A Cat's Life

My cat is strange. She does not like the hot summer months at all. Nor does she like the sounds of Summer including the predominance of barking dogs and laughing children, the roar of the air conditioner or the drone of the electric fan. She really doesn't like the heat either and won't sit on my lap for any length of time during the Summer months. However,  she will still spend a substantial amount of time lounging upstairs in the hottest part of the house. I don't understand this behavior. I guess I just don't think like a cat. I don't ever want to be in the hottest part of the house. Set me up with a glass of Riesling in front of the strongest fan in the house with my feet up and my head back and I'm a happy camper!

When Ruby does sleep downstairs she has taken over the chair where I display a lot of my cross stitched pillows. In fact, she has claimed the lovely pillow that I received in an exchange from Tina C .In fact,  she loves to rest her tiny head on top of the pillow, thereby depositing a fair amount of her wispy black and white fur on the lovely stitching...sigh...

Here she is in all her glory...Miss Ruby...depositing all her cat hair on my pillows. Thank goodness for lint rolls! She is an amazing cat though..one of the smartest and most talkative cats I've ever had. She knows she is not allowed to go outside, so the other day when I came home with groceries I didn't make sure the screen door latched properly. I busied myself in the kitchen putting items away when I heard Ruby in the other room meowing pitifully. It was a completely different mewing sound then her normal meow so I went to investigate. She was nodding to the open door and meowing successively. She looked at me and then nudged the screen door slightly. She knew that this was a no-no and intent on telling me that the door was open--and that I needed to fix it!

Anyways, on the stitching front I have been busy! I have put Miss Snow down temporarily to work on the tea exchange. As I mentioned I designed my own pattern and am now stitching furiously to get it done as soon as possible. I can't show a pic of it yet but its coming along nicely!

I can show a pic of the completed section of Lizzie Kate's Very Scary Mystery sampler. I had a blast with this design and am anxiously awaiting the next release of part 2! The little motifs are so cute and it stitched up quickly! I love the color of the linen which is Weeks Dye Works 35ct Tin Roof. The colors of the floss work so nicely together with the hue of the fabric.

Apologies for the shadow on the left side. I must stop taking pics during the nighttime hours. I will see if I can retake this picture and replace it with a better one. For now this will give you an idea of what it looks like.









One more project to show you; I have updates on my pen and ink drawing. I have not spent a lot of time on it lately which vexes me. I wanted to get this picture done, along with one other this Summer because I will be starting classes again in the Fall: consequently I will not get much creative work done. I should have started the painting by now. I do have some days off of work coming up so my strategy is to get the painitng done and perhaps a drawing started for the 3rd-- and final house in the Salem series. Wish me luck!

Again, not the best of pics because of the shadows. I must retake these photos!  Anyhow, thank you for reading my blog and leaving such lovely comments!  Next post I will be sharing some photos of a doll I commissioned from a friend of mine. She turned out wonderfully!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

Think you could stay the night??

Oh my Heavens it's hot outside! And yes, heat is relative. I've learned that from my husband-- who used to live in Kuwait. According to him the hot and humid weather we've been recently experiencing in New York-- anywhere from 85 to 95 degrees; is cool!  I just roll my eyes and crank the fan higher...
( My hubby says I am very good at giving him "the look" which I gave him just after he uttered that word; "cool". I just smiled and replied " I've had lots of practice")

I wanted to share some of the photos we took on our mini vacation to Hartford Connecticut and Fall River Massachusetts. Well...actually I didn't take any pictures of Hartford. I've been there so often now that every building is inscribed into my memory. But we took an unexpected excursion into Fall River Mass. Does the name Fall River ring any bells with anyone , especially my American co-patriots? ---Disclaimer: Apologies to those of a sensitive  nature. If you don't like being scared or murder mysteries feel free to skip this post.----

This name should jog your memory but if not here's a hint:

 "Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one."

Just a few years after London England reeled from the rampage of a crazed serial killer-- by the moniker of Jack the Ripper-- a small New England town was in the throes of the chaotic trial  of a young, well-to-do axe-wielding, Church-going Victorian woman  accused of murdering her parents. If you aren't familiar with the story, or need a refresher, you can read the whole story here

Yes, we went to the notorious site of those brutal murders committed over 100 years ago. Believe it or not the house where The Borden's lived has been turned into a museum, gift store and an expensive Bed and Breakfast. Just how expensive?  Well... check it out here.

This is the house is unassuming. It's really quite small on the inside. The rooms are tiny and while they are tastefully appointed there is nothing extravagant. The current owners have tried to recreate the way the Borden's decorated, based on photos that were taken during the time period.  Actually, it looks rather out of place on the street. All around it there are large city buildings and offices. This is the only house nearby. It gives the appearance that this is the only small part of the city where time has stood still.

 This is me and my wonderful hubby Kal. When this photo was snapped we had just completed out tour of the house and enjoying some fresh air. With all the fellow tourists the house was very cramped!  I can't imagine that four people--The Borden's: that included Abby, Andrew, Emma and Lizzie; lived in that house with the stifling heat that occurred the summer of the murders. No wonder someone snapped....

 And in case you thought I was neglecting my love of needlework in this post..here is a stitchery piece that reads "What is a home without a father?" I can certainly attest the the current owners' sense of dark humor and irony!

 And yes, I am sharing pictures of the rooms where the murders occurred. This is the room where Lizzie's step-mother Abby was killed in.  While she was making the bed someone slipped behind her and gave her 18 blows with an axe.

And this is the sitting room where Andrew Borden breathed his last. Of course, the sofa is a reproduction and not the actual scene of the crime, although it does look like the one in the original crime scene photograph...hmmmmm....

Despite the macabre nature of the excursion it was quite a memorable trip. I've always had a fascination with the Lizzie Borden case, partly because my mother taught me the famous rhyme that she and her friends would recite when they played skip rope as youngsters--but also because I remember seeing my idol Elizabeth Montgomery (from the TV show Bewitched fame) playing Lizzie in a movie in the 70's. Coincidentally, Lizzie and Elizabeth were actually cousins. How weird is that?

Additionally I love the Victorian time period and enjoy reading the history of the era. For instance the tour guide mentioned that the section the Borden's lived in was predominately Irish. The Irish at that time were considered thugs, criminals and unsavory company for the refined sensibilities of a wealthy English family like the Bordens. Apparently, back then it was considered ill form for the English and the Irish to  mingle--even in the "New World". In fact, the Borden sisters never married because they could not fraternize with the Irish lads that comprised the majority of the neighborhood. In order to find appropriate suitors, Mr. Borden would have needed to move the family to the "fashionable" English side of town--which he refused to do because he was allegedly too miserly.

And to address your question--since I know your anxious to know: would I ever stay overnight at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast?  I will reply in a quick and resounding: "No"!!!!! The house was creepy and gave off an oppressive feeling. It looked beautiful but I felt anxious in the house and couldn't wait to get out. Although I know the history of the house alone could jump start my active imagination I did not get the feeling that was the only cause of my unease. I have never witnessed a ghost nor experienced anything that could be construed as paranormal..but I remain open minded. Just because I haven't experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. However, I won't truly believe until I have actually experienced something tangible. I'm perfectly happy to remain unconvinced.

A wink and a jig

My I have been a negligent blogger!  It's been too long between posts!  I have no excuse, except...well...it is Summer in the Northeastern United States. Since we don't get a lot of warm sunny weather,  Yankees such as myself need to take advantage of it when we get it!  I've still been stitching on and off this season, so I do have some progress on My Lady of the Snow--but that will wait for a bit!

First...I want to show you what I received from my first "official" exchange package from the group "Stitched with love exchanges". The theme was "favorite things" so we received a form filled out with all favorite things for our stitching recipient. Tina C. got my name and she did such a wonderful job stitching and putting my package together!  I love everything...especially the pillow she stitched for me! I love houses, flowers and the colors pink, rose and garnet!

 Isn't it lovely?  I fell in love with it the moment I saw it! Below is the exchange in all of it's glory:

I received lots of goodies from England (I was thrilled) including a Cadbury chocolate bar made in Tina's hometown of Birmingham and some British style Starbursts. Ummm..sadly, they did not make it to the photo shoot. I wish I could blame my husband because he is the one who... coerced..er...suggested that I..er...we sample them as soon as I unwrapped them. Unfortunately the blame won't stick because I ate most of it-- but I did share some with him. So I'm not entirely selfish!

I was thrilled to receive a Queen's Jubilee commemorative thimble set as well!  I never thought I would have a souvenir from her gala! At any rate, if you are reading this Tina..thank you so very much! I appreciate and love everything!

I had such a fabulous tie putting together the last exchange that I am joining another one sponsored by Stitched with love. This time the theme is something near and dear to my heart---tea!!! I am going to have so much fun with this. Not only am I going to put my designing skills to work: by designing an original pattern, but I will also put some of my rusty and neglected crafting skills to work as well. I can't wait to see what I come up with!!

This is a picture of the pillow I stitched for my partner June-- in England. She indicated that she liked seasonal designs so I picked this free Summer design from Jardin Prive:

Well..here it is, the update on Miss Snow:

Only 678, 985 more stitches to go!  No problem...it'll be done in a wink and a jig. Bwahahaha....sigh...

That's it for now but I'll be back soon with pictures from my vacation in New England and a new project. Thank you for reading and leaving your lovely comments!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

Kitten Stitching Giveaway

Hello friends!

This will be a drive-by post. I promise I do have some progress on My Lady of the Snow to share soon. For now I wanted to let everyone know about a lovely giveaway going on at Kitten Stitching. She will be picking the name of the winner of a lovely piece that she stitched shortly. Go on over to her blog and check it out here!

I'll be back again soon. Until then have a great day and happy stitching!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

My Lady of the Snow

I've been feeling guilty lately. I've been diligently stitching in my usual work area for a few months now--finishing many new projects in a steadfast and sequential order. However, I've been heartlessly ignoring a certain young lady that I picked up a couple years ago. She's been sitting at my feet encased in plastic darkness in a work basket--out of sight, but certainly not out of mind. Every time I finish a new project I hear her whispering accusingly in my ear: "Have you forgotten me?  When are you going to release me from this plastic prison and let me see the light of day once again?

I was able to ignore her for awhile , but after finishing my dragonfly sampler her impassioned pleas become more insistent and consequently impossible to ignore. So, last night I mercifully took her out of the bottom of my workbasket, dusted her off and put her ceremoniously into a set of Q-snaps.

 Without further a due, let me introduce you to this precocious lady:

This is a pattern called My Lady of the Snow by Passione Ricamo. I fell in love with her the first time I saw her;  mostly because of her beautiful gown and cloak--but also because of the snowy owl she holds in her right hand. I worked on her diligently for a couple months, but lost interest for some unknown reason. It may have been because I became bored with the predominance of cool colors: light blue, grey and silver. Additionally, there is a lot of metallic and iridescent blending filaments in it. I love the results but working with these type of threads can be cumbersome.

Here's a view of the full pattern. When my girl grows up she will look just like this:








Sigh...but by the time she looks like this I will be old and frail....hahahahaha...

So she will be my primary project for awhile. When I get listless I'll work on some smaller patterns-- but I really want to see her completed!













As promised, I am including a picture of the finished companion painting to my new drawing. This is The Derby House in Salem MA:

 Apologies for the glare from the glass. Once a painting is framed with glass it's very difficult to get a good picture!

Have a wonderful weekend. Welcome to all my new followers. I'm so delighted to have you join me on my creative endeavors!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

Dragonfly sampler

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. It was quiet for us. We just had a small celebration with my Mom and Dad here at our house in Central New York. Luckily we had nice weather the entire weekend--an unusual occurrence for New York!

I did manage to complete another project--my Dragonfly sampler! I love how it came out. I  found it on a free website that offers downloadable versions of old Victorian charts.  I used my own color choices which included some lovely colors by Weeks Dye Works including Blue Topaz, Dried Sage, Peoria Purple and Lilac.

The website where I found the pattern is http://patternmakercharts.blogspot.com/2012/05/working-on-updating-blog.html

 

I can't help but love it since it includes many of my favorite colors! And of course--I used metallic and iridescent threads in the dragonfly--another obsession. Although I admit, even though I love the effect, I usually dread using specialty threads because they often knot and fray. This piece went without a hitch though!

Tonight I worked on something different, a drawing of an old colonial house in Salem Massachusetts. My husband and I took a vacation to Salem a few years back and I took a fancy to the old architecture. I started work on this drawing a couple of years ago but abandoned it for some unknown reason. But I just got it back out yesterday and have made some progress.

I'll post pictures as it progresses. Once I'm finished with the inking I'll use watercolor paints to color it. That's the fun part to me. It's the using the ink for shading and depth that takes the longest time to do-- in addition to being a stressful process because I'm always afraid of making a mistake. Surprisingly, it's relatively easy to correct mistakes!

And one more picture of my goofy cat Ruby!  She's such a sweetheart. We adopted her from a local no-kill shelter a few years ago. She has been a treasure!

Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

A Plethora of pillows

I'll admit it: I've always been a sucker for superfluous language. Chalk it up to being a connoisseur of English literature...particularly Charles Dickens and Jane Austen to name just a few. Words such as frippery, dawdle, witticism and supercilious intrigued me precisely because no one in my little Central New York town had ever uttered a sentence with such sophisticated language. I think cow tipping, reckon and friggin' were the most uttered words in my little farming community. Ok, well I exaggerate...just a bit...

So imagine my glee when I realized I could use such a word in the title of this post--a plethora of pillows!

Indeed, this is what this blog post will contain: a lot of pictures of pillows! I am on a pillow kick currently, and since there seems to be no end in sight I might as well embrace it!  So here they are:

This is from a French chart I've had for awhile. I honestly don't remember where I got it. I've loved it for a long time and finally got around to stitching it this Spring. Originally I had planned to make it into an ornament for the Christmas tree, but it was too big. Instead, it turned itself magically into a pillow! Yet--another pillow...

This lovely little pillow gave me fits! I originally sewed it into a pillow with the plaid fabric under the rabbit. But I hated it. So, I had to rip it all out and started again. Thankfully, the second version came out perfect!  The plaid fabric is actually made from some pieces of wire ribbon I received on a gift years ago. I pieced it together and it matches the linen and bunny wonderfully!

Pretty in pink!  This design comes from EMS and is entitled Valentine Kitty. I finished it after Valentines Day and its been sitting around since then. Until this past weekend when I was determined to get my unfinished stitchery completed!

This pillow is one that's been finished for quite a few years--since 2002. I found in the basement while I was clearing things out. I had forgotten all about it, but once I saw it I knew I had to bring it back into the light. It was in good shape except for a missing purple rose on the top. Luckily I found an extra one to match in my craft stash and glued it in place--good as new! Designer was Serendipity Designs.

This is another pillow I found in the basement. It was also finished in 2002 but it was not in great shape. Even though it was kept in a bag it was quite dirty. So, I washed it and although not all the stains came out it looks pretty good. I'm not sure who the designer is.











Since I ran out of pillows, this is the end of the post!  Happy stitching and thank you for reading my blog!

Brightest blessings, Beth B.

Chocolate and Cross Stitch

How time does fly! It's been over a week since my last post!  There's been a lot of excitement in my household as of late. We're still in the midst of buying a house, and as can be expected the date for the closing has been set back. So we are on pins and needles waiting for the process to get back on track.

I've still been stitching but have realized that my plans for working on big projects is probably not realistic since we will likely be focused on moving and packing for the next few months. Probably won't be a good time to delve into lengthy cross stitch pieces. Small projects will be in my future for awhile.

Any hoo, onto to cross stitch. The first picture I will share with you is the giveaway I won from Becky Bee's Stitching Hive. It's from Milady's Needle and it's called "Quaker ruler!" I can't wait to stitch this up. All I need is some 40ct fabric. Special note of thanks to Becky for having the giveaway.

The second picture is the finished pillow that I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. Her favorite flower is the daisy so I think she'll love it!

I love the contrast of the cute yellow fabric with the purple ric rac trim!  I loved the fabric so much I also used it on my small tulip design:

I'm giving this away in an exchange but I may have to make one to keep!

And lastly, this is my newest start and it is very near and dear to my heart:

Cross stitch and chocolate, how could it get any better?

Thank you for visiting my blog and a special note of thanks to my new followers!  Please leave comments: they make my day!

Happy Stitching!

Beth B.

 

A quandry...

As promised, here are the pics. First up is my newest finish: the tulip pattern:

The picture appears a bit fuzzy, sorry about that. This was a quick finish but quite enjoyable. I didn't have to do any frogging!  I will probably finish into a small pillow, after I find some suitable finishing fabric.


I've also begun another freebie design from alioka blog. It's a darling daisy pattern that has three different options for colors. This will be a Mother's Day gift so I chose the white daisy version since my Mom loves white daisies. I made a few changes to some of the colors. Some of the small daisies I stitched in a lavender--as well as the heart-- and added a few yellow stitches to the bottom of the of the design. I should be finished with it in a couple of days. This will also
be finished into a small pillow. I enjoyed this design so much I plan on stitching it in one of the alternate colored versions. I very seldom stitch a design more than once!

And now to the quandary I mentioned in the title. In the past I have created my own cross stitch patterns, and even for a time in my youth, attempted to sell them. I haven't done so for many years, mostly because with recently getting married and returning to school I just haven't had the time. However, recently I have come across one of my own designs that I had partially stitched sometime in the late 1980's. I abandoned it because I wasn't completely satisfied with it. Parts of it were quite lovely, but I decided to expand the design and wasn't happy with the results-- and there was just one design problem I couldn't solve. Anyway, here is a picture:

I like most of it, especially the fountain!  But the large tree on the left side bothers me. It leans too far over especially when compared to the straight lines on the right side. I've ripped it all out and was going to just change the color but it needs more than that. I think I have to re-design it all together. I also don't like the clouds and am planning on ripping that all out as well and redoing them.

I am also undecided about going on with the addition. This is a picture of the whole piece including the addition in the foreground:

I'm not sure I like the addition of the garden in the foreground. And then there's the problem of what to put in the middle: a pool, statue, birdbath, etc??

So, if anyone out there has some suggestions please let me know. what do you like or dislike about the design. I really need some help because I want to complete this!

Thanks and happy stitching!

Brightest Blessings,

Beth b.

Great news!

No pics this post, but hopefully later on tonight when I'm home and can take pictures. I've got another finish to share and also a pattern of my own design that I need advice on. I also have a new project to show you as well. Wow! sounds like I've been busy rather than slacking off! I will be deliriously busy over the next three or four months...and this is why:

My husband and I are in the process of buying a house!  We are so excited, and yes..my head is spinning thinking of everything we need to do!  The house is a charming bungalow in a small town near to my husband's job. It also has a creek on the property! ( no worries, it doesn't flood so we don't have to deal with that or buying expensive flood insurance!)

Ever since I read the Anne of Green Gable series I have always wanted a house near a creek. In case you haven't already noticed I'm very romantic and sentimental! We need to do some minor work to it: mainly painting, refinishing the hardwood floors and other small repairs. We will be doing most of these activities before we move into the house.

So, for a short time period, this cross stitching blog will become a home restoration blog!  I promise to keep stitching but I probably won't get as much accomplished-- but it will be worth it in the end. The house has enough room to accommodate a craft room, library and also a "man-cave" for my husband. Although I told him he can't call it a man-cave because--well--I hate that term. I also have more wall space for, er...finished cross stitch projects!

Before I forget, thank you to all my new followers! I am so very pleased that you've joined us. May you find many pleasant moments here!

Happy Stitching!

Beth B.

Ornament finishes, a new needlecase and a beginning!

This past weekend was devoted to taking some of my small completions and finishing them into useful and decorative items. And while I didn't get everything I wanted done (who ever does?) I am happy with my progress.

Before I get to the good stuff-- i. e. the pictures--I wanted to make a personal observation. I have noticed there is a flow to my cross stitch activity. I like to do a lot of smalls but then when my to "finish pile" gets rather large, and the guilt of not finishing them in a timely manner gets too overwhelming; I tend to switch gears and work on larger stitchery patterns just so I have time to do finishing.

Right now, since my "to finish" pile is  large and therefore I am itching to work on my larger WIP's. However, that may not happen anytime soon since I still have a couple of small exchange projects to do plus a Mother's Day gift I need to start.

Personal observations aside, I do have some finishes to show you!  First up is the needlecase I made with the Flowering Crown chart by Just Nan. Although it isn't perfect I still love it! It's the first needlecase I have ever completed and it turned out nice. I have learned from the mistakes I made on this particular case and will be sure to make any future attempts better! So here it is:

 When I saw this design I immediately thought it would make a gorgeous needlecase. I used pink fabric with sparkles for the inside of the case, added pink ribbons and used iridescent gold trim. Here is a look at the inside:

I have saved fabric ribbon for decades and finally found a use for this lovely pink/mauve ribbon I received on a Christmas package. I used it as an area for holding needles. Eventually the bottom of the case will have some magnetic strips-- also used for holding needles. All in all this was a fun project and I will definitely be making more!

On to more finishes:

This is the front of the Peppermint ornament from Little House Needleworks--and this is the back:

I actually used the same adorable pink  fabric that I used on the back of the Flowering Crown needlecase.

This is another ornament from LHN. I thought this design was so cute and like all LHN designs a joy to stitch. This is the back:

Seriously, I have enough of this Christmas plaid fabric to use on a zillion ornaments. Get used to seeing it because you will see it a lot over the years...

Yes, I even have a new project to show you! The design is from a blog entitled Alioka and the website address is http://aliolka.blogspot.com. She has so many delightful free designs on her website. It is well worth your time to peruse her blog pages. I had a hard time deciding which pattern to stitch up first, but finally settled on this particular one:

Very timely for Spring....

That's it for now. Happy stitching!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

Stitching deja vu

Ahhh..there's nothing like getting nostalgic for your youth. I've been thinking recently about my younger years and while I ponder how fast the decades have flown by I also marvel at how much I've learned. I was so utterly clueless back "in the day".  I'm not so sure I want to return to my teenage or young adult years and all the angst they brought. I feel content now and while my face is lightly lined with wrinkles and there is an occasional ache in these weathered joints I wouldn't  trade my maturity for anything. Well..maturity may be stretching a borrowed virtue too far, especially since I have many child-like and playful moments.

At any rate, I recently came across a picture of my first stitching project. In fact, I still have it--and forgot about it. I now have it displayed prominently in my craft room. It's a very diminutive and simple design, but I love it so. You see it was not only the first cross stitch I ever attempted, but also my dear Great Aunt Kay helped me with it. She had sewn beautiful large cross stitch projects for years: mostly of fruits, flowers and owls. I had admired them from afar. Once my Mother had purchased a small kit at a gift shop, I finally felt brave enough to ask Kay for help.

I made some mistakes, and had to frog a few stitches. Backstitching gave me fits and its quite possible that sometime in the future it may come apart. Confession time again: in a fit of frustration I just snipped an offending stitch and just continued on without re-anchoring it! GASP!! Oh the horror!

Anyway...here is a picture of my first ever stitching project:

Pretty cute, aye?

Hmmm..sort of looks familiar. Kinda close to my new finish: lil' Miss Dewdrop!

Apparently my choice in project themes hasn't changed much in 26 years. Dewdrop was another wonderful stitch. The flower bead and "dewdrop" beads add so much character!

So, now I am left without a project. I've done so many smalls that I'm "itching" to dive into a larger project. Perhaps one of my WIP's. Although, there are still a number of smalls that are calling me, and I need to complete a pillow for an exchange. It's time for bed so I'll figure it all out tomorrow.

Good night all. Pleasant stitching..er...sleeping!

Blessings,

Beth B.

Confessions of a multi-cultural loving stitch fiend

I'm not Catholic but I recognize the benefits of confessing your sins. Well, okay, maybe not horrible sins..but  obsessions. I don't really know whether obsessions are sins or not--I'll leave that determination to someone else.

But I do have a confession to make; I'm not only addicted to cross stitch but also to cross stitching blogs.  Of course, that can  remain unsaid since I've started one, but let me be more specific. I  absolutely adore my English speaking cross stitch blogs but I am fascinated with non-English speaking ones. I started off by perusing those beautifully chic French ones then found numerous German blogs. Inevitably that lead me to the stylistic Scandinavian stitching blogs. Since then I have found Japanese, Turkish and now Russian!  I am soooo in my happy place!

As an additional bonus some of them even give away free charts!  Be still my beating heart! And to add even more bliss to my over-flowing Yankee heart many of them include sayings in their native language! Now, I know I can translate these pages into English, but really, where's the fun in that?!!! I love trying to figure out what the script means based on the images of the design!  I even fancy I might be able to learn another language through cross stitch. Er...on second thought, maybe I don't quite have enough free time to do that!

I also love to see if I can navigate my way through these blogs. I actually do pretty well and sometimes I even pick up a few words or two as I travel through the internet world. Interestingly, I am struck by the fact that we as stitchers-- and as people: no matter where we call home, have so much in common.

It is a small world after all!

No new projects to share with you today, but I'll post a finish of an old project. It's a design by Crossed Wing Collection. I must have completed it sometime in the late 1980's. (no fair trying to guess my age--let's just say I'm younger than Tupperware but older than the World Wide Web.) I finished it in a crystal box purchased from Anne Brinkley Designs. Is that company still around?

That's if for now. Happy stitching!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

Back from CT

My hubby and I just came back from a spontaneous trip to Hartford, Connecticut. Just out of the blue my hubby asked me if I wanted to stay overnight at a motel on Friday night. We were going to visit his sister on Saturday anyways-- so who am I to refuse a chance to get out of town for a little while?

Going to Hartford also means visiting a wonderful needlework shop in Glastonbury called Thistle Needleworks.  Needless to say I added to my large pile of stash. I was going to take pictures of the store but forgot where I put my camera! Oh well, we'll be in Glastonbury next month so I'll take pictures then. However, a picture of my new additions is below:

 I purchased two cottages of the month from Country Cottage Needleworks; February and April, Floral Fifteen from Just Nan (I've been wanting it ever since it came out!), The Rabbit's Big Day by Cross-Eyed Cricket, Squirrelly a kit by Mill Hill Beads (he is so cute--I can't wait to start him!), Night Owl; a Button and Bead kit by mill Hill Beads, Hooty; a kit by Mill Hill Beads, a Little Love; a kit by Lizzie Kate, Snow Day by Lizzie Kate (one of the Six Fat Men series), and A Sampling in the Square by Blue Ribbon Designs. I also got some gorgeous pastel colored fabric and some threads by Weeks Dye Works.

I am in love with Blue Ribbon Designs! I stitched up one of her Autumn sampling square designs recently and it was such an enjoyable stitch! I'll share a photo at some point. I love that she designs many pieces so that the stitcher can choose to stitch individual motifs as small finishes: either as scissor fobs, pillows, pin keeps or needle cases. This particular design has a peacock in it so I am planning on doing that one and finishing it as a magnetic needle holder.

I have another picture of my new finish. Flowering Crown is now done. This was such an easy and enjoyable stitch. I had very little frogging to do. It came together very quickly and the beads set it off so beautifully!

The plans are to finish this piece into a large magnetic needle case. Much like the one shown in my friend Becky's blog. Below you can find a link to her blog and the inspiration for the intended finish of my completed design:.

 http://beckysc.blogspot.com/2012/03/magnetic-needlebook.html

I love her finish and I think "The Queen of the Needle" will look splendid when completed in a similar fashion. Let me know what you think! By the way, if you aren't already familiar with Becky's blog: Becky's Stitching Hive, I encourage you to check it out. Her finishes are extra special and you can get tons of inspiration from her pages!  I literally drool every time I read her blog!

And now time for a new project! I must be on a Just Nan and rabbit kick because the new project is Dewdrop by Just Nan:

Shucks..the pic is not tilting the right way. I'll have to fix that later tonight. You get the idea at least!

That's it for now. My tummy is grumbling so it's off to make dinner. Wherever you are I hope you are having a blissful day!

Brightest Blessings!

Beth B.

First finish...and the second--well, almost!

There's a lot to celebrate today. First things first...I have my first follower. Thank you to Nurdan for joining my stitching exploits!    I've perused your fabulous blog and am awestruck by your beautiful work. She is new to blogging to so if you would like to see her exquisite embroidery the link to her blog is below.  I think it is important to promote fellow stitcher's blogs and support the beautiful handiwork we all do!

http://nurdankanberworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/04/cross-stitch-table-with-my-owned.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NurdanKanberWorkshop+%28Nurdan+Kanber%27+Workshop%29

Secondly, I have my first finish since joining the stitching blog world. (I almost finished my Just Nan design, and was even ready to show it off, but alas, I found some stitches I missed!  I should hang my head and stand quietly in the stitcher's corner. Not that I would mind a wit--I could do more stitching!)

 Actually, this piece has been finished for years, it's just that I have just now gotten around to finishing it into a pillow. What do you think?  I'm pleased with the way it turned out and happy it was finished in time to be displayed on Easter.

It's a design by Bent Creek entitled Easter Row. It was done on an unknown color of 28ct. linen. The buttons are all from Just Another Button Company. You could choose to stitch it without the buttons but they are all so cute and together add caboodle's  of charm. We could all use a bit more charm in our lives, I dare say!

My Easter was fabulous, but a bit low key. I actually had to work so it wasn't as relaxing as it could be. But my Mother and Father dropped off a gorgeous hydrangea on Saturday. I was so surprised!  I love blue hydrangeas, along with a host of other flowers; including iris, pansies, yellow roses, columbine, foxglove and forget-me-not. When I lived in the country I loved to garden, but now that I live in the city there's no room to grow a garden. Any way, here's a picture of the lovely hydrangea:

And, if the hydrangea wasn't enough floral finery for Easter, my dear husband surprised me with a stunning bouquet:

The large purple "flower" in the middle isn't a flower at all; it looks like some sort of leafy cabbage!  Here's a close-up of it:

Whatever it is, it is sure pretty!  If anyone knows the correct terminology for this beauty please let me know!

Additionally, I have made some progress with the Just Nan "Flowering Crown" piece I've been working on. As I previously stated I am almost done, except for a few small rogue stitches. I will talk more about this piece once it's completed. I have had a great time working on this design!

I am pleased with the way the sparkles show up in this picture.  Initially, when I picked the fabric from my LNS I was afraid it was too dark, since some of the flowers were stitched with a light pink. But I'm happy with the end result and the pink still shows up.

That's it for now. Thank you for reading my blog..and please--leave comments. I'd love to hear from you!

Brightest Blessings,

Beth