Friends♥

Hi friends! Thank you for your sweet encouragement. I am pressing on with the Epic Pink Tumbler Quilt. I have 13 horizontal rows pieced now. That is 520 tumbler blocks sewn so far. I do believe 17 horizontal rows is what will be needed to complete this quilt. So I need to sew 160 more blocks together. Then I will join up the rows.

I can now show you a little giftie I made up for our friend Shirlee.

Shirlee and John just moved to a townhome. I saw this pattern HERE and knew I wanted to make it up for her.

I stitched this one over one on a creamy white 32ct linen. I changed up the colors to hopefully match the brown paint of the townhome. I used DMC. I had the neat wooden tags and ribbon in my stash.

Would you believe I have taken in another poodle? Someone we all know had a tiny poodle that belonged to her parents and she sent the poodle to me.

HA! Nope. Not a real poodle. I wish. ;) Our friend Meari found this precious, little poodle amongst her parents possessions recently. I am honored that she thought of me. Orphan poodles will always be welcome here! tee hee!

Our friend Barbara is an excellent seamstress. Have you seen her custom project bags? She sells them at her local quilt shop. Barbara has been cheering me on with my difficult project for the State Fair. She congratulated me on finishing it, and look what she made me!

Isn't it gorgeous?! Chocolate and pink! LOVE!♥ And that sweet, little, chocolate needlecase is packed with goodies. Do you see the many pieces of linen she gifted me with also? Wow. She knows I stitch mainly smalls and put all small linen to good use. Thank you again Barbara. God bless you.

Today is our beautiful daughter Madeleine's 17th birthday. So today I must bake a chocolate birthday cake. And decorate it with flowers.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Miss Mabel's shady spot on a hot, hot day.

Enchanted Needles

Hi friends! While rummaging through my stash a few days ago, I came across this sweet, little freebie I stitched last October. The poor thing needed to be made up and finished.

So I used a pretty gold fabric from my stash, and it is done! This freebie can be found right HERE.

The pattern is called Enchanted Needles. I stitched this one over one on 32ct over-dyed mystery linen. I used DMC 4025 and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's Tarnished Gold.

I drew the name of the winner for the LK Love Is Best traveling pattern. I couldn't get Henry to pick a name today, so I did the job myself. ;) I still prefer to write everyone's names, cut them into little strips, fold them, shake and mix them and pull one out. The winner is Hazel! I am waiting for Hazel's address, then this pattern is off to England!

I went through a real sadness this weekend. I pulled out my shoebox full of pink tumbler blocks to begin piecing them together in horizontal rows. Friends, I just cannot believe it. I miscalculated.  By a LOT.  I need 156 different, pink fabrics still to complete that Epic Pink Charm Quilt. I think I figured out the math part while on percocet. And I am not kidding. Not like me to misjudge like that. I was so down about this, that I thought of just quitting the whole thing. I mean c'mon! That is a lot more fabric. But no. I truly want to make this quilt. I have been collecting pink fabric for years to make it.  I bought fabric at JoAnn and Hobby Lobby on Saturday. So 156 is my new goal, it was higher. sigh.

Well, I did get five horizontal rows pieced. They are ready and waiting. I will plug away at piecing here and there, since there is no telling how long it will be until I have every piece of fabric I need. I put my countdown of the pink fabrics needed back in my sidebar.

I am so glad to count you as a friend! Thank you for visiting with me today. Have a fabulous week now.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Awesome Mail

Hi friends! I was able to get the LK Love Is Best Travelling pattern stitched up this week.

I stitched this on 32ct lavender linen and used DMC 316,3041,3688, 3726,3727,3740. I like how this turned out.

The fabric in the background is what I used for the back. This fabric was a gift from Kim. Perfect, since she started this traveling pattern.

The pattern is ready to continue it's travels around the world. Who will stitch this next? If you want to be the next stitcher, tell me so in the comments. I will be drawing the name of the next stitcher on Monday. You need to be a follower of mine and have a blog.

I had a fabulous mail day this week my friends!  Our friend Kim had a giveaway for her birthday. :) I won the needlepoint sweets she made. And she also gave me a few extra pretties. Take a look! Thank you again Kim.

A new friend named Lee had her first giveaway and I won! She made me a lovely scissor fob and included scissors. Take a look at the adorable, precious, little Liberty pillow she made. That is not all! She ordered special hand dyed fabric just for me. And look at the great LK pattern she bought me. Oh yes! She included some trim and flosses also.

Wow Lee! This was really a most generous gift! Friends, if you have not come across Lee, would you stop in and take a look at her new blog? CLICK HERE TO GO TO LEE'S BLOG

I need to get to Hobby Lobby. I need a dark, dark purple floss for my next project and DMC just is not working. I think maybe Hobby Lobby has Sullivans also?

I gave both the poodles haircuts. Time to stitch!

Thank you for stopping by my friends I am so very glad you did!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Off To The Fair

Hi friends! Hot and humid weather around here lately. Yuck. The flowers like it though. Several of the bargain, pink gladiola bulbs that I just planted have sprouted. :)

I am stitching Love Is Best, the LK traveling pattern. I used a lavender 32 ct linen and changed every, single floss color. Ha! Not enough pink for me. ;)

Would you like to stitch this pattern next? You must have a blog. You must be a follower of mine. And you must be willing to stitch this up and send it along to the next stitcher. I will draw a name on Monday, July 27th.

I have finally completed the most labor intensive, tedious finishing I have ever done. Am I showing you the big finish yet? Nope. You know why? Well... I am entering it in the Wisconsin State Fair. Yep. I knew this was the piece I wanted to enter three years ago! Other projects kept getting stitched and finished before this. I put it off. I decided half a year ago NO MORE DELAY! I am SO nervous. I have never entered any kind of needlework competition in my life. Brian and I will take this and one other piece I am entering to the State Fairgrounds today. The Fair does not even begin until August 6th! The suspense will kill me I think.

Today our Emerson is 19 years old.♥ He will begin trade school in just over one month. He has decided to become a carpenter. We had family over for birthday cake(Pistachio Marble Cake) yesterday.

Thank you for stopping by my friends. I am so glad you did. You encourage me.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

I Have Graduated

Hi friends! Our friend Maggee received the Hands On Design pattern she won in my giveaway. Now I can show you the bookmark that I made her and sent along also. :)

Maggee's favorite color is purple. I stitched the cross with DMC silver metallic. The cross and the M are stitched one over one on 28ct white evenweave.

I finished a small gift I have been making a friend. Cannot show you until it arrives at her house. ;)

I am done with physical therapy!  Yes, I have graduated. I need to continue on with my home exercise program. I had asked over a month ago how long I would need to continue my exercises at home. My therapist told me "For as long as you want to be better." ;) I am definitely improved. My pain is a 2 or 3 most days. We were never able to get rid of that deep muscle cramp that I have way down underneath my left butt muscle. So when pain is bad(rainy weather), it is like a strong cramp in that spot for hours. The stretches she gave me just do NOT get rid of that muscle spasm and cramping when things are not going good.  The TENS unit(muscle stimulator) that we purchased helps. I have not needed percocet in weeks.

I want to thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I appreciate every one of you taking time to stop by and say hi.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Poodle Pin Cube

Hi friends! I can finally share a finish with you. I  took part in Jo's Summer Postcard Blog Hop, and I did not want to share my work until the recipient posted my pictures. Katie received my pet themed summer postcard. Can you guess that I stitched poodles? tee hee!

The top one looks so much like Henry to me. So that makes the bottom picture Mabel. Skinniest she has ever been. ;)

I found this pin cube pattern freebie HERE.  You need to scroll through the freebies to find the different free patterns you will need to make this pin cube.

I used 28ct white linen and pink Madeira silk floss. Both a gift from Charlene. Thank you Charlene! I used interfacing in making this cube.

Found a few neat books at the library on Friday. This is a new one. It is published yearly here in Wisconsin. I have a few patterns picked out to stitch.

 Went to JoAnn and bought every pink DMC floss I did not already own. :)

This is such an awesome plant. I found these seeds, that I believe were called Batchelor's Buttons. I have seen the seeds for years at the dollar store and finally bought them. Boy, am I glad I did! The flowers just keep coming and coming in so very many shades of pink, white and purple.♥

Well, back to finishing. I hope you have a most excellent week my friends! Thank you for your kind words.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

 

Art By Madeleine

Hi friends! Lovely weather this week. How is it by you?

Henry drew the name of the winner for the Prairie Schooler American Stawberries pattern this morning. Only three friends entered for this. Charlene you are the winner! I have your address and I will be mailing this out shortly.

Here is a little doodle art by Madeleine.

hmm. Do you know these guys? ;)

Here is a larger piece of art completed by Madeleine this week. This is all done in chalk.

I was weeding the other day, and went around all these sweet, little flowers. They popped up by themselves. I planted not one of them.

I have not planted these sweet pink baby's breath flowers in several years. Amazing the seeds lasted and sprouted this year. ♥ The green moss is so soft. All such sweet, little gifts to brighten my day.

I scored at Walmart yesterday. I got 52 different plants and bulbs for less than 8 and a half dollars. Did I mention 95% of them are pink?!? :) tee hee! Now to find room for them. Yeah, I did NOT plan that out first. I have about one quarter of them planted so far.

I continue on with tedious finishing work. I am also stitching up a small gift for a friend.

I hope you have an excellent, blessed weekend my friends. Thank you for stopping by. I am so very glad you did.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Our Craft Club

Hi friends! It is hot around here. Makes weeding in the garden rather unpleasant. Despite the heat, Emerson and Madeleine have learned to knit! They watched a you tube video. I also checked out some basic knitting books for them from the library. We have our own little craft club here. ha! Two knitters and a stitcher. ;) I tried learning to knit from Brian's grandmother over a dozen years ago. It never clicked for me. I am happy to stitch my needlework.

Would you like to see Emerson's completed work? He made Henry a scarf. ha!

Madeleine has started many scarfs. ;) She wants it perfect. Well...

Henry drew the name of the winner for the Hands On Design Pomegranate Pocket and Pincushion this morning. ha! Well, if you call the name that stuck to the poodle ear picking out a winner. ;)

Maggee you are the winner! :) I will get this pattern out to you this week my friend.

On Friday I will draw the name of the winner for the Prairie Schooler pattern. See this post here to enter.

I am working on a project I had begun 3 years ago. I am doing the finishing work on it now. Rather tedious and labor intensive. I cannot share more just yet. Soon you will know why. I am so very glad to finally be getting this accomplished.

Some of my Chocolate Garden day lilies are blooming and in bud.

Well I have one more physical therapy session left friends! Then it is the home exercise program and using the TENS unit (muscle stimulator for pain management) that we bought instead of relying on percocet. I have been using percocet less. I have also reduced some of my medication. If it is not rainy, my pain stays at a 2 usually now!!!! This is fantastic!

I am over halfway done reading the Bible now. I am still reading it daily in chronological order.

Have a great week my friends!

Finishing and praying,
Vickie

Pomegranate Pincushion and Patriotic Prairie Schooler

Hi friends! I have the finished Pomegranate Pincushion to share with you.

Neato, isn't it?! This pattern is by Hands On Design. This pattern and linen were a gift from our friend Barbara.

This is stitched on the 30ct WDW Aztec Red linen, two over two with DMC.

The pattern for Pomegranate Pocket and  Pincushion and a piece of the linen to make ONE of these is available for you, if you would like. I offered them as a giveaway in my last post. Please leave me a comment if you would like to be entered in the giveaway. You must be a follower. I will be drawing a name on Monday, July 6th.

I made up a pin cube this week also. I can't show that to you quite yet, as it has two poodles on it, and they will be popping up in Jo's Summer Postcard Blog Hop. The theme this year is pets. ;)

Take a look here at a patriotic bandana I made for a certain little someone. I cut this to Henry size from our Mac's bandana. I have a box of Mac's bandanas. It just seemed like a good thing to do. :)

One year ago, I stitched up my two favorite strawberries from this pattern.

I finally made them up into strawberries yesterday. I used denim scraps for the strawberry tops. And yes, I just glued them on. ;)

This Prairie Schooler pattern was a gift from our friend Maggee. Would you like this pattern? You must be a follower. You must also live in America. Due to the size of the pattern, international mail will just be too costly for me. Tell me in the comments if you would like to be included in the giveaway. I will draw a name on Friday, July 10th.

I hope my American friends have a safe, blessed 4th! We will be headed to the parade and fireworks. :)

I appreciate you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie