Ouch!

 Hi friends! Oh my goodness! It has been an entire month again since I last posted. 😬 I looked to see that my last post was about the punch needle robins I did. Yes. Well that did me in. Let me tell you! Remember the lovely punch needle pansies? The ones I won a blue ribbon for at State Fair? They are 3D micro punch needle. And as Madeleine said, "Mom, you must have done about 40,000 punches on those." Well my arm and shoulder hurt somewhat after that, back in April, but then I was done punching. Until I did those robins last month. ☹️ My shoulder has been KILLING me ever since then. A nerve running down my arm, down to my fingers was tingling. I finally went to my doctor. She said I have tendonitis of my rotator cuff. I may never do punch needle again she said. 😭Normal people would think, "Fine. So be it." I am not normal. I realize that. In MY head, I keep thinking, "I just need to get better and in the future I am sure I can do a small project again." Then I tell myself, "Are you CRAZY?! Do you LIKE this pain?" I have to get rid of this punch needle. Truly. There is no other way. I will be tempted to use it otherwise. Honestly. I know me. This pain is not worth it. I am taking ibuprofen daily, as the doctor told me to, and a muscle relaxer to sleep, as she told me to. I simply CANNOT sleep on my right side at all. I cannot imagine what it feels like to have a torn rotator cuff. My brother had one and had surgery. No thanks! I am waiting for physical therapy. Two of the therapists I knew have left. The one remaining therapist I know does not have an opening until the end of the month. 😕 I am praying for an opening to pop up.

🏫September Cubby Shelf Display 🏫 Almost every one of these are stitched over one.

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🍂🍄September Corner Shelf🍄🍂

🎂Happy Birthday🎈by Hands On Design 

This pattern was passed along to me by my Instagram friend Kathy. I finished it differently than charted. I used everything from my stash. I did use all the called for DMC colors and 32ct chalkboard linen. The last picture is the most true in color for the finishing fabric.

I tried a new finishing technique to create this easel mounted flat fold. Since this is my first time, it is not perfect, but I like it! I will be doing this again. If you care to try this kind of flat fold go here to get the directions: HERE

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Maggie Mae on Main Street! Dear, little Maggie Mae has been stitched for TWO MONTHS, but I left her languishing in the to be finished pile. I finally got her put together yesterday and took her down the block to the waterfall in our village. Yes. I live near all these beautiful flowers on display and the wonderful waterfall.

The first three pictures were taken later in front of my pink poodle McCoy planter. I forgot to add little Maggie Mae's ribbon! 

Maggie Mae is stuffed with wood shavings. She is stitched one over two on 46ct Oat Bristol Zweigart linen. I honestly cannot remember the color changes anymore. I do know I use CC, VMS and DMC.

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I am stitching Christmas ornaments for family and friends right now. Are you?

Madeleine is on her last week in Denver. She is enjoying her time there very much. She likes her fellow workers very much too. At first she was so homesick. Oh my goodness. She cried every, single time we talked to her for a week! God bless her. Now she talks to us for an hour at a time about what she is up to. 😁 She is able to take the rental car and check out the National Parks and antique stores and such. 

If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones;

You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:10-11

I would not mind if any of you would pray for healing of rotator cuff. It hurts quite a bit. Thank you.💕

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead my friends. Thank you for stopping by!

Stitching and praying, 

Vickie

Hey There!

 

Hi friends! It has been over a month since I posted last, but I am still with you! Instagram is where I post on a routine basis if you want to keep up with me there you can find me HERE

I have been punch needling during the Olympics. I found that easier to do than cross stitch. I simply could not stitch and watch! I created this little gingerbread man from Beth Bradshaw. The pattern was in PNPS, the 2016 Christmas-Winter Issue. 

I made him with the intention of giving him as a gift. I am not even sure who he is going to yet, but we draw names in or local stitch group in a few weeks for Christmas gift giving. I am pretty sure I could give him to most any one of the girls. 

🤎🧡Punch Needle Robins🧡🤎

I created these two Robins while watching the Olympics. 😊 I used one of the Robin patterns in the Spring's Arrival Hooked Rug pattern from Blackbird Design's Birds of a Feather book. (You can easily use hooked rug patterns for punch needle also.) I just chose DMC that looked close to the colors in the book picture and punched away! 

I have always thought of putting two Robins in my Garden Girl's nests. Now I finally have them!🥰

🌞August Cubby Shelf Display🌞 Almost every one of these are stitched over one.

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We went to our Wisconsin State Fair last week.

This first picture is me and my punch needled pansies that took first place. 

The second picture is me and way in the back you can see my God Bless America by Artful Offerings with a third place ribbon.

And the last photo is a rare one on here. Still with this guy after 38 years. (We started dating in high school.😉)

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😼Cat Pillow by Lynn Dee Andrews, Stitches from the Heartland. 

This pattern is an old treasure from 1988, that my dear friend Marly passed on to me. I altered the pattern to look more like our Cally cat. Cally adores Madeleine almost as much as Brian. I made this for Madeleine's 26th birthday.

I stitched this TWELVE! over two on Monk's cloth with some of the called for DMC, but most of my own colors to match Cally.

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I am now pretty much forcing myself to do finishing work during my Olympic watching. Ugh. Anyone else dread finishing as much as me? I used to be excellent at keeping up at it. I have slooowly started to slip at it. I have a small pile here. I am chipping away at it now. They are mostly ornaments for gift giving for this year, so they must be done! It drives me wild looking at it anyhow.🤪

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  Matthew 16:25

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I treasure the friendships we have made over the years. These blogs have brought us together!😊

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Boom! It's July!

 Hi friends! Here we are in July! I hope my American friends had a nice 4th.

I wanted to let you know I received the results from our Wisconsin State Fair on my two entries. I have received 1st place in the Punch Needle category for Bowl of Pansies.

I received a third place ribbon in the counted cross stitch pictures of this size category for God Bless America by Artful Offerings.

🖤💜Viola/Signs of Spring💜🖤 

This little viola is a combination pattern. I took the free body from October House Fiber Arts free Signs of Spring pattern, with my own choice of DMC greens, and placed the Viola pattern on top from Wildflowergarden Cross Stitch by Kazuko Aoki. I chose her dark blue/black colorway. I just LOVE it!!

🤩 I stitched the viola in the called for DMC colors. It is stitched one over two on 45 ct mystery hand-dyed lavender linen. I made cording so this little beauty can hang from my corner shelf. The pansy fabric for the backing is from my stash. 

Pansies and violas are my favorite flowers!😁

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⭐Stars and Stripes⭐ a free pattern by Sapphire Mountain Handcrafts It is the perfect July addition to the cubby shelf. 🇺🇸 I stitched this over one on 32ct white even weave with my own choice of DMC.

💖🤍💙July Cubby Shelf💖🤍💙Almost every one of these are stitched over one. How do you like my new Annalee dolls? Brian surprised me❣️ I said I was not going to buy anymore. Well I did not! HA! 🐭🐭🐭

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📚This Wisconsin Memoir by Beuna Coburn Carlson was a true joy to read. Wholesome reading. She wrote this book at the age of 94. Her strong farm family survived the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

📚🎧I finished this, the latest in the Maisie Dobbs series, and friends, I have to admit, I do believe it is my favorite of all eighteen books in this series. It is such a heartwarming conclusion to a beloved series. Yes. You read that right. I did NOT know that when I listened to this, but I definitely figured that out pretty quick. 😭😭😭 Oh how I will miss Maisie so very much. You see her stitched in my cubby shelf every month with a hat kind of like this one on this final book cover!

All I can say is, if you have not read this series, do it! It is fantastic historical fiction.

I am stitching a special piece for my brother Jonathan. His birthday is August 21st. I am giving it to him for his birthday. I follow daily cross stitch on Instagram. They give one free cross stitch pattern daily. A few years ago they had a dancing chicken (rooster) pattern. I printed it off. I knew I would stitch it for Jon. He dresses up as the "Chicken Man" in the Bluegrass world at events. Don't ask me. It is a thing. It is very, very, very weird. He is, ahem. very overweight. And to see a HUGE man dressed up in a yellow shaggy chicken outfit is WEIRD! But he does it for years now. So I modified the pattern and drew Jon's face into it and am starting to stitch it. I also printed chicken wire onto lugana fabric for the background.

Here is a picture of Jon. He is with Del McCoury here. I will show you my progress soon. I have only just begun.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love."  John 15:9

Have a wonderful weekend my friends! Nothing but more rain here. So much rain. Makes my migraines so bad. Boo! Take care now. Till next time! 😘

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

I have taught Flossie to jump through my arms in the shape of a hoop! She is afraid of the hula hoop!

Bobbin

 Hi friends!  How is summer starting out for you? Hot? It is here. I have a patriotic finish to share with you.

💖🤍💙United We Stand 💖🤍💙by Trail Creek Farm. 

Thank you for this pattern Robin 🥰

 I left off the words. I also used my own colors. I just love these colors for our flag, so realistic. I stitched this one over one on 36ct cream linen. I painted this paper mache house midnight blue, waxed and buffed it. Then mounted my flag on the roof. I made a tiny wool strawberry and hung that with cording around the chimney. This will make a wonderful addition to my July displays.

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🐭🧵💕"Bobbin" by Stacy Nash Designs.

I knew I wanted Bobbin for the cubby shelf. After playing around in the house a bit, even with Cally!, she has found her home in the very first spot, the upper left opening. I retired the old stitch that was there. It was the first one I put there many years ago. I was going to throw it out. Brian is keeping it. 🙄

Little Bobbin is stitched one over one on 46ct Oat Bristol Zweigart Linen. I used DMC of my own choices. The needle and the floss are #VMSS Her whiskers are sewing thread. There is a slight glue stain between her tail and rump. I glued Rhubarb velvet to the back, and it stuck to that spot and bled or something. I tried to spot wash it. No go. 😒 These things keep me humble.

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I am now stitching Maggie Mae. 🐰

I dropped off my two State Fair entries yesterday. I have seven days to wait for the judges results.😬 Have you ever entered your State Fair? Have you ever entered your stitched pieces in any competition?

📚🎧Are you a fan of murder mysteries? Are you familiar with Anthony Horowitz? I have not read all of his books, so I cannot speak for all of them, but the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries are super! This one is the fifth in the series, so if you are going to read them, don't start here. You could, but it is better to start with number 1. Anthony Horowitz reinvented the classic crime novel, writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes. Daniel Hawthorne is the brilliant, eccentric investigator. The writer and the detective form a strange partnership. I have enjoyed every, single book in the series. Especially since these mysteries are hard to figure out. I love that!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1

Thank you for stopping by today my friends. I appreciate your lovely comments. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie