Coffee and Cross Stitch

Sunday Things.

Hard to believe another week has gone by.  Has it been as rough for you as for me?  I don't even know why it was so exhausting, but it was.  Happy Hour on Thursday night with some of the greatest people in the world, my band staff friends, was much needed by that point (and to think i initially didn't even want to go out!).  Angry Orchard (hard cider is gluten free!!!!!) is my new best friend.  It doesn't top my signature drink - Captain Morgan & diet Coke - but it is a very close second.

Stitchers - have you seen the Market previews?!?!  Is there anything you're DYING to have????  For me, this companion piece to Yuletide Welcome by Plum Street Samplers is a MUST in my house.  I need to make sure I get my order in to my LNS stat.  

I'm always one to change things up with my stitching - I saw this finish of Halloween Rules by Lizzie Kate and it's so fun!!  I LOVE the different colors on the border!!!  The fabric is an awesome overdyed, and is perfectly spooky!  Also - the bell pull with gravestones?!  Love.

I don't know if you've seen any of the work by Rensel Studios, but OH.MY.GOD.  My friend, Catherine, showed me some of their blog posts (after which I immediately began following their blog), and seriously.  No words.  Santa's Magic by Miribilia has been in my stash for a long time, and seeing it framed by them made me want to go start stitching it right freaking now.  Also, I'm not usually big on mermaids, but Miribilia's mermaids are gorgeous.  Add the framing magic of Rensel Studios?  I can't even.  

Weekends just aren't complete without a little stitching.  I started Blackbird Designs' In Full Glory...

Confederate Grey is my new fabric obsession...it's such a great neutral.  

Happy Sunday, friends!

American Panorama | Cross Stitch

I have a lot of patriotic graphs in my stash.  A lot.  This one I've been working on here and there as I completed other bigger projects, just to keep me sane, since I picked a larger count fabric to do this on.  

I love doing anything patriotic.  In fact, I just picked up another patriotic piece to stitch now that I'm done this one.

Gotta keep at least 4 projects going at the same time, or it's just not right in my stitching world.

This is American Panorama from Blue Ribbon Designs.

So cute, amiright?!

I love that sailboat with the teeny American flag!!

The sheep!  I die.

Can't have a patriotic piece without a bald eagle!!

I loved stitching this piece.  It was a relatively quick stitch, and it's so fun and full of Americana!  You could also stitch each one of the squares individually and make smalls, if you didn't want a long piece to frame.  Belinda includes finishing instructions if that is something you'd prefer to do rather than stitch them all as one.

I stitched this on 32 count Heroic from Picture This Plus fabrics.  It has the perfect balance of red and blue dyes streaking throughout to add to the whole patriotic-ness.

Now I just need to get it framed and find a place for it on my walls!

What are you all stitching this fantastic August weekend?!

Sunday Things.

It's hard to believe, but it's about to be mid-August.  Summer is winding down, and I've only made it to the beach twice.  Tragic.

I do love Sundays, though.  For some reason, they're less chaotic than Saturdays.  At least for me, anyway.

Sundays are for catching up on summer reading.  I put down Elizabeth I (again), and started The Devil in the White City.  So far, it's excellent.

Scones also happen on Sundays.  Well, all weekend, really.  I made these blueberry scones this weekend (gluten-free/grain-free), and they're delish.  Gotta use up those blueberries while they're still in season, and baking with them is always a good idea.

Coffee and magazines are a favorite Sunday activity of mine, right before I ignore laundry for the entire day.  And the fact that I have to cook for the week.  Today's lineup:

Happy Sunday, friends :-)

A Baby Gift | Cross Stitch

For the better part of a year, I was working on a pretty big project - a baby gift for my friend, Becky.  I gave some sneaks here and there, but for the most part, it's been super-secret-on-the-down-low.

I gave the gift to Becky yesterday, so I'm now able to do a full reveal of the piece...

I actually had to lay it down on the dining room floor to get the whole thing in the shot.  

Some close ups....

Considering all that backstitching...it'll be a long time before I do this pattern for anyone.  It was brutal.  BUT - the payoff is that it looks amazing.  The detail is incredible.

As always, Lise at my LNS did a phenomenal job with the framing.  It's perfect.  Thank you, Lise!

In case you want to try your hand at this, the graph is ABC Tapestry from Rosewood Manor.  I stitched it on 40 count Purely Primitive from Silkweaver Fabrics.  .

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  Happy Stitching!

Sunday Things.

Sundays are for pancakes.  And stitching.   And reading.  And maybe some scrapping. And really not much else. 

This week, I finished two books - In the Garden of Beasts, and The Fault in our Stars.  Both were exceptionally good, and not what I expected when I started reading.  Now, I'm working through finishing Elizabeth I, since I've been reading it for over a year now...

Although I have to be gluten-free for health reasons, I've really been trying to stay away from all grains over the past year, but today I was really, really craving pancakes.  God only knows why.  So, luckily I found this recipe for grain-free banana pancakes.  Heaven.

I also worked on some Christmas stitching.  Nora Corbett has a line of Red Ladies, all for Christmas.  I have almost all of them (I really have a problem...), and I decided to start with the one who's holding the black kitty, since I used to have one.  Just need to fill in with the Wisper threads on her dress and for the kitty & it's done!

Happy Sunday, friends!  I hope you're enjoying your day!