Indoor snow... the kind I like...on Slow Stitching Sunday...

Okay... that was scary... somehow when I did a clean up on my laptop I logged myself out of my blog and it took me a while to figure out how  to get back in.  Some of my friends think I'm tech savvy...but I'm not... I know just enough to get myself into trouble... I should just stick with cross stitch and knitting and quilting... I know how to do those things.

Well the weather has warmed up...yeah... it is cloudy out there but a balmy 55 degrees...woo hoo... the snow is melting which is fine with me. Yes, I do LOVE snowmen but I prefer my snow to be artificial and inside the house rather than outside the house.  It goes back to when I started my snowman collection over 25 years ago during the period I lived in California... no snow in Modesto...and I was nostalgic for my midwest home. Now that I'm in the midwest I can do with lots less snow and cold temperatures.  I know, I know... I'm never satisfied with the weather... except for those rare days when it is sunny  and mid 70's and no humidity... perfect!!!

It was a busy busy week ... appointments and places to go and people to see every single day.  I'm sitting here on Sunday enjoying peace and quiet... I'd like more days like this... though I doubt my life is going to cooperate on that point.  I've been knitting a lot this week and stitching a little but I do have TWO finished pieces I want to show you.

First, you may remember Stu Snowman by Teresa Kogut ... I stitched him last winter finishing sometime in early February...and then I put him aside as I wasn't sure how to finish him... a pillow? a frame?  Nothing was floating my boat... now fast forward to discovering Priscilla's blog and a walk through my local Meijer's store and BAM... I got an idea...

I found an unfinished wooden sled at the end of the craft aisle... It was  about $8 but then it was on sale and I think I paid around $4.50 for it. I brought it home and painted it with some dollar a tube craft paints... hunter green and a barn red.  I mounted Stu on some sticky board and then made Basic Grey grunge covered mat to put behind him. Some leftover greenery and berries and a bow from Hobby Lobby and it was done. It looks great on the back of my front door!

Here's a bit of a side view to you can see the sled a bit better. Now I went back to see if I could get another sled as I liked this so much but couldn't find any... moral of the story is if you like it buy it!!!

And last week I showed my Little House Needleworks Winter ABC's... so I ironed it and got it finished ala Priscilla ...

All these pictures are at angle because I posted them on IG and it needs a square picture format that doesn't lend itself to these long narrow samplers. Anyway I again used a pine board I got at Lowe's ... 5.5" x 24" ... as I recall around $5. I painted it with white craft paint. I added the little wood do-dad at the bottom. Got it at Hobby Lobby in their wood department... 2 to a bag... $1.99 for the bag. I painted it and glued it to the bottom.  The mat behind this one is made from an old old old Hoffman fabric called Painted Desert... I'm thinking it is about 25 years old. I love the little silver dots on this colorway.

I didn't add any other frou- frou to this one as I think it looks good just the way it is.  I like the bits of  turquoise I added to this piece as it ties in nicely with the linen I painted.  I can't wait to see what the Spring version will look like... I'm thinking I will paint some linen for it too when I know what colors it is stitched in. 

So what to stitch, what to stitch...well today I started Winter from No. 50 Prairie Schooler... I did Autumn and mounted it in this little black metal tray...

Taking my finishing cues again from Priscilla I am going to be able to use this tray for each season...when I get them stitched. Here's my start on Winter...

Now I painted this Aida  with this piece in mind and that darker portion in the middle should be about where the path will appear. When I started stitching I then had the brilliant idea that I should have tried to paint the top blue and the bottom more green... but I didn't think if it then...perhaps the next season I'll try that.  I've already changed stuff on the house... it is definitely yellow-er and the shutters are brown not blue and the front door is an olive green which is not how it was charted. Yes, I am making it resemble my little house.   Right now I have windows on the brain as I'm getting estimates to put new windows in my house. I have no clue how old these windows are but they are aluminum and at least 25 years old. Something more energy efficient that doesn't sweat and could be cleaned from the inside will make me happy!!! 


I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching...she had challenged people to show their hoops...but I don't have a hoop... I stitch in hand. I did use a Q-snap for a piece I did over one thread... it certainly helps that process but I don't really like holding any type of frame/hoop.

No dinner plans tonight...did breakfast with my son and daughter in law...next week have a big family get-together planned...

Hope your week has some stitching time... I have plans to stitch and knit and there is that pesky cleaning project I need to get to ... sigh... something that will spoil the fun...LOL

happy stitching-
carol fun

Anybody home??? on a Slow Stitching Sunday....

Sooooo... its been two weeks since I posted here...sorry... gonna blame in on holidays falling on a Monday that get me all discombobulated.  With the MLK holiday tomorrow that will make 3 of the last 4 weeks with a Monday holiday... even looking at my phone I'm still not sure what day it is.

Well, I was going to keep my Christmas decorations up till this week when my quilty ladies mini group is coming for our Christmas party... but I just couldn't do it.  I wanted the tree down and I wanted to look at "new" stuff so I got everything into plastic bins and took it to the basement. I haven't got it put in the storage area, but at least its not sitting in the living room.  I got out all my snowman decor and all their beady little eyes are now watching me... and I'm ok with that. I did move a few things around this year and I added several cross stitch  pieces that I "#priscillafied"...and I have plans to add more winter-y cross stitch pieces as the season progresses.


Here's what I have so far...

My bookcase display...

The Lizzie Kate sampler on the second shelf is from a couple of years ago but the other two pieces...while I stitched them years ago, are only seeing the light of day now.  On the top shelf I have a With Thy Needle and Thread piece called "Boughs of Holly" .... the date I stitched on this one is 2011. I had it framed at Joanns and it is a nice frame but I think "pricillafying" it has taken it up a notch.

And then I re-discovered another With Thy Needle and Thread piece I stitched back in 2012... and never had framed... this one is called "Snow Day"...

I went to Hobby Lobby figuring I could pick up a frame and paint it, but then I found this one in this lovely olive green with a bit of a distressed edge,  all ready to go... since picture frames are always half price at HL this one only cost $10. I used some burlap ribbon and some leftover Christmas picks to "pricillafy"it. Also, I added backstitching around the snowman in a light taupe. There just wasn't enougth contrast between the snow guy and the light green linen  and he almost disappeared...not good.


Another older piece I jazzed up was this "Snowman Row" by Bent Creek...it is hanging out in my back hall way with some of the birds I've bought from Target.

Again I used bits and bobs of stuff from Christmas....

I got out my vintage Debbie Mumm snowflake quilt... I'm not sure when I made this but was probably 10 years ago. I have an idea for a new winter quilt... a  giant snowman...but it is still just an idea.  My piecing skills on this were good, my quilting ...not so much... but it still has a nice look.

I filled my 3 tier tray with an assortment of snowmen and  wanted to add a bit of cross stitch, but I didn't like any of the winter pieces from Lizzie Kate...they all included a bit of Christmas and I wanted to put Christmas to bed.

 So I came upon this piece I stitched last winter... Star- Shaped Snowman by Teresa Kogut... and it added a nice stitch-y touch to the tray.

I have plans to add some other cross stitched snowmen pieces to the tray...just gotta stitch them!!

 I am almost finished with Little House Needleworks  "Winter ABC's"...

Yes it is a wrinkly mess but as soon as I finish this post I'm going to try to finish stitching it... I painted some 32 ct. linen with Rit Dye ...in real life it is a lovely turquoise blue which isn't showing well in the pic I just snapped, as the sun is setting and the winter light is pale.  I did change the flosses a bit. I'm using DMCs for the most part. I've substituted GA Ruby Slippers for the CC Licorice Red and I've stitched some of the red bits with DMC 3808... a deep turquoise that goes nicely with the linen and the turquoise accents in my living room. I'll be "framing" this one myself  in the  @priscillablain  style. 

Not having my son and daughter-in-law for dinner tonight...doing it tomorrow night and celebrating my son's 33 birthday... how did he get that old??? I'm sure I haven't aged 33 years...well yes I guess I have... I'll collect my social security this year... where does the time go???

I'll link up with Kathy's Quilts today... hope you all have a good week ahead. Mine is stacked and packed with stuff to do...appointments, dinners, a movie, taking my son hither thither and yon... we got snow this weekend, about 2", and they are calling for more tomorrow morning, but are predicting 40 by the end of the week... I'm looking forward to the end of the week.

happy stitching-

carol fun