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 Hi friends. Goodness gracious. August has NOT been fun thus far. Brian, Emerson and I went to the Wisconsin State Fair this last Saturday. It was blazing hot. In the upper 90's. We came home by mid-afternoon. After dinner, it began raining. AND I MEAN POURING RAIN.  The unofficial records in Wisconsin show more than 14 inches (36 centimeters) in less than 24 hours, leading multiple rivers to flood at record-high levels, washing out vehicles, flooding basements and cutting power to thousands of homes. State Fair closed early. The last day of  State Fair on Sunday was cancelled! I saw a picture on IG of a fish swimming around the fairgrounds!! Bizarre!

My Mom's basement has water in it. It did not flood, but many things are wrecked. My cousin's basement had a few feet of water in it.

So the week before, seven days before, little Henry had TWO seizures in the middle of the night. He has epilepsy if you do not remember. He is 15 1/2 years old now. He has never had two in a row. It REALLY took a toll on him. We thought he was going to die. Then we thought we would have to put him down. I am glad to say with tender loving care, he is coming back. The only thing you notice is that he has lost weight and he is a bit unsteady with his walking. 

I showed you the Henry stitch back in 2021. Except this is a new one! I re-stitched it because I did not like the shading I did on the other one. 

I stitched this two over two on 32ct Blue Ice Belfast linen. I love the frame. I got it at HomeGoods. I went back for another, since I plan to stitch Flossie and put her portrait next to Henry's, but they were gone. I will find something when the time comes. 

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💜My Mom's Garden💜by Shepherd's Bush. Goodness. I stitched this IN 2015!! I framed it years ago and never hung it on my wall until this weekend! It is in our bedroom now.

I made several changes to the pattern. I added another motif up top, since I wanted it to be Mom's Garden and not My Mom's Garden. I used two strands of floss for the satin stitches in this pattern. I used DMC. I just went through my stash till I found good matches to the remaining silks Sally included with the pattern when she gave this to me. I bought a variegated blue/purple floss, called Midnight by Artiste for the dark purple in the pattern. The original pattern came with a bee button. I made up a bee as I went along. It is stitched one over one. I just had to replace the SB sheep with a poodle. This is our sweet Mabel. You can see I stitched our three kid's initials. Except for the tiny bee, this pattern was stitched one over two on 32ct mystery lavender linen.

🐇Somebody's Sleeping🐇 by Cross Eyed Cricket. I left out all the wording on this one and changed the pillow and blanket colors to pink, imagine that! I have had this tiny basket I picked up from our Goodwill years ago just waiting for me to stitch this pattern.

🧵I stitched this one over one on 35ct white linen with the called for DMC colors for the bunnies.

Not gonna lie. There is fudging going on in the blankets and pillows. I do not care. They look fine and I was NOT having a fun time frogging over one on 35ct, so I said FORGET IT. Go with it!

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I do have more finishes to share with you, but not today, next time. 

Are you watching the the Needlework Market Place?? I am! JBW Designs- With Kindness!💕

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

Save me, and I shall be saved,

For You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends! Take care wherever you are. Thank you for stopping by. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Blackbird Stitching

 Hi friends! How is your summer going? Ours is hot! Funny thing. At church, our priest when it is summer, he struggles with the heat. When we came to St. Sava's, they had the doors opened and the windows too. There were multiple fans on the priest up on the altar. Not when Father Serafim served. He was the monk who was also a priest. He was with us for only two years. He has become our Bishop. Well last year we paid off our large loan. Father Serafim still did not use the A/C. As soon as he left to take his position as the Bishop, Father Rade had our Cathedral freezing! It is not just me! Most all the women wear sweaters in there now. Our entire Cathedral is stone. Stone walls, stone ceiling, stone floors. It is cold! The men have even started wearing long sleeves who normally wore short sleeves in the summer I noticed. The elder of the church, who is probably in is upper 70's or maybe 80?, wears his winter coat! I am not kidding!

On to stitching. This is 🌹The Sweet Bird Sings🌹 by Blackbird Designs. I am not going to make this into a sewing roll as called for. I am going to frame it.

The very top of the pattern had a heart. It would have been upside down if I left it the way it was. It was meant to be rolled up. Since I am framing it, the upside down heart bothered me. I took the rose motifs and stitched them along the top instead.

🧵I stitched this one over one on WDW 30ct Baby's Breath. I changed and reassigned all the flosses. VMSS 1795, CC Clay Pot, WDW Gold, DMC 3828, 3012, 3011, 928, 371, 370, 422.

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This is "Dear Friend" or "Matthew 6:26" as I think of it. "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

I am not going to make this into a pincushion as called for. I am going to frame it.

🧵I stitched this one over one on WDW 30ct Baby's Breath. I changed and reassigned all the flosses. VMSS 1795, CC Clay Pot, WDW Gold, DMC 3828, 3012, 3011, 928, 371, 370, 422.

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I picked up an unfinished Spring/Easter stitch. I have plenty of pieces to work on like I am sure you do too, but I want to pick this one off.

I am having an MRI this morning of my right shoulder. I have been in very bad pain for months. I have had several cortisone shots for almost a year for it. This time playing with Flossie hurt me. A LOT. I called to get in for the cortisone shot and they said it was too soon. 😭 I had to wait half a month. I have lidocaine patches from my pain management doctor. I put two of those on daily, but that is still not enough sometimes. The doctor thinks I may have a torn rotator cuff. 

When Brian and I were 18, he was driving my Chevy Caprice Classic. Here's a picture of one for you. Since we are doing story time. That is just how my first car looked. ☺️ 

BEFORE THE DRUNK DRIVER HIT US HEAD ON. Yep. Totaled my car.😭 Amazingly, Brian who was driving, was okay. He swerved at the last minute. I was not wearing my seat belt. I know. My head cracked the windshield. My shoulder broke the dashboard. My right knee bent the metal glove compartment. I do believe THIS is where the tear came from. All these years ago. I took up punch needling several years back and I believe I aggravated my shoulder bad. I don't know what is going on in there, but it really hurts! The MRI will let us know and then we can proceed from there.

Sorry for the ramble. Did not even plan that. Just happened. Hope you do not mind me sharing. Perhaps you could pray for me. Thank you. God bless you.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

This is actually how I hurt my arm. I circle my arm through the air (the hurt arm!), then hold my arms in a hoop for Flossie to jump through.

🗽 God Bless America!

 Hi friends! Happy Independence Day to my American friends!

💖🤍💙July Cubby Shelf💖🤍💙

Almost every one of these are stitched over one. 🐭🐭🐭

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💖🤍💙July Corner Shelf 💖🤍💙

⭐Hats Off To Uncle Sam⭐ by Blackbird Designs

🧵I stitched this one over two on 35ct Feldspar PTP linen with WDW Baked Apple, GA Parchment and DMC 924.

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⭐💖💙Stars & Stripes⭐💖💙by Blackbird Designs.

I will be framing this in a matching blue frame soon.

🧵I stitched this one over two on 40ct lambswool linen with the called for WDW Bluecoat Red, but my own choice of DMC 930.

All of those eyelets!! 🤪 You certainly get in a rythm doing all of those though! I love the look of them.

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🩰The Nutcracker Tree🩰by Jo Gatenby 

I have had this design in my stash for many years! This was in the magazine A Needle Pulling Thread. It was shown on white linen with black floss. I am a PINK girl, have been my entire life. This frame is from Hobby Lobby and Emerson cut it to size for me.

🧵I stitched this two over two on 32ct Rhubarb linen by someone. I lost the tag. I began stitching with #VMSS Antique Pink number 4 and got three quarters done when I realized I was not going to have enough. That floss was years old. NOT GOOD. I sent the remaining floss into 123stitch. They were so kind. They searched their vast inventory of pink flosses and found the best match for me, GA Antique Rose. I also used silver metallic floss for the longstitch diamond eyelets.

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I have now gone back to BBD's The Sweet Birds Sing. I am stitching it one over one on 30ct. It is taking forever.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.  Psalm 33:12

Thank you so much for stopping by today my friends. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Where Have I Been?

 Hi friends! Well that was a long blogging break. Our one and only daughter Madeleine came home from Hawaii for a month, and I took a social media break. 

McKinley Marina in Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan.

Visiting Grandma(my Mom)

You may notice from the pictures it was a cool May. Miss Madeleine is getting used to Hawaii's very warm, humid weather! 🏝️Notice she is wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants in every picture??😂 She stayed home for a month. And we miss her terribly again. Cally, our Himalayan was glued to her. Henry was very happy to see her. Interestingly, Flossie was leery of her at first. That made Madeleine cry. Flossie came around. 

I found this beautiful frame at Hobby Lobby and Emerson cut it to size for me. I stretched it and mounted it myself.

This is Snow Bird by La D Da. I made this little bird as a birthday gift for our friend Robin 

This pattern can be found in the 2004 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue.

🧵Stitched on the backside of 40ct Vintage Country Mocha with DMC. Handmade cording, and backed with a floral black cotton from my stash.

☁️Ascension☁️

🧵I stitched this one over one with DMC 413 on mystery hand-dyed blue 32ct linen. I edged the pinkeep with grey velvet ribbon.

Georgian Floral Basket by Judy Whitman. 

I changed the color of the tiny blue flowers to match the originals in the antique.

🧵Stitched one over one on 28ct Cashel Bo Peep Pink with the called for DMC

I am patriotic stitching right now.

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:33

Thank you to those of you who checked in on me. God bless you. 💕

Can't say when I will post next, but it won't be such a long time again! Take care my friends!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

See you next time!

Christ is Risen!

 Hi friends! Christ is Risen!

🐇Easter Wabbit💗by Sheepish Designs. 

I have had this pattern in my stash for years, and decided this is the year! It is a cute one, and a quick one. EXCEPT FOR ATTACHING THAT RIBBON TRIM! Ugh. Glad it is done!! 

I chose a Smyrna stitch for the bunny's eye, and just cross stitched the birds eyes. I skipped the beads. The backing fabric and ribbon and well, everything is from my stash.

🧵GA Sarsaparilla & Pink Azalea

WDW Saffron

DMC 327, 738, 4030, 4230

WDW Red Pear Linen

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But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1Corinthians 15:20-22

Have a Blessed Easter my friends!

Stitching and praying,

Tetelestai

 Hi friends. I have a special finish to share with you today, on this Holy Friday.  

This is Tetelestai by Quaint Rose Needle Arts.  I stitched it one over one on 32 count sand linen with DMC 301, 501, 3781, 3802, WDW Celadon & GA Maple Syrup. I found this beautiful frame at Hobby Lobby and Emerson cut it to size for me. I stretched it and framed it and love it!

I am still stitching on Thomas by Kathy Barrick. I will work on framing another Fair piece next also.

This has been a very busy week for us with church attendance, as I am sure it is with many of you also. 

I hope to be back for Easter. I have an Easter finish to share with you.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1Peter 2:24

Thank you for stopping by today my friends. I am so glad you did. Take care. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Hellooooo

 Hi friends! I am still around! I have been stitching for our State Fair I hope to have a framed piece to show you next time. Emerson is working on the frame this week. 😁

Here is my April Cubby Shelf Display🐥 

Almost all of these are stitched over one. Not the little April pillow or the Lizzie Kate Spring String on top.

🌸🐰April Corner Shelf🐰🌸 

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I am now stitching a small Easter piece. This is easy for me to take to stitch club tomorrow. Once I have this completed and finished into a small pillow, I will go back to stitching Thomas by Kathy Barrick. That is the last piece I want to stitch for our State Fair.

Are you stitching for Easter? Have you seen this pretty, new pattern? 

Do you enter your State Fair?

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.                                                                  James 1:2-3

Thanks for dropping by! Take care my friends. I hope it is warming up by you and you are enjoying your weather.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie