Frankly my dear....

Yes you may recognize my post title as part of Rhett Butler's famous last line from Gone With the Wind.   I'm happy because I'm going to see the movie tomorrow night at a local theatre!  They showed the movie at theatres around the U.S.  last Sunday and again tomorrow  Oct 1st as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the movie. It's one of my favorites... even though it's nice to watch it at home on DVD it's not the same as on the big movie screen.  I've seen it in movie theatres every 10 years or so when it comes around...I remember going with friends to see it for the 50th anniversary back in 1989.  I can't get a decent photo of this framed piece below because I used regular glass on it but it's a favorite piece I stitched many years ago and hangs in my stitching room.

(This pattern is out of print but comes up on eBay now and then. 

It's "Scarlett O'Hara" by Charles Craft Designs.)

 

What else have I been doing?  Well for one thing I've been feeling sorry for myself seeing the massive number of finishes those Prim stitchers are posting on Facebook!   Some days I think am I the only one that has a job!  LOL   But I'm plugging away at my projects as I get the time.    Here's my progress on CCN's Frosty Forest.  I'm getting close - only 2 more blocks and the rest of the border to go!   I designed the border using a small motif from LHN's "Pinetop Lodge" - I worked with graph paper to make the design big enough and designed the corners.  I also modified block 7 (Snowgirls Cottage) to add a waterwheel and pond to it that I designed.  I thought this block as charted was too similar to block 3 (Snowmans Cottage) so I wanted it a little different.   (Note - sorry but I can't supply my charted changes to anyone because that would be an infringement to the designer's original chart).

 

 

 I also stitched up a little ornament that I now need to do the finishing for....I made one like this last year for an ornament exchange but wanted one for myself. 

 

Homespun Elegance - 2008 Santa ornament

(I modified the list to do the words in over-1

instead of backstitching)

 

And...I finally have a needlebook for myself!  I've been quilting and sewing and stitching for 30 years but never had anything nice to use for parking my needles. I've made them for other people but meanwhile here's what my needle storage looked like:  

 

Earlier this year I stitched Just Nan's "Beach Roses". I'd stitched it years ago and finished it as a biscornu for an exchange on Becky Bee's old SBEBB forum.  I decided to finish it this time as a needlebook so finally I can quit  using a scrap of batting for my needles.  :-)  By the way, does anyone know if Becky Bee is still cross-stitching?  I know she made her blog private now but I was just wondering.  She certainly contributed a lot to the online stitching community over the years.

 

 Front Cover....

 Inside view....

  

And that's what I've been doing lately.  Unfortunately we lost our dog Buster to cancer on Sept 19th.  He was starting to struggle too much and we just knew it was time.  We had tried chemotherapy but it didn't work and his prostate tumor was getting bigger.   My  husband and I spent an entire day with him doing all the things he loved before we took him on that final trip to the vet.  He swam and played in the pool, played ball, had McDonalds fries and a cheeseburger for lunch and even had ice cream with his 'sister' Abby.   We miss him of course and so does our other little dog....it's heartbreaking as so many of you know but he had a great life of 11 years we can look back on.   We'll never forget you buddy!