It's almost Trick or Treat Time!

Hello Everyone!
The last week during the day here in Northern California, I can tell that the air is getting a bit more chilly:) And we are not to have rain till November.
No update for Bothy Thread Cut Thru SAL for the last 2 weeks. But stitching has definitely been going on here. Since my last post I had been working on 2 secret projects and got both of them all done & have dispatched to their new homes:) and I had a birthday, I turned 50:) 
My friend and an amazingly talented needleworker Lee - Notes from Under the Mountain blog, sent me a birthday package full of goodies,

Lee made for me a beautiful Beetle with special silver gilt threads. Also I received a kitted package of linen, threads and a chart to make a bookmark. A very pretty stitched bell flower fob and something extremely special......

 "The Coromandel" designed by Lee's friend Ann Brocas

A needleroll - 36ct Lambswool Linen

In her note to me Lee said she wanted to stitch me something special. This piece reminds Lee where her and her husband Paul use to live. Her friend Ann designed this piece for the Coromandel guild Retreat (New Zealand) in 2011. All the motifs in the design relate to Coromandel, New Zealand.

Lee wrote: The Fantail birds will always join you on a walk in the forest, where one could walk between the tall Kauri trees. Archey's frog is so rare it is only found in two places one being high on the Coromandel hills.

 The Kiwi (very top row in photo) whose call we would hear at night. And the bright Pohutukawa flowers that bloom all along the coast in the summer.

The inside

Look at the beautiful stitching on the ends of the pillow top of the needleroll. 

I don't know if you can see in the photo but every individual spoke of the web - the thread has been twisted around. And it looks perfect! I'm in awe of the stitching and the finishing.

 You can imagine what I thought when I unrolled this stunning piece of needlework? Not to mention how touched I was that she made this for me and the tears of gratitude in my eyes? To see this piece in person it is truly an amazing work of LOVE and ART!

Oh Lee - I will enjoy using this and THANK YOU from my heart. It's Exquisite!!! And I love that it has such a special meaning representing you and Paul. I will treasure it.

 Sweet Linda from Stitching with my Furbabies blog sent me these wonderful charts & 2 lovely skeins of  floss form Victorian Motto Shoppe. She knew that I fell in love with Good Morning the first time she posted her progress on it. When she finished stitching it she asked me if I would like to stitch next!
I couldn't respond fast enough to her to say "YES".

 This is one of those charts for me that I HAVE TO STITCH and display it yesterday:)
Thank you sooooo very much Linda for your thoughtfulness & kindness.

 Autumn Delights - SAL with Vickie (who finished stitching hers already and it is beautiful).

 Here's my progress so far! If you haven't seen Vickie's finish please visit her blog.

I just saw that she has fully completed it. WOW!

 Mary's Sampler by Plum Street Samplers Sunday SAL

I haven't yet removed my red center placement stitch. Will do so at the end.

We are ready for Halloween trick or treaters here. Halloween is will be here next week and we usually get over 100 kids.  I so look forward to seeing all the little's (young children) in their darling costumes. Happy Halloween!  With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Christmas Ornies and SAL Updates

Hello Everyone!
Finished 2 ornaments that I had stitched 2 years ago. When I had seen some ornaments by Little House Needleworks, I knew immediately that I had to stitch them & with some changes. That was 2 years ago and finally got them completed. But first:

Congratulations to Linda - "Stitchin with my Furbabies" blog,

You won the drawing for "Snappy Sampler" by Bent Creek chart.

I will be getting this in the mail to you this week Linda.

"Gingerbread Village" by LHN

14ct adia, called for threads and "Ho! ho! ho!" by Fils a Soso

This ornament I named and added "Holly Lane" to this, because a part of my childhood we lived in the mountains. And I actually got to live on a street named "Holly Lane".

 

Our street "Holly Lane" did go up a hill and led to our house. So this was a perfect design to recall some childhood memories.

"Red House in Winter" by Little House Needleworks

14ct adia & all recommended threads

Next ornament I named "the Cabin". Growing up, everyone in our family called the house in the mountains "The Cabin". And our cabin was painted this color. Too perfect of a design to commemorate our family house from long ago.

 Finished part 2 of "Mary's Sampler"  by Plum Street Samplers. I know many of you are stitching this too. It's fun to see everyone's progress. This is my first nativity I have gotten to stitch. I am loving this sal.

 My progress on Vickie's SAL "Autumn Delight". I started on the bottom left of the design.
Yesterday I got in the mail 2 new Qsnap Huggies made by Christine that I ordered. I love them and I got them quickly. The name of the fabric for this one is Horse and Carriage. It has darling barns and apples too.

 This Qsnap Huggie fabric is called "Tinkerbell". It also has the pixie fairys - so cute.
Perfect for stitching "Fairy Hill"by  Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL with Debbie and Linda.

This weeks progress on Fairy Hill - I filled in lots of the sand on the bottom and got a good large section done, then got some mint green stitches at the top. Working on page 4 of 9.
This week is my birthday and I turn 50:) Plans? Probably a day of going out for lunch, a special dinner and maybe some shopping:)
Hope you are enjoying good weather and are able to get some stitching done.
Beautiful weather here, low 70's and sunny.  With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Ornaments and SAL's

It's October and even though it's Fall we've been having Gorgeous weather here in Northern California. Hello everyone! Wasn't it spectacular to see all the posts to support Cathey! I too was so moved with "Pumpkins for Cathey" posts.

Well I decided to pull from a piled stack of stitched mini's and "Finish" them into something.
Until I place the finished stitched piece in front of me, I have NO idea what I will be using or how to complete it. Didn't want tons of framed pieces. So I went and looked at Vonna's tutorials (HERE). I also looked at blogs for inspiration. And there are LOTS of great ideas - I know you know:)

Here we go I have a few completed items to share with you:

"Life's A Stitch" by Lizzie Kate

32ct Flax Linen

 This look is what Vonna had shown on her post on her blog. I thought I would try it. I learned to let each layer dry and place under something flat and heavy. You want a good laugh? I had my bins of ribbons, I placed my first fabric glued piece under it. Cheked on it a bit later and found that there was a ripple impression. I checked the bottom on the container, it had like rows. So I started looking for something else heavy/ flat to use, and my sister said "Turn the ribbon container upside down".....LOL it was perfectly flat. I laughed. I told her "that's using your noggin".

 

I think this is the first time that I didn't run to Joann's or Micheal's for some supplies. I used what I had in my stash. This is a 3 layered flat fold ornament. I learned how from Vonna's tutorial.

I hand stitched this pretty pink cording. I pulled it from my moms stash, so I have a represented her on this ornament.

"Candy Shoppe Ornament" kit by Dimensions. This is a felt ornament that I learned also from Vonna's Tutorials.

 

"Baked Goods"  by Little House Needleworks

32ct Pecan Butter Linen by Lakeside Linens 

This ornament is one of my Favorites and will hang in my kitchen (I think all year round) LOL.

I had the checked ruffled ribbon and placed it above to look like a mini window valance. I had some brads from scrapbooking and pulled them, added them as charms.

All the Christmas needlebooks I was working on are now completed.

"Snappy Sampler" by Bent Creek

32ct Natural Belfast Linen  and "Prim Christmas" - Nina's Threads

For this design only 2 threads are used DMC black and one specialty thread. So all the coloring you see is "Prim Christmas" thread and the darker color is the black.  

Yes this is the specialty thread used, shown in 2013 Christmas JSC Magazine page 67, for the border on The Primitive Hare's ornament "Peace on Earth". Which I plan to stitch the ornament also. 

I purchased Nina's thread directly from her on her Etsy store HERE.

If you would like to stitch "Snappy Sampler" next, please leave me a comment on this post and please be sure to tell me you want to.

My progress for Fairy Hill - Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL Monday with Linda and Debbie. I didn't get too much done as I would of liked, but every stitch counts:)

 Plum Street Samplers Mystery Sunday SAL. I am using 32ct flax linen, 2 over 2 threads. In the process of frogging all the brown dress - lol. The red dot above is my center placement.

 32ct cream linen by Zweigart and DMC floss.

And today is the start of Vickie's SAL for "Autumn Delights". Still plenty of time to join us.
Thank you for your visit. I also thank you for your lovely comments, I enjoy reading every one of them. Now I know when I hit the publish button there will have been other news I would of liked to share with you. Does that happen to you too? Until my next post...
With Love and Appreciation - Annette

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