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