Another page finish!

Whew!  I was beginning to think this day would NEVER come!  LOL  I finally finished a second page this month, so I'll be on to working on some Christmas ornaments soon!  There just never seems to be enough hours in the day lately.  Here is where I left off last night with Let Freedom Ring by Lila's Studio.   Eight pages are finished...only seven more to go!  Yippee!!  

I worked a little bit on Gingerbread Ballet last night.  I found this pattern in the 2025 JCS Ornament issue but can't remember the designer's name off the top of my head.  When I'm finished I'll post more of the information.  

As many of you know, Saturday was my birthday!  The kids got up early to watch Ben run the 5K at the Baltimore Running Festival.  We have participated in the past but just wasn't up to it this year.  The girls got up to watch him run, along with their mother.  I made the cute little crocheted "Lamb snuggie" that Little Miss Q is wearing!

After they drove here for lunch at our favorite restaurant, then went to play mini-golf.  It was a fun day.  The girls (with a lot of help from their Mom) made this card for me.  I adore it!  I'm going to frame it and hang it in my house somewhere.  

I was able to pick up a few more things for the giveaway.  I'll post them next time.  I hope you all are safe and happily stitching!  Tata for now!

Moving along

Well I finally made a little progress on Let Freedom Ring.  I'm hoping to make a little more progress today.  I'll be glad when this building is finished...haha.  All that backstitching is dragging me down.  Once this long roof is finished, I'll have the cupola to do, then I'll be moving on to another page after I take a little break.  I want to get back to stitching on ornaments.  Here is where I left off last night.  

The weather is finally beginning to feel like fall.  I really would like to stitch some fall decorations, but I'm so far behind in my Christmas stitching.  My days have been mixed with spending on the phone talking to folks, calling for medical appointments and getting medicare sorted out.  Yes, you read that right...haha.  I'm at that age where I've been filling out forms, calling an insurance agency, and getting things squared away with the military (it was so much easier for my husband who is retired Army).   I'll be getting my permanent ID card soon too.  No more posing for pictures (I hope my hair looks ok for the last picture...haha).  No more navigating the military websites searching for a place to get the card made up, no more trying to remember when my card expires.  I guess that's one perk to getting to be a certain age...haha.  

I've had a couple of days with my youngest granddaughter so I thought I would show a few pictures of her.  

She was a fussy baby, but they have finally figured out how to make her feel more comfortable and she is finally becoming a more happy little soul.  I can even get her to smile and laugh now which warms my heart.  I guess that's all the news for now.  I'm off to work on Independence Hall.  I hope you have a wonderful day.  Happy Stitching!      

Organized chaos

I know it's been a while since I posted.  I've been meaning to get my act together but it's been a wild ride here lately.  

I want to discuss the giveaway for a minute.  Please leave a comment on any post this month if you want to be included in the giveaway mentioning that you have or are going to get yourself tested.  I know it's late in the year and it takes forever for an appointment, but as long as you're taking care of you, that's all that matters to me.  Catching breast cancer early changes your chances of surviving dramatically so for the love of those who love you, get out there and get those tests!  Only comment once a post, but for each post you comment on you'll get that many chances for the giveaway.  I have a few items set aside already...  

I plan to add more but I won't have a chance to shop at a needlework store until early November, so the gift will remain a mystery except for the items already shown.  I know that I will be adding a skein of pink silk too.    

Ok, on to my stitching.  I've finished another page of Let Freedom Ring by Lila's Studio.  

I hope to finish another page, but I'm back to stitching on ornaments.  I have finished Sweet Success by Jesse Schofield from the 2024 JCS Ornament issue.  It's stitched on 32 count Teal over two.  My granddaughter fell in love with it...haha.  It was supposed to be a gift for someone, and in all honesty I really don't want to stitch it twice.  We will see, she has me wrapped around her little finger.  

I also started Gingerbread Ballet by Les Petites Croix de Lucie from the 2025 JCS Ornament Issue.  Stitched on 28 count white over two.  I need to stop showing these to my granddaughter because she loves this one too.  It's not quite complete and I'm running out of the pink Kreinik...What's a grandmother to do?  LOL!!  If I have time I'll make them later.  Here is where I left off.  

So I guess that's all the news that's fit to print.  I'm off decide what to stitch on today.  I'm way behind in my ornament stitching so I guess that's what's calling the loudest today.  

I hope all is well in your world.  We are due for some torrential downpours today, but I have no errands to run, so bring it on!  Happy Stitching! 

More finishes AND October news

Howdy Fellow Stitchers!  I worked really hard yesterday fully finishing some of the most recent ornaments I finished stitching.  I know you are probably tired of seeing these particular ornaments but you haven't seen them fully finished yet...so here they are!  

Mrs. Claus Roly Poly by Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures book stitched on 36 count Antique White over two  

Santa Roly Poly by Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures book stitched on 36 count Antique White over two   

Angel Roly Poly by Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures book stitched on 36 count Antique White over two   

Snowman Roly Poly by Christmas Cross Stitch Treasures book stitched on 36 count Antique White over two.  

I have more in the works, let's hope and pray I get them done before Thanksgiving so I can give them to their new owners to put on their trees by then!  I keep changing my mind about what I'm going to stitch...I need to stop waffling and make a decision!  Hahaha!  

As for October news...

*Stepping up on my soap box*

As everyone knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I usually have a give-away for those who have had their breast exams within the past year.   October snuck up on me this year, so I have nothing to share yet for the give-away, but that doesn't mean there won't be one.  I'll have to get my thinking cap on and see about doing a little shopping.  So here's the deal.  As soon as I've made my decision, I'll post it here in my blog.  I may even do something a little different this year and perhaps find some silk floss in pink colors...either way it will be stitching related.  So get those breast exams and be ready to comment on any post during the month of October and I will announce the winner at the end of October.  My cousin went  through treatment last year for Breast Cancer, as did I 15 years ago.  Until I was diagnosed, there was NO history of Breast Cancer in my family on either side.  I was only 49 when I was diagnosed so don't be fooled into thinking it can't happen to you.  Early detection saved my life (the cancer had already spread to 3 lymph nodes in my left arm when I was diagnosed) and since I finished treatment I have remained cancer free.  It's highly treatable in early stages so PLEASE, do it for those who love and care for you!  

*Climbing down from my soap box*  

On that note, I'll bid you a fond adieu and wish you smooth stitching, absent of knots, frogs, and wrinkled fabric.  Happy Fall Y'all! 

September Smashes

I have to say, sometimes I drive myself crazy...haha.  I like to make goals for myself, but having an A-type personality, I stress myself out sometimes, trying to meet those goals.  Stitching is supposed to be fun and relaxing, right?   I really do enjoy stitching....finishing, not so much.  I have cut down on the goals I try to meet each month.  I have a list on my goals page of ornaments I try to stitch each month.  My goal this year was to stitch AND finish the ornament of the month from the JCS Christmas Issue that is a challenge on a Facebook page.  While I stitched the ornament early on, getting it finished was met with some challenges.  I need to be home when I finish these.  All my backing fabrics, trims and embellishments are in different places in my house...and I have way too many to take anywhere with me so I have to be home to do any finishing.  So....when I realized I would be away from home for half the month of September, and I knew I would have days with the grandkids, birthday parties, doctors appointments, I wondered if I would meet my goal this month.  THANKFULLY I bit the bullet and finished up September's last night, just in the nick of time!  I finished up Polar Bear Wishes by Century Farm Stitching from the 2024 JCS Christmas Issue.  I changed up the fabric that was suggested to 36 count Petite Point over two.  I thought he turned out pretty cute...and will be a gift for an in-law this year.  

Another goal that I set for myself was to finish two pages a month of Let Freedom Ring by Lila's Studio.  I started this on the 4th of July with the goal of finishing it and having it framed by the next 4th of July for the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country.  I was really struggling to finish a second page this month, but thankfully I had two days in a row that I could devote entirely to stitching a second page this month!  Whew...just barely made it!  Here is where I left off last night.  So far I have finished pages 10-15.  Onwards and Upwards!  

I finished stitching 5 other ornaments this month, none of them are from the challenge...but they will be gifts this year, so I need to get them fully finished AND stitch a few more.  Hopefully October will be a more productive month.  I did start finishing 4 of the ornaments last night.  With a little luck I'll get them fully finished today, and get another ornament started.  I've decided to give Let Freedom Ring rest for a little bit while I stitch up other ornaments.  And I've also decided, I need to cut myself some slack this month...last month was pretty insane so I really need a break.  I do have renewed hope since I finished both these goals just in the nick of time.  I still have 9 ornaments to stitch and finish...but October looks like it might be a slow month...let's hope so anyway...haha.  

I hope everyone is safe from the hurricanes that are just off shore.  We have had some cloudy and intermittent rain so far.  I haven't had time to follow the weather so I hope we are dodging that bullet.  Just know I am praying for anyone who has been or might be affected by the weather.  I have to say I've been staying away from the TV and only on Facebook briefly lately.  I'm all about protecting my peace of mind.  Starting a new month, and concentrating on renewing my mind, I'm ready for October!  Happy Stitching!!  

Let Freedom Ring 5 pages done!

Looks like it's going to be a rainy day here today.  I hope the weather is nice wherever you are!  I'm not really bothered by the rain, as long as I don't have to go out in it...haha.  We were going to see the Downton Abbey movie today, and we still might, though I had very little sleep last night.  It's been a looooong while since I had such a sleepless night.  I guess I miss the waves crashing on the shore more than I thought I did, it truly lulls me to sleep.  I think I need to find a little cottage by the ocean.  So...I poured myself a second cup of coffee this morning.  

It's Saturday morning, and my husband usually sleeps in pretty late, so I get to play with patterns and such and think about what I'm stitching next (even though I'm in the midst of a BAP right now!).  My plan was to stitch two pages of Let Freedom Ring (LFR) by Lila's Studio a month so that I could have plenty of time to get it framed before next 4th of July.  Well, I'll just have to stitch faster and more pages next month...haha.  With all the trips I took the past couple of months, I've fallen behind in Christmas stitching and working on LFR.  Now don't get me wrong...I enjoy stitching on LFR, but that building...whooeee!!     All that outlining takes a tremendous amount of time, so I'm working a little at a time as I go along.  I think I might put it up until next month, and knock out a few more ornaments before I get back to that.  Right now I'm celebrating that I finished page 11....the 5th page I've finished...and that completes the bottom row of pages.  

I was looking at it last night wondering if I should go back to the right side and continue on up page 10.  Working on the left side of the pattern is difficult for me while it's in a frame that I hold in my hands.  Page 10 is nearly half way completed, so maybe if I switch over to that side I might finish a second page this month.  Decisions, decisions!  

Has anyone else had trouble downloading Just Cross Stitch Magazine from the internet?  I finally learned that the subscription pages have moved.  I was finally able to sign in and retrieve the last 3 publications (to include the ornament issue) yesterday on the new website.  It is always fun to flip through the pages of the ornament issue and try and decide if there are any I hope to stitch.  I did find one that I'm going to stitch for my granddaughter's cousin who loves dinosaurs.  I think he will really like it!

Ok time to get myself in gear and get moving.  May your fingers be nimble and your stitching time expand!  Happy Stitching!

Well lookie there!

I had a little finish last night!   This is Letter To Santa Mitten by Living On The Rainbow.  I have several more of her mittens that I want to stitch.  It was stitched on 28 count White over two with two strands.  

These are quick, and most of the ones I'm stitching were free at one time.  I need to have a finishing day soon!  I still have a ton of things going on,  I really hope I can have one soon...they are beginning to pile up!  LOL!!  

I'm off to work on Let Freedom Ring.  I still have to finish my two pages for the month of September!  I hope to post an update soon.  Happy Stitching!