OH MY GOODNESS--HAVE I GOT NEWS!!!

 First off--I will be on a plane at 9am tomorrow--Wednesday to fly to Illinois--to be with my daughter--more on that in a moment--

but like I said--first things first--

I have gotten some stitching done and even finished some things--

I got Mr. Jack finished--

here is the 2 sections--

and my favorite block is still the one with the 'green frog' on it--

I have gotten a few more flower blocks worked on--

All purple flowers!!!

and got the last 2 blocks of Melisa's 2024 bom month hearts finished for displaying--

And  3 more knitted items finished--

and then there is the Cross stitch projects--

Remember--I put Mrs Claus in timeout so I could 'quickly' whip this small sampler up--I mean it does look small and quick right???

Well--it is much larger than it looks here--

that tree is tall and alot of stitches--never thought I would get it done--there is 3 colors of leaves on the tree so still some stitching to go--

And yes --this cross stitch project and Mrs Claus will be flying with me tomorrow, at 9am to Illinois--along with some other hand work and --yep--some knitting projects!!!!

But--first--I did spend a good 10 days cleaning this little apartment and hunting for 'mold'--it was funny, I'd find an area had alot--other areas none??? and I  made the apartment guys take my a/c out and flush it out--and what a difference with the smell in here!!!!  I also got a new larger dehumidifier and that is running 24 hours a day now--so hopefully----

Now the reason for the trip--my daughter, called me on  Saturday to tell me she had fallen in her new house--this house has one step into a room and one step down into others--on Thursday night she was going from her living room--with step up and got distracted and did not realize her foot was not on the step all the way and down she went---she has broke a small bone in her right leg--and a couple bad breaks in her right elbow---she thought her girlfriend from down here was going to fly up there tomorrow, but got sick over the week end--so I am going in the morning----oh her kitchen is one step down and they don't want her putting any weight on the leg--so--she can't get to the kitchen--( the reason her girl friend was going is cause she can drive--I do not drive anymore--grrrr)

I called her just before noon my time and she was in the doctors office and they were in a panic as she needs to have the surgery as soon as possible, or sooner--I am waiting to see if she will be in surgery when I land tomorrow or not--she does have a friend picking me up--but we may have to go straight to the hospital--they do have to keep her overnight--as this is a 'big' job--with pins and rods--ect---I am planning a week--but if her girl friend is well enough to come next week--I'll be gone longer--I do not believe I am going to take my computer--so????

And guess what--she says it 'cold' up there--so that meant getting out my heavy-warm sweaters and shirts and pants and getting them laundered this morning---

Just waiting now to see when the surgery will be as to how to pack--I may be staying in the hospital all night too--as I have never been to her house and do not know where anything is ??????

 SO BE GOOD MY FRIENDS AND TRY TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE  WHILE I AM ON THE 'FLY'!!!!!  AND KEEP THINKING GOOD THOUGHTS AND STITCHING--

HUGS, AND BLESSINGS--DI---OH AND WOULD YOU COVER ME AND DAWN WITH YOUR PRAYERS--THANKS--

 

WELL--FOLKS--IT'S OCTOBER!!!

 

And this past week --looks like October and Fall in my sewing projects--that is for sure!!!!

But first here is the Month of October counted Cross stitch from a few years ago--believe this background color is the darkest fabric I have ever worked with--don't remember it being a big problem--this was 28 ct linen--

First up--

I did some Fall embroideries last month and this week those got put into finishes--

both are Melisa's designs--I did get out my 'fall' fabrics--only what I had did not go with my decor at all--way too dark--these seemed to go better and look better on my bed where I display them--and I did change out my comforter yesterday--took the pink one off and put the Navy blue one on for the fall and winter!!

And I did put this fabric on the back of both of them-so the week of Halloween I will show this side!!  I love this fabric--black cats and witches hats--perfect--

Then I remembered I still had '4' embroidered pieces yet--from last year's bom with Melisa--so dug those out and am working on them--

I have 2 total finishes of those--

October's heart block, and this one got hung up this morning after it's photo-shoot!!

And this one is for Thanksgiving --baking those yummy pies!!! and the border is not 2-colors--it's just the way the photo came out--the border is the color at the left hand side!!!

Also for finishes in stitching--

I did get this 'old' counted cross stitching blocks all finished--I kinda don't like the black lattice but--I am not changing it--this is the 3 or 4th time I have tried to finish off these 12 blocks--at one point there was buttons--at least one per block--who knows-- with my moving around the last 10 years-- where they are????

this is the one I am working on hand quilting now

the Mr Jack top--the color is way off on this one today--

In counted cross stitchings--

I got this Sunflower ABC piece done--

And I found this one all stitched but not finished off in the project box with the other fall pieces, I did--so Mr. Turkey got finished--do want to find some braid,around each, for both of these projects--but at Amazon's price per spool it runs about $10--each--not sure that is in my budget????

And here is the present Counted cross stitch project I am working on--

Okkkk--so where are you going with this one, Di????

Can you believe I am attempting this piece--and would love to have it done by this Christmas--well--maybe by next Christmas!!!  as I do have a couple, much simpler, Thanksgiving pieces I want to do also!!?????  This pattern definitely needs to be enlarged and just know as I am getting ready to do that, wreath, and all it's color changes--like 6-7-I am going  to enlarge that area again!!!!

Now don't forget about my knitting--

one hat is knitted--and somehow I still have 2 hats on needles--

and another sweater is finished and again--there is 2 more sweaters on needles!!

What is up for this next week????  Well--I have started my Fall cleaning yesterday and need to continue that this week and changing over the china cabinet with the blue dishes and decorating for Fall--so lots of things to work on there----

ARE THE LEAVES FALLING WHERE YOU--ARE THEY COLORFUL --HEAR THEY ARE NOT VERY COLORFUL THIS YEAR WITH NO RAIN IN MANY AREAS--SAD--BUT THEN AGAIN--WE CAN'T BE SAD CAUSE THERE IS LOTS OF SQUIRRELS HANGING AROUND AND WE NEED TO CATCH A FEW--------------------

HUGS, TO ALL--DI

  

HAPPY THURSDAY---

 Well--we are officially into Fall season here in the USA--but--

I am slow on the changing over from spring/summer decor to Fall one--!!!

But then it is hard to get into the Fall mode here in Florida--we have less humidity--but our days are still sunny and low 90's--sooo--that's my 'excuse' and I am sticking with it--!!!!

Been working steady on all my projects--of which I did get one Fall piece embroidered--

But have not been able to get to my Fall fabrics--cause my back and left side has decided to be a bit on the painful-stiff side and don't dare lift totes right now and my Christmas/fall fabric tote is on the bottom of the stack!!!!   I am also working on a second Fall embroidery piece---

I am also working a bit each day and doing the detail work on my Flower blocks--

Can you see the details  I have added to these--

I have '8' done out of 21 so far---I am thinking of finishing these blocks in the quilt as you go method--talking about this--I think our computers, etc, can hear out thoughts--I woke the other day to this idea and low and behold on facebook that day--they showed me '2' different videos on how to 'quilt as you go' and this has happened a few times now to me---scary crazy!!!  If I do this method I can do each block separately and then sew all the blocks together, cause I believe this quilt will be wider than my table to sew it first and then baste it-soo?????

And some finishes--

this Bee hive cross stitching is all finished--

I even ordered the black twisted braid to go around it but also decided to add a bit more to it with the green ribbon!!  I really love how this piece came out--once again one of Melisa's designs--thanks Melisa!

And another of her small projects was finished--

a sheep in a basket with sunflowers--I decided to try the black braid around it this time too--and did like the way it came out--I just might become  'a braid girl' after all!!!!!!!

And this is the latest cross stitch I am working on--

And yes--another of Melisa's designs--

and another little sweater--was finished--

a nice bit darker, purple sweater than the photo shows-- and I am nearly done with another sweater--I was thinking this morning about where I might be number wise in knitting these sweaters--I had started knitting them just before moving to Florida--10 years ago--and I send about 30-50 per year to World Vision-so that must mean I am working in the --oh my--can I be somewhere between 400 or so--oh my that is so hard for me to believe--but it must be---so!!!!!!

***********

One of the conversations within the blog sites I read--this past week--has been where and when did you learn to sew and to crafty things and who taught you???

Two things stood out to me--one my mother sewed alot of our clothes till we got to Highschool--I was the oldest--and she was a good cook--but she did not teach me either one--I learned most of my sewing and cooking in 4-H--I was a member for 7 years--Jr high through Senior year -- my mom also crocheted, but again--I believe I taught myself, as well all the other crafts I did and do--another quick story about the knitting--my Dad's best friend and his wife and kids and the best friends brothers always came to our house for Thanksgiving--the men went deer hunting-my Mom worked in the kitchen all day doing the cooking for the big meal at dinner time to feed 20 people--and the wife--well--she sat on a tall metal stood in the dining area --knitting away on '4' needles--making mittens for her kids for  Christmas--I used to sit and watch her -those '4' needles fascinated me alot--not sure if that is why I enjoy knitting more than crochet or not--but I would rather knit any day--

I taught myself--with the help of a quilt store to quilt in 1999 or so and haven't stopped yet--oh and I used to make my own clothes as an adult and for my daughter when she was young--but not now!!!

SO IS EVERYONE ELSE ALL DECORATED FOR FALL (OR SPRING)!!!DID YOU MAKE ANYTHING NEW THIS YEAR FOR THE SEASON????

KEEP ON STITCHING AND DREAMING--

HUGS, DI

 

OH--EVEN BLOGGER HAS GONE CRAZY---

 As I went to do this new post--I seen that blogger says that --13,277 people read my last post!!!????

There is no way--my average reader count is between 70 and 100 and I usually only get about 5 comments--I write for those 5 and for me--mainly!!!

So--lets see what I have been up to since my last post-

I did get this counted cross stitch--finished as far as the stitching--

This is one of Melisa's designs and I loved it at first sight--

I found a new 'tool' to help me wrap the design around this piece of cardboard type backing-

I had ordered this to use on another craft project--but for some reason decided to try it on the cross stitch fabric and worked like a charm--

I had a hard time deciding how I wanted to finish this off--it is too big for a pillow really--and I am not a 'frame' person--so it will be finished like my other cross stitches I have on the wall--I just ordered some black cording to go around it before I finish it off with the back piece--

And this is the new one I am working on at present--

Now for a DMC embroidery floss story--Back in 2010--Cosmo's floss came out and I fell in love with it and got a great deal on all 435 colors, at a time where I had extra funds--so I ordered it--also thinking alot of designers would switch or convert to the Cosmo's thread-but that is did not really happen???

at that time the Cosmo thread was about $1.10 a skein--it is now $1.90--a skein

fast forward to 2025--and I want to do a big  Cross stitch project--that lists 47 colors of DMC--way too many for 'me' to convert to Cosmo's so knowing that DMC floss is so much cheaper I went looking--and boy was I in for a shock--when did DMC get so expensive???  I found the price range went from 76 cents--to $1.10 a skein--for DMC--I happened onto a one day special though--that if you did a $35 order you could get the order for 7 cents shipping--So--I ordered $35 of DMC floss--did see that the shipping would of been $15--so I did save a bit--the order should be here this week end--)now Walmart's price is 57 cents at present-but only has about 2 dozen colors!!!!!!!!

I have mainly worked on Applique with the Flower Blocks--

I have a total of 21 blocks finished--in the applique--now to go back to each one and do the details on the centers and such --

In knitting I got 2 projects finished--

another hat--using up odds and ends of yarn

and other sweater--

I went shopping a couple times--

A lovely nice full ivy--with a cute frog keeping guard over it-- from another shop-

These are all thrift store finds--

and this mouse came from Beall's!!

I also traced off 3 Fall pieces yesterday and got one started in embroidery and have worked on hand quilting some on the lasted hand quilt project--

*******

Florida notes--

what is up with so many--grey cloudy days--Florida never used to have hardly any all day grey days--now we get a couple each and every week???????

And Florida has done a really really bad scary thing--starting Sept 25--anyone can carry a gun in plain sight--any kind of gun--I am telling you right now--if not for my kids and sunshine--I would be moving back to NY--(maybe??)--but I think I would freeze to death there and be in alot of pain with my health issues--sooooo??????  Covid is everywhere again--and kids in Florida no longer have to get childhood vaccines--  There is some other changes too--but won't bore you--

We must keep calm and keep loving our families and friends and keep on stitching--

HUGS, AND BLESSINGS, DI