Stitching and Clicking

2015 Gifted Gorgeousness check-in time

Last months progress on Black Horse Inn:

This months:

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2015 Gifted Gorgeousness - October  

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Design: Black Horse Inn

Fabric: 40ct Linen over two

Floss: DMC

Not a ton of progress, but I did manage to squeeze in some Gifted Gorgeousness stitching time.  I have been spending much of my time working on Christmas ornaments!

My Halloween exchange arrived from Rosa C.  She did a wonderful job stitching and finishing this ornament.

2015 HOE Halloween Exchange

Designer: Little Stitcher

Design: Vintage Witch (freebie)

Stitched by: Rosa C.

The lace and adorable little frog charm are a great added touch! This ornament is a wonderful addition to my Halloween tree Thanks, Rosa.

Now for the clicking

Last Wednesday I attended the 1st of 4 photography classes, which left me spending way too much time reading about DSL photography and taking many test shots (in manual mode).  I will leave you with a few of my homework pictures.

The fall colors are bursting, which has given me endless photographic options…

Foliage

Early morning dew on a pumpkin

I pulled into my garage and saw a colorful reflection in the helmet on the shelf . I grabbed it, brought it outside, positioned it on a large rock, and snapped the foliage ~ interesting view…

I love the reflection

While sitting in my family room I glanced over and witnessed the foliage as a backdrop to my favorite floor lamp; how perfect, a moose in the woods.  

I love the lamp silhouette

Yes, it is true…Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is offering ANOTHER giveaway. Nancy is truly a very generous blogger!

Thanks for stopping by…

Until next time…

A Few Smalls and A New Scarf

Can you tell that I really like these Foxwood Crossings sled ornaments? It was completed in time for this months 2015 Smalls SAL

2015 Smalls SAL ~ September

Designer: Lizzie * Kate

Design: Sled Dudes

and has been added it to my collection of Holiday Gift Ornaments.  How cute is that? 

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E !!!

My next finish could also qualify for the Smalls SAL.  This is the HOE Halloween exchange Treat Bag that I made for Michelle B.

2015 HOE Halloween

Designer: Blue Ribbon Designs

Design: Tricks or Treats Bags

From: 2015 JCS Halloween Issue

Stitched for: Michelle B.

Much of my free time this past month was spent knitting. I made the mistake of spending too much time on Ravelry.com where I spotted (and purchased) the pattern for this lovely…

Pattern: Deephaven

By: Bonnie Sennott

Having spent time at Webs Yarn purchasing an abundance of yarn, I needed to figure out what to make.  Given my limited knitting skills I gravitate to scarf patterns. This one has an especially nice cable design. 

I completed the blocking so all that is left is to seam the ends.  A second one has already been started. 

Sign ups for the HOE Autumn Exchange close at midnight tonight (9/30). If you are interested in participating details can be found HERE.

Thanks for stopping by…

Until next time…

Making Progress

It's that time again…Gifted Gorgeousness update.

Here is last  months progress picture:

And here is the progress that I made to date:

2015 Gifted Gorgeousness ~ September 15

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Design: Black Horse Inn

Fabric: 40 count Linen over two

Floss: DMC

It was a beautiful Labor Day weekend and having DS1/DIL + DS2/GF join us made it even better.  My younger son has a passion for Jet Skiing.  He much prefers the "stand up" jet ski and enjoys getting airborne on it.  Honestly, he makes riding a "stand up" look effortless but it isn't.

Here is his GF, who did a great job buzzing around the lake.  She has experience riding a stand up.

DS1/DIL had to head back to NYC on Monday so they missed out on the Jet Ski fun.

Thank you to those of you who so kindly let me know that this is a Lily, an Oriental Lily, called Stargazer…

And that this is a Hibiscus…

I also learned, from my DS GF, that the pretty white flowers that I cut from the yard and popped into a vase are Hydrangeas.  We have two large bushes just bursting with these beauties !!!

Another gorgeous giveaway by Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, check it out. She is truly one of the most generous people, constantly offering her beautiful floss to her readers! Honestly, her floss tops my list of favorites. I have been purchasing it for years. 

Do you love the fall season? Would you like to participate in the HOE Autumn Exchange? Check it out and sign up HERE. 

Thank you for stopping by…

Until next time…

I'm A Better Stitcher Than A Gardener!

Prior to seeing this plant bloom I thought for certain that this was a weed. Had I not called upon Melissa, who is quite the gardener, I would have yanked the "weedy" looking thing from the garden.  Melissa took a look at the picture I sent and told me that it was indeed a flowering plant and not a weed.  She was right, it bloomed!  This year it is even larger and more beautiful. I don't remember planting this, nor do I remember the name. Who knows what this is?

Thank you again, Melissa. I cannot look at it without thinking of you.

Each year I plant a small herb garden, which grows quite well.  Last year I tried to grow a sunflower but had no luck.  I see sunflowers everywhere, masses of them dotting the landscape. They are not difficult to grow…for other people.  Now if I were trying to grow one from seed maybe I could understand, but I am not.  This year I planted the sunflower in a different location within my small garden and…

Voila ~ IT GREW

First this little bud…

Which transformed into this…

And has continued to blossom into this…

Ohhh, so very tall ~ and finally a…

SUCCESSFUL SUNFLOWER!

Look at this huge blossom…

Beautiful!

Again, I am not a gardener so I have no idea what this is.  It's pretty and the size of flower is quite impressive.

Now for some stitching ~

Grace and Virtue was finished using a vintage pie plate, which my DH spray painted matte black. I am always on the lookout for items to repurpose. This was quick, easy, and inexpensive…the pie plate was .50 cents at a tag sale.

Design: Grace and Virtue

Designer: The Sampler Company

Fiber: 32ct Linen over 2

Floss: DMC

I completed the stitching on yet another small for the 2015 Smalls SAL

This is part of a kit that I purchased at Celebration of Needlework in NH.  I was hoping to have it finished to share with you but I had surgery on the 20th, which slowed me down to a crawl!

My younger son, who moved to Colorado a year ago, is coming home with his GF for the Labor Day weekend. They are arriving tomorrow and will visit with us for a week. My oldest son and DIL (so happy her status has changed from GF to DIL) are also coming for the weekend. They arrive Friday night and head back to NYC on Monday.  It's so nice that they will all be here together.

Thanks for stopping by…

Until next time…

A New Gifted Start

My DS wedding last month was a distraction, a nice distraction I should add, to my blogging.  As a result I failed to post a July Gifted Gorgeousness update.  

Here is what I should have posted…

2015 Gifted Gorgeousness ~ July 15

Designer: The Sampler Company

Design: Grace and Virtue

Fabric: 32ct linen over 2

Floss: DMC

I even managed to do the finishing on this but have yet to snap a picture. I'll save that for my next post. 

On to my next 2015 Gifted Gorgeousness start…

2015 Gifted Gorgeousness ~ August 15

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Design: Black Horse Inn

Fabric: 40ct over two

Floss: DMC

This beauty falls under the category of: 

• Anything which is intended as a gift or prize for another person

Yes, I am stitching this for a special someone and hope to finish it before Christmas.

My DH made a number of these birdhouses and placed them in our yard…

The vintage outdoor faucet handles make perfect decorative flowers! We scouted these out last year when we went to the world longest yard sale: 127 yard sale. That was quite an experience!

The birdhouse roof is hinged so we can open it up and check on the occupants. Each spring/summer we get to watch the tiny birds grow from this…

to this…

The second birdhouse had just two little birds…

Two other birdhouses became home to tiny little field mice…Ewwww! Not willing to snap pictures of that though. 

Pop on over to Victorian Motto Samplers and sign up for her floss giveaway. The fall colors are beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by…

Until next time…

Birthday Wishes and a SAL Update

A dear friend of mine celebrated her birthday recently and I stitched this up for her as a birthday gift….

Designer: By The Bay Needleworks

Design: Spot Of The Bay

Not long ago she moved to Virginia Beach into a beautiful home on the water.  When I saw this design I knew immediately that it would make the perfect birthday gift for her.  To my shock and amazement I stitched it up, framed it, and was able to hand it off to her at my DS wedding…which was two weeks prior to her birthday.  

Let me share with you another recent finish.  I stitched this for my DS/DIL and displayed it on the name card table at their rehearsal dinner on July 10th. 

I love the french knots, made with thin ribbon and the beading…

I was a bit preoccupied for a few months before the July wedding.  As a result I failed to post a monthly update on the two SAL that I participate in.  Fortunately, life has returned to normal and I am happy to be able to post the 2015 Smalls SAL for July.  These little Sled Ornaments are such a quick stitch and an even faster finish…

Designer: Foxwood Crossing

Design: Snow Country Sleds

These will be added to my stash of gift ornaments that I will be sending fellow stitchers in December. 

I am hosting a Halloween Exchange on the HOE blog so if you are interested in signing up you must do so before August 10th when sign ups close.

Thanks for stopping by…

Until next time…