This Is A Day of Rejoicing!

On Easter Day, we join with Christians around the world, in celebration of our Risen Lord, with songs of joy and praise!  Glory to God above and on earth.  May peace and love abide with you always.


All week long, as I contemplated the very somber time of Holy Week, with the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, my heart was very heavy, as it  is every year during Lent.  But the greatest blessing of all, is that there is hope after all, because of His amazing sacrifice for us, that for all who believe in Him shall not perish, but will one day rest in heaven with him for all eternity!

Although a WIP, I loved stitching 
'Little Eggs Pincushion' 
by Shepherd's Bush.
I have personalized it with my own
'Easter Blessings', Joyous And Sing!'
Because this is truly a very Joyous Day!

             'Easter Frills ~ Easter Egg Pin Keep'
               (With Thy Needle and Thread)
     This adorable design was WIP, started for
     Easter 2011, but not quite finished.  So I am
     thrilled to have it adorn our Easter table this year!

                The top part of the egg is decorated with
                tiny little green eyelets!

                Don't you absolutely love these darling
                little chickens and bunnies hopping among
                all of the flowers in the garden? Below the
               grass are more little green eyelets, sprinkled
               here and there.

Yesterday afternoon, look at the very thoughtful gift the postman left in our mailbox, from my dear friend, Donna........
A sweet 'Tea Time' note pad, and some lovely pastel threads,  just perfect for some Springtime stitching!  Thank you so much, Donna!  Please join me for some stitching time and a cup of tea sometime!

 Can you imagine what a breathtaking sight it is to look out of our bedroom window, and seeing these lovely pink blooms?  In front of all of the homes on our street are pink and white flowering trees.  We are truly so blessed with God's beautiful works of art!     


Wishing you today, a most blessed and beautiful    
Easter Day!      






               


                                  

Amidst the brambles, look what bloomed in our yard this week!  Temperatures soared into the 80's here in New England, and it felt more like May than March!  We flung open the windows wide to let in the fresh breezes of air, and enjoyed the gorgeous sun filled days and blue skies!

 

               Miss Meggie enjoying playing out in the yard too! 

I decided to pull out one of my WIP's, 'My Lovely Sewing Tools" (The Gift of Stitching 2011), which I had put away just before Christmas, while I worked on my Christmas projects.  My stitching, of late has been rather slow, but steady these past days.  Wishing that I had made more progress, but there it is....alas..... The design was published in several parts, and I have completed the first series of designs in the top half of the overall design.  It felt really good to have that accomplishment at long last!

I loved stitching this section because of the 'over one' stitching on the hanger, holding the letter 'F'.  Aren't those sweet scattered flowers pretty?

I love those wonderful spools of thread, which look like the now 'heirloom' wooden spools we used to have when I was a little girl.  I have a few of those treasured wooden spools in my sewing chest.

I have grown fond of stitching 'over one', so stitching the ribbon of this 'C' ornament was especially fun.  I love the 'squiggly' handle of the ornament too, which was done with back stitching first, and then a woven stitch on top of it. 

I'm not sure that the little square of needles on the left side, look quite like needles, but there they are...   And the letter 'H'.


Today I think that I will take out one of my spring designs to stitch.  The day is a bit cooler, and I feel like cozying up with some nice warm cups of tea in my favorite "stitching nest" with a good movie and stitch the afternoon away:)

Finally, I graduated to a padded walking boot for my recovering toes, and can hobble around a bit better with it and a cane for stability.  Talk about feeling like a little old lady!  But, it does feel good to be off of the crutches.... A dear stitching friend has taken me to our LNS Wednesday morning stitching group, and with my leg elevated on a stool, it has been absolutely wonderful to be back with the girls, enjoying our great gabbing and stitching!  The best healing remedy ever!!


Thank you for sharing your wonderful thoughts with me here.  I love reading all of your comments and am so grateful to those of you who have connected your 'threads' of stitching and your lives with mine through our love of stitching.  


May you be blessed in all circumstances this week, in whatever life brings your way, and I look forward to reading about what you have been stitching and doing this past week, on your wonderful blogs too!


Blessings in Stitches & Friendship!

Thoughts and Finishing on A Sunday Afternoon...

Today is such a gloriously beautiful sunny day with almost clear blue skies, and temps are in the 40's.  Believe it or not, the prediction is for temps to soar into the 60's this week!  Could spring really be lurking around the corner after all?


 I want to thank all of you who have written such kind and thoughtful words of encouragement this past week, as my right foot continues to heal.  Believe me, you have really lifted my spirits so much!  I wish that I could tell you that I have accomplished a lot more stitching, but honestly, I don't know where the hours in a day go sometimes!  I feel so lazy sometimes, as I sit in my recliner with my foot on pillows, reading your stitching blogs, about all of your amazing accomplishing in your work, your families and so many other activities.  And you still manage time for stitching too!

Steadily, I worked on the "March Cottage" (Country Cottage Needlework " Monthly Cottage Series"), and finally finished stitching and lacing it so that it could be "popped" into this cute little frame today.  My dear husband set up a little stool, so that I could sit on it and take a picture.  I love the way it turned out too!

March Cottage
Country Cottage Needleworks
Summer Khaki Linen
Recommended DMC Threads
WDW "Pecan"
Crescent Colours "Tomato"

Now, I am contemplating whether I should pull out one of my WIP's , or start something new.  I just love the excitement of a new start, don't you?  Picking out new linen and some yummy new colours of thread is so enticing.   Hmmmmm.... Such difficult decisions:)

Miss Ella Modeling Her New Turtle Sweater.
Of course, cute as a button,  as she shows Grandma her latest dancing moves!
Oh, the joys of having precious grandchildren!


This afternoon, I found myself drawn to this piece, which I stitched a few years ago, expressing such a beautiful sentiment.  And, so dear friends, I leave you with these words.....

May today and the week ahead be filled with peace and love overflowing.
May you feel contentment in the smallest things,
And cherish each moment of your lives.
For we never know when time catches us unaware, and
those precious moments are quickly vanished away.


Blessings in 'Stitches & Friendship'!

And Let There Be Snow In Winter!

Winter White!  That is what covered the ground when we woke up this morning!  Spring may be almost upon us, but it does look lovely seeing all of the trees, laden with beautiful snow today.

Yesterday afternoon was spent finishing my  Primitive Betty's 'Pure and Pleasant' pincushion with some brown satin ruched ribbon trim.  It is filled with a combination of crushed walnut shells and lavender.  The lavender smells so wonderful, but its' scent was a bit overpowering.  I am happy with the results!

Last Friday I had surgery to repair a bunion and two hammer toes.
Ella and our daughter visited to cheer me up, and Ella laid her Boo-Boo Kitty on my sore foot. Too sweet for words.....

Miss Ella decided that an 'Elmo' Get Well balloon was the perfect gift for Grandma, since Elmo is her very favorite Sesame Street character.  She loves all of the Sesame Street characters, but carries her own little Elmo everywhere she goes.

As you can imagine, for the first few days after my surgery, I didn't feel much like doing any stitching.  Then, on Monday, my needle began calling me, so I pulled out 'March Cottage', and I made a little progress. 

Yesterday, I made some more progress, but am not happy with the way the window panes look.  They are supposed to be 'straight stitches', but don't lie very flat, so may have to take them out and re-stitch them.  We'll see.


Yesterday was our Wednesday Stitching Group. I was a little sad not to be able to join the girls for our usual stitching and gabbing the morning away.  I can't wait til I can go again.  Maybe in a week or so, I can ask one of my stitching friends to pick me up, with my crutches and a stool on which to rest my sore foot.  Stitchers will do just about anything to stitch together! Right?  

One more beautifully snow covered fir tree outside of our house.  Can you tell that I am one of those crazy ladies who absolutely loves it when it snows?  It comes from having grown up in snow country, where I was a total snow bunny all winter long!


Although I am behind on my blog reading, I plan to catch up, as I have plenty of time in my recliner these days.  I am so grateful for all of you who visit with me here on my blog, and for the wonderful comments you leave.  It means the world to me to know that we are connected with one another through the threads of friendship and stitching.


Blessings to All of You, My Dear Friends!

For the past few weeks, I have been trying ever so much, to find more time to stitch and blog, but never seem to feel like I am accomplishing what my mind sets out to do!  Does that sound like a familiar feeling?


Last week our Wednesday LNS Stitching Group decided that we would have a special fun 'Stitch-In' day, on a different day, so that we could stitch to our heart's content, from morning til when the shop closed!  Imagine.....just stitching and eating yummy treats all day long!  What sheer joy!  We hope to re-create our special all day long 'Stitch-In' again in a few months.

I worked on 'Pure and Pleasant', a Primitive Betty's design. It seems like my fingers don't stitch as fast as I would like sometimes:)  My mind is swirling with ideas of how I would like to finish it as a pincushion.  Will show finishing later.....

I am sure that you have probably seen this cute Country Cottage 'March Cottage' design. Here is my stitching start.  I love doing monthly or seasonal designs and changing them around in the house for a new and cheerier look.

On Saturday, we had a Baby Shower for our son and daughter-in-law, who are expecting our second granddaughter, in late May, but are moving next week to Texas. On Friday night, Miss Ella was helping us wrap up the baby gifts..... trying outfits on her dollies.

Even Ernie had to try on Ella's favorite baby outfit too!

Of course, Miss Ella insisted on modeling the outfit on herself too!

Our daughter-in-law loves little green turtles, and didn't want anything  frilly pink, so we came up with a cute "Baby Turtle" theme.      

              Notice the Daddy, Baby and Mommy Turtles....too cute!


For now, dear friends, time is fleeting, and I must get on to doing some other things today, but wanted so much to let you know that I am thinking about you always.  It is a blessing that our lives connect one to another, through the threads that join us, creating a tapestry that wraps us all together, doing what we love so much........


'Crossing in Stitches and Friendship'!

"But the Greatest of These is Love" -Tokens of Affection

It always strikes me, as Valentine's Day approaches, 

that "Love" should be celebrated everyday of the year.

For it is, after all,

The Greatest Gift of All!

"Love Suffers long and is kind;

Love does not envy;

Love does not parade itself about, 

it is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely

does not seek its' own;

is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity,

but rejoices in the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, 

Hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails."  

(I Corinthians 13:4-8)

My own  needlework creations, 

in celebration of "LOVE" 

Patricia Ann Designs

2011 Just Cross-Stitch Ornament Issue

28 Count Antique White Cashel Linen

Krenik Fine Braid #8

DMC Threads

Mill Hill Red Seed Beads

I love the beautifully muted roses of  this fabric

that I used for the back of the ornament.

Stitched for my sister-in-law, Marsha,

who adores "HEARTS".

She displays them all around her house year round.

Happy Valentine's Day, Marsha!

Most of my stitching endeavors these past weeks have

included hearts in the designs.

BBD "Small Token Reward of Merit Pincushion"

Stitched on 32 Count Vintage Sand Dune Linen

Worked with Crescent Colours Threads

Finished with a small scissor's pocket on the back.

I had been pondering for a few days about how 

I wanted to finish this pincushion.

I am so pleased with the way it has turned out!

And now, for some of our own "Little Loves".....

Miss Ella with Baby and Teddy All Wearing Diapers!

Harrison @ 1 Month Old

Smiling for Daddy!

Emerson Playing Cowboy  

in his Play Fort

Big Brother, Emerson Gives Baby Harrison a Kiss!

How Adorable!

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three.

But the greatest of these is 

LOVE."

(I Corinthians 13: 13)

May you be blessed with love always!

February.....The Month of Celebrating LOVE!

Everywhere you look, there are hearts and laces beautifully displayed, in every shop, proclaiming "LOVE".  We will all shop for our Valentines to give to those we love.....our spouses, our parents, children and grandchildren.  For "LOVE" is a message for sharing EVERY DAY.

Last week when I went to my LNS Stitching Group, I was thrilled to learn that  "Love Birds" was ready to be picked up!  I am saving it to give to my husband on Valentine's Day.  (You see, he is an avid stitcher too, so I know that he will appreciate it as much as I do!)

Yesterday afternoon I went to a really fun "Stitch-In" with a group of nice stitchers, before the Super Bowl kick-off in the evening.  We had a wonderful lunch and all kinds of delicious goodies to snack on, while we stitched and chatted the afternoon away. 


 This is my latest 'small' .  I love this sweet little piece.  It is easy to stitch and carry with me too.  It will be finished as a little pincushion, as it is designed to be.  I'm pondering how I want to make it a little different.  

"Small Token"
Reward of Merit Pincushion
BlackBird Designs
Using Recommended Threads

Miss Ella Pouring Tea for Mommy and GrandMaMa

Yesterday morning, when I paid a little visit to our daughter's house,
 little Miss Ella, decided that we would play 'Tea Party'!
She was delighted when her Mommy poured
a tiny bit of real tea into her little pink tea pot,
 a spot of milk in her creamer and  let her spoon sugar
from the china sugar bowl.

Love those adorable cookies too!

Don't you love her pretty green matching bib for the occasion?

Miss Meaghan Pouting After Being Scolded
For Chewing up My Kleenex
For the 3rd Time Today!

"I Don't Want To Look At You, Mommy.
I know that I Was A Naughty Dog."


My goodness, but the time just fleets away when I am blogging.
Time for my favorite cup of hot tea 
And Some Peaceful Moments with Needle and Thread!


It is always my joy to visit with you on your blogs,
and of course, I cherish the times when you come to
visit with me too!


Blessings in Stitches and Friendship!

A Little Joy In Our Hearts!

These past weeks have been filled with the joy of welcoming our newest little grandson, into our lives, born in the wee hours of Friday, January 13th, to our son Kevin, his wife, Gwen, and our two year old grandson, Emery.  

Harrison @ 7 Days Old

Two Year Old Emery & Newborn Harrison

 So you can just imagine that proud Grandma and Grandpa just couldn't wait to pack up and travel to visit our precious two little grandsons.  It was a long trip, but worth every minute.  We just couldn't be more proud or happier for our son and daughter-in-law, who are wonderful, loving parents.


Needless to say, my stitching and blogging has been neglected these past weeks, and I have sorely missed my dear stitchy/bloggy friends!  While away, my needle and thread were useful, mending Emery's favorite Teddy Bear, as well as several articles of clothing and a pair of snowpants for our son, who loves to play in the snow with Emerson.


I have been wanting to show you the needlecase that I stitched for my dear friend, Donna, but needed to wait until she emailed me that she had received it.  It was a bit of a challenge for me assembling it, as I am always so skiddish about doing the finishing work, but I was pleased with the finished piece.

"Christmas Joy Needlebook"
By Louise Henderson
Just Cross-Stitch
Christmas Ornaments 2009

Needle Case Back

Needle Case Interior

Needle Case Open
(Front and Back)

Donna sent me a lovely note, saying that she was delighted to receive it, and I am so happy that she is so pleased with it, and wish her many happy hours of peaceful stitching!


Even though the month of January is almost past, I finally finished stitching "January Cottage" last night. There just weren't enough stitching hours this month!  Oh well, it will be ready for display NEXT January:)

"January Cottage"
Country Cottage Needleworks

Now, I am contemplating whether to work on some WIP's or start something new.  It is a difficult decision, but I tend to feel one of my WIP's calling me to do some more stitching, but one never knows what will happen...........

I have missed being in touch with you, and promise to catch up on my "blog reading". Now that I have caught up on my laundry, and all of those other pesky tasks, like making meals, doing bills and chasing the dust bunnies away, I can at last see what exciting things you have been stitching!

Until next time......
Blessings in Stitches
And
Friendship!

Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts......

Congratulations to all of my Twelve Days of Christmas Gift recipients!  I am almost a little sad today that there are no more days to post something special just for you about another gift:(  But there is always next Christmas!


For two of my gift recipients, Marcela66 and Carm, who do not have blogs, would you be so kind, and please email to me your mailing addresses, so that I can post your gifts to you this week?  I know that you will definitely want your special gifts!


Blessings to Everyone This Week!