Winky

Hi friends! Nice warm days here with cool nights. The leaves are turning and beginning to fall.

I finally finished up the Winky ornament for Madeleine's Christmas stocking this year.

He is stitched one over one, using DMC, on 28ct pale blue sponged evenweave. The fabric has a very nice sky effect, but I had one heck of a time making it show up in pictures for you.

I used the perfect color blue ribbon Jacquie sent me a few months ago in the finishing. :) I had a pretty piece of felt I bought from JoAnn last year. I did not know what I needed it for, but now I do. It looks great on the back.

This pattern was a freebie you can find right HERE. I did change the shades of blue to match Winky better. Here is a picture of Madeleine's parakeet, Winky, for you.

I left a comment for Tricia this week on her last post. I told her the LK piece she stitched up was sweet. :) Then she asked me if I wanted it! Oh yes! And it came today. With an adorable, sweet card Tricia made, AND an additional chart for me too! Thanks again Tricia. :) I have pulled the threads for the Thankful String already.

Yesterday, I took time away from stitching and got a bit organized. Brian bought me this lovely antique sewing stand last month.

If you recall earlier this year, I showed you how I store my DMC. In that small sewing basket from Woolworths. I just layer cardboard and stack them up in numerical order. Well, I can't part with it. And the system works. BUT I have no more room for DMC. I had gone on to continue stacking my floss in this box.
 
Well, I just didn't think BIG enough with that! HA! I will find another use for that lovely $3.00 box from Goodwill. I made my cardboard layers yesterday and stacked them up in the sewing stand. The Woolworth's sewing basket holds the lowest numbers of DMC through the 900's. The sewing stand begins with the 3000's of the DMC and goes on up. Lots of room left. ;)

I finished reading Good Call by Jase Robertson. What an excellent book. I read it in two days. :) So very much more than I was expecting. I have an increased respect for Jase.

I also read Water Walker by Ted Dekker in two days. :) Yeah, I have been reading a lot lately. This was also an excellent book. If you know Ted, then you know he writes some wild fiction. I just couldn't stop reading it. I have never read a book by Ted that I did not like. The man has GINORMOUS talent!

Off to pet a poodle or two now. tee hee! Have a fabulous weekend my friends. Thank you for stopping by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Poodle Silhouettes

Hi friends! Warm days and cold nights here. The squirrels are very busy around here. :)

I took a break from stitching up Winky and worked on a small quilt to hang in the front room on my candle screen. I have been wanting to make up poodle silhouettes for a few years now. I used this idea I found here. This is the first time I have done reverse applique. I purchased the blue solid cotton and the pink ric rac. All the prints are from my stash. :)

 Perfect? No. But I don't always have perfect work and finishing. ;) I love the way it looks though. :)

Our JoAnn put the variegated DMC on clearance. I grabbed up every color I liked. They were 25 cents a piece. :)

I read The River by Beverly Lewis this week. A very enjoyable read, as always. She is truly a talented author. I have now begun Good Call by Jase Robertson.

I am so excited! A brand new Hobby Lobby just opened this week in our village! whoo hoo! Love it! :) Couldn't find a frame for my French Knot Henry there though. Yeah, still looking for one.

Well, back to Winky. He is almost done. Then I will make myself finish it off into an ornament right away.

If any of you are in need of prayer, let me know. I pray for friends every day. ♥

Take good care of yourselves my friends! Their is only one you!! ♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

The Top Five

Hi friends! I got my Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue a few days ago. I remember last year I posted my top five favorite designs. Why not show you my top five for this year's issue too?!

Home for Christmas by Gentle Pursuit Designs

Joy by Lindsay Lane Designs(1. above) and Faith by Nikyscreations (2. above)

Down Jinglepot Road by The Victoria Sampler-Designs by Cathy Jean

One More Stitch! by The Victoria Sampler (6. above)

The last one is my favorite. ;)

What are YOUR favorites from this year?

Reading and stitching and praying,
Vickie

Just Winging It ;)

Hi friends! I am still stitching on Winky during the school hours. I made a mistake somewhere in his wing. So I am "just winging it". Ha! Real funny. Not. So, I guess no one would have ever known, had I not just told. ;)

I made a trip to JoAnn to buy every blue in "Winky" color. Of course none are a perfect match. His tail/back and tummy are the brightest blue. That I created with DMC 996 and 519. What you see in blue above, are those two colors tweeded over one on this 28 ct. Fun right?! Not. It's for the birds! Ha! I am so funny today. ;) I made the first half of every X in 996. I then came back and crossed them all in 519. The color is good. I will do his tummy that way too. All the other blue parts will be stitched in 519 alone.

I finished reading a devotional I have been reading over the past few months. It is called When I'm In His Presence by Anita Corrine Donihue. What a wonderful, inspirational book this was.

I also finished reading  The Living God volume 1 by svs press. This is a catechism for the Christian faith. A very good book given to Brian and I by our deacon. I am now just beginning volume 2. This will most likely take me months to read as well. I can only read so much catechism at a time. These are very informative books, that are answering quite a few questions.

Things are going pretty good around here. Hope they are going good for you too. :)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  Psalm 34:8

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Guess Who?

Hi friends! I have been stitching on my secret project daily, but it is a big one. So I also began this.

Can you tell who we have here? A hint would be that I need to work on this during the day while Madeleine is in school, as this is going to be her Christmas ornament. It is Winky! Her pet parakeet. ;) I am stitching him one over one on a pretty pale blue sponged 28 count evenweave by True Colors.

I drew the name of the winner for the Bent Creek Snapper Dinner's Ready. Gracie you are the winner! I have emailed you. :)

I am grateful the cortisone shots given in my hip bursas (outer, upper thighs on both legs) worked to relieve the pain.That is gone. For now at least. It is the usual hip pain on the left side that is the pits. Oh well. Whatcha gonna do?!

Thank you for your kind words and friendship. I hope you have a wonderful day in the Lord!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie