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

THE END--OF ANOTHER MONTH

 in the year of 2025--we are now saying Good-bye to the month of August--!!!  It is sunny here in the Sunshine state and a bit less humid than it has been for the last couple months--But is hard to realize that we will turn the calendar to September in a few hours --and that means the start of 3 big Holidays--so get your Santa hat--or Witches hat on and let's fly---

I have another finished quilt--well-wall hanging is more the term, I guess!!!

This was one of Jenny E. patterns and am sad to say that she recently stopped blogging--I do wish her well in whatever is happening with her and her family--she is missed, she gave us many, many great quilt patterns and blocks over the last 16 years--

Here is some of the flower blocks I have appliqued in the last week or so--

And I believe a couple more have been done since this photo and this week I got the fabrics and such ready for more blocks--with a total of 20 blocks so far out of the 22 in the book--these are really fun to stitch--

And --I got the other book in the mail yesterday--

And in this one the flowers again came from old newspaper designs --but she also gives you 3-4 different basket blocks for using the flowers in and a clay pot idea that was cute--so while I am working on the other flower blocks I will have to decide how I want to do the next one????

On the Cross stitching front--

I have kept busy--have done a bit more than when I took this photo--I am over to the really tall beehive -but this hive has alot of stitching--plus there is still another beehive beside that one--so still have a bit of work to do on this one!!

And another hat is knitted--

And another hat was started yesterday afternoon and evening--I am basically  using up small balls of leftover yarn--this is heavier yarn and left overs from yarn I used to use from Hobby Lobby to make my baby sweaters-

And why is it I seem to have to have '2' projects in the knitting-- in the making--I always have '2' sweaters on needles and now I seem to think I have to have '2' hats--silly me!!!!

And I don't know if I showed you one of the $1 Library books that I got the last time I was at the Library--

and here is the inside pages--

I am happy to have this one in my small recipe book collection--though I doubt that I will ever make anything from it!!!

And here is the quilt--wall hanging--that I am hand quilting on now--

Not alot happened this past week--on Monday we had the Van trip to the larger Dollar Tree and bigger Publix--At the Dollar Tree--the couple things for Fall decorating was $1.50 each--

and on Tuesday--Carolyn and I went to the little Pubix for a few things--yep--2 different Publix in 2 days!!!!!!  Then it has just been here at home--working away on quilts and knitting!!!

I have bought 2 Orchids--so now need to study how to care for them and did order a couple things for their care--but have no idea if I can keep them blooming and alive????????????????

HAVE FUN WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THIS HOLIDAY WEEK END--OR JUST ENJOY SITTING AND WORKING ON SOME STITCHING--I WILL BE STITCHING--MOSTLY!!

HUGS, DI