Christmas gift finishes

 

Made this quilt for Tyler. It's huge! It was a bugger to quilt on my machine but I got it done. I just used a 10' square of the focus fabric (game controllers) and made 4 patches out of various black/grey/white prints. No rhyme or reason to them, just cut and sewed together. I hope he enjoys it!

I probably showed Abigail's earlier but here it is after washing.

Abigail's birth sampler

Praisworthy Stitches

Sweet Baby Sampler

I stitched it on 36ct Vellum by Picture This Plus 

I didn't use the Belle Soie floss or the GAST suggestions. 

I dug through what Classic Colorworks I have and picked some that looked close to the picture. I didn't always use them in the same places.

I had to use a different alphabet to get her name to fit (I used the one from Little House Needleworks - Home of a Needleworker) I may have taken it out and re-stitched a few times before I was happy with it. 

I took the photo before I put the glass in as it makes for a better photo but I (almost) always put glass on my pieces.

I stitched a wedding sampler for Timothy and Cindy. 

They didn't exactly give me time to stitch it before the wedding so they got it for Christmas this year. 

Silver Creek Samplers

Built on Love

I can't find my working copy but I know I used 40ct Vellum by Picture this Plus. 

I think I used all the called for colors in this one.

I wanted their names instead of initials so I had to chart those and stitch over one. It took several attempts to get it like I wanted it and taking those over one stitches out was a bugger!

Again, I took the photo before putting the glass in.

And what post would be complete without a picture of sweet Abigail?

I will try to get some Christmas/decor photos up before too long. It will be out for a bit since I didn't actually finish the limited decorating I did until the 23rd!

Until next time

Happy Stitching!

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas!

I have a few finishes I can show now.

Well, this one is mine and I could have shown it anytime but after I finished it I put it away an didn't get a picture. 

Cookie Exchange By Hands on Design. This was a mystery stitch-a-long in 2021 (I think?). I'm pretty sure I used everything as listed on the chart. I didn't finish mine until this fall. No idea why but it's super cute and sitting on the counter in my kitchen.

I forgot to take pictures of this one and the next one before giving them away so I had to request photos - oops.

This is the one I did for Abigail.

Little House Needleworks, Joy To The World, using called for DMC and  28 count mystery fabric from my stash.

This one is Tyler's. Dazzlin' Deer from Heart in Hand Needleworks. I used Classic Colorworks Hickory Sticks instead of Sticks and Twigs because the skein I have looked too green. This is on a 28 piece of 'sponged' fabric that I found in my stash. I don't know how long it has been hanging around but it was from way before hand-dyed fabrics were the big thing. 

These are both super cute and I may stitch them again for my tree - someday, in my spare time.

Lizzie Kate - Dear Rudolph. The larger one is stitched on the fabric from the kit and has the buttons from the kit - it was gifted to a friend. The smaller one was stitched on another mystery fabric from the stash with buttons also found in my stash. It's the only new stitched ornament on my tree this year.

I have a couple more projects wrapped and under the tree but I will wait until they have been gifted to show them here.

Can't leave you without a photo of my sweet baby girl. I haven't seen her in two weeks.

Thank goodness her mama is good about sending pics an videos daily!

She will be here tonight and I can't wait to catch up on snuggles!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

A Most Wonderful Week!

 We have a new November birthday on the calendar!

Welcome Abigail!

Is she not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

Pure happiness.

Mom and baby

No words.

Even big brother was smitten. There is such a thing as love at first sight!

Pa is in love!

Abigail arrived 10 days ago and it's hard to remember life without her.

Hubby and I were able to spend the first eight days with her (and mommy, daddy and big brother!)

Nothing like watching your child become a parent. Even though it's a figure it out as you go along, he is doing great! 

Between the four of us, we took nearly 200 pictures over the first eight days and mommy has been sending new ones frequently - so I still have lots to share!

Since I was mid season change over when we threw stuff in a bag to head to the hospital my, house is a disaster (totally worth it). There are still a few rouge pumpkins hanging out and I haven't even started putting out Christmas decor. It may be minimal this year but that's okay - we have already received our gift.

Counting the minutes until we see her again!

November birthdays, kiddos visit and a finish

I finished stitching this little cutie in 2021 but didn't fully finish it until this year.

Hey There Pumpkin by Hands on Design using the called for colors and a mystery fabric from my stash. I found the pumpkin board at Walmart a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect.

I think it was worth the wait to finish!

We have a couple of November birthdays.

We celebrated Cindy's a couple of days early when we went to pick up kiddos at the airport.

 

Baby boy's birthday is today!
We celebrated while he was visiting last week.

Took them zip-lining - they had a blast while I just enjoyed the view!

Jason (aka baby boy) Rachael and Bobby

Brian and Brittany

It's always fun to have them here.

Wish J&R could visit more than once a year.

Last Sunday we attended a 'pre-birthday party' for baby Abigail.

Will she be added to the November birthdays or will she join her brother with a December birthday?

We will know soon!

Happy Hallowen!

 

A little Halloween around the house.

(not sure why this pic looks so yellow - I tried to correct it but ??

the two below are more the right color)

Little dude turned one last week!

He shares his birthday with his mama so we don't want to forget her!

This little guy has brought so much joy to our lives.

He's the 'baby' for a few more weeks.

(Miss Abigail is due in 5 weeks!)

He wasn't feeling his best last week but we got a few pics at the pumpkin patch. 

He's better this week and back to his smiling self.

I don't know what happens with my pictures and text between creating the post and publishing the post. It is all lined up until I hit publish. One of these days I'll take the time to figure it out but I seem to always be posting on the fly. Sorry!

Happy Halloween!

Two for Abigail, One for Ma

 Wait, what happened to September?

Days seem to just slip by faster and faster.

Abigail's arrival date is getting closer and closer! 

I have been doing little sewing for her.

This is just a small flannel blanket. I sewed together a flannel charm pack for the front and just put a dotted flannel on the back (nothing in between). I thought the charm pack would have more pinks in it but oh well. This one has already been delivered.

Made this one out of another (cotton) charm pack (again, I was expecting more pinks - hard to tell when you are buying online) but added white squares to make it a bit larger. I'm thinking I will save this one for Christmas. 

I'm still on the mission to make a pink one! 

And my sister gave me this. 

All I need now is the baby! 

It's Been a Minute!

Wow - didn't realize it had been that long since I posted. Oops.

It's been so hot here in Texas I don't even want to step outside. We are getting a little break from the 100+ temps this week - hopefully we have seen the last of them. (but it's still hot!)

I've been getting some stitching done (and a lot of frogging - over one, eek) Hubby had a conference a few weeks ago and I tagged along for the ride. Too hot to do anything so I just sat in the room and stitched away!

I can't show any of it as I've only been stitching on gifts. I have one ready to frame and one I need to pick some finishing fabric for so I decided to make myself a project roll to store/transport the finished stitching. I used Vonna's tutorial as a starting point. If you haven't visited her page and watched her tutorials you should - she is a very talented finisher! It took me way longer to finish mine!

My tube is a little shorter and fatter - I was determined to only use what I had here (because who wants to go out in the heat to shop?)

Here is my version. That piece may look small but it is stitched on 40ct fabric and some of it is over one - and took three tries to get it right. Long gone are the days when I could stitch on 36ct fabric with no glasses or magnifier - now I need both and I'm a lot slower! It's upside down because it's a gift (and there is another one underneath that one) I will show them when they have been gifted. (Christmas)

Here it is all rolled up and ready to visit the frame shop.

That's about it from here.

Happy Stitching!

 

Actual stitching!

Some old, some new.

First off, I really need to learn how to edit photos on my phone. Many moons ago, before I had a phone that took pictures and I used a digital camera, I had an editing program on my computer. That program eventually went away and I don't even know the last time I pulled out my digital camera.

That being said, here we go. 

I stitched this piece over 20 years ago. (late 1990s)

The mat had faded and I never really like the pink I had behind the hardanger.

It was hanging in he guest bath so when we remodeled in there I thought it was a good time to give it an update.

I had a local frame shop cut me new mats, then I remounted it with a cream color fabric behind it.

Much better! It now hangs on my sampler wall in the living room.

(the piece does have glass - I just took the pictures before I put it back together so there wouldn't be a glare)

I thought I still had this pattern but I can't find it. I have no idea what the name of the chart is or who designed it.

This one is even older - it had to have been stitched sometime in the 1980s.. I can't remember which kid I stitched this for. My guess would be the first since it was a stamped kit and shortly after he was born I found counted cross stitch and I rarely did stamped after that. At some point I took it out of the frame and washed it. Of all the colors to fade, it was a bit of the pink. Anywho, I'm sure I used the frame for something else - and it would have been a cheap, premade frame probably wrapped around cardboard and taped with masking tape. I knew nothing about framing at that point - and there wouldn't have been money for custom framing. I came across it when looking for something else awhile back and decided to frame it for baby girl. It was a quarter inch too large for an 11x14 frame so I went thrifting and found this one. It was sliver and had some dings but I filled those and painted it. I padded this with no glass. I rarely frame without glass but it just seemed right for this.

This one is Liberty Sam from Lizzie Kate.

I stitched it last summer knowing I wanted to use this chalkboard to mount it on.

I finally got his mate - Lady Liberty (also Lizzie Kate) finished this summer. Not quite in time for July 4th but since I leave my patriotic up until Labor day I'll get to enjoy it a bit before it goes away. I used magnets so I can use the same finishing piece for the Christmas ones - someday)

(told ya I needed some photo editing help)

They would have probably been better if I had taken them outside but it's too dang hot for that here!

Last, but not least. I've managed to slip in a few ornaments. The two reindeer need buttons and charms sewn on but I will do that when I finish them. Not sure yet if I will do pillow ornaments or flat ornaments but they will be finished before Christmas!

(top left - Joy to the world by Little House Neeleworks,

top right Dazzlin' deer by Heart in Hand Needleworks

bottom, dear Rudolph by Lizzie kate)

I think my list of things I want to get done for Christmas may be longer than the time left on the calendar. 

Summer Fun

We have been busy around here.

Last week we had our grandson Tyler with us.

 He and Pa went zip-lining

Can't believe how much this kid has grown since last summer!

He asked us to measure him the last day he was here and

he's a full 2 1/2 inches taller than me now!

It's been so hot here we had to find some indoor activities.

Bella came along with Tyler this year -

she's just living her best life in the middle of my flowerbed!

She took to trying to catch a mole that had a runner across the back fence line.

Hubby had every ladder we own propped up trying to keep her from digging -

she ended up with some new neck jewelry before the week was out.

Been spending time with this little guy too.

This is my great-nephew, River.

My brother's youngest grandson.

It's been a minute since we have had a baby in the midst

and we are soaking it all in.

He and papa (my dad, River's great-grandpa) are becoming great buds.

He was just starting to sit up a couple of weeks ago -

he has mastered that and is starting to pull himself up now.

He's growing so fast! He was almost crawling last week, he's so close!

He can get where he wants to go - just hasn't quite figured out how to get the legs

and arms going at the same time.

Haven't seen him this week - he may be out-running me by now!  

He and his pawpaw (my brother) are getting to spend lots of time together.

If this ain't trouble looking for a place to happen! LOL

It's so hot here right now it's hard to get motivated to do much.

My flowerbeds have more weeds than flowers at the moment but it's just too hot to spend much time out there.

I've managed a little stitching - 

not that you would know it by my posts here but I'll show some next time.

I fully finished a couple of pieces, 

re-matted/framed a couple of previous finishes

and I'm working on some Christmas ornaments.

I hope you are all keeping cool where you are.