It May Be Cold Outside But......

Well hello everyone. Wishing you warmth and joy in this Christmas season. We had quite a snow storm last weekend. Here in Indiana we got 10 inches. Here is what it looked like outside.

 These pics are from my living room looking out the front window. The spot that looks like the moon is just a reflection of the flash.

 Look at the snow built up on the hummingbird feeder.

 Here I decided to play around and add a snow effect. Look at all the beautiful snow on the hemlock tree... Below the pics of Pam and Jim.. Just beautiful. I was thankful my husbands car has all wheel drive and thankful it hit on a Friday so we didn't have to go out in the storm. We just sat at home and enjoyed the warmth..occasionally venturing out to give Lila a potty break. I usually use my boots and swipe back and forth to make a path so she doesn't have to freeze her little footies off. Here is Pam and Jim sporting their new quilted rice shoulder heat pads. Pam helped sew most of hers. I found the tutorial to make these at crafty endeavor. They make great Christmas gifts so go check out the blog so you can make yours. Pam doesn't sew much and she found it very easy to follow the directions and make.

Isn't pam cute with her rice shoulder pad. 

JCS ornament issue 1986

 Hi everyone. Hope you are all having a good afternoon. I have spent a while this afternoon playing with photo editing and hanging out at The Stitchers Village. I'm working on completing all the ornaments in the 1986 JCS ornament issue. Then I will move on to the 85 issue. I thought the 86 issue was the first one. After that I'm going to go in order and make them all or at least the ones I like. I would love to know if any of you have photos of ornaments you've made from the first five ornament issues? If so I would like to show them off on my blog. Just email your photos and any information on the ornaments to sbmarchuk@gmail.com. If you have stories about them also include those as well..such as who you stitched it for or where you received them from.

The ornament above is Christmas Snowman by Studio Seven. JCS 86

 This ornament is called Under The Tree by The Stitcherhood. This was a freebie design someone passed along to me.

 Christmas Mittens by Lindy Jane Designs JCS 86

 Peace
Sew Fine Designs
JCS ornament issue 86

 Christmas Bell
Prairie Schooler
JCS ornament issue 86

 Here I'd a quicky christmas coaster I whipped up a few days back. I have another in the working that is green and gold.

And I leave you with my sweet Miss Kitty sleeping on my lap cuddled up in my flannel shirt. Have a blessed day.

Christmas ornaments

Here is a book my sweet hubby got me. My favorite author Debbie Macombers new release. I love her Christmas books.

 Here you can see my new magnet board pattern stand. I love it. I used to have a flat magnet board to use with my patterns but I like this so very much more. And this is the JCS 1986 ornament addition . You can see two patterns I've done already
....the Christmas mittens and the peace ornaments on the cover.

 Christmas Mittens designsnowman

Christmas Snowman by studio seven

Christmas Mittens

Lindy Jane Designs

JCS Nov/Dec 1986 ornament issue

Perforated paper 14ct tan

Here is my next ornament made. I used perforated paper with this one and it comes with another matching mitten. I'm just not done with that one yet. I'm really enjoying myself making these ornaments. I can't help but think about all the other cross stitchers from years past who also stitched this pattern. This one came from the JCS Nov/Dec ornament issue of 1986 . How many of you stitched this years ago or have had this handed down from family ornaments? Years ago I wouldn't have bothered stitching these older "out of style patterns" lol but its funny how one's tastes change over the years. If you have stitched this one or have it in your possession I would love to hear stories about it. Since ordering that JCS DVD of all the issues from 2001-2010 plus all the ornament issues I've decided I want to try to get this other years of ornament issues. I have 86 and 87 but nothing past that until 2001-2010 ,2012, and 2013. I believe they started in 85. Does anyone know when the Halloween ones started.

Blessings,
Sarah Beth

 Hi everyone. It sure has been a while since I've blogged. Not sure why. I guess I have just been busy with other things. My new goal for the year is going to be A Year of Ornaments. I've looked through my old JCS mags and decided to start there so my first design here is ....

Peace

Sew Fine Designs

14ct Aida

JCS ornament issue Nov./Dec. 1986

 This one I have no idea where I got the pattern but I made it for my sister, Pam. She loves hot air balloons, bright orange, and reading.

 This was a really fun freebie that someone RAKed me  a long time ago.

Under The Tree

The Stitcherhood

14ct cream aida

 Here is an ornament I need to finish. I still have the floss and I know the general shape. The picture is turned on its side for some reason. The pattern came out around 97 or 98. So soon you will see it finished.

This snowman is also from the 86 JCS

Christmas Snowman
Studio Seven
Light blue 28ct evenweave

Long time away..back now

Here is the sampler I have been working on. I am loving cross stitching this quilt. Rosewood Manor's designs are all based on quilts. Yesterday while recouping from a flu bug I started and almost completed the Ghost Walk block. I love using the Weeks Dye Works floss. The variegation looks so pretty..almost gives it a Batik look.

:-)

Here is the stitching close up. Don't you just love the black work.

Introducing our newest kitten. This is Butterscotch. She came with a litter of kittens this summer outside. We were able to rescue three of them. The two boys went to Indy Humane Society which is a no kill shelter. PAAIN rescue group of Greensburg was so kind to transport them to indy humane for us. She was too hard to catch so we ended up working to gain her trust and adopting her. We have her in her own room right now so our other two kitties can get used to her scent. Our one cat, Pumpkin growled and hissed something terrible when we first tried to introduce her to the family. Pumpkin is her cousin or Aunt.

We went on vacation for our 16th wedding anniversary to Sault Ste.Marie , Michigan. We went to the Soo Locks to watch the Great Lakes Freighters lock up and down 21 feet to either Lake Superior or Lake Huron. We hadn't even in quite a while. Pam Jim's oldest sister ad my best friend came with us.

Here we are at our anniversary dinner. We had fish and chips. Delicious.  

I took a panoramic of one of the ships. This was a 1000 footer.

Daddy Marchuk

Its with great sorrow to say Daddy passed from this earth to be with his heavenly Father last night. He was adored by all who knew him.

Please pray

Daddy is fighting for his life in CCU. Please pray the dialysis will work quicker so his bp and blood sugar will stabilize. Both are too low. Plus he's agitated and the calming med makes his bp go too low. We love h do much. Please take a moment out of your busy day to pray. Thankyou

posted from Bloggeroid

Please pray for my daddy

My daddy-in-law had to go to the hospital today. They admitted him to ICU because his kidneys aren't working right. He's a wonderful man and we love him dearly. His name is Chester. Please pray for healing

Victorian motto shoppe is having a floss giveaway

Victorian motto shoppe is having a floss giveaway

posted from Bloggeroid

Skirting a Cold

Here is my new fascination. I went to a sewing expo in Cincinnati last June and found a booth called A Stitch Above and I fell in love with this neat looking needlepoint. I had not seen anything like it before. Then I was surprised to find, the other day a kit I acquired a few years back. It was just like what I had seen at the booth. I had also seen a few blogs I follow post pictures of Canvas Work which must be the same thing as what this kit is called-Textured Needlework. Anyhow I'm excited to give it a try. I love specialty stitches and this is what textured needlework is comprised of. Progress photos soon to follow....

 I decided to try my hand at making myself a skirt. I picked out some fabric that I thought looked spring and cut out a straight skirt. The material is a very light cotton and was super easy to stitch on. At first it was a bit too long. I took it up six inches and it comes to mid calf which I think is a good length for me. I also had it a bit too big so I took it in at the side seam a few inches . I love it. I'm going yo wear it to church tomorrow.

 This is another skirt I made. Its  made out of a T-shirt:-)  I found a tutorial online on how to make a skirt out of a T shirt and I'm so glad I tried it. You know those shirts you have that are old enough to be really soft and end up being a favorite. Well what if you stain the sleeve? You can make it into a skirt. I'm sorry I Dont have the link for the tutorial. I will try to find it and add it to my next post. I love how it fits and feels.

I told mommy she needed to wrap it up cuz I wanna play and eat my dinner. I can't eat until mommy and daddy play monkey in the middle with me with my five tennis balls. I catch the balls then I count them on the floor. Then I take a few bites of my food. Then we repeat. Yeah I know, I'm spoiled. But I take good care of mommy so they spoil me when I'm not working with my vest on. Mommy has a cold and I alerted daddy when she used her nebulizer. I didnt know it wasnt hurting her. They gave me lots of kisses and told me I did a good job. I came and laid right in her lap cuz  I had to be sure she was ok. Bye bye now. My tummy is rumbling.

Wierd Growth in Lawn

 I found this very strange rooty like growth in the lawn. Is it a mushroom of some kind? We do have a big fairy ring in our yard but further away. The pod like things look rooty though. I would really like to know. Afraid it could be poisonous and I have a service dog. I'm concerned what's in the center because it looks open

 Angela from RAK group sent me these adorable charts in the mail the other day. Thanks so much Angela:-)

 Here is Old Glory as you can see there is lots more to stitch but I'm getting there.

 Here is a close up of the progress on the first flag

I think the true color is somewhere in between the two pics. Not a lot going on. My sister Becky is hanging in there. We are beginning to think the Prednisone that her husband was on was the cause of the suicide. I have been on that a lot in my life because its used to help cure pneumonia, asthma and upper respiratory infections along with decreasing the inflammation in transverse myelitis and MS. It even bothers me in that it makes me very weepy and upset. It only makes sense otherwise he wouldn't have fought so hard to overcome the double pneumonia. The funeral was very intense and it was very clear how much he was loved and would be missed. The wake was packed..so much that they had to open the room adjacent to it to allow for more seating. Keep praying for Becky and her kids  and rest of family too. Thanks so much.