Thought I'd share this photo with you. I stitched this back in the early '90's. It was from a book that was published every year. They had great projects and recipes in every issue. Its stitched on paper Aida probably 14 count. Its just sitting on my mantel right now. I wish I could have gotten a better picture but the flash on my camera was giving me fits so it was close with a big flash blob or farther away.
These are my newest finishes. I love the little mouse at the mail box. I'm not sure who the designer is off hand. It was in one of the magazines from Great Britain. I'm not sure how I'm going to finish it but I think its going to be one of the boxes. I found some really good instructions for finishing it and want to try it.
This is a UFO that I finished several months ago. I started cross stitching in 1985. In 1986 my husband and I got married and we loved all the Mr and Mrs Claus charts that were available. So every year I stitched a Mr and Mrs for our tree. Then I started finding small kits (this one is 5X7). I never finished it but kept it. So now its completely done. The frame is from Michale's. Its stained reddish and works really well. I bought 2 of them. In all I purchased 8 small frames 5X7 and smaller. It had a red plastic frame that was shaped like a house. The shape was perfect but not so much the plastic.
On November 16th my husband took me over to The Northwest Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival. It was over in Puyallup, Washington which also means a drive to close to Seattle for my liking. I think this is all I bought from Bobbie G. Designs. I was so excited to see a needlework booth. I did check the vendor list online before we left to be sure. Last time we took the 2 plus hour drive (one way) there wasn't a single needlework booth. The Santa top left has buttons on Santa's beard. I got 2 extra kits free. So I chose 2 more of that one. One for my sister and one for my sister in law. It didn't come with the buttons for the beard so I went into my mom's old button jar and put some into little Ziploc bags for them. I marked the bag so they knew where the buttons came from. Since they both cross stitch I'm giving them as kits. My Mom passed away on Christmas Eve 1997! It was a bitter sweet Christmas. I had a brand new granddaughter born 4 days after my Mom's birthday (December 10th) and then I lose my best friend. It was a hard year - 1997. My friend moved from Bakersfield, California to Reno, Nevada. We were putting on a seminar for 200 plus women and she leaves me. We did get the seminar done long distance. The rest of the year is a blank until November. My Grandmother Britain (Mom's Mom) passed away in November. That same week my precious Doxie Molly's back went out. She was so sick until we were able to get her to Fountain Valley for back surgery. I missed my grandma's service because we couldn't travel with Molly. Six weeks later my Mom's was gone. I was standing in the parking lot of the funeral home looking at my Aunts and trying to decided who I should feel sorry for. Me because I lost my Mom and Grandmother in 6 weeks or my Aunts because they lost their Sister and Mother in 6 weeks. Then my favorite cousin Larry came up to me and hugged me tight. That really helped. Some!!!
Wow - I'm sorry you all got to read that but it does seem to help. So anyway these are the kits and charts I got. I may have missed one or two.
We're heading to California this year for Christmas. To my Sister's first for Christmas. Then on the 26th we head down to Ventura to see our newest great niece Alana and her older sister McKayla. We'll see my husband's sister and husband. Then to the nursing home to visit my mother in law who has the final stages of dementia (sp). And to top it off we'll be spending time with the couple who introduced Mike and I some 27 years ago this Month. We've renewed that friendship last March. Its so nice to be spending time with Jim and Kristi again.
I can't decide if I should put up a small tree and a few other things or not. I was pretty excited about doing some decorating at Thanksgiving and now I'm not sure. I still have time-I guess.
This is where I stopped today. I'm not quite half finished. Close I think. I figure it will take me another month of stitching to finish it. I'll take it and have it framed when finished. I also have 3 more charts that go with this one. A spring, summer and winter chart. All have birds and baskets.
This is my friends Chihuahua DeeDee. I'm watching her and the chi-weenie that we have both fostered. The coke can is taped shut with dried beans or peas in it. When the dogs get to barking I will shake the can to break there concentration. I've also caught DeeDee sleeping in the pantry on a bag of plastic grocery bag tied shut. She's pretty funny.
I was trying to put this final picture at the top as my second photo so you could see about where I began. I actually didn't have any of the cardinal started. The little Chi in this picture is my first Belle! She's a sweet little girl. . . . . . I'm also getting the yearly series of Santa's Village. I cannot decide if I should stitch them all together as one picture or stitch them separate and finish them off as cubes. I've only finished one cube but I sure like the way it turned out. So before I start that (I still need to buy fabric if I'm stitching them all together) I'll be thinking about it even longer. I'm also doing the new Lizzie Kate series Jingle. I'm going to stitch it as one picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I hope we have a short winter this year. The grey, gloomy, wet, cold weather is really getting to me this year. Maybe because I know in 4 years we will be moving back to sunny California. . . . . . . Hope you are all stitching and making great progress on your stitching projects. Stay warm and safe.
