Happy Haunting Halloween!

I am writing this late Saturday night, technically early Sunday morning.

I am still "juiced" from watching the #1 University of Oregon Ducks Football team beat the University of Southern California Trojans in Los Angeles! 

For my overseas readers, it is much like following your local soccer team - faithfully - for years - only to find that suddenly they are now better than say, Manchester United!   

Anyway in celebration of a truly "spook-tacular" win I bring you...

Design - "Punkin Spider"

Design - Amy Bruecken Designs

Fabric - 30 count Carrot WDW linen

Fibers - GAST, CC, & DMC

Started - 28 October 2010

Completed - 30 October 2010

I should mention that the funky pumpkin smile was created using DMC "Memory Thread".  I also used it on "Punkin Crow".  I found it at my local Michael's Craft Store. 

Just two more weeks of outdoor Farmers' Market - then they move inside for the holiday season.  It was much quieter this Saturday - fewer vendors and customers.  I had to make-do with just a pain au chocolate for breakfast.

Oh, how I suffer!

I thought this variety of pumpkin charming!

And I loved all the colors of the Japanese Maples for sale.

As a Halloween bonus, I leave you with stitch from my "Cross Stitch Archives". 

Design - "Yikes"

Designer - Bent Creek

Fabric - Champagne linen

Fibers - GAST

Started - 2 December 1998

Completed - 10 December 1998

Hope you have a Happy Haunting Day!



Crows and Pumpkins and Pansies

Okay, surely there's time for one more Halloween stitch!

So I'm going to rapidly stitch "Punkin' Spider", the companion piece to "Punkin' Crow".

I've carried over the crow motif to my collection of Halloween salt and pepper shakers.

On the gardening front, I dodge the rain this week, and managed to plant out several pansies.

I can't pick a favorite color...

Love the little violas..

Good things do come in small packages sometimes.

This display should be a rainbow of colors...

and back to bluey-violet...

I'm hoping for color all winter long.

What a bright smiling face!

Wearying of Pumpkins? Not!

Bwaa-haa-haa!

Booooo!

Design - "Punkin' Crow"

Designer - Amy Brueken Designs

Fabric - 30 count WDW Carrot

Fibers - GAST, CC, and DMC

Started - 26 October 2010

Completed - 28 October 2010

What fun - this was a great evening "Watch TV with a Cat on Your Lap" project.  I think I smiled the entire time I stitched...

and I'm still enamored with pumpkins!

A little whatnot...

 and this great Emma Bridgewater mug!

The Big Leaf Maples continue to glow under a dull grey sky...



 We can't compete with New England for color, but the Maples do their best!



Yet More Pumpkins...

I think I'll end the month with a couple of Halloween stitches.

I'm a fan of Amy Brueken Designs - I liked her when she was part of "Sisters and Best Friends"...Amy is not scared of color!

When I stitch something she has designed, I feel as though I've just opened a brand new box of Crayola crayons. 

Wandering around the house, I espied a few more pumpkins...

I love this green glass pumpkin...an unusual color - stunning!

These three grinning guys work well with the iconic Montana wolf print.

Wednesday Finish and Wednesday Critters

Design - "Quaker October"

Chart - "Quaker Evens" 

Designer - The Workbasket

Fabric - 40 count Vintage Maple Sugar Lakeside linen

Fiber - GAST - Cinnamon

Started - 16 October 2010

Completed - 26 October 2010  

Sometimes a "one color wonder" truly is a thing of beauty!

It allows a variegated floss color to be the star of the show.

I should mention, according the my spread sheet, "October Quaker" is my 400th stitch!

We've had lots of rain and lots of storms the last few days - 2" on Saturday, 0.8" on Sunday, and 0.8" on Monday.  Tuesday, we got a few sun breaks, and rainbows too.

Morning Rainbow

Lots of critters in the morning and evening - Mr. Bunny... 

Mr. Grey Squirrel...

Flora Fawn and Doris Deer...

Evening Rainbow...

...and Padma-Cat!

Check out other Outdoor Wednesday posts.

Tuesday Update

I had to take advantage of a special at Shakespeare's Peddler.  25 limited edition autumn GAST threads released for the Charlotte Market for $25.00 - so, so pretty! 

These Olde Willow Stitchery threads also caught my eye.  I love the muted colors.

Autumn colors were prominent for my sister's birthday dinner too.

She set a lovely table-scape.

 The flowers, tablecloth, linens, placemats, napkin holders, plates - all had rich tones and autumn motifs.

...and it was a lovely family meal~



Halloween Pin Garden and Autumnal Bouquets

A finish!

Design - "Halloween Pin Garden" (kit)

Designer - Raise the Roof

Fabric - 32 count Summer Khaki Lugana

Fibers - Au Ver a Soie

Started - 22 October 2010

Completed - 24 October 2010

Halloween Pin Garden - Detail

A fast, fun piece - I really like the way the Granny Apple green silk pops on this.

And for me - an instant finish with the frame!

There is also a set of pins to go with this - I'm awaiting delivery on the pins and will post another picture when they arrive.

My sister picked two final bouquets before our latest storm...

 Autumnal dahlias

Zinnias - Persian Carpet Mix - (Renee's Seeds)

These zinnias have bloomed, and bloomed, and bloomed their hearts out this summer -  it is a wonderful mix!

Halloween and Echinaceas

Halloween is just a week away, and I've not stitched anything which commemorates the day.  But fortunately, I just purchased "Halloween Pin Garden" by Raise the Roof, so I'm ready to go!

Yesterday the first big storm was to arrive.  We were lucky and had a pleasant, if gray day, until about 5:30pm. Then the skies let loose! 

This morning when I looked at the rain gauge it had over 2" (full to the brim) and Lake Clos du Bois (a monster puddle in our front yard) has reappeared.      

I did take a few pictures of autumnal color to share.

Echinacea "Matthew Saul"

Echinacea "Sundown"

We do not have alot of color in our forest as it is mostly Douglas Fir.  The ash and the cottonwoods loose their leaves very early on, and the few oaks just go from green to brown.

That "leaves" the native Big Leaf Maples to provide the color interest.

They do glow!

We have about a dozen Big Leaf Maples.

Most are poorly shaped - with broken tops -from injuries sustained when this property was logged in the late 1990's.