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Hi friends! I have some finishes to share with you.

🌸May freebie by romyfrees.blogspot.com🌸 I stitched this two over two on 28ct white Jubilee using VMSS and WDW. The fabric shown is the backing material. This little monthly pillow did not get a trim. I am working from my stash since the lockdown, and I just did not have one that worked. It seems fine plain.

💐Flowers of the Month: May & June by Praiseworthystitches 💐

 Both of these patterns are from the current issue of JCS. Since I stitched them for my cubby shelf, I stitched mine one over one on 25ct antique white linen, so I had to leave off the over one word at the bottom. I also skipped the border. I used DMC and VMSS.

📚This story is set in Depression-era Kentucky. This is not only a romance, but a fictionalised account of the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians. It is inspired by a real group of librarians who between 1935 and 1943 delivered books to some of the most remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains. This story follows five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond. I really enjoyed this book.😊
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives. Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic--a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”  James 1:12

I hope you have a very nice week my friends! Stay healthy and safe! God bless you.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Cally LOVES this Amazon box. Best cat bed EVER!

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Hi friends! I have another finish for the month of April to share with you.

☂️April Glooms by Bent Creek☂️ I stitched this two over two with DMC and Classic Colorworks on 32ct lambswool linen. I am working with my stash!

How many of you have read this book? I had planned to read it last year, and then forgot it was waiting for me on OverDrive, through my library, and I missed my time to check it out! Then I forgot to check it out again for months. I had to recheck it out and the waiting list is LOOOONG! But boy is it ever worth the wait! What  a great book! I listened to it and it was awesome, but I know reading it would be fantastic as well. I could not get through it fast enough! Loved it.
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

It is my hope and prayer that you my friends are staying safe and well, and not contracting COVID. I am praying for you.💗

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.  Psalm 119:11

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

He Is Risen!

Hi friends! Happy Easter to my fellow Orthodox Christians!

This is my latest finish I want to share with you.

🌸🌼This is Quaker Easter Egg by Bent Creek🌼🌸 I chose my own colors to "pink" it up!💗 I stitched this with VMSS and DMC. Thank you dear Georgia for this lovely pattern❣️ I backed this with Dahlia velvet from elegantstitch.ladydotcreates. I absolutely love this egg❣️ Do you like Pansy, Flora and Violet, my little poodle triplets?! 🐩🐩🐩

I would like to show you the rest of my corner shelf display for April now also.

I am SO happy to once again be eating dairy products and meat! I don't mind giving up meat so much for all of Lent, but I sure do miss the dairy!!  I am a HUGE cheese lover!!🧀

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Luke 19:10

I hope and pray you all stay well. I am disappointed, saddened and disgusted that protests have begun in our area, in our state, protesting the extension of the safer at home order from our Governor. What is wrong with people? Are Americans THAT entitled? Do they understand death and disease that little?

Thank you for stopping by my friends. God bless you. I am praying for you.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

April Stitching

Hi friends! I have been praying for you to remain safe and well from this virus.

Here is a picture of my cubby shelf for April.

Since I took this picture I added this to the top of the cubby shelf:

🌸This is the April freebie by romyfrees.blogspot.com🌸I am stitching this whole cute series. I stitched this two over two on 28ct white Jubilee using VMSS flosses and DMC. The fabric shown is the backing material.

I will share my Easter finish with you next time my friends, as Orthodox Easter is coming right up!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

Stay safe my friends! We are staying put inside unless we have to get supplies. God bless you.💗

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

💙💙💙

Hi friends! I have not been cross stitching. I have been sewing face masks for our son Jacob, the pediatric nurse at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. They have run out of masks!😮 😬 NOT GOOD FRIENDS! NOT GOOD AT ALL! I am sewing masks for his fellow nurses also and for my own family and extended family and friends and neighbors. Do you see why I am not cross stitching?!?!

I feel an intense burden in my heart to create these masks. I have been washing fabric, (See! My fabric stash is finally being put to an EXCELLENT use!!) working on cutting the pieces, preparing nose bars, and......waiting.....  😖 Elastic for the ear loops is the new TP!! It is NOT to be found! Brian and I DID find it online.Some people are charging SUPER INFLATED PRICES FOR IT!!☹️ It is coming tomorrow supposedly. I will be cranking these out. 😷

Many, many people are saying you can use pony tail elastics. I am not so sure. According to THIS Youtube video that I personally believe IS the best one out there. It makes the masks as good as the N95 masks. You CANNOT get better than that! You cannot! She checked with her legal team on it to be sure. I am trusting them for my Jacob folks. 😷

Also, the best thing to use between the two layers of cotton is Oly-fun. This fabric is the same fabric used for the fabric shopping bags. I cut up two of the fabric shopping bags we had to make some. I have several yards of  Oly-fun coming from Hobby Lobby. Waiting is not good in a time like this!!! But as is probably the case in your area, just like our state of Wisconsin, non-essential stores are shut down. So no craft stores are open. We must order online. I will get the masks  done of course. I just want them done and on our son! And the other nurses! And everyone!!😷

I created this chart because Mother Teresa has always been dear to me. She inspires me to try harder, to be better. I never saw her complain. She gave and gave and gave of herself. In this time of world crisis, we need to think of each other, pray for each other and love one another, even though we must "be apart".

My friends, it is my hope and prayer you all stay safe. It is best if you stay inside for now to accomplish this. I know some of you must work. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Keep clean. Know that I am praying for you. God bless you. 

“May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Thank you for stopping by today. Take good care of yourselves.

Sewing and praying,
Vickie

🦠😷

Hi friends! How are you holding up? We are safe so far. Wisconsin has 155 cases of  COVID-19 so far. Our monthly stitch gatherings have been cancelled of course. No one can gather in groups of more than 10 anywhere. Including churches. So of course, all restaurants and bars are closed down, except for take out only.  I am sure you know the White House predicts this to last for 18 months! My oh my.

On Monday my orthopedic doctor's nurse called to cancel my appointment for Wednesday. All appointments have been cancelled. All elective surgeries have been cancelled. I did ask him to tell me what the test findings were. The EMG(nerve test) was normal. The MRI showed I have arthritis in my big toe, second toe and top of my foot. I also have a cyst in there? I asked him if this is causing me such pain along the top of my foot constantly. He said, "I am sorry, but I am not the doctor. I do not know." So... I will just plod along folks. It is not that bad. Just pretty bad on the treadmill, but that is NOT going to stop me. I refuse to gain anymore weight.

Would you please pray that masks get delivered NOW to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin please? Our son Jacob is a pediatric nurse there. He and all staff are forced to work like never before. Gone are the days of wearing a new mask for each patient each time you are with them. They must make a mask last all shift!  This is not right. This is soooo wrong. I know there are more masks on the way, but not enough. And not NOW, WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED.  And they are not allowed to wear masks at all times. I personally think they should be doing that!! Children's Hospital just had an outbreak this week because a doctor went to Spain and now has COVID-19. He is at home self isolating. 200 other people have had to be tested because of him. Patients, family and staff. Not Jacob. He and others were told that if they start to get sick, get tested. I want to throw up. I am praying.


I am stitching. I am sure you are too! I will have a finish to share next time.

Have any of you read this?! WOW! This is my favorite book so far this year! The tension and suspense went right to the end. It reminded me of Rebecca, both have that Gothic atmosphere, and the romance. I like this book better however. And the ending! Did you like the ending? I did!😦😲😬
Philip Ashley's older cousin Ambrose, who raised the orphaned Philip as his own son, has died in Rome. Philip, the heir to Ambrose's beautiful English estate, is crushed that the man he loved died far from home. He is also suspicious. While in Italy, Ambrose fell in love with Rachel, a beautiful English and Italian woman. But the final, brief letters Ambrose wrote hint that his love had turned to paranoia and fear. Now Rachel has arrived at Philip's newly inherited estate. Could this exquisite woman, who seems to genuinely share Philip's grief at Ambrose's death, really be as cruel as Philip imagined? Or is she the kind, passionate woman with whom Ambrose fell in love? Philip struggles to answer this question, knowing Ambrose's estate, and his own future, will be destroyed if his answer is wrong.

Oh friends, what difficult times we are in. Lean on the Lord. Do not forget Him just because we can no longer attend church. If your church does not have a "live stream of Divine Liturgy/Mass/Service" find one online you can watch and devote that time to it! We are going to. If we do not, our spiritual life with wither away.

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?  Lamentations 3:38

Thank you for stopping by today. I am glad you did. Thank you for your prayers. I have been praying for YOU! God bless you!💗 Stay at home as much as possible. That is what we are all doing. There is only one YOU my friend! And I like you!!🤗 I care about you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

💗💗💗

Hi friends! How are you? Staying healthy I hope. So far so good here. Madeleine is on Spring Break from University, and I am glad.

This is my latest finish I have to share with you. 💨March Blows by Bent Creek💨

Hooray! I got another of my monthly charts stitched! I am telling you, I am addicted to monthlies. I stitched this two over two with DMC and WDW on 32ct lambswool linen. I found this frame at Hobby Lobby. Very easy to pop each month in and out!

I am still stitching  Quaker Easter Egg by Bent Creek.

Have any of you read this book? I REALLY enjoyed it! I recommend every book by Rhys Bowen.😊 Honestly.
Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies. Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

It is my hope and prayer that all of my stitching friends can avoid this virus. I do not think this is possible though.

"Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”  Job 2:10

Be safe AND smart my friends. We are trying to be. Very much so. Keep praying. God bless you. Thank you for stopping by today.  I  hope you have a good week. Take good care of yourself now.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie