Another Little Gift to Share.....655

 Here is another recent gift I made for a friend.....Kind Friend Gift Bag by Jeanette Douglas. This was a kit and I stitched, as is, on 32 ct Flax linen with provided DMC. I filled it with a mixture of crushed walnut shells and lavender.

 Were any of you fans of Mr. Rogers? I loved watching him with my girls when they were small; he shared many valuable life lessons in a calm, loving manner. My daughter had a copy of this book in NC and I ordered myself one as soon as I got home. We can all use a little..okay maybe a lot... of his kindness and wisdom today...it doesn't grow old! "Won't you be my neighbor?"

 

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

Stasi
 

Adding to Stitch Stroll......653-654

It was in the upper 60's this morning so I started my day with a walk. I keep toying with the idea that unless I get a walk or some sort of exercise in first, that I can't stitch! Motivation, to speak, as stitching is such a non-burning caloric past time. But then I fear my stitching would never happen!!!! Will have to come up with a workable solution!!!

Before I get to my 'show and tell" I wanted to address the "Anonymous" glitch! I checked on my end to see if it was something I did accidentally and can't see anything.  I did notice that when I comment on others blogs, there is a new (at least I never noticed it before) "button" in the list of "choose an identity" that says Anonymous....I wonder if that has been checked. Anyway, if I can figure out who you are, I will definitely respond.

These two projects were gifts that have now been received and I can finally share. First up is Bourse Maison de brodeuse by Au Fil des Reves. It was a complete kit and I used what was supplied except I changed out the silk ribbon bows. It was stitched on a 32 ct Belfast linen with AVAS silks. I loved the saying "In a stitching house, there is always a work in progress". Sorry it's hard to read from photo.

 Next is another sweet piece, Waste Bag Companion, by Olde Colonial Designs. This was a kit that included the linen, waste bag, and finishing materials. I supplied the fibers and used Vicki Clayton silks. 

 Hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Home Again, Home Again....

We are back from our visit to NC. We had a very quiet, relaxing time and got our first babysitting gig with Jax. He was an angel...though we heard, last night, there was a little incident with his bath...will leave it to your imagination! :)

I hardly stitched at all while I was gone...not enough to even share...but I did manage to stitch in the car on the way down. The way back was fraught with heavy rain which made it hard to concentrate. I have had the angel part done for a bit, and was working on the wings. This is Spirit of Christmas Angel by Brooke's Books, done on 14 ct. perforated paper.

 Hope you all have a good week..the weather is lovely here today! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

 

A Picture is worth…..

 

Down Time ......

   Off to visit Jax!!! Will catch up when I return! Have a great week everyone!

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

Stasi

Button, Buttton, Who's Got the Button???

 I did get the buttons made and they are safely in their "jar". I'm just using tiny sampler motifs from different charts/books. For those interested, this was an idea Lori Holt presented in one of her floss tubes and she called it Sampler in a Jar.  I thought it was a fun idea and ordered a bunch of the button forms. You can see I am just in the beginning stage, but hopefully that jar will grow! 

Yes, those are bees on the top...a friend gifted me the jar!

I started a new project last night....and it too is a fun one....Park it Here Beach Party  by Noteworthy Needle. Don't you love the bright colors??? Not my usual palette, but they make me smile looking at them.

 I think I shared this stitching frame in a past blog post, but thought I'd share again. It was made from PVC piping by my hubby a few years ago. I had seen plans for one one Pinterest and it looked pretty straight forward. I think it cost under $10 and works great! I had to buy spare Q-Snap clamps, and it just sits on my lap, or could work on a table. I think this is the link to the one we used: PVC Stitch Frame   You can also buy one on Amazon for a reasonable price: PVC Stitch Frame .

 

 

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

Stasi

A Gorgeous Day at the Ball Field........

 

  Yesterday was a picture perfect day at a ball game watching our favorite short stop ( sorry Cal Ripken- you've been usurped)!!!We sat under a huge tree, with a gentle breeze blowing at Hampden-Sydney college's baseball field. What a lovely gem of a campus this is! I did a little research and it's only 1 of 3 all male colleges left in the US.....admittedly that was a surprise!!! It was a beautiful campus tucked way off the beaten path...quite an enjoyable environment to spend Father's Day.

 In the evening, we settled in to watch the last two episodes of Troppo on Netflix. This is an Australian production and was very good if you're looking for something to watch. I decided to go a little "fruity" and stitch a few more buttons for my Sampler in a Jar. Hence an apple, pear, strawberry with a chair and scissors thrown in for good measure. Hopefully, they'll be made into the buttons today! Looks like I need to invest in an new ironing board cover...notice the small stain at the bottom between the strawberry and apple...something seeped up from the cover.....luckily it will not show...whew!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful week...today is the last day with pleasant temperatures for awhile. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Happy Fathers Day.....

....to my main squeeze ......

 

  and my Dad.....all 94+ years of him!!!

Hubby was occupied yesterday , so I spent the day working on a couple pieces and catching up on The Blacklist.  I have to say, I am very confused, but am 2 seasons behind, so hopefully, it will get better. 

I finished up the stitching on The Gift of Peace: Alphabet .....

....and completed the latest installment on the iStitch SAL.

I seem to be getting a number of "anonymous" posts and am not sure who they are from, but want you to know I appreciate you taking the time to comment..thank you!

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

Stasi

Short but sweet...... 651-652

 

I got my 2nd Covid Booster shot Thursday and felt a bit under the weather yesterday...hence no post or stitching. So I will share two recent finishes today.

First is a sweet necklace I made for a friend from  Quaker Pendants I by Milady's Needle. 

 Next is Patriotic Needle Book  by CArolyn Meacham. This was done on 24 ct. Congress cloth. I changed colors up a bit to "tone" it down. It's still pretty bright, but not as much as the original blue and reds were.

 

Sorry, couldn't get this to rotate

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

Stasi

Hanging in There.....650

 

 

 It is pouring down rain, with thunder and lightening,  as I write this...totally NOT in the forecast...glad I didn't head out to walk this morning. Trying to get back into walking mode, which is hard for me in the heat of summer. But I got up early two days this week and got in a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. 

By the time I got to sit down and stitch yesterday, I just felt like working on something easy. So, I pulled out The Gift of Peace Alphabet; this is a collaborative effort by Bent Creek and Heart in Hand. It debuted at a virtual retreat called Friendstitch back in 2020. They have another one scheduled this fall, if you are interested. Info should be coming out soon....it was a fun experience!!!

 

I also wanted to share a recent framed finish, Diligent, by Needlework Press. I stitched this on 46 ct Vintage Light Examplar by Lakeside linens with a conversion to VMS fibers. It was framed by Patti Nicolosi of By My Hand Needl'werks. Patti can be found on FB and does a fabulous job at a reasonable price. You send her your piece and she will message you different photos of your piece with a variety of frame mouldings to choose from. She has excellent taste and I have been very pleased with the outcome on several pieces.

There is an alphabet in the large open expanse, but the thread was close to the fabric color. I toyed with whether to keep it or not, and decided to go with it, It draws you in for a closer look!

 

Haircut scheduled today....thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

A Good Finishing Day........648-649

 

 

 

 I got a lot accomplished yesterday, so I'm going to get right to it.

First is A Merry Little Christmas by Stitching with the Housewives. This was my June project for Cross Stitch Camp with the Colorado Stitcher AND my June Ornament for the 2022 Ornament SAL on IG...trying to kill two birds with one stone, as they say! Sad to say, I am woefully behind on the ornament SAL...two months behind actually!!! I stitched this, over one, on 28 ct Crystal Glacier from PTP with an Anchor conversion from the called for DMC. I finished it in a crackle painted wood pincushion stand I got years ago...1999 to be exact! It fit perfectly...I wanted something plain since the piece itself is so busy!

Next is a recent class finish...I just had to do this one right away!!! In May Catherine Theron taught the Beekeeper's Miniature Sewing Box for our local Guild. It is only about 2" X 2"..so sweet and tiny. I made a few changes by adding a different bee on the top ( I used the one provided on my needle page) and adding a beaded edge to the top. The joining stitch looked too "messy" and this covered it up nicely. It's tough when joining two 'thicker' pieces together ...if anyone has a trick, please let me know. I also added the word "buzz" to the back of my scissor fob.

 

 

 

 

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

Stasi

Rainy Day Today

 

 

 

Thanks for all the supportive comments I have received! I try to respond to every person, however, there are some who are "no-reply blogger" and I can not respond to you. Please know I read your comments and appreciate every one. I'm not sure how you change, or if you want to change, that setting, but I would love to respond to you, if desired. Thank you to Diana and Kelly!

I got caught up on my iSTitch Sampler Band SAL last night. I have been adding a touch of red for any hearts that come up. I think there are only 5 more to go and I may just make it on my banding. There was a  section at the top with a major weaving flaw, so I had to start down further than usual. Fingers crossed it will all work out or I may have to stop sooner than I'd like.

Hoping to get some finishing done on this rainy day ( though now the weather report is not so conclusive)!!! Here is what I hope to work on....Beekeeper's Miniature Sewing Box by Catherine Theron.

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

Stasi

Back to Reality.......

......laundry, grocery shopping,etc.!!!

 

 

We were away last week in Avon, NC (Outer Banks) with my older daughter's family. Sadly my younger daughter decided not to come since the other family was just finished getting over Covid and didn't want to take a chance with the new baby. She made the right, yet tough, decision, but we were all disappointed.It was great---we pretty much had the beach to ourselves for most days!

Chillin' in the pool

2 mile round trip walk for ice cream every day

I forgot to mention yesterday that I stitched most of A Merry Little Christmas while sitting in a swing on a porch with a lovely breeze blowing....heaven!!!

I worked last night on my iStitch SAL (week 22). I was two weeks behind but am catching up. Stitching with Glorianna Elizabethan Green.

 It's shaping up to be a HOT one today, so off to run errands before it gets too steamy. Hope you have a cool day!

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

Stasi