September Wreath

Hi friends! I finished stitching the September wreath for the cubby shelf. I really like the marigolds, don't you?

This was stitched one over one on 25ct white Zweigart Dublin linen with the called for DMC. This pattern can be found HERE.

I also got my September poodle designed. Now I will move on to stitching him!🐩

I cannot for the life of me remember which of my British stitching friends recommended Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys. Was it you?? Please let me know! I read this book and it was good. It was not exactly what I was expecting.

We have been watching the old family videos we made starting 24 years ago when Jacob was first born. We watch them when we are all together, so it is going slowly. It is hard to get all five of us together at one time actually with work and school schedules. Brian and I sit glued to the screen practically. HA. The kids not as much. Um, the first two whole tapes are of Jacob only.😉Oh first time, young devoted parents!!!🤣

Madeleine begins university again on Monday. Summer is ending then isn't it? Hard for me to know, I still stay in mostly. I tested it, and even with the increased dosage of the Topamax, yes, the headaches soar if I stay out in the sun for any length of time, so I do not go out at all.

Thank you for your lovely comments last time and your birthday wishes for both Brian AND Murphy!😁

I have a giveaway going on for a LizzieKate pattern right now. See my last post for the giveaway.

I hope you have a lovely weekend my friends! Take good care of yourself,  there is only one you!❤️

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works  Hebrews 10:24

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

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Hi friends! I have a sweet finish today to share with you. "A Little Beach" by LizzieKate. This one is for Brian. This is a pattern he chose. Today is his 50th birthday!🎂

This was a kit. I did not even take the time to count the linen. I think it must be 28ct or 32ct? I used most of the called for DMC. I did change out the dark green and the oranges. I chose ones to match the cover picture better. I stitched this two over two as called for and this gave me a 5x5 finish. Absolutely perfect for this frame I have had waiting for one year!

I plan to use this for seasonal displays.😊 Brian is quite happy with this small gift.

I have this spot open on the side of my dresser, right as you walk into our bedroom you pass by it. This is where I have placed it.

Now that I am done with this pattern I would like to offer this to any of my sidebar followers. There are blue beads left, but I used the star fish charm. I will need you to leave a comment on this post telling me you would like this chart. I will draw a name for the winner of the chart on Monday, September 3rd.

Have you ever read a book by Adriana Trigiani? Oh my goodness!!! This author is SO GOOD!! I read The Shoemaker's Wife. What a fantastic book! I loved it. I looked her up on and ordered more of her audio book on our library system. Oh man! So good! I am going to read all of her books. SERIOUSLY!
Beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani returns with the most epic and ambitious novel of her career—a breathtaking multigenerational love story that spans two continents, two World Wars, and the quest of two star-crossed lovers to find each other again. The Shoemaker's Wife is replete with the all the page-turning adventure, sumptuous detail, and heart-stopping romance that has made Adriana Trigiani, “one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction” (USA Today). Fans of Trigiani’s sweeping family dramas like Big Stone Gap and Lucia, Lucia will love her latest masterpiece, a book Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, calls “totally new and completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream.”

Well off to stitch on the September floral wreath for the cubby shelf. I need to think up a September poodle!! I have no ideas yet!🤔

Murphy turns 15 tomorrow!🎉

Thanks for stopping by today my friends. I am always glad when you do. Have a super week now!

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:7

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Punch Needle

Hi friends! Well the project I worked on last week was punch needle.😊 Yes, I have not done punch needle since I was barely a teenager in middle school! Back then we did it with yarn and burlap. This was quite different. More detailed work. Let me show you.

Yes! I punched my precious Mabel.😘 I had wanted to start punch needle SIX years ago!! I never did it. I had the punch needle, the weavers cloth, the pattern and the floss all waiting! And now that I am ready, I pulled it all out and decided my tastes changed.

You know who's patterns I really, really love? Michelle Palmer.😍 Oh my goodness! If you are not familiar with her work, go HERE  to look at her amazing artwork!!

Well, I would love to punch up one of Michelle's patterns, but I needed a little something to practice on first. So what to do? I looked high and low for a poodle and could not find one, so I drew one for myself and punched her up! Ta da! What do you think of my precious girl?🐩 That is supposed to be a pearl necklace.

I was asked by a friend on Instagram how I finished her off. Well let me tell you, the finishing process on this was way less fun than the punching was! I KNOW this is because of the shape of my piece. If this was a square or rectangle it would have been a piece of cake to finish, but it was NOT! I wanted to finish it as Michelle Palmer explains how to on her blog with a piece that she did that is a heart shape. By the time I clipped the weavers cloth and ironed all the tiny edges in, I was NOT going to sew those tiny edges to the felt. She used wool. I just glued the weavers cloth edges to the felt backing. Some people completely glue their backs from what I read and see online. I have even read this on punch needle shop blogs, so it must be okay?!

Anyhow, I stuck a large pearl head pin into the back of this piece and she is on display in the bathroom poodle display board now. You will notice the birthday cards. Those are for Brian and Murphy! The August birthday boys.😉

I am curious to know which of you my friends are now also doing punch needle? If you are thinking of doing punch needle, but are nervous to do it, just give it a try, really! It is easy, honest! I can prove it. Just ask Brian, my husband. That's right, my husband!! I watched Brenda Gervais' punch needle tutorial and Brian watched it with me. He said, "Hey, that looks like fun. I might try that. That does not look hard." And so we got a second punch needle, Brian used one of my locking lip type plastic embroidery hoops that held the weavers cloth drum tight (I did too, since we both did very small projects this time) and away he punched! He wanted to do something very simple. He drew a smiley face.😊

Notice the pink "nose"? He said he is always going to add some kind of pink to his punch needle pieces in honor of me. Well now. I am not sure how that is always going to work out. I tried explaining that to him, but he insists! Can you believe it?! A punch needling husband!🤩

Now I am stitching up a LK pattern for Brian for his birthday actually. He told me he liked the pattern, and it is not one I would have normally purchased, so I will stitch it and it will be an August display pattern for him!

I want to thank so many of you for commenting on my last post about my new friendship with Coralie. It was so interesting to read about pen pals that many of you have had over the years. I look forward to the new writing adventure Coralie and I will have.

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  1Corinthians 2:9

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Freshly groomed Murphy

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Hi friends! Today I am going to tell you of the next book on my list that I have read. It is a special book. Let me tell you why.



I first learned of this book on our friend Coralie's blog.  I thought this book sounded so interesting I had to check it out for myself. And the funny thing is that this book is written by two American authors. Why is this funny? Well, Coralie is French, and I read about this book after I translated dear Coralie's blog into English.


I checked my library, and sure enough, I was able to order this as an audio book from another library as an interlibrary loan. Once this audio book came, I listened to it while I stitched. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful book! This is a book about friendship. Two women who develop a long lasting, deep, wonderful friendship. All through the mail. That's right! They are pen pals during WWII. I was so touched. I was so inspired. I loved it. I had to email Coralie afterwards and tell her so.

Do you know that after my email I received a reply back from Coralie also? She was moved by my email as well! She wanted to know if it was possible if two women could possibly become friends and pen pals just as Gloria and Rita did many years ago? Can we do it now without texting. Without emailing? Just writing to each other? Maybe even share recipes and tips along the way as they did? Well I immediately answered her with a resounding YES!

And so we have begun.😊 We have each written. And will continue to do so. How neat is that?!
It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home. Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other's unwavering support.

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I have an update for you on our dear friend Scott. He had his surgery yesterday to remove his cancerous kidney. Yes, Scott's kidney was removed. So was his spleen, and 20-30% of his pancreas. In one month his cancer doubled. His surgery was successful. Scott now has a long road ahead. Oh friends. Let us surround this dear couple in prayer. Please do not forget that dear Jenny herself is fighting for her life with her own battle against breast cancer. Thank you. I pass on all these prayers and well wishes to Jenny. And she shares them all with Scott. They have told me time and time again how grateful they are for them. How much they mean to them.
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I have something very different to share with you next time. I am almost done with it. I have been working at it this week. I just have the finishing to do. Nope. Not sharing details. I am keeping you guessing.😉 It is not cross stitch. Something I have been wanting to do for years now and finally said, "Now is the time. DO IT!"

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed my story of how Coralie and I became pen pals and are becoming true friends.💕 I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  John 10:28

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Stitchin' In The Kitchen

Hi friends! I have a question for you all. What is your opinion on stitchery in the kitchen? Do you put your finished work on display in your kitchen? Are they framed pieces? Are they behind glass? Do they need to be a certain distance from the sink? Do they need to be a certain distance from the stove? Do you think it is just plain horrid to put stitchin' in the kitchen? Tell me please? I truly want to know what YOU think. I do. I want to know what YOU do in your very own kitchen.

One of the very first things we hung up in this apartment were my two samplers in the kitchen. I had these hanging in our home.

Well, hang on to your needles ladies, this may shock some of you. I do NOT have these under glass. Yes, that is right. They are 8 years old, have been in the kitchen the whole time, and do not look worse for it. These are out of sunlight and I dust them. They are near the sink, but not close enough or low enough to ever get water on them.

Since we have moved to this apartment, I am very limited with display space. BUT! Yes, BUT! I have always wanted a sampler wall. For almost two decades now! And I finally have one. In the kitchen. Yes, my itty, bitty kitchen. I have a wide open wall, pale pink of course, duh! The entire apartment minus the boys' bedroom is pale pink, remember?!😍

So now you know why I worked up a pink sampler. For the pink kitchen. Like, hello?! Are you with me? Here it is.

And yes, this one is under glass. No, not fancy glass. It is the wall opposite the window. It does not really get sun directly on it though. We pull the blind every single day. We must to prevent my headaches. This is a store bought, white painted wood 5x7 frame that works very nicely.

This pattern was charted by Barbara Hutson and is available for free from The Attic in their January 4th, 2018 newsletter. You need to scroll to page 21. Go HERE

I stitched this one over one on 32 count Angel Blush linen with VMSS 1840 Rose Pink.

I do want your opinion on putting stitching here though.

Yes, I think most of you will think me crazy. "She wants to put her framed pieces above her oven? Is she mad?"  Well, maybe I am. Or maybe I am dumb. Please tell me if this is just a really bad idea. This space begs for some stitching also in my opinion and I have a different plan for this spot. Help please! Yes, be honest with me.

I have finally joined so very, very many of you on Instagram. Oh my goodness! How wonderful to reconnect with old friends!🤗 If you would like to follow me on Instagram, my user name is stitchingvickie. Let me know if you are on Instagram and I will follow you!

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Okay friends, once again Jenny and Scott NEED us to rally round and give our support PLEASE! Scott is scheduled for surgery to remove his cancerous kidney today at 3:00. God willing it will happen this time and all will go smooth and recovery will be excellent. Jenny has expressed to me how much these prayers mean to Scott and her. Thank you!!
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Thank you for stopping by today. I am so glad you did! I look forward to connecting with lots of you on Instagram. I will still be here on my blog every week as always, not to worry. Have a great week my friends!

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Luke 15:10

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Hi friends. I am asking you to please once again pray for our dear friend Scott. Yes, I know I just asked you to pray for him this morning. His surgery was scheduled for this morning at 8:30. He went in for surgery, but it was cancelled because he had a cardiac issue. He had more tests and procedures. They had to shock him to get him into a normal rhythm. He is admitted into the hospital indefinitely. If all stays normal, he will have the surgery on Monday to remove this cancerous kidney. Please God! As you can imagine Jenny is just falling apart at the seams. Please pray for Jenny, Scott and both of their adult children. Thank you ever so much!


“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?  Exodus 15:11

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

August Poodle

Hi friends! I have the August poodle all charted and ready to share with you! She is my favorite!

What do you think of her? I just thought I would send one of my little poodles to the beach! Since I cannot get out to the beach and enjoy the sun, why not send out a petit caniche?

The next toy poodle I get, and yes, I plan these things!! The next one I get I would like to either get a chocolate colored one like this girl, or a white one. And I will be getting a girl. It will be quite a while til we get another though. Brian says one at a time from now on.That will be a looooooooooong time! Murphy is just about to turn 15 years old! And Henry is just 8!! I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to poodles I am afraid!😍

I was not happy with how dark her ears were with the DMC 839 to be honest. So for my own version I tweeded 839 and 840 for the ears and the tail. Have you ever done that? Do you know what I am talking about. This means that instead of using the two strands of 840 as I have stated for the chart below, I actually used one strand of 839 and one strand of 840 together. It lightened it up just a bit. Just enough. I like it. There was no way for me to express this on Stitch Fiddle, so I am mentioning it here.

Also I could not believe that Stitch Fiddle does NOT have DMC 806!!! I used 806 for the ocean just so you know. NOT 807. I had no choice  but to chart 807 since there was no other option for me there!! CRAZY! 🤪

I stitched my little scene on a lovely light blue sponge dyed 28 count even weave. I was saving this fabric for just the right project and this was it. It gives it a nice sky background. I am afraid this did NOT show up in the above pictures well at all. I tried in different lighting. That is why one picture is so dark. Just trust me. I used DMC, stitched two over two.

So here is the chart if you want to stitch it. As always, my little poodles are available for free on my Calendar Poodle SAL Page at the top of this blog. Just click on the tab to see all of the months and to see pictures of stitcher's finished poodles.

Use two strands of 839 to make the French knot nose. Use one strand of 3799 to backstitch the birds.

Here is the August cubby shelf display.

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Friends I am asking you to please keep Scott and Jenny in your prayers. Scott is scheduled to have surgery to remove his kidney today. He was to have it Tuesday, but it was postponed until today. He is in excruciating pain my friends. The surgery should take 3 1/2 hours. Please pray all goes well. Thank you very, very much!
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Do you remember this sweet, little finish above? I keep it in my cubby shelf. I am on the left, Jenny is on the right.😊 CLICK HERE  to take at little trip down memory lane.

I have been keeping busy with my health issues. I am still stitching. I plan to have a finish to share with you next time.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate all of your comments. You brighten my day!

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalm 103:1-5

Stitching and praying,
Vickie