Big Ginger

 This past weekend, I think, because my days are all mixed up between drugs and not going anywhere 😂

 I started: 

“Ginger” 

By Stacy Nash

She is from Stacy’s Animal Crackers series and an exclusive class for the 2025 Jingle Bell Ball. 

I kept seeing her as one of my “large size” weighted stand ups. 

So I found some 20 ct. Red Pear linen and I’m stitching her 1 over 2 using perle 5 cottons. 

Today, I slipped the last stitches in Ginger: 

She is about 9.5 inches tall. She will make a darling stand up. I want to stitch her small too, and I will another day…. But today I am feeling “Thanksgiving-ish” so I pulled something else out from my stash. 

Sadly I wanted to start WTNT’s Thankful, Grateful, Blessed…I have it kitted, all ready to go….BUT I can’t find it and I don’t walk well yet so I decided to just grab something else kitted and ready to go. I’ll share an update of what my choice was another day when I share a progress update.

I’ve decided I’m going to use this blog like I used to use social media, to share my stitching, my crafts, my life, my family photos and the like. There are still plenty of lovely people still doing blogging and I find it a more genuine, kind, friendly platform than social media. 

Here’s a couple of photos of my Cora: 

I know she’s ours, but ain’t she cute?! Granny loves her so! 

Hip Recovery day 7: 

One week ago today, I wasn’t feeling so swell. Today, I am happy it’s not day 1 😂 

Actually, I’m doing really well. Each day I think I improve, get stronger. 

I’m not using my pain pills through the day anymore. Only at night to help me sleep. Sleeping helps healing, so as long as I’ve got them, I’m using them to help me sleep.

Keith returns to work tomorrow, so I’ll be alone all day. He’s packing me a cooler of drinks and food so I stay in my recovery room. I’m terrified of falling.

Of course Austin will be at his house 5 doors down, if I need him. It’s his week with Cora.

Keith, Katie and Austin are rotating caring for Cora for the next 3 months while I recuperate. 

See ya next time ❤️

Halloween Finish and Grand Ideas

And….we have a Halloween finish 🐈‍⬛🎃 ON Halloween! 

“Vintage Cats”

By Teresa Kogut 

Stitched on 20 count Weeks Dye Works linen 

1 strand of pearl 5 cotton (DMC and over dyed Weeks as called for) over 2 threads of linen

She measures about 11 3/4 X 6 inches

She will be finished into a weighted stand-up.

I want to also finish her partner

Stitching him in the same style, on exact same fabric, and make weighted stand ups. My idea is to enter them into the Holidays at the Fair category next summer. But for now, I’ve had enough of stitching orange and black and am going to move on to stitching some jolly things. 

My friend Joanie over at her blog Joanie’s World

and I are having a little stitch along ❤️ we chose the guy above, but we are both in Teresa’s Patreon group…and there are some mighty fine designs that she released today so plans may change…as they are wont to do with a couple of needleworks addicts 😂

I also loaded up my Jingle Ball Class project from Stacy Nash. 

“Ginger”

Isn’t she darling? 

I want to stitch her twice 😂 

One time large for a stand up and one time tiny like her regular cracker size. In fact, truth be told, I have a *perfect* Longaberger Basket that I’d like to put ALL the “Animal Crackers” and ALL the Teresa Kogut Santa’s, the cats, some others, stitched small like the Crackers….

BIG IDEAS….but I think they’d be sweet sitting in the basket on my hearth for my grandchildren to play with. 

So anyway…chose and bought a piece of 20 count and a piece of 35 count Week’s Dye Works Red Pear linens. This isn’t the called for fabric, but according to the model photo it is extremely close in color, I believe. 

So I have the big  her loaded up and ready to start. 

Wednesday is inching closer….

And only the good Lord knows how well I will tolerate my anesthesia and subsequent recovery. 

But I hope I tolerate it well and can be stitching along happily on my holiday projects.

The holidays are going to be pretty lean for me. No heavily decorated home. Maybe just a visit from my kids for Thanksgiving. Unknown about Christmas yet because I have no idea how well I will get through my 8 weeks of PT. 

BUT….I do know one thing. I will feel better than I do today. My surgeon and all his staff have assured me of that. Sadly…Thursday my last X-rays taken of my hips showed very much more, markedly worse in fact, deterioration of both my right (operative hip) and my left (non-operative hip). 

It looks like I will be traveling this road again next year for the other side. 

One step at a time…

Weighted Stand-ups

 I had the delight of finishing my friend, Joanie’s “Vintage Cat” into a weighted stand-up

Isn’t he just the thing?! 

Here he is all styled on her mantle in a Halloween vignette

Oh my gosh, I am so in love with him! He has a partner in the book too. 

Here they are as they appear for their cover photo model. 

These are found in Teresa Kogut’s “Hello Halloween” book.

It is filled with sweet designs and of course Joanie has plans of stitching the top hat kitty and I am (of course) going to copy her idea for both….and today my supplies are to be delivered to my door 🤣

Joanie’s gorgeous kitty is stitched on 20 count Week’s Dye Works Tiger Eye linen over 2 threads using pearl 5 cottons. 

🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤

Here is an update on where I am on “Holiday Stroll” by Teresa Kogut as well.

I will be making him into a weighted stand-up.

Also stitched on 20 count natural raw linen, over 2 using 1 strand of perle 5 cottons. 

I love how he’s looking already ❤️

Today is a beautiful sunny, cool, early fall day. 

Perfect!

And a little snap of my little daily companion 

“Holiday Stroll” by Teresa Kogut

An exclusive from the 2024 Jingle Bell Ball - here is the cover model photo

I’m stitching on 20 ct. natural linen 1 strand perle 5 cotton over 2 threads linen.

Here’s how it’s looking as of today 😊

My plans are to make weighted stand-up for my Santa Collection on my mantle.