Snowmen - Completed

Design - "Snowmen"

Designer - Val's Stitchin' Stuff

Magazine - "Just Cross Stitch" - October 2006

Fabric - 32 count Moss Green Belfast

Fibers - Thread Gatherer & WDW - one strand over two threads 

Started - 1 December 2010

Completed - 4 December 2010

Once again, I am charmed by the color pallet and the over-all design!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is a companion piece to "Be Merry".

Design - "Be Merry"

Designer - Val's Stitchin' Stuff

Magazine - "Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue"

Fabric - 32 count Moss Green

Fibers - Thread Gatherer & WDW - one strand over two threads

Started - 20 February 2010

Completed - 14 May 2010

Val used the same fabric and the same thread pallet for both designs.

A Sunny Saturday...in December!

I honestly thought that I'd get more stitched yesterday...but...

the morning was so nice, I worked outside (see below)...and...

then I had to watch the University of Oregon / Oregon State Civil War football game.  I had so much emotionally invested in the game - the Ducks were playing for a spot in the BCS Championship game - that I could not calm down enough to stitch until late in the 4th quarter!  So here it is - my work thus far.

As I mentioned we had a lovely day Saturday.

I bought a couple of kale and a few more pansies...surprise!

Saturday morning was cool, but sunny, so I went to work.

Potted up an ornamental kale and pansies...

Liked it - so I did it again.

This should allow me to have a bit of color all winter long.

A Colorful Evening

My mother and I enjoyed our evening at Mindy's last night.

I replenished by stash of "basic" linens and received a pair of pink DMC scissors as a gift with purchase.

I stitch because I love color...

Mindy's is an opium-overload for a fiber addict! 

With her emphasis on needlepoint, Mindy's carries many different brands...  

and weights of fibers.

She has a nice selection of precut fabric too.

Color and more color...

...and still more color!

I became saturated with pigment!

And look at all these great buttons!

I always appreciate a stitched model!

A most enjoyable evening!

Snowmen Progress and Reindeer Topiary

 

I worked a bit on "Snowmen" yesterday.  I really like the Thread Gatherer's Silk 'n Colors variegated fiber.  Now on to stitching the snow guy! 

I went to a nursery yesterday to buy a few "fill-in" pansies and I was charmed by this reindeer topiary! 

My Very First Cross Stitch - circa 1974

Design - "Rainbow Pillow"

Designer - Ibex Designs

Fabric - Aida

Fibers - DMC - colors pallet chosen by Mindy

Date - circa 1974

I think this is my very first piece of cross stitch.  I saw it finished at my local Needlework Shop, Mindy's Needlepoint Factory all those years ago.  Mindy helped me with the fabric - Aida, what else, and sold me the chart, and the DMC color conversion that she had devised.

All these many years later, I am still stitching, and Mindy's is still in business. In fact this Friday, from 5-8pm, everything in the store is 15% off, and she is hosting a Cheese and Champagne Party to celebrate. 

How many local needlework stores are still in business over 35 years later? 

That's worth celebrating!   

Perhaps you'd like to share an early cross stitch effort! 

BTW - being left-handed, I learned to cross stitch reading the charts upside down.  All these years later, that is still how I stitch - holding the fabric and "reading" my charts - upside down!

December - Indoors and Outside

It's December - time for another snowman!

I've kitted up "Snowmen" by Val's Stuff from the October 2006 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. I've already stitched the companion piece from the 2006 ornament issue - when this one is done, I'll post both of them.

For my Outdoor Wednesday post, many of the usual suspects were around to greet me early in the morning...

I think this is the youngest and smallest fawn on the property.

I'd not seen any bunnies for a couple of days...

And suddenly I was tripping over bunnies everywhere!

A brush bunny joined the California Quail for a sunflower breakfast... 

Everyone munched contentedly...

A bunny to the left and one on the right - quail in the front

Then I noticed there were two bunnies in the brier patch!

And Mr Grey Squirrel multi-tasked - eating and scolding me at the same time.  I hope you have a good breakfast this morning!