A Cross Stitch Update

I'm finally getting around to doing a blog post.  It has taken me two days to take down the Halloween decorations. Thanks to all of you who looked and commented on my two newest witches.  While busy with Halloween my fingers have not been idle.  I have been busy stitching the BBD, "Christmas Garden."  Last night I finished the motifs in the top part.  I'm stitching this on 32 ct. Belfast linen, antique ivory.  That is my go to linen .  As I have complained to you before, I live nowhere near a LNS.  I have to order most things online.  I have a hard time with linen because it is hard to get a true color on the computer.  I find this color and count works for many things. I like to stitch on 32 count.  That count doesn't strain my "old" eyes too much.  Any way here is the update.  Tonight I hope to finish the berries(or flowers?) down the left side.  Then I 'll get back to the next group of motifs.
 I have already voted as our county is totally by mail.  I'm so tired of this election.  I have strong ideas about the way I hope things go, but all the polls etc. have me tired.  (The dear sweet SBA is a news junky so I hear a lot of the news). No matter what happens, I hope the best for our country.

 Here is the entire top part. Much prettier than you see here.

 I used all the suggested floss except the red.  I had a problem with the red running.  With a sampler this big, I want to be able to wash it when I'm finished.  I chose my favorite two reds , DMC 355 and 356.  I'm just using them where I think they will look good.

This center motif took me three evenings.

 I have fallen in love with the color Heirloom Gold by GA.  It is such a rich looking gold.

Lastly, the SBA and I had our coffee on the front porch this morning.  We saw this web with the rain drops and thought it was so pretty! Have a wonderful week!

Final Halloween Post (Maybe)

Thanks to all of you who wished us a Happy Halloween!  Those of you who are having the big day today due to bad old Sandy, I hope your day is full of spooky fun. It rained all day and then about 5 it cleared up for a few hours.  That gave the children time to get in some good trick-or-treating.  We have a tradition at our house.  Our DD and SIL come over for dinner and then we all sit out on the very decorated porch and give the goodies to the kids.  As you know if you follow this blog, I am the lucky mother of the designer of Woolpets.  She is also a sweet wonderful daughter.  She has made several witches for my collection.  This year was no exception.  I thought I might be through blogging about Halloween, but I just have to show you my newest absolutely adorable Woolpet  witch.  Also the SBA and I were in town for a walk and saw that a shop had Jim Shore Halloween things for 30% off.  Of course we had to look and found a lovely lady to bring home.

I just hung her on the cupboard over the village.  I looked again and thought that was the absolutely perfect spot  for her.  She is just the right size to be flying over the village.

Isn't she adorable!!!!

 Guess she has had her treats and is leaving the village.

 I love crows and ravens so this was the one I chose.

I hope you all have a wonderful  week-end! Thanks so much for taking a look!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!

 THE PUMPKINS ARE READY !!

THE CALDRON IS WAITING !

 

 THE WITCHES ARE SMILING!!

LET THE TRICK-OR-TREATERS COME!

HAVE A VERY HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

A little bit more Halloween!

First, I want to thank everyone who enjoyed our Olympic walk.  It has been raining ever since so I'm glad we took that walk.  Also, I wanted to add that my thoughts and prayers are going out to all the folks affected by this awful storm! I hate to see all that damage.  It was a bit like that last summer, (but on a lower scale) when the news kept showing us all the damage from the fires in Eastern Washington. When nature gets wound up, it is very scary! On to a lighter note! When we lived in Kentucky, we went to many antique shows in Tennessee, Ohio, and of course Kentucky.  We acquired some great hand blown jars.  They are very prominent in our kitchen. I love putting seasonal things in the jars.  I used to put candy but that was way too tempting for the SBA and me. Now I have fun looking for non-tasty items! Being the Halloween lover that I am, they get quite decorated for the holiday.

 Here are the first three.  On the far right you can see a beautiful celery vase given to us by my sister and brother-in-law.  All of the things you see are hand blown and quite old.

 See the Jack-or-lantern and spider web pasta.(Have to cook it to eat it!)

This is my newest addition.  It is some sort of pasta called forest couscous.  The minute I saw it I knew it belonged in one of my Halloween jars.

 This is my very special mustard jar, probably from 1850 or earlier.  It has black, orange , and yellow pop corn-not popped of course!!

 More pumpkins and bats.

Bright orange lentils!!

Wonderful spooky black rice!! I love it!!

 Nearby I have a great brass hand punched strainer,  little wax witch looks good hanging in front of it.

This is not old but from a special trip we took.  We went to Leland ,MI one fall. This is a Sue Bolt tile that I just had to have.

Well, tomorrow is the big day!  It has been pouring all day and they say tomorrow might be a repeat.  However, it might slow down by evening and just a few showers are predicted.  I have my pumpkins lit and the caldron ready for misting.  I sure hope the kids will come.  If not, oh dear, the SBA and I will have bags of candy to eat!!!!!!

A Day Trip to the Olympic Foothills

I'm so happy that many of you enjoyed seeing the Halloween village! Thank you so much for the comments and thanks to those of you who just look! Today's blog is about a little trip we took on Thurs.  The weather lady said that it would be our last sunny day for awhile so we decided to go for a hike in an area that is about 45 minutes from home.  It's not too strenuous and we get a nice bit of exercise! You can tell from the photos that we don't have the beautiful colors that you see in the East, but all the evergreens will still be beautiful when the leaves are all gone.  I hope you enjoy the walk!

 I couldn't resist this little pumpkin patch!

Just off the Hood Canal Bridge!

We saw several small water falls.

 You know you're in the NW when the trees are covered with Moss!

 A typical big leaf maple.

 Another you know you're in the NW when you can't travel too far without seeing espresso!( Thank Goodness)

  I hope you are all having a wonderful week-end.  We will be thinking of you in the NE as this storm gets closer!

Halloween Village

Thank you so much for taking a look at the blog and thanks for all your comments about my latest stitching projects.  Boy, there's a lot of green on the Christmas Garden! Today the SBA and I took a wonderful walk in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains.  I haven't sorted all the pictures yet.  That is for a future blog post. I did want to show you my Halloween village.  Now the interesting things is I started this after my children were grown.  No excuses, it's for the kids.  I just think it is great fun.  The dear SBA sets it up and that takes him half a day!( Am I not a very lucky woman???!!!) I hope it will give you some Halloween fun.  Have a great week-end!!

 This is the lighted version.

 Here is the unlighted version.

The Little Dead School House.  I had to have this one after teaching for 30 years!

 Great detail

Every Halloween Village needs a grave yard!

 And trick-or-treaters!

 City Howl

Details on the school house.

Thanks so much for joining me!

Cross Stitch Catch Up

nnnThanks so much to all of you who joined me on the Pumpkin Walk.  This Fri. we are going to  a place called Fort Nisqually.  They are doing a bon-fire- ghost story-regional history story time.  I think it will be fun.  Hopefully I will be able to get a few photos.  I have not posted much about cross stitch lately.  I have been busy with projects.  I have finished a project for my DIL.  Her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving so her Christmas gift is a November cross stitch. I don't think she reads the blog but I'll wait to show pictures when she has received it.  I did a little owl for my DD. Thank goodness I kept my working copy of the JBW owl.  I had passed along the chart to Cath at the blog "The Stitchin ' Chicken" (A great blog by the way).  All I had to work from was my old copy where I had crossed out the parts that I had finished.  It did turn out ok and Laurie gets her owl.  My big project continues to be "The Christmas Garden".  I'll show you a up-date on the progress I'm making.

 The owl was stitched on 32ct. antique ivory with WDW Burnt Orange thread.  The branch was stitched with the recommended DMC and the leaves with GA Endive.

 Notice the little owl and the acorns.

Here we have an owl, a basket, and a pumpkin.

 Here we have the BBD "Christmas Garden".  I have a long way to go.  This one will be up all year so I'm not rushing it for Christmas.

I will close with this pretty view of our back.  I Love the fall!!!!! (Parrot tree and Grape vine) Have a terrific week!