Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

Hi friends! I hope you are well. My pain has been decreasing. Yay! And the sun is out! Yay! And the snow and ice are melting because it is in the 50's for the past few days! Yay! ;)

I am happy to be taking part in the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop. You can find out all about it here. I had another Easter stitch planned to show you from last year. Instead I am going to show you the stitch I just completed 2 days ago.

I took a picture of it like this because I am working on the finish. I am going to make it into a framed flatfold. I need to get to JoAnn for some backing fabric. This Pascal Lamb is a freebie you can find here. I stitched Him two over two on 36ct Light Sand Edinburgh linen.

If you are a Treasure Hunter looking for the next letter to solve the Mystery Phrase, my letter for you is "N". And now you need to go visit Kevin!

When I ran out of the DMC 746 for the above Pascal Lamb, I stitched up another quicker freebie in the mean time. I stitched this on plastic canvas, because it is a self portrait for Winky's cage. ;)

This "birdie freebie" can be found here. I changed it a little to look like Winky. =) I think he loves it.

Now I want to show you a surprise RAK that came in the mail the other day.

SWEETNESS!! Isn't it just adorable?!  Did you see the message on the box? ;) This is from Shirlee. What a sweetheart. Thank you my friend.♥ I love them.

I am currently sewing. It is supposed to be a fabric bucket to put Mabel's toys in. The current toy basket is over 20 years old. It has seen better days. Hope to finish this up quick. Of course it is not going smoothly really. =(

If you celebrate today by going to church, then I hope you have a very meaningful Good Friday worship service.

Take care my friends. In case I am not back before Easter:

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

ooOoo!

Hello friends! I have been having extra pain this week. So this surprise could not have come at a better time! Looky, looky!!

Isn't it gorgeous?!? I MAY have an ebay problem. ;) I check for poodle thimbles. They certainly do not come up often. This Kirks Folly beauty was just for bid. I knew it would be more than our budget. I am a penny pincher. Brian, not so much. ;) So I showed him it and said "Oh well!", and I truly, honestly meant it. None of this hint, hint stuff. I love to get deals on ebay.

So I was completely and utterly stunned and speechless(this is hard to do to me my friends) when Brian presented me with this. He said he was so happy it brightened up my day. I was feeling rather blue from the pain.

He had just gotten me this beautiful pink rose before the thimble came. I was so happy with just the rose. =)
Brian takes very good care of me, and I love him.

I baked this challah bread yesterday. I use the bread machine for the dough and then braid it up, let is rise and bake it. num, num, num. It is a Jewish recipe for Sabbath bread. I have been making it for almost a dozen years now.

Hey Trace! This picture is for you. =) This was my maternal grandmother's rooster. This pretty violet, which matches the rooster, blooms in the spring for me every year.

I wish I had my Easter stitch to show you. I used up a whole, new skein of DMC 746. Thanks to percocet, I had to unstitch a bit. Now, I need just a tiny bit more and I will be done. I went to our JoAnn, which is liquidating.It is closing. A new and bigger one is opening soon. ALL of the DMC 746 was gone. It was there last week!!  Off to Michael's today then.

I will be back soon with the finish and maybe more. Have a happy day friends! So glad you came by.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Happy Birthday Mabel!

Good Morning friends! Welcome new friends!  I am so glad you stopped by today. It is Mabel's 4th birthday! ♥ She is recovered from this last horrible bout of disc pain. We hope and pray that she stays pain free for a long time now.

I wanted to share with you the wall quilt I made of her two years ago.

I saw a quilt like this three years ago on the internet. Not from a pattern. Made from a poodle lover like me. I have tried and tried to find it again, and cannot.

So I used my book,How To Make An Amish Quilt by Rachel and Kenneth Pellman. I call it Amish Mabel In A Square. I used the Diamond in a Square pattern from the book. I used plain colors (my favorites, pink and purple) as the Amish would. However, I am guessing they have never added a toy poodle in the center of a quilt!! ;)

This hangs in our front room. =) The quilting isn't the best, but I am very happy with it. It is the best that I can do.

Jo asked me to show a picture of all the poodles I have stitched. I believe this is all of them. I may have missed one, I don't think so though.

The collection will grow of course. ;) I always find another poodle somewhere and then HAVE to stitch it. Gotta say, the French Knot Poodle is probably still my favorite.

**EDIT** Yep, I forgot one. And I just stitched it too!! Geesh! Here it is.


Ready for Palm Sunday? We are!

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

The Smiling Birthday Girl

It's Mabel!! ♥

Good Morning my friends! Has Spring come to you there? Not here! It is 10º (-12ºC) right now. Oh yes, we need to remember the wind chill values of -5, the 30 mph winds and the snow coming this afternoon. AGAIN! 0_0 But hey! The sun is shining brightly.

Have a look at what I finished on Friday. =)

 This is a freebie you can find here. Well kind of. It originally had a sleeping cat. I designed MABEL. ♥

Gotta say, I am VERY happy with her. ;) I think it is just adorable. SQUEE!

This is stitched two over two on Zweigart 28ct Bo Peep Pink. Love this color. I had never finished anything like this before. But I figured, it is just backstiched and then whip stitched together, so why not?

This now sits on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. I love to look at it when I do dishes and throughout the day. Yep, poodles make me soooo happy.

I had just been thinking that maybe, possibly I am driving my friends and followers bonkers with all the poodles. And what do you know? Jo sent me the nicest email the other day. She likes seeing my poodle work. She actually asked to see a picture of my stitched poodles together sometime. I told her I was worried people were thinking enough with the poodles already!! She reassured me, and told me that is what makes my blog special and unique. awww, thanks Jo.♥

Here is what I am stitching right now friends. It is for Easter.

Lots and lots of DMC 746, off white. Nope. Not gonna tell you what I am stitching yet! ;)

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Here's my model in her pink bed. ;)

Flashback Friday

Hi friends! How are ya? Doing pretty good here. The landscape is still all white. Plenty of ice and snow still frozen out there.  0_0  So, no robins yet!!

I made this neat little owl leprechaun into a pin for Madeleine a few years ago. She is growing out of the owl phase. But I still think he is so cute. So I just plunked the pin into my bread bowl with my other smalls.

I got this pattern from a group I belong to, Oakhaven Designs. I stitched it two over one on 28 ct evenweave.

Take a look at this fabulous tote that Barbara made.

She had asked if anyone wanted it?!? Are you kidding me?

It is just so wonderful. The details make me smile. And now I don't have to make a large project pouch! ;) Thank you Barbara. You have a wonderful creativity and talent. You were so kind and generous to share it with me. ♥

I am still stitching a small that has been in my "pile" for quite a while. I should be doing something for Easter. Oh well! I am enjoying it and it will be a new finishing technique for me. A sweet finish coming soon.

I read another children's book from the library. =) This one is titled First Mothers by Beverly Gherman and Julie Downing. It is a book about the mothers of our presidents. It's filled with fun facts and great illustrations. A neat book actually.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

♥ Poodle Project Pocket ♥

Hello friends! How ya doin'? Things are going pretty well here. Mabel is doing pretty good on meds. Like I said, she will have activities that trigger more pain, for life. That's just the way it is with slipped discs.

So I began a new stitch, but then decided to quit putting off the project pouch/pocket that I have been wanting to  make. I have had the fabric pulled for this for a looong time. I set aside the stitching for a day and made this.

So "me" right? I found this vintage fabric on Etsy years ago. It was time to use it. I fussy cut the poodles for the front and the back. The polka dot lining is a calico from JoAnn, not vintage, but a perfect match. I did not want a snap closure. I used velcro dots. And yes, I GLUED them on. I did not want a button closure either. The focus is on the poodles here. ;)

So back to stitching. What are you up to? I hope it is fun! I have prayed for YOU today. I thank God for YOU. Thanks for stopping by. Leave me a note so I know you came. ;)

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

A Few Finishes To Share

Good Morning my friends! So glad you stopped by. Your comments are heart warming. ♥

I had a productive weekend. I finished up my pretty scissor fob only to discover I CANNOT find the pink with white polka dots scissors gifted me by Peggy! Not anywhere! I have no idea. I saw them two weeks ago, this I know. So very, very frustrating.*~* I tore everything apart looking. Well, obviously not everything or I would have them. Anyways here is the fob.

When I saw this freebie by Brooke I knew, I just knew I would stitch it up for the fob. You can find the freebie here. I stitched this two over two on 28ct Aunt Marle's Violet linen. Love this stuff! I used all my own choices of DMC.

Are ya ready for the back?

♥Love it!!♥ hahaha! So maybe it is Mabel in ultrapuff mode. When she is in need of a haircut, but it is still her. =) This is another poodle freebie found here. There are other cats, kittens and dogs that are to be found here also friends.

I stitched her two over two also. I have my colors all set for her. I took time and figured out the correct colors so I am ready to stitch her at any time. ;)

The beautiful, variegated ribbon I used for the fob is from Theresa. She had bought this in France. It goes with the linen so well. And the purple, handmade poodle you see, is from France as well. I didn't go there to get him though. ;) Ebay! hahaha!

I have had this little freebie chart called Good Luck Robin by Pamela Kellogg in my stash for years. I tried to come up with a link for it for you and could not find one. I am sorry. I decided this was the year to get him done. I mean really, it is so tiny!

I changed a lot of the called for colors. The berries were supposed to be pink. That didn't seem right. So I found these fabrics in my green stash and matched the DMC berries to the fabric berries.

I stitched this two over one on 25ct cream linen.

I filled this cute little pillow with crushed walnut shells. I am happy with how it turned out.

I pulled the linen and chose my DMC for my next stitch. Another freebie, imagine that! ;)

Rainy day here today. It rained all weekend too. Maybe we will get to see real robins soon then. Can't wait for spring. =)

Hope you have a very good Monday friends. Thanks for spending a little time with me.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

A Finish For Friday

Good Morning my friends! Welcome to my newest follower Julie.

Well, firstly, I decided not to make the bargello a scissor fob. The "V" I stitched for the reverse is on white linen. I don't think that works well with heavy usage. Also, that bargello took a looong time. I don't want that getting worn or fuzzy looking.

 
 

Secondly, I DID backstitch around both sides and whip stitch them together. I know this takes a lot more time than sewing a pillow up on the sewing machine, but I really wanted a perfect edge to the bargello.

This bargello pattern was a freebie that you can find here. This site has many lovely freebies.♥ I stitched it on 28ct evenweave with 6 different DMC colors.

 For the reverse side I chose a "V" from the Sajou alphabet. I do not have the exact pattern page, sorry. It might be pattern number 172. You can check out all the charts here.

I stitched this with DMC 720, 2 over 2 on 28ct white Meran linen. I am very happy with this little pillow. It measures less than 2 1/2 inches. So sweet.♥ It joins my other smalls in my big bread bowl. =)

I finished stitching up the reverse side to the scissor fob last night. I backstitched around both sides. Yep, I am going to whip stitch them together. ;)

Two days ago I forgot to give Mabel her muscle relaxant. So I gave it before bed, 4 hours later than I had been giving it. Twice a day, so I picked 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Turns out that was meant to be! She gets the most from that muscle relaxant when she is sleeping overnight. This has been the thing to help her in the mornings for two mornings now. I pray this keeps up. I will continue to give it at bedtime. She will hopefully wake up okay then. She had been waking up like a 15 year old poodle, shuffling along in pain. We are thinking she may never return to her "good old days". This may be her new normal. I am weaning her off the steroid. She could just remain on the two other meds with a pain pill as needed and be good. Kinda like her mama's set up with pain and pills! ;) We both just have to watch our activities, so as to not cause pain flare ups.

I hope you have a wonderful, stitchy weekend my friends.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

First Blogoversary Giveaway Winner

Good Morning my friends! I am so glad you are here. Glad you like my new pink shoes too. ;) They do add some brightness to my day!

I drew the winner for my First Blogoversary Giveaway this morning. It is Minnie! Minnie had commented that pearls are her birthstone. Me too! So glad you like the earrings Minnie. Enjoy it all. =)

I would have finished up the bargello scissor fob last night, but I need interfacing. The "V" I stitched for the reverse is stitched on 28 ct Meran linen. It is a looser weave. I like it, but don't need the fiberfill sticking out. And another thing. I knew I was taking a risk. I used 28ct evenweave for the bargello. 28ct Meran linen for the V. I backstitched around both last night. With plans to then whip stitch them together. They are not the same. I figured this would happen. After I get to JoAnn for the interfacing, then get the interfacing on, if I whip stitch the two sides together and it doesn't work out, I AM GOING TO PUKE! I backstitched one less on the Meran. I am hoping I can make this work.

So this makes me ask you: Do you hand stitch in this manner your scissor fobs and ornaments? I do when I am adding beads to the edge. I did it this time because that bargello took me a looooooong time and I want the seams up against the bargello nicely. I worry when I use my sewing machine sometimes. I try to be a perfectionist about seams. I didn't say I AM. I TRY.

Okay, another question for you all. Do you have worn out, or beat up looking scissor fobs? I only have one fob so far. I use it all the time. It has our old white house on it. It is just beginning to look tired. What do you do with tired looking scissor fobs? Tell me. I want to know what YOU do.

I plan to get the bargello scissor fob done today. Stitching up the other fob too.

I finished reading A Dark History: The Popes. A loooong book. Been working on that one for a while. Let me tell you, I was not taught quite a bit about the Holy See. Yikes! Half the reason the book took me so long to read was the horrid sin. Did you know that more than one pope was a father? As in, he had kids!! Wowie zowie! Did you know more than one pope ran a brothel? Oh. My. Goodness. And trust me, there was a LOT more to the Inquisition. Well, it was very interesting reading that is for sure. I am NOT bashing Catholicism. I was Roman Catholic for the first 30 years of my life. My whole family is Catholic. My FIL is a Roman Catholic Deacon. Just saying.
I also read And The Soldiers Sang. It is actually a kid's book. It is about Christmas Day, 1914 in World War I. I knew about the truce, just nice to read again. Are you familiar with this? Sorry if this does not interest you. I was raised learning about weaponry and wars from my father. I do find WWII most interesting actually.

Have a great day friends. I am thankful for YOU! ♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Oh What Fun!!

Good Morning my friends! Thank you for your kind words. Your comments make me smile. =)

Here is the little magnet I made up for Brian. I placed it on one of his tea tins for him to find. It didn't take long. ;) He loves tea. Me, not at all.

This is called "Two Hearts One Love" by Alita Designs. It is a freebie you can find here. I changed every color. I stitched this one over one on 28ct toasted almond linen. I thought it was a nice "tea" color. I had the exact match in felt to back it with. Sweet.♥

I had to contain my squeals Friday in Good Will. I found these!!!!

THEY WERE $1.79 A PIECE PEOPLE!! Oh joy!! I just love, love, love a great deal. The top book is filled with Ellen Stouffer's designs. I have been a fan of her art for at least 25 years. Time! I need more time please.

While we were out and about Brian noticed my sneakers. I usually do not wear them out and about. They are mainly for walking the treadmill. Well, I try to use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. What he noticed was the holes. For some reason the seams came apart in the same spot on both shoes. I didn't have a real problem with it. I have had these for a few years now, and the holes have been there for at least one year. Well, he took me to Kohl's and take a look at these babies!

Whoo hoo! I'm a talkin' neon pink people. Just look at 'em in the snow. Yowza!! ;)

You stitchers are so smart. Thank you to Jo who told me it was a misunderstanding on my part with the bargello pattern. Every square on the chart should be stitched over two threads while using evenweave. I never, ever heard this before. That is why my peaks are not so very high. Oh well. I have finally finished stitching it. Now to stitch up the other side and make a fob out of it. =)

I hope you are having a happy, love-filled, stitchy weekend my friends. I thank God for you.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Do You Know Why?

Good Morning my friends! So glad you came to visit. I have some new friends too. That is wonderful! Thank you for leaving me such nice comments. You make my day! =) In case you missed it, I am having a One Year Blogoversary Giveaway.

I am STILL stitching this little bargello. Well, yes, I did just get sidetracked with another small freebie that I am making up into a magnet for my husband today. (And NO, it isn't a poodle for him!!)

So, this is the bargello freebie I found on Google Images. I picked my colors and thought "This won't take long." HA! Could you tell me friends, why does the chart have higher peaks? Mine is stitching up flatter and wider. Why? I am stitching it on 28ct white evenweave. This will be one side to a scissor fob. I stitched one side for another fob. I have the two other charts for the two remaining sides of each fob. All four patterns are FREEBIES. I have F.A.B.L.E. !!!!! Freebies Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy I made that up. Yes, it is true. Just ask my family. @_@

So, it has been a crummy week. A few days ago we thought we were taking Mabel in to the vet to be euthanized. Really. We were all a mess. She could barely move from the pain. We figured she was very close to being paralyzed. We have been told that can happen at any time really. The vet took another x-ray, since she had not had one since this slipped disc junk began last May. She has 2 slipped discs at L4 and L5. She also has one in her neck now. =(

I am happy to tell you she was put on gabapentin. She can be on this for life if necessary. This treats the nerve pain. It is actually an anti-seizure medicine. I was on this same drug myself for years. I am still on anti-seizure meds also, just a different variety now. We two girls are in the same boat, Mabel and I. We are both in chronic pain and take pills to numb it.  Yuck! Such depressing talk.

Here. Take a look at the beautiful bouquet Brian bought to cheer us up.

The lilies have opened since and are just gorgeous. And if that isn't cheery enough, Maggee sent me an RAK. What fabulous timing. You are so kind and sweet. Thank you my friend, such a surprise! =)

My gastritis has settled down. Nearly gone now. I will do the finishing on that little magnet today. I'll get a picture of it. Then I will keep on a stitchin' the bargello.

Here is one last picture of Mabel. I took it a few days ago. She is almost herself again, ALMOST. She is so precious. We are glad and thankful for every day with her.♥ She is smiling here. =)

Stitching and praying,
Vickie