies for next week's feast? I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in almost 20 years and I so look forward to it. Now that they've moved up north again from Florida, it is much easier to get together for the holidays...My contributions to our feast will include a pumpkin pie, some pumpkin-cranberry bread, and a platter of cookies--all the goodies I love to bake so it's not a chore for me at all!

While wandering through Marshall's the other day, I stumbled upon the perfect frame for this LHN "Season Of Plenty" design that I had stitched a couple of years ago. It had been stuffed into a dark drawer since 2009 so I was thrilled to finally display it this autumn. Since I stitched this one "over one" it needed a tiny frame to show it off and I thought this dark walnut frame was ideal. I recently won another copy of "Season of Plenty" as part of Jane's wonderful giveaway so if any of you would like my second copy, please let me know in your comments. If there is more than one person who would like it, I'll have a drawing to determine the winner of the chart...





I wanted to include one more prize in the giveaway package that Annie won in my last post, so I stitched a black and white pincushion for her and filled it with crushed walnut shells. I'm so glad Annie enjoyed her black, white, and pink goodies--I know she'll put them to good use! (Several of you asked about purchasing a stitching bag like the one I offered in my recent giveaway. So if you would like to purchase one of your own, please email me for details.)


Christmas came early to my house when I received this gorgeous ornament from the talented Daffycat (aka Sharon). I was lucky enough to win her giveaway in honor of her 4th Blogoversary. Just look at this little beauty!! Sharon stitched and finished it so perfectly, that I think she could easily have a second career as a professional finisher... Don't you love the dainty ribbon and bead edging treatment. Even my husband who rarely notices my stitching unless I hold it right in front of his face, saw her ornament sitting on the kitchen counter and said, "Wow--that's finished nicely!" So, you know it must be true. Thank you again, Sharon... It will have a place of honor on my tree this Christmas!

A Blogger Photo Diplay Tip: So, do you dislike the new way Blogger is displaying our photos as much as I do? I really don't like the way my photos look on the black background that the new photo display uses... Well, I did a bit of research (yep, that librarian part of me is always researching things!) and found out that it is simply a matter of a making one click on the settings page of your blog. Here is the "unofficial" Google instruction page:

How To Disable Bloggers Lightbox

It worked for me! Just go to the proper setting and click "yes" or "no" in the box that says "Showcase Images With Lightbox". Easy as can be! I really prefer the photos opening in their own windows with the nice white background...


I probably won't be posting again until after Thanksgiving so I want to wish all of my readers, followers, and friends a wonderful holiday. I know Thanksgiving isn't celebrated world-wide, but I hope we can all find many things in our lives to be thankful for. We all have our stitching and this wonderful blogging/stitching community, right? Why even this plump squirrel has found some juicy berries on the tree by my front porch for which I'm sure he's thankful! Isn't he huge? Obviously, he's been feasting on nuts and berries to hold him over for the coming winter! I shot this photo through the glass window from inside my house and am amazed at how well it turned out. The berries have all been picked clean now, so I know Mr. Squirrel is resting happily after his feast!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with friends and family and I look forward to visiting all of your blogs very soon to see your holiday stitching, decorating, and food. Don't forget to leave a note in your comment if you would like to win the LHN "Season of Plenty" chart! Bye for now...

Getaway Weekend and Giveaway Winner

Good morning everyone! Oh, what a string of glorious fall days we've had here--the sun, the blue skies, the crisp leaves...It's really too bad it has to end. What a difference a sunny day can make in one's life, don't you agree? And how about that extra hour we gained on Sunday due to the time change? I told my husband I would love it if every Sunday could include an extra hour--I seemed to have so much more time to relax and stitch...

Ornament stitching has been my priority over the past two weeks and the first finish I have to share with you is this darling rabbit from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue. "Good Tidings to You," designed by The Sampler Girl, just popped out at me the minute I looked through the magazine and I knew it would be the first thing I stitched. I changed the color of red to DMC 221 since I didn't have the recommended overdyed, but other than that, I used the suggested threads. I stitched him "over one" on 28 ct. tea-dyed monaco since I like my ornaments on the small side. (But you all knew that didn't you?!)



For this finish, I used the burgundy gingham fabric to accent the front and to back the ornament, trimmed it with a bit of lace and added a brown bow and hanger. The bow really isn't as brown as is shown in my photo--it actually is a great match for the bunny's fur color. Most of you know, I've been stitching an ornament each month so this finish is Mr. October...



My November ornament finish is this pair of smiling snowmen that I found in the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue. "Oh Joy" is designed by Val's Stuff and I just couldn't resist the little bald-headed duo! I did make some color changes and ended up using DMC 221, 520, 844, 301, and B5200 on 28 ct. sage jobelan.


Another tiny finish (yep--it's another over one stitching!) that just makes me smile. I backed the ornament in the green gingham fabric shown in the photo and added a red and green checked hanger and bow. I'm really into these tiny bows at the moment, aren't I? Hope you're not getting tired of them!!



My final ornament is a birthday gift for my dear blogging friend Mary. I fell in love with this "Noel Ornament Stamp" (by Jeannette Douglas in the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue) when my friend, Pam, showed us her finish on her blog recently. Don't you love the tiny chickadee?


Although most of this one is stitched "over one" which I generally enjoy doing--that stylized "E" in "Noel" just about drove me crazy. It's stitched on 32 ct. Confederate Gray linen using the suggested DMC and Sampler Threads. I omitted the date and finished it up with some purple beads, purple cording and, what else, a tiny bow!! Mary was very happy with her birthday gift and I was so pleased with the final result that I think I'll end up stitching it again just for myself...

GETAWAY STITCHING WEEKEND: Two weeks ago, four stitching friends and I headed up to Erie, PA for our annual Bed & Breakfast getaway weekend. Let me tell you, it was such a relaxing and delightful three days. The breakfasts were outstanding and the company even better. This year, we decided to kit up little ornaments from the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue for each other. I really enjoyed doing this and below are my kits of "Good Tidings to You" all ready to be packaged up.

I took a photo of my finish and applied it to gift bags, stuffed in some gingham tissue paper, and there you have it--five little gifts for five special stitching friends. (Four of us stitchers, plus the innkeeper who stitches as well and so patiently tolerates our scattered threads and stitching lamps!)

And I didn't come home empty-handed either... Just look at the gifts that Lee and Linda made for each of us! Lee created this lovely fall themed pincushion complete with a cluster of grapes charm and some grape colored pins. And Linda and her husband designed this lovely grape colored mug for us to commemorate our weekend. Why all the "grapiness?" Well, the name of the B&B is the "Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast" so there you have it. Thank you so much Lee and Linda--I'll think fondly of our weekend each time I look at your gifts.

But wait...there's more! As I mentioned, each stitcher kitted up her own ornament for us so I came home with four soon-to-be stitched ornament kits... Amazingly not one of us selected the same design and it was such fun to see what appealed to each person. Thank you all for your kits and for such a memorable weekend. I'm already looking forward to next year!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: So, I imagine you're all wondering just who won my 500+ follower giveaway? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer... I let the random number generator pick for me and up came #12... Guess who left the 12th comment on the giveaway post? Why none other than the very lucky...

ANNIE!!

Congratulations, Annie--please email me with your mailing address and your prizes will be on their way to you. Thank you all for entering...I loved reading about your blog names and how they came to be. I honestly wish I had a gift for each of you...

I also want to offer a warm welcome to my new followers...I've tried to get around to your blogs to say hello, too, but still have a few to get to... Anyway, I'm glad you're here and that you find my little part of the blogosphere interesting enough to follow. (And for Sherry who asked for details on my November header--the handsome turkey is from Prairie Schooler's Fall & Winter (No. 90) chart.)

Well, that's it for today's post! Thank you all for stopping in and saying "hello!" Each time I see a new comment on one of my posts, it feels a bit like I'm opening a little present--I truly appreciate each and every one... Enjoy your week! Bye for now...

Trick or Treat Lane

Good morning, all! I can hardly believe October is almost over, can you? I hope you're all enjoying your autumn and the colors and scents of the season. I sure wish it would last a bit longer, but it looks like old man winter will be arriving soon. And from the forecast, we're in for a worse winter than normal...

Not much stitching has been going on in my house, but I do have one fun new finish to share with you. May I present... "Trick or Treat Lane" by The Stitching Parlor Don't you love the ghosts carrying their little treat pails? And how about the scary looking cat? Adorable...Those must be very young "ghosts" carrying the treat buckets because any older trick-or-treater knows that buckets just don't hold enough candy! As my sons got older, they "graduated" to taking pillow cases to hold all their collected goodies as they haunted the neighborhood. I think I loved Halloween as much as they did--it was such fun to see their excitement as they arrived home, spread out their bounty on the floor, divided it into categories, and generously "shared" anything coconut related with their old mom.

I didn't have any of the suggested Crescent Colours so I substituted an assortment of overdyed threads and I'm very happy with the result. The fabric, 28 ct. stormy gray jobelan, drove me crazy, though. It was just so flopsy with no body to it at all. But, I do like the color of it; reminds me of a typical gray blustery Halloween. The house is one stitch too short, but, shhh...don't tell anyone; we're the only ones who have to know! After I discovered my error, I realized it wouldn't affect the outcome of the piece at all, so I just let it be. There were supposed to be pumpkin "buttons" in front of the houses, but I just stitched in some pumpkins and gourds instead. Although the stitching of this one took much longer than I expected (those daisy stitched leaves about did me in!), the end result really makes me smile.

We had a bit of a "trick" of our own played on us two weeks ago. My youngest son brought his girlfriend home for a few days so we decided to show off the city to her since she had never visited the area before. Now, Pittsburgh always surprises any first time visitor. Most people still have the idea that it is a dirty, industrial city, but over the 34 years that we've lived in its suburbs, the city has experienced a miraculous revitalization. It has won many, many awards over the past ten years including Forbes Magazine's Most Liveable City, one of the Top 10 Cities For Single Women, Top 10 Cities For Raising a Family, Economist Magazine's Best U.S. City In Which To Live, and just this week National Geographic Travel Magazine named it one of 20 Must-See Destinations In 2012! Surprised? Come visit--you'll be amazed!


Anyway, the four of us drove down to the city on a glorious fall day--perfectly blue sky, sunshine, crisp air. After parking the car, we began heading toward the center of the city when we passed a man sitting on a park bench who spoke an ominous warning: "Be careful, there are zombies ahead." "Ummm...okay" we replied as we dismissed his words. As we walked on, we came across a bride and groom dressed like zombies and thought that must be what he was referring to. A bit early for Halloween, but...whatever. We continued to walk past a few more scattered "zombies," but as we rounded the corner and entered Market Square, we were suddenly surrounded by a teeming sea of zombies. There were short zombies, tall zombies; thin zombies, fat zombies; old zombies and even baby zombies being strolled in their little zombified carriages by scary looking zombie parents. We had unknowingly placed ourselves smack-dab (I don't think I've ever written that word before!) in the middle of the Pittsburgh Zombie Fest 2011 .

Apparently, we weren't the only innocent bystanders to be caught unaware that zombies had taken over Pittsburgh... Do you recognize the family above? Why, it's actor Tom Cruise (in town to shoot his latest movie "One Shot"), Katie Holmes, and their daughter, Suri, who ended up with a zombie stalking them. Sweet little Suri looks totally unaware of exactly who is behind her. (Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the Cruise family in person, but the fan who shot this photo must have been very happy).

Anyway, at first it was entertaining, but it slowly began getting creepy--way too much fake blood puddled on the sidewalks or oozing out of zombies' mouths, creepy bulging zombie eyes, and torn, blood-covered clothing. After a tasty lunch in a non-zombie inhabited restaurant we made a hasty exit from Zombiefest 2011 to show our guest the "prettier" sides of Pittsburgh. But, yes, Pittsburgh can add yet another honor to its list--it is now the proud owner of the new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of "zombies" in one place--there were over 4900 of the creatures there on that sunny Saturday! If you'd like to see some of the zombies who took over the city that day, you might enjoy (?) this Zombie video. It was all a bit much for me--I can't even be in the same room when a scary commercial is on television! I cover my eyes and start singing to cover the noise of the commercials--weird, aren't I? Are any of you scaredy-cats like me?

As a thank you for her visit, my son's girlfriend treated us to this sampler of miniature cupcakes from Baked By Melissa all the way from New York City. Just look at these darling creations--each is the size of a quarter and they came in the most unusual and delectable flavors--s'mores, peanut butter and jelly, even chocolate chip pancake...They were almost too cute to eat--almost!! It was so nice to have another female around the house--we all hope she comes to visit again soon...




I've been lucky enough to win a couple of giveaways lately. First of all, Kajsa, from "Kajsa's Stitching and More" blog, found herself with two of the 2011 Prairie Schooler Santas so she nicely offered to have a drawing for her extra copy. I was so happy to win it as I've collected most of the other years, but hadn't purchased the latest one yet. Thank you so much Kajsa--I know I'll love stitching him and his little red cardinal!





And just look at this array of goodies that I won from dear Jane over at "Buttons & Stitches" blog. I told Jane that everything she included in her package was something I would have picked myself: the ribbons, the charms, the ric-rak, the fabric, the thread, the cocoa mix--oh, I love it all. But, the highlight of the giveaway was the charming Margaret Sherry Pumpkin Pie kitty that she stitched. Jane's stitching and finishing are just perfect and I'm so proud to have a piece of her work on display in my home. Thank you so very, very much, Jane--your gifts made my day!


GIVEAWAY ALERT...
There is still time to enter my giveaway to celebrate my 500+ followers (on my last post only). Entries will be accepted through November 1st and I can't wait to find out which of you will win my little treats! Good luck to all...

Do you have any special plans for the weekend? I'm heading north to Erie, PA to stitch the days away with four blogging friends at a quiet Bed & Breakfast. It sounds like perfect stitching weather with nothing but rain and gray skies forecast.

Thank you, as always, for your wonderful comments and emails--I appreciate each and every one! I'll be back soon with the winner of the giveaway; until then, I hope you all enjoy a week doing whatever makes you happiest. Bye for now...

It's Giveaway Time!

Hello, my friends! Well, I finally gathered a few items together to celebrate my 500+ followers, but, before I tempt you with them, I have a couple of small finishes to share with you... I wanted to send my blogging friend, Valerie, a little something for her birthday so I stitched up this sweet pin pillow from the Prairie Schooler J*K*L chart (Book No. 105). Since she has an October birthday, I thought the grinning Jack-O-Lantern would be perfect. I backed it with the fabric shown and made the cording out of the same DMC shade that the pumpkin is stitched in... The cute little guy is now sharing Valerie's apartment on the other side of the U.S. in sunny California... I'm so glad you like it, Valerie--I really enjoyed creating it for you!


Another tiny finish--and I do mean tiny--is this darling design called "Froth and Bubble" created by the very talented Mindi at Joie de Vivre blog. Mindi offered a "little something" to anyone who stitched her twin witches huddled around their cauldron before October 1st. Isn't this just the cutest Halloween scene? I used my own choices of DMC giving the witches purple socks along with green faces and hands. I also added a long handled spoon so the witch on the right could stir her bubbling brew.


Stitched over one on 28 ct. country mocha Cashel linen, I turned it into this little pillow with some black-bubbled fabric, a bit of black and white checked ribbon, and a gold star topped with a black button. It is now sitting on my side table in my kitchen and every time I see it, I smile... You all know how much I love "tiny" things and these witches that Mindi designed are just perfect! Anyway, I sent this photo of my finish to her as she requested and was so happy to hear that she liked it.






To thank me for stitching her design, Mindi sent me this most delightful assortment of goodies! Just look at this gorgeous fabric covered notebook that she created! It is perfect for keeping track of my starts and finishes, wish lists, supplies to be purchased, etc. I'll keep it right inside my stitching bag, Mindi. Her gift also included a black mesh make-up bag, two Halloween pencils, some yummy apple cinnamon lip balm, a packet of fun-colored travel tissues, and some tasty mints. If you haven't discovered Mindi's blog yet, please pay her a visit; you won't be disappointed. So, thank you again, Mindi--you had already given me a gift in the form of your charming design and I was so touched that you would add to it with these wonderful goodies...









Okay--on to my 500+ follower giveaway... Do you remember how thrilled I was last Thanksgiving when my dear niece and sister-in-law presented me with this delightful stitching bag? I've used it so much--in fact I would say it is one of my "required" stitching accessories, just as much needles, fabric, and threads are...It helps me stay very organized; in fact I keep mine right beside my stitching chair with little folders in it for each project or soon-to-be stitched project. Its portable size makes it ideal to take to an afternoon of stitching with friends, too.




Well, I thought you might like the chance to win one of your very own, so I asked my niece to order me this little beauty to give away to one of my followers... This version is black and white with the prettiest raspberry colored monogram that says, what else, "STITCHING." It has two mesh pockets on either end which are perfect for storing needles, scissors, eyeglasses. And the interior is wonderful for holding your current projects or things you are thinking about stitching.


Of course, I didn't want to send an empty bag, so I'm including two fat quarters, some lovely pink hand-dyed thread from Nina's Threads, a handy notebook to keep track of your stitching needs, and of course, a bar of Lindt dark chocolate. How does one of my lucky followers go about winning this package of goodies? Well, all you have to do is leave me a comment that you would like to win (on this post only) and tell me about your blog's name... Some of your blogs have such interesting names that I'd love to know the story behind them. If you have a blog named after yourself--well, tell me if you ever thought about changing the name or if you like it just as is. And, if you have no blog--what would you name yours if you created one? Please do not advertise this on your blogs--I want this to be for my regular readers and followers. In fact, there is a little bonus for those of you who regularly comment on my blog. If you commented on either of my September posts before October 10th, I will automatically give you one extra entry just to thank you for taking the time to say hello without the incentive of a "prize."


I guess it's only fair that I tell you how my blog got its name, right? Well, almost three years ago when I thought about starting this blog, I got the idea that it would be fun to stitch an ornament-sized piece every week for a full year...That was my dream--my "stitching dream" and that is how my blog "Stitching Dreams" came to be. If you are a new reader, you might want to go back to the beginning of my blog and see how far I've come. Back in January of 2009, I knew none of you in the stitching / blogging community. No one commented on my posts and I was never expecting that anyone would. I was honestly blogging to simply document my finishes... Well, ever-so-slowly, comments would trickle in and before you know it, I had more and more readers and even better, more and more blogging friends and inspirational blogs to follow myself. I wish I could give each of you a prize to say thank you for such wonderful comments, emails, and, most importantly, your friendship. It has meant more to me than you'll ever know...

I'll keep the giveaway open until November 1st and announce the winner soon after. Good luck to all!! Enjoy your last warm days of autumn! Bye for now...