I'm Back to Do Some Sharing and Strolling (585-589)

 

  Greetings! I am back from my Covid fog, waiting to get a vaccine...hopefully only one...and want to get on with it....normalcy!!!  Covid really knocked me out for awhile...ran a low grade fever every day for 10 days, lots of coughing and fatigue. The doctors don't really do anything except send you home to take over the counter meds and vitamin supplements. I didn't pick up a needle for over two weeks, but I made up for lost time when I did. Now my hubby, who sweetly shared it with me, had no real issues, except cold-like symptoms for a few days. But I will say, he took very good care of me...cooking meals, doing laundry, etc..I am a lucky gal!!! I hope you are all well, getting vaccinated and looking to the future! Hang in there! And thanks to Mary for motivating me today to get this post done!!!

Now to get on with the sharing...be sure to read to the bottom as I'm doing a giveaway of three separate charts.

First up are my finishes to add to my Stitch Stroll...all smalls and/or ornaments. The first two are ones I stitched many moons ago, but recently finished. Home for the Holidays  by Twisted Threads was stitched in 1998 and can be found in the 1998 JCS ornament issue. Wooly Man by Ewe and Eye and Friends was stitched in 2003. The TT ornament was stitched as called for but I substituted a JABCO bird button for the silver bird charm. The E&E&F was a kit using a wool fiber. It was supposed to be stitched on 18 ct linen over two, but I did it over one...not sure what I was thinking at the time, but that was way too thick a thread for over one...but I persevered!! I also left off the buttons on the brim of the hat as I thought it looked good with just the accent color.

I am participating in an ornament SAL on IG, sponsored by Carol from Stitching Dreams. The goal is to stitch and finish one ornament a month. Here are my two for January and February: On the left Is Ravens from Noah's Ark Christmas VI by Plum Street Samplers...I did this for my hubby who is a Baltimore Ravens fan. You can't tell from the photo but it's stitched on 28 ct Straw Gingham, over one. I finished it flat,  added some tiny blue rick rack and a bird  at the top of the hanger---we'll see how long that manages to stay put! :)   And Rudolph by La-D-Da was stitched on 30 ct. Dark Cappucino from R&R, over one. I had added the red highlights in the deer and '&' sign but when my granddaughter saw it she suggested I change the 'o' in Rudolph to red to look like his nose....so out came the black 'o' and in went the red. I had the tine frame on hand and it fit perfectly with some red rick rack on the sides.

My final finish is from a class I took recently with the Delaware Valley Historical Sampler Guild. They hosted Linda from Erica Michaels and she gave a class on finishing ideas for strawberries. We got lots of great ideas and she even designed a strawberry for the Guild. I kept my finish rather simple.. a large green button and a pair of JABCO pins that picked up the blue in the design. I did mine on a 40 ct mystery linen, which is darker than the photo shows. I also changed the wool top from green to red.

 

Now on to a couple stitch finishes that are waiting to be FFO'd. I started the French Bee Etui  by Heartsease Sampler Workes the end of December. It is stitched on 36 ct Maritime White with Belle Soie silk and Kreinik metallics. It will eventually all fit in the sweet Whitman's tin.

 Next are the January and February Word Plays by With Thy Needle and Thread. I've had these for a bit and was motivated to start them as I just love monthly designs...and they don't take long to stitch. I'm on the hunt for a fun way to finish them! They are being stitched on 40 ct Picture This Plus Oaken linen. I have changed out some colors to use hat I have in my stash...not really an issue as there isn't a lot of any one color.

 I  just finished my March ornament for the SAL on IG. It is Hot Cocoa by Little House Needleworks. I won this in a drawing by Vickie at A Stitchers Story and it is too darn cute! Thanks Vickie! Stitched on a 30 ct mystery linen using the called for DMC except for the red. The original color was too 'pink' for a Christmas ornament...now Vickie may disagree with me. :) I used 498 in place of 3721.

I also managed to squeeze in some pre-stitching for a Merry Cox class I'm taking with the Orange Coast Sampler Guild in April. It will be a Zoom class and I am thrilled to be able to attend. It is a small piece that will go into a lovely tiny shaker box. It was stitched on 32 ct Sand, over one, with GAST Heirloom Gold. I put my grandmother's initials and DOB on it. It's called A Petite Regal Sewing Set  and my grandmother weighed all of 78 lbs., which was a miracle as she had a stash of Hershey bars, Devil squares and Goetz's caramels in her bedside table. That table happened to be a Martha Washington sewing cabinet which she gave to me, along with her bedroom set, when I got married. She decided at the age of 79 she needed a new bedroom set!!!  When she passed I got her 'goodie' tin and it's back in the cabinet...sans goodies!  She was a true lady and never wore a pair of pants her entire life; she lived to be 99 1/2. Her name was Mary Duke Codd , but we called her Gigi. I grew up with her, living with my family, from the age of 5 until I got married and moved out. She was an avid reader and crossword puzzle lover; she didn't drive so I often took her to the library.... I credit her with my love of reading. She passed away on the 21st of March, 1995.   A funny aside....my siblings and I were always blamed when some of Gigi's 'goodies' went missing. Years later, my Dad confessed it was HIM!!!!

I am continuing with my iStitch Band Sampler SAL. This year I've chosen blues with a splash of yellow.

 And I got two more houses done on The Houses of Hawk Run Hollow ( the two on the bottom left). I am not stitching the saying at this time...thinking of using something else as I'm not fond of the morbid nature of this one. 

 Thanks so much for sticking with me...now onto a reward for a few lucky people. I am paying these three charts forward...two were kindly given to me (Hot Cocoa and Shamrock Row)..and the third (Sweater Weather) I bought and downloaded as a pdf--it is NOT a copy. 

 If you'd like a chance at one of these, please leave a comment and put the name of the chart you're interested in in the comment. You can enter for any or all of them, but I will choose a different winner for each. I'll do the drawing on the 17th....so I wish you the luck of the Irish!!! Please, if you are a no reply blogger and wish to be entered, you need to send me your e-mail address so I can notify you. My e-mail is stchnbee@aol.com. Otherwise I will wait a week after I post the winners on the 17th and if  I haven't heard from you at that point, I will have to choose another winner.

To close, here is a photo of my bottle tree during one of our ice storms. At least it didn't get bent over/ damaged!!!

 Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi