Merry Christmas and TUSAL

I almost forgot and maybe I'm too late to be on time which is what I usually am.

First, my orts.... can you see?

Really are a couple in there, lol.

And here is my Christmas jar all done for another full moon year

In case you can 't tell, my ort jar this month was a snowman :)

Daffy Cat, thanks so much for keeping up with this all year. I signed up for next year, my goal being to fill up some jars monthly. I know I can!

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends and your families. I hope the holidays are filled with much love and joy and peace.

All of our festivities are done and hubby and I are sitting quietly at home today with Kylie and Gibbs our sweet cats.

Love,

Babs

Easter a day early little long with pictures!

On April 24, 1921 Chelma Adele Thiele was born in Missouri. She was one of the most unique people I have ever known, unlike any of the other mothers I met as a child and, as I grew up, and even after I became a mother myself. She was shy, but gave so much of herself to her family and others.

Her craft was crocheting and my daddy loved to sit and watch that crochet hook move so fast (he watched me too, when I grew up and took up the hook :) But, she did two cross stitch pieces in her life....and this is the one I still have today after many years.

Mother was taken from us in the aftermath of Katrina. She married my daddy during WWII, and they moved to the Mississippi gulf coast when I was three years old and that's where I grew up and married.

Her birthday falls on Easter this year and I thought I would honor her by sharing her with my friends. She loved to laugh, so when the SS class I taught gave me a picture frame along with flowers I knew which picture would go in it. This was her last visit to my house. In the grouping, a baby picture and one as she looked when my daddy courted her :) You can also see my little sal finish I made into a pillow and the needleroll friend Sally gave me in an exchange. The pin keep bunny, friend Lavon gave me just because I loved it when I saw it.

Next up is Anna's Bird by Goode Huswif which I stitched in Mother's honor, renaming it Chelma's Bird., as beautifully unique as she was.

Thought I'd have this little sampler done by now, but only close...maybe tonight.

Did finish a prairie schooler ornament from their cranberry Christmas book. I chose a non-Christmas fabric cause the green matched both the trees of the ornament and the washed out green of the ric rac. Just had fun with this one and added the yellow/gold stars :)

That's it for now. Happy Easter, everyone, and please do remember why we celebrate this time. What a time of renewal, of strength, faith and the hope that is in us.

Love,

Babs

Blogs are enablers in disguise

Anyone ever seen this? It is Jane Atkinson, a

reproduction sampler by The Scarlet Letter. I saw it on

one blog, then in trying to find out more about it, it somehow

ended up in my hands (hence the enabling part)
The verse says

"What though my sins are of a Crimson stain

My saviours blood can wash me white again

Though numerous the twinkling stars they be

or sands along the margin of the sea Or as

smooth pebbles on some beachy shore

The mercies of Almighty still are more.

Is that beautiful or what? Most use silk; I'm using dmc on 40 ct, but I think it's going to look good none the less.

I do have something to show and tell. Remember Winter
Cardinals on my last post? Well I finished it my way, but the picture is somewhat washed out in an effort to get the fabric trim remotely close to its color.

It is from Little House Needleworks done on Flax Fields by R&R, using crescent colors and dmc.

My hubby called to say he was having a little trouble and driving home yesterday from Philly...which he did. He sees his doctor tomorrow, but we think it's related to his port. Something's causing his right arm to swell and numb more than chemo related neuropothy he's been experiencing all along.

So I kept busy off and on all day picking, choosing, deciding how I wanted to finish the ornament and I put the last stitch in just as he was turning in the driveway. I'm not making that up. I walked in to hug him hello with the ornie in my hand. He can see that I do not "use my time for naught" as so many samplers say :)

I may be busy this week, but will try to get back to reading all the blogs I've missed the last couple of days. I leave you with my little start on Jane Atkinson...

Hugs,

Babs.

No hearts for valentine!

But, if you look real close on my ornie you will see two little hearts at the bottom and one on the top. So! Those are my valentine hearts to all of you, my blogging friends.

This is Little House Needleworks first ornament for 2011. It's stitched on 30 ct. flax fields. I'm having a hard time finding the fabric I want to finish it. Hope to get out today...I know it's waiting for me somewhere, but definitely NOT in my stash. My first 2011 finish!

I stitched along with DJ on Heart of America by LHN, but not yet today. Wanted to post the pic so she can see my progress from last Monday.

I've worked on La-D-La's Polly Wolly Doodle All Day just a little.

I stitched hours on Long Dog's Scarlet Ribands and this is all I've got to show for it. I love stitching with Threadgatherers silk n' color, but this piece is slow.

And just look what I found in my lost and found UFO's! This is Moira Blackburn's Time and Seasons, started a long time and many seasons ago. The alphabet is complete and more stitching here and there but scanned what I could in one swipe.

I put it up to do a sal with my stitching buddies group on Moira's Three Things which I finished in 2007. What does that tell you?

Gotta' get ready to go find that fabric.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Babs