Pink is an Attitude

Just a little something Autumn requested I stitch for her. It was fun. I was going to put it in a pillow but decided I would put it in a 5X5 frame. She loves it. I stitched it on 28ct evenweave.
~thyme2sow

Happy Birthday Autumn Rose!

Where has the time gone? Tomorrow we will celebrate my sweet daughter Autumn's 5th Birthday. I can honestly say that I have been blessed to have been given this beautiful gift from God. Autumn has been an inspiration to me every day since she was born. She actually saved my life! When I was 3 months pregnant with her I received my first sonogram. If the doctors would not have been looking for her they never would have seen the tumor that had taken over my right ovary. In addition to saving my life then, she has enriched my life in countless ways up to this day. I believe I am a better person because of her, and I also believe that if I didn't have her I would never be able to understand the joy that I feel today. Her beautiful face makes me smile and cry. Her voice is so sweet it melts my heart. I know that these are the days to remember and I try to make each and every one special. Today I am happy and sad. She is growing more and more independent every day. This September she will start kindergarten and as her preschool teacher I know that she is heading for a bright future. God Bless you today and every day my dear sweet Autumn Rose. Mommy loves you to the moon and back!
~thyme@sow

Mini sampler finished!

Here's my mini finish! The first piece for my salt box doll house project. Instead of waiting to research a mini frame I decided to finish the piece on a mini dowel. I fringed the edges and cross stitched a row just below the dowel. I also stitched the edges so that it will not unravel. this one is going over the mantle. Still deciding which piece to do next. More soon...

~thyme2sow

Miniature sampler WIP

This is so much fun! It will take no time at all...

~thyme2sow

Finished! Now for the frame. Finished one strand over one thread on 28 ct. salt evenweave. The author is Margaret Major the chart is featured in her book Miniature Embroidery. I chose my own colors for the design. The website is http://www.gmcbooks.com/

My next project.

One morning a few months ago I decided to take a different route home from church. It was a rainy afternoon and the streets were filled with puddles. As I turned onto a nice residential street I noticed that someone had put their garbage out to the road. I guess I noticed because the next day was not a garbage pickup day and no one else had anything put out. I actually drove past the house and backed the car up when I saw behind the black garbage bags was a doll house! I ran out of the car in the rain to look and back to the car to open the gate and back to the doll house. I tried to lift it at first and it was very heavy. I got it into the truck and wiggled it in. My daughter was yelling the whole time..."what is it mama?" As I got back into the warm car I told her I found something cool and it was for ME! When I brought it into our home I set it in front of the fireplace. I noticed as I looked closer that the original owner had painted it with exterior paint. Thank you! I'm sure that is what saved it. As it dried Autumn was getting very curious so I told her to open the front door. It revealed a completely carpeted 2 story home with calico curtains. I guess this would date the doll house to the early 70's when calico was popular. When I was a little girl in the 70's I did not have a doll house. My daughter Autumn has a beautiful Victorian doll house that she enjoys playing with and now Mommy has something of her own. I now know what my next project will be. I will paint the doll house RED with a BLACK roof and BLACK chimney to look like a salt box house! I will reuse some of the calico and stitch all of the bedding. I just remembered that I had purchased a miniature embroidery book at the same time that we purchased Autumn's doll house. I opened the first page and came to a tiny sampler. Perfect for above the mantle! There are projects for pillows, a black work bed cover and tiny area rugs! How cute!!! I am very excited to start on this next project and can not wait to post my first finish!
~thyme2sow

I Love Gingerbread people!

I always remember loving gingerbread. The smell of it baking in the oven and the spicy taste of a warm cookie. This year I decided to decorate my hutch with some of my gingerbread collectibles. I use my folk art gingerbread bowls and mugs almost all year long. I love eating warm desserts out of the wide heavy bowls and I swear my coffee tastes better in those mugs! I guess you can imagine how happy I was to have received a beautiful wood framed, cross stitched gingerbread design from my sister-in-law in North Carolina! She did such a wonderful job on this piece and it looks so nice on my country style hutch. I have received so many compliments on it. I love it! I have been holding onto another cross stitch chart with the same gingerbread man and a snowman hugging each other. I started the design a couple of days ago and hope to have it finished and framed soon so that I can post the finished design and the designers information. Looking forward to posting the finished project!
~thyme2sow

My Girls.

Here are some pictures of my girls. My daughter Autumn is pictured with my 7 year old Weimeraner, Havana and then again with our 10 year old Basset Hound Ginger. They are a big part of this family and require a lot of love. I don't think there are more affectionate animals out there. I always feel missed when I am away from them. As an animal owner I feel it is important that my daughter grows up with animals to take care of and love. What a great life lesson to pass on to your children. An animal's love is unconditional, and sometimes that's just what you're looking for! Love you girls!

Great find!

Sometimes when you're looking for something you can never find it! But it's when you're not looking when you find the good stuff. This year at my church's Christmas bazaar I found a beautiful hand stitched Christmas stocking finished with Gold floss, ribbon embroidery, beads and charms. The stocking is backed with a Christmas red wool felt. It is lovely. What a great job the person did that made this beautiful stocking. I paid very little for it, as only a stitcher would know it's true value, and it really is something that I probably never would have done myself. As you know I am the one who likes to FINISH my projects! I will proudly display this item with my Christmas 'things' from year to year with pride, and give props to author unknown.

Happy New Year!

It's finally here, 2009! Now for the resolutions... Or should I say, here is the list of things I would like to do in 2009.

#1 I resolve to eat less and exercise more (sounds familiar, oh yeah that was last year's resolution!)
#2 Spend more time with my husband and daughter doing fun things outdoors.
#3 Less clutter!
#4 Out with the new and in with the old! I'm on the search for antique kitchen gadgets.
#5 Create at least one great project each month and post them on my blog!
#6 Read more, play more piano, pick up the violin again.
#7 Create another plot in the yard just for pumpkins and gourds, to be my "Harvest Garden".
#8 Get Autumn to bed earlier and spend more time with my loving husband! ;)
#9 Plant more perennials and flowering shrubs.
#10 Go back to school and work toward obtaining certification in preschool education!
#11 Learn more sign language with Autumn!

Wish me luck!

~Thyme2Sow