Our 2015 Christmas Tree

Last Wednesday Bob and I went out to pick out our Christmas tree.  We have been going to the same place for the last several years so we just went there again.  Here are a few pictures of bringing home, setting up and decorating our tree this year.  I love our little Frazer Fir tree.  It is one of the smaller trees we have had in circumference.  But it sure does smell good and I think it looks lovely.  I love decorating our tree each year.  We have ornaments from everywhere we have traveled.  I have ornaments I have made through the years.  Ornaments family and friends have given us.  It is such a walk down memory lane as I take each ornament and place it on our tree.  Even Bob has his favorites that he must put on the tree.  Yes it takes time but it is well worth it IMHO. 

I hope all who read this and see Bob and me decorate our tree have a
Merry Christmas  and Happy New Year.

Prairie Schooler freebie

This is a freebie from Prairie Schooler

Designer:  The Prairie Schooler
Project:  Poinsettia freebie
Fabric: 18Ct Aida - Off White
Floss:  DMC
Started: 12/04/2015
Completed:  12/08/2015
For:  ?
I will eventually make it into an
ornament.

PS and CCN finish and an arny of sock snowmen

I finished stitching 2 more projects this past week.

Designer:  Country Cottage Needleworks
Project:  Red, White & Bloom
Fabric:  16CT Spice Aida
Floss: called for on chart
Started 7/18/2015
I started this on another fabric and didn't like it
so it took me a while to find something I liked.
Completed: 12/02/2015
For:  Me - I am going to get if framed

Designer:  The Prairie Schooler
Project:  1993 Schooler Santa
Fabric:  16CT Parchment Aida
Floss: DMC
Started:  11/08/2015
Completed:  12/09/2015
For: Me

This a picture of me and the 20+
Sock Snowmen
I made during November
These are all Christmas presents and
the ones I have distributed have been loved
by the recipients.
Everyone of them is different.
Many of them I crocheted the scarves
because I didn't like using ribbon called
for in the instruction videos.
It was hard giving them away  LOL

Country Cottage Needleworks - Afternoon in Paris

As many of you know Bob and I have traveled to Paris twice.  Once in 2008 and again in 2044.  We love the place so when CCN came out with Afternoon in Paris I just had to stitch it.  When I finished Bridge in Monet's Garden I wanted to send it to Jill Rensel to have it framed.  I couldn't bring myself to mail it to her.  All I could think of was if it got lost in the mail I would never have the patience to stitch it again and I would have wasted 4 years of stitching time.  So when I finished stitching Afternoon in Paris I decided to splurge and I sent it to Jill for framing.  I got it back yesterday.  It is beautiful.  The picture I am about to post does not do it justice.  I think I have taken about 40 pictures this morning and this is the only one I have thought good enough to post.

May I present Country Cottage Needleworks Afternoon in Paris.  Framed by Jill Rensel.

Little Christmas cube finished

I stitched this little guy very early in the year.  Made it into a no-sew cube early in the summer but couldn't find a ribbon I wanted to use.  The other day I was going through my ribbon box and there was the perfect ribbon.  I guess I should shop my stash before I start looking in stores.  lol

Designer:  Blueladie Designs
Project:  HoHoHo
Fabric: 16Ct White Aida
Floss:  DMC
Started:  ?
Made into a no-sew cube for me.

Just got back from an hour at the gym so I am off to take a shower.  I have a little bit of cleaning to do and then I am finished for the day.  I have cleaned and decorated my whole house in the last two days and I am bone tired.  Today I need to dust the guest room as Sue is coming tomorrow and staying until Tuesday.  My nerves will be frayed until she leaves.  lol  We should have a good time.  We are going to lunch on Friday with a group of friends we use to work with and on Saturday night we are going out to dinner and when we get home we will exchange Christmas presents. 

An army of Sock Snowmen and a Lizzie Kate finish

OK I got a little Sock Snowmen crazy.  But they are all for Christmas presents.  I also finished Lizzie Kate's Fall Squared into a no-sew cube.

Designer:  Lizzie Kate
Project:  Fall Squared
Fabric: 16CT Parchment
Floss:  WDW called for
Started: 10/29/2015
Finished:  11/03/2051
Finished into a no-sew cube 11/21/2015
for me

 

Now here are pictures of the Sock Snowmen I have made over the past month.  The first couple of pictures are the 11 or so I have finished in the last 10 days or so.  I crocheted scarves for many of them.  The last couple of pictures are all 21 snowmen I have made.  These are all Christmas presents for friends that I get together with over the holidays for lunch.  Except one will be for my other sister.  I'm just going to put each one in a little bag and not try to decide who to give which snowman to.  It would drive me crazy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something my niece stitched

I was at my niece;s, CJ, house a few months ago and we were discussing counted cross stitch.  Actually I was admiring a piece she had hanging on her wall that she stitched a long time ago.  So she got out her UFOs and one of the pieces that was in the bag was a helicopter she had stitched a long time ago.  She use to be a helicopter nurse when she got out of nursing school.  Anyway I took the piece and stuck it in my purse when she wasn't looking.  Brought it home and sent it to Faye Riggsbee, The Carolina Stitcher to have it finished into a little pillow.  Here is a picture of the finished pillow.

I am going to give it to CJ as part of her Christmas present.  I hope she likes it.  I think it looks wonderful.

I have a growing army of Sock Snowmen

Here are pictures of the Sock Snowmen I finished up today.  There are a total of 11 completed snowmen in these pictures.  I think I will be making about 8-10 more.  They are fun to make until I glue the buttons on with my hot glue gun.  I hate that thing.  lol 

My messy work area

My sister loved the one I gave her for her birthday.  See the previous post for a picture of that one.  Now my other sister wants one.

Another Sock Snowman

I am giving this little guy to my sister for her birthday.  Hope she likes him.  No he isn't the only thing I am giving her.

Sock Snowman I am giving to Shirley
as part of her birthday gift.

While her birthday isn't until November 21st, I will be having breakfast with her tomorrow so that is when I will give her gifts to her.  Well I haven't gotten one thing I ordered for her so I will have to take that over once I get it. 

Sock Snowmen

In October my friend, Susan, came to visit as she does every October.  I had seen these Sock Snowmen on Facebook and then found them on YouTube.  Before Sue came I bought all the things needed to make these little guys so Sue and I sat down one afternoon and made four of them.

I gave her the 2 on the left and I kept the 2 on the right.

I have since made a lot more.  I just have to glue on the buttons and finish the faces to a couple.  So far I have made 11 and I would like to make 6 more.  These are going to be Christmas presents for friends.  Sure hope they like them as much as I do.

PS 2008 Schooler Santa

Just off the ironing board.  Not a good picture but I couldn't find the good camera.

Designer:  Prairie Schooler
Design:  2008 Schooler Santa
Fabric:  18CT Khaki Aida
Floss:  DMC
Started: 10/6/2015
Completed:  11/01/2015
For: Me.

I started making more Sock Snowmen today.  Didn't get very far as I ran out of rice.  Should have known that I didn't have anywhere near what I need.  I want to make another 15 or so snowmen.  These will be for Christmas gifts to some friends.

Back from the framer, the finisher and a stitching finish

Yesterday was the only day this week I haven't felt sick.  So I went over to Just Cross Stitch and picked up the stitching project I had taken last month to get framed.  Then in the mail I got a stitching project I had sent to The Twisted Stitcher to be finished.  It was a great day.  I also finished my 2nd 2016 Christmas ornament.  2 done and 4 more remaining.

Prairie Schooler
1985 Santa
I sent this to Vonna Pfieffer,
The Twisted Stitcher for finishing.
This is the picture she sent me before
she sent the completed pillow back to me.
He is just beautiful.

Lizzie Kate
Unwrap the Joy
I had this framed at my LNS. Just Cross Stitch in
Lederach, PA
Carolyn does a wonderful job of framing.

Project:  Believe in Christmas
Designer:  Samplers Not Forgotten
from the August 2015 Just Cross Stitch Magazine
Fabric:  14Ct Natural Aida
Floss:  GAST as called for in chart
Started:  ?
Completed:  10-29-2015
For:  Christmas ornament for 2016
This was not the best choice of fabric for this but it is what it is.

Fall in our backyard

Here are some pictures that Bob took the other day. Love the beautiful pink Muhly Grass and the Mums.  Our trees haven't started turning yet but they will.

Muhly Grass

Muhly Grass

Daisy Mum

Mum

My 1st 2016 Christmas ornament finish

Yes I know it is only 2015 but I decided on a theme for my 2016 ornaments, Believe, a few weeks ago and have been collecting charts ever since.  So I started stitching and here is the 1st finish.  I still have to make it into an ornament but I will wait until I have them all stitched before starting that project.

Designer: Turquoise Graphics & Designs
from 2015 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue
Project:  Believe
Floss: DMC
Fabric: 16Ct Dilly Dilly
Started: 10/04/2015
Finished: 10/5/2015
For:  Matt - 2016 Christmas Ornament

2 New finishes for me.

I can't believe that these are the 23rd & 24th stitching finishes for this year.  I have enjoyed stitching all of them. 

Here are my 2 latest finishes/

Designer:  Prairie Schooler
Project:  2007 Schooler Santa
Fabric:  18CT Khaki Aida
Floss:  DMC
Started:  09/10/2015
Completed:  20/2/2015
This is for me.  I hope to make a bunch of
these and finish them into little pillows to
display in a basket 

Designer:  Country Cottage Needleworks
Project:  Afternoon  in Paris
Fabric:  16Ct Ice Blue
Floss:  Called for in chart
Started:  09/18/2015
Completed:  10/04/2015
For:  Me  - I am waiting to hear from Jill Rensel
so I can send it to her for framing.

I loved stitching both of these.
I started my 1st 2016 Christmas ornament for my great nieces and nephews yesterday.  The theme for 2016 is Believe and the 1st ornament I am stitching is from the 2015 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue.  Not very colorful but I can't find a lot of ornaments with Believe.

                       

 I went to see the 9/11 Memorial yesterday. I went to the gym on Monday morning for my silver sneakers class and a woman I have gone to the gym with for many years asked me if I would like to go to NYC to see the Memorial with her. I originally said no but they changed my mind. She had bought 2 tickets for her and her husband. Unfortunately her husband had back surgery in May an it has been acting up for the last week or so and he didn't feel comfortable riding in a bus to NYC and back. So yesterday morning I met Lois at the local YMCA and off to NYC we went. We were half an hour late leaving as we were waiting on a passenger to show up. Funny thing she was already on the bus. So we arrived at the Memorial about half and hour late which threw the timing for the rest of the day off. The Memorial was wonderful. So fitting as a memorial for those who died on 9/11/2001. I did take some pictures and will post them on my blog later today if I can get to the desktop computer this afternoon. Bob seeks to take it over every afternoon. So Lois and I head upstairs to go to the rest room and see a film. After the film we walk downstairs and for some reason she decides to walk out side to see the pools. We walk around the pools and that is a really moving experience with all the names of the deceased etched on the rim of the 2 pools. People put roses in the cracks and there were many British flags in the cracks also. Unfortunately once you walk outside of the museum building you cannot get back inside so we missed the museum that is on the lower floor of the building. Lois and I walked down the street towards where we were to meet the bus and found a mall where we could go to the restroom and then spent a little time walking around the mall before heading back to where we were to meet the bus. We were suppose to have 2 hours in Times Square but because of getting a late start and then the heavy traffic from Ground Zero to Times Square we only had about 45 minutes. We decided not to get out of the bus as my right foot was hurting and her knee an shoulder were bothering her. Now I wish I had at least walked into the square and taken a few pictures. Anyway we left NYC with some pretty light traffic and headed to a restaurant in Bordentown, NJ. Had a wonderful meal there and headed home. It was a very nice day. All the passengers on the bus were very nice. I am so glad I went as I don't believe I will ever have a chance to see the 9/11 Memorial again.

Here are some pictures I took in and around the 9/11 Memorial.  I hope someday I will be able to go back and actually see the museum but I don't think I ever will.

It's hard to see but there is a tiny British flag in a crack
to honor one of the Brits killed on 9/11.
There were many of these small British flags along
this wall.

Here someone had put a rose in honor of one of the
people who died on that horrific day. 

It was a touching and memorable day and I am so glad Lois asked me to replace her husband on this trip.