September's Morning Glory

 Hi friends! It has been a while. That is because I am busy stitching Christmas gifts. I did take time to finish my September monthly piece though. Here it is.

💐September's Morning Glory 💐by Cottage Garden Samplings I stitched this one over two on 40ct lambswool linen with DMC and VMSS. How about those morning glories?!🤩 I loved stitching them. Made me recall growing them in my garden years ago too. I grew ones called Milk Chocolate also. 😊

I am making flat finishes out of all twelve months and mounting them with a magnet to this finishing piece I got from Hobby Lobby.

💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

🌞Sunshine🌞by Cricket Collection. 

As I think you may have figured out?? I changed the words. 😉 It did read "you are my". Our beloved priest, Father Serafim, constantly calls people Sunshine, so he himself has earned the nickname Father Sunshine. 😊 He is such a wonderful, intelligent, helpful man. It is hard stitching for a man I think ( in my opinion), and Father Serafim is not only a priest, he is also a monk. So he really should not own a lot of "stuff". I am hoping a coaster is okay. He liked it. He laughed and used it right away anyhow.

I stitched this one over one on mystery lilac 40ct to make this fit!! I used a few of the called for DMC and then pulled the rest of what I liked in DMC, as the pattern called for Silk'n Colors and Kreinik Braid, and I was not doing those.

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

I am now stitching a small fall piece.

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? James 3:10-11

We will have our sons and our DIL over for lunch on Sunday. Madeleine lives with us, if you recall. 😉 I am going to bake a carrot cake. I have had the recipe from Barb, form Lost In Floss, Floss Tube fame, for at least 3 years now, and have never made it!! I had it last month, and I have to say it is the best carrot cake I have ever had.🤩🤩🤩 The occasion on Sunday, well Monday actually, the 3rd, is our 30th anniversary. If we had money, we would do something or go somewhere. Seeing as, the medical bills still keep us down, well, we have each other and our children to celebrate with. 

I did stitch something very small this year. Seems silly. I stitched a bigger piece for Brian two years ago! And here is a milestone year and it is a little gift. No matter. He loves them all. And I cannot make a lot of pieces for the walls. Brian does not like a lot of cross stitch on the walls. I keep working on that/him.😉

I hope you all have a great weekend! I plan too. Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate your comments. That is why I take the time to reply. 😊

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Be Merry

 Hi friends! Hooray! Hooray! I have another ornament completed for the family.😄 Yesterday I got the finishing done on Madeleine's ornament. I had been putting it off, as it was new-to-me finishing, a mini stocking. Have you done mini stockings? I am SO glad I had the step-by-step tutorial from Carol Mundle on Instagram. She emailed me a pdf step-by-step process a long time ago and I saved it for when I needed it. If you want easy to follow directions on how to make a mini stocking that is fully lined that also has pictures, email me and I will send this to you.💌

This is Be Merry by Raise the Roof Designs. 🥸

This pattern is found in JCS 2007 Christmas Ornament Issue. Madeleine is a huge fan of Groucho and the Marx brothers. I stitched this two over two on 32 ct Lambswool linen with some of the called for DMC and I used VMSS Valentine Red. and  CC Toasted Marshmallow. I lightened up the face and nose.

I cannot wait to surprise Madeleine with this one! 😍

💕The Cross Stitcherhood💕

This is the pattern I designed for our fist ever retreat day on Leanne's birthday. In the center of this pattern is the free pattern offered by punochka_stitches a few months ago. Every single one of us has "signed" our names now. I also added Leanne's name.💖 I am very happy with this special piece. I gave everyone VMSS floss from my collection to stitch their names in.

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We have another retreat day coming up for our cross stitch group next month. It is here in Wisconsin. Lisa, in our group, is friends with a woman who owns a fantastic historic farm home, which also happens to be an airbnb. She is letting us stitch there for the day. 

I created little gifts to give my friends and one for the couple. And I also made three more for Annie and her daughters. Are you familiar with AnnieBeez FolkArt? Well Lisa reached out to Annie and asked her if she would like to spend the day with us. She and her daughters live not too far from where we will be that day. They said yes! 😃 We are going to have fun! I am baking a challah bread for that day. We will have lots of food of course.

I am now working on my September monthly piece.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

The weather is just starting to cool a bit here. I love sleeping with the windows open.

I hope you have a fantastic day my friends! Thanks for stopping by. Take care now.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Catching Up

 Hi friends! Here we are halfway through the month and I totally forgot to post my pictures to the blog of my cornershelf displays and the cubby shelf! Oops!

🍂🍄September Corner Shelf🍄🍂

🏵️📚September Cubby Shelf Display📚🏵️ Most of these are all stitched over one.

Our friend Marilyn sent me this sweet surprise. 

Thank you once again Marilyn! I love it and all the pretty pink!

I have not been showing much stitching, because I have been stitching Christmas pieces for friends. I cannot show those pieces here, now can I? 😉 I still have to work on the finishing for those. That always requires a certain "finishing mood". 

I did get the stitching done on a small anniversary gift for Brian. Our 30th anniversary is coming right up. Now to get the finishing done on that one too!

This time of year always stresses me out. I have SO many gifts I make for family and friends. And I do NOT like having so many things on my to-do list. Brian says I do this to my self and I do not have to. Well I don't know about that. I enjoy gift giving. Don't you? This is why I start early. Do you have any tips for me? I feel like I have it pretty well in order, but when you are handmaking gifts, you can only go so fast!

I found another pain management doctor near me. I will see him October 6th. I will see what he has to say about my situation. The new sciatic pain on the left is settling down a little bit, but definitely still there. 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends. Thanks for dropping by. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Santa & Rudolph

 Hi friends! I finished Emerson's Christmas ornament. 🎅Santa & Rudolph by Water's Edge🦌

I was showing Emerson the ornament I had planned to stitch his sister from the 2007 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue, when he pointed out this one to me and told me he liked it. Well that was a no-brainer! I stitched this on the called for 28ct Summer Khaki Cashel linen with most of the called for DMC. I did change a few. I did NOT place a red pom pom nose on Rudolph. I stitched him a red metallic nose instead. I stitched Santa's pom with Wisper floss.

🎅🦌🎅🦌🎅🦌🎅🦌🎅🦌🎅

I am now stitching Madeleine's ornament during the day and when she is home at night, I am stitching on a Christmas gift for a friend.

Are you stitching Christmas yet?

Our stitching group is meeting this Thursday at the local library. RoseAnn is the one friend who did not get a chance to "sign" her name on my Retreat Sampler. I hope she signs it on Thursday. I am doubtful about that. We chat more than we stitch. 😉 I will send it home with her and get it back. Then I can finally frame it next month!

Are you working on a sampler for Sampler September? I will work on my Emma Fischer 1859 a little. I am not dedicating much time to it though. I know how fast time goes this time of year! I am working away on making my gifts. I hate being frazzled. So far, so good.

I did have the follow up appointment with the pain doctor. I asked him for lidocaine patches. I decided for now to not go through anymore injections. You see, the doctor is very young. About the age of our Jacob. I know all doctors have to start out. He knows what he is talking about. I believe what he is saying. I think what he says to do next is probably correct. But to have HIM do the injections on MY body, UM NO! He does not have enough experience behind him. I told Brian this. Brian is all for him. I said, Yeah. Why don't YOU have the injections IN YOUR BODY BY HIM!!! Based on how painful the last injections were, I will not do injections with him for now.

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10

Thank you for stopping by my friends. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. You all are a blessing in my life. I thank God for you. Truly.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie