Calendar Poodle SAL

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

December Joyful World

Hi friends! It is going to be mild here today. Sunny and in the 50's! Amazing!

I have a finish I want to share with you. I completed the December Joyful World last night. The series is complete!
I stitched this one over one with DMC on 25ct Moss lugana. I wasn't sure about my fabric choice, but in the end I like it! :) I did make a few floss changes: 3021 to 420; 320 to 3364;  833 to 420.
 
ooOoo! I am excited to share with you a new-to-me book series I came across. I read the first book in the series, and I am hooked! Have you ever read a book and just not wanted it to end? I actually did not read the first book, I listened to it on CD, on loan from our library. What book am I talking about? Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs got her start as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, suffragette Lady Rowan Compton, soon became her patron, taking the remarkably bright youngster under her wing. Lady Rowan's friend, Maurice Blanche, often retained as an investigator by the European elite, recognized Maisie’s intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education.

The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found—and lost—an important part of herself. Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets out on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different.

In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a working farm known as The Retreat, that acts as a convalescent refuge for ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. When Fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat, she must finally confront the ghost that has haunted her for over a decade.

I am not-very-patiently waiting for the audio copy of book #2 in this series. So I think I may just go over to our library and get the actual book. I need to finish reading my Jane Austen book first!!


I am now off to work on Jacob's second ornament. I will share that finish with you next time.

The results from the camera pill are all normal. The doctor said I look good in there. I am to continue taking iron three times daily and see a hematologist. My hemoglobin has gone up. Hooray! I am no longer severely anemic. It is 10.9 now. A woman's hemoglobin should be 12. So I am getting there.

I hope you have a fantastic week my friends! Thank you for stopping by today.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Monday, November 21, 2016

Over Here In Poodletown

Hi friends! I have one of Jacob's Christmas ornaments stitched up. Only one to go! This is called 'Noel Stamp Ornament 2011' by Jeannette Douglas Designs. You may not recognize it because it is only part of the pattern. I need this to fit into the metal Christmas tree frame ornament from our friend Nienke. This pattern can be found in the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Magazine.
I stitched this two over two on 32ct mystery linen. The black capped chickadee is one over one. I used DMC and french knots instead of beads to make the berries. I like it!

I am stitching December Joyful World but am not very far. I will show you next time.

It has turned turned cold here. We have had our first snow. It all melted. Hooray! ;)

I will be back after Thanksgiving, so I want to wish my American friends a Blessed, Happy Thanksgiving!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Friday, November 18, 2016

The Winner Is...

Hi friends! The capsule endoscopy went well. The camera pill is the size of a big vitamin. The nurse gave me water with an anti-gas mixture. It makes your mouth and throat slick. The camera pill slid right down. The doctor is next back at this office on Monday. He will review the hundreds of pictures taken then. The nurse will give me a call and let me know what he has discovered.
I have drawn the name of the winner for the Bent Creek 'Thankful Quaker' pattern. The winner is:  Angela! :)

Murphy got a haircut. He looks pretty dapper for a 13 year old miniature poodle, doesn't he?
Our weather continues to be very mild here. We have had only one hard frost so far! Unbelievable. My geraniums are still going! Here is a pretty pansy for you.
I have stitched up one of Jacob's Christmas ornaments. I just finished it last night though. I did not get a picture yet, so I will share that with you next time.

I have kitted up the December Joyful World. I had to make a lot of floss changes, several of the DMC seemed screwy to me. I made a big change for the fabric too. I hope I like it! I hope you do too.

Well tomorrow is a new day. I am hoping for a headache free day. I had several of them a few weeks ago. I am confident I can have them again.

Image result for if today we were just grateful
Have a wonderful weekend my friends! Thank you for stopping by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

November Celebration

Hi friends! I have finished the Year of Celebrations series by Hands On Design. Here is the November pattern that completed the whole year for me now.
I stitched this one over one with DMC on 25ct New Khaki Lugana. I did stitch the 3865 two over one. Except for the background surrounding the word bless. That is one over one.

This pattern can be found in the November 2014 Cross Stitch and Needlework Magazine.

I want to stitch up December, the last in the series of Joyful World SAL now. I still need to stitch up Jacob's two Christmas ornaments!!

Yesterday was my clear liquid day. Last night was my "special drink to clean me out" night.   o_0   This morning I am headed off to the doctor to swallow a camera pill at 8:15. Oh boy! I keep thinking of R2-D2 plummeting into the swamp on Dagobah (The Empire Strikes Back). So I have been yelling/teasing, "R2! R2" In my Luke voice. Do you like that?! A little droid moving through my intestinal swamp? My boys appreciate my camera pill humor. ;) Maybe you just think I am nuts? Could be! This had sure better give the doctor useful information about my intestines and my anemia!

I will be back next time with a winner of the Bent Creek Giveaway.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Friday, November 11, 2016

Thankful

Hi friends! I finished up my little free seasonal stitch from Hands On Design. Wanna see?
I got this freebie from Cathy's newsletter. You can sign up for her newsletter on her blog. I contacted her and asked her how I could get this freebie to you guys. She provided THIS LINK HERE. Wasn't that nice?

Now I did my stitching on a mystery piece of brown 29ct linen. It kind of looks like a burlap color in some lighting, but also looks like gingerbread in other lighting. I stitched one over one using DMC 3865, 3826, 469 and 741.

I was going to stitch this on the originally suggested 32ct WDW Gunmetal Linen. I started it on that. It was just too tiny for my over one stitching and the cubby shelf.
I am now stitching the November 'A Year of Celebrations' by Hands On Design. This is the last month for me. I will have the entire 12 months completed with this finish! Yay! :)

I also can't wait to begin the last pattern in the Joyful World SAL. What a sweet pattern that is. This has been a fun SAL. What a gift Maija has given so very many stitchers around the world!

I am having a giveaway for my American followers this time. Sorry, it is due to postage once again. :( If you live in the USA, are a follower of mine and would like to stitch this pattern, leave a comment on this post. I will draw a name on Friday, November 18th. The pattern is new, and includes the little buttons. I just never stitched it, and found it while stash diving. I want to give it to one of you who will stitch it.
We are still waiting to hear from insurance for approval for the pill camera. That bad headache, brought on by the sun, has not left me yet, almost one week later.

I do hope you have a stitchtastic weekend my friends!

Monday, November 7, 2016

A Little Bit Of November

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a good weekend? I did. Until...well, the sun. I went shopping to quite a few stores with Brian and Madeleine in the sunshine on Saturday. Then I grilled out hamburgers for our dinner in the sunshine. I started feeling a headache. Dummie me thought since I have been taking the iron for weeks, I was kinda getting over bad headaches. I thought I could get out and do things again. WRONG! I needed Imitrex yesterday and today. I have also been using lavender/peppermint essential oils on my temples. This headache will NOT let go yet!

We did watch Casablanca Saturday night together as a family. Madeleine watched it in her European History class and thought we would like it too, so we watched it at home. It is good, isn't it? I am assuming I am in the minority of people who have not seen it.

I finished up my little November freebie from our friend Palkó that you can find HERE. I have to say that this is my all time favorite monthly pattern that she designed.
I stitched this one over one using DMC 4140 on 25ct white evenweave. Here are my November stitches so far.
Here is the whole cubby shelf.
I am now onto another seasonal freebie. This one is by Hands On Design.

Here is a fun cereal we purchased this last week. The first person I thought of after our son Jacob, was Beth actually. ;)
This is what the view looks like out our front window. The leaves are certainly hanging on a bit longer this year.
That is it for today friends. Since it is another beautiful, sunny, warm day, I am going to ask Brian to BBQ the chicken tonight on the grill! Not me! o_0 I need to banish this headache. Come back next time for a seasonal Bent Creek chart giveaway.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Friday, November 4, 2016

Miss Turkey Lurkey and Children

Hi friends! I found a fun, small freebie I have had printed out for 3 1/2 years. I decided I needed to stitch this up now. I am glad I did. I think it is very cute. Meet Miss Turkey Lurkey and her children. And yes, this is the name I gave them! ;) Did you know that some turkey hens strut and display their feathers? It is not common, but my turkey mama is doing it!

I tracked this freebie down again. The blog has changed a bit, but the pattern still appears HERE.
I stitched this one over two with DMC, on 40ct Meadow Rue linen. The linen was a gift from Barbara. Thank you Barbara! :) I used DMC 3045,869, a mystery dark brown, and 676. This now is up in the cubby shelf.
I am stitching the November 'A Year Of Celebrations' by Hands On Designs now.

I had the upper and lower scopes done on Wednesday. The GI doctor said I look good in there. He did take two biopsies from my small intestine. He tested for Celiac Disease. I do not have it. I heard back from him yesterday. He would next like to have me swallow a small pill camera in his office so he can check the 18 feet of intestine he could not get to with the scope. I am back on my iron pills and am hoping to get better every day.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends. Thank you for stopping by today. I plan on having another giveaway next week.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie