Sunday, December 23, 2012

and the stockings got finished just in time.........

I finished sewing up my doggies' two new stockings on Friday and got them hung by the chimney with care and 3 days to spare.  I made it!   This is something I've been wanting to do for years and this year I got them done.   So glad these are finally off my list!  I really dislike doing the finishing work on these with the cording, the ruffling, and all. Whew!






I've been battling a cold for about 10 days - went to the doctor last week hoping to avoid a bout of bronchitis and feel better for Christmas week. I'm using less tissues today and hoping I've finally turned the corner.  I've just had to keep on going regardless and not let it ruin my Christmas.

I finally spent some birthday gift certificates I had and ordered some wonderful stash from my favorite online shops.  Love getting stash in the mail!  I hope to start something new next week after Christmas...I'm still in a holiday stitching mood.




A special note to "Nancy in WI" - you don't have an email address in your Profile so I couldn't contact you.  The quilt in my photos from the last post is called 'Garden Gate' by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  I would be happy to send you my pattern for it  and a better photo if you contact me via email - my email address is in my profile.

A big "thank you" to all of you for visiting my blog this year. I so appreciate your visits and when you take time to leave a comment it really makes my day!    I'll leave you with some of the sights of Christmas at my house.   I wish all of you a very happy holiday wherever you are!






Friday, December 14, 2012

Some decorating...some finishing....it's all good....

Hi all...hope this finds you in the holiday spirit! My decorating is done and I don't have much shopping to do this year so I'm in pretty good shape. I didn't go too crazy this year...put up my 2 trees in the family room and living room and about half of my other items and that was enough. I really have more Christmas things than I have room to display, especially cross-stitching! Someimes I forget how much I have until I start hauling it out LOL. Thought I'd share a few pics with you of some of my holiday decorating...most of these Santas were stitched back in the 80's but I still enjoy them. I swapped out some of my samplers for the season and hung some of my Christmas pieces in their place - less holes in the walls that way so the husband is happy.  This isn't even all of them...I'm running out of room but not going to let it slow me down....I love holiday stitching!  Hard to get good photos - it's cloudy here today but that's okay we need some rain.
 
A few holiday treasures........
 


Anyone remember this Santa from CS&CC magazine? My best friend and I stitched it together (yeah...1987!)  and I still remember what a pain the face was - all quarter-stitches!
 

My sampler wall turned holiday-ish......

An old Santa from a Leisure Arts magazine

All I recall about this one is the name -  "Pere Noel".  A pink Santa..perfect in my book!

I own all the annual Prairie Schooler Santa patterns but have only  stitched 2 of the early ones!  Back then they sold coordinating mats and frames for them but those days are long gone.......

I love my little Christmas mouse...even though I'm terrified of a real one LOL

I just picked this up from the framer last weekend....LHN's "Pointsettia House" which I renamed  to my own liking....

Up next is some finishing work I've been doing for a lovely stitchy friend I met though my blog.  Cindy (no blog) does amazing over-one stitching and it's been fun helping her turn these projects into little ornaments and other things.  I've enjoyed doing it, but I keep adding them to my list of things to stitch as I love them all!

This is "Hospitality" by Shakespeare's Peddler

A little quail freebie from Prairie Schooler - too cute!

Another PS freebie...a little snowman

Don't they look cute nestled together??


Here's a little Bent Creek chart called "Sparkle", made into a ornament

 
This is "Smitten" by All Through the House.  Cindy provided an antiqued wooden box lid that it was mounted on.

And finally this is "A Wassailing", another chart from Shakespeare's Peddler, made into an easel/flatfold.
 
Thank you Cindy for letting me work on your lovely pieces!
 
 
P.S.  I hadn't even heard about the tragedy today in Connecticut as I was writing this.  So very senseless and horrific.   So many troubled young people..I just don't understand.  My heart goes out to all affected by this and I hope we can find some way to get to these troubled people before they resort to actions like this.  :-(