It Is Well With My Soul

Hi friends!

I find myself taking little breaks from Theotokos. It is such a large piece. Working with the wool is going fine. I am not sure I look forward to the beadwork.

I discovered this freebie a few weeks ago. This is offered by Donna of By The Bay Needleart. I just knew I wanted to stitch this up.

I wanted this wonderful message to hang on our back door.

I stitched this on 35ct lambswool given to me a while ago by Peggy. I stitched this one over one with DMC B5200.

I had this beautiful fabric in my stash for the backing. Are you familiar with the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul"?

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

I cannot post the whole story behind this hymn here. It is such a tragic story. But what an awesome testimony of faith! If you are not familiar with this story, you can read about it here.

I finished reading A Little House Traveler. This was an omnibus edition with black and white photographs. This book was made of three parts: On The Way Home, West From Home and The Road Back. The Road Back is the one I was interested in, as I read the other two portions this month as separate books. This was Laura's record of their journey back to DeSmet, South Dakota in 1931. Once again, an enjoyable read. Loved all the old pictures. So neat!

We are actually enjoying a few days above freezing this week! Whoo hoo! This will barely melt any of our snow though. But it sure is nice for a change.

Thank you for stopping by and your kind words. I am thankful for your encouragement. Have a great day my friends!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

A Stitcher's Heart

Hi friends! This is the Valentine stitching I did this year. This was a freebie available from A Mon Ami Pierre. I say WAS because I searched and searched and cannot find it available/offered any more. I printed this off years ago. I saw it stitched up as a freebie on quite a few blog posts from the past on numerous blogs. Sorry. =(

It is titled "Heart Stitcher". It is lovely isn't it? I stitched this one over one on 25ct Antique White linen. I used DMC 115. Here is what I stitched up for the back.

Hope you can see the three red x's "stitched" on the heart?

Brian got me a tin of chocolates and this beautiful multi-colored miniature rose plant for Valentine's Day. =)

I finished reading West From Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In 1915 Laura traveled by train from her home in Missouri to San Francisco to visit their daughter Rose. Almanzo was unable to leave the farm, so Laura wrote him letters during the whole trip. She visited the Panama Pacific International Exposition there. I enjoyed this intimate look into Laura's life. She had not intended for this to be a book. Rose inherited the letters after Laura's death. Rose couldn't bear to read them. Rose's friend/executor  had these letters made into a book after Rose's death.

I also finished On The Way Home. This was Laura's diary of the trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri in 1894. I just love history. This glimpse of the prairie frontier was so interesting. Rose Wilder Lane also contributed to this book. This diary was discovered after Laura's death.

Still stitching on Theotokos. Hope you have a beautiful, restful Sunday!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Emerson's Awards

Hi friends! It is snowing yet again as I type this. You may recall last year I told you of Emerson's achievement in art in this post. Well he has done it again! He has won another Gold Key Award  and an Honorable Mention Award in the Scholastic Art Competition. This is a national art competition. There were almost 2,000 entries from our state of Wisconsin alone. It is for grades 7-12. His Gold Key piece will go on to National Competitions for Gold and Silver Medals. This is the painting he won a Gold Key for in painting.

He has titled it 'Captured'. Perhaps you are familiar with the Prince Valiant cartoons in the newspapers here in the U.S. that have been running since before I was born? Well Emerson always reads that and truly admires the artwork in it. So he painted characters from the series and created this. I know I have never shown pictures of my kids. This is the closest you get! ;) Emerson has painted himself into this piece, next to Prince Valiant. I love the Vikings expressions he created. This next one is the Honorable Mention.

He calls this 'The Merchant'. =) I was with Emerson all the way on these pieces. He works at the kitchen table when not working on them at school. Mom stitches at the table and he draws and paints there. So cool to see these things come to life.

We will be attending the award ceremony at the Milwaukee Art Museum on Saturday. 'Captured' is hanging there already.
 
 I received a special RAK from Donna! She made me a sweet, pink Valentine. She found "Matilda" the poodle candle while thrifting and thought of me. =) She also sent some nice variegated pink floss and yummy Candied Caramel Pecan wax cubes to melt. Thank you so much Donna!

I finished Little Town On The Prairie. Another great read. Laura cross stitches a gift for Carrie in this story. ;)

This is my progress thus far on Theotokos.

Thanks for indulging me today friends. I just had to share Emerson's wonderful artistic talent. =)

Have a stitchtastic day! I have thanked God for you today!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

A Little Valentine Stitching

Hi friends! Still cold and snowy here. At least the frigid, subzero temperatures from the beginning of this week are going away for now. The kids had school closed on Monday and Tuesday due to the bitter cold.

I put away the winter smalls and took out my Valentine smalls. The sweet, little, red heart box that Peggy made me last year was tucked in there. I decided I would like to stitch a little something for the top of that box.I had this pretty,little floral freebie sitting in my stash for a while. I am sorry I do not have a link for you. Sometimes I forget to jot that down when I print them off.

I stitched this two over two on 28ct rose evenweave.

I chose my  own DMC colors as I could not figure out what colors and numbers the German chart was referring to.

I am still stitching on Theotokos. I just needed a small break, the frogs visited.

I know the Chicken Soup For The Soul books are nothing new. But we have two different versions of them that we own. I read the first, original version at the end of last year. I just read the Christian Teen Talk version. I really find those books uplifting, ya know? And they are good to read more than once, especially if it has been a few years.

I finished listening to On The Banks Of Plum Creek and By The Shores Of Silver Lake. I am enjoying every, single one of these books in the series. =)

Here is another picture of the poodles sunning themselves. This time they are chewing rawhide bones. Yes, Mabel is chewing her bone while lying on her back. ;)

Have a stitchtastic week my friends! Thank you for your friendship.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie