A couple of happy dances

Well, one of my fall stitched pieces was finished before Thanksgiving. This is 'I am So Thankful' by Trail Creek Farm. I made a little pillow out of 2 leftover quilt squares (from a quilt that I made in 2001) and then I mounted the cross stitch piece to the pillow with the little buttons. The quilt was made from a pattern called 'Tattered Pioneer' and I used Moda fabrics from their line called 'Pheasant Run'. It remains one of my most favorite lines of fabrics and I wish it was still being made! Gorgeous yummy stuff! Maybe I'll remember to take a picture of the quilt to share soon.

This is 'Apple Sampler' by Birds of a Feather, stitched with Silk n Colors. (finished 11-23) Thanks Barb for the fabric, it was the perfect color and size for this sampler!!

And this is 'Stella Jones' by Examplar Dames. (finished 11-28)


We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving holiday here. My husband made a wonderful turkey dinner, while I helped with the desserts and stuffing. After turkey, we all settled in for a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon, and I put in a lot of stitching hours. :-) That is why I have 2 happy dances so close together!
The plan, until I am sidetracked again, is to stitch some more on my 'Withering Tulips' by Barrick Samplers, at least put in a few hours before starting something new. We'll see if I stick to the plan, as there are several things kitted up and ready to go here. They are calling my name LOUDLY.
I've changed the name of my blog. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into the first name 'Threads', but was just shooting for something that covers both the sewing and stitching fronts. After a lot of mulling around of 'what to name my blog', I've decided to call my blog 'Gingham Stitcher'.

A finish and some WIPS

The vintage autumn field cashel that I ordered for 'Coffee Menu' by Little House Needleworks arrived in my mailbox the other day. This was my first time ordering from Silkweaver fabrics and I was very pleased with service and turn around. This fabric is very nice!



Thank you Cathy for reminding me about this cute Lizzie Kate pattern, 'Autumn ABC's', that I have had forever! I stitched mine on 32 ct. lambswool. It was fun, and I'm thinking about trying my hand at a flat fold finishing for this. I have 2 fall themed pieces stitched that I would like to finish before Thanksgiving. After that, I will have zero interest in anything 'fall' related, as it will officially be Christmas season!
Thanks for the comments about the ort bags. Bine, I'm not sure what the technical definition of 'ort' is, but to me it's those little snips of thread left from each length of thread used for stitching. Usually they end up stuck to your shirt, pants, couch, etc. :)
Karen, the little bags stay open by themselves, because there is a layer of interfacing in between the outer and lining fabrics. I think it's about a medium weight. Feel free to email if you'd like more details and measurements, etc. Nope, not selling them!
This past Saturday was stitch-in at my local shop. I took my 'Apple Sampler' with me, and also something new to start. It's 'Summer Jubilee' by Blackbird Designs and is from a JCS issue (Aug. 2003). So far, it is looking very pretty, and I plan to have it framed just like the picture in the magazine. It is stitched on 18th century Blackbird by R&R, which is very nice and soooo much easier to stitch on than a true black. The stitch-in was fun, but I didn't get the huge amount of stitching done that I planned. LOL I always think I can accomplish more than what actually gets done.

Ort bags

I tried to show off the lining fabrics as well as the outer fabrics. As usual, it's tricky to get perfect lighting.

Catching up

Bine, you asked about the LA leaflets with designs by Diane Williams. Here is a picture of 3 that I have. The bottom one is showing both the front and the back of the leaflet. The back shows the picture of the sampler by LHN that says 'give thanks with a grateful heart'. The top 2 leaflets contain designs exclusively by Diane. Hope that helps!

Cathy, I am still trying to decide which Little House Needleworks design I want to start next. Coffee Menu, Spot of Coffee, Rose Sampler, and Ye Olde Coffee House (from JCS) are all contenders at the moment. :-)
I need to finish off some ornaments soon. Goodness, this month is already flying by! I did finish one ornament last week, but can't show it for a month or so.

Here's my current Work In Progress: 'Apple Sampler' by Birds of a Feather. Chelle, here's the conversion to Silk n Colors:
*Buckeye Scarlet---> In the Reds
*Cherry Bark--->no conversion, using cherry bark
*Ohio Lemon Pie--->Burnished Gold
*Avocado---> Ozark Spring
*Forest Glade---> Dark Forest



I was inspired last week, and finished my 'October Harvest' by Blackbird Designs into a pillow. I lined the cross stitch and attached it to a pillow with fabric covered buttons to match the pillow, added some beads to the corners and Wa-La!

Thank you so much for the nice comments that have been left on my blog!! It's so encouraging, and it's also neat to find another blog I had never read before. ;-)