Small Finishes and Big Thanks

Hello! Hello! And how are my blogging buddies doing on this fine morning? I hope this last week in April finds your part of the world greening up and beginning to bloom with those lovely pastel colors that can only mean spring has arrived. Spring has definitely "sprung" here in western Pennsylvania even though the temperatures have been quite temperamental. Last week  it was 71° on Friday morning and then a mere 24 hours later it was almost 40° cooler! Crazy...

I've only managed a bit of new stitching lately because my husband and I spent some time in southern Florida earlier this month (more on that in a bit). But, I was so relieved to get the April Word Play finally finished up. Yes, "relieved" is the correct word...as much as I love the finish and as adorable as this design is, I just didn't enjoy stitching it any more than I enjoyed stitching the January Word Play. I don't know what my problem is because as an avid reader and librarian, I love words. I persevered, however, and ended up with, what I think, is a very cute finish.

April Word Play

I stitched the April Word Play "over one" on a very pretty 25 ct. sage green evenweave of some sort. I thought it was a 28 ct., but it turned out larger than my January Word Play finish so it must be a 25 ct. Most of the suggested overdyeds were used, but I had to change the colors of the leaves and the birds' feet and beaks because they just weren't showing up well on the green. To finish it off, I used the same tiny white ric rac that I used for the January Word Play and backed it with the darker green cotton fabric (from a cloth napkin I bought at Kohl's). I wish the color difference showed up better--the backing fabric is quite a bit darker than the evenweave. I do love this finish!

Finished April Word Play

I also had to change the way the word "Seeds" was stitched on the little wagon since this was stitched over one.  Stitching it the way the design was charted made it too crowded looking so I simplified the letters a bit. And, taking the advice from several of you who already stitched this, I gave the bunny a cute and fluffy white tail made entirely of French knots (or my version of them--I am NOT the best French knot maker in the world)!

 April Word Play

So, will I stitch more of these Word Play designs? Probably--I did buy all twelve charts after all!! (And don't we all always stitch each and every chart we purchase--ha ha!) But, I will have to stitch them sparingly--just now and then, not one month after another. I'll be skipping May and June, but might pick up July during the summer. Here is a photo that will give you a better idea of the size of the little pillow next to some freshly picked daffodils from our back yard...

April Word Play

Now, on the flip side--a design I loved stitching was this Little House Needleworks piece. It will eventually be a scissor fob--just didn't have time to finish it for this post. It is from the chart "Wool Needlebook & Fob." And yes, I also hope to stitch the needlebook, too, at some point. Don't you love the sheep? And the colors--the purple just makes this design! This is stitched over one on 28 ct. dirty linen with the suggested DMC threads. I'll show you the finished fob next time--it will be my first fob finish, believe it or not!

 LHN Scissors 

(From "Wool Needlebook & Fob")

FLORIDA VISIT: As I mentioned earlier, I was in sunny southern Florida (Naples to be exact) recently. As much as I complained about our endless winter and longed for warmer weather, I wasn't quite ready for the extremely hot (85°+) and humid days we had our entire visit. I'm not sure what happened, but my hot flashes were out of control the entire time I was in Florida... Having dealt with them for 15 years (yes, you're reading correctly), I'm no stranger to them, but, oh--I felt like I was absolutely melting the whole visit. I'm assuming it was the heat that triggered them to be so outrageous because now that I've come back to cooler weather I'm back to "normal."

Despite the uncomfortable temperatures it was so nice to see the tropical plants and trees that we don't have up north. Thought you might enjoy seeing a few of the prettiest botanical beauties. Many of these photos were taken at the Naples Botanical Garden which, if you ever find yourself in that southwest corner of Florida, I strongly urge you to visit.

Shaving Brush Tree

 Common Screwpine

Silk Floss Tree

(No, that's not where stitching floss comes from!)

Banana Plant

A tiny skink 

(notice how well he blends in with the wood)

Asian Garden at Naples Botanical Garden

Spanish moss draped tree

Naples is a wonderful city to take long walks in--so many beautiful houses and interesting things to see. Here are some of the sights we saw on our long walks...

A boy reading a book mailbox--how sweet!!

Flowers blooming in every color

Tropical trees in all shapes and sizes

So many lovely houses and estates... 

I'll take that pink one!!

Our last night was spent strolling the beach

 near the Naples Pier.

THANKS TO... It's always good to get away, but, for me, there is nothing like returning home! I love my house and yard and being surrounded by my stitching and books and other simple things that make me the happiest. When I got home I found a lovely surprise waiting for me from Manka. Just look at all of these beautiful goodies that arrived in a recent giveaway win all the way from Hungary. I wish I could show you just how perfectly stitched the heart shaped bookmark and the biscornu are. The ribbon roses are lovely and the delicate specialty stitches add so much to these pieces. The talented Manka offers some lovely free designs on her her blog, so if you haven't visited, please stop by. Thank you again, my sweet friend from Hungary--I love each and every thing you sent my way!

Giveaway beauties from Manka!

And arriving like a burst of Carolina sunshine came what Faye called a "belated, belated birthday gift!" I was so surprised and thrilled to open her package and find one of her beautifully stitched project pouches. She chose the colors especially for me in the prettiest shades of yellow and blue...And look at the tiny scissors charm attached to the zipper--adorable! Why, she even monogrammed it for me... I know most you are familiar with Faye's Carolina Stitcher blog, but if you aren't, please pay her a visit. You'll be inspired by her beautiful stitching as well as her finishing of many of our fellow stitchers' projects. Thank you again, Faye, so very much, for your special birthday surprise and for your friendship. I know I'll think of you each time I use your lovely gift...

Blue and yellow stitching pouch from Faye!

I think I'll wind up this way-too-long post now, even though I have more to share with you. It will just have to wait until next time! I'll leave you with two photos of what makes spring time in the north so special...

April in Pennsylvania

Is there anything prettier than a bouquet 

of freshly picked spring flowers?

Enjoy this last week of April, my friends, and thank you all for dropping by today! It's always so nice to visit with you and I sincerely appreciate each and every comment and email. I'll be in New York visiting with my mom and dad for the rest of the week so I may be a bit quiet on the "commenting front," but will definitely catch up with your blogs when I return.  Bye for now...

Ornament Finishes and Giveaway Winners

Greetings from Pennsylvania on a lovely spring day! Yes, it is finally beginning to feel like spring after our record-breaking low temperatures last week. It was a frigid 19° on April 4th--can you imagine? According to our local newspaper we were colder here in the Pittsburgh area than in Juneau, Alaska or even Moscow! But, today we are supposed to reach a lovely 67°--it was so nice to wake up to the sounds of the Mourning Doves' coos today. I hope the rest of you who have endured an "endless winter" are enjoying sunnier days, too.  

Someone asked about my Christmas ornaments in my last post... Oh, yeah, that's right, I was supposed to be stitching one a month, wasn't I? Well, I'm just a bit behind--four months behind to be exact! The good news is that I made some progress and finally finished these little cuties for my January and February selections. First up, is another of the four snowmen featured in the chart "Let It Snow" by A Stitcher's Hands. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll remember I stitched his red, white, and blue themed buddy last year (you can see him by clicking here). I used the suggested DMC threads on a piece of 32 ct. mystery linen and embellished his hat with a little white pompom. The plaid fabric was a sample scrap from Joann Fabrics and the backing fabric is the gold-toned napkin shown in the background which I picked up at Kohl's. There are two snowmen left in this booklet--hope to get all of them stitched at some point.

A Stitcher's Hands: "Let It Snow" snowman

My February ornament is one of my favorites from the Little House ornament series called "Bringing Home the Tree." It is stitched on 40ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using the suggested threads. I just love that little black Scottie with his red collar and booties--so sweet. I really liked the border in this one, too. To finish it off, I simply ruched some sage green satin ribbon and added three white pearly pins at the top. What do you think?

 

"Bringing Home the Tree" (Little House Needleworks)

I'm currently working on my third and fourth ornaments of the year and hope to have them done by the end of the month so I'll be all caught up...

GIVEAWAY WINNERS: OK, admit it, how many of you skipped down to this part of my blog to see who won my 1000+ follower giveaway?  Oh, I know many of you did. And chances are all but three of you were a bit disappointed. This is the hard part for me--I so wish I could give each of you, especially those who regularly comment, a little something. But, I simply don't have the time or resources to send so many gifts all over the world... I was truly honored that so many of you (almost 200!!) entered my giveaway for my simple handmade pieces. I mean I wasn't giving away anything very valuable, so it meant all the more that so many of you wanted a little something made by me. A simple pillow didn't seem like much, so I've added a few more goodies to the winner's packages, but will keep everything secret until they arrive at their new homes. My husband did the honors in picking the names out of the hat (well, really, it was just a plain old paper bag :) and, without further ado, here they are:

PRAIRIE SCHOOLER BUNNY WINNER:

 Julie (Julie's Stitchy Knitter Journal)

 

PAINTED EGG WINNER:

Passion Fruit Princess (Ana Paula)

"S" IS FOR SPRING WINNER:

 Pam in IL (Pam)

If the winners will please contact me with your mailing addresses, I'll get your packages out to you soon. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed stitching them! And for the rest of you, all I can offer is my sincere thanks. Thank you for your wonderful comments, your emails, your friendships and support. I truly loved reading about the simple things that made you smile in your entries and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who enjoys "a simple life!"

SPECIAL THANKS: Imagine my surprise when I received two wonderful packages in my mailbox this past week. First of all, my new blogging friend, Dawn, sent me one of her sweet scissor fobs as a Random Act of Kindness. I was so touched and honored that she would think of me and wanted to make me smile. I just love it, Dawn--the colors of lavender are perfect for me and the flowered white beads are so sweet. Doesn't the fob look lovely on my favorite pair of scissors? Thank you so very much, my friend--I'll think of you and your kindness each time I admire your beautiful creation!

Scissor Fob RAK from Dawn

Thank you, my friend--it is beautiful!

And from one of my long-time blogging buddies, Valerie (Fog City Dweller blog), came a belated birthday present package (which, believe me, was well worth the 3 month wait!!). I honestly gasped, "Oh, it's beautiful," when I removed this beauty from the package. Just look at this stunning Drawn Thread ornament that Valerie made for me--perfectly stitched and finished! And you know what, I had picked this exact chart to stitch for my April Christmas ornament--luckily I hadn't begun yet! This is from "The Holly and the Ivy Sampler" chart and is one of my favorites. How did you know Valerie? 

"The Holly and the Ivy" birthday gift from Valerie

I adore it, my friend--thank you so, so much!

As if the ornament wasn't more than enough, Valerie included all of these goodies, as well... There was a cute LHN chart, a blue skein of silk, a blue notepad, and a cute key chain from Valerie's beloved San Francisco. I told her I honestly plan on visiting her fair city one day--especially if she agrees to be my tour guide. Thank you, thank you, my sweet friend--I am so happy we've "met" through our blogs...

So many birthday goodies from Valerie!

SUGGESTIONS NEEDED: Is there anything more heart-warming than welcoming a new baby to the world? Well, how about welcoming three new babies to the world? My best friend's daughter recently gave birth to triplets--two dear baby girls and a precious baby boy. I had the best time shopping for these little outfits and even made a card to welcome them (definitely outside my comfort zone--I am not a papercrafter by any means, but it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself). I fell in love with these sweet pink dresses with matching hairbands and I think the little boy will look mighty sharp in his plaid shorts and spiffy white crested shirt, don't you? Now, I would love to stitch some little Christmas ornaments or a triplet themed sampler for them and that is where I could use your help. Have you stitched or received anything that would be appropriate for a trio of new babies? I'd really like to make something special for them as I watched their mom grow up from the time she was a tiny baby herself and her family moved in three houses down from me. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be so appreciative.

Baby gifts and handmade card 

to welcome a trio of new babies

After all of these years, I've finally read an old classic, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and, oh, how I enjoyed it. Am I the only adult who had never read it as a child? I actually think I probably appreciate it and enjoy it more now than I would have as a child. And, of course, I had to watch the movie as soon as I finished the book, and it was charming. A perfect movie for spring with all of the budding gardens and newborn animals--and did I mention the sheep? Lots and lots of sheep for all of you cross-stitch sheep lovers (myself included!). Anyway, if you haven't read the classic book or seen the movie, I highly recommend them both...

MOVIN' TO BLOGLOVIN':  With the upcoming demise of the Google Reader you can now follow my blog in a new reader simply by clicking on this link and signing up: Stitching Dreams blog. Hope to see you all there!

Well, that's it for this week, my friends... Thanks so very much for stopping by and saying "hi!" I do appreciate each and every comment so very much. I wish you a week filled with sunshine! Bye for now...

Spring Stitching In the Snow

Good morning, everyone! Isn't it hard to believe we're down to our last week in March? Believe me, you'd never know that April is almost here with what greeted me as I looked out my upstairs window yesterday. Yes... more snow. And not just a dusting either--we received  four inches here in western Pennsylvania. I honestly don't remember a year like this one in terms of weather. I heard a news report recently that said our area has received either rain or snow on all but nine days so far in 2013... I never thought I would be one to retire to Florida or the southern states, but, at this point, it is sounding mighty tempting!

But, things aren't all cold and wintry here...at least I've managed to bring in some spring cheer by stitching two of the cutest new designs from  The Snowflower Diaries blog. Hungarian designer, Maja Matyas Szilagi, has released the most adorable freebies for us and her "Spring Bunny Love" design (available here) immediately captured my heart. You all know how much I love bunnies, don't you? Well, who could resist this sweet courting couple? Maja's design calls for Nina's threads, but I only owned one of the suggested colors for this piece (the color for the bunnies) so I substituted various overdyeds from my collection. This is stitched "over one" and I am so pleased with how it turned out--it almost looks like a watercolor painting. I used 28 ct. bone cashel linen, ruched some wide pink satin ribbon, added some pearly white pins, and backed it with the pink and white fabric shown in the photo. I smile each time I pass by it!

"Spring Bunny Love" by The Snowflower Diaries

Maja has so many cute designs that I couldn't stop with just one! Next up was "Tulips With Bunny" (which you can find here).  For this one, I took a different approach and chose the thread colors based on a pretty piece of fabric I had been wanting to use. I simply laid out the blue flowered fabric with my white evenweave and began pulling threads until I had a combination that I thought would work well with the fabric. Would you like to see what I came up with?

Stitching choices for "Tulips With Bunny"

What do you think? I'm very pleased with this finish and I love how everything came together as I had hoped it would when I first pulled the threads. I found the palest pink ric-rak to embellish the little pillow with that perfectly matches the lighter pink in the design. This one is also stitched "over one" on white 28 ct. evenweave which, again, makes it very tiny. It will be perfect for my bowl of bunnies for Easter decorating.

"Tulips With Bunny" by The Snowflower Diaries

Here are both of them together... Thank you so much for designing and sharing your beautiful charts, Maja! You have brought smiles to stitchers worldwide with your generosity and creativity. I look forward to stitching more of your designs in the future...

Bunny love!

Now, in looking at these two finishes, you might think that I am a real "girly-girl," right? Nope! Not at all--I don't think you would find even a single article of pink clothing in my closet...Lace, sparkly things? No--not me! But, I just love creating these sweet little pillows so much. The pastels of spring stitching truly brighten my days after the long cold winter. And speaking of brightening my day, I had two lovely surprises waiting for me in the mail recently.

From sweet Maggee, at Stitching Devotee, came these two delightful charts. Maggee had listed several groupings of charts on her blog and asked if any of us would be interested in any of them as RAKs.  And just look at the lovely pair that she surprised me with: Brightneedle's "Finger Lakes Sampler" and  Ewe & Eye & Friends "Alphabet Garden." I couldn't be more pleased--they are both charts I will definitely stitch and the "Finger Lakes Sampler" has special meaning to me as that is the part of the country where my parents, brother, and sister all reside. Has anyone visited any of the Finger Lakes? It really is a lovely part of New York State--I just wish it was a bit closer so I could visit my family more often!  Thank you, Maggee, so very much for your generosity--I think the RAK chart listing is a great idea and one I hope to offer myself in the future!

 Thank you so much for the great charts, Maggee...

I love them both!

And from my dear friend, Brenda, over at  Brenda's Stitching, came these jaw-dropping gifts. I mean, I honestly just stood looking at these goodies with a goofy, stunned smile on my face when I opened the package. Just look at this sweet stitched box Brenda made for me! Isn't it adorable? And inside the box was the most lovely "ruler" I've ever seen. It is made of mother of pearl--can you imagine?

Surprise Easter gifts from Brenda!

 

One of the unique things about this handrafted box is that you can interchange the designs seasonally, so I plan on stitching a little something to place inside for each of the four seasons... And, of course, the box will always be filled with something like these pastel peanut M&Ms that I bought for Easter--yum!  Brenda, "thank you" doesn't seem adequate to express my gratitude. I am so pleased we have "met" through our blogs and I hope our friendship continues for years to come. I truly love your gifts and your kind heart...

 Beautifully stitched box from Brenda

GIVEAWAY UPDATE:  There is still time to enter my giveaway on my previous post. I have so enjoyed reading about the "simple things" that make you smile. They have made me smile, too--honestly. And I'm truly touched that so many of you would be interested in winning one of my little pillows--thanks to all who have entered. If you would like to enter, simple click here to enter your comments. The giveaway will close on March 31st...

I sure wish I was leaving you with a photo filled with dancing daffodils and beautiful birds that should be on a post dated March 26th, but this is what my backyard looked like yesterday! Easter? Hmmm... I hope no one is having Easter-egg hunts this year--the poor eggs would be totally frozen after too long in this weather!

 The last (please, please, pretty please?) snowfall of March...

Thank you all for stopping by--and for all of your wonderful and much appreciated comments. It's always nice to see who's been by for a visit! I'd like to welcome my new followers, too--so glad you're here...  And for anyone wanting to stitch that cheerful bunny in his bright yellow slicker in my new blog header, you'll be happy to know that The Cricket Collection has re-released that freebie and you can find Mr. Slicker Bunny himself:  just click right here. Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates and Happy Spring to all! Bye for now...

 

It's Giveaway Time and Things That Bring a Smile!

Good morning, everyone! March is almost half-over and here I am with only my first post of the month... What have I been up to? Well, I've been stitching a few little things to celebrate my followers--yes, that means you. I wish I could stitch something for each of you, but I fear I would be spending the rest of my life on that pursuit. As of this morning there are 1040 of you--amazing and humbling, indeed. So, even though I only have three little offerings today, I do offer my sincere thanks to each and every one of you who stop in whenever I post to take a peak or leave a kind comment. Thank you all! As I've said many times, I think our cross-stitching / blogging community is the best of any on the internet!

The other night when my two older sons were over for their usual Sunday night dinner, I told them that I was having a giveaway because I had reached 1000 followers on my blog. My oldest son, with his typical quick wit said, "Yep, mom has a whole army of stitchers!" For some reason, that image just really made me smile--can't you picture us all just marching along with needles raised and ready to conquer all that stash we have patiently waiting in our drawers and closets?

So, what have I created to send to three new homes? Well, first up is this little Prairie Schooler pillow from the "In the Woods" booklet. This sweet, brown bunny is stitched on a mystery piece of 32 ct. linen with the suggested DMC colors and is trimmed with some handmade cording in the same rose color. The fabric shown behind him is what I used to back the pillow.

Prairie Schooler Rabbit

My next offering is one you've seen before, but everyone seems to love and that is "Painted Egg" by The Cricket Collection. This is one piece I never tire of stitching because the little bird is so dear. Now, the same can't be said for the finishing--boy, do those beaded edges take me a long time. I really admire those of you who routinely finish with beaded edges--what patience you must have! This one is stitched on 32 ct. Permin twilight blue linen and uses the suggested DMC threads. The chart can be found in the The Cricket Collection's "Eggs...etera" (No. 109) booklet, which occasionally comes up for bid on Ebay.

Painted Egg by The Cricket Collection

And finally, another Prairie Schooler that I've stitched many times, but have yet to keep for myself: "S Is For Spring" stitched with the suggested DMC threads on white 32 ct. evenweave. The handmade cording is done in the same yellow as is in the flowers and it is backed with this fun brown and yellow polka-dot fabric.

Prairie Schooler's "S" Is For Spring

Here is a photo of all three together. 

Spring Giveaway Offerings

 

Would you like to give a new home to any of these little pillows? If so, please let me know in your comments and make sure to tell me which one you like best. If you'd be happy with any of these, please list them in order of preference. The contest will be open until March 31st and I will pick three winners in April. To make it more fun and more interesting for all of us, I have a little task for you. Oh, don't worry--it's easy!! I would like to know what "simple things" you see in your room right now that make you smile and why? Yes, right now--no cheating and going off into another room. Whatever room you're in--just look around and what brings a smile to your face?  Pets and people are off limits because I know they make us all happy... Is there are certain photograph, a treasured hand-me-down, or a blooming plant that always makes you light up when you pass by it? Now, it's only fair if I answer the same question, right?

Well, I blog in my kitchen at my desk in the far corner so looking around I see many things that make me smile. I'll share four of them with you here in pictures...First of all, is one of my glass-front cupboards that houses a portion of my collection of reproduction Dedham pottery bunnies. Every time I see their sweet faces peering out at me, I feel good!

Awww... who can resist those cute little guys?

My husband always says it doesn't take much to make me smile and this next "happy thing" is proof of that. I bought a package of 24 polka-dot ribbon spools the other day with my 50% off coupon at JoAnn Fabrics (for a grand total of $7.50) and every time I pass by this basket of beauties I grin. Aren't they bright and cheery? And no, I don't normally keep my finishing supplies in my kitchen, but I just took them out of their plastic wrapper and had placed them in this basket so they're temporarily sitting on my kitchen island.

 A rainbow of ribbons--polka-dotted no less!

Another thing sure to bring a smile is my little Marjolein Bastin (love her art!) corkboard to the right of my desk. On it are photos of my parents and grandparents in their younger days, of my three sons when they were all about 3 or 4 years old, my dear husband at age 30, and my sweet black kitty, Shadow. There are also two Chinese fortune-cookie "fortunes" that have special meaning ("A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever" and "Use your education to change the world"). Plus, one of my old favorite quotes:  "She's not your typical librarian" cut from a very old magazine.

 A corkboard full of memories...

It is on this bulletin board that I keep an inspirational phrase by Edward Whymper always in sight. It simply reminds me of the importance of the way you conduct your life and that what you say and do each day  may truly have an impact on others. It reads...

 A favorite thought...

And finally, looking around my kitchen, I see these lovely flowers that my husband brought me after he returned from his recent Colorado skiing trip. I think he missed me--what do you think? This was a huge bouquet which I split into two arrangements. After the March we've had (it snowed AGAIN yesterday after being a perfect 72 degrees on Sunday!), I love having the bright colors nearby to cheer me up.

A burst of spring colors set against a snowy backdrop

Oh, and look what I saw yesterday as I peered out my kitchen window--the first robin of spring. Such a welcome sight after our long winter! Welcome back north, little one--hope you're bringing warmer weather with you.

The first robin of spring!

So, there you have it... some very simple things that made me smile recently. Now, it's your turn. If you would like to enter my giveaway, please describe something that makes you smile wherever you're reading this from and make sure to state specifically that you want to enter the giveaway. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  As I mentioned previously, this giveway will remain open until March 31st... Best of luck to all who enter. Who knows, I may just include a few more little goodies with the stitched pieces!  

Thank you again for your visit--and I hope your day is filled with simple things that bring you a smile! Bye for now...

Blinded by the white...

Hello, hello! And how are all of my blogging buddies on this fine morning? Unfortunately, "fine morning" is simply wishful thinking on my part as it has been raining and raining for the past 24 hours here... Isn't it hard to believe that March is almost upon us? I can hardly wait for the grass to start greening up and for the first crocuses to peak through the soil. I really need a bit of spring color in my life right now--how about you? You see, I've been doing a lot of "snow" stitching lately--not exactly my favorite thing. Of all the colors, white seems to be the most difficult (and boring!) for me. Does anyone else feel that way? I don't know if it's the poor coverage or what, but it feels like a task rather than a joy...

Anyway, I'd like to share with you a big (for me!) finish... The Prairie Schooler February sampler. It is stitched on 40 ct. flax Newcastle with DMC thread and I'm so happy with how it turned out; it's such a cheerful  piece.

 Prairie Schooler February Sampler

You'll notice I made a few changes from the original (which you can see below). I substituted the pretty heart and doves for the groundhog in the upper right corner. Although the groundhog was cute (well as cute as any overgrown rodent with large yellow teeth can be!), I wanted the chart to be more about the other February holidays (Valentine's Day and President's Day) and there was already one tiny groundhog at the bottom merrily waving his American flag. The main change I made, though, was to the sun. In the original chart the sun is black (well, DMC 3371, which is nearly black!)... I mean, honestly, have you ever seen a sun that color in your life? If I had I would fear the world was ending! To me, the sun, as originally charted, looked ominous and a bit spider-like, so I used the same golden yellow that lit up the windows of the cabin for my sun and I'm  much happier with the look.

 

There are so many lovely details in this piece that commemorate American history. If you look closely you'll see the names of our most famous presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, along with their birth and death dates stitched into the snow. And don't you love that border of cherries and hearts? Who doesn't remember the story of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and the countless "cherry-related" activities we did as children in elementary school? Well, it turns out that the whole "I cannot tell a lie" thing supposedly spoken by George as he confessed to chopping down the cherry tree was a myth! It all began with a man named Parson Mason Weems who invented that part of George's life as a way to teach children about telling the truth when he wrote an early biography of his life! Hmm...not very truthful on his part, was it? Oh, well... another childhood illusion shattered...

Prairie Schooler February Sampler

I  also have a small finish from January that I forgot to share with you last time. Again, there was a lot of white stitching involved!  I had such a hard time getting the white snowflakes to show up on the 28 ct. gray Monaco until I decided to use two threads of B5200 just for them (everything else is stitched with just one thread since I stitched it "over one)." I used the suggested overdyeds  and backed it with the pretty white on white fabric shown in the background. I really love the look of the Word Play series, but for some reason, I didn't love stitching it. I'm not sure why; being a librarian I love words, but I struggled with making myself sit down and finish it. I had planned to stitch the Word Play design for each month this year, but I don't think that is going to be happening. I'm sure I'll stitch them all eventually, just not this year.

January Word Play

Now, although that dainty white bow in the left corner looks very charming--it really wasn't part of my original finishing plan. I had a "little"--ahem--mishap when I was ironing my finished piece. You see, I had basted the thin white ric-rac on with red thread when I sewed my pillow together. After turning it right side out after sewing the pillow on my machine, I was giving it a quick pressing when all of a sudden this red blob appeared on the white--horrors!! All I can surmise is that some of the red thread that I had pulled out from the basting had stuck on the ironing board cover and the iron accidentally got too close to the synthetic ric rac and it melted the red thread right on to the white trim. Oh, I tried everything to remove it that I could think of--I even tried filing it with a nail file, but to no avail...The red was now a permanent part of my design!

 Never again will I use red thread to baste white trim!!

I was very proud of myself, though--I didn't freak out! Honestly.. I simply took a deep breath and tried to think of different ways to disguise my mistake. I thought a cute yo-yo would cover it up nicely, but I didn't have any fabric that looked just right with all of the colors in the design. I thought about buttons, but none of them seemed just right either... SO, one of my little bows came to the rescue! Oh, I could have taken the whole pillow apart and started over, but having already trimmed the seams, it would have been difficult. So, I went with the quick and easy approach, glued a bow on top of the red blob, and no one is the wiser. You wouldn't even have known about it if I hadn't told you, would you? Anyway, I'm very pleased with it and these little snow buddies seem to like their new friend in his miniature wagon, too...

 January Word Play

Earlier this month, I was the lucky winner of a giveaway held by Vickie at A Stitcher's Story in honor of her 200+  followers. Vickie makes the most adorable bottlecap pincushions. Just look at this little beauty in winter blue filled with Vickie's handmade pins. I had admired them on Vickie's blog, but had no idea just how tiny they truly are until this one showed up at my house. She also sent a cute pen with the word "Stitch" stitched onto black fabric and inserted into the pen's casing--what a great idea. A charming sampler rounded out the giveaway goodies. Thank you so very much, Vickie--I am just thrilled with each and every gift!

Giveaway win from Vickie

And from my sweet friend, Catherine at Bramblewood Stitches, came a little surprise on a day when I really needed a smile. I arrived home from my last visit to my parents and found a very sweet card with the prettiest decorated pins waiting for me. I really must learn how to make these pins that you all are making. They look like such fun! The card you sent is so "me," Catherine--I think it will be a perfect one to frame for my sunroom. Thank you again for your friendship and for your thoughtfulness!

RAK from Catherine

This month has been crazy-busy at work with four of the seven librarians in our department on vacation for almost two weeks. The three of us poor souls trying to cover a reference desk that is open 69 hours a week has been exhausting. If you work with the public you know exactly what I mean!! 99% of the people are great, but there are always a few who nothing will satisfy. So, as you can imagine, I'm more than ready for March to arrive and for my work schedule to return to my normal 2½  days a week. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more productive in my stitching next month, too...

Thank you all for stopping by today--I really appreciate your visit. And I want to give my newest followers a warm welcome--so glad you've found my blog. I'm still trying to come up with a little something for my 1000+ follower giveaway so stay tuned! Enjoy your day, my friends. Bye for now...

Valentine Freebie Finishes

Good morning, my stitching friends! And how is February treating you so far? I know you'll all be envious when I tell you what my husband brought me back from his recent Florida trip. Why, he so generously gifted me with a lovely, lovely... C-O-L-D! Yes, after two years of being cold-free, I've been down for the count for the past five days. Luckily, from what I hear, it is on the mild side as colds have been going this winter, so I really can't complain. In the past 17 years, I have used only one sick day from work so I'm usually quite healthy, thank goodness. I am still hoping that nasty flu doesn't appear on our doorstep, though! Has anyone remained cold or flu-free this winter? It seems like almost every one of you has come down with one or the other!

I needed some bright colors after all the white and gray our winter has brought this season so I've been working on a few cheery little Valentine finishes--and guess what? All of them are freebies! I am always so grateful to the talented cross stitch designers out there who share their creativity with us in the form of freebies, aren't you? It is a wonderful way to introduce us to their larger designs, too.

When I first saw this love-letter carrying little bird, I fell in love with him! He is a freebie designed by the very creative Luli which you can find right here. He is part of a larger design of four birds, but you know me and my love of smalls--I decided to stitch him all by himself. He just looks so sweet flying his Valentine to someone's true love, doesn't he? This design is stitched on 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle with a variety of overdyeds and is finished with some white satin ruched ribbon and pearly white pins. I slightly changed the bird's body and then added the three little red hearts in the front. Every time I look at him, I just want to say--you are SO cute (well, actually, I do say that!).

 Luli's "Love" freebie

When I showed my husband my little bird carrying the love letter, he asked if it was for him and I was so surprised! I never dreamed that he would want anything stitched by me. But then I thought, well, why not? After all, if I gave him something stitched by me it would be a permanent Valentine rather than just an overly expensive greeting card that would eventually end up stashed in a drawer somewhere. So I set out to find the perfect thing and when I saw this little freebie by Cathy Habermann, I knew it was ideal. It stitched up fairly quickly and so I decided to embellish the finish and make it even more special.

"Love You More" freebie

The red and white fabric is definitely vintage--at least 40+ years old. If you wonder how I know that, it's because this is a scrap of fabric that I had saved from my sewing days in high school. Yes, I had made a top for myself (probably a peasant-style blouse which was very much "in-style" back then or it could have been a halter top--remember those anyone?!) Before you laugh--remember that this was back in the late '60s/early '70s when everything was about hearts and flowers, peace and love. That's what makes this so special;  it was something that was around when I first met my husband at the tender age of 19. I wish you could see (and feel!) the fabric in person because it is covered with red flocked hearts and flowers--so very cute! I jazzed it up with a bit of black fabric, brass heart charm, and black handmade cording. Do you think he will like it?

"Love You More" freebie

I've been asked many times how I come up with the combinations of fabrics and trims that I use in my little pillows... Well, the first step is to pull everything from drawers and cupboards in the colors used in a design and then begin eliminating things. Sometimes a print is too large or too small or the colors just aren't quite right so they are put away. Sometimes an idea I had in mind gets totally put aside when I hold up another fabric or trim and--wow--I know immediately, that that is the way I now want to go.  I found another very quick-to-stitch freebie at the Sub Rosa blog and after looking through my piles of fabrics and trims, I decided that these were the ones I wanted to use...

"True Love" freebie

Rather than stitching the design all in red as was charted, I added some color in the form of green leaves and gray birds. I also changed the four lower hearts to a checkerboard design and eliminated the words "True Love." The next step involves layering and configuring the fabrics differently to get a pleasing look. I just place them alongside my design in different combinations until I find a design that makes me smile. Would you like to see how this one ended up? Well, here it is--a bright, cheery spot of mid-winter color...

"True Love" freebie

So, now I have three quick, new smalls for my bowl of February finishes. None of them took more than a few hours to stitch and then a couple more hours to pull together for a finish.  I've also been working on a larger (for me!) piece which I hope to have finished or my next post.

I want to thank two very thoughtful blogging friends for their recent treats.  From my dear friend, Lois, came these wonderful birthday gifts. I just love the little blue scissor fob she made for me--it is so beautifully stitched and finished. And, of course, the delicious chocolate is already half-eaten. Lois also tucked in a pretty Brightneedle chart called "Something Blue," some flowery buttons, and a lovely calendar from Northern Ireland. Judging from the photos in the calendar, I've just added a new place to my "must-visit" list--the scenery from Northern Ireland looks spectacular! Thank you, Lois, for extending my birthday a bit longer and for your very special gifts and friendship...

Birthday gifts from Lois!

And from my sweet friend, Myra, came this adorable heart-shaped mug mat! I fear that it is much too pretty to use as a mug-mat, Myra, and I may use it as a candle mat in front of my February bowl of smalls. Myra's work is just wonderful and if you haven't visited her blog, run on over--you're in for a treat. Thanks so very much, my friend--your gift came on a day when I wasn't feeling my best and it certainly gave me a nice boost!

Valentine Gift from Myra!

Do you have any special plans for Valentine's Day? I'll be up in New York visiting my parents (my first two true loves!), but this time my dear husband will be making the five-hour drive with me, so that will make it special. (However, I'm still hoping for a nice box of chocolates from him--hint, hint!!). Anyway, I wish you all a happy week ahead--my thoughts are with all of you in the New England area--sure hope your power returns soon and that you can dig out from all of that snow that winter storm Nemo dropped on you.

Before I forget, here is one new honor for my city of Pittsburgh just in time for Valentine's Day... It was recently chosen by Forbes Magazine as one of the 10 Unexpectedly Romantic Cities in the entire world. Yes, the world--not just the United States!! Who knew? The link to the article and the list of the other nine cities is here. Is your city on it, too? Pittsburgh has come a long, long way from its old steel industry days--it has really blossomed as you can see in this photo.

 The city of Pittsburgh

Thanks so much for visiting me this week. Oh, one last thing--I noticed that my last post pushed my follower numbers up to (gulp!!) 1000+!!! Amazing and humbling that so many of you find my little blog interesting enough to read--truly. I think a giveaway is in order, don't you? Give me a few weeks to think of what to offer as I have a very busy two weeks coming up at work. Thank you all again for your wonderful comments, emails, and most of all--thank you for your friendships. Bye for now...

Happy Valentine's Day 

to my dear stitching friends!