• Critters

    Meet Fezziwig.

    It had been bugging me for a while that Tilly-Roux needed a friend.

    "Cats don't need friends," Big Papa would say. "Tilly loves being an only cat."

    But I couldn't leave well enough alone. It matters not that I'm terribly allergic to cats. I decided that if I loved one cat as much as I love Tilly-Roux, then surely Tilly-Roux would love a little friend just as much.

    Tillytp

    On Black Friday, Sophie and Bre and I headed out to PetSmart to view the cats from the humane society that were up for adoption. I wasn't completely sure I would be bringing home a cat with me, but I wanted to look anyway. Right away we spotted the most precious long-haired black male kitten, whose littermates had all been adopted earlier that day. He was the only one left.

    Sophie pleaded with me to adopt him on the spot, but since I didn't want to make any snap decisions, I decided to wait and sleep on it, and see how I felt about it the next morning.

    The next morning came, and the very first thing I thought was this: "Oh no! I really hope no one adopted my baby black kitten! Tilly needs him! And surely Big Papa is tired of being the only male in the house!"

    So I grabbed Sophie and Bre and we headed back to to PetsMart. I was trying very hard not to get my hopes up about his still being there, and I thought Sophie would burst into tears at the thought of someone else adopting him. But there he was… all 1.8 pounds of him.

    And so we brought him home.

    Photo 1-1tp

    Fezziwig is very loved.

    Photo 2tp

    And he gets more than his fair share of treats.

    Photo 4tp

    This is what he looks like after a long nap, which makes me laugh…

    Photo 5tp

    And when I'm doing laundry, he likes to sit quietly and observe.

    Photo 5-1tp

    We weren't sure what we wanted to name him, and my vote for Tuppence wasn't well-received. I just love the line that Jim Carrey's Scrooge says in A Christmas Carol.. "Tuppence is tuppence," when he steals the coins from Marley's corpse in the beginning of the movie. They didn't mind if I wanted to name him Tuppence; they just couldn't seem to remember it. They would say, "Well hello, little… umm… Tipsy? Tellulah? Tallboy?"

    We put his collar on him, and it jingled, so I suggested we name him Jingle. Everyone liked that, so we called him Jingle for a few hours.

    But he wasn't a Jingle to me, so I thought some more.

    He was also Darth for about a half-hour, thanks to this face:

    IMG_9296tp

    I also thought about naming him Black Friday.

    Suddenly, it occurred to me that since I was in such a holiday spirit and I couldn't stop singing the theme song from A Christmas Carol, then it had to be a Dickens character from that movie. Ebenezer was too harsh… Marley made me think of a big yellow Labrador… Tiny Tim reminded me of that awful Tiptoe Through the Tulips song…

    Fezziwig! That's what he was. A Fezziwig. But mostly we call him Fezz.

    Here is the very first photo we took of him in the room at PetSmart; I asked one of the girls to snap a picture of him to send to Sabrina (she was working and couldn't be with us), and when I saw it, I knew immediately that I could NOT send it to Sabrina, or she'd think I'd lost my mind.

    Photo 2-1tp

    Although this pose certainly could have earned him a moniker like Scrooge.

    And that's how this sweet little boy came to live with us. (Thank goodness Tilly-Roux can't blog about it.) I hope you're all enjoying your week! I'll see you soon!

  • Chart Corrections

    Corrections!

    My goodness!

    I do my very best to proof my charts for spelling errors, color key consistences, and anything else that is important for stitching a pattern, but it seems that my accuracy record leaves much to be desired lately.

    For that, I'm terribly sorry. I know it causes great inconvenience to stitchers who think they've got all the threads they need, but one is missing (because it wasn't on the key), or they're confused as to where in a chart a symbol is, when it's marked on the key, but is mysteriously missing from the chart itself. Unfortunately, these are some of the errors I've made lately, and I hope I haven't caused too much irritation.

    Below you'll find some of the corrections that have come to my attention recently. I thank you very much for your patience, and hope that, in the future, I'll be able to spot these things before they get sent off to the printer and mailed to the shop owners!

    Promised Lamb…
    There is a heart symbol for Wood Smoke (Gentle Art) on the color key, but on the chart, Wood Smoke uses a small checkerboard square symbol. Therefore, everywhere you see a checkerboard symbol, please pretend it's a heart!

    Correction tp-1

    Cinnamon Stars…The check-mark symbol on the house is Oatmeal (Gentle Art), which was left off of the key entirely.

    Correction tp-2

    (The angle of this photo reminds me of Dorothy's house blowing away in the Wizard of Oz!)

    A Red Cottage…
    The color Wood Smoke (Gentle Art) was omitted from the model at the last minute, yet I forgot to remove it from the key. I'm very sorry if you purchased a skein of floss you didn't need.

    A Red Cottage tp

    His & Hers Thanksgiving Stockings…
    Mrs. Pilgrim's hair is stitched in Onyx, as you may be able to tell from the chart, but her symbol is wrong. In this case, the symbol for her hair should be an X, like what you find in Mr. Pilgrim's outfit.

    His & Hers tp

    Winter Wienerland…
    This isn't so much as an error as it is a bit of a discrepancy; the color key offers the option of stitching with DMC instead of Gentle Art threads, and I used the color 3859 for Old Red Paint. It's come to my attention that in some shop owner's inventories, there is no color labeled 3859 (although it is in my DMC catalog). In this case, you could use the color 407 or 3772 instead. Keep in mind that I design in DMC first, and then convert the DMC colors to the overdyed floss I have in my inventory, which may or may not be of the same dye lot as what you'll find in your shop. If this is the case, please don't hesitate to use something you like as a substitution! Many stitchers are afraid of doing this because they feel that the designer chose the color listed because it's the perfect color for the piece, but this isn't the case; it's a matter of opinion, so allow yourself the gift of your own opinion if you'd like to substitute something. 🙂

    Tp-2

    I sure hope this is everything! If I've missed something, feel free to let me know about it.

    I'm going to try very hard not to make any more goofs, but I know they will happen. I just ask for your continued patience when I do!

    I hope you all are enjoying this brand new week we've been blessed with so far.. I've been trying to teach myself to knit in between Christmas shopping and a myriad of errands, as well as working here and there on an old work-in-progress of mine called Ruth Bacheler (by The Scarlet Letter; I'm so in love with all the pinks and greens! Why do I ever put it down? Oh yeah… because there are about 8.2 million satin stitches in it, and as many color changes. But it will be so worth it when it's finished!)

    Darn that Scarlet Letter… not a single error yet, and I'm 2/3 of the way finished with it. 😉

  • Uncategorized

    Two Final Releases for 2013

    Hi All!

    How's that for a title to the post? Not very inventive, but to the point. 🙂

    I've had such fun designing this year, and am so blessed to have met many new friends in my travels and over the internet. What a busy time 2013 was!

    I hope you like my last two designs for this year.. thank you so very much for all your support and encouraging words these past eight years!

    First up is a follow-up to Halloweenies…

    Tp-1

    Winter Wienerland

    Stitch count: 170 x 73
    Fabric: 32 ct. Plum Street Paddock by R&R

    Fibers: The Gentle Art (Old Hickory, Roasted Marshmallow,
    Caramel Corn, Cottage Blue, Dried Thyme, Garden Gate,
    Chamomile, Espresso Bean, Weathered Barn, Old Red Paint,
    and Oatmeal)

    Stitches used: All cross stitch over two threads.

    Framed by: Sherri Berkman at Total Framing. LOVE this frame!

    Here are some suggested substitutions, if you'd like them:

    Fabric: Perhaps a color like Lakeside Linens' Flagstone or something warmer,
    like Lakeside's Meadow Rue. R&R also has a gorgeous golden color line,
    including one called Espresso. Picture This Plus has Legacy, which is
    also a good choice. Ultimately, the right color is what looks good to you.

    Fibers: The DMC equivalents are 640, 644, 739, 928, 3011, 3021,
    3022, 3371, 3858, 3859, and 3865.

    Substitute

    And finally, two more stocking ornaments, along the lines of the His & Hers Thanksgiving Stockings; however, they could also make fun hostess gifts or ornaments for exchanges with stitching girlfriends! (Or not? It was just a thought!)

    Tp-1

    Wintertide Friends

    Stitch count: Each stocking is approximately 40 x 120.
    Fabric: 40 ct. Olde Towne Blend by R&R.

    Fibers: The Gentle Art (Wheat Fields, Gingersnap, Walnut, Oatmeal,
    Dried Thyme, Espresso Bean, Maple Syrup, and Cherry Bark)

    Trim: Norfolk Pine mini rickrack by R&R.
    Buttons: by Kelmscott Designs.
    Stitches used: All cross stitch over two threads.
    Stocking Tutorial is included in the chart pack.

    Some suggested substitutions:

    If you're not certain you want to stitch on 40 ct. fabric, feel free to use
    a lower count! Some other color choices are Lentil or Buttercream by
    Lakeside Linens, or Espresso by R&R.

    These are the DMC equivalents: 422, 434, 646, 822, 3011,
    3371, 3781, and 3857.

     

    Both of these designs will be mailing out to the shops on my auto immediately, and all of the distributors should have them in their warehouses by early next week!

    Thank you again, to everyone! I hope you've had a very good year of stitching. 🙂 Now I need to get back to the drawing board for the first releases of 2014!

     

  • Family

    He’s Baaack.

    Those of you who know me or have been reading my blog for a while know that I abhor board/bored games.

    Mike was out of town for the past 5 days at a big board game convention, and since he's been home, he's been regaling me with stories of game play-by-plays, superior strategic moves on his part, hot-off-the-press game release news, and celebrity sightings (apparently one of the stars of Mad Men is a huge board gamer himself). In addition to this rousing entertainment, he's presented me with at least 114 photos of different board games (they all look the same to me), and begins each oral caption with the words, "Here's the basic gist of the game…"

    Everyone in our family knows that when Mike starts out a sentence that way, we'd better have a comfy chair and pillow nearby.

    Okay, so it's no different than when I come back from a retreat, I'll give him that. But I don't usually bring home souvenirs for him. Here's what he got me this time, and laid it sweetly on my jewelry box:

    Photo-1

    I'll be sure to wear it proudly the next time I need to attend one of his formal police department functions.

    It is nice to have him home though, and I'm very happy he's got a hobby he enjoys doing so well; his board game collection is nearly as large as my cross stitch stash. I don't mind his board games laying on various table tops in the house, and he doesn't mind my stitching hanging on the walls.

    And since he doesn't mind my stitching hanging up everywhere, maybe he won't mind either that I'm thinking of converting this to a cross stitch chart:

    Mike

    When it's finished, I will regale him with stitch-by-stitch accounts of how the piece came to life, and I'll take about 114 progress pics along the way as well. And when I hang it up, it will probably go right over my jewelry box.

  • Stitching,  Sunday Mystery Sampler

    Mary’s Sampler, Finale

    Knock-knock.

    Who's there?

    Mary.

    Mary who?

    What do you mean, Mary who? Where have you been for the last 9 weeks?

    🙂

    And so we arrive at the last section of our Sunday Mystery Sampler. I hope you've enjoyed yourself, and that the pace has been manageable for you. And if not, then I do hope you're able to find some time for yourself to sit still and stitch a little on something that brings you joy… stitching is certainly a lovely therapy for this bustling season we're in, and I thank The Lord for allowing me the pleasure of it.

    Week 9 Scripture

    SMS Week 9 PRINTOUT

    SMS II Wk 9 PRINTOUT

    HERE ARE YOUR FINAL LINKS FOR MARY'S SAMPLER I:

    Download Week 9 Scripture
    Download SMS Week 9 PRINTOUT

    AND HERE ARE YOU FINAL LINKS FOR MARY'S SAMPLER II:

    Download Week 9 Scripture
    Download SMS II Wk 9 PRINTOUT

    ETA: On Mary's Sampler II, you'll find a misplaced symbol in the flower. Just move this symbol down one square, and you'll be all set. 🙂

    ******************************************************************************************************

    IMG_9184 tp

    I had quite a fretful time waiting for Mary to arrive this week, as it was temporarily lost in the mail system… in the end, however, it turned up on my doorstep, and I was thrilled with what Sherri at Total Framing had done with it! I asked her to surprise me, and she chose to use this elegant gold lip (gold, a gift for the King!) surrounded by a rich, distressed wood (suggestive of the rugged cross God's Lamb would eventually face). Thank you so much, Sherri.. you have outdone yourself yet again.

    And I thank you for spending your Sundays with me these past 9 weeks. This sampler "journey" has been a delight for me, and I'm so grateful to you all for your kind words and for sharing your progress with me each week. I hope you've enjoyed stitching this little sampler, and that when you look at your finished piece, you'll remember that He is the Light of the world – not just at Christmas time, but every day of the year.

    May you have His joy this season.

    Love, Paulette

  • Critters,  Family

    Bean and Co.

    Sabrina came home a few weeks ago and we attempted to take her picture with the pets of the house, which is no easy task. Those of you who have tried taking pictures with your pets – particularly those of the feline variety – probably know what I'm talking about.

    06 fb

    IMG_9102

    We couldn't find Tilly-Roux anywhere in the house, which gave each of us a bit of anxiety, but we kept telling ourselves that surely she was holed up somewhere, not wanting to be disturbed.

    So we forged ahead without Miss Tilly, who was probably secretly gloating that she didn't have to be a part of this nonsense…

    IMG_9005 fb

    IMG_8992 fb

    IMG_9015 fb
    IMG_9003 fb
    IMG_8994 fb

    (Is it my imagination, or are Sabrina and Effy Thimbles are starting to look alike?)

    We did find Tilly eventually. She had crawled into the dresser, and I had shut the drawer on her, not knowing she was in there. It was Effy who gave us the clue, by laying on top of my dresser – which is something she never does. We were all very happy to see sweet Tilly-Roux again, but not nearly as happy as she was to see that she'd missed the photo session entirely.

    IMG_9096

  • Stitching,  Sunday Mystery Sampler

    Mary’s Sampler, Part 8

    Hello to you on this fine Sunday morning! Can you believe our last week is next week? Next week! How exciting!

    Week 8 Scripture

    SMS Week 8 PRINTOUT

    SMS II Wk 8 PRINTOUT

    HERE ARE THE LINKS FOR MARY'S SAMPLER I:

    Download Week 8 Scripture
    Download SMS Week 8 PRINTOUT

    HERE ARE THE LINKS FOR MARY'S SAMPLER II:

    Download Week 8 Scripture
    Download SMS II Wk 8 PRINTOUT

    ETA: There is a misplaced symbol on the flower in Mary's Sampler II. Just move the symbol down one square, and you'll be all set. 🙂

    We can do this! Keep on stitching! I'm cheering for you (and me)! See you next Sunday – same time, same place. 😉


    IMG_8822

  • Stitching,  Sunday Mystery Sampler

    Mary’s Sampler, Part 7

    Oh my, this is exciting! We're almost there…

    The verse for this week really struck me. It seemed like the softest thing that God was acknowledging about Mary. It doesn't change anything about what happened before or after Christ's birth; yet, it's there, right in the middle of everything that's going on… like something The Lord paused for, just for us to know that Mary, indeed, loved her newborn baby – God's gift of Himself to the world.

    Week 7 Scripture

    SMS Week 7 PRINTOUT

    SMS II Wk 7 PRINTOUT

    HERE ARE YOUR LINKS TO PRINT OUT MARY'S SAMPLER I:

    Download Week 7 Scripture
    Download SMS Week 7 PRINTOUT

    HERE ARE YOUR LINKS FOR MARY'S SAMPLER II:

    Download Week 7 Scripture
    Download SMS II Wk 7 PRINTOUT

    ETA: There is a misplaced symbol on the flower of Mary's Sampler II. Just move the symbol down one square, and you'll be good to go! 😉

    I'll see you next week for Part 8. We'll be in the homestretch!

    IMG_8816

  • New Designs

    Cinnamon Stars

    This is releasing as soon as your shops get them! 🙂 The shops on my auto should have them on Tuesday (because Monday is a no-mail day – God bless our veterens!), and distributors will have them later in the week.

    Cinnamon Stars tp-1

    Cinnamon Stars

    Stitch count: 168 x 100

    Fabric used: 35 ct. Chamomile Tea by R&R Reproductions
    (This fabric is a wonderful neutral color.)

    Threads used:

    The Gentle Art in Mulberry, Raven, Cinnamon, Brandy,
    Wood Rose, Walnut, Wheat Fields, Piney Woods, Gold Leaf,Srsaparilla,
    Fudge Ripple, and Wood Trail.

    Weeks Dye Works in Tiger's Eye, Sage, Galvanized, Chrysanthemum,
    Molasses, Copper, Straw, and Rum Raisin.

    Please note:
    Although I do have Weeks Dye Works listed in the color key and in the suppliers information, the
    top row of the key simply says "Gentle Art." This was an oversight, and I apologize for any
    confusion. However, it is clear in the key's remaining rows which brand of fibers you'll need.

    All stitches are full crosses using 1 strand of cotton over 2 linen threads.

    The model stitching was done by these sweet ladies: Prudence Goodspeed and Sharon Schutjer.
    (Thank you so much for your speedy stitching!)

    The fabulous frame was, once again, done by Sherri Berkman at Total Framing in Fairfax, Virginia.
    (Sherri, you're amazing!)

    As I was walking the cat yesterday in the back yard (yes, they do make fun little cat harnesses that will make you howl with laughter as your cat gets used to it), I noticed all the beautiful red and orange leaves were already blown off of our maple tree. It made me really sad that one never knows how quickly the seasons will pass, regardless of what the calendar says.

    Having said that, I'm trying not to rush this season of thanksgiving… department stores are always ready to usher in the next holiday – especially Christmas! So unless you're giving stitched gifts or having an ornament-fest, settle in with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy all those scrumptious browns and golds and reds of the this glorious season. Even if your trees are already naked and freezing.

    Maple2011

    (This was our maple back in 2011, from my Focus on Today blog.)