🖤January Celebration🖤

 Hi friends! Here is the ❄️January Cubby Shelf Display❄️ Better late than never!

Almost all of these are stitched over one.

Isn't this precious? 

Madeleine went to an antique store and found this antique, handmade miniature chair with the little cat that feels like it is lead. 

Well I fell in love with this chair.😍 So of course I asked Emerson, our carpenter son, if he could please make me one also? What a son❣️ And yes, I asked for a lighter stain. 

I went through my fabric stash, and decided on this antique poodle fabric. Of course MY chair has a vintage poodle on it. 😁

🖤January Celebration🖤by Blackbird Designs

I have been wanting to stitching this pattern for many years. This design can be found in A Fine Collection by BBD. Thank you Gracie!

I finally decided, THIS IS THE YEAR! I mean really! It is not a big pattern! I am SO very glad I got it done. I LOVE it! I did not have the called for 28ct black Jobelan, but used 25ct black evenweave from my stash. So my heart is a little bit bigger. I used two of the called for colors and changed two, because I used everything I had on hand. The only thing I had to buy for this was the black glass head pins.

I finished mine a bit differently than the directions call for. I lined my heart with black interfacing and stuffed it with wood shavings. I really like using them for a nice firm stuffing. And they are free for me! Ha! Emerson is a carpenter. 😉😊Anyhow, this is my first finish for the year. This will not be my last finish from this BBD book!

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I am stitching on my God Bless America Sampler now.

📚🎧I have loved every, single book by Heather Morris. Let me start by saying that. This novel is based on the true story of two sisters and Australian Army nurses who survived a deadly attack by the Japanese on their merchant ships during WWII. They swim to the shore of Sumatra, and are taken by the Japanese and put in POW camps where they remain for the next 3 years and 7 months. Not all of them survive. It is a true story and heartbreaking, yet inspirational. I actually cried, which I usually do not. I listened to the audio version. I highly recommend it, as one nurse has extreme musical talent, and the vocal orchestra she created can be heard.

This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends! Thank you for stopping by today. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Silent Night, Holy Night

 Hi friends! I have not posted for so long, it will be much easier for me to just start with my recent finishes and go from there. Sorry. I am just losing my blogging enthusiasm. 

🌟Silent Night, Holy Night🌟by Barbie Laux of Twisted Willow Designs. 

Not such a great picture. It was snowing and overcast here. This pattern is found in the December 2023 issue of JCS. I stitched this on WDW 35ct Gunmetal linen from my stash. It called for black linen, but this works too. I needed a small count, and did not have a small count black linen in my stash. I used most of the called for DMC. The JOY sign is from Hobby Lobby on sale for $5. This is a Christmas present I  gave to Brian today, on our Orthodox Christmas.

🌟🎁🌟🎁🌟🎁🌟🎁🌟🎁🌟

Our Lasting Friendship by Blackbird Designs. 

I finished it! Eight of us in our local cross stitch group did a round robin with this pattern this year. I used the called for colors, EXCEPT I replaced CC Straw Hat with GA Raspberry Frost like Lisa and Margo did. This is 40 count tea-dyed (by me) linen. I also changed the little doggies into 🐩 of course! I have a thrifted frame I have given to our son Emerson, the carpenter. He is going to cut it to size for me, and then I will pin it and frame it.

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I have begun a new sampler for this year. It is by Artful Offerings and it is called God Bless America. This is a picture of the pattern: 

My soul follows close behind You  Psalm 63:8

Thanks for stopping by today and catching up with me. I hope to continue blogging. I do know it will not be as often as I used to. I just don't "feel" that anymore if I am to be honest.

I hope you have a wonderful week my friends!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

December Displays and Clara

 Hi friends! I am a bit behind here in showing you my December displays. Let me do that now.

💗✨Pink Winter Wonderland✨💗 

A slightly new pink display this year. I have tagged my friends who gifted me these lovely pieces over the years.

🎄🦌🎄🦌🎄🦌🎄🦌🎄🦌🎄

❄️December Cubby Shelf Display❄️ Almost all of these are stitched over one.

🦌❄️December Corner Shelf❄️🦌

🎉🎈✨🎊🥳Henry's 14th Birthday❣️ 

Madeleine took this picture of us last week in our village square. Henry is still 6 pounds, but has lost a few more teeth since last year. He is doing well considering he has epilepsy and protein-losing enteropathy. He is my best little buddy.🐾💕🐾

🦌A Merry Christmas Redwork Sampler by Pineberry Lane. 

I saw this little Clara from the Nutcracker ornament from Target . I knew right away what I would do with her. Did you know she was a stitcher?! 😁

I stitched this with the tent stitch one over one on 45ct white linen with soie d' alger number 945. I put a tiny bit of Aleene's glue around the cut edges of the linen to prevent fraying. Clara was holding a little, flat nutcracker. I gently pried that out and have glued her needle and sampler in place. We are not putting up a tree this year because of Flossie, so I hung Clara from my white wreath. ✨

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I am now stitching the gift I am making for my Secret Santa partner in our local stitch group. Each Christmas we draw names and make gifts for each other to give at our Christmas party. No, I am not late in making the gift. Our Christmas party is held on Martin Luther King Junior Day in January so our friend RoseAnn can come. She works for the government and has off on federal holidays. I am going to stay focused on this piece until it is finished though. I must! My stitching time is greatly decreased because of Flossie.

For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.  Psalm 33:4-5

I hope you have a wonderful day my friends! I appreciate your kind words and friendship. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Two Flossies

 Hi friends!  ⛄When I saw this idea from Lori of Notforgotten Farm last year, I knew I was going to make one also this year. 

I saved the perfect honey jar and I used January Snow by Twisted Threads as my pattern. It is designed to be stitched on the same linen Lori used, 28 ct Rivera Gingham. She offered the Sam the Snowman pattern this year, but since I had this pattern (thank you Robin ) I stitched my little ☃️ 

The blue snowflakes are from my stash. The only thing that is not from my stash were the tiny, white bottle brush trees. 

I could have simply topped the lid with fabric, but I seem to make things difficult for myself usually. 🙃 I had this free pattern from Zweigart already printed off in my stash and it fit perfectly WHEN I STITCHED IT ONE OVER ONE ON 4O COUNT NATURAL LINEN!! 😬 It is done, I I think it is cute. 

❄️⛄❄️⛄❄️⛄❄️⛄❄️⛄❄️

🐩🐩Two Flossies! 

I created a little Flossie for Brian and Madeleine's Christmas ornaments this year. I did it the old fashioned way, with graph paper and pencil. They look a tad different because I stitched them two over two on mystery green 32ct linen with DMC 433, WDW Bright Leaf, Pecan, and GA Sarsaparilla. Hmm. I forget what brown I used for the eyes and nose. I have come to realize that Flossie's exact haircoat color is impossible to locate thus far. I have searched Michael's, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, Lynn's, and Country Sampler. So I came up with this combo. As Madeleine told me, "Mom, it is an interpretation." 😉😂 No, she has not seen these yet. I give everyone their ornaments in their Christmas stockings. I found the wooden ornaments for $1 at JoAnn. Flossie JUST fit. I also bought this glittery, green paint there and jazzed them up.❇️

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I am stitching something totally unplanned and super cute right now. I cannot wait to share it. It is VERY tiny though, so it is slow stitching.

I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?  Psalm 118:5-6

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate you and your kind words.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Celebrating 60 With Annie

 Hi friends! Last week I went to The Country Sampler with my friends Linda and Kathy from my stitching group to meet up with Annie of Annie Beez Folkart to celebrate Annie's 60th birthday! Her daughters Chelsea and Isabel were also there. Our fellow stitching friend Tammy came too. 

So many wonderful Christmas things to see in the crowded shop and the gorgeous School Room.

We went out to lunch with the birthday girl Annie and then after shopping was complete, we stitched the day away upstairs. It was a marvelous day ❣️

I am stitching a small winter project for me in between ornament finishing. I really dislike finishing!

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge 1 Corinthians 1:4-5

I hope and pray my American friends have a Blessed Thanksgiving. I am cooking it for the four of us this year: Brian, Madeleine, Emerson and I. Mom, Auntie Kathy, Michael and Jon, who all live together, have decided to eat out this year. My in-laws are driving to Columbus, Ohio to my brother-in-law's. Jacob and Kristen will drive up there. They are now in Cleveland, Ohio. Jacob cannot get off of work, due to being the lowest in seniority in his department now. He can come home for Christmas though! Yay! We will be facetiming them at least.😁

I thank you for stopping by today my friend. Take care.💗

Stitching and praying,

Vickie