November posting

Here we are again...   

November 1 # 40

Your Treasure
Lori Markovic
PN&PS Winter

September 27 #39

Halloween Menagerie
Threadwork Primitives

September 24 #38

Add c

Autumn Keeper Pinkeep
Barbara Ana Designs
PN&PS (Fall 2016)

Back to Reality

Hey, Friends!

Happy Halloween

So it’s the last day of my fall vacation, and no, I’m not honestly excited about going back to work.  That being said, the winter is really not so bad since Thanksgiving will be here soon with some days off, then Christmas break, and with any luck there will be a snow day here or there…  Speaking of snow; how about those folks who are having a White Halloween?  This has really been a weird weather year; hasn’t it?  But then again, aren’t they all?

I did finish the stitching of Pumpkin Row by Chessie  and Me and the little crow fob that goes along with it.  The linen is R&R 30ct Spellbound Green and it is stitched over one.

Did you see some of the finishes that have been posted lately?  Karen finished her ‘Cast a Spell’ box, and it’s a real beauty!    Siobhan finished HER adaptation of Garden of Eerie by Plum Street Sampler. Don't they make you want to go pull them out of your stash right now?

Hey PALS - if you haven’t completed your survey from Springmaid, would you add a comment about having a small, pet friendly space available?

Thanks everyone for dropping in and leaving comments.  Please know that I appreciate each and every one!  I’ll be going back into my ‘every once in a while posting’ mode now that vacation is over, so see ya’ next time.

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC

Another Staycation

It has been such a great week.  I had planned this time off because a stitching retreat was scheduled.  It was cancelled, so I decided to create my own retreat.  There is SO much that needs to be done around the house, but did it get done?  Nope!  I did make a path in the sewing room, and MAY work on that a little more before the week is over, but no guilt. 

I also took Mom out shopping for a while yesterday.  She enjoyed herself, bought lots of sweets (just got her diabetes meds increased), and some other goodies, too.  I saw a set of dining room chairs (only 2) that I fell in love with! Do I use my dining (really breakfast - joins kitchen) room?  No.  Do I have enough chairs?  Yes!  Can I get these off my mind?  No!!

And so… I’ve put the JCS Annual Halloween issue to good use!  Last time you saw Perched on a Pumpkin.  This week there is Boo Bunny (The Victoria Sampler) done on 32 ct Natural linen over 2 using primarily DMC – with a little Kreinik on the spider for sparkle.  It’s made up by stitching the design onto a little pillow I made using black and orange check and a black ribbon with orange topstitching for the hanger.  

Then here’s JCS Halloween Greetings (Plum Street Samplers) done on stash that I coffee/tea stained a while ago using over-dyed fibers made into a small pillow with a brown mottled cotton backing. 

This is Boo, a freebie from Sandra Sullivan of Homespun Elegance.  It’s done on 32 ct natural linen with over-dyed black fiber.  The backing is black cotton, and it is my first use of crushed walnut shells as the filling.  I love the weight it gives the pillow.

Last year I won a giveaway from Sarah that included JBW’s Alphabet Pumpkin with the over-dyed fibers among other things!  So I stitched it up using those and decided it would be my second Flat Fold – this one on my own.  I used some cotton fabric I found at Hancock’s from the harvest collection that has just a touch of gold sparkle.  For the cording, I braided a deep orange satin-type cord for a bit of size presence, but not overwhelming.    

Of course I’ve started another project, so we’ll see if that sewing room gets any more attention!  Maybe…not!

Oh, my TuSAL is tardy again this month - but now you can see that the autumn colors are beginning to make a small display - even a tiny black thread is trying to escape!  

Thanks for dropping by, and I’d love to hear your thoughts today!  I always appreciate what you have to say ~ your comments make my day!

PS:  Want chills?  Watch this U-Tube Pink performance of Glitter in the Air.

Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!

Charlene♥SC

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!  I hope you’re enjoying a day away from your normal toil and grind, doing fun things with the people you love most!

I wanted to share a few things I’ve stitched and finished most recently. 

From the Just Cross Stitch Annual Halloween issue, here’s Blue Ribbon Designs Perched on a Pumpkin R&R 30 ct over one – but I can’t read the color – using DMC floss.

Here’s a Stitcherhood freebie, Autumn on hand tea/coffee stained 28 ct also using DMC floss.  It’s finished as a little pyn pillow.

I finally made the bed to hold LHN Needle and Thread.

And last but not least, I finished stitching the Lizzie Kate Alphabet Lessons.

Now I’m off to find another something to stitch – I know it’s here, but where?

Thanks for dropping by, and I’d love to hear your thoughts today!  I always appreciate what you have to say.

    Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!

Charlene♥SC

Saving Daylight

Is it as hard for you to believe as it is for me that it’s time to fall back from daylight savings time?  It’s almost November, which means Thanksgiving will be here shortly – then Christmas!  How time just flies these days.

Here’s the update to the NovaLee Christmas Noel that I stitched Friday night with the Let’s Stitch group.

I got a package of charts I’d ordered online in the mail. I just love ‘em, but when in the world will they ever get stitched? So many loves and ideas, so little stitching time…  don’t we all feel that way? 

The other day on Stitch Bitch, Anna asked us to show what’s in our stitching bag. Well, since I’m evidently not as tidy as Anna, I decided to show what is always at my fingertips beside my stitching chair.  Of course there’s the chart, plus these days on 36ct there’s the magnifier glasses, scissors, needles, pins, and threads.  I’ve talked about this before, but the thing that keeps me going is to have a thread organizer – this one is what I use most often – made from a painter’s canvas with foam board on top with a list of the thread colors to stick the needle in when it’s time to switch colors.  Love it.  Don’t have to stop and thread the needle when it’s time to go back to another color.   When it is time to travel, stitch night, for example, I grab one of most of these things and drop them into my tote. Of course, a lot of times something’s missing, but most times it turns out fine!

Well, friends, the time has come for me to ask for your positive thoughts – I’m going to quit smoking; again!  Made up my mind last week, but had to get the doctor to prescribe some ‘help’, and with Chantix you take it for several days before laying them down.  So, Sunday, November 1 I’ll start on the meds, and we’ll see if it works as well as some say.  It’s never easy, but I’ve done it before, and what may help is that I’ve had bronchitis for the last several days which makes me smoke less.  Another “good thing” is that I’ve never smoked inside my house.  If you have success tips to share, please do!

Thank you so much for stopping by today, and I wish you a Spooky and Safe Halloween! 

Charlene in SC USA

Glendon Place - Monster March
This post will be up until Halloween - look below for updates.
Click on the photo to see a larger version.
If you don't care for the music, either turn down your volumn or click on the || at left to turn it off.

Fallish?

Such lovely weather we've had in South Carolina recently!  It's beginning to feel a bit like fall.  This is my gauge - it's a red dogwood, and when its leaves begin to turn, I'm ready for fall! 

Today is the last day of sta-cation, and don't intend to do anything except this and stitch!  Would you believe yesterday was my first-ever participation in a yard sale?  A girlfriend was having one, and she lives WAY out of my area in another town, so I thought there wouldn't be much traffic.  Well, at the other 'end' of her road is a main artery, and there was LOTS of traffic.  I didn't do so much - think I cleared about $5.00 - but she and a couple of others made over $100s.  But back to fallish - it was very cool (jacket) in the morning, but by 2:00 when we were packing and cleaning, I had shed the jacket and was dripping!  That's fall in SC.  By mid-morning today, there's a nice breeze, the sky is beautiful, and the sun is bright! 

I finished another little project for Stitching Smalls with Friends.   It's a freebie, Little Miss Witch, from Krenick, designed by Pam Kellog.  Of course it is my version using DMC and a little 14ct dyed fabbie from Joan called Winter Evening.

Over at Leslie's blog the other day, she posted, Why Do We Blog?  Thought inspiring - Why do I blog?  It's really a means to share the things I love and enjoy with like-minded folks.  It's out there for anyone to find and see, but I don't always share the link with everyone.  There's not anything I would care for others to see, but just don't think they would be THAT interested.  I don't post a lot of political-type opinions...well I'm not that into politics.  Of course I have my ideas, but don't think they're that radical or different than anyone elses.  I have a Facebook, but don't do much there.  It was really created just so I could see what friends are saying and doing.  So, how about you?  Why do YOU blog, or Facebook, or any other social networking that you do?

OK - I'm off to finish up making my blog rounds, then to stitching!  Thank you for coming by today, and hope you'll come back soon!!

Witch Finish

Quite a long time ago, I won a fabbie pack with several hand-dyed pieces of aida from Sapphire Stitching when she was just beginning her venture.  I have used an 18ct piece of it called Morning Sunrise for this little Halloween Biscornu pattern by Barbara Ana Designs. 

Time off and Another Quickie

Happy Labor Day!

I did have grand plans for this time off work, but we all know how it is with grand plans; right?  Thursday was my hair appointment.  Did I mention letting the color grow off?  Well, that plan also went down the drain -- it's really red and shhhooooort.  It feels great!  So after that I went clothes trying and window shopping.  Friday was Pixie's day for the groomer, so while waiting for her I did a bit of thrifting.  Saturday I took Mom shopping.  She was taking some time off, and we rarely get to do things on the weekend.  She got a few things, and I went for those I'd tried on but now had added coupons!  Yesterday I changed the linens and curtains in my bedroom, but realized the new three piece quilt set didn't have the shams - so back to the store for an exchange.  When will I learn to check these things out before leaving the store? 

And here we are today, Labor Day.  We're grilling out this afternoon with Mom, Dad, and DS.  Yum...  

It's been fun stitching these small items for a while.  Yesterday I finished this little spider from Dimensions Trick or Treat by designer Fayette Terlouw using DMC on a scrap from stash.   

Enjoy your Labor Day with no toil or strain - Happy Stitching!

Let's All Do The Monster March

I finally finished Glendon Place, Monster March. There are a couple of things I want to add that weren't on the chart, but that will be after Halloween!

~Happy Stitching~

Let's Stitch

Becky, from Becky Bee's Stitching Hive started a new blog for cross stitch encouragement to finish our WIPs and UFOs! It's called Let's Stitch, and on Friday night she challenged members to stitch from 6pm - midnight. I missed the post and didn't know it was going on, but had done some stitching while watching the debate. I've missed my goal of having it done by October 1, but I'm shooting for October 6 in a big way! It's called Monster March...

Thanks Becky for starting the blog and keeping us going!

~Happy Stitching~