Some Recent Embroideries

When I happened to run across the pattern for this vintage design, I knew I had to have it.  I was thrilled to find that it was available to buy from a seller on Etsy.  I used a variety of variegated flosses, mostly DMC.

It looks like a cheerful place to live, doesn't it?

I didn't stitch it exactly like the original, but I think it still has a definite vintage look to it.

Now, here are a few of one of my other favorite subjects for embroidery;  baskets with flowers.

 This embroidery was done with a selection of Needle Necessities threads that I have in my collection.  This is a brand of floss that is no longer available, although the company was bought by Threadworx and I believe they reproduce pretty much the same colors themselves.

More baskets:

If you haven't guessed it yet, I love pink and blue!

Except for the black on the butterfly, I embroidered this whole design with Caron Watercolors.  I just started using these threads recently and I love them!  They are nice and thick and come in a myriad of colors.

Last basket, this one was done with Rainbow Gallery's Rainbow Tweed.  It's a soft and slightly fuzzy thread that works well for embroidery.  I really love working with various types of threads, I think it makes embroidering just that much more exciting when I can experiment instead of always using the same old thing!  How about you, do you like to try different threads that are new to you?  If so, I would love to hear about your thread experiences!

Thank you for stopping in for another visit, I appreciate it!

French Sampler and Farewell to Sweetpea

This wonderful sampler was a UFO that's been in my sewing room closet for a few years.  I've pulled it out more than once to work on it but for some reason I always got tired of it.  I think maybe because of the intricate border, it was a bit tedious!

Then, a few weeks ago, I made up my mind to get it done, and I'm glad I did!  The chart came from this great magazine that I bought several years ago, I don't know if it can still be found, but if you can find a copy it would be so worthwhile, it's full of lovely French sampler charts.

I bought it at Nordic Needle, but I'm pretty sure it isn't available there anymore.  Here's a few more pictures of the sampler.

The sampler was done on 25 count Lugana over two threads with the recommended DMC threads.

I started a Christmas break off from work on the 20th and I have to say that the way this vacation started out, it can only get better.  The first two days we had a power outage from the winter storm Draco, and when did they start naming winter storms?  We had never had an outage that lasted that long before and since we don't have a fireplace or a wood stove it got very cold!  

Harley and Tigger keeping warm during the power outage.

Then, after enjoying about half of a day with heat, lights and water, my husband, Tom, starting feeling very badly and I had to take him to the ER.  It turned out that he had a peptic ulcer, so he had to stay in the hospital for two days.  He was able to come home on Christmas day which was the best present I could have asked for!  His ulcer will be treated with medicine and he's feeling fine now.

Now, the sad part of this post.  Our Sweetpea, who was 19 years old, had not been enjoying her life very much for a while now,  so we decided it was time to send her on.  She was actually born here on our property in a shed when a sweet gray barn kitty from one of the local farms decided to have her litter here.  The mother, who we named Alice, eventually went back to her farm and we took most of the kittens to the farm, too.  But our daughter, Jessie, decided that she wanted the little tortoiseshell kitten, so we kept her and named her Sweetpea.  

Jessie, eventually got married and moved away and by then Sweetpea was really more my cat.  I was her favorite person and the only one who could hold her without getting a dose of her tortie attitude!

But we have 7 other cats to hold and hug and that helps enormously.  She had a long life and was very loved!

This was the last picture taken of her.

Sweetpea

April 7, 1993--November 16, 2012

Thank you for visiting once again!

Autumn Embroidery

This pattern is an adaptation of one that I found on Hoop Love Vintage Transfers.  I left out a tall sort of a bird house thing that would have been in the middle, and replaced the paving stones along the front with some plants.  I could never draw an embroidery pattern to save my life, but then I usually find myself making all sorts of changes to the ones I use.  I hope this one looks good as it is, I know I had fun stitching it.

The pattern for the chair originally had a nice lacy ironwork look to it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to make that work so I just filled it with random cross stitch.

 The fuzzy purple flowers are my first attempt at turkey work, it didn't seem too difficult.

I trimmed the edge of the wall hanging with a nice brown leaf ribbon and then added some autumn colored leaf pins.  I may take the pins back out, I'm thinking that maybe they look like a little bit too much.

It looks like a good place to sit and do some stitching, doesn't it?

Now I will show you a couple of cat pictures, the first two are of Pepper, our baby who was born in our shed last May and was the only one of the litter to survive an attack from an unknown wild animal.

She's getting to be a big girl, isn't she?

A pile of kitties!  Tigger was laying in the chair when Sarah decided to join him and then Pepper didn't want to be left out so she added herself to the pile.  She's nursing from her Mom here, we can't believe Sarah still allows this but she does.  Pepper is almost as big as her Mom!  

Thank you for checking in on my blog.  I haven't been commenting much on other blogs lately, there's been a lot of stress at work the last few weeks and I just haven't had the mental energy to say much.  My boss, who was much loved by all of us, was fired and since then we have lost seven other employees from our department who either quit or were fired.  It's been a struggle at times just to get through the day, I miss my co-workers a lot!  But I do have a job, at least so far, so things could certainly be worse!  Thanks for listening, I appreciate it!

A Walk in the Woods and Our Neighbor's Garden

Behind the local college where I work, there's a Natural Area that's a great place to walk.  The weather was perfect today so I decided to go.  There are a couple of miles of trails with boardwalks where it might otherwise be muddy or messy.

I took my "walking purse", a small over the shoulder bag for holding a few necessities.

The trail was sunny and beautiful, at least for this time of the year, not very many flowers left to look at.

But I found a few things to photograph anyway.

A lovely fern.

A small river running through the woods.

A lot of twisty, turny paths with roots to catch your feet if you're not careful.

And moss.  I love moss.

On the way back I noticed some little wild flowers peeking up through the boards.  I'm thankful for such a nice place to walk in and I can't wait to go back!  We were at our neighbor Lana's a few days ago, she has a beautiful garden of flowers.  This giant pink one is a hibiscus, I was surprised, I thought it only grew in more tropical areas.

Gorgeous peachy roses.

I can't remember what this plant is, but it's pretty.

I think the grasshopper likes this red rose as much as I do!

Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the pictures!