Giveaway

Hi friends! It has really warmed up here in Wisconsin. The daffodils are in full bloom.💐

In the latest issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, the June 2018 issue, there is a sweet pattern called 'Heart Scissors Pocket' by Nicoletta Farrauto of Nikyscreations that I would like to offer as a giveaway. This will just be two pages torn out from the magazine, folded and placed in an envelope. This giveaway is open to all of my followers anywhere in the world. I will draw a winner on Friday May 4th.

During my recovery I listened to a great audio book recommended to me by our friend Barb. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan was a very good book. I was really not sure what to expect. There was a brief time in the beginning I thought to stop reading it. I was worried where the "big trouble" was headed. Not sure I wanted to stick around for it. I am glad I did.
For readers of Lilac Girls and The Nightingale, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir unfolds the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of a village choir during World War II.

As England becomes enmeshed in the early days of World War II and the men are away fighting, the women of Chilbury village forge an uncommon bond. They defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to close the choir and instead “carry on singing,” resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. We come to know the home-front struggles of five unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret; and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past. 
 
An enchanting ensemble story that shuttles from village intrigue to romance to the heartbreaking matters of life and death, Jennifer Ryan’s debut novel thrillingly illuminates the true strength of the women on the home front in a village of indomitable spirit.

I am still stitching my Margaret Sherry cat for my mom.😣 I love the way MS stitches look, but may not love stitching them. Can you relate? Man! There are like 1 MILLION 1/2 stitches and 3/4 stitches. THAT is getting old! I have started a bit of the backstitching in spots.

Have a super weekend my friends! Thank you for stopping by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

🏵️🏵️🏵️

Hi friends! Thank you for your sweet comments on my last post. You brighten my day!

Today I have the May wreath to share with you.

This is supposed to be a wreath of carnations. There sure are a WIDE variety of carnations. To me this looks a lot more like the "pinks" in the carnation family. Or the Dianthus  you would get from a garden center to plant in your garden bed.

This beauty can be found HERE. At the end of the post you can read it is for sale. I got the chart when it was offered for free.😉

I stitched this one over one with the called for DMC on 25ct white Zweigart Dublin linen.

I came across an audio book by an author I never heard of and decided to give it a try. The book was pretty good, but not excellent. The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes was very interesting for the historical story. She tells of the Chinese people being banished from the Northwest. She also tells a modern love story at the same time. I preferred the historical fiction part.

"The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is a beautiful story that brought me to tears more than once, and was a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and the human heart. A powerful debut that proves the threads that interweave our lives can withstand time and any tide, and bind our hearts forever."-Susanna Kearsley, New York Times bestselling author

Inspired by true events, Kelli Estes's brilliant and atmospheric debut serves as a poignant tale of two women determined to do the right thing, and the power of our own stories.

The smallest items can hold centuries of secrets...

Inara Erickson is exploring her deceased aunt's island estate when she finds an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden in the house. As she peels back layer upon layer of the secrets it holds, Inara's life becomes interwoven with that of Mei Lein, a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before. Through the stories Mei Lein tells in silk, Inara uncovers a tragic truth that will shake her family to its core ― and force her to make an impossible choice.

I am now stitching a Margaret Sherry cat for my mom.😺 Her birthday is coming up. Lots of little stitches in this kitty! wOw!🤪

I have mentioned in the past that I do not watch TV, and I do not. Yesterday Jacob showed me this on YouTube. Have you seen this?! Father Ray Kelly on Britian's Got Talent. Oh my! If you have not, watch it! I have watched it twice so far and cried both times.😭

That's it for today friends. I thank you once again for stopping by and taking the time to comment. You're the best! ♥ May every minute of this day be blessed by the Lord.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

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Hi friends! I am stitching away on the May wreath for my cubby shelf. I will have a picture to share with you next time.

I have a link to a sweet, free chart to share with you. CLICK HERE FOR THE CHART

This is an old pattern, but a sweet, quick stitch.🤗

During my recovery I listened to Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Have any of you read this book? Wow! I highly recommend this book! I could not put it down. I had never heard of the Ravensbrück Rabbits before in my life. If you would like to know more information about the Ravensbrück Rabbits CLICK HERE Please be warned that this site contains graphic material from World War II. It is not pretty, but it is all true and it all happened.
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, stitchtastic weekend my friends! I thank you for stopping by. Your comments encourage me and brighten my day. Thank you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

The Egg

Hi friends! I was missing from the blog for a bit because I have been busy with my physical therapy now. Whew. What a lot of work this is.😩Every day, three times a day for this frozen shoulder. And I still do my exercises every other day for my hip! Good grief. Such fun. Well it must be done.

I am back because I have some stitching to share. I finally finished the Easter stitching I mentioned in my last post. NOT before Easter. Oh well. I am not used to going at a slower pace. This recovery thing is NOT my thing, but.. it.. IS, you know what I mean? I am forced to slow down. My body is telling me so.

Here is the beauty I stitched up.

This is 'Rabbit Egg' or 'Hasen-Ei' by Elisa Tortonesi-Sieß.

I stitched this one over one on 28ct Wichelt Monet Blue linen. I really like stitching on Wichelt, don't you?

I knew I wanted to make a door knob hanger with this finish, but I was thinking of finishing ideas. When I found this white decorative trim in Hobby Lobby my eyes lit up.🤩The whole project was set now.

Do you remember these?

I remember these from my childhood. This ribbon I found made me instantly think of the frosting that was piped around these eggs. tee hee!

I could not find a fabric I liked for the backing. I made a trip to JoAnn and found white sparkle mesh. ooOoo! I glued a piece of white paper to the backside of the plain cardboard egg shape for the back piece. I then glued on a double layer of the white sparkle mesh. I could very well be crazy, but to me, it reminds me of a sugar egg. What do you think?

I am very happy with this finish. I plan to make a few more in the future. As in next  year.(I have too many other things lined up to do RIGHT NOW!) The door knob hanger finish is a good option for me to display my seasonal stitching here in the apartment.

I should show you some of the pretty flowers I have received during my recovery time.

Notice they are mostly pink?😍

I am soooooooooooo behind in telling you about the books I read. I finished this book right after my surgery. Jane and the Cantebury Tale by Stephanie Barron was a very good book. I just love every one of these "Jane" books. Stephanie writes these books so well that I forget that they are HISTORICAL fiction.They just seem real. If you love Jane Austen and historical fiction, I really recommend the Jane Austen Mystery Series by Stephanie Barron.
Three years after news of her scandalous husband’s death, Adelaide Fiske is at the altar again, her groom a soldier on the Marquis of Wellington’s staff. The prospects seem bright for one of the most notorious women in Kent—until Jane Austen discovers a corpse on the ancient Pilgrim’s Way that runs through her brother Edward’s estate. As First Magistrate for Canterbury, Edward is forced to investigate, with Jane as his reluctant assistant. But she rises to the challenge and leaves no stone unturned, discovering mysteries deeper than she could have anticipated. It seems that Adelaide’s previous husband has returned for the new couple’s nuptials—only this time, genuinely, profoundly dead. But when a second corpse appears beside the ancient Pilgrim’s Way, Jane has no choice but to confront a murderer, lest the next corpse be her own.

I have designed and stitched up the May poodle pattern. 🐩💕

I have now begun stitching my May wreath for the cubby shelf.

We have five inches of snow here. On top of one inch of ice. Just wonderful. NOT! And it is still snowing.

Well, I will be stitching and doing physical therapy this week friends. ugh. The shoulder work is VERY  hard work. But I am doing it!

Have a super week! I am so glad you stopped by. Thank you for your comments and encouragement. God bless you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Little Miss April

Hi friends! Here is my April cubby shelf.

Two new pieces are in there. The April wreath of pansies and the April poodle I designed.

Stitched one over one on 25ct white Zweigart Dublin linen with the called for DMC. This pattern can be found HERE  I love every single wreath so far this year, but I REALLY love this one!! Pansies are my favorite flower.💖

Here is the April Poodle.

Brian keeps referring to this poodle as "Little Miss April". She is stitched one over one with DMC on 25ct Bo Peep Pink Lugana.

If you would like to stitch this free pattern designed by me, please scroll to the top of my blog and click on the Calendar Poodle SAL tab at the top. This will take you to all my free poodle patterns. You will also see all the finishes done by our friends! 😍

Have you ever read a book just because you liked the cover? I admit I decided I was going to read this book when I saw the cover. Hmm. Maybe you will figure out my interest.

Are you spotting "Charley"? He would be the standard poodle seated next to John Steinbeck. I actually listened to this book. What a surprise I was in for. I was thinking how quaint this would be. John sets out from the East Coast with Charley to meet people across America. This was written in 1962. I was not even born yet.  I was really enjoying myself. It was so innocent. People were generally so nice. He made it out to California, then traveling back, through the south, I just about cried. I was just dumbstruck. He decided to go through New Orleans to see the "cheerleaders". These would be the horrid women that shouted obscenities at little 6-year old first-grade Ruby Bridges. I was so sickened by the racism. So was Steinbeck. It was so strong,so vile. Especially since I was listening to it I suppose. Wow. I never knew this was part of the book. I picked the book because it had a cute poodle on the cover.
An intimate journey across America, as told by one of its most beloved writers

To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and  the unexpected kindness of strangers. 

I have been asked by several people over the months and I need to tell you all. I have my daily migraines under control now. Praise be to God. I no longer have daily migraines because the neurologist I see here in town upped the dose of Topomax I am taking by a lot. If I am exposed to oven heat or out in the sun I will still get a migraine. I still get monthly migraines from my menstrual cycles. I am very grateful to God that I do not have them every, single day any more though.

My shoulder pain continues because my shoulder is "frozen". I have a prescription of Vicodan from the neurosurgeon to help me. I see a physical therapist on Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by today my friends! I am so glad you did. I hope you have a super week! I am stitching up an Easter pattern. Our Orthodox Easter is this Sunday. I hope to even finish it off into a door hanging ornament before then.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie