May moments

Hello there! Hope May is off to a wonderful start for everyone... Things are definitely improving (weather-wise) here and we are finally getting some sunny, warm days again. Oh, how I love them! As I've gotten older, I've begun to realize just how much my mood is affected when we have no sun--and sadly, I live in one of the least sunny parts of the U.S. Yes, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area is one of the worst for lack of sunshine according to this article in USA Today. Is your city on the list? I think we've had only three sunny days over the past two weeks! Am I ready to move? Let's just say I'm definitely keeping my options open!

I'm finishing up the larger summer piece that I hinted about in an earlier post so I really don't have any new stitching to share with you today. But, I do have a finally framed finish! After 12 years, I can proudly hang this Hillside Samplings piece, "Seasonal Samplings," on my wall! There is no excuse... I've even had the frame for at least a decade. Yes, really!

"Seasonal Samplings" stitched in 2011

Isn't it pretty? I have no excuse for not framing this one earlier except sheer laziness on my part. Well, that and the fear of trying to frame something with such a straight border. But, I'm very pleased with the final outcome--and you know what? It probably didn't take me longer than an hour to get it done! As always, I use this tutorial by "With Thy Needle and Thread's" Brenda Gervais to do my framing.

Finally framed 12 years later!

This sampler was stitched on 28 ct. natural brown linen and I remember loving the specialty stitches and "over one" stitching in each little block. If you'd like to read a more detailed post about this particular finish, you can find it right here. I thought you might enjoy seeing some close-ups of each season. Notice the alphabet, year, and my initials are all stitched "over one" as are the bunny and birds.

Spring--aren't those flowers interesting?

Summer--such a sweet baby bunny.

Fall--some cute Rhodes stitched apples.

Winter--love the lone red cardinal perched at the top of the pine tree.

Such a pretty timeless piece! I'm still auditioning spots in my home to hang it--the long thin frame presents a bit of a challenge in finding just the right place. Right now, I have it propped up on a bookshelf (where it just may stay permanently!). Who else is with me in procrastinating on your framing? I'm pretty good with finishing the smalls as I stitch them, but... I'm embarrassed to think about the number of larger pieces in my "to be framed" drawer. Some day, I'll show you the contents of the that drawer! But, I know that many of you follow the same philosophy that I do: "The joy is in the stitching."

In other stitching related news--I got my newest bound blog book back from the printer! It's a biggie--383 pages! I always combine two years worth of my posts into one book to save money. It is still expensive, but every now and then Blog to Print (where I order the books) has a very nice 50% off coupon. I would suggest signing up for their emails as that is how they deliver the best coupons. 

For the front of my latest book, I chose--what else--my Christmas tree! After all, that is how I first began blogging way back in January of 2009--by stitching an ornament each week. 

My 2021-2022 blog book

I dedicated this newest book to my dear grandmother. Past books have been dedicated to my husband, my sons, my mother, my grandson, and even to you--my sweet stitching and blogging friends!

It makes me so proud and happy to leaf through the pages and see all of my finishes in print form! My only complaint about these books is that the captions don't end up appearing right under the photos. But, otherwise, I can highly recommend this company. Here are some sample pages to give you an idea of how they print out. (Please note that the pages are white even though they appear blue in some of my photos).

So many memories from 2021 and 2022... the good, the bad, and the ugly!

The good: Mother's Day 2022

The bad: the flooding of our family home in Naples, Florida in September 2022

The ugly: the horrid powder post beetle found in one of my professionally framed finishes!

And let's not forget my favorite images of all--my sweet grandson, "Mister B."

Love having my grandson included in my blog book!

For the back cover, I chose one of my favorite finishes of 2022

And here is the whole stack of books from 2009-2022--eight inches tall! 

Hard to believe I've been blogging for 14 years now!

Giveaway time... I found a cute chart that is so appropriate for this time of year with Mother's Day falling on Sunday for those of us in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and parts of Europe. This chart was sent to me from the very generous Janet B. in Texas to use as a giveaway and I appreciate it so much! Who would like to win this Sue Hillis chart, complete with tiny charm? The charm is a little door with a wee key to be stitched onto the house where the front door should be--adorable! You could also change the word "mom" to something else, too (dad, dog, cat, etc.), if you desired. If you'd like to win this, please follow the guidelines below. I'll announce the winner on my next blog post--good luck to all!

I'm giving away this sweet chart and charm... Please follow the guidelines below to enter!

To be included in the drawing for this chart, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win the chart in your comment 

2) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams (in my blog's sidebar on the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below. 

Getting to know you... Since the chart is a mom themed one, here is my question for today: I am wondering if you have one piece of advice that your mom gave you that you really value or learned from? My mom drummed into me just how important it is to look a person in his or her eye and say "thank you" after receiving a compliment. I was a very shy child (which honestly hasn't changed even as an adult), and I had a very hard time accepting compliments. I would always brush them off and look down at the ground. But, over time, I learned to look directly at the person, thank them, and simply accept their kind words. I still have a difficult time with praise, but I try my best to be gracious and simply accept it! How about you? Do you have any wise advice from your mom that has stuck with you over time?

Life update... Sadly, the pain from my husband's "tennis elbow" hasn't lessened at all. It has now been 5 weeks and nothing has helped. It's so hard for him, especially since his left arm (where the shoulder was replaced) is healing so well. He went from being unable to use one arm to being unable to use the other. But, the good news is we will be seeing our grandson for Mother's Day weekend which will surely bring a smile to our faces. To be honest, this will be a difficult Mother's Day for me because May 14th will also mark, what would have been, my dear mother's 96th birthday. And then my mother-in-law would have turned 95 the following day. So, yes... we very much need the diversion a toddler can offer to help with the inevitable sad moments. We're counting the days as you can imagine--it's been almost three months since we last saw the little fellow!

I want to thank all of you who looked for the burgundy checked ribbon I mentioned needing in my previous post. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find it. A couple of you said they might have it, but didn't leave email addresses so I have no way of getting in touch with you. That's okay... there are certainly more pressing problems in this world, right? Thank you for visiting today--I'm so happy you're here and I hope you know how much I appreciate your kind words and emails. I wish all of you who are celebrating Mother's Day a beautiful weekend. It's a time of mixed emotions for those of us who have lost our moms, but I'm going to try to remember the happy times we once shared. I hope you can, too. Bye for now...

♥ This post was written in memory of my dear mother who would have celebrated her 96th birthday on May 14th, 2023. This photo of her  was taken with 4-month-old baby Carol on her 28th birthday in 1955. ♥

Simple gratitude...

The end of the year always brings a mixture of the bitter and the sweet, doesn't it?  I think that holds true more this year than any other year that I've lived. It's been a tough one! And yet, I am still grateful for so many things--especially my family and my stitching friends who have really made living through a pandemic just a bit easier. One of my favorite quotes from Ralph H. Blum states: "There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy." I've chosen to find that gratitude this year in spite of some pretty sad happenings... You can choose to dwell on the sad or you can decide to find things in life to be grateful for--because there is always something, no matter how small, to give thanks for!

Well enough of my end-of-the-year philosophizing! How was your Christmas? I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it felt to have my youngest son home for five days after not having seen him since last Christmas. My middle son was able to join us for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch, too. It felt so good to just sit and laugh together (I actually laughed so hard during a game of Balderdash that my ribs hurt the following morning)! How I missed the simple normal things this year like spending days with my family. We ate too much, watched "It's a Wonderful Life" (which, although it is one of my husband's favorite movies, I had never seen!) and episodes of The Mandolorian. As I looked around the table one evening, I smiled to myself: "How wonderful it feels to just laugh and chat and feel normal for a change!" I'm sure most of you can relate, can't you?

One of the normal things in life that I didn't have to miss out on this year was my stitching! I'm sure you all feel that it's been a lifeline at times, just like I do. This beautiful piece is called "Merry Christmas Sampler" by Crown & Thistle. The chart was given to me by my dear friend on Instagram, Claire, from Canada. Although I'm not really a sampler stitcher (I usually need the reward of instant gratification given by smaller pieces!), I truly enjoyed stitching with one color and I think the end result is gorgeous.

 

It is stitched with a stunning red thread--Gloriana Silk in the very Christmasy sounding name of "Poinsettia." I used, for the first time, a higher count of linen: 46 ct. white Bergen linen. Now, what I didn't realize as I was stitching along, is that this is not an evenly woven linen. I panicked as I saw that right margin growing smaller and smaller as I stitched across the top row of the sampler. You can see it here in the photo below--the right margin is about half the size of the left. I think I can make it work, but I won't have much fabric showing when I frame it.

I hope to frame it in a pretty, tarnished silver frame of some sort. Can't wait to display it for many Christmases yet to come. Thank you again, Claire--your gift was so sweet and I look forward to seeing your finish in the coming year!

 

But, there's more! I must have been a good girl this year as I got some lovely gifts from stitching friends around the world. I truly appreciate each of them taking the time to make a little something for me!

Cindy D. made me this gorgeous Hands On Design ornament for my tree. She changed the colors to darker blues and I absolutely love it! Thank you so much, Cindy!

From Vickie came this very sweet little bird that she sewed out of an antique quilt. Of course, she chose to make him blue for me! Thank you, Vickie--he is adorable!

Two beautifully stitched cards arrived from two of my German stitching friends. Manuela made the pretty snowflake on the left and Gabi stitched the sleigh laden with Santa's goodies on the right. Thank you both so much--they are lovely!

From Stasi came this darling ornament mounted on a piece of tin. Such a beautifully stitched and finished piece, Stasi (and that little "Spread Love, Not Germs: Go Wash Your Hands" needleminder is a perfect way to remember 2020!) Thank you so much!

Another German blogging friend, Martina, sent a lovingly stitched card and two cuts of cardinal themed fabric. She knows how much cardinals mean to me! Thank you so much, Martina!

Instagram friend, Claire (who also gifted me with the "Merry Christmas Sampler" chart shown above) sent a lovely gift which arrived just in the nick of time all the way from Canada. The beautifully stitched wool strawberry is so special with the added beads, silver holly charm, and cording. I love it, Claire--thank you so much!

From my long-time friend, Robin in Virginia, came the cutest little blue stocking ornament, a cut of one of my favorite fabrics (40 ct. Woodland Newcastle), and a charm pack of pretty flannel squares to use in my finishing. Thank you so much, Robin--you always pick the perfect gifts!

From another Instagram friend, Cindy C. came this pretty jeweled card and a skein of the prettiest Gloriana Silk thread. Wouldn't that deep red be perfect for a Christmas design? Thank you so much, Cindy!

And last, but certainly not least, from my dear friend June in England, came this darling cardinal card, a sweet Merry Christmas bookmark and a cute "I Believe In Christmas" chart. Thank you so much, June--everything is delightful, as always!

What a lovely variety of gifts I received this year! I am truly grateful for your friendships and for these sweet remembrances. I displayed them on my mantle this year and smiled each time I glanced over at it. Over the past 12 years, I've received so many lovely ornaments from stitchers around the world. I display them on my staircase garland (after I move my 12 newly stitched ornaments to my Christmas tree when it goes up) and it looks so pretty and bright.  Here are a few photos of the wonderful ornaments I've received over the years--I treasure each and every one. Some people are no longer active in the blogging world and we've lost touch, but I still think of you when I see your ornament. I hope you know that... I truly am grateful for all the stitching friendships I've had--both old and new!

The ornaments from stitching friends certainly brighten up my stairway!

So much thought and love went into each and every gift!

I think I need a longer bannister, but I love how bright and cheery my friends' ornaments look as I walk up the steps!

Do you have any favorites from the pieces you've stitched this year? On Instagram, my "Top Nine for 2020" (generated from the photos that received the most "likes") were the following. All of them were Christmas related except the lone Valentine's Day photo in the lower right. The numbers are a bit skewed, of course, because as the year goes by, the number of followers grows, so, naturally, the posts at the end of the year will garner more interest.

My "Top Nine" 2020 on Instagram

My number one pick would be none of the above, however; it would be the post that I made in July when my little grandson came into the world in La Jolla, California. Do you remember this one? Yes, far and away, my favorite post of this year!

My personal favorite post from July: my precious grandson, "Baby B"

 

Where did that helpless baby go? Well, he's almost six months old now and is sitting up, attempting to crawl, and just fascinated by what's going on around him.  My husband and I just shake our heads in awe as we watch the changes in him practically unfold before our eyes when we FaceTime with him each day. Here is my favorite photo from Christmas of the little fellow in his Santa cap. I wonder what is going through his mind? So precious...

 

I'll share a couple of photos from our Christmas day, too--we didn't take many this year. Although I missed my oldest son, daughter-in-law and Baby B so very much, it was wonderful to have my two younger sons join us for the holiday.

Here are the four of us in front of the tree (blocking the tree, I should say!). In the lower left is my youngest son all ready to tackle our traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, juice, and homemade cinnamon buns. And in the lower right, my middle son surprised me by taking over the traditional manicotti preparation. What a huge help that was--he did an amazing job!

And here I am with my tree! I'm just a wee bit proud of all those ornaments!

Favorite memory of the year... At this time of year, I tend to get quite reflective like a lot of you. I try to think positively and think about the nice memories. To be honest, that was a bit difficult this year with so many losses. But, without a doubt, becoming a grandmother in July was, hands down, my favorite memory. To hold the first born son of my first born son was a feeling I'll never forget. Such pride mixed with lots of love and wonder and a fierce desire to protect (along with a tiny bit of fear). What will this world hold for these children born during the pandemic? Will they be more resilient and adaptable? I choose to think they will be brave and strong, curious, and intelligent. So how about you--do you have a favorite memory from 2020? I'd love to hear some of your happy memories!

Well, this ends yet another year of Stitching Dreams. Next month, will mark my 13th anniversary of blogging! Where have the years gone?  I've so enjoyed getting to see some new names among my commenters this year--thank you for taking the time to say "hello!" It's been a tough year for the entire world... one none of us ever dreamed about, that's for sure. And it's not over... we still have a long way to go until the majority of us are vaccinated and things become safer again. So, on that note, I'll leave you with my word for this coming new year. In 2021, I wish you HOPE! Happy New Year, everyone! Bye for now...

Wishing you hope in this new year!

Tweet! Tweet!

Good morning all! Hope everyone has had an enjoyable week so far. This week I stitched and finished my March ornament, LHN's "Cardinal Winter" which Valerie gave me for my birthday. I stitched it "over one" on some mystery fabric using the suggested Crescent Colours and DMC threads, with a few substitutions. I had to change the word "Tweet" from the suggested white to a dark green to make it show up on this fabric and I also changed the rabbits to more resemble the color of the little bunnies that appear in our yard each summer, fluffy white tails and all! I then finished it off as a little hanging pillow and trimmed it with ric-rac and a little red bird button. What do you think?



Speaking of "tweeting," do you "tweet" on "Twitter?" Maybe it's just a generational thing, but I just don't get it... My sons keep telling me it's useful for business, but I don't understand who has the time to "follow" all these people/celebrities on Twitter. Can any of you younger stitchers enlighten me (I guess that would be most of you!)? As I said, it probably is a generational thing; after all, I just found out that I'm eligible for the "senior citizen" discount at a national department store and I'm only 56! Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a few extra dollars off my purchases, but I think that actually, they're just calling me "old." And I honestly don't feel old...I'm just slowing down a bit.

This collage of cardinal photos was taken from my kitchen window this winter. To me, there is something so striking about those brilliant red birds set against the snowy landscape. Our snow has finally melted, and I'm not sorry to see it go. I'm so envious of all of you who have little buds appearing and flowers blooming already. Hopefully, our spring will be here before long.



I also began stitching Drawn Thread's "Sunflower Bellpull" that Brenda surprised me with. I'm just loving the colors of this one and all the new specialty stitches that I'm learning. I'm probably about one-fifth of the way done--it is going to be a long, long piece (but then, again, it is a bellpull!).Thank you again, Brenda--I'm thoroughly enjoying myself with this one. It is so nice to stitch something that reminds me of warmth and sunny summer days!



This wonderful treasure trove of charts, fabric, and thread arrived through the generosity of Becky in one of her recent giveaways. Twelve gorgeous charts, some pretty opalescent blue fabric, and two skeins of DMC 115 greeted me when I opened her package! Becky, you are such a generous soul (not to mention the very fastest stitcher on earth!)--I truly am thrilled with everything. I only hope I can make these pieces look half as nice as yours did when you stitched them. Thank you again so very, very much...


And just look at this Christmas gift, (yes, I did say Christmas gift) that finally arrived in my mailbox last week after three long months! My sweet blogging friend, Edit, mailed this from Spain on December 2nd, 2010! Just where has it been hiding all these months? I'm wondering about your experiences with international mailings...have you ever had a package disappear or take an extra long time to arrive at its destination? Edit and I had both just about given up on it when it decided to make its appearance. But, oh, it was so worth the wait; just look at what she sent: a beautifully sewn stitching pouch featuring one of my favorite woodland designs, some lovely ribbon, tiny aqua blue beads, handmade felt ornament and threadholder, and some brown floss that says it smells like chocolate when you stitch with it! Have you ever heard of such a thing?! What could be better than combining two of the things I love most: chocolate and stitching? Thank you, dear Edit--I'll treasure the pouch for years to come and enjoy using each of the other treats you included. I'm thrilled that we've become friends across the miles...








Finally, the winner of the Hillside Sampling "Seasonal Samplings" chart giveaway from my previous post is Hilda from "Hildi's Good Life" blog in Austria! Hilda, please send me your mailing address and I'll get the chart off to you as soon as I can. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did. Thanks to all who entered--perhaps it will make its way to one of you in the future as it is passed on from stitcher to stitcher.

I have a nice day to look forward to. I'm meeting Lee, the Lake Stitcher herself, for some lunch and an afternoon of stitching. I can't wait--it's always nice to spend time with others who share your passion, isn't it? Enjoy your weekend everyone and thanks for taking the time to visit my little corner of the stitching universe! I always love reading your comments and seeing what you've been up to each week... Bye for now...