Expanding my horizon...

I know I probably should wait until Gifted Gorgeousness to post these, but I just can't wait!  LOL  I have been participating in a round robin and I have to say, these ladies sure pick some challenging pieces to stitch.  I love it!!  I have always been a bit intimidated by all the specialty stitches, but I love learning them and enhancing my stitching with them.  I added so many to my repertoire over the weekend!  And in all honesty, they may look intimidating, but they are actually quite fun!  There is one more "robin" making the rounds that I haven't seen yet, but here are the three that I have stitched so far, and I'll include mine at the bottom that I sent around.

So first off is from Lady M.  She is the one I've been partnered with before for exchanges and she is the one who included me in the group.  I can't thank her enough!!  These have been a blast to stitch!  She found these Dutch tiles in a magazine (May 2006 CrossStitcher Magazine I think).  I picked this particular one because I love the sheep!  There was another that had a man with the sheep, it was a toss up between the two!  LOL

The next to arrive was from Lady C.  She actually sent two so I chose this one from the set.  I believe it will be finished as a needle roll or drum but was originally part of a travel set and was a passport book cover.  This also was from a magazine, but I'm unsure which one it was.

She also sent along Hillside Samplings My Stitching Chair Necessaire.  Oh my goodness, I am in love with this pattern!!!!!  I will be on the hunt for my own copy.  First of all, the stitching may be lots of specialty stitching, but it stitches up very quickly.  I don't know if I'll be able to completely finish it (I may have to find someone to fully finish it when it's done) but stitching on it will be a blast!  I learned so many new stitches that are not too hard, but look fabulous when finished!  It makes me want to  play around a bit with patterns to just throw in some specialty stitches instead of cross stitching everything.  So...I worked on the pin cushion.  

That stitched up so quickly I decided to chose another...and decided on the needlebook.  Whew!!!!!  This was loaded with stitches, each corner was a different stitch!  There was the four sided stitch, the rice stitch, the Palestrina knot, and the Smyrna cross in the corners.  Then came the fun stitches...the cross tied windmill, the queen stitch, the double cross diamond, the spider's web flower and the rosette flower.  I think my spider's web flower is a bit wonky, but I dearly loved stitching on the others.  

This is why I love round robins so much!!  It expands my repertoire of stitches, it is fun sending notes and admiring other people's stitching, and I just love stitching for other people.  There is something so special about the community of stitchers.  I think this is why quilting bees and other ladies gatherings were so popular before the invention of the tv and telephone.  I miss the days when we encouraged one another.  

Last is the one I sent around.  I think I may have posted this before.  I saw someone stitching this in a Facebook group and had to stitch it too!  I'm glad I had it on hand when I was offered a place in this round robin!  So I outlined all the parts of the 15-sided biscornu then stitched one of the sides and sent this around.  It will be interesting to see if the others liked it.  I can't wait to get it back and finish it off!

Thanks again Lady Belles (and especially Lady M) for the invitation.  It's been a real pleasure!  Here's to all you out there I hope you find joy in your stitching too!  Happy Stitching!!

Oh Happy Day!!!!

I've been waiting to share this news for months!  The kids told us in January.  Ben handed his Dad a book for his birthday.  It was about the miracle on ice when the American team beat the Russian team during the 1980 Winter Olympics during the playoffs for the Gold Medal.  The inscription inside the book mentioned that wasn't the only miracle story they had to share.  There was a lot of excitement that day, and a few tears were shed.

I don't know if you know the whole story about Ben and his first love, Katie.  She had Cystic Fibrosis and was told she could never have children.  We loved Katie, and supported Ben in his decision to marry her, but deep in my heart I felt a heaviness that I would never be a Grandmother.  I just love babies, and after many of my friends have become Grandparents, I was aching to have some Grandkids to love.  We miss Katie, and she will always have a special place in our hearts.  I will say, though, I was thrilled when Ben met and fell in love with Heather.  Heather loves kids and I know she is going to be a great Mom!  We were a little surprised that they decided to have kids so soon, but I couldn't be more excited to be a Grandma!  I love how they shared this on Facebook!  I have already picked out a few things to stitch for the baby, and now you know why the urgency to finish up the Advent Calendar.  Off to rummage through my stash!  Thanks for reading...Happy Stitching!  Oh....by the way.....Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

March Gifted Gorgeousness

Good Morning!  It's the second day after we change the time and it's still dark outside.  This will take some getting used to!  LOL  Welcome to my March post featuring Gifted Gorgeousness.  This is a lovely challenge (and my favorite by far!) offered by Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching.  She has developed this challenge to showcase things that are gifted.  They can be items stitched from things given to us, or things we stitch to gift to others.  Mostly anything with the title gift attached to them.  If you want to see the original rules or if you want to sign up to join us, please click HERE.  If you want to see who is participating you can find the links on Jo's homepage by clicking HERE.

So...what have I been up to this month?  Hm...Let's see...my husband (who is my biggest fan) is very good at supporting my habit.  He has bought all the JCS discs available and gifts me the subscriptions too!  I consider anything I stitch from the magazines a gift from him.  I've been busy this month with a few.  First off is Little Lambs by Ursula Michaels from the 2002 JCS Ornament issue.  This was stitched on 36 count Mystic over two.  I just love how it came out!

Next is Snoelle by Linda Jenkins from the 2020 JCS Ornament issue.  This was stitched on 36 count antique white over two.  This was a fun one, and now I have to figure out how I want to finish these two!  Decisions, Decisions!

I've been working on the free Advent calendar from Brooke's Books for my DIL.  She loves these little characters, and they have been fun to stitch.  The latest two are Pearly Pig

And Kenny Kangaroo.  These are both stitched on 32 count Blue over one.  I really need to get busy and get these finished into ornaments!

Next up are some monthly pieces I have been making.  These are from Little House Needleworks and I've been stitching them for my friend over in England.  She has been putting a flip book together.  She just received the latest, so here are the last two I've sent to her, March, and April.  These are stitched on 40 count natural over two.

I've also been working on a monthly SAL I signed up for last year.  I'm stitching them individually and will make them into pillows.  The first three were free on her facebook page, so I consider these two gifts.  Here are February, and March.  I just love the little one playing in the puddle.  February was stitched on 40 count flax over two, and March was stitched on 36 count natural over two.

For my 12 Days of Christmas this year I've been stitching the 12 Dragonlets of 2021 that were free from Dragon Dreams.  I love the little characters in this set.  This was 3 French Hens, and all the French references had me cracking up.  See the wine glass, the chees, the little beret on the hen's head and the baguette.  So much fun!!  These are stitched on 28 count natural over two.

I've been able to keep up with the Peppermint Purple Blackwork SAL this year.  This is also a freebie offered on their Facebook page.  Here is where I am right now.  This is stitched on Antique Ivory 40 count over two.  I love how it's coming along.  One of these days I really should start on the border....

I stitched a wee bit on Flowers and Lace by Kooler Designs.  This was a Christmas gift one year from my husband, he found the fabric, the floss and the pattern!  I should spend more time on it, I love  this one so much!!

I've been asked to participate in a Round Robin again this year.  Anyone who knows me, knows I love to participate in these.  The lovely Ms. M from Canada sent this Dutch Tile series to me she found in the May 2006 CrossStitcher magazine.  This was stitched on 28 count white over two.  I love it!!  Now I'm on the lookout for these patterns so I can stitch them for myself!!  I think a bellpull would look lovely!

I guess that's all the gifted stitching I've done since last time.  I hope I haven't bored you with my stitching.  I think the reason I got so much done is because I participated in a challenge last month where you had to stitch at least 30 minutes a day and post before and after pictures each day.  I was able to stitch every day!  Hopefully one day I'll receive a needleminder for completing the challenge!  Thanks for stopping by!  I'm behind in answering your comments from last time, but hopefully I'll catch up soon.  Till then, Happy Stitching!

SALing Along...

Whew....it's been a while since I've posted anything.  There have been some days when DH was home for one reason or another, and I never seem to get much done while he's home.  We did spend one day organizing some new drawer sets I bought and reorganized my floss.  Now all of it has been put away...YAY!  I have been working on a Round Robin I received in the mail the other day, so we will start there.  I love how this turned out, especially the little sheep!  This Dutch Tile is from a 2006 CrossStitcher Magazine.

I sent Dans mon Jardin, by Jardin Prive'.  This is what I sent, but here is a picture of the pattern for the 15 sided biscornu.  This is stitched on Tea Dyed Lugana 28 ct over two.

Next is Winter Quaker, a SAL by Wiehenburg.  This is being stitched on Navy 28 ct. over one.  I dearly love this one, though I have to admit, the pieces are large and take a fair amount of time to stitch each month.  I'll be glad when this one is finished, I can't wait to hang it on my wall!

Next is the Modern Folk Embroidery SAL for 2021.  It's called The Fruit of Plenty, I love the motifs in this pattern...but I also like the Assissi feel to it as well.  I even love the colors!  This is stitched on Antique White 28 ct. over one.  People have been asking what colors I chose, but I'm not going to post them.  I think everyone should chose the ones that "speak" to them.

I am loving this Peppermint Purple SAL I have been working on as well.  This is stitched on 40 ct over two Antique Ivory.  Again, I'm not posting the color because I think everyone should choose a color that suits them.  This last pattern really drove my eyes bananas!  LOL  But I do love how it looks when finished!

It may be a week or so before I post again for the Gifted Gorgeousness post.  I have a few things I will be able to post then.  Till then, Happy Stitching and thanks for visiting! 

This week's recap...

Whew!  It's been a crazy week.  I was just talking to my husband this morning about the week.  I'm glad it's Friday, and I hope next week is better!  Monday was a holiday so DH, DS and I spent part of the day packing more things and moving them to their new apartment.  There is still more to move...even now!  But they wanted to move things in shifts so they could gradually get things  settled.  The weather had other ideas!  LOL  It's been ice storms galore in our neck of the woods.  DH was home two days this week because of the weather, had one day where he had appointments, and today was a delayed opening.  It was good for our son, I think, because he got some stuff done at their apartment that he might not have done otherwise.  We have most of the old apartment cleaned and ready to hand in the keys, just a few little odds and ends to pack up (mostly big pictures that needed to be moved separately).  I'll be glad when it's all done! 

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to stitch.  I did a little bit on Anniversaries of the Heart...

I did a little bit on the Peppermint Purple SAL, and got caught up on that...

And I was able to finish two of the monthly series I'm working on.  First is the February for Di Cecelia Votta...

And the second is February for Little House Needlworks.  These were fun little stitches, but now I hope to get a little bit ahead.  My goal is to make these into pillows to display each month, and change them when the month is over.  We will see how that works out...LOL!!

I guess that's all for now.  I'm working on Little House Needleworks March as soon as I'm done this blog post...and hoping to video chat with my Long Island pal.  Thank goodness for these techie advances, it would be a lonely world without them today!

Happy Stitching!!!

February Gifted Gorgeousness

Is it February already?  Where has the time gone?  This month is already half over...and it's time for Gifted Gorgeousness.  What is that, you ask?  Well it's the one day in the month we specifically showcase our "gifts".  It can be those we have given, those we have received, or those things we are stitching from things that have been given to us.  Pretty simple, eh?  Jo, over at Serendipitous Stitching, heads up this challenge.  You can find more information, or even sign up to join in the fun by clicking HERE.  If you would like to see what others are stitching for this challenge, you can check out Jo's blog by clicking HERE.

Seems I should be getting a lot more stitching done as we still can't go many places and the weather has been all over the map with snow and ice, yet my days seem so full!  DH has been off since last Thursday as we are trying to help our son move to a new apartment (their old one was too small and they didn't like the area they lived in).  I tell ya, moving boxes and furniture, I hurt in places I didn't know had muscles!  haha  But I'm still finding time to stitch...so without further ado...here's what I've been up to.

First up is Santa Claus from Autumn Lane Stitchery from the 2020 JCS Ornament Issue.  I just finished him up last night.  My husband has gifted me this magazine for years, so anything I stitch from it, I consider a gifted item.  It's stitched on 40 count over two and I think the name of the fabric is Golden Rod.  It was a scrap I bought at my LNS.  He's one of my favorites from that particular issue!

Next is Snowflakes Falling from Rosie's Garden, found in the 2002 JCS ornament issue.  This is stitched on 40 count Flax over two.  I love this one, too!  It's going to look so cute as a round ornament!!

Next is Snow Merry by Homespun Elegance, this is from the 2009 JCS Ornament issue and is stitched on 40 count summer khaki over two.  Just love that little snowman!!

Next are five of the Advent calendar pieces from the Brooke's Books freebies.  Two are unfinished so far Cashmere Camel (I adore her eyelashes) and Pierre Penguin.  The other three I was able to stitch and finish since my last GG update.  They are Mary Mouse, Duncan Dog, and Hattie Hedgehog.  I was hoping to have all these ornaments fully finished by the time I posted, but that didn't happen...haha.  Next time!  These are stitched on 32 count blue over one.  They are a gift for my Daughter-in-law.

Next is Two Turtle Doves from Dragon Dreams.  These were freebies from 2012 and are from the 12 Dragonlets of Christmas series.  She is so creative, and I find these so funny!

Next is Basket of Hearts by Charland Designs.  These were freebies and I actually stitched two of them for my pen pals.  I was able to even finish them into cards.  This was a first for me, I had to cut the holes in the cardstock, a daunting task at first, but I was surprised how easy it was once I got started.  This month just seemed to get away from me, so I'm lucky I was able to get them in the mail in time for Valentine's Day!

Next is my Modern Folk Embroidery SAL that DH bought for me for Christmas.  I didn't have the first part done for last GG update, so you get to see both January and February together!  There was a TON of stitching in the last piece, but I do love every stitch!  This is stitched on 28 count antique white over one.  I love how this looks!!!

Next is   this free SAL from Peppermint Purple.  One of the ladies I met at a retreat stitched the free SAL last year, and I was intrigued watching hers grow all year.  When they offered a square version this year, I just had to do it!  I'm stitching this on 40 count cream linen over two using 3809 DMC floss.  Each piece is issued once a week, but they stitch up in a matter of minutes usually!  Since it is free, I consider it a gift...

Ok, I guess I've shared enough for one post.  I'm at the point where I'm caught up on all the SALs I'm working on, and stitched almost all the challenges, I still have a couple I would like to stitch that are "monthly" charts...and then I can stitch from my vast collection of WIPs...what will I stitch next?  We still have some things to do to help the newly weds move (a few more big items, and then the cleaning of the old apartment).  Hopefully I can get back to regular stitching soon!  Hope everyone is keeping safe, warm, healthy, and all that good stuff.  I thought perhaps this year might be a bit better, but we are still facing challenges with weather and such.  Try to spend a little time being thankful for things, it will help with the stress of living in these challenging times.  Be kind to one another....you never know what someone might be facing that they aren't sharing with others.  Happy Stitching!

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

 Happy Valentine's Day and welcome to the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop created and organized by Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching.  Each year she hosts this fun blog hop where we are given a photo someone has stitched that we post to our blog on Valentine's Day.  Then we hop around the list of bloggers found on Jo's blog until we find the picture that we submitted and reveal ourselves.  This year I was sent the picture of  this beautifully stitched pillow.  The specialty stitches are so elaborate and so exquisitely done, she is a very talented needleworker.  It's a great way to meet other stitchers, see their blogs and find lots of new projects we long to stitch!  I know I'll be looking for this pattern!  If you'd like to hop around with us...you can find Jo's blog by clicking HERE.  If this is your picture, well done faithful stitcher!  I especially love the color of your fabric!  I'm in awe of your talent!  

As always, Jo, Thank you for hosting this fun event every year.  I always enjoy visiting the other blogs and seeing what folks are stitching.  Here's wishing you and yours, a day full of love and laughter.  We all have someone we love, could be Mom, Dad, sibling...or someone else.  It's been a tough year for most of us, it's a great day to share a little loving thought, deed or even just a smile at a stranger.  Above all, be kind to yourself and maybe get a little stitching in!  Happy Stitching!