Time to Deck the Walls...

I know some of you are going to hate me for this....but I honestly don't know all the names of all these pieces.  I have been stitching for over 50 years (I started when I was 7!!) and I have since lost most of the information in all the moves I've made over the years.  I'll do the best I can with some of these.  A few I framed this year...so I guess you can add some of these to the FFO list!

I found this awesome frame at Hobby Lobby.  This is one of the new ones this year, called Dance by the Light of the Moon by the Nebby Needle.  I finished this in January of this year.  I could not wait to get this framed!!!

Next was a series by JBW Designs.  I participated in a Round Robin several years ago now, and this has been stretched and placed in a frame I found at Hobby Lobby (we called them an ooops frame...where it was made to fit something but they measured wrong...I picked it up for $5.00 I think...wasn't I lucky?

This next one was a SAL I participated in when Wiehenberg had their Yahoo group.  I was able to keep up...and have always loved this one!

The next two were Dimensions kits.  The smaller one has been discontinued and I gave the pattern to a tablemate at a retreat I attended.  I love how cheerful the colors are in this one, and how it looks like the stained glass was lit from within.  

The larger one is still available but for the life of me I can't remember it.  Sorry for the horrible glare, it's impossible to get good pictures on pieces with glass on them.

Next is a Stoney Creek pattern I stitched for my Mom years ago.  I can't remember the name of this one either, but I'm pretty sure it came from a magazine.  She loved birds...and some of these same birds visit our feeder now...

Next was a piece that took years to stitch.  It was a Kit I found and had to search for.  I just love this one.  I finished it in January of this year (I think) and immediately got it framed hoping to enter it in the State Fair this year.  It's called Winter's Majesty.

Next Is another piece I had framed this year hoping to enter it in the fair.  I also finished it late last year.  It's called Chanson de Noel by Ekatrina Chaykouskaya.  I have a companion piece that I started...I should dig that out on a WIP Wednesday if I have time next year.

This one is a Little House Needlework piece, but I can't remember the name...sorry.  I love all these Christmas Carols and thought it was sweet all in one piece.

This last one is my ultimate favorite.  I wish I had put glass over it because I think the fabric is beginning to fade.  This was from a magazine that I can't remember the name of and was only in exsistance for a short while.  Possibly only a year (I have all the copies, but this one was their premier edition)  You can't tell from the picture but there are all kinds of stitching in there, metallic threads, beads and all kinds of glittery things.  I love the saying...I love how their faces look like what I picture the wise men to look like...it really is my all time favorite Christmas decoration next to the nativities I have collected.  

I have more waiting in the wings to fully finish...and I will get to them shortly!  I hope you don't get tired of seeing all these...

I love this time of year...and always look forward to pulling out my favorite stitched pieces to admire for a while.  I hope you are able to decorate and celebrate wherever you are.....and Happy Stitching!!

And the finishing continues...

Sadly, I think my run with round ornaments has come to an end with these last few.  The rest will have to be finished another way and I'll have to ponder how I'll do that.  I did make a Hobby Lobby run last night, and will have a few I've decided to frame...but that will be posted another day.  I have some that I'm finishing that I stitched years ago, I can't always remember where the pattern came from, much to my displeasure...but I'll do the best I can.

First up is Fair Isle Ornament by Snowflake Stitchery from the 2018 JCS Ornament issue.

Next is Get Into The Spirit by Brittercup Designs from the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue.

Next is Christmas Bullfinch by Punochka from the 2019 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Peace on Earth by Blackberry Lane Designs from the 2016 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Blue Snowman by The Little Stitcher from the 2016 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Warm Hands Warm Heart by The Little Stitcher from the 2017 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Winter Squirrel by Victoria Samplers from the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Peppermint Pal by Carolyn Manning Designs from the 2019 JCS Ornament Issue

Next is Santa Basket from Cross Stitch Christmas 2003

Next is Jesus...try as I might I cannot find what JCS issue this one was published in.  It is by Blackberry Lane Designs and one of my favorites!  I cannot even find my pattern anymore...sadly because this is one I have stitched many times!

Last is Snowman Wishes by Stitchworkes.  I have stitched this at least 4 times!  It's also one of my favorites.  I have stitched a few several times, but always gave them away.  In this batch of ornaments, I have made most of them for me and will keep them for my tree. 

I think I covered them all.  It's nice to have these out sharing the light of day!  I still have piles of them waiting to be finished.  I hope you are getting lots done too...Happy Stitching!

What are you Thankful for?

It's been a wild ride this year, hasn't it?  In some ways, I have a little survivors guilt.  Our lives haven't changed as much as some have and I'm truly grateful.  Sometimes fears rear their ugly heads, especially when our son and his lovely bride worked while some were forced to stay home.  Still...there were wonderful things that happened this year.  Our son was finally married once restrictions were lifted, and their wedding day was beautiful!  I seriously cried most of the day out of sheer joy (and maybe a little relief...haha).  It brings me such joy to see them both so happy.  I'm thankful for the health of my loved ones and myself.  We are fortunate that we have remained well.  I'm thankful for my loving husband who continues to provide and take care of me...he truly is a blessing.  I'm thankful for zoom, that allows us to reach out to church members and stitching pals.  What a blessing that has been to keep us in contact with others!  I'm thankful for my years of stashing things away in my stitching hoard.  LOL  I haven't run out of things to stitch yet!  I'm sure most of us can find some things that were a blessing and something to be thankful for even during a pandemic.  So, even though we might be separated from our friends and family over the holidays, even though the state of the world seems a little fragile right now, we can still ponder the good things that have happened and give thanks.  I'm wishing all my friends and family, both near and far, a wonderful, peaceful, and blessed Thanksgiving.  Keep the faith...and Happy Stitching!   

And the FFO continues!

It feels good to get so many of my smaller pieces finally finished!  The round ones are the easiest for me to finish, so I guess they are getting done first.  I'm sure you are probably tired of seeing them...but here they are none-the-less.  This blog is where I record when, where, and how I make them...and who I give them to.  I will try to update the ribbon making process.  It's hard to do in pictures, and I really don't want to video myself...so I'll do my best.  Here is what I finished yesterday.

Dashing through the snow 2018 JCS Ornament Issue

Heart of Christmas 2018 JCS Ornament Issue

Ring in the Joy 2007 JCS Ornament Issue

The Holy Family Nov/Dec 1993 JCS Magazine

My Friendly Gnome 2020 JCS Ornament Issue

I have many more in the middle of production...so I'm sure there will be more pictures soon.  Stay tuned!  LOL  Happy Stitching (and finishing) Y'all! 

I had a Fabulous FFO weekend!

Hello Fellow Stitchers!

It's been a whirlwind of a weekend!  I follow a Facebook page called JCS Stitch Along and our fearless leader had the brilliant idea of having a FFO (Fully Finished Object) weekend.  When you consider the hundreds (and I do mean HUNDREDS) of unfinished projects loafing around in my boxes of stitched items, I cheerfully (and trepidatiously) voiced my agreement...silly, silly me!!  Weekends at DJ's Digs can be either crazy, insanely busy...or they are snooze fests.  I  never know what DH has cooked up until the weekend arrives so I really need to be prepared for anything.  Since the Governor of our state decided we needed to close down a bit due to the rise in Corona cases, DH has been like a caged lion.  This just shows his independent (some might say controlling) attitude...and takes a bit getting used to...LOL.  I love him dearly, but his non-compliant nature needs a little work...LOL!!  Anyway, since the order came down, he has been making plans to get out each and every day.  This weekend was no different.  Fortunately I was able to keep him home one day and let him sleep really late the other and got quite a bit done!  Here is what I was able to accomplish over the weekend.

First is the 12 Days of Christmas from Stoney Creek magazine.  These were featured in the 4 publications of 2019.  I really love these!  They have since (so I've been told) published in a single leaflet with all 12 patterns.  They were a joy to stitch...I just love them!!  They were finished using "Design a button" larger size and hand gathered ribbon around the edges.  I found the ribbon at JoAnns.

Some of these have been in my "to finish" pile for so long I don't know if I can remember names of patterns, I do apologize.  I've had this finished for ages.  I had been looking for the perfect frame for so long...and stumbled across this Laura Ashley frame in either Home Goods or Marshall's.  Sorry I don't remember the name of this particular design.

Purrfect Stockings from the 2019 JCS Ornament issue was finished off in this sweet little 4x6 frame I found at Michaels.  I can't wait to display this on the mantle this Christmas!

Sharing the Christmas Story by Handblessing Designs was stitched years ago, I was looking for the perfect frame and found this ornament frame at Michaels over the weekend.  Isn't it adorable?  

I just recently finished my first Tart Pan Finish.  These are so much fun to finish and take very little time.  The most time it took me was cutting the circle for the base.  I used matboard and that stuff is insanely hard to cut evenly!!  I then took layers of hmmm...stuff I found at my Mom's house.  I think it's fleece, but it's very thin layers, and used in quilting I think, it is NOT batting.  I made increasingly smaller circles, then put one full circle on the top to smooth out any lumps, took a running stitch along the edge of the stitching, gathered it and laced the back kind of like I do in the tutorial for the round ornaments.    As I was gathering things to fully finish, I found these four that were the perfect size, so thought....this should be just right for a tart pan.  I had some extra pans sitting around so went for it.  Here are Frosty's Night Out by Blackbird Designs, Black Cherry Tart by Plum Street Samplers (a gift from an exchange I received years ago), Tulip Shaker Box by Jeanette Douglas Designs, and the Study in Blue by Sue Hillis Designs (stitched with Cherry Wildflowers silk).

I started finishing a few others when I ran out of weekend...haha.  I am going to see about finishing up a few more, and I think Jo is planning on having another FFO weekend so.  Fingers crossed I can whittle down my pile and then try to keep on top of things as I go along.  Wish me luck!!  My goal now is when I finish an ornament, I will try to fully finish it before the year is out.  

I'm going to start planning my stitching for next year and will  be posting another page about that soon.  I hope my plans aren't too lofty.  At least I was able to keep up with the ornaments I hoped to stitch this year!  Wish me luck!

And that, as they say, is that!  I hope I haven't bored you too much....Happy Stitching Everyone!

Frosty's Night Out!

Sometimes I laugh at the names designers give their patterns.  This one definitely made me laugh, but I thought that little snowman is just too adorable!  Until I started stitching him that is.  I stopped here last night and thought....eeeek he's a scary looking snowman!!

But then I continued on this morning and with his nose, and the grey color covered with the lighter color he looked less scary in the light of day!  I bought this pattern a while ago and couldn't wait to get him started.  I did have to substitute some of the colors as I couldn't find all the threads called for.  Now to figure out how to finish him off.  Oh that sounds bad, I mean fully finish him into something I can display.  I'll have to have a nosey at Hobby Lobby and see what I can come up with!

So this has been Frosty's Night Out stitched on 40 count Dapper.  I just love how he turned out on this fabric!  If you have any ideas about finishing, please comment.  I need something that is a little more in my price range...those wooden boxes tend to be a bit pricey!

Well thanks for visiting...and Happy Stitching until we meet again! 

Anniversaries of the Heart

You know me, I'm a sucker for SALs....sadly I can't keep up with all of them, I should scale back.  I say that every year and then I get sucked in to more and more...LOL!  I know, I'm crazy.  Anyway, little, innocent, Ms. Mouse over in the UK has enticed me into another one.  There she sits over there on the other side of the pond with her angelic halo...haha  Ok, I'll be honest, I begged to get into her SAL.  I have had these patterns for 10 years...yup that's right, 10 YEARS!!!  I had the fabric, most of the floss, and all the patterns, sitting in a box in my cupboard just waiting to get started.  She just gave me the incentive.  Ok, so we are going to stitch the patterns on one piece of fabric (There are 12 with a couple bonus ones in there) one each month working on them on weekends.  Well that's her plan anyway.  My weekends are usually chewed up with family stuff, church and the like.  So I will be stitching here and there while I throw a few little ones in the mix.  Whew...I'm long winded today....let's just say we will try to stitch one a month until they are done, hopefully by this time next year.  I've begun with the first one, Snow Garden.  I'm not going to say who the initials stand for or dates for now.  I finished it last night!  Yippee!  LOL  I'm going to wait until after the first of December to start the next one, I have a few little things I want to accomplish first.  So....here is a picture.  I'm stitching this on 40 count Vintage Country Mocha using the called for hand dyed threads.  Those initials stitched over one are going to be a challenge, but I do like the effect.  So far, I love how it is working up.

Hopefully I'll be back to finishing more ornaments (and getting a few more stitched) and I'll post to show my progress.  Happy Stitching Everyone! 

Finishing Frenzy

Hello fellow stitchers!  I've been on a mission to get some ornaments finished this year!  I decided not to participate in any exchanges this year except with pen pals, so thought I would dig out some older ornaments and get them finished up.  I made the "mistake" of posting some of them on Candy Cane Stitchers and that generated a ton of questions.  LOL  So...I will do my best to answer them here and if there are any other questions, you can ask in the comment section here.

As for finishing directions, please refer to the tab at the top of the blog that says Round Ornament Tutorial.  One thing that is missing there is how to gather ribbon to make the ruffled edges on some of these ornaments.  One of these days I will get that tutorial up there too, but for now, I knot thread, then take a running stitch along the edge of the ribbon, then pull the thread while pushing the ribbon into the ruffle shape I want.  I usually measure the circumference of the shape I'm using and cut the ribbon 2.5 times the length  of the circumference.  The smaller circles I use are 8 inches, so I cut the ribbon 20 inches.  The bigger  circles are 12 inches so I cut the ribbon 30 inches. If I have wire edged ribbon, I first bend the wire so it doesn't pull out, then I pull one of the wires on the edge.  Soooo much easier, but be careful you don't get poked by the wire!  Someone asked where I learned this...my grandmother was a dressmaker and she taught me all kinds of tricks for gathering ribbon, hand sewing and the like.  I tried  cutting different shapes for myself (and still do when I have to) but I'm not handy with an Xacto knife...haha so I went to the craft store looking for something in a round shape.  I ran across these plastic things to make buttons.  I nearly started jumping up and down in the aisle!  Haha  Eureka!  Then when I found an ornament I want to stitch, I figure out how large it will be depending on the stitch count of the fabric I have, and try to keep it within the limits of these two size buttons.  Since then I've found other things, I haven't quite tried them out yet, but if you follow my blog, you'll be the first to know when I do figure it out!  Then...I practiced, practiced, practiced!  One thing that I didn't put in the tutorial is cutting a small piece of batting, it keeps the backing fabric from showing through the front on the looser weave fabrics, and will help smooth out the ornament if there are knots or heavy stitching on the back.  I hope that makes sense.  I use double stick tape to hold it in place.  For the black ornament here, I covered the batting with a darker fabric first, that way the black wouldn't look washed out with a white color behind it.

The frames you'll see came from a few different sources, I've been collecting them for years.  My husband, who is my biggest supporter, will pick up a few at Christmas time when they go on sale at Michaels and wrap them as presents for Christmas.  I love that, then I can make ornaments throughout the year!  I've found some at the Christmas Tree Shop that I found in NY while visiting my family, and you can find them various other places too.  They are typically for photos, but hey.....any port in a storm, I always say!  The downside with these, is I find I have to cut them to size to fit them in the frames.  I figure, they are small, if I goof I can just stitch another.

As for the patterns, I have quite an extensive file of them.  I have collected the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue for years.  (You can buy back issues on discs if you don't have them, or go to the magazine's website and download some of the later issues).  Since I stitched some of these years ago I don't quite remember what fabric I used or substitutions I make, but I will tell you if I do.  I post information on the goals page for each year and lately have been listing fabric and patterns names and that information there.  Check out the 2020 goals page, you 'll see a lot of these ornaments there!

So...here are the ones I've finished yesterday.  First up is Peace Pin Button by Jeanette Douglas found in the 2012 JCS ornament issue.  It is stitched on 40 count light mocha.

Next is the Wedding Ornament by Shannon Christine Designs I found in their Etsy shop.  It is stitched on 40 count Burch over two.

Next is Christmas Robin by The Little Stitcher found in the 2019 JCS Ornament Issue.  It was stitched on 36 count antique ivory over one.

Next is Elf at Work found in the 2019 JCS Ornament issue stitched on 40 count vintage country mocha over two.

Next is Red Christmas from the 2019 JCS Ornament issue stitched on 40 count light mocha over two.

Next is Mary and Jesus Stained Glass ornament from the 2019 JCS Ornament issue stitched on 32 count black fabric over one.

Next is Snowman's Treat by Caitlin Baerg found in the December 2020 JCS issue.  This was stitched on 28 count dirty linen over one.

These next two are from a pattern called Heartstruck Snowmen by Midnight Stitching.  I stitched them both on 28 count over one on different fabric.  They are tiny!!  But they fit perfectly in these frames.

Next is Christmas Cardinal by Stoney Creek in the 2016 JCS Ornament issue.  This was stitched on 32 count over two.

Next is Quaker snowman freebie by Midnight Stitching.  I think this patter is still floating around on the internet.  You can google it and try to find it.  I've had it in my stash for years.  This was stitched on 28 count over one I think.  I didn't write it down...shame on me!!

Last is When Cardinals Appear by Blackberry Lane Designs.  I found the snowflake pattern online on her website, and didn't stitch the border around the edges.  It fit perfectly in this size ornament I thought!  

There, hopefully I've covered everything!  Someone asked where I learned to do this type of finishing.  I honestly developed it myself....just playing around...a few years ago when I finished up an Advent Calendar I stitched and wanted to make them all uniform.  The thought of trying to cut 24 circles the same shape and size was intimidating, that's why I went looking for something that would make it easier.  Since then I've been stitching 12 days of Christmas ornaments and have found this method the easiest to make them all the same too!  Necessity is the mother of invention!  LOL!!

Oh, one last thing!  I find my ribbon at JoAnns and Michaels.  It's so much fun to wander through the aisles with some finished ornaments in my hand and try to find ribbon to match.  Watch for the sales, but if you have something particular in mind, buy early!  They go fast!!  I hope this has helped, and I hope you enjoy making your ornaments as much as I do!  Happy Stitching!

November Gifted Gorgeousness

Wow, I can't believe it's November already...let alone half way through!  It's been quite a crazy year, hasn't it?  A lot has happened since the last time I wrote...so let's see if I can get through this.  If you don't know what Gifted Gorgeousness is, where have you been?  LOL!!  Just kidding.  Thanks to Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching, who is the creator of this challenge, you can link up to see what folks are stitching for this.  Basically we get to showcase (on the 15th of each month) what we have stitched that was given to us, that we are giving away, or that has been stitched and given to us.  I hope that makes sense, but if it doesn't, you can click here and go to the page on Jo's blog that explains it in more detail...and sign up to join us if you like.  It's never too late to join in the fun!  Or, if you are just curious and want to see what the rest of us have been up to, you can click here and look for the Gifted Gorgeousness post where we all link up!  Enjoy!

I have been busy stitching Christmas gifts, and getting some of them finished...but I can't show everything at the moment because not everything has been sent to their new owners.  I did finish up a few things that have been passed along.  First up is the ornament I made for my son and his lovely bride who were married in September.  This was a pattern by Shannon Christine.

I finished stitching the November installment of Birds and Blackwork Flowers by Lesley Teare which was a Christmas gift from DH last year.  He bought all the fabric I would need and all the thread too!  There is only one left, I can't wait to see what that one will be.  This was stitched on 28 count white over two.

One of my pen pals had a birthday this month...so I stitched a few things for her.  The first is the birthday bird by Alita Designs (a freebie!!) stitched on 40 count over two finished into a little ornament.

I also stitched these two for the November gifts...we were supposed to stitch something that represented a family member and I chose my Grandmother.  Her name was Violet (I was almost named for her but she said an emphatic NO!...she didn't like her name, but I'm sad because I really like it!!) and it was also her favorite flower...mine too!  Not to mention, it was the flower of the sorority I belonged to while I was in college.  Yes...that is where I got my love of the color lavender too, that was our color for the sorority.  I found these in the book 2001 Cross Stitch Designs by Better Homes and Gardens.

A friend of mine, who has  made our masks for us when this whole COVID thing started, asked me to embroider something on fabric for her to make her own mask.  I was really intimidated...but I decided to bite the bullet and stitch this.  It was done freehand, without marking on the fabric.  She was thrilled (whew, I'm glad!!) and sent me a picture of the finished product.  She says it's her favorite mask now!

I finished this off for my friend Mouse.  We agreed (since she was really  my first international pen pal) that I would stitch something for her once a month, and she really likes Little House Needleworks.  I have had these kits in my stash for YEARS, so...I'm going to stitch one a month for her and myself.  She is going to put them in a little flip book so she can display them during the month they are named for.  Here is January.  I already sent it to her with some things she couldn't get over in the UK.

I've stitched a few ornaments.  These are all from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issues from different years.  DH buys me the subscriptions every year so I consider them gifted.  I'll put the year by them as I show them.    First up is Red Christmas by Nikyscreations stitched on light mocha 40 count over two 2019.

Mary and Jesus stained glass by Snoflake Stitchery 2019 stitched on 32 count black over one.

My Friendly Gnome by Ursula Michaels Designs 2020 stitched on 40 count ivory over two

Warm Hands Warm Heart by The Little Stitcher 2017 stitched on 40 count vintage country mocha over two.

Be Blessed, a freebie by Plum Pudding Needleart stitched on 28 count ivory over one.

I stitched this freebie biscornu from Kris Herber that I had for a giveaway for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  It's stitched on 28 count white over two.

I think I shared a long time ago what I stitched for a lady who makes Christmas trees for her church each year.  This year she had the theme of flowers and she asked others to stitch something she could add to her tree.  I stitched a violet (of course) and sent it to her.  Recently she sent me a picture of the finished piece.  I thought I would share it with you.  Didn't she do a lovely job?

I know I acknowledged these folks last month, but I thought I would add again the lovely things I received from stitching pals for my birthday.  From my friend, Mouse, in England, I received all these lovely goodies!

And from my pal from Texas, I received these things!

Again, I have a couple more things I stitched, but you'll have to wait until next month to see them!  haha  It will be here before you know it!  But I'd also like to share something I've finished in the meanwhile that really isn't part of Gifted Gorgeousness.  This is Mayflower Rose Ornament by Heart's Ease Examplar Workes.  It is stitched on 40 count Fog.  Parts are stitched over one, part is stitched over two.  I used the called for  NPI silks.  I have to say, this was a joy to stitch and I literally couldn't put it down and stitched it in 3 days.  I can't wait to decide how to finish this.

I guess that's it for this time.  I hope wherever you are that you are safe, healthy, and loving life!  Take care....and Happy Stitching!