Ornament from Rosa

I received a darling stocking ornie from Rosa with an extra bonus of silver metallic thread and a beautiful hand crafted pendant that Rosa had made.  What a pleasant surprise.  I am going today and get a chain for my necklace.  I have several sweaters that it will enhance.  I do appreciate the stitchers that I have met through our exchanges and it is always such a treat to see what they have created.  Thank you so much Rosa.

My sweet little Santa hung on my small tree in our entry way.

My beautiful pendant.  Can't wait to wear it.

Received Seasonal Exchange

I received a very cute and sparkly autumn exchange from Lisa S.  It is stitched on 28 ct tea dyed linen and she used the recommended threads.  I love it.  It is a stand up exchange and it looks so good with my autumn decorations. 
I was late posting because I have a terrible inner ear infection that has knocked me for a loop.  I think it is getting better but I want to be healed yesterday. :)  It is hard for the music teacher to have ear problems.  I have two Christmas programs to get ready and with the school doing all of the extra work preparing for our accreditation visit, I am having a hard time.  But I will prevail.

What a Week

This has been a week that I truly did meet myself coming and going.  We celebrated All Saints Day at our school with the Bishop leading the Mass.  We all kinds of special music with the hand chimes and the Honor Choir singing.  But the best was one of our parents plays the bagpipe and stood at the back of the church and played "Amazing Grace" as the children exited in silence.  My eyes filled with tears but I wasn't the only one.  He was dressed in his kilt and it was a perfect ending to a great faith filled service. 

I finished an exchange and a belated birthday gift for a dear friend.  Right now time is very precious because I have so many things to do at the school during our accreditation process.

We are having Parent/Teacher Conferences so I did not have to go to school today.  It has been good just to sit and stitch.  Another good friend and I are headed to southern Oklahoma to visit our friend that moved there from Okmulgee.

Enjoy your weekend and "Go Cowboys"!!!!!!!



This is a Stitchworks Design from 2001.  It is stitiched on 28 ct,
blue lugana using Sampler Threads.



This is a pattern from The Gift of Stitching.

Win a gift certificate for the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Go check out Victorian Motto  and enter in her great giveaway.  It is a good one.

Completed Hometown Ornaments

I finally finished my 2 ornaments that had been completed for weeks but I just couldn't find the time to finish them.  Life has been crazy for this old music teacher.  We are going through accreditation at my school and I am a committee chair and so I have had lots of meetings and extra work to do besides teach.  So life gets a little hectic sometime.
I used Daffycat's (Sharon Bennett) little Ribbon Reindeer pattern and Lindy Jane Designs, an Oklahoma Christmas pattern,  I used opalescent fabric and the suggested threads.  I finished them with beats around the edge and a fabric hanger from the fabric on the backs of the ornaments.  I really enjoyed making these two ornaments.  One is filled with some crushed walnuts shells and crushed lavender from my flower bed. The other is just flat, not filled.
I want to work on my finishing skills with projects for me but there never seems to be the time. 

 

I have started a Becky Boo's Christmas angel with the hanging ornaments.  I have done Halloween and July 4th.  I would also like to do her Easter project.  Do a few stitched everyday and they will get done. :)

Received My Halloween Exchange

I received a precious"Little Owl Sampler" by Knotted Tree NeedleArt which was in the 2012 Just Cross Stitch Halloween Edition from Erin.  I love it.  Erin chose such cute fabric for the backing and finished it with purple ribbon. She included some cute sticky notes, hot chocolate, and some DMC Mouline thread.  I will use all of it.  It is hanging on my Halloween tree in our entry.  It looks perfect with all of my other exchanges that I have received.

Received My HoE Hometown Ornament

Two weeks ago my dear friend and stitching partner, Becky, presented me with this darling Christmas ornament.  She changed the word Oklahoma to Okmulgee to personalize it.  She chose a design from Mulberry Tree Graphics.  She finished it with beads and a wire hanger.  It is so pretty and I will truly treasure it.

I know you must be thinking:  why has she waited so long to post this?  If you knew how my school year is going you would not ask that question.  First I am teaching 14 classes, so my days are filled to the brim.  I am also heading a committee that is working on our school's accreditation. That is taking a bunch of my time.  By the time I get home which has been between 6 and 7 or later and then I get up at 4 the next morning, that doesn't leave much time.  My dh says, "I'm glad you stopped by to say hello!"

HoE BBD Received

Today in the mail I received a darling BBD Quaker stocking from Cindy of New York.  She did not say what fabric and threads she had used but I love the colors she chose.  It is hanging on my little Christmas tree in our entry way.  It looks perfect.

I am staying home today and finishing up little odds and ends of stitching and putting things together.  I have two little pillows to finish.  I will be going to WW with my pal Becky K.  I have earned 104 points this week with moving into my classroom.  I still have some work to do but I see a light at the end of the tunnel and it looks great.  Our new facility is really grand.

"Life is a Beach"

I received my summer seasonal exchange today from Sarah.  It is a LK design using over dyed floss with the addition of the little yellow sun glasses.  Aren't they cute?  I have it with my other summer stitchery in our entry way.  It sets on the cabinet of my grandmother's treadle sewing machine.  I love it.  That cheered me up.  It is still hot in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.  Sunday is supposed to be 99 and that is cool for us.  We have had 40 days with unseasonably hot weather.  At least 20 degrees over the norm.  My poor old lawn is so sad and now we have mandatory water rationing, only water with a container, no sprinklers. :(

HoE Blackbird Design is on its way!

I mailed my BBD Christmas ornament this morning.  The post office was open, and I didn't have to change one thing on my package.  That is a miracle!!!!  The post office makes me mad just like shopping at Wal-Mart.  It should take the exchange 5-10 days.  We'll see. :)

I chose a design from JCS Christmas Ornament issue, year 2009.  The pattern had 2009 in the stitching so I changed it to 2012 using my own design.  I used the recommended thread and fabric from my stash.  I finished the ornie with beads and a little ribbon hanger.  It wasn't perfect but I loved it and I think I will make one for me but there are other pressing needs right now.

I am moving into a new building at our school.  They had moved our things into our classrooms or at least I thought they had but my room had a problem with the carpet.  So my things are stored in the French teacher's room and I'm sure she is loving that.  Got a call today and maybe I can start moving tomorrow.  I know where I will be spending my weekend.  It takes a lot of music to teach and I'm sure I have it all.

My stitching partner and good friend are walking at Wal-Mart in the mornings at 6:30.  When school starts that will have to change to 5:00.  I may lose her.  I go to water aerobics 4 times a week and try to walk in the mornings.  With our 114 degree weather we have stayed inside.  It is really miserable now.  I don't have a lawn anymore, it is burned up.  A good friend and I went to Wisconsin last week to visit the Dominican Sisters that were the principal and religious education director at our small school and our church here in Okmulgee.  They are our family.  The corn is burned up and there are no ears.  I had better get a bicycle to ride to work now.  I know gas will go sky high.  It's just 50 miles to work.  So I had better get a scooter.  That makes me laugh just thinking about it.
May your days be filled with joy and happiness.  Stay cool.

My Seasonal Exchange is in the Air

I sent my seasonal exchange today and it should take about 10 days to reach its destination.  I used a kit in my stash from a stitching weekend with Stitchworks.  That has been a few years ago.  We met in a Sorrowful Sisters convent for a long weekend and who would have guessed,  I would be teaching about 3 miles from there now.  Small world.The design is called Summer Silk Sampler.  It is stitched on 35 ct. northern cross linen with silk splendor threads.  I put seeds from my lavender plant in the little flat ornament.  I finished the edges with crescent colours cotton chenille.  Then I secured a ribbon with a button for a hanger. Here is a picture of the exchange.

Nicole Received HoE

I received a sweet email from Nicole saying she had received her piece.  I was getting worried because there was no word.  The postal person left a card in their mailbox but it was stuck to the side and they had not seen it.  I used fabric in my stash and I chose a LHN pattern from the Just Cross Stitch 2004 Christmas Ornament issue.  It is called "Woodland Snowfall".  It was fun to stitch and I enclosed one of Gary's hand turned on the wood lathe needle threaders. 
My dear stitching friend, Becky, made me a darling birthday gift freebie pattern from Primitive Hare.  She did a lovely job and it is displayed with my other goodies in our entry way.  A very nice addition.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July.  It is supposed to be hot so I am sure I will be staying close to the AC. Peace and blessings to all.


2004 LHN Christmas Ornament



Primitive Hair

Another Year Older

Yesterday was my birthday and I am so happy to be alive, in good health, and enjoying my life.  My sweet Gary arranged a nice get together with several of my friends and completely suprised me.  That was icing on the cake!!!!  I finished my Becky Boo's "Bringing American Spirit" and I framed it but am not hanging it up.  I displayed it on a table in our entry way.  Now to start working on my Christmas picture from her collection.
My friend in Idabel sent me a charming card that she had done.  Her stitching is perfect in my book.  She used colors that I love.  It is from Plum Street Samplers "Boris".
I completed a Bent Creek kit that I have had in my possession many moons.  I also stitched a Secret Needle kit for September.  I will make it into a pillow.


Used beeds instead of colonial knots.
It gave it some pizzazz!



 

I love cards because you save them and display them every year.

It is fun to do big count every once in a while.

I have enjoyed my time at home and getting to stitch, oh so much for me.
I will post photos of my Perpetual Christmas Ornament I made for HoE as soon as my partner receives it.  It has been 2 weeks since I mailed it so it should be arriving soon.

Christmas Birds HoE

Today I received my "Quaker Birds" design by LHN from Margaret.  It is so sweet and I love it.  She used hand-dyed fibers on Fawn linen by Lakeside.  She included with my exchange a bag of cranberry colored buttons, a huge piece of fabric, hand-dyed thread, and mother-of-pearl buttons.  What a pleasant surprise for me.  I also think she made the card that was included.  A very thoughtful and caring exchange partner.  Thank you Margaret.

My picture looks pink but it isn't.

Spring Seasonal Exchange

Dawn received her JBW Design "A Very Merry Spring".  I stitched it on stash fabric using Sulky 12 wt. thread.  I finished it as a little pillow with a ruffle around it.  I really enjoyed stitching it with that thread because I was not sure how it would look but I liked the colors.

This has been a great Mother's Day and it is my dh "70th" birthday.  I remember when that seemed ancient, not any more. :)

Tomorrow is my spring program at our school and I think the children are going to do a great job.  They sound good and I think they have had fun.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms and may your day be filled with gladness remembering all of your blessings.

The Babies Are Here

Here are a couple of pics of the new babies in the nest.  It is truly a nest full and the bird____ is all around the nest and on the nest.  They need to be leaving home soon!!!!

Prairie Schooler Has Arrived

Melissa shared her talents with me by stitching this darling snowman with the cardinal.  I love both of them.  It was a perfect choice for me.  I love the finish and have been wanting to try it.  This will spur me on.  Thank you so much.

School is going like crazy.  We have 25 in our speech and drama musical class.  Their little voices are so sweet and such a joy to hear.  They are singing parts and it gives me goose bumps as I hear them harmonize.  It is fun for them also.

This will be a slow weekend and I am glad.  My DH cleaned, dusted, and mopped the house today.  He planted some grasses and purple sweet potato vines for me.  He care for the 3 pups.  This allows me to teach and do what I love to do and feel is my vocation in life.  Can't ask for much more than that, right?

May your days be filled with joy and laughter. Peace.

Seasonal Exchange

Look at his beautiful and darling biscornu that Stephanie sent to me.  It has so much work involved and I know it was a labor of love.  I don't know the pattern, etc. but it is so sweet.  What a pleasant surprise to come home to.  I had to stay late for our monthly PTO Meeting and my exchange was waiting for me.  It brought me joy and smiles.  Thank you so much Stephanie!!!!

Look! New Neighbors

I had put up a little wreath next to our front door.  I just knew it was too small for the birds to build a nest.  Was I ever wrong.  It has a little bird house on it and they just built their nest on top of the bird house.  Now mind you we have a bird house hanging ready for occupancy but no, they preferred the wreath.  So I stood on a stool that was really not high enough and took pictures.  Every time I open the front door they fly off and it startles me.  I know it is going to happen but I jump anyway.

I started stitching JBW Designs "A Very Merry Spring" yesterday and finished it this morning.  I am afraid my thread is too light for the fabric so I will stitch another one using darker thread.  I used Sulky 12 wt. blendable cotton thread. It is a pink and green blend, very pretty, just too light.  Oh well, it is what it is. :)

Thank you for stopping by.  Jump into school routine tomorrow.  Oh I hear the alarm now.  Peace to all.

Received a Fat Snowman

I received a LK Fat Snowman from Brenda in the mail today.  He is darling and I love him.  She sent extras and I love those also.  I can always use note cards, post its, and list pads.  The pad will go perfectly with my refrigerator which is black and stainless.  I'm on my way to the post office and walking with my friend.  Here is a pic and enjoy your day.  The sun is shining and the birds are singing and the pups have been out and done their duty and are napping for the morning.  What more could you want?  :)

 

Prairie Schooler Santa

I finished my Prairie Schooler Santa for an exchange and I will be able to mail it tomorrow.  I loved making it.  It is the 1996 Santa and I used the suggested DMC colors for it.  I stitched it on 28 ct opalescent linen,  so it has a little sparkle to it.  I used ribbon with wire for the hanger and it is anchored to the ornament with antique white buttons from my grandmother's stash.  I finished the ornament by hand stitching and putting red and white beads at the top and bottom.  I am enclosing a little extra gift for my partner.  It is a hand turned needle threader made by my sweet DH.

Now back to my Becky Boos patriotic pattern on big count fabric.  I will start another small exchange piece tomorrow.  I have been stitching to the HBO series, "The Tudors".  It wasn't good to be the wife of Henry VIII.  Off with your head!!!!!  I also have been stitching with March Madness.  When I can take it no longer I put in my ear buds and listen to a book on CD. :) 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my spring break.  I cleaned house., I organized my threads, checked on my stash and of course I found things I had forgotten I owned.  I started a new file for patterns so I am trying very hard to be organized.  I am ready to go back and teach and work with the kids.  I do enjoy them.  May God Bless You and Keep You All of the Days of Your Lives.

HoE Santa Arrived From The Netherlands

My Santa finally made it to Oklahoma.  I had almost given up.  It is so sweet and I love it.  She did not include the designer ,etc.  She told me Merry Christmas and Happy Valentine's Day.  So he is worth 2 holidays.

I have been a stitching fool.  If you do not do anything else but stitch you can really get some work done on projects. March Madness is on at our house.  We have not missed one game I can assure you so I listened to books on tape with my ear buds and dh is happy and so am I.

I have been cooking using the Pioneer Woman's recipes.  YUMMY!!! I reduced some of the butter, etc. and they have been very good.  I made a pasta dish last night using shrimp and scallops.  I bought fresh basil and you put that on the top after it is baked.  It was really good and is a keeper for us. 

Got to get ready for water aerobics and our huge rain storm that is rapidly approaching.  Greetings to all and may your day be filled with peace and happiness.

It is a Fabulous Friday

I made it through the week fairly sane I think.:)  We had 4 girls stay with the Fine Arts Building teachers this afternoon which was a part of our big fund raiser we had in February.  We had pizza, veggies, chips and dip, and fresh fruit.  The girls munched and we watched a movie.  Then we had a rousing game of Twister.  I think the girls had fun.  I worked on my room while they watched the movie and I got a lot accomplished.  I am really trying to downsize but not throw something valuable away.  We are getting a new building and I will have to box everything up and move it this summer so they can tear down our old building and put a new one in its place.

Mass went well today and both 3rd grades shared in music and dance before and after Mass.  They did a great job  I enjoy working with them.  I was supposed to be gone next week but the principal of the school we were to visit has had to go on medical leave.  So we will have to reschedule.

Lorna received her LK exchange so for now all of my exchanges have been delivered.  That always makes me feel good.  I stitched Winter-ize from the Boxer Jr. series.  I used the suggested threads and it was stitched on 25 ct.flax Dublin linen.  It was stitched quickly and I enjoyed finishing it as a pillow filled with crushed walnut shells.  I just like how they feel.

It's late and I'm tired so I will sign off for this day.  May God fill your hearts with joy and may your lives be filled with many blessings.

Santa Arrived

Ina received her HoE Santa and I am glad it got there safe and sound.  It went to the Netherlands, that's a fer piece(Okie Slang) to go.  Now I am waiting on my LK to arrive at its destination.

It was a normal Monday morning at school.  The PK were dragging and so were the 4th graders.  Many of them had stayed up to watch the Oscars.  But we accomplished a lot and had a great class.

I cleaned house Saturday and I mean from top to bottom.  I pulled out all of the furniture and cleaned.  I took out all of the baskets, stuffed animals, etc. and blew them out with Gary's air compressor.  I took down Valentine decorations and put up Spring and Easter decor.  So I am set until June.  I love doing that but it is such a hassle.

I'm getting lesson  plans done for next week while I am away on an accreditation team.  Now that is work. :)

Have a great week and here is a pic of Ina's Santa.

Finished, Boxed, and Ready to Send

I finished my LK Winter Exchange today and completed making it into a pillow filled with crushed walnut shells.  It turned out rather cute if I say so myself.  I hope my partner enjoys it as much as I enjoyed stitching it.  I even did not get my house cleaned because I was working on it and wanted to get it in the mail tomorrow.  It is boxed and ready to send.  I have been watching the British movies.  Now I am watching The Tudors, which are excellent.  I also watched stories by Catherine Cookson, very entertaining.  I will add description of my exchange when she receives it.

We just had a little shower but it is cold.  The pups are staying close where it is dry.  I have PTO tomorrow so it will be a late night.  I need to stop at the dreaded WalMart so I will do that on my way home.  Enjoy your week and blessings to all.

Laura Received Her Seasonal Exchange

Laura received her Brooke's, The Brides Tree, which is called Happiness. I chose it because it had a heart on it and she would be getting it during February. I loved doing it. I used 28 ct fabric and the suggested threads which were Crescent colours Belle Soie Silk. I love working with those threads. I was concerned that I was going to have to make another one because it took so long to get to Laura. The humorous plot was we had each others names. That is a first for me.

Life is busy as usual on North Prairie. I am now on an accreditation team for the Tulsa Diocese. I will go observe the first week of March. Then we are getting ready for our observation next year. I am heading a committee for that and we need to get our ducks in a row. It will be an extra busy year. I have lots of reading to do on this project.
It is cold and rainy today and I am stitching. I'm making us a pot of vegetable beef soup and it is smelling good. Get a mug of hot tea or coffee and things are great. Oh I forgot you need to have a dog next to you for warmth. Since we have 3 precious cockers, there is always at least one lying next to my legs. Can't complain. Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by. Peace and blessings to all.

Peppermint Twist is Here

Laura RS from Mexico sent me a darling LHN Christmas ornament stitched on 28 ct linen using DMC threads and the Peppermint Twist pattern.  It looks perfect next to my snowman.  I will leave it up for a while and enjoy looking at it as I go out the front door of our home.