Love One Another With A Pure Heart

Hi friends! A beautiful summer day here. It is sunny and very warm at 91º, but there is a nice wind too. We went to my Auntie Bernie and Uncle Gerry's 40th wedding anniversary party yesterday. I have not seen them in a few years. Auntie Bernie suffered a stroke 3 years ago now. She now is wheel chair bound, but still sharp and herself. Still, it is hard. I was their miniature bride 40 years ago. ;) I was 5! It was a very, very nice party. I made them a sampler commemorating their love. It is called Love One Another With A Pure Heart. I got it from my Leisure Arts book, Faithful Inspiration.

I made it smaller than the pattern calls for. I stitched mine on off-white 28ct evenweave, one over one. The date of their wedding was to be on the bottom also, but since Auntie Bernie's name is so long, I had to get creative and redesign and rearrange things.

I also did not add the beads called for in the border. I think it looks great as is. :)

I am currently stitching American Strawberries by Prairie Schooler. This is how far I am though.

Don't think I will have this one and two others I want to stitch up done by the Fourth! ;) This is a pattern I have been wanting to stitch though. I told myself to just do it! This pattern was a gift from sweet Maggee.

If you want a chance at 'Taste Summer' by Shepherd's Bush, take a look at my last post here, for the giveaway that ends on the 3rd.

Brian and Emerson are enjoying the World Cup. My kind of soccer is this:

tee hee! ;) This is one of my Alfred Mainzer poodle postcards from my collection. Love them.♥

I hope you are enjoying yourself in whatever you are up to these days. Take care my friends. Hugs to you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Taste Summer

Hi friends! I finished up 'Taste Summer' by Shepherd's Bush last week. I waited to  post about it til this Blogger Bug was over and done with.

I bought this sweet kit at my LNS, when I still had a LNS over a year ago. The picture on the pattern front shows this finished in a white weathered box. I chose to simply make it a pincushion. So of course I had to make a few red, white and blue counting pins to put in it. :) I love the fabric I had on hand for the backing.

I stitched it with the given threads on the given 32ct Light Sand Linen, two over two. There are hardly any threads left, and I used the linen up, but I would like to offer this pattern to one of you. You can have the threads too. They won't get the whole pattern stitched, but at least you can use some, and use the others to match colors if you like.

 So if you are a follower of mine, and you would like this pattern, tell me so in a comment on this post. This will be open to anyone, anywhere, as the pattern is small enough to send in an envelope, thus keeping postal costs down. =) I will draw a name in one week, next Wednesday, July 2nd.

I am stitching up a gift for my Aunt and Uncle for their 40th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday. Almost done now. Then to frame it. It will get done.

Glad you stopped by today. Have a wonderful week my friends.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

A Few Things I Have Been Up To

Hi friends! I can finally share with you the gift that I made Jacquie for her birthday. I had to borrow the picture from Jacquie's blog, as I forgot to take one.

Yes, I gave her two teas that I like and I made her some counting pins. But this would be the first card that I have ever stitched. I received the kit to make this Margaret Sherry 'Birthday Bunny' card from our friend Lee last year. This is also the first Margaret Sherry design I have ever stitched up. SO adorable. Had a hard time letting go actually. Sweet, sweet, sweet.  I am happy to say that Jacquie was quite pleased with her surprise birthday gift. =)

I made up this little magnet very quickly. Miss Madeleine even helped in it's construction.

I used this cute, little pattern. I sometimes warm the oven up just the tiniest bit, and then place bread dough in there to rise. Well, the different medications I take for pain sometimes dull my memory. I have forgotten more than once to check inside the oven, before heating it up for dinner, and OOPS! So I got to thinking that this simple bread magnet placed over the display panel on the oven would remind me of my bread dough. ;)

I had spied over the last few months these adorable, teeny, tiny wooden spools on Carol's and June's blogs. I just knew I needed some. Got me some. ;) Guess I am kinda weird, because this is the first thing I made with one.

I used a scrap of 25ct white linen and DMC to make Mabel and Henry. =) What am I gonna do with this 1/2 inch creation? Who the heck knows?! But it's cute!!!

Be back soon with a Shepherd's Bush Patriotic finish and I will give away the pattern too. :)

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Dog Days of Summer

A Giftie And A Finish

Hi friends! Rainy days here all week. Causes extra pain. puh! So I have been completing finishing work on some smalls I stitched up. First I would like to show you a birthday gift I received yesterday from sweet Maggee.

What a wonderful pillow in pink and chocolate colors. LOVE that combination. Thank you Maggee. :) If you look closely you can see the rain drops on the peonies. ;)

You may recall this poodle freebie from Kissy Cross?

Ta da! It has been stitched up for weeks, but I did not get around to the finishing til yesterday. This is stitched on 25ct white linen, two over one. I just love it! I did change many of the color shades. And well, I just needed to make the flowers and the letters pink too. ;) Don't you just love the backstitching in Mabel and Henry's coats? Love the texture it adds.

I was so happy to use one of my vintage poodle fabrics for the back. =)

'Rendezvous In The Park' was such fun for me to stitch. Thank you Kirsten for this adorable tribute to my Mabel and Henry. ♥

I will be back soon with more finishing to share with you all. Thank you for stopping by. Leave me a comment if you like. I love to respond to them all. You brighten my day. =)

Have a fabulous day my friends!

Stitching and finishing and praying,
Vickie

All pooped out after their Rendezvous in the Park. ;)

June

Hi friends! How are you? All is well here. A few weeks ago I stitched up this sweet little bird for our friend June. Now that June has opened her gift, I can show you. :)

Had to borrow this picture from June. I forgot to take one! ;)

The pattern is by Lesley Teare. It is called Free As A Bird, and it is found in the Rustic Style pattern book by Cross Stitcher. I made this dear, little birdie into a magnet for June. I also made her counting pins, and gave her blue columbine seeds from my garden.

 

I held out as long as I could. You all know I like to share quite a few of my charts and magazines with fellow stitchers. Well, the international postage has become too much for me. I just cannot swing it any longer. I just mailed off the last magazine I can share internationally. It cost me $14.00 to mail a magazine! I am sorry. It saddens me. I will still be offering small charts internationally. :)

I made another gift  last week for a fellow stitcher. It is a new way to finish for me. :) I will share it with you this week, after she receives it. ;)

I am stitching up a patriotic Shepherd's Bush kit right now. Watch for the finish and the chart. I will be giving away the chart and whatever threads remain.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

My Garden Pals

Glorious Gifts!

Hi friends! Emerson's graduation party was wonderful. We had fantastic weather. My loving husband and children helped with some scrubbing and yard work too. I am very thankful for this, as it saved me from severe pain.

I received two wonderful packages on and right after my birthday. :) Kim sent me FANTASTIC poodle fabric! I squealed! Yes I did. I do not have these and I cannot wait to use them.

See the Paris In Springtime on the left? The lady in blue has a pink poodle. =) I love chocolate brown and pink together. And the last fabric on the bottom, right has the cutest, little birdie with a beret on the poodle's nose. Thank you Kim!

Jacquie had a first blogoversary giveaway and I won second prize! She not only sent me MANY gifts, she made me a birthday present as well! Here is the birthday gift from Jacquie.

Isn't this wonderful?! Jacquie only recently discovered redwork and you wouldn't know! She made me a tote bag with Henry and Mabel. ♥ These are the many gifts she sent me for the giveaway.

Madeleine has claimed the sweet birdie paper weight you see on the upper left. I hung the cute cream dove on my display board already. I will be sharing the milk chocolate with the family. :) Such a nice selection of patterns too.

Such great garden gifts here. The bee pin pillows she made me are so sweet. There is a very nice bee pin also. Miss Madeleine has her eye on that too! Lovely yellow Anchor flosses that I cannot get locally. And wild flower seeds that I will be sowing. Thank you so very much Jacquie!

I have been stitching. Just cannot show you at this time. Very soon though. ;)

I finally decided on a Henry drawing I will be happy with for more french knots. I really, really hesitated to show you this, as I think it looks very weird, but here is the french knot Henry failure.

See? Weird! Adorable as embroidery I think. Not all filled in with knots. The ear is just plain lost. He looks like his brain is falling out! Or something. This Henry is getting set aside. I don't have the heart to toss it just yet. So very many knots went into it! I will cut myself a new piece of white linen blend fabric today and draw out a new Henry to be filled in with knots.

Rainy day here. Perfect for finishing up another stitched gift.

I hope you have a beautiful day my friends.  As always, I thank you for stopping by and your kind words.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

45

Hi friends!  Beautiful day here. It just happens to be my birthday. I am now 45 years old. How did that happen?!  Brian gave me this.

A pewter poodle thimble from England. :) And this.

A gorgeous rose gold Orthodox cross and chain. Brian had bought me my last gold cross and chain when I was 18 and he 19. ;)

Not too much excitement today. Out to lunch with the in-laws. We will also go shopping for party food for the graduation party on Sunday.

I read Child Of Mine by Beverly and David Lewis. What an excellent book. Really enjoyed it.

It is not looking too good for the French Knot Poodle/Henry. The drawing I did of him on the fabric, isn't looking right once I am filling it in with the knots. He looks like he has an unusually large head. The ear doesn't look distinct. It is just making his head look huge. I may scrap this version and come up with a new Henry. I have already done over a thousand french knots. Oh well.

Oh my goodness! I forgot til now. I drew a name for the 1988 Just Cross Stitch Magazine featuring Scarlet Letter. Jo! You are the winner of the magazine. Please send me your address and I will get that on it's way to you. :)

I hope you have a beautiful day my friends! Thank you for stopping by.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie