“Monday Memories – The Night Before Christmas MSD #9 JB Stocking” -- June 29, 2009

I stitched “The Night Before Christmas” MSD #9 JB Stocking in the early to mid 1990’s.

"The Night Before Christmas” MSD #9 JB Stocking
Early to mid-1990's
DMC #5 Perle Cotton, Kreinik Braids
Stitches & Threads chosen by Cyn.
Julia Needleworks

Most of the stocking is stitched in Continental and Basketweave stitches using DMC #5. The base of the candlestick, andirons, and the gold on the package were stitched using gold metallic Kreinik braid. The wallpaper stripes were stitched using the Slanted Gobelin stitch. The stripes were stitched vertically and alternated between two shades of blue. The red bricks were stitched using the horizontal Cashmere stitch.

The stocking is about 5 ½” tall by 3 ¾” wide. Blue cording was added around the outside, around the top of the stocking and then forms a hanging loop. The back is blue velvet. The inside pouch of the stocking was finished in red satin.

JB Designs created a different stocking for each stanza of the “Night Before Christmas” poem. In many of the stockings, the same view with the same elements is used such as the fireplace with the wreath above, but was shown from a different distance or from a different perspective.

I was planning on stitching each one of the stockings but was not able to find all of the stockings before the line became unavailable for several years.

I don’t remember the finishing cost, but I do remember that since were young with very young children, I had to carefully consider our budget before sending anything out for finishing. This was truly a luxury!

JB Designs was purchased by Julia’s Needleworks in late 2007/early 2008. The JB Design line became available again during the summer of 2008. You can see the first set of stockings and the second set of stockings on Julia's website under JB Designs.

JB Designs was and still is one of my favorite lines of needlepoint designs!

Thank you for strolling down memory lane with me. I hope you enjoyed seeing my “The Night Before Christmas” MSD #9 JB Stocking!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

"Patchwork Pink Shoe" -- June 27, 2009

Several years ago, I signed up for the “Halloween Cookie Club” which was offered by Fireside Stitchery. The canvases are Halloween hats and shoes and were designed by “A Collection of Designs”. You can see the Halloween ornaments that they currently have in their Trick or Treat Halloween Ornaments collection.

Okay, okay, I’ll admit that I signed up for the class about four years ago! LOL!

I finished two of the cookie ornaments that year which I can’t share with you right now as they are packed away until next fall. They were a lot of fun to stitch and I actually sent them off to be finished into ornaments!

I started working on the next ornament in the series, but I then put it away when I became busy with family life. :-)

That’s usually what happens when I don’t finish a project. We get busy, one if not all of us get sick, or the project(s) get packed up as I need to clean up for a family event. Once a project is packed up it may not get pulled back out right away and some times it doesn’t get pulled out for quite a long while!

While organizing my stash, I found my “Patchwork Pink Shoe” and I decided that I wanted to finish it this year. So it went back on the table. Once I make some progress, I’ll share a new picture with everyone.

"Patchwork Pink Shoe"
A Collection of Designs
Stitch Guide by Fireside Stitchery
DMC #5 Perle Cotton
Rainbow Gallery's Grandeur, Splendor, Petite Frosty Rays, and Petite Sparkle Rays
River Silk LTD's Silk Ribbon
Mill Hill Petite Seed Beads
Ultra-Shimmer
Kreinik Braid #12

Thank you for visiting!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

"Halloween Hats & Flowers Candy Cane" -- June 25, 2009

I'm almost done with my "Halloween Hats & Flowers Candy Cane".

I just need to add the orange beads in the center of the flowers and then it will be done!

"Halloween Hats & Flowers Candy Cane"
Melissa Shirley Designs
DMC Floss, DMC #5, The Caron Collection's Watercolors and Impressions
Stitch Guide by Sekas & Co.

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today. :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Trick or Treat Heart” by Sekas & Co. -- June 23, 2009

I’ve made some more progress on my Sekas & Co. “Halloween Heart” and I’m almost done.

"Trick or Treat Heart"
by Sekas & Co.
DMC #5 Perle Cotton, Caron Impressions, Caron Watercolors

I’ve finished stitching all of the sections in the heart and the Trick or Treaters. I’m now working on stitching all of the black overstitching on the orange and green sections. Once these are completed, I just need to add the eyes to Frankenstein and the eyes and the hair on the witch.

School is now out for the summer so all of the school related activities are over. Once I finish helping out with a day camp this week, we’ll be on our summer schedule and I’ll have more time to stitch! I have been able to do a little bit of stitching over the last few weeks which I’ll share with you over the next several days.

Don’t forget to vote for my blog challenge to help me decide what will be my second challenge project for this year. And yes, I do plan on finishing all three projects! :-)

I’m so glad that you could stop by and visit with me in Windy Meadow!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

"Blog Challenge" -- June 20, 2009

Now that the Black-eyed Susans chapter has selected "Uncle Sam" as my chapter challenge I need to decide which of the two remaining projects that I'll stitch as my blog challenge. And now you will be able to see "Uncle Sam" with pants! LOL!!!

Since the voting by my blog readers was even among the three projects without a clear winner, I though I would re-start the voting with the two remaining projects. If you would like to vote, just leave a comment on this blog entry letting me know which of the two projects, "Anasazi Song" or "Avalon" that you would like to me stitch as my Blog Challenge. You can read about the two projects on the June 11, 2009 entry. My goal will be to stitch "Uncle Sam" and my blog challenge project by July 31, 2010.

Yes, I know that I can stitch all three as a rotation but since I already have several (okay many) projects in my rotation I just want to add two more right now. So you can only vote for one. :-)

Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving comments. I do enjoy seeing that I have readers who enjoy my stitching.

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

*** Update ***
I forgot to add that if you still prefer that I concentrate on "Uncle Sam" and you don't want me to add in one of the other projects to my rotation that's fine. Just let me know by voting for "Uncle Sam". I plan on eventually stitching all three as they are all in my "Class" category and would have been stitched one after the other as part of my usual rotation/group stitching.

"Black-eyed Susans Challenge" -- June 20, 2009

The members of the Blacked-eyed Susans voting results are in!

They have decided that I should stitch, drum roll please....

"Uncle Sam"!

He's already on the table and I've gathered up the surgical instruments to "Undo" stitch his face. When we last saw dear Uncle Sam I realized that I had run into a DMC dye lot problem and would have to re-stitch all of his face. I'll be back in a few days with a progress report. :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

"Calloway Gardens" -- June 16, 2009

The Calloway Gardens School of Needle Arts has just finalized the details of the course descriptions for the classes that will be offered in January, 2010.

Not only will there be 13 days of needlework classes, but there will also be a needlework boutique and bookstore. The Embroiderer's Guild of America Georgia chapter has a juried show of needlework and they also offer a merchandise night during each sesssion. All of this is located at gorgeous Calloway Gardens!

Every year I have a wonderful time reading through the course descriptions. I'm looking forward to attending in future years when I have more free time to travel. I can see myself spending all day stitching while I send DH out on the local golf courses. We can then visit with each other during dinner, that is when I'm not visiting the bookstore, the boutique or the merchandise night! LOL!

Have fun browsing through the catalog and let us know if you plan on attending!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

"Lee's Needle Arts is Going out of Business!" -- June 16, 2009

Lee's Needle Arts is closing after 40 years as the owner, Theresa Lee, has decided to retire!

Lee's Needle Arts has produced many lovely painted canvases over the years and is also known for their wonderful leather goods such as totes, purses, travel wallets, checkbook covers, bags, wallets, cosmetic cases, pouches, gift and jewelry boxes, mirrors, coin purses, ID tags, and Christmas ornaments. They also have several sizes of kimono stands. The leather goods have been so popular that other designers have designed canvases that can be placed in Lee's leather goods.

My dear daughter has enjoyed stitching several of the Oriental themed round canvases. She loves the kimonos and has already stitched three of the petite kimonos. She just started this week on one of the medium sized kimonos that has been waiting in her stash for summer vacation.

Once I saw her interest in the kimonos, I began purchasing them to put away for gifts. Of course, I didn't tell her how many I've picked up as I wanted to surprise her over the next several years or as she finished stitching a kimono. After hearing that Lee's was closing, I was very glad to realize that I have quite a few of the petite kimonos and one medium sized kimono stashed away. I decided to tell her about the kimono stash so that we could inventory to see if there were any others that she would want so we could hopefully find them before the shops start running out of inventory. I also wanted to start hunting for the kimono stands as of course each of her kimonos will need it's own stand! LOL!

I was fortunate and was able to pick up six of the petite kimono stands yesterday at my LNS. We just need to find two of the medium kimono stands and I have emails out to several needlepoint shops so hopefully we'll find them by the end of the week. Yes, we know that we can have the petite kimonos finished as ornaments or have the kimonos framed but she prefers to have them on the stands if at all possible. And yes, she knows that she can rotate the kimonos on the stands. :-)

We are both very sorry to hear about Lee's Needle Arts closing but are both wishing Ms. Lee a wonderful, happy and healthy retirement!

Now we are both crossing our fingers that someone will purchase the line so that these wonderful canvases and leather goods will be available for another 40 years!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Black-eyed Susans Challenge” -- June 11, 2009

I belong to several ANG chapters including the Black-eyed Susans Chapter. This year the Blacked-eyed Susans have decided to challenge the members of the chapter to share three projects that are partially stitched. The chapter members will then vote on which one of the projects each member is challenged to finish by July, 2010.

I decided to play as I have several, okay stop laughing – Yes, I know I have many not several, candidates! Please let me know which one you think that I should work on first. If you, my wonderful readers, pick a different one than the chapter members, I’ll set a goal to finish both by July, 2010.

First up is “Uncle Sam” by Janet Zickler Casey. I started “Uncle Sam” way, way back at the 2001 ANG Seminar which was held in Washington, DC. He fell by the wayside as I came home from seminar with an awful cold! I pulled him out last summer with the intention of working on him and hopefully finishing him up by the end of 2008. Unfortunately, I ran into a DMC dye lot problem as I have a very noticeable (in person) change in color line running across his left cheek. I’m going to have to undo stitch most of his face to correct the problem. That’s when I ran out of momentum on this particular project. Sigh…


The second candidate is “Anasazi Song” by Carole Lake. I began this project several years ago when I took a class offered by the Black-eyed Susans chapter. I enjoyed working on this project both at the class and at home but I still haven’t finished it. I have to admit that the colors are not what I favor (maybe that’s what I lost momentum) or what we have used to decorate our house even though we live in a south-western style home. Our house is very unusual for a mid-Atlantic home as it’s a large one story home with pink/mauve brick with burgundy shutters. We also have rounded corners on the walls, pot shelves, and almost no wood trim at the doors or windows. Our decorating style is more folk art with some elegance thrown in and very casual. The “Anasazi Song” class was a lot of fun and I would like to finish this project. I would highly recommend taking a class with Carole!


The third candidate is “Avalon” by Susan Reed. I took this as a two-day class with Susan at the 2007 ANG Seminar in Baltimore, Maryland and I haven’t picked it up since. Not because I didn’t like the design but because once seminar was over I went right into all of the school and kid activities and this project was set aside. Susan offered to work up different color combinations if you weren’t excited about the colors used for the example of the class project. I requested red, blues and creams and I liked what Susan put together for me.





That’s all three candidates so please let me know what you think!

So glad that you stopped by and that you are helping me decide which I should stitch for my challenge!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Monday Memories – Doves & Pink Bell” -- June 8, 2009

I stitched the “Doves & Pink Bell” in the early to mid 1990’s. The bell is stitched using the Basketweave stitch in DMC #5 perle cotton. The red ribbon at the top came with the canvas and a bell was added at the bottom. The cording is made from pink DMC #5 perle cotton and the ornament is backed in pink satin.

"Doves & Pink Bell"
Early to mid-1990's
DMC #5 Perle Cotton

I picked this design as the colors are a little different than the usual Christmas colors. I had it finished within a year of stitching the design as it’s been placed on our tree for many years. I don’t have any records as to the designer, cost, or the finishing information.

Thank you for strolling down memory lane this Monday with me. I hope you enjoyed seeing my “Doves & Pink Bell” ornament!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Halloween Heart” by Sekas & Co. -- June 7, 2009

I started on my Sekas & Co. “Halloween Heart” several weeks ago but I’ve been too busy to share!

"Halloween Heart"
by Sekas & Co.
DMC #5 Perle Cotton, Caron Impressions, Caron Watercolors

As you can see in the first picture that I took back in April I’ve stitched all of the green sections and started on the orange.

I’ve had time to stitch a bit more and I’ll be sharing a new picture with you soon but first I want to share some other progress pictures! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Mushroom Meadow!” -- June 6, 2009

I’ve finally been able to take a new picture of Windy Meadow, I mean Rainy Meadow, Oh My, I mean Mushroom Meadow!

We’ve been having lots of rain and now we have lots of mushrooms in the flower beds!

We aren’t complaining as we’ve had drought conditions for quite a while but now the ground is so saturated we have flooding conditions across the state! And yes we have a nice new crop of mushrooms!

We finally had some sun today while I was home so I rushed out to take a picture of very green Windy Meadow today to share.

I’ve been so busy with the end of school activities I haven’t been able to do much stitching but I have made some progress on several projects that I’ll be sharing this week.

I’ve been reading your blogs though I haven’t had much time to comment. Now that school is almost over, I hope to be able to visit everyone and leave comments!

More pictures of my stitching tomorrow!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow