Cranberry Samplings

Where Does The Time Go?

2012-02-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

It's been over a week since I posted and really, I don't know where the time has gone. I have done some stitching. With Stella, it is getting hard to find the time without puppy interference.

I finished March Word Play. It was done on 36 ct v. butter cream fabric using the suggested GA floss. Then I finished the loose feathers designs Autumn, Summer and Winter. I really love this piece and was glad to get back to it. It will go to the framer on Wednesday.

Next up is a SB design called Irish Heart. Not a lot of work. I did it this afternoon watching a marathon of Joan and Melissa. Mindless TV. Perfect for stitching. I must say though it was funny.

Cheryl and I are going to have a finishing day this coming week. The SB piece will turn into a pillow. We have been hitting the antique places and have picked up some frogs and other cool stuff.

I just love these giant bobbins. I am going to wrap them with some of my lace trims.

I got a few different frogs. I just love this one. Very different.

The one on the right is very cool. It has a silver top with may holes. It polished up beautifully.

Cheryl found the blue frog for me when she was in Canada about 18 months ago. I had nothing to put it in until I found this lovely blue bowl. The frog fit perfectly. This is one of my favs.

We found this at a country store and I just had to have it. It is reproduction of an old sewing case. I am trying to get my stitching room more organized (much like the rest of you) and this case helped me a great deal. Thanks for taking the time to read and leave comments on my blog. I love the comments, they mean a lot to me. I have had some questions about Stella. She is doing well at school and getting big. She has a new boyfriend at school. Harvey is a boxer and is quite smitten with Stella. I will show pictures of her on my next post. Have a great week. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Few Good Things!

2012-02-09T00:13:00.000-05:00

I have managed to get some stitching in this week. Thank goodness for my stitching groups. I get a lot done there. I did the the March cottage by CCN.

It was a quick fun stitch. I did one of the windows in yellow because I like to think that someone is stitching or reading. Goofy, I know. I started the March word play. I love each one of these designs.

I have been the lucky recipient of some giveaways. Last week I received this design from Kathy Ellen from Stitcher's Heirlooms. Kathy and I met at the first New England Retreat. We have become stitchy friends. Kathy's stitching is lovely. Thanks for the great design Kathy.

This is what I received from Nicola of Stitching by a Cornish Sea Shore. If you haven't visited her blog yet, you must! Her stitching is beautiful and her photos of where she lives, the birds and her sweet dogs are stunning. I received the beautiful pattern and so much more. She included 4 fat quaters of fabric, trims and the most beautiful buttons. Least I forget, one of her bird photos. Thank you so much Nicola! You can click on any of the photos for a larger view.

Today in the mail came another wonderful package from Barbara of To Stitch or Not To Stitch. Another wonderful stitcher with a great blog. Barbara's stitching and finishing is stunning. I received the most wonderful sachet filled with walnut shells and lavender. The smell is fabulous. As you can see, she finished it beautifully with beads and a double bow. The candy is already gone. I couldn't help myself. Everything was Valentine related . The floss is either named chocolate names or pinks. Pink beads and little hearts. A very cute tea towel, pen and a wonderful piece of fabric called chocolate raspberry. Thanks Barbara for the early Valentine goodies. I love them all. Thanks for sticking with this rather long post. Cheryl and I have been shopping and I will share some of the goodies I picked up on my next post. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. It means the world to me. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some More Valentine Finishes.

2012-02-04T23:40:00.001-05:00

I finished all the Valentine projects for this February. I,actually, finished this piece last February but didn't frame it until this week. This is a BBD piece. I had the frame in my stash. That always makes me happy. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

I did a small SB design for my small black box. So cute.

Cheryl and I had a finishing day. I did these 3 designs very simply. I didn't think they needed much.

The February Word Play finished like my others.

I will end this post of a picture of my favorite flowers. I was thrilled to see them in the Whole Foods last week.

Stella and I went to obedience school today and she did okay. She learned to sit pretty well but didn't master the laying down. Hopefully we will practice this week and surprise her teacher next week. She did interact with the other dogs and people, which was good. I did receive some things in the mail that I will post next time. Have a great week. Go Pats! Happy Stitching....Deborah

Pretty in Pink!

2012-01-29T23:19:00.001-05:00

Another really busy week. Took a cooking class on Saturday. It was really good. Soups and stews. Perfect. Took Stella for her first Dr.s appointment and to puppy socialization. Will be taking her for more puppy play dates. I managed to get some stitching in. Did some Valentine pieces.

The first piece is Endless Hearts by Threadwork Primitives. I used my favorite pink fabric called Autumn Blush. I had a large piece of 28 ct. so I used it (even though I prefer a smaller count ) and the floss is CC wild berries and english ivy. I will be making it into a pillow. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

On the same piece of fabric using the wild berries floss I did Be Mine by the Sisterhood. I have more room, so I think that I will do the other design called Valentine.

When I get finished with the Valentine pieces, I will be going back to Autumn and then onto Winter by BBD. I really love this piece and have enjoyed every stitch.

Continuing with the pink theme, I will end with a picture of Stella in her pink collar. She is getting bigger and will be starting obedience school on Saturday. She does need it. The house training has gone very well but the rest, not so good. Hopefully, this will be good money spent. Time will tell. Thanks for all the wonderful comments. I love them. Have a great week. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

It Has Been a Good Week!

2012-01-23T00:02:00.000-05:00

It has been a good and very busy week here in New England. Got some stitching done and I will start with Elizabeth by LHN.

I started doing the woman and realized the her skin color and the color of her dress are almost the same color. Instead of frogging her face, I just put her away and moved on to Autumn by BBD. This went much better.

I really love this design and will be finishing this section and doing Winter before I go back to Elizabeth. It was an excellent mail week for me. My blogging buddy, Myra sent me this beautiful ort container that she made. The fabric is beautiful. I think that it is Blueberry Crumble by BBD.

The card so cute and I love the leopard bag that it was in. Thanks so much, Myra! I received some gift certificates for Christmas and I used part of one for last years Halloween scissor block and tray by Liberty Hill. I love these items.

I added my spider web scissors. Perfect. Theresa at Shakespeare's peddler had a really good fabric sale recently and I couldn't resist getting some. Aren't they beautiful!

We had our first real snow this week. Finally. I love snow but Stella, not so much.

She was really getting the idea that she needs to do her business in the grass and then the snow came. Couldn't find the grass. We spent alot of time in the snow.

One last picture of Stella in her Patriots jersey. I am not one to dress up dogs but Joanne bought the jersey and it came off right after the picture. We won the game so the jersey will have to be worn one more time for the Super Bowl! I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments. They mean alot. I noticed that i have gotten some new followers. Welcome. I will try not to bore you with Stella pictures every post. It will be hard for me. Until next time......Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Stitching and a Lot of Puppy Business.

2012-01-16T23:58:00.000-05:00

I have managed to get some stitching in while Stella is sleeping or being crated. More on her later, but first up is Summer by BBD.

I really love this design and will be doing Autumn soon. After Summer, I moved on to February Word play by WTN. Love these designs! This is one of my favorite designs so far in this series. This on is done on 36ct LSL in a pale pink color called Chantilly Cream. I so enjoy doing designs on pink fabric.

I started Elizabeth Hancock by LHN. I am using 36 ct. v Examplar linen and over dyed floss. This is a very large design and will take some time to finish it. I usually work on only one design at a time but I will be doing other smaller designs while working on this one. Not a lot to show for many hours of work.

When you have had a dog for 18 years, you tend to forget things. Like how active they are, how house training is a big pain, how sharp puppy teeth are. Then you remember how much fun it is to play with them, how great puppy kisses are, how they love to go for walks, how cute they are when they seem to learn something new and that they do nap frequently! Stella and I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful comments. She is a wonderful addition to our household and she has made me realize I need more sleep! Until next time......Happy Stitching! Hopefully. Deborah

Please Meet Stella!

2012-01-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

The house was way to quiet and it was time to open our hearts to another wonderful dog! So, please meet Stella.

How could anyone not fall in love with this face. She is 3 months old. She is a Chihuahua,Terrier and a long dog mix. I will be busy house training, crate training and playing. So much fun. She went to my stitching group tonight and had a great time meeting all the ladies and getting a great deal of attention. Not much stitching went on.

Hopefully, while she sleeps, I will be able to get some stitching in. Time will tell. I do have some stitching to show but I be back in a day or so. Until the next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Waiting for Fabric.

2012-01-05T23:29:00.000-05:00

I wanted to Start Elizabeth Hancock but I didn't think that the fabric I had was large enough. So tonight I started the Summer LF design by BBD. I will be doing all 3 on 36 ct. lt. exampler linen with the suggested fibers. I did finish the Good Marriage by LK. I really love how it turned out. I have time to get it framed before my friends anniversary.

February by DT is ready to be stretched for my in and out frame. I really love all the pinks in this piece. I used 32 ct Autumn Blush fabric (one of my favs) and the suggested NPIs fibers. This design is full of wonderful specialty stitches. So many beautiful hearts.

You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view. I wanted to show some of my stitchy Christmas gifts. First up is what Cheryl made for me. A project portfolio and a matching needle book. So beautiful.

I also received 3 gift certificates to my favorite OLS and for Hobby Lobby. Sweet! Lastly, I received a new pair of scissors (can't have to many) and a VB tape measure. It was a very good stitchy Christmas.

I have been asked about my stitching goals for 2012. I am not that type of stitcher. After every finish, I go up to my craft room and go though charts until one speaks to me. I took a big leap for me and signed up for both of Vonna's SAL. These things usually make me nuts but I guess that is my goal. To remember stitching is fun and really relaxing for me. Thanks for visiting and for the wonderful comments. I love them all. Until next time....Happy Stitching!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

This was my last finish of 2011! The design is nice but I wish that I had toned down the 2 pink colors. They are very bright. Between the sunshine and the brightness of the colors it was hard to get a decent shot.

Next up is the Elizabeth Hancock Sampler by LHN. I do have to finish A Good Marriage by LK first. Hopefully that will happen today. We spent yesterday doing the normal Saturday errands, then brought Chinese food home and spent a lovely evening waiting for the ball drop. We only go out on New Years Eve if we can walk to the party. I have never liked being on the road on NYE. Today will also be spent quietly stitching and watching TV. Perfect start to the New year. I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and taking the time to comment. I want to thank you for all the inspiration. The stitching that you all do is beautiful and It makes me want to stitch even more. I have made some wonderful friends in blogland and I am grateful for that. I wish you all well in the New Year! Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Stitching and Some Food.

2011-12-27T17:34:00.000-05:00

I hope that you all had a great Christmas! After being pretty busy the last couple of weeks, it was a pleasure to have a quite day. We had a nice breakfast, opened the gifts and had a relaxing dinner later in the day. I got in a lot of stitching in the last 2 days. What a pleasure. On Christmas Eve we went to Cheryl's for the evening. The food was wonderful. I was a bad blogger and took no pictures, except for the 2 things that I brought.

I know that the picture isn't very good but the popcorn was delicious and really addictive. I am obsessed with this stuff. You pop 3 bags of low butter popcorn (pop secret homestyle is good), melt a 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips and mix together and add a 5 oz bag of craisins. So good and I don't usually like white chocolate. Joanne served my Thursday night stitching group this and we just ate and chatted. No real stitching was done.

I made these little Santa hats. How cute are they? Saw them on " The Chew" and had to make them. They are just brownies (cut with a round cutter), strawberries and whipped cream. Kinda festive.

I am currently working on A Good Marriage by LK. It's for a dear friend and her husband who have a big anniversary coming up.They have a wonderful relationship and I believe that they live these rules everyday.

I will be putting that piece aside for a few days so that I can start the February cottage. I am not sure about the colors. The pinks are really bright. We will see how they look. Thanks for stopping by and leaving the best comments. They mean so much. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

From My House to Yours

2011-12-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

I wish everyone a blessed and joyful Christmas. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Doing the Big Happy Dance!

2011-12-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

I hadn't planned on getting the seasonal sampler framed before Christmas but I just had too! I am so happy with this piece. The sampler turned out beautifully and I love the frame.

You can click on any of the photos for a larger view. With the frame this piece ends up being about 32" long. Sorry about all the pics. I just couldn't get it in one good pic. I joined Vonna's SAL of the CCN Cottages.

I am using 36 ct. vintage meadow rue linen and the suggested fibers. I will be doing the whole year on this piece of fabric. So far, so good. Today Cheryl and I did our Christmas cookie marathon.

Here is a sampling of our bounty. We made wedding cookies, frosted sugar cookies, coconut thumbprints, the chocolate crinkles appear not to have made the picture, butterscotch oatmeal cookies and chocolate walnut fudge. YUMMY! I have kept you all long enough, so until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Christmas is Almost Here!

2011-12-20T19:14:00.000-05:00

It was a busy week here but some of the business involved stitching. First up is Warm Winter Woolens by LHN I used 32 ct exampler linen and the suggested fibers. I framed it today. I have had the candle screen in my stash for years. It was good to put it to use. I also finished January Word Play by WTN. I love these designs. I used 36 ct mystery f

fabric and the called for fibers. Hopefully it will be put together before January. I had a small luncheon with a couple of my stitchy friends. This is the table setting and the small flower arrangements that I gave to them.

I picked up Winter Alphabet from the framers last week. I had the frame made into a pop it in and out frame. It came out pretty good.

Here is a closeup of the frame.

This has been the weirdest time that i have ever had trying to post. What the heck is with blogger? Before I close, I want to wish Nataly and Ellen a very Happy Hanukkah. Thanks for visiting and leaving the greatest comments. Until next time (hopefullyI will be back before Christmas)....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-12-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

It was a busy week here but i did get some stitching in. I hope to finish Four Seasons Band Sampler this year. It's in the home stretch. I just need to finish the bottom of it. I need to add stars and snow flakes to the winter portion and do the personalization above the numbers. This is a beautiful sampler that the Just Cross Stitch magazine did in 4 parts. It is about 27" long and about 7" wide. Below is the whole thing layed out. Sorry about the wrinkles. I don't like to iron the pieces until they are finished. You can click on any of the pics for a larger view.

Last Thursday night, my evening stitching group went out to dinner for our Christmas celebration. We had some really wonderful Italian food. After dinner we went back to Jeanne's home for the dessert and the gift portion of the evening. We draw names and Mary ( her blog is yetanotherxcrazyblog ) drew my name. This beautiful flower frog is what I got. How great is that! Green is one of my favorite colors. She made the pin cushion that is in side. She used 2 different seasonal fabrics. Below is a better picture of the pin cushion. Isn't it great when your friends feed your addictions?!

As if that beautiful frog wasn't enough, she also gave me this beautiful scarf. It is wide and very long. The picture does it no justice. The colors are gorgeous and there is some gold shiny threads running through it. She thought that it would look good with one of my coats but I can envision it on my table as a table runner. Thanks, Mary! I just love my gifts.
What would a party be without the food. Joanne went and got 2 different kinds of cupcakes from our favorite cupcake bakery. Jeanne made the cookies. It was all so delicious.
Jeanne's home was decorated beautifully and I just loved her Christmas village. This is only part of the village. So gorgeous. This week is going to busy. I am having some stitchy friends over for lunch and stitching this week. Going to both of my stitching groups and Saturday night I am having friends over for dinner and gift exchange. It's going to busy and so much fun. I hope that your holiday season is full of fun, friends and family, great food and gatherings. Thanks for visiting and leaving the best comments. I love them. Until next time..... Happy Stitching! Deborah

Winter, So Far Only in My Stitching

2011-12-07T23:53:00.000-05:00

We have had the weirdest weather! It has been in the 60's and low 70's for weeks. It's getting close to Christmas and I want cold and maybe some snow. So far, the closest to snow and cold is stitching it. I finished LK Winter Alphabet over the week end. I am going to have an in and out frame made in case I do the others. I do love the fall one.
I also did DT's January. I used a scrap of 32 ct. pearl gray and I used the called for NPI's. I do love me some silks.
On Saturday, I drove up to New Hampshire to Yankee Cross Stitch to take a class from Donna of By the Bay fame. She is a lovely person and we had a great time. We made this cute tree. It is made out of wool, a dowel and wire. Darn easy to put together. The only thing I would change is the really bright green floral tape we used to rap the truck of the tree. I am going to get some darker green tape and go over the bright green. Then I will love the little tree. I must say that the base is really nice. Red and has a nice design in the medal. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.
I have collected some Santa's over the years and I thought that I would share one of my collection at the end of each post this month. What I noticed, while taking their pics is that they are all woodsy kinda of Santa's. This one I got in Canada a number of years ago when Cheryl and I brought her Mother back home.
This is my small tree in the kitchen. I bought it at the Christmas Tree Shop for around 10 bucks. A great buy. I have my cross stitch ornies on it. I really need to do more. Hopefully for next season. Wow! I need to thank everyone for the wonderful comments on my last post. They mean a lot to me. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Framing and Finishing.

2011-11-30T22:25:00.001-05:00

First, I want to tell Nancy from Lovely in Chocolate fame that she is going to be receiving Take Joy in the mail. I did draw her name on Monday but I wasn't able to blog about it. Life has been very busy. I did pick up 2 pieces from the framer. This is the 12 days of Christmas by LHN. I am very happy with how it came out. With that said, I do wish the frame I picked was wider. The picture below is a close up of the frame. The picture isn't the best but you can click on any of them for a better view.
I do love the gold on the inside and the two tone brown, just want it wider.
This is Christmas Tea by PPS. This piece is much nicer IRL. Below is a close up of this frame and I really like it.
It is a silver frame with a dark blue edge. The frame isn't pink like the picture but I was wearing a red sweatshirt so maybe...
December Word Play finished and hanging up. I really do love these designs. They are quick and easy and just so cute.
I put this together today. These are the best boxes. I have a thing for boxes. Sorry about the glare from the glass on the table top. Note to self, don't take pictures on the kitchen table.
Still working on Winter Alphabet from LK. It's a fun stitch and the white does show up in person. That's it for tonight! Thanks for stopping by and leaving the best comments. They make my day. Until next time......Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Lot of Stitching and Tusal.

2011-11-25T23:08:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone in the US had a great Thanksgiving full of family, friends, love and wonderful food. I know that I did. Now that the house is cleaned up and the turkey soup is made, I can now concentrate on some more stitching. I finished December Word Play last week. I just love these designs. I used a 36 ct. mystery fabric and the called for fibers. Hopefully, I can get it sewed up this coming week.
This is Winter Wind sampler from the Jan./Feb. 2011 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I used 36 ct. quicksilver linen and the called for CC fibers. You can click on any of the pic's for a larger view. It is prettier in person.
In between cooking and baking this week. I finished Take Joy by SB. I will be putting it in the box that they show on the cover of the kit. These little designs are so quick and fun to do. I would like to pass this design on. It would make a great ornament. I have some of the floss left. It may not be enough to do the design but you can use it to help pick your own colors. So just leave a comment on this post. If I have more than one person who wants the design, I will draw a name on Monday night.
This is my latest start, Winter Alphabet by LK. I am using 32 ct oatmeal or flax linen and the called for fibers. The white shows up much better in person. Because I refused to leave my home today to shop ( I am not that crazy) I managed to get quite a bit done. It's a happy stitch. Every square that you finish gives you that feeling of accomplishment.
Here is my Tusal for the month. They are very packed down. Next year I need to find a different jar. Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post. I sure do appreciate them all. Enough the rest of the week end. Until next time.... Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Week Full of RAK's & Stitching!

2011-11-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

First up is a very cute needle book that I received Thursday in the mail from Myra. You all know her from gr8dame's Place. Her sewing skills are excellent. She makes the cutest things. I don't know how she remembered that I love pink. Below is a picture of the inside, which had a skein of variegated floss and 2 pink floss winders. The card was so pretty. Thanks so much Myra!

A couple of weeks ago I went to the new Hobby Lobby in NH. It really is a day trip from where I live. I went specifically for this box so I could do all the wonderful little Halloween pillows from BBD. They didn't have any boxes the day I went. I came home with some floss but no box. i was so disappointed. This past weekend my friend, Nataly, went and look what she brought home for me. Yeah! You have no idea how excited I was when she gave me this gift at stitching group on Wednesday. Thanks, again Nataly.
Thursday night at my other stitching group, Joanne gave me this beautiful shawl that she knitted. The color is more rusty than orange. It's over 60 inches long and has a pocket on both ends. It is perfect. I was told that it is a prayer shawl and it is given to you when you have a lose. Whatever the reason, I love it. I can't thank Myra, Nataly and Joanne enough for the kindness that they shown me. Stitchy friends are the best.
On to my stitching, I finished Christmas Tea and off to the framer it went. It was a joy to stitch.
This is winter Wind sampler by PSS from the JC magazine. I love the whimsy of this piece. It is done on 32 ct quicksilver linen using the called for CC floss. The fabric has a really nice lavender undertone to it. I probably won't be able to blog before Thanksgiving, so I want everyone to have a blessed day with family and friends. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I have a lot to be thankful for. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Finally, Some Stitching!

2011-11-13T11:11:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted some stitching, so here we go. First up is Autumn Pinkeep by Helga Mandl from the Gift of Stitching magazine. I used ant. ivory 32 ct linen and lavender honey SNC silk.
I trimmed the little pinkeep in some rust colored chenille. Very cute.
Next up is the 12 Days of Christmas by LNH. I loved this design the first time I saw it and couldn't wait to stitch it. I need to finish the musical notes and then it goes off to the framer. I don't do that many Christmas designs because I usually don't like the colors but this one didn't scream red and green. Below is a close up of the bottom.

I am working on Christmas Tea by PSS. This is one that can stay up all winter. Below is a pic of what the design will look like when finished. I used a blue fabric instead of the called for fabric, which I didn't have. I am using the called for Belle Soie silks.
Before I close, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments, e-mails and the cards that I received regarding Sammi's passing. They touched my heart. She was a great dog. Hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Thank You

2011-11-08T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is just a short post to thank you all for the kind words. I was overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and caring. Hugs, Deborah

It's a Sad Day.

2011-11-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

It's with a heavy heart that I let you know that my sweet dog, Sammi passed yesterday. She was full of unconditional love and pure joy. We will miss her.

Doing the Happy Dance!

2011-11-01T23:25:00.000-04:00

I need to thank all of you who encouraged me to keep going on PS November. It's done and being stretched for my in and out frame. Now that it is finished, I do like it better. The colors were just so hard...
I finished the November Word Play and it is now hanging. I ordered December today. I really love doing these. They are instant gratification and very easy to finish. You can click on any of the pics for a larger view.
A little stash enhancement came in the mail this week. So many lovely things, so little time. The trims are from Victoria Motto. I love the chenille trim. I will being starting the 12 Days of Christmas by LHN this week. I really like the fact that it is different. The LK Winter sampler is also really nice.
Finished December by DT. I really like this series and still have the first of the year to do.
I am going to end with a picture of my sweet Sammi. This was taken while we were in Vermont recently. Since this picture was taken she has started to fail some. Had to take her to the hospital this week. The medication they put her on makes her sleepy and dull. Hopefully, we can cut the dosage down. She is 18 yrs old and it's hard watching her age. I am on the coast of MA and we only had a dusting of snow and lost power for about 3 hrs. during the night. I did spend a couple of hours cleaning the branches from the yard from the very high winds. We still have around 250,000 people with out power. Thanks for stopping by and the comments you leave are so welcome and appreciated. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Cool Things and Tusal

2011-10-25T22:54:00.000-04:00

I don't think that I will get this done before November arrives. It's PS November. It's going a little slower than I would like but I think that it has to do with the colors. They are all very similar. The other reason I don't have it done yet is because Joanne, Sammi and I went to Vermont for a short vacation. It was beautiful weather, the colors were pretty well gone but we had a great time. We stayed at an Inn that was dog friendly. They had a beautiful breakfast included. Very nice. Went to King Arthur's Flour Store. A wonderful place if you love to bake. I came home with some great items. Spent time at the Vermont Country Store. Very nice. Went to Quechee and had the most wonderful lunch. There is so much damage from Irene. The people of Vermont are working hard to get it back in shape.
This is the dessert that Joanne had at the Simon Pierce Glass restaurant. They have a seasonal menu and the food is wonderful. The dessert is walnut meringue cookies with whipped cream in between and a strawberry sauce. I am not a lover of meringue but I tasted these and wished that I had ordered them, Yummy!
We stopped at Yankee candle in Deerfield,MA on the way home Sunday. This is where it all began and the place is huge. This is part of the yard on the side of the building. They sell much more than candles here. They had many activities for kids, places to eat and great stuff to buy. I bought some Christmas presents.
We stopped at some shops somewhere in Vermont and I found some treasures. Is this not the cutest flower frog? Love the pink color and it has little feet. So cute. Perfect for the short little scissors. In perfect condition and under $10.00.
Went to a fabric store just to look and this is what I found. A small table mat and 4 very cute pot holders. Cheryl will be getting the pot holders on the right this Friday when we get together.
I found these candle holders at the same place as the frog. The picture does them no justice. The orange color is beautiful and the edges have a beautiful design. They will look great on the table for the fall holidays. Again, perfect condition and both for $10.00. It was a relaxing 4 days and was much needed. Glad we went when we did because snow is in the New England weather this week. Yes, I said snow! We may even get some flakes in Southern MA.
This is my Tusal this month. A bunch of dull colors from November. Thanks for sticking through this long post. As always, I appreciate your reading and commenting on my posts. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

An Addition to my Stitching Group.

2011-10-19T18:55:00.001-04:00

We had company today at my stitching group. Fellow blogger, Teresa from Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches, came to join us. She had spent some time doing 2 of the New England retreats with Belinda of Blue Ribbon Designs and Thea from Victoria Samplers in New Hampshire. When I heard that she had an extra day in the area, I invited her to join us. We had a great time. Teresa fit right in with the group. Those 4 hours just went by so quickly. We saw all her projects from the retreats. She is almost done with Belinda's project. Just beautiful. Hopefully she will be back in the future. Of course, I didn't take the picture until Cheryl and Nataly had left. They both could stay for just a short time. Teresa is in the orange shirt. Next to her is Emma and Phyllis and Nancy, in front is Ellen and Diane.
Before we left, Teresa gave me the cutest goody bag. Below is all the goodies in side. She made the tissue holder (so cute), candies from See's and the tastiest almonds called California Crunchies. Thanks again, Teresa!

On the stitching front, I did DT November (no pic) and it's being stretched. I started November by PS. Hope to get it finished by November. We will see.
Took this picture of Sammi this morning. I think she wants me to turn on the heat. I am going to be away from the computer for the next few days. I will miss all of your blogs. Thanks for all the great comments. I appreciate them all. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Another Busy Week!

2011-10-13T16:52:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone in the US had a great 3 day week end. We sure did. The weather was warm and sunny. Saturday Cheryl and I went to a cranberry harvest festival. It was great fun. They had wonderful food, showed a wet harvest on one of the bogs, lots of stuff for kids to do, crafts and everything cranberry. I bought the cutest towel for Thanksgiving and a beautiful table runner. The prices were cheaper than I could have made them. We also bought fresh cranberries for chutney and apples, that I made into a crumble. Yummy! Went to the movies with Joanne, we saw The Ides of March with George Clooney. I wouldn't really recommend it. Had Chinese food. Did some yard work. A busy but really nice week end.
I finally finished Rubie Owl. I need to thank Nicole of Nicole's Needlework. I saw that she was working on Rubie and I feel in love with the design. I loved every stitch even though I thought that I would never finish the grass. I did her on 32 ct Day's gone By. I really love this material. You can see some of the shading. Beautiful. I used the Belle Soie silk, as well.
I am crazy for these word plays by With Thy Needle. They are fun and fast. I did the finishing today. It came out ok.
Now I have to finish November's word play. The turkey is so great. I do have a thing for turkeys. Wild turkeys visit my neighborhood frequently. You can click on any of the pictures for a better view. I want to welcome some new followers to my blog. Thanks for visiting and leaving the best comments. I appreciate them all. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

What a Great Week!

2011-10-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

This past week has been very busy with a limo stitching shop hop, cataract surgery and some wonderful mail! Rubie Owl is coming along nicely. I love everything about this design and have enjoyed every stitch.
I won Theresa's giveaway(giraffexing.blogspot.com) and look what I received in the mail today. A beautiful needlebook, scissors, floss, lace and some beeswax. The little scissors are beautiful and I didn't have this pair. I love to use lace in my finishing and will put it to good use.
Isn't the fabric just so happy? Behind the felt are two pockets where the scissors and floss were. It is a beautiful and generous giveaway. Thanks Theresa, I love everything.
I also won the By The Bays giveaway. Donna was very generous because I really won the Halloween stitch an inch designs but I had already bought Halloween so she sent me the fall ones and the pendent. How great is that! I love these stitch an inch designs and I believe that fall is my new fav. Thanks, Donna. I love it.
On Saturday, my Wednesday stitching group (Diane,Ellen, Nancy, Phyllis, Dottie, Liz and myself) were treated to a stitching shop hop in a limo by Diane's husband Carl! How great is this guy? We had the best time. We went to 2 shops in western MA. First up was Bush Mountain, who has moved to a new store front. The new store is much bigger and layed out very well. The picture is the charts that I purchased along with floss. We moved on to lunch. This time we didn't eat in the limo. Had lunch at a pub in Strubridge MA. It was delish. Then we moved on to Chris's Collection, who stayed open for us. Her store is small but packed full with stitchy goodness. We all fared well here. I bought fabric and the greatest little box that will fit one of the fall stitch an inch design. When we got back to Diane's home Carl had pizza and salad. The end to a perfect day. We did miss the 2 women who couldn't make the trip. Hopefully, next time we will all be together. In the last 2 weeks, I have had cataract surgery in both eyes. I am in my 50's and the cataract surgery made me feel kinda old. But wow can I see so much better. It was worth it. The surgery is so easy and except for the day it is done there is no down time. Amazing! Thanks for taking time to read my blog and for all the great comments. I appreciate them all. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

WIP, Framing and Tusal

2011-09-28T23:07:00.001-04:00

Rubie is coming along and I just love her. Love the fabric, love the colors and really love the design! Paulette's designs are so great. Going slower than normal because of the color changes but still...
I had October stretched and I put it in the frame I use for all of them. My blogging buddy Cathey wanted to see the back of the frame, so the picture below is the back. It has these little things that move so you can change out the pictures. This frame also has a stand up on the bottom of the frame. These things are great because you don't need stands. Frame stores have them and places like Michael's. Hope this helps, Cathey.

I had this frame from an old picture that I no longer wanted and it fits Give Thanks perfectly. Below is a close up of the frame. Plain and simple just like the design.

Here is my TUSAL for the month. I keep pushing them down. You can see all the lovely fall colors from Rubie. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. I appreciate them. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

I Love Fall!

2011-09-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

First, I need to thank everyone who commented and e-mailed me about my last post. I was so touched by all your kind words. They warmed my heart. Thank you all. This is a table runner that Cheryl and I made last year. We have made many different kinds of runners but this is my favorite. Love the colors and the design of the fabric.
I finished Give Thanks and I am so pleased with it. The company that produced the design is the Imaginating Inc. It's a 2005 design. I used 32 ct Ant. ivory linen and the called for DMC floss. I have a frame that I will use to frame it with.
This gem is the October Word Play by With thy Needle and Thread. It's bigger than you think. I will make it into a door hanger. I did purchase the rusty bells for the bottom. I used 36 ct V Buttercream by LSL. I am really going to enjoy these word plays.
This is my latest start. Rubie Owl's sampler by Plum Street Samplers. I love Paulette's designs. I am having so much fun stitching this one. The fall colors are fantastic. The material is 32 ct Days Gone By lugana. This fabric is so beautiful. The picture does not do it any justice. It has wonderful staining on it. You would never know that it is the end of September here in MA. It finally stopped raining for a few days but it was very humid and quite warm. Did get some outside work done. Made a pot of soup and watched TV and stitched today. All in all, it was a great week-end. Hope yours was good, as well. You can click on any of the pics for a larger view. Until next time....Happy stitching! Deborah

What an Honor!

2011-09-18T11:27:00.001-04:00

I couple of months ago, I was contacted by Jessica Franchuk the editor of Cross-Stitch and Needlework regarding a possible blog mention in the magazine. Well to my my complete surprise they picked my blog for a mention on the fab finds page of the November issue. They said some very king words about the blog and even showed a picture. All I can say is WOW! I love the magazine and they have some great designs. This month is Fall and Winter designs. Very cool. One of the cutest designs is Snow Capped Trees. It's a very cute sampler design and they also have some great ornies. So, thanks Cross-stitch and Needlework magazine, I am honored to be in your wonderful magazine. Everyone check out this great mag, you will not be disappointed.
I put down the Lord's Blessing when the last 3 DT designs showed up in my mail box. Love this one. It's my favorite so far. The colors are great. I used 32 ct Willow Green fabric (green toned fabric not brown like the pic shows) and the called for NPI, Dinky Dyes and SNC silks.
This was also in my mail box this week. I won a quilt top and backing fabric from Kim at Threadheads, Unite. This woman does everything, she stitches, knits and quilts and collections great stuff. This will be a project for Cheryl and I when she gets better. Again, the colors are way better looking in person. Thanks for all the great comments on my last post. They mean a lot. Got some serious stitching to do this afternoon so until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Framing

2011-09-15T22:40:00.001-04:00

Before I had a little eye surgery, I picked up 2 pieces that needed framing. This is Autumn Basket by BBD. I did this in February of 2010. It was time to be framed. Please forgive all the darker pics. It's been raining all day. This picture is very long but the colors are beautiful. Below are 2 more pics that show it closer. The frame is a dark cranberry color. There were 2 pics there and now there is only one. I have no idea what I did. Sorry.

This Breath of Autumn by Chessie and Me. I am loving her designs! Will be getting more. Loved all the specialty stitches. You can click on any of the pictures for larger views.
A view of some of the over one stitching. I have used this frame before. It's very wide and rustic.
I am slowly working on the Lord's Blessing. I really am enjoying this design. Love the basket. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. I appreciate the time you all take to read and comment on my blog. It means a lot. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Finishes and a Winner!

2011-09-12T19:22:00.001-04:00

I am still into the fall stitching season, so this was something i did last week. I would like to say that I go and pick apples every year but in reality, I go to the orchard store and pick the apples, apple cider donuts and cider. The picking thing is fun with kids and I don't have any. Cute design. I used 32 ct Luna linen, which is a pale yellow with a peach color. Looks wonderful with the colors of the design. I used the called for floss. When Cheryl is back to doing more normal things, this will be a pillow. You can click on any of the picks for a better view.
I love the hares. Sorry for the wrinkles. I used 36 ct butter cream linen and DMC floss. This will also be a pillow.
Sammi hasn't made an appearance in a while,so here she is. Still going strong in her 17th year. She is trying to be cute so I will give her some treats. Works every time.
This what I started over the week end. It's the Lord's Blessing. I am using 32 ct ant. ivory linen and DMC floss. It was the perfect week end to give thanks. On to the winner by random number thingy .....Siobhan!! Please email me with your snail mail address and I will get the books and stuff off to you. Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on my blog. I have had such fun blogging. I do love all the feed back. I need to thank everyone who told me to go to google chrome. It works well and I can see mine and everyone else's follower's. Until next time....Happy Stitching1 Deborah

A Finish, Finishing, TUSAL and a Giveaway.

2011-09-05T18:06:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone in the US had a great holiday week end. The weather in southern MA was beautiful. Did a lot of yard work. Finally, the yard is cleaned up from the hurricane. Yeah! Went with friends to see The Help. I loved it. it was very well done. I would recommend it. Then we went for lobster. I love to end the season with a wonderful lobster roll. Yummy. On to the stitching, I finished The Breath of Autumn by Chessie and Me. I loved this stitch. It had many different stitches and a lot of over one. So pretty. I will post again after I get it framed.
I framed these over the week end with frames that were in my stash. Enquiring minds wanted to know what floss I used for the squirrel. It was Apples and Oaks by Silk 'N Colors.
I am crazy for Fancey Blackett! This one I took to the framer. Got a very wide old looking frame. I am pleased with the outcome.
Close up of the frame, which isn't as bright as the picture shows.
With the power being off for so many days, I lost tract of the TUSAL report. Better late than never. I just keep pushing them down.
Here is what the giveaway will be. Kind of. I will be adding fabric and floss for 2 of the projects. I just love the Schoolgirl's Work. Great reading and wonderful projects. With Needle and Thread also has some wonderful projects. The rules are the same as always. Be a follower, if not, join up. If you post the giveaway on your blog you will get another vote. Leave a comment on this post only. I will draw a name on September 12 th. Good luck to all. As always, thanks for the feed back. I love all the comments. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Made It Through the Hurricane with a lot of Stitching!

2011-08-30T22:11:00.000-04:00

This is my home before the hurricane and it still looks the same. Okay the yard is now littered with branches, sticks and leaves but no trees coming out of my roof! I have spent spent 2 days cleaning up and there is more to do. We just got our power back 3 hours ago. I am luckier than most because I have a total house generator. Without power I would have no water or anything else. With the generator, I have water (hot), the refrigerator stays working, microwave, lights in the bedroom, family room and part of the kitchen and TV. I feel very lucky.
This is a picture of the garage showing how wooded it is behind it. The picture below is the 2 trees that came down behind the garage. It hit the garage but did no damage. Thankfully. I also had a tree go down near the mail box. The tree company's will be out this week to give a price to cut up and clear the property. Again, I was so lucky.

On to the stitchy stuff, I finished this last week, but blogger wouldn't let me post it. It is a BBD design from the 2005 book maned Trix or Treat. Using 32 ct mystery fabric and suggested fibers. It's a great book and I will be doing more from it.
We lost cable with this storm, so a lot of stitching was done, as well as kindle reading. This A breath of autumn by Chessie and Me. I am using the suggested belle soie silks (love them) and 32 ct vintage exampler. Love this! The floral is done in over one as is the wording. You can click on any of the pics for a better view.
For my birthday I received gift certificates. They didn't stay long in my possession. This is the Halloween selection.
And this is the general selection. So many wonderful designs, so little time. Thanks to everyone who gifted me and you know who you are. You all know that my BFF is Cheryl and last week she underwent knee replacement surgery. She came home just before the hurricane hit. She has a bunch of services coming for awhile and she is doing well. I will be going over tomorrow to do some cleaning for her. She lives with 3 men who don't really clean. You know how guys are. They think that they are helping but.... I will be posting soon with my giveaway. A hint is that it will involve one of the charts in the pics above. Which one will it be? Check back soon! Until next time....Happy Stiching! Deborah

A Bunch of Stitchy Stuff

2011-08-25T18:18:00.000-04:00

First I would like to thank everyone for all the birthday wishes. I was overwhelmed by all my comments. Loved and appreciated them all. My BD week did finally end. I went to lunch with my friend, Kathy and we had a great time. Talked for hours. She gave me a beautiful piece of pottery from Ireland. I have collected pottery for years and she has enhanced my collection many times. Over the week-end a few of us went to see Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert at a beautiful venue in New Bedford, MA. The girl puts on a great show. I have done some stitching, mostly little things. Did the little squirrel from JBW. I will be putting him in a small frame, I think.
This is a LK from last year. I love the pinky lavender fabric that came with it. I will probably make it into a pin keep.
I framed Boris (yes I can frame, I just don't like it) in a plain black frame that I had in my stash. Isn't he the cutest?

A couple of weeks ago I saw Fancey Blackett on Siobhan's blog and fell for her. Had to have her. Got right on line and ordered up the pdh file. I love everything about this design. I am using 32 ct maritime white by LSL with DMC fibers. I love this fabric. It's not white at all. You see all the variations in color in the fabric. You can click on any of the pics for a better view. Below is a close up of Fancey dancing with the squirrel. How cool.

Diane, Phyllis, Dottie and I took a road trip to ABC Stitch Therapy in NH yesterday. We didn't home until after 8pm and a good day was had by all. We all got some new new stash. I bought fabric and NPI silks. The fabric is 32 ct Luna, Days Gone By and Vanilla Gold, as well as, 36 ct Butter cream. All beautiful and all different regardless of how the picture looks. We were alittle disappointed because they had none of the new stuff in the store. They had alot of it but we were told that it was for the on-line orders not for the store. We all expected that the fabric selection would be larger. None of us got the fabric we wanted. We still managed to all get stuff and we had fun. Had lunch/dinner had a place in Hanover, NH. We were starving and the place didn't open until 4:30. We waited and the wait was worth it. Excellent food. Of course, I forgot to take pics of the store and the restaurant. We are gearing up here for the hurricane. It's been a while since we have been hit. I am taking in all the patio furniture and closing the screen porch of the season. I live on a beautiful heavily wooded lot and my hope is the all that beauty doesn't land in my home. Wish us luck. I have put together a giveaway for having 500 followers, but I am going to put off posting it until after the hurricane. To everyone in the path of Irene, stay safe! Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Birthday Week!

2011-08-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

Before,I start with the birthday stuff, I wanted to show my progress on my Wednesday SAL. I love fall and so far this is my favorite part. I will admit that the squirrel is alittle scary but over all I love it. I have done done some other stitching but I will post about that later in the week.

Saturday was my birthday. And what a great time it has been. Went out to dinner with friends for Italian food. Yummy! This was my cake. My friends don't bake, so they bought me a very good chocolate cake.

I will only bore you with my stitchy gifts. Who doesn't need a new stitching bag? This is a Vera Bradley and it holds so much. Love it.

I needed something to hold my cross stitch magazines. Again, Vera came through. I love this pattern. They came 2 to a pack. I also received 2 very generous gift certificates to my favorite on-line stores. These will come in handy in the very near future because of all the great things that are coming out of Baltimore. Love the BBD pieces and the Chessie and Me designs. I need to thank Joanne, Sammi and my other friends who have made my birthday special. It is going on, Thursday I will have lunch and presents with Kathy. Her BD was a couple of weeks ago.

Last Wednesday we had a guest at stitching. Nancy is a blogging friend who comes to the area every August. We had a great time. During one of the conversations it was mentioned that she knew someone who used to work at the Borders in our area. That would be a dear friend who is in my Thursday stitching group. Small world. So I invited her to come on Thursday to see Linda. Nancy fits right in. Some of us are going on a road trip next week to ABC in NH and she's going with us. I will take pictures.

Lastly, I see that I have 501 followers. WOW! I will be putting together a fall giveaway in the next few days. Check back. I do have a question, I need help. I can't see my followers nor can I see yours. Does anyone know how to get them back. I have tried emailing blogger, which has been a waste of my time. Please help me!

Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

RAK, Framing and WIPs

2011-08-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

Karen does 2 ornaments a month, one for her and one for a very lucky follower. I was the recipient of her July ornament. It's a beautiful humbug. Three sides are beaded. The picture is the Christmas tree side. So lovely. The picture below is the bottom. Click on any of the pics for a larger view. This ornament is so beautifully done and will have a place of honor on my tree. Karen, thanks so very much!

I had the acorn sampler framed and I couldn't be happier with the results. I can't tell how much I love this piece. Sorry about the pictures today. We have had rainy weather for the last 2 days. Very dark and dreary.

A close up of the frame, which I think looks log cabin like. Very woody.

I am almost done with summer on my Wednesday SAL. Just have to do the flower band and then we are on to Fall.

A little closer view. This week at my Wednesday group we are having a guest. One of my followers, Nancy (no blog) is visiting her family in the area for a month. She wanted to get together, so I thought that coming to group would be fun. Stitching and food is always a good time. It will be fun to meet one of my blog friends in person.

This is Autumn by With Thy Needle. Haven't gotten to far. The fabric is 32 ct dirty linen using the GA threads called for. Love this piece a lot and can't wait to really get into it. The reason I have been busy is that Joanne had surgery last week on her foot. I have been busy taking care of her. She is doing much better now and can bear some weight on the foot. She is hoping to go to work on Thursday. We don't know if she will be able to drive yet, so I might be driving her for awhile. We will see.

Have a great week. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Boris and Tusal.

2011-08-02T11:08:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot the new moon and my Tusal for the month. Pic's below. Had a great week-end here in Eastern MA. The weather was hot but that didn't us from having some fun. Spent some time with my freind, Kathy celebrating her birthday. For about 3 weeks she is older than me. Yeah! We have been friends for over 30 years. While we were celebrating , her husband Mike was putting up a new clothes line for me. He had to replace all of the parts. What a guy! He does all my man kind of things since my DH died. (he passed away 6 years ago) This has nothing to do with the picture of Boris. I did this wonderful piece the last few days. It is small and worked up quickly. I did Olga last year and now they will spend the fall together in perfect harmony. I used 36 ct v. examplar linen and the suggested CC fibers.

A close up of Boris. You call click on any of the pics for a closer view.

This is my new start. The autumn sampler from With Thy Needle. I see a trend here. I am using 32 ct dirty linen and the suggested fibers from GA. The leaves and acorns are hanging in the air because I am waiting for floss. I will probably substitute the trees with something else. I am impatient and have been waiting acouple of weeks for the floss. At least I know my faults. LOL

Last, but not least, is my jar of orts. I will probably need alittle larger jar.

Thanks for visiting my little part of the world. I love the comments and appreciate them all. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

2011-07-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

Another week has gone by. Where does the time go? It's just flying along. I finished Mighty Oak Sampler and just love it! It was so much fun to do. I did frog all the bottoms of the acorns because they were done in a limey green that I just didn't like. I went for the basic beige. Like them much better.

Little squirrel over one.

Love the kitty! So cute.

Had August stretched and poped it into the frame that I am using for all the months.

A close up of the lazt daisys. One is better that the other.

Progress on the Wednesday SAL. Summer is started. Not a lot to show.

Finished September by DT. Love this one. The leaves are beautiful and the panels on the door are cushioned stitched, very fun to do. I have started Boris by PSS but really haven't done enough to show.

We have had a weather reprieve this past week. It has been pleasant with lower humidity. A nice change. Today is gray and we are going to have thunder storms. We do need the rain.
Until next time... Happy Stitching! Deborah

WIPs and Wonderful Stitchy Stuff!

2011-07-22T12:25:00.000-04:00

First up is my latest start, The Mighty Oak Sampler. I love this design and it's such a great stitch. The fabric is 30 ct weeks fabric called parchment. It's a yellow color with wonderful variation in color, not the color that the picture shows. I am using belle soie silks. I love the silks. They are a dream. There is quite a bit of over one stitching, which I love.

All the words, letters and the little animals and birds are over one. How cute is that squirrel?

And the birds.

I have finished Spring and will be starting Summer next Wednesday at group. There are different specialty stitches in this one and they make it interesting. This sampler will be gorgeous when finished. I have already found a place to hang it. You can click on any of the pics for a larger view.

I love all things stitchy related. I tried to resist this box but finally just gave in. It is so wonderful. The painting is perfect. I am going to keep my NPI silks in it. A wonderful addition to the craft room.

All my friends know that I have a thing for scissors. Really, who doesn't? I loved the new daisy scissors and the bunny needleminder. Had to have them. The other pair has become one of my favs. Scissors with jewerly. Does it get any better. The little crystal is green in color, which is my birthstone. Had to have them. See, I can justify anything. But really, aren't they just lovely.

A couple of new patterns. Brenda of With Thy Needle and Thread is becoming one of my favorite designers. Love the new Fall sampler. I need some floss before I start this beauty.

Lastly, I can't wait to do one of Donna's little designs. I bought the scissor fob to put it in. Very sea like with sand dollors and sea shells on it.

That's all I have for today. Hope I didn't bore you. Thanks for all the kind comments on my last post. I appreciate them. Stay cool. It's 100 here today and I am thankful for the central air. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

An Exchange, RAK and Some Finishes!

2011-07-18T16:34:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was part of the tea/picnic exchange that Lainey ran. It was secret and we didn't know who had had our names. Well this is what I received. A beautiful cube with a stitched cupcake on it. The fabric has cupcakes on it, so cute.

This is the rest of what was in the box. A very nice cup and little tray for cupcakes, napkins, 2 cupcakes-one made out of fabric and a DMC cupcake, buttons, recipes and so much more! I was overwhelmed by their generosity. Come to find out that Lainey had my name. She made this exchange wonderful for me. Lainey, I can't thank you enough for all the beautiful things that you made for me.

This design was sent to me by Carol of polka dot chicken. I had commented on her blog that I loved this design and she sent it to me. Aren't stitchers the greatest!? Thanks Carol.

It's been a week since my last post. I don't know where the time has gone. It's been very busy here doing what we all do in the summer. Sorry for the pics. I went outside to take them and found out that it was raining. Why didn't I know it was raining, you ask. It was in the 90's today and the shades were down. I did August by Drawn Thread. The material is a 32 ct mystery fabric (I think it's woodsmoke by LSL). It's a brown color but the the brown it shows in the pic. The fibers are NPI and SNC. It will go into the frame I use for all of the months. The leaves were fun to do but the lazy daisies were challenging at times. You can click on the pictures for a larger better view.

I finished Winifred Gardner. I messed up the stairs and will be redoing them this evening. That's all for today. Will be back with an update on the SAL my Wednesday stitching group is doing. I am almost finished with Spring. Thanks for all the great comments on the last post. They are appreciated. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-07-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Winifred Gardner before and Winifred Gardner now.

I really can't call her Winifred anymore because I used my initials and this years date. I also changed the dog to look more like my Sammi. This is actually working up fairly quickly. The picture doesn't show how really gorgeous the fabric is. Libby dyed it herself. Just beautiful. Stitching is definitely one of my favorite things.

These Shasta daisies came from one of my gardens. Daisies and daffodils are my favorite flowers. I have about 5 of these little gems around the house. So cheery and happy.

Summer and tomatoes go well together. I love all kinds of tomatoes. I am waiting for the heirlooms. I made a tomato and mozzarella salad for lunch. Yummy.

The last of my favorite things today is fresh cherries and blueberries. I made a cobbler with them. Does it get any better? I think not. It was a wonderful day at my house today. Hope your day was as excellent as mine.

Thanks for all the great comments on my last post. I appreciate them all. Have a great week. Until next time ....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Summer Time at Sandcastle Bay

2011-07-06T22:45:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th! It was busy here with errands, yard work, good barbecue and some stitching. Finished Sandcastle Bay except for about 15 minutes of work on some straight stitches for birds in the sky, spouts from the whales, posts for the umbrellas and things like that. Forgive the pics. It's late and I just took the pictures.

This one and the one below are close ups. The fabric is a beautiful aqua color. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

I see with this picture that I also have to do some flags on the edge. Oh, well.

This is my SAL piece that my Wednesday stitching group is doing. It's a seasonal sampler from the Just Cross Stitch magazine. It's so hard for me to work on this only on Wednesday. I am the only one in the group who isn't a serial starter. I work just one project at a time. Wonder what will happen to me? Things could change.

After I spend afew minutes on Sandcastle Bay, I am going to start Winifred Gardener. I won this from Libby at this little pig. She dyed the fabric and I love it. Can't wait to get going on this little gem.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my little place in the blogging world. I love all the feed back I get. It is very appreciated that you all take time to comment. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Finishing and Tusal

2011-07-01T22:55:00.001-04:00

Spent the day with Cheryl. Besides having a great lunch, good conversation and some stitching time, we finished Summer Garden into a pillow. Couldn't get a really good picture, but I am pleased with the finished product. The ribbon is great.

Not alot of progress on Sandcastle Bay but hopely this Sunday or Monday I can get in some quality stitching time. Lets hope.

I won a wonderful giveaway from Libby in Australia. Her blog is and this little pig. Hope on over, her blog is great. I loved this pattern and have wanted to do it, so I was thrilled to have won. She included the fibers which are silks and cottons. The really best part of the giveaway is the wonderful piece of fabric that she dyed herself. The color is beautiful and it smells divine. I believe that she tea dyed and baked the fabric. Can't wait to stitch on it. Click on any of the pics for a larger view.

Last but not least is my TUSAL for the month. I keep pushing the orts down. Think I am going to get a larger container. You can see the reds and blues from all the patriotic stitching I did.

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian followers. To all of us in the US....Have a great holiday week-end!

Until the next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

So Much to Stitch, So Little Time!

2011-06-29T16:59:00.000-04:00

I was going to start Mighty Oak Sampler but, of course, I didn't have all the fibers, so I started Sandcastle Bay. I love it! It's slow going because of all the color changes but really worth it. It is done on 32 ct aqua linen by LSL and using the suggested weeks and ga fibers. You can click on any of the pics for a larger view.

I tried to get a closer view so you can see the little people and the dogs. I love the dogs and the whales and the fish. OK, I love it all.

Today my Wednesday stitching group started the seasonal band sampler from the Just Cross Stitch magazine. There are 8 of us doing this every Wednesday. This is going to be hard for me because I usually work on 1 piece until it's finished. Not much progress as of yet.

Had July stretched and picked it up today. Put it my in and out frame. Very cute. Love the fire works.

Picked up this July piece, as well. Again, put it in the frame I use for all the PS monthy designs.

I want to thank everyone for all the great comments. I appreciate them all! I also want to welcome all my new followers. I am getting close to 500, amazing! I haven't had a pic of my sweet Sammi in awhile. Here she is doing what she does best.

Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Is It Really Summer?

2011-06-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

First, I would like to thank everyone for all the great comments. They are greatly appreciated. The weather in New England has been cold and rainy for days (only in the 60's), so I am going to apologize for the lousy pictures now. I finished July by the Drawn Thread but forgot to take a picture before I left it at the framer to get stretched. I will show it next week. The pic above is the Summer Garden by LHN. It is so cute in person. The fabric is 32 ct. tundra (beautiful green color) with the supplied CC fibers. I believe that I (Cheryl) will make it into a pillow. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

I think that Sandcastle Bay by Praiseworthy will be the next one up. The fabric is 32 ct vintage aqua mist by LSL. This is the beautiful color. The picture does it no justice.

I added to my stash with Autumn Alphabet by LK, a Sampling by Ann from SP and Mighty Oak Sampler by Chessie and Me. I love everything about the Mighty Oak. The colors are wonderful and that log cabin is awesome! Maybe this one will be next.

A couple of months ago Cheryl and I went looking for flower frogs and were very successful. This is one of my very best favs. The bottom is an art deco ash tray. Really cool. I will post the rest here and there.

Thanks for visiting. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

All Things July

2011-06-19T23:59:00.001-04:00

Quick post tonight! I finished July by PS. Used 32 ct lambswool jobelan and the suggested DMC. This one took alittle longer than usual but was worth it.

Started July by Drawn Thread. I have had a thing for patriotic designs this year. I think that this will be the last one for this year. I am doing it on 32 ct Rue Green and am using the suggested NPI silks and SNC. Those little trees are really neat. They are done in an elongated smyrna cross.

Jane from quiltsmiles is going to be receiving the magazine, Cross stitch and Needlework's. Check your email, Jane.

Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Some Great Finishing!

2011-06-15T23:10:00.001-04:00

I can say that the finishing is great because I didn't do any of it. I did pick the frame for Land of the Free. It's a two tone gold that looks aged. I am really pleased on how it turned out. Below is a close up of the frame. The top looks darker than it is in person. It's a tarnished gold color. If anyone would like the magazine that has the Land of the Free design, please leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address. If more that one person wants it, I will draw a name on Saturday.

Thanks to my friend, Nataly, I am now the proud owner of this wonderful scissor fob. I stitched this little darling last July (it's a LHN design but I can't remember which one) but just recently asked Nataly to finish it for me. I have always admired her bead work. She asked how I wanted it finished and I said whatever you want to do. She gave me red beads because I love red. If you click on the picture you will see that she used 2 different color of reds and two different sizes of beads. Awesome! Again, thank you Nataly!

I am in the home stretch on my PS design. This one is alot of fun.

Before I close, I must congratulate the Boson Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup. I was a great game.
Until next time....Happy Stitching ! Deborah

A Little More Red, White and Blue

2011-06-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

I forgot to post this little gem on my last post. Isn't she the cutest. Worked up fast and turned out great. I don't have a patriotic tree but I will hang her somewhere. Click on any of the pictures for a better view.

A little more summer stitching. July by Drawn Thread and the new thread pack from CC. Both very nice. Can't wait to start them.

I have been very lucky lately. I have won a couple of wonderful giveaways. This is from Jennifer of Feathers in the Nest. She has a wonderful blog. This was her Memorial Day giveaway. A very old BBD design with all the fibers to do the design. It's right up my alley. Thanks Jennifer.

This is a wonderful book of quilt squares that I won from Cheryl at Prairie Grove Peddler. I have enjoyed reading it. It will passed on to my friend, Cheryl. She is the real quilter in our group.

Lastly, my progress on July from PS. It's coming along slowly. Don't know why some of the text is yellow. Can't make it go away. Sorry.
Thanks for continuing to read and comment on my blog. Your comments mean alot to me. Have a great week-end! Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

I am Feeling Very Patriotic.

2011-06-08T16:59:00.001-04:00

Finished Land of the Free the other night. I used CC and GA fibers. I didn't have all the belle soie. I think that it came out pretty good. Dropped it off at the framers this morning on my way to stitch group. The frame is an old tarnished gold color. Different.

I finished this little gal last year. My friend, Nataly is going to make it into a scissor fob for me. She does everything by hand and will bead the edges. I love how she finishes her fobs.

Started July the other night. I changed up the red and blue because the colors were too bright for me. It's coming along.

The weather has turned hot. In the upper 90's. Thank goodness it isn't going to last. Friday is back to the 70's. I hate the really hot stuff.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on my last post. I appreciate them. Until next time.....Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Finish, A Start and Tusal

2011-06-04T23:41:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post tonight to show you what I have been up to. First, I want to thank everyone who left comments on my last post. I was overwhelmed with all the kind words. They mean alot. On to the stitchy stuff, I finished Le Jardin de Lapin. I am not sure that I want to add the words. I kinda like it as is. I was drawn to the pink fabric and all the different pink fibers. You can click on any of the pics for a better view. Lynn asked who the designer is.... Praiseworthy Stitches. I used the suggested fabric and fibers.

My start is Land of the Free by Blackbird designs. This little gem is in the current cross stitch and needlework magazine. I am using 32 ct vintage exampler linen and I didn't have all of the belle soie silk so I made my own substitutions using GA and CC fibers. It's a fast stitch. I really love it.

Last but not least is my TUSAL for this month. You can see all the pinks and greens from Le Jardin. Thanks for the concern about the tornado's that passed through my state. I live near the Cape so we only had severe thunder storms. The western part of the state was hit with the tornado's. My heart goes out to the folks that lost loved ones and to all who lost their homes.

Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Framing and Rabbits

2011-06-01T23:12:00.000-04:00

It has been over a week since my last post and frankly it was because of blogger. One day I couldn't upload pics and I haven't been able to leave comments on many blogs and I don't have my followers on the blog. I do know that I still have followers because you are still on my dashboard and I have even gained 5 in the last few days. I read on a blog (sorry I can't remember who to give the credit to) that I could leave comments if I unchecked the button that leaves me signed in. It works! I can now leave comments without any problems. On to the stitching. I picked up 13 Colonies from the framer. It came out really well. Went with a wide black frame. Close up below. You can click on the pictures for a much better view.

Had June stretched for my pop it in and out frame.

This is a terrible picture of Betsy. We have had terrible storms today and I wasn't able to get a good shot. The fabric isn't pink like the pic shows. It is a wonderful gold color. I wanted a gold frame but frankly that was gold over kill. Went with a back frame with a row of gold beading on it.

Isn't she pretty sewing on her flag. ?!

Again, another bad pic. This is le jardin. This fabric is actually a soft pink color. The people are really cute. I will be done soon. Didn't get enough stitchy time over the holiday. Did alot of yard work and keeping the house perfect (for the viewing public) takes much time away from what I would rather be doing. Did manage to spend time with friends and have a turkey burger. Hope you all had a fun filled week end with family and had some great food.

Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Betsy and More!

2011-05-24T22:53:00.001-04:00

I put this little box together last week. I used charcoal chenille trim around the design. The little pin cushion goes on the inside. Click on any of the pictures for a better view. I must start taking my pics outside, so they won't be dark.

Betsy!! What can I say about her except I loved every stitch. The fabric is a soft gold color (not that you could tell from the picture). The floss is DMC. Below is a close up of Betsy. So cute. Don't you just love the black sheep?

This is come home by SB. I love these boxes. I took the glass out for the picture.

This is my latest start. Le Jardin de Lapin by Praiseworthy Stitches. The fabric is 32 ct. Chantilly Creme by LSL. A lovely soft pink. Using CC, GA and wks fibers. I was drawn to all pinks in the design. It's working up quickly.

Haven't had a picture of Sammi lately. Today is the first day in almost 2 weeks that it didn't rain and the temps were in the 70's. She's doing what she enjoys. Watching the street and barking at everything.

I need to thank everyone for the wonderful comments and emails. I did notice that a bunch of your comments from my last post just disappeared. Very strange. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

By The Bay Needle Art

2011-05-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

The pictures are out of order and I am sorry about that. These are the designs that I bought. Blossom Hill Sampler, New England Winter and Pumpkin Hill. You can click on any of the pictures for a better view.

A few weeks ago Joanne and I went to York , Maine for the day. I love Maine and try to go often. There is so much to see and do all over the state. We stopped in Kittery and shopped the outlet malls. Always fun. They have the greatest candy store named Yummies. We always stop at Stonewall Kitchen. They make and sell condiments, jellies, the best fudge sauces, mixes of all kinds. They also have a wonderful restaurant. I had lobster mac and cheese. Not low cal, I know, but so darn good. During lunch, I mentioned that I thought Donna's new store was in York. After we checked out of Stonewall, we went looking. Her store is in the town of York. Very inviting from the outside. The store was actually closed the day I was there but her lovely husband was in the store because they were having computer issues. He let me in and he said that Sammi could come in, too. Anyone that lets my dog in, is good with me.

The store is small but beautifully decorated. This corner is the winter and Christmas section. Her new winter design is on the right in the middle.

This corner had alot of the flower and water scenes.

She does sell some fabric and fibers. It was wonderful to see all of her beautiful designs done and on the walls. They are so much more beautiful in person. I have done a number of the designs. I did Winter, Autumn, Summer and Spring Cove. I bought 3 designs while I was there. (of, course) the picture is at the top of the post.

I will be going back. It was a great experience. My Wednesday stitching group talked about going up and visiting. I hope we do.

Hope you enjoyed my visit to By The Bay. I will be back soon. Betsy is almost finished and I put my boxes together. Until next time... Happy Stitching. Deborah

For The Love Of Betsy!

2011-05-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

First, I need to apologize for the crummy pictures. It has been gray and rainy all day. Now to Betsy. I have wanted, OK really, really wanted this pattern. Betsy by Sheepish Designs. I have tryed to buy it on ebay, to no avail. I have tryed to win it from different blogs, to no avail. I would have started begging all my stitchy blog friends soon. A couple of weeks ago one of the blogs that I read mentioned that Em-Li's was now selling Sheepish Designs. I am so sorry that I can't remember who's blog I read it on. Anyway, I went to her site, copied the order form and it was in the mail the next day. I also ordered Sarah Saulter. They came the other day. I am still giggling like a school girl because I am so pleased to have this design. It took everything I had to finish what I was stitching before starting her. I am using 32 ct sand dune LSL with DMC. The fabric is a soft gold color. I just love every stitch.

This is June by DT. on 32 ct flax linen using VC silks.

This is another little box from BBD. It's in the Stitchers Journey book. I also did the little pin pillow for the inside. I will show all when I put it together. You can click on any of the pics for a better view.

This is Coming Home by SB. Quick and easy stitch. It will go in the cream box. (which I love)

Thanks for stopping by. I love all of the comments that you leave me. Next post will be about my recent visit to By The Bay Needlework in York Maine. This is the cutest little shop. I love Donna's designs and it was wonderful to seeing them all hanging
. So until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

13 Colonies and More.

2011-05-09T23:10:00.000-04:00

I finished 13 Colonies over the week end. It's pretty large but I did enjoy every stitch. It was done on 32 ct navy bean by LSL using the suggested fibers.

A shot of the scene in the middle. I think that this part of the design really makes the whole thing.

A shot of the top with the crown.

I need a quicky to do while stitching the big piece so I picked up the new LK design. Really cute and quick. I did use a little imagination finishing this one. I am pleased with the results.

I made 2 of these. One for me and one for the giveaway. I love the chenille trim. It could be my new fav trim. That is all I have for this evening. We have been very busy around here keeping the house clean and spiffy as well as the yard. Both look good but the yard is really nice this time of year. Green and lush. The trees and bushes are in bloom. Have some flowers, too.

Thanks for stopping by and for all the great comments. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

We Have A Winner!!

2011-05-08T18:31:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all had a great day. The winner of the sewing box is Margaret of Days of a Sampler Lover. I will be stitching an "M" on her box. I want to thanks everyone that entered my giveaway. I appreciate all of my followers, old and new, and love the comments that you all leave. I will be back tomorrow with a bunch of stitchy stuff to show. Until next time....Happy Stitching. Deborah

Finishing and TUSAL

2011-05-03T23:26:00.001-04:00

Got together with Cheryl last week and did some finishing. Made three little pillows. The hares are done quite simply and the gathering basket one has some ric-rac on the edge. I like that one alot.

Finished the needle book like it was showed. Below is the picture showing the inside fabric. I love green and lavender together. It's a tri fold. I have a pair of scissors and a pack of needles in it.

These are the cutest. Very tiny and they are hanging on a small silver tree.

Last but not least is my TUSAL. You can see a bunch of green from 13 Colonies.
You need to check out Edgar's blog (Blacksheep). He is having a great giveaway! Speaking of giveaways, you can go to my last post leave a comment there for my giveaway. I need to thank everyone who comments on any of my posts. I appreciate that you read my blog and take the time to comment. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Finally, My Giveaway!

2011-04-30T23:17:00.001-04:00

This is the sewing box I finished for myself from A Stitcher's Journey by BBD. The fabric it is sitting on is the fabric I lined it in. The picture below is the box that you will win. As you can see, it is not finished. Why you ask? I didn't think that you would like a box with my initial on it, so it will be finished with the initial that the winner wants. The lining will be the same as my box. Your box will also be filled with all kinds of things that should be in a sewing box. Things like scissors and needles and so much more. You can click on the photos to get a better view.

If you are interested please leave a comment on this blog only. You must be a follower, let me know what initial I should stitch and a way to email you if you do not have a blog. If you mention this giveaway on your blog, you will get another chance. I will do the random number thing on the evening of May 8th.

This is my progress on 13 Colonies. I feel like I am in the home stretch and have loved every stitch.

I have been blogging less than a year and I can't tell how much I have enjoyed it. I love making new blogging friends and have made few email friends. I really appreciate all 407 of you and love reading the comments. The work that you all do is awesome and the finishing is so creative. So, thanks!! Until next time....Happy Stitching. Deborah

My First Exchange and More

2011-04-23T17:51:00.001-04:00

Lainey had a Spring exchange. This was first time that I had particpated in an exchange and I loved it. My partner was Chris at Tot Hill and this is the beautiful ornie she made for me. It is a PS design and I love it. Her stitching and finishing are wonderful. Below are all the goodies she sent me.

The candy has been consumed, the hand sanitizer, tissues and the cutest little notepad are already in use. Again, thank you to Chris for such a wonderful exchange.

This is the pin pillow I made for Chris. It's a BBD design. It was so much fun to do. Below are the goodies I gave to Chris. Candy, of course, a tin with a cookie in it, a pair of scissors and a skein of silk.

I won a giveaway that that Magee had. She had very inventive giveaways. This one was if we could pick our name, what would it be. I said Autumn, which is true. Love the name, time of year and the colors. I love the fall designs that I won.

It has been a busy couple of weeks. I am getting the house ready to put on the market. It seems that the work is endless. Hope to call in the realtors next week. I did manage to get some stitching in. I did these 6 little ornies for Spring. They are from a very old PS chart (1991).

This is 13 Colonies by LHN. I am using 32 ct Navy Bean with the suggested DMC, WDW and CC fibers. This is going to be very large but I am loving every stitch. With all the wavy borders and veins your counting has to be spot on. Sorry about the lousy pictures. It is dark and rainy here. I couldn't escape the shadows.

I had hoped to have my giveaway ready for this post but the mail has held me up. It will be in my next post, so stay tuned.

I hope every one has a wonderful Easter. Until next time....Happy Stitching. Deborah

A Little of This and a Little of That

2011-04-14T23:02:00.000-04:00

I did this lovely little piece last week, just in time for Easter. It was a quick and fun stitch. I didn't put in the words. Instead, I put in the year and my little odd initials.

I am crazy for this box. It's a very good buy. I will do other designs just so I can continue to have the box displayed. I may have to get the black one, as well.

I picked up this piece last week from the framer. I really love how it turned out. Below is a close up of the frame. It looks old and beat up, which I think works for the sea aspect of the design. The color of the frame matches the floss perfectly.

A month or so ago, Cheryl and I went looking for flower frogs. We were very successful. The picture doesn't show the true color of the glass, which is pink. I was so happy to find to find a pink bottom. I got more of them, which I will show later.

I have 400 followers!! WOW I am thankful for all of you. I am going to have a giveaway. Stay tuned for my next post. I hope that you will like what I have planned. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

For The Love Of Hares and Tusal

2011-04-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not know, I love Paulette's Hares. This is Summer Hares and the picture below is Spring Hares. They are so cute. They will be made into little pillows, when Cheryl and I can get togeather. She has had the nasty flu thing. When she is done with that she will probably be heading back to Canada for a quick visit with her Mom.

I am almost done with this needlebook from BBD. It comes from the book A Stitcher's Journey. I love this book and plan on doing a number the designs. I did change up the colors some. Please forgive me for not ironing any of the pictures tonight. It's late. I did this design on 32ct Maple Sugar linen using CC and GA fibers.

Last but not least is my jar of little bits. You can see all the red from the Hares. Thanks for stopping by and leaving great comments. I will get to my emails tomorrow, so please don't think that I am ignoring them. Until next time...Happy Stitching. Deborah

What a Great Day!

2011-04-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, April 2nd my Wednesday Stitching Group went on a road trip in great style! We visited 3 cross stitch shops in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Dianne's husband gave her this road trip in a limo for Valentine's Day. What a wonderful gift for Dianne and isn't she really great to share it with all of us. Look at the size of that limo. HUGE.

The driver, Jay picked us up at Di's house at 8am. Here we are in front of the limo, everyone except Cheryl who was sadly ill. Dianne is the woman with her grandchild (who had to stay home). Sorry about the pic's, these are ones that were taken by my camera. Ellen's husband took really good pic's that Blogger wouldn't let me upload.

Here are some of us in the limo going to our first stop. The inside was really nice. We had way more room than we needed. We all brought snacks for the trip. Our first stop was in Ware, MA at Bushworkes. We got there just as the doors opened. I have no pictures because I was busy browsing and buying. The store had wonderful fibers and charts. We all really enjoyed this new shop. The second shop was Chris's Collection in Southwick, MA. Her shop is small but jam packed with everything you would need. Of all the shops, this was my favorite. She had alot of charts that were out of print, any fiber that you wanted and great accessories. I did get some OOP BBD designs, R&R chenille trim and a pair of scissors. We did stop for lunch after this stop because it was way after lunch. We got alot of looks at the subway. The last stop was Thistle Needleworks in Glastonbury, Conneticut. This was the largest shop with a wonderful selection of fabric and charts.

Here is Nataly and Ellen making a selection.

Dottie and Phyllis are checking out at Thistle. As you can see behind them, the store is very large, bright and cheerful.

Here is some of my haul. Okay, I did get much more than this picture shows. These are my fav's. Beautiful fabric, BBD OOP charts and a wonderul large BBD book with 12 designs, Dinky Dye silks, Vicky Clayton silks and some of the chenille. After a long ride back to Di's house, her husband bought us pizza and salad. A wonderul end to a great day. We can't thank Dianne and Carl enough for the greatest day of shop hopping, ever.

I have done some stitching and will post in a day or so. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

2011-03-26T23:14:00.000-04:00

It's been another busy bunch of days. Did go to stitching on Wednesday,which was fun. Also had all my female type Doctors Appointments. Have to do them but don't like them. At least they are done for another year. I finished an exchange piece this week. It will be my first exchange and I am looking forward to it. I am having a lazy week end which translates to alot of stitching. I think that I will finish this tomorrow and will make it into a small pillow. The fabric looks dark but it's not. The design is Gathering Basket by BBD using 32 ct. Autumn Blush with CC fibers.

Picked this up this week. I really like the simple white frame.

Forgive me, my pictures are out of order. I finished this great design from BBD. It's in the new book of theirs. I used 32 ct Confederate Gray with the suggested GA floss called uniform blue. Things work up really quickly when you do not have to change colors. I think that I will have a frame made for this one.

I also picked up this one. It's small and I had a pop in and out frame made for the series. It will live in my craft room on a book shelf. I do have some fun stuff coming up this week. Hope to go antiquing this week with Cheryl and next Saturday is going to be a wonderful day for the Wednesday stitching group. More to come later.
Thanks for all the great comments, I love them. Hope you all are having a great week end. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

June

2011-03-21T23:10:00.000-04:00

I finished June by PS. This could be my fav of all the months so far. I think I say that after everyone. Love the colors and all the little motifs. Click on any of the pictures for a better view. Below is the full design.

I will have this stretched for my pop it in and out frame. It's done on 32 ct lambswool jobelan with DMC floss.

Just a picture of Sammi decked out in her Irish collar that says Kiss Me I am Irish. She is a love.

It's been a very busy week. I had expected to post before this. I made 5 loafs of Irish Soda Bread . I shared some with my Wednesday stitching group. Had a St.Patrick's Day dinner for family and friends. They all got to bring bread home with them. I had a great dessert but forgot to take pictures. I got the beautiful piece of pottery in Ireland about 10 years ago. Friday was a beautiful day and I spent it outside raking some the gardens. I did all of them in the front yard. You wouldn't be able to tell today because it SNOWED. It didn't cover the streets but my yard is still snowy white. I am so tired of the cold and snow. That's the reason why I have a new header of daffodils. Very Spring like. They are one of my favorite flowers and the season is short. These came from England and are really beautiful. Had a large bouquet on the table for St. Patrick's dinner. Thanks for all the great comments and I have almost 400 followers. I am going to have to come up with something for another giveaway. Stay tuned. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Day Of Finishing !

2011-03-13T22:02:00.000-04:00

Made this little bloom design into a pin pillow. Added a few buttons and a pin, filled it with walnut shells and it's done. Click on any of the photo's for a better view.

Next up was the ruler keep. I sewed on some cranberry colored wool, the long piece is where I will put the little ruler and the small square is for pins. I added the cording to finish it off. The picture below is the other side. Still haven't found the ruler. May have to get another one.

I finshed the LHN Bluebird design and I will show it after I have a frame made for it. This is the next little design I did this week. It's by Drawn Thread. I will have pop it in and out frame made so when I do the other months, I can just switch them out. This design is small (about 21/2 inches by 61/2 inches) and will be perfect put on a book shelf amongst the books.

Enough of the little stuff, I have gone back to PS June. It's done on 32 ct. Lambswool Jobelan using DMC.
I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with Japan. A terrible earth quake and so many lives lost. Cheryl's son is currently working in Japan ministering to our servicemen. His area was not hit. Thankfully. It was very hard on Cheryl until she heard from him.

As always, thanks for all the great feedback. I appreciate all the comments. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Instant Gratification

2011-03-09T23:23:00.001-05:00

After doing some medium sized projects, I needed some instant gratification! This is what I am currently working on. I started it at my stitching group today. It's working up so quickly. I can see it framed in a white frame. It's called Singing the Blues by LHN. I am doing it on lt. mocha 32 ct. linen with suggested CC fibers. You can click on any of the pictures for a better view. All the pictures are kinda dark.

This is a ruler keep by SP. I did it on 32 ct. lt. exampler by LSL. I haven't picked out the felt yet, but I am leaning towards a gold piece. I had the really cute ruler by Kelmscott. I just have to find it. This one I can finish myself because it involves no sewing. Yeh!

This little cutie is from the current JS mag. I used waterlilly 32 ct linen instead of the guacamole linen. I will be making this into a pin pillow. Hopefully, Cheryl and I will have a finishing day on Friday.

Has anyone seen the soon to be released LHN piece, 13 Colonies. It is really beautiful. Go check out Diane's blog.

Thanks for visiting my little piece of MA. I really appreciate all the comments. Next time, hopefully, I will have finished this designs and have some baking to show. I will be making Irish Soda Bread ( 4 or 5 loafs) and some Irish themed dessert. Haven't decided on which one. Until next time.... Happy Stitching! Deborah

WIP,Tusal and Cannoli

2011-03-03T23:09:00.001-05:00

Made some progress on Fresh from the Garden. I like it and hopefully, it will be done and in the needle book soon. It's a quick and easy stitch.

My jar full of bits of floss. I haven't added as much as other months. Oh, well.

These are the cannolli that I made for my stitching group tonight. They were okay. I have alittle tweaking to do on them.
I have had some questions about the March header. I did this design around 8-10 years ago. It's done over one and the size is 1 1/4 inch square. Really really tiny. I believe it came as a kit with the little button and frame. I think that it was from Olde Colonial Designs. (I could be wrong about the designer. I no longer have the pattern) It is my favorite St. Patrick's design.
Just a quick post tonight. Until next time....Happy Stitching Deborah

A Little Stitching and A Little Cooking

2011-03-01T23:18:00.001-05:00

I finally finished this PS piece. It's May and turned out pretty good. Love the sheep. Life has been really busy and I didn't get much stitching done. I won't bore you with all the stuff that went on like the washer flooding the basement or the car having a recall. Something I did do over the week end that was fun, was taking a cooking class. After stitching and reading, cooking is something I love to do. The class was on Rustic Italian cooking. Yummy! We made bruschetta a couple of ways, chicken cacciatore, polenta 2 ways, ricotta gnocchi with 4 different sauces and cannolis. It was a long day but a great day and then we ate all we made. The cannolis were easy and really good, so I am making them for my Thursday stitching group. I will take pictures after I make them. We were not allowed to take pic's during class.

This is one of my Nashville buys. I an using 32 ct . vintage butter cream linen and the supplied CC floss. The colors of the needlebook and the pin cushion fall are like colors and that's probably why I was drawn to the project.

Sammi went to the animal hospital today to have a cardiac ultrasound. I stayed with her and it was great to watch. Angell is a teaching hospital and the cardiologist talked me through it. Fascinating. Thanks for visiting my little piece of the world and leaving great comments.

Lastly, I want to express my sorrow for the lose of Lisa of the Primitive Needle. I did not know her personally but I loved her designs. My prayers go out to her husband and family.

A little Stash, A Little Stitching!

2011-02-23T23:15:00.000-05:00

I have received alittle new stash from Nashville. (click on the pictures to get a better view). First up is A Stitcher's Journey by BBD. I LOVE this book. It was worth the price for me. I also got Love Scissor Tag by DT, Miaou Cui-cui bt Tournicoton (very cute cat design), Glory and Julius Gobblefree by AuryYM ( I can't help myself with these guys. I just love them) and lastly Plenty and Grace by Primitive Traditions. This is the most beautiful sampler. I have afew more things coming soon. I will post them when they get here.

I have gotten about half way on May. The fabric is Lambswool Jobelan and is much litter than the picture shows. It's a fun stitch.

Sorry that the picture is turned. Blogger wouldn't let me correct it. Anyway, this is from the new Just Cross Stitch magazine. I must say that the last few issues have been excellent. I really like the pin pillow and Belinda's sampler from Blue ribbon Designs. But this sampler caught my eye. It's a beautiful four season band sampler from Sally Hesketh. It starts with Spring and the other seasons will follow in the coming months. My Wednesday stitching group is going to do this as a SAL. There will be 8 of us doing it. Two of the girls are teachers, so we won't be starting until the summer. It will be great!
Thanks for the good wishes for Cheryl's Mom. She is back in her apartment and doing really well. I loved all the comments on my last post. Thanks so much. I truley appreciate the fact that you read my blog and leave wonderful comments. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Pumpkin Farm

2011-02-19T23:13:00.001-05:00

I finished this earlier in the week. It's Sarah Street by LHN. I used 32 ct. vintage butter cream linen with CC fibers. The picture does not do the fabric any justice. It's a very soft yellow. I just love the colors, alot of different pinks and the linen is one of my new fav's. Those little bunnies are so cute. You can click on any of the pictures to get a better view.

I finished this piece this morning. It's Pumpkin Farm by BBD. I think that this one is one of the best designs in the AotH series. I used 28ct exampler linen with the suggested fibers. I dedicated it to my husband who died in 2004. I picked this one for him because we were married in October. It was perfect. It will go in my pop in and out frame that I am using for the series.

Started this one this afternoon. It is May by PS. I am trying to do all of the series. They are fun fast pieces to do. I won't get alot more stitching in this week end. Went out to dinner with friends tonight for Mexican food and tomorrow we have been invited to friends for a turkey dinner. I love turkey and I also think that any meal that I don't cook is a great meal. With that said, I love cooking but it is nice to have someone else cook occasionally.
Cheryl is in Canada visiting her Mom, who has cancer and is in the hospital. She is doing better but still has a long road ahead of her. I know that they would appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for all the comments! I love them. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Bunch Of Finishes.

2011-02-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a very busy couple of weeks. I have done a lot of stitching and finishing. One day Cheryl and i went to the fabric store where we found the new spring line of fabric. So many fat quarters, so little time. We then went to a store that has a ton of trim and came away with many different options. The next day we spent it making all the following pillows. One for me and one for her. The day after we made the pillows, we made Valentine cookies. I didn't take any pic's of the fabric and trims before we started using them but you will see some of the fabric in the following picture's. First up is a freebie by Paulette. I think the Hare's deserve the pom-pom trim. So cute.

The next three pillows are by SB designs. Picture Be My Valentine turned to the right. These work up so quickly and I think that they turned out pretty good.

This is Hop by LK. We just made it into a little ornament. I say that like that was the intention but it wasn't. I cut the fabric so close I was surprised that Cheryl could do anything with it.

I also made this little guy for me, as well as, for Jackie. St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I knew that I had to have one of these.

That's enough for tonight. Again, I want to thank everyone for the great response to my giveaway. I do appreciate all of my followers and there will be more giveaways in the future. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Happy Valentine's Day and We Have a Winner!

2011-02-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

Are you feeling Lucky? This is the little pinkeep that .... Jackie will be receiving in her package! The winner is Jackie and her blog is Jackie's Stitches. Jackie, please email me with your snail mail address and I will get the box in the mail. She has a great blog, so check it out. Thanks to all who entered and all the new followers. I have read alot of new blogs (to me) and joined many. There is alot of wonderful stitcher's out there.

Cheryl and I made Valentine cookies on Saturday. They are yummy! Thanks to all for the great comments. They are appreciated. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Giveaway Reminder!

2011-02-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

Just a little reminder that Spring is coming! Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. Aren't they lovely?

A quick reminder that I will have my drawing tomorrow evening. Go to my previous post and leave a comment there. I have added a cute pair of scissors. I have finished Lucky for the drawing, but I am keeping him a secret until tomorrow.
Thanks to all my new followers! I have found so many more wonderful blogs to read. Have been busy stitching and finishing but I will show those things tomorrow or the next day. Good luck to all! Until tomorrow...Happy Stitching. Deborah

My 300th Follower Giveaway!

2011-02-06T23:27:00.001-05:00

I finally got in some quality stitching time this week-end. This is a freebie by PSS. Very cute and will be made into a pillow with pom-pom trim. I just can't stop myself from using the pom-poms.

This is Lucky by SB. I made two of these. One will be framed for me and the other will be made into a pinkeep and included in my giveaway.

I finally finished this square of AaHRH. Now that it is finished, I really do like it. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

Here is some of what is going in the giveaway. Home of a Needleworker by HSE with the fabric and the silks, Plymouth Sampler by the Sampler Company with the DMC floss (not pictured) , a candle mat design, A Good Neighbor by DT, Hoffman's summer sampler with 4 little designs, a punchneedle design, 3 pieces of random fabric, 4 Silk-N-Colors silk in Spring colors and a little pair of scissors (not pictured yet) and the Lucky pinkeep made by me. I hope you all like this giveaway!

The rules are as follows: You must be a follower. If you are not a follower yet, please sign in as one. Please comment on this post only. If you mention this giveaway on your blog you will get another vote. Please leave an e-mail address if I can't e-mail you through your blog. I will draw a name on Monday, February 14th in the evening. Good luck to all!

When I started this blog (less than a year ago) I never dreamed that I would have 50 followers not to mention 300. I love blogging and I love reading all of your blogs. So, thanks for visiting my little piece of MA and until next time....Happy Stitching!

WIP and Tusal

2011-02-03T17:13:00.001-05:00

Still working on AaHRH! I thought that I would never finish the barn. It's progressed quickly after that. Sorry for the lousy picture. When I am done with this square I am going to move on to something different. Haven't decided just what yet.

Because I haven't done much stitching, I thought that I would show you a couple more of my flower frogs. This was my first one. It was given to me by my a dear friend, Jeanne. She bought it years ago in Baltimore and never used it. She gave it to me because she knew that I really wanted one. It's much prettier in person. It's beautiful cut glass. It remains my favorite. Little did Jeanne know what she started. You can click on any of the pictures for a better view.

, The frog on the right is one I found with Cheryl a couple of weeks ago. More cut glass with a silver base. Very pretty. The one on the left is one I found one day when Nataly and I were out shopping for anything stitchy. It's very shallow, but it holds the little scissors perfectly. The base has a floral silver border.

My TUSAL jar. You can see all the fall colors from AaHRH.

I am very close to 300 followers! I have started to put together my giveaway. I have a beautiful design from the Sampler Company with the fabric and floss, 5 other designs, some silk floss and a few other pieces of fabric. Oh, and alittle something stitched by me. check back next week and I will post the giveaway.

I want to thank everyone for visiting and leaving the best comments. I appreciate them all. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

Waiting For Spring!

2011-01-30T23:43:00.000-05:00

I have had a cold for the last few days and have been feeling rotten and this little cutie came just in time to brighten my week-end! I won this from Sharlotte. Isn't it darling! I love the lace. Can't wait for Spring. We have over 70" of the white stuff and we are predicted to get about 12-18" over Tuesday and Wednesday. Really, enough is enough!

I pulled out Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow and finished the first square (which was 3/4 of the way done) and started the 2nd square. It's fun to do but it's so large that I will be doing other things in between the squares. It's done on 36 ct. Flax with VC silks. All the pic's are click able for a better view.

Another little finish for Spring. Spring Blooms by SB. The empty square will have a sheep button in it. It will be made into a pillow if I can ever get to the fabric store and then to Cheryl's. It won't be this week.

I thought that I would end with a picture of Sammi. She is on my lap because almost no stitching was getting done.
Thanks for all the great comments and for visiting my little piece of the world. Until next time keep warm and safe and...Happy Stitching

Deborah

Beaded Fringe

2011-01-27T00:23:00.000-05:00

I did Dog Rules for Joannne for Christmas. It was done on 32ct Natural linen over one. She works in a cubical and didn't have alot of room, so it needed to be small. I stitched the dog to look like Sammi. I have had alot of time to stitch because of the really awful weather. It snowed yesterday and it's snowing now (another 6-19 inches) and it's going to snow on Saturday. Really, could we have more fun.

to This is my latest pin cushion. The design is BBD done 32 ct bittersweet linen using baked apple floss. The beaded fringe is really much prettier in person than the picture shows. The color is lovely. I really, really love it. Not as much as pom-pom fringe, but close. The draw back is that it had to be done by hand. As always, Cheryl came through and did it for me. But she did say never again! It was a pain in the butt. I do love it. You can click on the photo's to get a larger view.

This is My Valentine by BBD finished. I am having a hard time finding the right frame for it.

Made this little pillow for Valentine's Day. 32 ct Autumn Blush with Wild Beries floss by CC.

This is a SB design and will be made into a pillow after we go fabric shopping. Hopefully on Friday, between storms. Still stitching from my stash and still enjoying it. I know, it's still January but I am trying to keep strong.

I got some comments about keeping some of the designs that I pop in and out of frames each month, in plastic bags. I appreciate the input and am now keeping them wrapped in acid free paper in a dresser drawer. Thanks for the tip! See, I really do read all the comments and appreciate them all.

I am getting close to having 300 followers, only need 10 more and then I will have a giveaway! Yahoo. Until next time, keep warm and safe and Happy Stitching! Deborah

My New Addiction

2011-01-19T17:29:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, just before the blizzard, Cheryl and I went looking for flower frogs. Most people go grocery shopping, we look for antiques. We both found five. Now, I know that this like alot but we couldn't leave them. This is one of my favs. The gold glass is beautiful. It came with a pitcher, too. Cost of 3 pieces was $7.00.

The one on the left is all one piece. I love this one. The one on the right is a very small ice bucket and the frog fits in perfectly. Cost of the 3 pieces was $18.00. See why I couldn't leave them behind. Nothing that I bought was chipped or damaged in any way. I will show the other two in my next post.

This little cutie was a freebie last year from Paulette at Plum Street samplers. You know how I love the pom-poms. The corner is a little weird but still very cute.

I finish April by PS over the week-end. It's being stretched for my pop it and out frame. Love all the critters in this one.

I wanted a change of pace from the PS pieces and since I am stitching from my stash, I went looking for a Valentine piece. I found My Valentine from BBD. This is a 2005 piece. The linen color is 32 ct. baby lotion (very pale pink), not the icky color that the picture shows. It's a fun piece to stitch.

Before I go, I want to thank everyone for visiting my little piece of the world. I appreciate the fact that you take time to read and comment. I, also, noticed that I have almost have 300 followers! This fact is incredible to me. When I get to 300 followers I am going to have a giveaway. Hopefully, that will happen soon. I must start putting things together for the giveaway. I do know that fabric, floss and patterns will be involved and a little something stitched by me.

Until next time.... Happy Stitching! Deborah

A Few Good Things

2011-01-11T23:26:00.000-05:00

I won a great giveaway from October Farm blog. My other passion is cooking. October Farm is a wonderful blog that has great recipes. The basket I won is full of dip mixes, cookies and alot of chocolate. The cookies and the chocolate are from all over the world and really quite delicious. Thanks alot for the wonderful goodies.

Snow Garden was stretched and put into my pop it in and out frame. I like it better now. I have been asked about the frame. Below is a picture. I just move the clips and slide the pictures in and out. These types of frames work out great for series that are the same size. I store the pieces that aren't in the frame in plastic bags in a container.

This is daffodils in another in and out frame. February is in the same frame below. I love this series by PS.

I am almost finished with April, which is my favorite so far.

I spent the day with Cheryl. Instead of getting ready for another 12-16 inches of snow, we decided to go looking for flower frogs. And find them we did! I will save those wonderful finds until my next post. I have really enjoyed seeing all the great projects in the 15 challenge. I have added many of them to my wish list. Keep up the great work all of you. I hope everyone in the south and mid-west has fared well during this storm. My Dad retired to SC from Chicago to get away from this weather and he had 6 inches and alot of ice. They are still snow bound. I plan on sitting next to the fire and stitching during the next day or so. Thanks for visiting and leaving great comments. I appreciate them all. Until next time....Happy Stitching! Deborah

2011 Finishes and TUSAL

2011-01-04T23:24:00.000-05:00

This is my first post for the TUSAL. I don't really like this jar so I will be on the look out for something different. These are my ort's from the 2 projects I have finished this year.

I did this little pillow by PMD because I needed instant gratification. I do think that it is really cute and cheerful. Something I am not always drawn to. I could have center it better, now that Iam looking at the picture. Oh well.

I had hoped to finish this before the New Year but that didn't happen. I spent New Year's Eve having Chinese food with Joanne, stitching and watching the ball drop. It was quiet and just the way I like it. On Saturday we had friends over for dessert and we exchanged Christmas gifts. It was a fun afternoon with really good cake.

Back to Daffodils, I love this series by PS. I have all that she has designed so far and think that I will continue working on them. They are all being done 32 ct Lambswool jobelan with the suggested DMC. I have a frame that I pop them in and out of. I started April tonight

I have loved reading every one's blog about the 15 challenge. Some of the designs are new to me and really nice. Of course,that not good for my personal challenge, which is to stitch from my stash. I look forward to watching every one's progress. Thanks for visiting and I love love all the comments. Until next time....Happy Stitching.

The End Of A Good Year!

2010-12-29T22:07:00.001-05:00

During the holiday's I was able to get some stitching in. I finished Snow Garden. I am still not happy with it, but it being stretched and mounted. February by PS is also being stretched and mounted. I will show them next week, in their pop in and out frames. I started Daffodils by PS on 32 ct. lambswool with the recommended DMC. I hope that this will be my last finish for 2010. Time will tell.

We had a wonderful Christmas here in MA. Great time with friends, good food and wonderful gifts! Sammi received this soft warm blanket. The little dogs on it look like her, don't you think?

This is a gift I received from Cheryl. The picture does it no justice. I put in the window and the sun makes it sparkle with color. The leaves and berries are all glittered. I love this thing. All the pictures are clickable.
We have had alot of snow here and no one was able to go to work on Monday. Many people were without power (not us, thank heaven). Some of the towns on the ocean had terrible flooding and folks are still not able to go back in their homes. Thankfully, all my friends fared pretty well during the blizzard. I know that I really wanted snow but I have had it and am now done with it!

Many of you are doing the 15 start challenge, not me. I am one of those people that has to do one project at a time. If I put something down, I generally don't ever pick it up again. I do have 3 WIP's that I will try to finish in 2011. I am also going to try to work on projects from my stash. I have so many beautiful charts that have been neglected. Time will tell how well I stick to that. I probably won't be able to post before New Years, so I want to wish every one a safe and happy New Year. Until next time...Happy Stitching! Deborah

Baking and Stitching.

2010-12-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

Sammi would like to wish everyone and their pets a very Merry Christmas.

I started this the other day and I must say, that I am not enjoying it. Love the design but the colors are very close in their shades. It was very hard to pick a fabric that will allow all the colors to be seen.

Yesterday I decided to make bread by hand. This is Christmas Stollen. My braiding leaves alot to be desired, but it turned out delicious! It's full of fruit and nuts. I have a bread machine and use it a lot but I really enjoyed the kneading and rising and kneading again. It was very soothing. I will be taking a loaf over to Cheryl's for Christmas Eve. She has a yearly family gathering, which we have been going to for 20 years or so.

This is alittle sampling of the cookies we made on Tuesday. We have sugar cookies, hermits, applesauce cookies, peanut butter kiss cookies and orange brownie bites (which are to die for).

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas full of love and peace. Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. I have enjoyed reading all of yours and seeing all the extraordinary work that you all do. Peace to all.

Until next time...Happy Stitching. Deborah

It's Been A Pretty Good Week!

2010-12-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night my evening stitching group went out to dinner to celebrate the holidays. We went to an Italian restaurant that none of us had ever been to and we were pleasantly surprised. The food was really good. After dinner, we came back to my house for dessert and to exchange gifts. This is what I put out for the girls. Once we got home, I totally forgot to use the camera. Joanne brought the most delicious coconut cake. I wish I had taken a picture, it was beautiful. I will try to be a better blogger in the future and get more pictures.

I finished February over the weekend. I thought that I would never finish the snow. I will get it stretched and I have a pop it and out frame for all the PS months.

Finally we have a little snow! Here are a couple shots. The first is from the porch and the second is the back of the house. I live in a really wooded area.

This is Sammi taking her daily medication. Don't those ears look huge? But still, she is the cutest!

We did have some water issues this week end. On Saturday about 4:30 I went to use the faucet and there was no water. Now, we in most of New England don't have town water or sewerage. We have wells and septic systems. So having no water means a well issue. Called the well guy and they checked out the well pump and it was working fine (thank heavens) but my holding tank needs to be replaced. Not a huge deal but an inconvenience. We went 24 hours with no water until they could fix it enough until the Tuesday after Christmas. They will then replace the tank. Another day with no water. It could be worse. As always, thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving your comments. I love them all. Cheryl and I are making Christmas cookies on Wednesday and I will bring my camera to show you our bounty. Until then....Happy Stitching. Deborah

A Day Of Finishing !

2010-12-14T23:33:00.003-05:00

I spent the day with Cheryl and we finished all of the ornies that I did a couple of weeks ago. Two will hang on the tree and made cute little pillows out of 2 of them and Peppermint, I made into a pincushion. I love the little row of pom-poms on the snowman pillow. I think that they came out okay. The last one was Mr. Flake. I kinda ran out of creativity by the time we got to him.

I made this a year or so ago. Made it into a pouch holder. Put some phony greens in it and called it a day.

A bunch of the stitched pillows on the mud room bench. I still love the pom-poms. 2 of those pillows are about 25 years old. Done on Aida.

I have 2 fireplaces. This is the one in the kitchen. We bought this house 10 years ago. The kitchen was very Colonial and they had a wood stove attached to this fireplace. The kitchen was very old fashioned for us, so we had it redone. I really wanted an island ( which is where the oranges are sitting ) so we got rid of the stove because if we used it or the fireplace we will melt the island. Not a good idea. The fireplace is fun to decorate for the seasons or holidays. It does give the kitchen a homey feel. You can enlarge any of the photo's for a closer look.

Thanks for visiting. I love the comments and appreciate all of them. Until next time....Happy Stitching. Deborah

A Little Stitching and A little Christmas

2010-12-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

It's raining here. we have had about 2 1/2 inches. As much as I want snow, I am glad that all we had is rain. We would have had about 2-3 feet of the white stuff. I know that many of you in the mid-west are getting buried in snow. I hope all of you are safe and warm. It's been a busy week-end but I did manage to get a little stitching done. This is February by PS using 32 ct lambswool jobelan and DMC.

. This is the family room with our new Christmas tree. Much smaller and streamlined. I love it. I have a collection Of Byers Choice Carolers. I have decorated both of my mantles with them and afew other places around the house. Sorry that I left the TV on, I just noticed it.

A little closer shot of the tree. I don't have that many stitched ornaments on it. Next year I have a pencil type tree that will hold the stitched ornaments.

I read on Donna's blog (Needleworker not in paradise) that Ginny Thompson passed away. I had the honor of meeting her and her husband, Ken on 3 occasions in the 80's. . They held a wonderful business seminar in Pawley's Island. I learned alot and they gave me the know how and the courage to open my first store. I will always be grateful to them both. They also had retreats that I attended. Ken is the man that taught me how to stitch on linen. He was a wonderful teacher. The world of cross stitch will miss them both. Until next time.... Happy Stitching. Deborah

North Wind

2010-12-09T23:09:00.001-05:00

The weather is very cold but no snow. I am so envious of all of you that have some. I love snow and can't wait! The title of the post is North Wind, which is another LHN design that I finished this week. The picture is further down. This is another LHN design that I did awhile back. It is currently residing in my family room.

I left a comment awhile back on Sharon Cresent's blog and she decided to draw a name and send alittle something. I was the lucky winner and is was so much more than a little something. 10 skiens of Belle Soie, lovely sheep pins and my favorite needles by Bohin. Everyone that knows me, knows that Cresent Colours and Belle Soie are my favorite fibers. Sharon, thanks for the wonderful gifts!

s I had this stretched and popped it into the frame that Iam using for all of the anniversary series. This one was in honor of my step-dads mom, who I adored. She was a great woman.

Finished my last ornie. I haven't done the finishing on any of them yet. Hopefully I will find the time next week. I have been busy doing all the stuff I have let go for awhile. You can only ignore it for so long.

Yes it's another LHN design. North Wind. I just loved the robin and the barn so had to stitch it. I haven't decided how I will finish it yet. Any ideas? I used 32 ct Tundra by LSL and Cresent Color fibers. It was a fun stitch.

Thanks for all the kind comments. I love them all. Sammi really loves it when she gets a mention. Until next time...Happy Stitching. Deborah

A Few More Ornaments And Some Other Stuff...

2010-12-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

Sammi gets very moody if I don't post a picture of her every so often, so I dug into the archives and found this one. She actually looks perky.

Picked up this little gem on Wednesday. This was great quick stitch. I like how it turned out. You can click on any of the pictures for a closer look.

Alittle close up.

Close up of the frame. I like the two toned brown. I have used this molding before.

I finished a couple more ornaments.

All of them are the monthly ornaments by LHN. Everything I am showing you today is LHN. I need to mix it up alittle, don't you think? I hope to find some time next week for the finishing of these ornaments. First, I need to go to Joann Fabrics for some trim. I know that All is Calm will be a little pillow and Peppermint Twist will be a pincushion. The rest will probably be regular ornies. I will show them after they are finished.

I finished this last month and popped it into my frame. Like Myra, I left a light on in a second floor window. I like to think that it is me up late reading my kindle, which I do frequently.

All of the monthly designs reside on this shelf in the kitchen. All of the designs go into this frame. I pop them in and out every month. I change up the other things that I put on the shelf for the holiday or season.

Thanks for stopping by my little piece of the world. I love the comments and will try to get better at answering some of the questions. I appreciate them all.

I would like to wish two wonderful women from my Wednesday stitching group, Nataly and Ellen a Happy Hanukkah! Until next time...Happy Stitching. Deborah

Christmas Is Coming!

2010-11-29T23:22:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is over and put away for another year. I hope that you all had a great day full of love and good food. We had a lovely relaxing day. Dinner was really good, if I do say so myself. I made cornbread dressing for the first time and we loved it. I will be making it all the time. After dinner and the clean-up, I was able to do some stitching and finished watching the Pats win. It was a good day all around. Over the week-end we started to put up the Christmas decorations. I made the table runner last year. This is the cutest little tree and of course something stitched. Holly and Berries by LHN. The house inside and outside was finished today. I tried to upload some decoration photos but blogger wouldn't let me. I will try again on my next post.

I finished the latest BBD design, Moonlight Visitor. I used 28ct. Maple Sugar linen by LSL. I changed all but 2 of the colors. I used all CC. I will have it stretched for my pop it in and out frame.

I started afew of the monthly ornaments by LHN. I was inspired to do these because of all the beautiful finishes that I have seen on all of your blogs. I am sorry about the lousy pictures. I am using 32 ct Summer Khaki for all three of them and the suggested DMC fibers. This one is my fav. I love the bear.

Today was cyber Monday and I really got some great deals! I finished the Christmas shopping except for a few stocking stuffers. I am not someone who enjoys the shopping hoards on Black Friday and the rest of that week end, so this was perfect for me.

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving great comments. They mean a lot to me and I appreciate the fact that you take the time to do so. Until next time Happy Stitching. Deborah

Cooking and Some Stitching

2010-11-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Sammi, Joanne and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love , family, good food and being thankful for all that we have! The baking is well underway with apple and pear pies and cranberry bread. The corn bread is made and is drying out for the stuffing. The vegetables are chopped and ready for tomorrow. The linens are ironed and the table is set. Things are looking good here.

I was one of the winners in a giveaway that Veronica had. She made 5 wonderful scissor fobs that she gave away. I won the red, white and blue one, which I promptly put on my Americana scissors. I love it. Thanks again Veronica!

Here is the Snow White design framed. Simple white frame with a stand up thing on the back so I can put in on the bookshelf. A very simple but lovely design.

Here is the winter Band Sampler finished. It's getting stretched and I have a wonderful two tone brown frame that I will put it in.

I started the latest BBD design from the Anniversary series. I didn't have one of the flosses so that started me on my journey of changing all of the colors. I did keep 2 of the original colors. The fabric is 28 ct. Maple Sugar by LSL. I like it a lot, so far.

Happy Thanksgiving and hopefully alittle stitching! Deborah

Another Busy Week and Some Stitching!

2010-11-19T16:52:00.001-05:00

I won a great Thanksgiving giveaway from Nan. Included is a lovely towel, some Thanksgiving paper for the computer, A Thanksgiving pattern by LK, a skein of really nice floss from Carries creations and the best little pillow ever! Below is a close up of the front and back of the pillow. It's wonderfully tiny and I am going to attach some ribbon and make it into a scissor fob. Thanks Nan, I love everything.

On Tuesday Cheryl and I made 2 batches of cranberry chutney. The recipe makes 4 cups. It's really yummy.

After we made the chutney, we put together this little darling. I think it turned out well. I got the ribbon at Hobby Lobby. It's an old HSE pattern.

I finished Snow White by LHN and am having it framed in a white frame. This was a really quick stitch and I really love the blue fabric by LSL.

I picked up Dust of Snow by PSS from the framer. The picture really doesn't do the design justice. It's really beautiful. If you click on the pictures they will enlarge for a better view.

A little close up of the girl and the trees.

Again the close of the frame doesn't show the beauty of the frame. It's silver with a darker gray over it and the inset has alittle gold.

This is my current WIP. It's another LHN called Winter Band Sampler. It's a change for LHN and I am loving it. Sorry for the bad picture. I just took the hoop off and took a shot.

It has been a busy week. Getting ready for the holiday, planning the menu and doing the shopping. I also went Christmas shopping and am almost finished. YEAH! Of course, I still have to wrap. Not my favorite thing to do.
I am over whelmed by the generosity of all my blogging friends. I love the comments and the emails. Until next time Happy Stitching! Deborah

I Love Pom-Pom Fringe!

2010-11-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

I spent Thursday at Cheryl's doing alittle more finishing. This is the goofiest pillow ever! I just love the design. I tea dyed the pom-poms and they match the fabric pretty well.

This little BBD design is my latest pin cushion. I put the ric-rac trim and filled it with walnut shells. It's currently sitting on the arm of my stitchy chair. Just a reminder, I don't sew well,so Cheryl does the sewing. I decide how I want them finished, pick out the fabrics and the trims and she makes the magic happen. What a great friend.

I started this today. It's LHN Snow white. The design called for a green fabric but I changed the fabric to 32 ct. Winter sky by LSL. I am using Belle Soie silk called Icing. I think that this will be a quick stitch.

I haven't posted a picture of Sammi lately. This is she doing what she does best. I am not sure that she would be pleased with this photo.
It was a busy week with stitching , finishing and doing all kinds of house stuff but I did find the time to get a new Christmas tree. I am way past getting real ones so it's phony trees for me. You know, the ones that come with the lights. My husband and I didn't argue much but we did have some battles over the Christmas lights. The tree is much smaller than my last one. It's 6' tall and will be much easier to handle. It will make it's debut Thanksgiving week end.
Next week, Cheryl and I are making our cranberry chutney for Thanksgiving. Can't wait. It's really delicious.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments. I really love them. Until next time Happy Stitching!

What a long week!

2010-11-10T22:09:00.001-05:00

This has been the longest week and I have missed blogging and reading all of your blogs. I have had the cold. This wasn't just any cold, it was a put you on your butt cold. The first few days I could do nothing that didn't include tissues and medication. Then it moved into my chest where it has been ragging war for about 5 days. Less tissues but now we have added cough drops and different kinds of medication. I had a flu shot 2 days before I got the cold and my friend, Nataly feels that it was the flu from the shot. I don't know. I am just glad that it is almost gone. I left the house for the first time yesterday to join the rest of the world. It was lovely. I spent the day with my sewing machine and Cheryl. The first picture is of the October LHN design in my pop in and out frame. The second picture is an Erica Michael's design from few years ago. We made it into pillow.

This is a Friend of Jenny Bean by Chessie and Me. I loved doing the design and I think the pillow turned out great.

This a pillow we made using the PSS design Gobble. We took some to figure out what to do with this one. I think it turned out pretty good. I love the colors.

This is another PSS design named Dust of Snow. I used 32 ct. Putty fabric and the called for NPS fibers. I had more fun stitching this design. The trees are really gorgeous and fun to do. I dropped it off at the framers today. I will show it again next week. It was hard picking out a frame because of the color of the fabric I used. Will see how it turns out.

I finished this one last night. It is a BBD design. I used 28 ct. ant. ivory and a skein of silk-n-colors called Woods of Gold. I am going to make another small pillow tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting and know that I will be catching up on all of your blogs. Thanks for all the comments. They mean alot to me. Til next time Happy Stitching!

What Has Fall Brought?

2010-11-01T23:20:00.000-04:00

This what I see out of my kitchen window. The color is really bright right now.

I started this new design by Plum Street Sampler over the week-end. I am using Clay 32 ct fabric and the NPS that is called for. I really love using the silks. They are so smooth and lay well. This design is so fun to work on. I started another small design but I can't show it because it is a Christmas gift for a friend who reads my blog.

I spent the better part of Saturday evening doing Sampler Roundy by Shakespears Peddler. I loved the design and I have the base a ready to go, but I HATE the colors. You can't even see the yellow and the reds are really close in color. I knew that I didn't like them but I thought that I could live with them. I can't so I am thrashing this piece and will spend some time with my fibers trying to find colors that I like. Oh well. Live and learn.

This is my new to me car. It's a 2009 Jetta with only 12,000 miles. It still has the factory warranty. It has alot of great stuff in it but the best thing it has is the heated seats. I love heated seats. Sammi loves it, as well. Of couse, she would love any car that she can ride in. She is peeking out the back window but she is hard to see. I think that if you enlarge the picture you can see her head.

This is some of what fall has brought to my house. Thanks for all the wonderful comments. They mean a great deal to me. Until next time--Happy Stitching!

A Little Stitching

2010-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

I have received a couple of questions regarding my pop then in and out frames. I picked out a frame which I thought would work with all the LHN monthly designs and then the framer makes a frame. The picture below is the back. I just have to move the little hinges and the back comes off and I can put in all the different months. You have to keep a measurement of the inside of the frame so when you stretch the design so that it always fits. I have 3 of these kinds of frames. This one, one for the BBD anniversary designs and the monthly designs by PS. I love them and it certainly saves alot of framing money.

I finished the last of the LHN monthly designs. I love the red house.

This cute couple is almost finished. I think they will look lovely as a pillow.

I want to thank everyone who left me a comment or an email after my accident. Both Cheryl and I were overwhelmed and grateful for all the support that you gave us. Cheryl has a mild whiplash. Her doctor gave her exercises to do and some pain pills. She's feeling much better. I look like a giraffe with all the really large bruises. I have some aches but they are relieved with Bengay. Funny thing is Cheryl doesn't have even one bruise. We still feel very fortunate to have walked away with almost problems. Sammi is doing fine.as well. I thought that she might afraid to go in a car again but she was in the car the next day. What a dog! My car was totalled and I will be receiving the settlement check very soon. So now, I will be looking for a new car. Hope to have one by the end of the week end.

Until next time Happy Stitching

We Are Feeling Very Lucky!

2010-10-22T23:16:00.000-04:00

Thursday started out as a beautiful day in Ma. Cheryl and I decided to do some shopping and have lunch. We had a great time shopping and the best lunch. On our way home we were on a 3 lane highway and it started to rain. We progressed and then the skies just opened up and it poured. This is not usually a problem.I was in the middle lane and I hit a very large puddle ( is seemed more like a lake) and lost control of the car. Now, I do not throw the word miracle around lightly but I believe that we experienced one. The car completed two circles as we headed for the side of the road. We hit the guard rail and bounced off of it and hit it again and landed pointing out into the first lane. The miracle (I believe ) is that the road had heavy traffic and I hit no one and no one hit us. Thank God. The two pictures are of my wonderful car, who I believe is totaled. I loved this car and will hate not to have her any longer. I already miss the heated seats. Cheryl and I are very sore and really bruised but we are okay. You can see Cheryl taking pictures of the car. Again, we are both so thankful. She took me today to clean out the car and to the rental place, so I could rent something until I find a new car. Sammi was in the back seat and she seems to have weathered the accident pretty well. She was very scared and shaky for a while. She did have her first ride in a State Troopers patrol car. LOL. He took us to a safer place so that we could wait for Cheryl's husband to get us.

On to the stitchy stuff. This is the December LHN monthly design. I really love this last two. I think that November is my fav of the whole series.

I will get these stretched so that They will be ready for the perspective months.

I finished this one while on vacation. I love the over one little tree.

I put this one in a black frame. You can almost tell that the fabric is a lovely green color. Thanks for reading my blog and leaving such great comments. I do have questions to answer and I will. Thanks for the patience. Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Hobby Lobby and In Stitches

2010-10-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

I have been on vacation for the last 11 days. We went to South Carolina to visit my Dad and Step-Mom. Had a good visit with alot of family, ate wonderful food and did alittle shopping. Georgianne (SM) took me to Hobby Lobby. We in MA don't have Hobby Lobby but I sure wish we did. I LOVED the place. The picture shows all the great stuff I bought. Alot of ribbons and trims, paper mache boxes and some wooden framey things to attach my stitching to. So much fun stuff!

After we left South Carolina, we headed for Virginia. First we stopped in Fredericksburg

and I visited a stitching store and came away with nothing. Then we moved along to Alexandria where I visited In Stitches. What a wonderful store with a lot of great stuff. As you can see I bought afew things to enhance my stash. Lovely pieces of LSL, a hornbook design with the hornbook, LK Boo Sampler, SB Halloween kit, RTR Halloween kit and because I can't resist scissors, the new cat snipes. It was a really nice experience except for the torrential rain. I really wanted to take a picture of the front of the store. It was beautiful, all decked out for fall.

I didn't do alot of stitching on vacation. I did start this Thanksgiving design. I am going to love this piece. After we left Virginia we headed up to Staten Island, New York to visit Joanne's family. Her family is Italian. Talk about great food. Ate to much and loved every bite. We shopped there to but it was for Italian pastry and cookies and bread. What can I say, some of my favorite things. They have a store just for cookies, it was amazing. Over 100 kinds of cookies. Should have taken some pictures.

We got home Sunday evening and this was waiting for me. I jumped right in and will try to finish it tomorrow. Cleaning and doing laundry got in my way today. I just love these monthly designs by LHN.

I am going to miss my stitching group tomorrow because I am going into Boston with one of my dearest friends, Kathy. She is a breast cancer survivor. Two years ago a lump was found during her mammogram. She asked that I go with her for all her appointments because of our friendship and because I am a nurse. I took notes and asked questions and tried to be supportive. She ended up having a lumpectomy because of other issues. I went to a number of her chemo treatments. Kathy was wonderfully brave during the whole process. So tomorrow, she will have an appointment for a mammogram, see her oncologist and her surgeon. I know it will all go well. Then we are going to lunch and do alittle shopping to celebrate her 2 year anniversary free of cancer. Tomorrow is a great day.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I love all the comments that you leave. I am trying to catch up on all of your blogs. I must say that I did miss reading and blogging last week. Until next time- Happy Stitching!

2010-10-07T23:49:00.000-04:00

I won Donna's Blogoversary giveaway over at her blog Needleworker not in Paradise! I was overwhelmed by her generosity. I received 5 designs. Three of them came with fabric and floss. My fav is a Most Noble Pursuit and it came with a beautiful piece of 36 ct. LSL. I hope to start this one soon. Thanks Donna!

This is my current WIP. It's Scarlet's Christmas Sampler. I have loved working on this piece. The colors are nice and it's a quick stitch. I just have to do the over one stitching, which are the words and a potted tree. I really enjoy doing over one stitching.

Spent alittle time visiting my sewing machine and Cheryl today. We went out to lunch and did some errands but did find some time to get this pillow done. I am love with the pom-poms. What do you think?
Let me answer some questions from my last post. I was asked about how quickly I finished my projects. I have always been very fast. Stitching is my therapy and I must try to stitch everyday. I usually stitch just at night. If I have some time during the day, I will do some but life usually gets in the way.

I want to thank every one for the kind comments on the decorations. I was asked about some of the figurines. They are Jim Shore and Williraye's. I have collected both for years. I appreciate and love all the comments that you leave. Til next time--Happy Stitching

Some Wonderful Things

2010-10-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

This is Quaker Boo by the Sampler Girl. It came in my first batch of stash, which I forgot to get a photo of. So many great things, so little time... The color of the fabric doesn't photograph well. The color is an olivey green color, which goes very well with the suggested fibers. The main color is a dark green not black. I just love this piece. I haven't decided how to finish it yet. It's about 4"x6". Any ideas?

I received this wonderful giveaway from Andrea at Deep Fried Cupcakes! Isn't it wonderful!?

I thought that I would show (bore) you afew more of the Halloween decorations. There is stitching in all of them. This is alittle shelf in the kitchen.

This is at the end of the kitchen table. I also quilt alittle and made the table runner last year.

One of my favs.
I need to thank everyone for the kind comments and emails regarding Sammi. Everyone was so sweet to think about my baby. She is doing remarkably well since the addition of the medication. Almost no coughing and much perkier. We will be going back into Boston tomorrow for her cardiac tests but I am sure that she will be fine.

Please check out Nataly's Needle Creations because she is having a wonderful Pink Giveaway!

I was picked by Edgar to be in his PIF and now I will be hosting one of my own. Sometime in the next 365 days , I will send a stitched and finished item to 3 recipients. I will choose 3 people who leave a comment on this post. ( anyone can comment but please state that you want to be in the PIF in the comment) In return, you must host a PIF for 3 other stitchers. I hope that I haven't confused the heck of you all. Until next time--Happy Stitching.

Halloween Favorites

2010-10-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

My Halloween tree. It's alittle sparse but I will do some more ornies next year.

The next few pictures are some of my favorite pieces that I hang for the spooky season. First is Midnight Watch by BBD.

Jenny Bean Halloween by SP.

Someone help me here because I can't remember who designed this wonderful piece. I did it a couple of years ago.

This is my progress on Sarah Street by LHN. I tried fixing the picture but just managed to turn all the rest so I left it as is.

I had the bonus piece stretched and popped it into the frame that I am using for all of the anniversary houses.

Sammi who is going on 17 years old had developed a cough, which could have been caused by tracheal collapse or heart disease. It was getting pretty bad. My local vet said that nothing could be done for her because of her age. So off to Angell Vet Hospital in Boston. They are a teaching hospital that treats all animals. They have all the same departments as a people hospital. It's wonderful place. They did x-rays, blood and urine. She was examined by the cardiologist who felt that it is probably congestive heart failure and she has been started on a course of medication to get rid of the fluid around her heart. She will have a heart ultrasound next week. It's remarkable the change in her in just 24 hours. The coughing is much better. Of course, she needs to go out more but we can handle that.

Thanks for all the kind well wishes for my baby. I appreciated them.

I will post again very soon. I was chosen by Edgar for a PIF and I will be asking 3 others to join my PIF. So if anyone is interested, I will post the rules on my next post. Until then --Happy Stitching!

And The Winners Are....

2010-10-01T21:19:00.000-04:00

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful response to my giveaway. It was truly amazing to me. I have enjoyed reading all of your comments. Your kind responses about my blog mean a great deal to me. I am sorry that Iam posting so late but I have spent most of the day at Angell Animal Hospital with my sweet dog, Sammi. She is okay for the present but will need a few heart tests next week. Now, on to the giveaway. The first winner is DonnaTN ( no blog) who I believe was one of my first followers and the second winner is Melissa of My Life in Stitches. Melissa has a wonderful blog. You should check it out. Please email with your addresses, so that I get your stuff out to you. Congratulations to both of you.