Feeling Crafty

I love cross-stitch at any time of year; somehow Autumn brings even more enjoyment to this hobby.  An ideal scenario is watching football and stitching!  So, it's time for an update on a few projects!

My January 14 post was the last time I shared progress on the Christmas stocking for #1 Son - see the picture below.

 On March 29, it looked like this:

Now, with 287 hours of love invested, I am putting the finishing touches in place.  Outlining, details such as trees and grass.  The most challenging element is stitching with the gold metallic thread for the sled and the edges of the ribbon - it's very fiddly!

My February 11 post featured a completed hexagon stitch-a-long.  Today, I am happy to show you the framed piece, which now hangs in our guest bathroom!  The experts at Michael's were invaluable in selecting the mat and the frame.

In the same post, I also described the process of selecting a pattern creator in order to develop a design of a wedding photo for #1 Daughter and our son-in-law.  After some deliberation, I went with Gail at Busy B Crafts (creator of Stitch a Photo).  She had offered so much free advice, and was also recommended by the owners of Shepherds' Bush, cross-stitch experts that I trust!  This is the photo the couple chose.

#1 Daughter selected a Natural Rustico fabric - probably only a quarter of an inch will show around the final piece, which will be 11 x 14.  I am very excited to start stitching once the stocking is complete! 

 

 

 

I recently hosted a Munch and Make, and one of the attendees had a new quilt to share.  She is a member of the Flathead Quilters' Guild, and its annual quilt show had just wrapped up.  Below is a selection of the quilts that I saw at the 2024 Flathead Quilters' Guild Quilt Show.

Maker and Quilter: Lea White

Maker and Quilter: Marci Robman

Maker: Mary Iverson  Quilter: Susan Gilman

Well, it's time to get back to my stitching!  

Linking up with a few blogging buddies this week!

Linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursday.

Prompt for this week is: Do you like hayrides?  Tell us about one you experienced.  I believe the last hayride would have been with the kids when they were young enough to actively participate in pumpkin hunting in an open field.  I love those fall traditions when it can be enjoyed with extended family, even if they are all adults!

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching

 

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Because I knew you

I am so blessed to have many good friends, and one of my deepest joys comes from sitting around a table, chatting and crafting.  It's a tapestry all its own, woven with time together, and stories shared.  

When I recently saw an America's Got Talent audition, featuring two women in a duet performance of "For Good" from Wicked, I shed a few tears, thinking of friends around the world.  And especially those right in my own backyard.

Friends, this post is for you!

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow

If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

I have been changed for good

Listen to the song! 

***

Joining LeeAnna's I Like Thursday: Prompt for April 4: Amusement Park or Day at the Beach?  These days, I would definitely prefer the quiet of a day at the beach.  Snoozing, collecting vitamin D, walking the length of the beach, reading a book, sipping a rum-soaked beverage.  Much preferable to the noisy clanging of an amusement park, thronged with sweaty people standing in long lines.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching

 

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Munch and Make Returns

As faithful readers know, stitching makes me happy.  Stitching WITH FRIENDS takes me to a state of bliss.  Throw some mouth-watering delectables into the mix?  Practically euphoria!  Munch and make, a craft gathering with neighbor ladies, has returned after a three-year hiatus.  (OK, I knew it had been a long time, but really three years?  Yes, pandemic first and then life, busy life.  Anyway ...)

One friend plied her needle on the table runner you see at left.  And do you know, she gave it to me at the end of the afternoon?  I was SOOOOO touched.

 

How about this quilt?  My neighbor is a prolific quilter and prefers to have one quilt at a time in production.  On the day of our gathering, she was finishing the binding.  You probably cannot see it, but the corners of the quilt have nests with little eggs in them.  Love the plump birds on this incredible work of art.

 

 

 

 

Everyone brought goodies - sugar-free chocolate, oat cookies, lemon blueberry ricotta cake, fresh fruit.  The panda nestled among the munchies was hand-made by another neighbor during our gathering.

 

My project is the cross-stitch for my sister that I first shared in this January post.  It's coming along nicely; I am head over heels in love with the blackwork patterns that make up the flower at the center of the design by Lesley Teare.

 

I hope to have another Munch and Make in mid-March - watch this space!

If you would like to see the previous Munch posts, go to March 17, 2019, April 11, 2019, October 6, 2019 and January 29, 2020.

***

I am joining Lee Anna at I Like Thursday this week.  The prompt is "What thoughtful things does your special person do for you, or you do for them?"  Spousal Unit brings me coffee in bed most mornings, a routine that began when I retired.  He has always been the cook in our family - even though it is one of his "responsibilities" in the house, I still consider the effort he puts into cooking overall, and finding new recipes (almost always a hit), to be one of the things about him that I truly appreciate.  Occasionally, I try to surprise him.  A note left in an unexpected place, or candy just for fun.  After Valentine's Day, I perused the on-sale Valentine's candy and was delighted to find this.  It would be a long story to explain the boxer shorts with the hearts, but it has a funny meaning for us!

 

 

***

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Thank You for being my Friend

In March, I will celebrate my third anniversary in the blogosphere.  Making the acquaintance of numerous fellow bloggers through this forum has been a joy and a privilege.  When I commenced this adventure, I could not have dreamed that I would come to call so many of you friends, despite the fact we have never been face to face.  I dedicate this post to all of you, and I am thrilled to link up with my favorite memes, too.  Here's to friendship!  






What has occupied your time in January?  Following the holidays, my normal routines have resumed.  Tasty breakfasts prepared by Head Chef.  

Drawing.  I was inspired to create this picture following our pastor's sermon about the Epiphany.  My personal epiphany from it: Go a Different Way!

Enjoying time with Dear Neighbor Friend, whether it is cross-country skiing, feeding birds or simply walking.

Left: Mountain lion tracks                 Right: Mountain chickadee

Snuggling on the couch with Maggie the cat as my heating blanket.










Hosting Munch and Make for my crafty buddies.  

Upper left: crochet headband  Upper middle/right: stuffed nose for gnome

Lower left: hand-colored card        Lower right: Culinary delights from Head Chef

I was delighted to receive this hand-made gift from one of the craft group.  The base is a slice of a tree with a hanger on the back.  The peacock feathers, pine cones and other décor are glued to the base.  As a final touch, the twine holds four clothes' pins, suitable for displaying photos or recipe cards or any number of other curios.  Isn't she talented?  

Walking in the winter wonderland of our back forty.  

A little reading at night.  Dear Neighbor Friend loaned me this book, and I adored it.  True stories documented by Donald Davis, Cripple Joe reminded me of my own father and my childhood.  The picture on the cover even resembles my Dad!  Does anybody remember the candy Nik L Nips wax bottles?  I hadn't thought about them for decades until they appeared in one of Mr. Davis' stories.  I was especially struck to read about Stayman Winesaps.  Although you won't find a Winesap in stores or at most farmer's markets, my Dad grew them in our orchard, so I was thrilled to see them mentioned.  I highly recommend this book! 



And sometimes, the month brings surprises, such as this bright bouquet from Spousal Unit.

Head on over to these memes and see what other delights might be in store!

Floral Friday Fotos

Friday Bliss

I Like Thursday
My Corner of the World
Nature Notes
Saturday's Critters
Skywatch Friday
Thankful Thursday
Wandering Camera

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday #48: The (brief) Interval

On the last day of September, friends and family members from outside Montana were texting me.  Are you snowed in?  How much snow did you get? Apparently, erstwhile news outlets reported Montana with deep piles of the white stuff, an outcome of the September 29 storm.  To set the record straight - we woke to a dusting.  Areas east of us, such as Browning, had four feet of snow.  Those schools were closed on Monday and our Governor declared a state of emergency for certain localities - both rare events in a state that prides itself on making it to school and work and Costco no matter the weather.

Down by our lake

As I reflected on my pictures from September, I had to wonder - is that it?  Was that our Fall?  Was that THE INTERVAL between Summer and Winter?  The current forecast calls for highs in the 40s for the foreseeable future - yep, feels like Winter to me.  So I am grateful that I captured a few Fall photos while I had the chance! 

In September, plants featured berries and fresh technicolor coats.  Mushrooms sprang up, the birthright of bounteous precipitation.  Some insects seemed to slow down with cooler temperatures, such as this dragonfly that I encountered on the road during a run.

In honor of the changing seasons, I replaced the summery flag in front

of the house with the fall-themed Moose Lodge

I didn't know it at the time, but a kayak on the lake on September 22 with Dear Neighbor Friend may be the last of the season for me.

We attended the Celtic Festival in the middle of the month.  It was one of those days when you really don't know what to wear.  The morning started off brisk, but then the sun bore down and you wished for shade.  And just for good measure, we had a light rainstorm in the late afternoon!  We loved watching the athletic events, the dancers and the musical groups.  Nothing could match Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.  The video below does not present the performance in justice - one bagpiper started it off, and after the first verse, the rest joined in.  Stirs my heart every time. (And sorry it's sideways!)

Just for fun, I have included this video of the Sheaf Toss.  A bundle of straw weighing 20 pounds is tossed over a ever-rising bar, using a pitchfork.  The highest toss wins.

I haven't taken the opportunity to play the piano much this summer, but anticipating a smidgen of indoor time, I followed up with the Piano Man on the repair of the "action" on our upright piano.  I am pleased to report that the piano has now been restored and re-tuned as far as he could take it without breaking any strings.  Just look at the fresh new leather strips, and the unblemished felt hammers!

On a recent volunteering day in Whitefish, I found myself with extra time and I enjoyed a stroll around town as I used to do when we lived there.  It was quite nostalgic, and I might have even sucked up a tear or two!

With the onset of fall in Montana, it is critical to pick fruit that can be an attractant to bears.  With great joy we plucked apples from my Mom's Goodland tree for the second year (see first year story here and here.)  It was enough for an apple pie, and I can't put into words how I felt when I dove into it.  How do you express cinnamon and love, apple and childhood memory, butter and the miracle of the fall harvest?

As long as we are on the subject of food - Head Chef has turned to some of his fall favorites, and as always, I am glad I have a strong workout regime or my waistline would be expanding!

Upper left: Roast Beef, Yorkshire Puddings, Mushy Peas    Upper right: Pizza with home-made crust

Bottom: Zuppa Toscana with home-made bread

Inevitably, cooler temperatures inspire my inner craftsperson.  I have taken to sending hand-drawn and hand-written birthday cards.  Imagine!

I hosted my first Munch and Make session since April.  In Montana, summer is precious and most folks wouldn't be caught inside when the mountains are calling!  Now, with shorter days and questionable weather, crafty birds flock together.

April Munch and Make - my neighbor, who is a hula dancer, works on a raffia headband.  The hula group makes

every element of their costumes.

September Munch and Make: A friend brought hand-made ceramics and glued them to narrow wood pieces

Bottom pictures are the finished product on her bedroom wall

For my part, some new Christmas ornaments are underway.

Pinterest Ruffle Skirt

But I am most excited about the Christmas tree skirt.  I mentioned it in my last post about Josie, and now it is appropriate to tell you more.  Last year, we bunched up some burlap around the base of the tree, in keeping with our rustic theme.  But I wanted something a little more formal, and Pinterest came to my aid with a ruffle skirt design.  You would be so proud - I have been able to take the basics of the design and ADAPT it - not usually my strong suit!

The skirt is six feet across, with brown felt as the base.  Per the Pinterest design, I began cutting the burlap I had into three-inch strips, using conventional scissors.  After my hand nearly fell off, I invested in a rotary cutter and a cutting mat.

Using my superior math skills, I created my own pattern, assuming 13 rows of ruffles and utilizing the burlap on hand.  Here you can see Josie helping me measure the radius.  No problem. 

Not so fast!  I dramatically mis-calculated the amount of burlap required.  It's the pleats, you see.  A seven-foot piece of burlap becomes a 3-foot piece once it's pleated.  I need A LOT more burlap.  And does Hobby Lobby have the color I need?  Nope.  I can't really blame them; burlap dyeing is variable, to be sure.  So I went back to the drawing board and I believe I have a workable pattern that doesn't waste the burlap I have.  You are sure to hear more about this in a future post, whether you want to or not!  I might have been a little (!) frustrated, but Candy Corn helped me get through it!

By now you have forgotten (like me) that this post started with snow.  But one thing's for sure - my plants are not coming back.  While the snow may have been shallow, the temperatures were in the deep freeze, and shriveled fleshy plants.  

Left - Pink Poppy on September 27                                                       Right: Same plant on September 30

You might expect me to be outraged, or at least disappointed, about this.  As you know, animals who nibble my plants can have that impact.  But somehow, I am taking this in stride.  Maybe it's because we head out of the country in a week - I am not going to be here to enjoy the garden anyway.  Or perhaps I accept that this is a force I can't control with chicken wire or a spray.  Or possibly, just possibly, I am growing excited about the Winter - skiing, snowshoeing, the Christmas season - did I mention that both of the kids are coming for Christmas?  That's enough to tip me over the edge and past The Interval. 

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter