Pumpkins for Cathey

Happy Blog Anniversary Cathey!!!

Surprise!  It's pumpkin Day for you.

This is all for you Cathey. A very sweet friend of ours, of Daffycat Blog, reminded us of your special day. So in honor of you, I and my son went to visit Smith Family Farm. When Nicholas learned why I was going to make this trip - he thought it was great. He insisted he come along and help me take photos.
Cathey -  I love your blog and enjoy seeing all your beautiful stitching.  Cathey's blog is HERE. But you can visit Daffycat and leave a comment on her blog for Cathey. So when Cathey is feeling better she can read the comments there.
Enjoy all the pumpkins!

 Nicholas picked out this pumpkin to bring home

With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Christmas Fall Christmas Fall

Hello! I have been having lots of fun stitching on projects for both Christmas and Fall.
Yep I am already in the Spirit of the Holidays. There are so many pretty designs to chose from and create.
Since my last post I FOUND MY BUTTONS:) I had been looking to see what pieces of linen I had and in one of the clear bags with the linens I found my package of  "Winter Holiday" buttons, by Just Another Button Company, that I needed to complete my hornbook Christmas ornament.  Oh I was so Happy to find them.

Have any of you seen on Plum Street Sampler's blog HERE?  They are having a Sunday Mystery Sampler called "Mary's Sampler"starting Sept 29th. If you have haven't, you may want to take a look. I think I am going to participate. I have just seen that there will be a second version offered that includes some specialty stitches. It's free and since I do like Plum Street designs I think this will be a very pretty sampler. Sounds like FUN to me:)
Much to share with you today.

"Winter Holiday" by Dames of the Needle

2012 JCS Christmas magazine

35ct parchment linen

 The front of the ornament Hornbook

This is the back side. I added my initials and changed the year to 2013.

 Remember Grace (Needles Pins and Dragonflies blog) had sent me instructions for making a pumpkin pincushion? I made my very first 2. I used felt and DMC 919 (3 strands). Thank you so much Grace. I enjoyed learning how to make these. And I made both of these pumpkins today.

 Hooked on making needlebooks. Here is another one of my Fall versions. It's an Acorn.

I enjoyed selecting the Fall colors.

 I was so surprised when I was contacted by Lelia (Stitches of Life blog). She asked if I would like to stitch "Snappy Sampler" by bent Creek chart next. I said "YES".  When I received her envelope I was surprised that I got it so fast. I read her card first and set aside the clear parchment paper with the outline of flowers, admired the darling chart by Bent Creek. Then I looked back at the what I thought was an outline of flowers traced, and thought Hm. Went back and re-read her card and noticed the word -  tatting...  Then looking again at the parchment paper - I realized it opened....I wish you could of seen my face. My eyes got HUGE and I stood up and shouted "I GOT A PIECE OF TATTING"!

 OH MY OH MY OH MY! Isn't it beautiful? I already have plans to wear it as a broach. I have a stick pin that will slip thru the upper loops and not pierce the art needle work. I Love it! Lelia you do Beautiful Tatting and Thank you so much for gifting me a piece and for thinking of me to stitch the chart next.

 A few days later after being contacted by Lelia I was contacted by Mary Jane (commenter Calamity Jr - doesn't have a blog yet but I know you know who she is). She was sooo Sweet to ask me if I would like to stitch "Cross Stitcher In Residence" by Lizzie Kate next. I couldn't type "Yes" fast enough:) She also sent me a beautiful skein of Peoria Purple - Weeks Dye Works. The floss is soo pretty and I love it. Thank you so much Mary Jane for thinking of me and for all your kindness.
WOW How lucky I am that I was contacted by both these lovely ladies!!!

 I FINISHED!!! ALL DONE!!!    "Christmas Eve" by Prairie Schooler.  Now I can take my time and hunt for the perfect frame. I WILL get to have this on display for this Christmas. Notice I did frog the top border and re-stitched it correctly. It went fast and I am so pleased. Makes it look like Santa and the reindeer are above the village.

 All the white surrounding the wording on the bottom felt like it took forever. But I kept stitching it while watching some Christmas movies. I think I watched "Christmas with the Krank's" like 3 times.

Progress on Fairy Hill by Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL. It may not look like I did much but I did. Lots of the sand on the bottom and the white and blue strips above. Thank Goodness I didn't miss a row. I thought I had but I rechecked and I am fine:)

 This is another one of my moms David Winter Cottages. It says on the bottom, Special for Christmas 1987, Ebenezer Scrooge's Counting House.

 I feel like one of Santa's Elf's as I have been working on some Christmas Gifts. 

Can you spy what I have been making?

I also am going to be participating in Vickie's (A Stitcher's Story Blog) SAL - Autumn Delights by Barbara Ana. If you like to participate, plenty of time to join us.  After going to Barnes and Noble they did not have the correct issue of Cross-Stitch & Needlework magazine. I found one on Etsy, bought it and it has arrived. Now I get to kit it up for October 1st, the first day of Vickie's SAL. It will be lots of fun and great to stitch it with some other stitcher's. So far there are 3 of us in the SAL.  

We had some rain Saturday - love it. Today was a beautiful and sunny day perfect weather 75.  

Thank you for your visit. I know this was a long post.

With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Fairy Hill and Christmas Eve!

Happy September to you. One of my FAVORITE commercials is from Target where the dad takes the kids shopping for back to school supplies and hes kicking up his heals in the aisles, smiling and the kids are pouting. LOVE IT! Never gets old. Great to be able to load my photos for the post. Took me long enough today due to ??? I could get to:  chose files, then highlight the photos, then the next step wouldn't work. that's where the photo would show on the post where we are writing. I was lucky and found that loading one at a time was slow but worked (and some very clever double clicking and if the photo didn't load I would click on Chose file again and reload). Oh the joys of computers - lol.
Lots of stitching going on here and so sorry but I didn't work on Ann Dale this time. But she's calling to me and she's right next to my chair waiting. Still lots for you to view...

 

Last 2 weeks worth my progress update on Fairy Hill by Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL.

The house is of my moms collection, David Winter - Stratford House, 1981. She loved these miniature houses and cottages. Always reminded her of Fantasy Land in Disneyland and her tiny Tinkerbell's are displayed around them. So to me these houses are all part of moms Tinkerbell collection. So charming -  Don't you think so?  

 

This cutie needlebook I had to make after seeing it on Elaine's blog HERE. I was enchanted by the look of a mini book. Emily gave the tutorial link to NanaCompany and you can see it HERE but I made my needlebook themed for Fall. It's a felt pumpkin I cut out for the cover, although it looks like a tomato -lol.

 

 The back of the book is quilted with tiny squares. It was a great idea to use up scraps of left over fabrics. For me? ha I pulled my fabrics out and cut away.

The inside. I completed this yesterday and today I made another one but a bit different.

Mail brought me a surprise from Grace of Needles Pins and Dragonflies. I had seen a pumpkin pincushion that I fell in love with and wanted to learn how to make one. Grace was soo kind that she mailed me the instructions and included a Sweetheart Tree kit with beads as another surprise.
Thank you very much Grace for all your kindness and thoughtfulness. You know what I will be making this week:)

 "Christmas Eve" - Prairie Schooler 

Remember my last post I couldn't find a packet of buttons to finish my Christmas ornament?
OH YES - Still no where to be found. One day the packet will make an appearance. In the mean time...  I wanted to stitch a Christmas ornament but I had this chart that I had bought last year and pulled it out and decided this was my next Christmas project. Already if you can see - the top border I stitched is too high. Noticed it after I stitched the top of Santa's head. I have studied it to see were I went wrong - no luck yet. But I did have a horrible headache when I was re-checking. Not wise.
Of course I didn't have the recommended fabric.

 I found in my stash a piece of Lugana (22 or 25ct I think). It originally was ivory or cream, I re-dyed it to the tan/pinkish color on the Left  TO the color on the right and started stitching last week. I love the Rit Dye Color Formula Guide HERE.  I did test a small swatch of the fabric first before dipping in my whole large piece to make sure I had a good color of what I wanted.

Hobby Lobby opened in our town :))))) And I had seen on Myra's - Gr8dame's Place blog, the beautiful red print Christmas fabric. A few days later our Hobby Lobby opened. My sister and I went and I happened to have found the fabric Myra had:) Oh I am soo Happy. I also picked up the holly berry fabric on the left to go with the red. And I was so surprised to have found 32ct Wichelt linen. Here in my town there is only Aida fabric to be found (even then its a hunt), Joann's has 2 - 32ct linens that's it! So I grabbed it and I had a coupon:)

Now for my next big find at Hobby Lobby, I found the boxes that are shown in BBD - A Stitcher's Journal. One of the projects shown this box and I couldn't find one. Now I have 2 boxes - thanks to Hobby Lobby. I must say though I still love Joann's and Micheal's. It seems each store carries different vendors and items. And I still order on line for stitching supplies.
Hope your all enjoying September so far. Here our weather was getting cooler but now its been hot again. This Friday and Saturday it's to be in the 100's. But I will be cool (sitting in the air conditioning) and stitching.
With my Love and Appreciation - Annette

Summer stitching!!!

Happy summer August days Everyone! Hello to you. Do my photos look better?
I didn't even have to be concerned with the lighting to take my photos today:) Early this morning I got ready to have a photo session with my stitching progress and the door bell rang. Yep new camera arrived!!! WOOHOO!!! Perfect timing. I was stalling for my post because I was hoping the delivery would arrive when they said it would - and it DID.  Ever since this morning I've been walking around the house saying "Hi! I'm a photographer and blogger and I love to cross stitch" - LOL,  I have been having a ball today:))))) If you don't know what I am talking about -  I have been mimicking "The Pioneer Woman" - Ree Drummond - love her. Our son loves the new camera too, so nice of him to let me play with it most of the day.
First - I get to announce the winner for the Lizzie Kate chart "Life's A Stitch".........

WINNER IS:  SO CAL DEBBIE

CONGRATULATIONS !!! 

Please email me your address Debbie.

Stitching Progress for the last week for Ann Dale:

Completed 1 & 2 motifs on row 2, some pretty cream border and started the over one in the middle. I have decided that tent stitch is way more easier on my eyes and for frogging. I am not doing the full cross stitch over one. I think the tent stitch is working and looking very pretty.

I did iron this lightly...pardon the hoop marks please, I was too excited to take the photos:)

 This last weekend I received a surprise in the mail - A RAK from Patti of "Sew Delightfully Yours" blog. She sent me some beautiful crocheted coasters, a PINK potholder (these will be used as doilies and ornaments, no one better dare set a glass of water on them) and.....

Patti also gave me this beautiful needlebook she made, with red beads stitched all around the book, I love it..Looks like its saying "HI" - lol get it? Thank you Patti:)

And look at what else she gave me, Patti embroidered a Hydrangea centered on a medallion scrollwork charm with tiny seed beads sewn here and there. Thank you so much for your kindness Patti - I love every item you made and I plan to make a necklace with the beautiful Hydrangea piece. I have some mini rings to attach to the medallion and hang it on a chain:)  SO PRETTY!!!

Here is my update for Fairy Hill Bothy threads Cut Thru SAL. I have happily discovered there are only 9 pages of charts not 12....Boy you would think I could count by now -lol. The bottom far right is where I have been working on. Debbie (HERE) and Linda (HERE) are our hostesses for this SAL. You can visit them to get to see everyone's fabulous progress.

 Dames of the needle "Winter Holiday" - JCS Christmas Mag 2012

35ct parchment linen - WDW

I should be done stitching this ornament. But I cannot find the special button package I bought for specifically for this ornament...in such a safe place that I have hunted for over 4 days in a row. It's a snowman button and 4 holly buttons. I need them so I can adjust the nuns stitch that is to be the border all around so that it will fit on this lovely hornbook. Yes I hunted the web for a little hornbook only to learn that I think the border will be a bit large. Just a few obstacles.

The trees are done in long arm cross stitch, the trunks are done in rice stitches. I should of taken a more closer photo but I am learning the camera. Oh yes the pins are my adjustments for the border but I want to make sure the snowman button will fit:) Where is that package??? I will come across it soon I  hope.

 And lastly I treated myself to this excellent book (a while back). I used this to look up those specialty stitches I did on the ornament above and they were in the book. Now I know why the book is so popular. I have seen this advertized on - on line stores and our magazines. I bet you have seen this too. It's a great book and I am pleased with it. I also have been enjoying seeing what all of you have been stitching on your blogs too. Love it when some Autumn and Christmas designs are showing up now:)))
Hope you are enjoying the week. I am going to see what Christmas design I want to start next.
With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Sunny & Hot August

Hello Everyone - Welcome. It's been very hot and humid here in the Bay Area. So much so that I couldn't even take photos last week for my updates. Today it's hot but not humid so far. Just can't take the humidity. And a warm welcome to some new followers - always a joy to meet new friends.
Lots of stitching has been going on the last 2 weeks.

"Life's A Stitch" by Lizzie Kate

32ct Flax Linen

Threads:

Butter Bean WDW, Raspberry Frost GA, Flax GA, Summer Blossom (SNC 249) TG- Silk, 

Lexington Green GA, Marigold - Chameleon (South Africa), DMC 3771 and Scuppernog WDW.

First up I started and finished Life's a Stitch, given to me by Anne of Dolls Musing. This chart is soo sweet but let me tell you the satin stitching all around was a challenge for me. OH BOY!!! Satin stitching is easy, really it is. But I kept skipping one little hole every now and then. Well I learned to keep checking the chart for alinement for the satin stitches compared to the inner border. Thank goodness I stitched the inside first (like your suppose to do), then came the inner border. That's what saved me lots of frogging - even though I did have to Frog alot. I went with soft tones but I used Summer Blossom silk by the Thread Gather - one of my favorites, for the blossoms.

ALL DONE:))) In to the pile of finishes it goes....I will finish it and many others but for now I want to keep stitching. 

NOW the FUN part!!!

Who would like to stitch this traveling chart next??? Please leave a comment on this post. That's all that's needed. Of course mention that you would like to stitch it next, because if not, I will assume you are not interested. And you know me I always add some extra goodies:) I will draw the winner on Sunday the 25th of August.

My update for last week and this week for Bothy Threads Cut Thru Monday SAL.
I finished all of page 3 of 12 on Fairy Hill and I did all the back stitching too. So many darling items are showing up now. I completed the owl, bees, fairy dress, wings, and I think those are bloomers right below the daisies? More green grass was done and I did stitch on this for several days to get the back stitching all caught up. I so enjoy seeing everyone's progress on their Bothy Thread work.
You can look Here at Debbie's blog and HERE on Linda's blog for the SAL's Updates. There are lots of stitcher's who are participating and incredible charts they have chosen. Have a peek:)

 I know I know - no Tinkerbell. So sorry but I was so tempted not to post yet because I have been
stitching so much so that I keep thinking "Oh I should wait till I get this and that completed". So silly of me. I did find some more Tinkerbell's that were still in boxes after going thru some of my moms things. But they are HUGE! I will have to have a photo session of them and share with you soon.

 Sorry for the out of focus photo - I do need a new camera (hint),
Progress on Ann Dale... finished the motif of the left and completed 2 more plus .....

I am in the process on stitching the 2nd row. I also stitched some of the inner border on the left hand side.

Well good news is that I am shopping for a new camera. Our son has to have a Digital camera for a upcoming class:))))))))))))) I am  soo thrilled  We are being good supporting parents and this qualifies as needed school supplies. Since he lives at home and won't be using it all the time - I'm sure I will get to use it too. Looks like it will be a Canon Rebel T3I SLR. That's what the Pioneer Lady uses...Do you watch her cooking show? She's a photographer and blogger. LOVE HER and her recipes. Also I got the Christmas bug - I'm currently working on a ornament from JCS Christmas 2012 issue - "Winter Holiday" by Dames of the Needle, pg 13. Should be done by my next post.
Wishing you a fun and happy summer. With my Love and Appreciation - Annette

It's August!

Greetings Everyone. Here in Northern California we've been having nice and cool weather in the last few days. Even a bit chilly in the evenings and I love it:)

Over 1 week ago I was contacted by one of our stitching sister's, Lisa - The Inspired Stitcher Blog.
She had seen I added "Bee Happy" by Homespun Elegance to my stash and she had just purchased it too. Lisa suggested for her and I to stitch "Bee Happy" together at the same time. I was so excited and thrilled. Of course I said "YES" right away. So we had our own small SAL.
It was FUN to get to stitch it together and a quick design to stitch. Lisa and I have both finished and I am sure she will be posting soon on her blog, her finish, very soon (I think she was waiting for me).

 Bee Happy by Homespun Elegance 

32ct Smokey Pearl Belfast Linen

All required threads

Here's a photo showing more the true color of the linen. I plan to finish this as a pillow.
Thank you Lisa - I truly enjoyed stitching this with you. YOU had a good idea:) 

 Fairy Hill - 16 ct Aida

Here is my progress for Bothy Threads Cut Thru Monday SAL with Debbie and Linda as our hostesses. I stitched the 2 trees, owl, bee, butterfly, a small basket of laundry and a fairy dress (soo cute). It will be more clear of what the items are once I get the backstitching done (sometime in the near future:)

This is the height of the design - I've been so happy to reach this point. Still on page 3 of 12. But its getting there....I love all the items of Fairy Hill so far. It's super cheerful to stitch. Another Tinkerbell from my moms collection. I've been pulling all these Tinkerbell's from my moms cabinet that houses all these and more. I haven't even touched any of her Hallmark Ornaments she had collected yet.

And after finishing "Bee Happy" I pulled a wip that I started last year - Ann Dale. It's about time I give her some of my attention. It has been pure heaven stitching with silk threads again. So easy to get any knots that form out from the silk thread. This motif, when I picked it up and started stitching again, had only the first two very bottom rows on the base of the vase. The rest of stitching upwards is what I have stitched for my progress. 

.

 Ann Dale by Shakespeare's Peddler

40ct Vintage Pear - Lakeside Linen

All silk threads required

Oh yes I have a long ways to go one. This design is HUGE. Over 65,000 stitches when done. But at least I've picked it up again and am working on it. It does feel good to pull out and work on another old wip.

To Angele - from me

For EMS Exchange "Christmas in July", the person I got to send a package to, has been finally received. I mailed off this package on June 14th. It's destination - Switzerland. Long story short (right!!!) The package was in the USA for over 1 month. It took 1 month to travel from California to New York, then back to California -Richmond. At this time I thought for sure it was coming back to me. Because Richmond is here in the Bay Area. NOPE! It went on to LA -California which was LAX yes the airport on July 21st. I was notified on July 26th that sweet Angele's had indeed received it in Switzerland. So now I get to share with you. Angele was very happy what I sent to her.
I had shared what I received in a earlier post, from the same exchange, from Bianca in Germany back in June.  Hope you are stitching and enjoying August so far.
With my Love and Appreciation - Annette