It's Nice To See Where You Come From

I hope everyone's week is going great so far.   I have a finish to share with you.  It's Baby Jesus of the Cricket Nativity I'm stitching and I love how she gave him curly hair by making french knots.  I have started on Mary and hopefully will have her finished pretty soon.  I'm having a hard time deciding how I want to finish these.  I've thought of them being made into stand ups of course, but what if I had them framed all in one frame with the angel at the top in the center with Baby Jesus below her and Mary and Joseph standing on either side of Him.  What do you think?  I'd love to hear some ideas.

We came across a jewel in one of my cousins homes.  She passed away last year and her daughter, who I went to school with and have kept in touch with, was cleaning out some of her Mother's things.  She came across an old photo album of my paternal Grandmother's and gave it to my oldest brother because he has been working on our family tree.  He told me about it on the phone and I just couldn't wait to see this.  It's over 100 years old and in very fragile condition but it made it here yesterday.  Allow me to show you some of these old pictures of my father's family.

This picture is of my Grandmother Anna Grace who taught me all about needlework with her husband, Andrew.  This was taken in 1917 and he will pass away in 1918 of the Spanish flu during that epidemic.  Don't ya just love that car!!!!!

It's hard to tell but there's a baby in the middle...the little girl on the left is looking at him....the baby is my father born in March 1917 and is about 2 months old.  He never knew his father because like I said before he passed away in 1918.

This picture took us completely by surprise.  It is my Great-Great-Grandfather.  We never knew a picture existed of him and was very happy to have found one.

This good looking student is my father.  I'm not sure what grade he was in but he looks about 8 or 9 years old.  

My father is standing on the right and to the left is his brother, Bill.  I love the clothes my father is wearing and wish I could tease him about them.  The knickers with the argyle socks and necktie just crack me up.

Thank you for letting me share some of these old photos with you.  Family and history are very important to me and it's wonderful to be able to combine them and see a story.  Now that I'm older there are so many questions that I think about and wish I had asked my Mother or Father about.  My brother says the same thing.  I guess when you're young you have other things on your mind and it's not till you get older and understand just how important family is.

Blessings to All, Barbara

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and didn't eat too much candy.  I didn't make up baskets for the kids this year so we just bought each one a toy.  Better for their teeth and general health.  We did have a lovely dinner with them at their house.  Peyton makes a fantastic lasagna and I brought the salad.  We had a wonderful time but then we always do with them.

I have a finish to share with you.  It's another Hands On Design project and this one is called "Summer Night, The House On A Hill".  I stitched it on a light grey 28ct. Jobelan but I didn't have enough to make the band that is on the sides so I stitched the scissor fob on the back and placed the words going around it with my initials and date.  I don't think it turned out too too bad.  The pattern came with the WDW Overdyed Wool that is below the house.  I love how that part looks.

Now to find something new to stitch.  I must get back to the Cricket Nativity soon so I have them finished for this year's Christmas.  I thought and thought (got a headache) trying to come up with something to stitch for this new little girl's bedroom and make it something that she can keep.  I've decided to stitch "Rapunzel" by Mirabilia.  I have my LNS order the beads and treasures for me and that will be my large project for next year.  Here's what she looks like....

I'm not sure if the colors will remain the same....must talk that over with Peyton but I just love this design.

I will leave you with a chuckle...

All My Blessings, Barbara

Barbara

So Excited

Our whole family is just so excited about God granting the answer to our prayers and giving us a sweet little great-grand daughter to love.  Of course we must wait until the middle of August for this Blessed event but that doesn't stop me from furnishing her with just about every pink item I can find.  What makes this so sweet is that Little John's favorite color is pink so he must approve all the sleepers, onsies, blankets, hats and head bows purchased and they must all have some pink in them.  I don't think I mentioned what this sweet girl is going to be named.  They decided to choose family names so it's gonna be...

Evelyn (my husband's Mother's middle name)

Sandra (John's Mother's name)

John lost his Mother when he was a teenager and still feels the lost.  He was hoping for a little girl to be able to give her his Mother's name.  We haven't decided what her nick name will be but they are leaning towards Evie.

I do have a finish to share.  It's a Hand's On Design called "Stitch Over Two" and it was pretty time consuming for such a small design.  I had to stitch the two pieces on cream linen first then dye with walnut shells the part that I was stitching on that.

When I had that done then I cut the pieces apart for finishing.

And this is how it all came together.  The two little ones were for scissor fobs but I decided to make some twisted cord and just attach them to the pincushion.

I just started another Hands On Design called "The Summer Night".  It's a box shaped pincushion with a scissor fob which I will probably do something different with.

Until next time, take care and remember God does answer prayers.

Blessings, Barbara

Ta Da.....

We've been Blessed

Yeah! A Finish

I sincerely hope life has been treating you great and you have been able to do a lot of the things you love doing.  Whether it's stitching, walking your dog or spending time with family and friends....it's about what's important to you.

I have been lucky enough to be able to show you a finish which doesn't happen very often in this house so much anymore.   It's the Hands On Design....Life Needs More Chocolate Bunnies....with a small change.  Kathy had underneath the bunnies the same design for the carrot tops but I wanted my bunnies to be standing in grass so I did some improvising on the pattern.  I'm going to finish it into a large ornament to hang out at Easter time.  Remember this was stitched with Sulky 12wt cotton thread that the designer calls for and I discovered that Amazon carries all these threads.  You get one guess as to who is ordering them.

I'm also back working on an old BBD design.... Evening in the Garden.  This is being stitched with a wide variety of threads and I had forgotten how enjoyable it is.  I'm using HDF silks, Gloriana silks, Gentle Art Sampler Threads and just plain old DMC.

I'm looking to start a new one in a few days.  I want to do the newest snowman by Shepherd's Bush..Snow Queen.  I would love to have a wall in my house with all the snowmen from SB framed and on it.  There's not a one I don't love.

That's about all for now.  The stomach flu is making it's rounds thru our family.  I've had it for the last 2 days and before that Zane and Little John.  That will teach me to give out kisses so readily but I just can't help myself.

Here's one to bring a smile to your face.

Blessings, Barbara

Old Things, New Things

I haven't been up to very much because I've been caught up in a British mini series called...

It kept me captivated and I just couldn't keep myself from watching it.  It takes place in Victorian England around the turn of the century.  It centers around a place called White Chapel which according to  history wasn't the best place to live.  Jack the Ripper was active at this time and the series revolves around the men on the police force and how this effects their professional and personal lives.  If you love dramas with a twist, you'd love this show.  One word to the caution...British shows are a lot more lenient on what they are allowed to show so be ready for some R rated scenes.  It's available on Netflix.

I thought I would show you some of what we saw at Disney this last time.  Every noon they have a parade down Main Street and we were there to watch it.

This time we had lunch at Tony's Town Square Restaurant where Lady and the Tramp had their famous kiss.  I think Little John liked it but what could go wrong with macaroni and cheese right?  Well I had a 10" pizza that was so thin you could of read thru it and it tasted horrible....price $19.00.  Little John's macaroni and cheese.....$10.00 and Peyton's chicken alfredo.....$22.00 and it was all horrible.  If they want to charge these kind of prices they should at least make the food worthy of the price.

I was sitting in my chair the other day stitching and I happened to look over at my baby and she was zonked.  I'm not sure if I mentioned that our baby is going blind but she is so I had her clipped a little bit shorter around the face so her hair doesn't cover her eyes.  I can't believe she will be 10 years old this coming December.  Time flies by and it's very depressing.

I felt like doing a little sewing so I made some matching bags for my crochet hooks and knitting needles.  These match the drawn string bag I made to hold my yarn cakes while I'm working with them.  I've also started a new shawl as you can see.  This one is made from a yarn that is acrylic and wool and drapes beautifully.  I have about 1100 yards so I'm just going to make it large and use it all up.  I'll probably end up with a blanket. :o)

I'm also working on a new Hands On design called "Chocolate Bunnies".  I'm stitching it with what the designer calls for.....Sulky Cotton which is wonderful to work with.  I'm using one thread over two on 28ct. jobelan and it covers very well.

Well that's about all I've been up to.  I hope wherever you are your weather is improving and Spring is beginning to bloom.  We had two wonderful days this weekend without a cloud in the sky and so blue it hurts your eyes.  I'm not looking forward to summer again but that's the way it goes.  You must take the bad with the good and not complain so much.  Or so my Mother always said.

I will be starting another British mini series tomorrow called The Frankenstein Chronicles starring Sean Bean and we only have 3 weeks for the series finale of Games of Throne.  I've heard some disturbing rumors about the series and how it ends which I hope are not true.  They just cannot kill off Jon Snow!!!!!

Blessings Abound,

Barbara

Just had to share...

For those of us who have lost pets...

Blessings, Barbara

It's Been Awhile

I've been pretty busy these past few weeks helping Peyton with doctor appointments....meaning I watch the boys....and doing a lot of finishing of projects that I've been working on.

First up is Joseph which I absolutely love.  I just can't wait to get Mary and Baby Jesus finished.  

Remember the yarn I purchased called Downton Abbey at Christmas Time?  Well I finished my shawl/cowl and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  I'm planning on wearing it to the Downton Abbey movie that's coming out this fall.

Winter seems to be hanging on for so long for my Northern friends so I thought I would share what I did today.  New York City has Central Park....well Orlando has Leu Gardens and that's where Peyton, Little John, Zane and I went today.  It is so fabulous with all the native flowers and bushes and so many were in bloom.  I was disappointed that the Rose Garden was not in bloom yet but about another month and it should be spectacular.  Here are some of the lovely things we saw today.  Oh and the temperature was 84 degrees.

Our Little John who isn't so little anymore.

This is looking across the lake at the beautiful hospital where hubby has had all his surgeries.  The people there are Saints.

A refreshing little waterfall.

Peyton with Little John.  Zane is riding.

Fountain in middle of Rose Garden.

Well that's what I've been up to.  Have to go this Thursday and get driver's license renewed....what a pain!!!  Can't wait till Thursday nite cause that's when Debbie of my LNS comes back from Nashville with all the new goodies.  I'll post on Friday what I ended up with.  I will admit I made a list for her and I'm not sorry one bit!!!    Come March 14th we are going to Disney World again for that month.  I get the biggest kick out of watching Peyton and Little John....I'm not sure who's the bigger child.  LOL

Everyone have a Blessed week,

Barbara

A Rainy Day in Florida

We are having some much needed rain here in Orlando.  It makes for a cloudy, sleepy day but it is a great day for stitching.

I didn't like how that last shawl start was working up so I tore that out and joined a CAL on Ravelry.  It's a 3 part CAL and it's a shawl we are making.   Most of the ladies are doing theirs in 3 different colors or textures but me being me, I have to be different and do mine in one color.  I chose a beautiful soft peach colored yarn that is 50% wool and 50% milk.  That's right milk!  It is so soft and silky and it drapes beautifully.  I have the first clue finished and here it is...

I will post it again after we receive the second clue.

I know I'm always behind the times and I am a huge Game of Thrones enthusiast which doesn't return for the final season till sometime in April so I had to find something else to get in to.  I came up with Downton Abbey and I'm loving it.  I have watched the first 4 seasons so far and I find I laugh and cry at this beautifully done period piece.  Then I heard that they are coming out with a movie this fall to theaters that continues the story of these wonderful characters.  What makes this even funnier I was looking on Jimmy Beans Wool Site and found yarn called "Christmas at Downton Abbey" and you know I had to  purchase it.  Here is what it looks like on their website.

I cannot wait to get this and make my own shawl in tribute to this amazing mini series.  Please let me know if you have watched this and what you think of it.  

The other day I was over at Peyton's and she called my attention to a bush she discovered in their side yard.  My mouth dropped open when I saw this and I would give anything to have this growing in my yard.  I absolutely love English roses and she has a stunning pink one.

I also made a new project bag which is in my Etsy store if you're interested.

Have a wonderful weekend and many Blessings,

Barbara