Friday bits

The weather is finally turning to spring in our little town. It is so wonderful to see all the beautiful blooming trees as I drive around now. 

I snapped a couple of pictures to share:

I was busy baking for the Lenten soup luncheon I volunteer for at the church, along with Saint Patrick's day baking for our family. I made wonderful loaves of Irish Soda bread, an annual tradition in our home!

The Deacon of our Parish surprised each of the volunteers with a ladybug planter with zinnia flowers for volunteering!

I've been stitching a bit more on our anniversary sampler, "love never fails" by Barbara Ana Designs

I have joined the blanket and shawl ministry at our church. I am very excited about this! I know the women will be able to teach me so much more than I already know with crochet. 

I have made my first hat for donation!

My husband starting working on a project at home, a wonderful project! I won't post about it until it's done though. I am pretty excited about it!

That's all the news for now... Just some little bits!

Wishing you all a blessed weekend,

Louise xx

Ornament finish and March Ramblings...

I finished up my ornament for March. I am trying to keep on track with stitching one a month for the year. This is from the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue 1999. It is called Christmas Basket by Theron Traditions. I just love this design!

Looks like Spring has sprung in our part of NC!

Seeing these flowers gave me the inspiration to finish stitching "May Flower Basket" by Blackbird Designs :)

I also finished up my Patty Dovecoat sampler! This was a SAL in a Facebook group I belong to..

I went to a stitchers gathering in Rock Hill SC. It was so much fun! We shopped at A Stitch and Frame Shop. I wanted to buy everything! I did pick up two charts, The Irish Blessing by Erica Michaels and Time and Season Sampler by Moira Blackburn. Cannot wait to start stitching these!

Here are Bonnie's Belles!

I am in there also :)

I am in the back with the blue scarf!

With Saint Patrick's Day, I did lots of baking and cooking!

I also have been volunteering at the church on Wednesdays preparing the soup lunch for after mass.

Here are my Irish Soda Breads...

Our meal of corned beef and cabbage.. A tradition in our home!

I also made Irish potato pancakes, also known as "Boxty"

I baked some delicious shortbread too :)

We took a trip to GA and met our Sons wonderful girlfriend! We just absolutely love her to pieces!! They have been dating for a while now and we are looking forward to seeing what God's plans are for the two of them. They look so cute together! We attended mass at Our Lady Star Of The Sea. It was wonderful!

Pretty daffodils from my neighbor and friend Suzan! Picked right from her own yard. Love them!

She also knows how much I love my tea, she stitched and framed this little design for me :)

With the warmer weather, Charleston has been enjoying himself sunning on our back porch. One spoiled bunny, and rightly so! :)

I tried out my new bread machine.. Had to return the other one as it didn't work. It really makes a nice loaf of bread!

Now looking forward to Easter! I have my new running shoes on! :)

(No I don't really run) ;)

Wishing you all a blessed day! 

Louise xx

Stitching Finishes hooray!

Been busy working on some small pieces. I was thumbing through an old magazine of Just Cross Stitch issue May/June 1986 and came across this lovely design called "The Sewing Sampler" by Margaret & Margaret Inc.

I just knew I had to stitch it when I saw a verse taken from the bible, Ecclesiastes 3:7

I stitched this piece on 32 count linen with Anchor threads

I truly enjoyed working on this piece and there is another design called "The Needles Prayse" in this same issue that I would love to stitch also. 

Here is the picture of Needle's Prayse to be found in this issue... Love, love, LOVE it! I love Samplers! I think I have gone Sampler mad! :P

I am so glad someone gifted me with all these old magazines, they are a treasure trove filled with old sampler designs!

I have also finished another piece titled "The Sampler House" by Brenda Gervais.

Have I told you how much I love her designs? Well I do!! I have quite a few of her designs on my wish list. Such a talented designer! 

Here is my finished piece, stitched on 28 count Evenweave with DMC and Anchor threads:

I was gifted with a cute Heinzit chart with charms from my sweet stitching friend Teal. How appropriate! Here is my finished piece for my son. Stitched on

28 count Evenweave with DMC

I added the stitched anchors because the chart didn't have any. Love the way this came out! Will proudly display it in my Sons room. ❤️⚓️

Thank you Teal!

I did some baking of Irish Soda Bread yesterday. The house smelled so yummie as the bread was quite yummie too!

I must make the traditional corned beef and cabbage for Saint Patricks Day..although I am not Irish, my husband is :)

Any reason to bake and I'm in!!

I made four nice sized loaves. I use the same recipe every year and it never fails me. It is so delicious!

You can find the recipe on my recipe blog. Just look on the right side of my blog and click the link with the picture of the little girl for the recipe blog.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend. We are supposed to have wonderful weather today.

Blessings to you,

Louise xx

A Beautiful Day !

Woke up to an absolutely beautiful day where I live. The sun is shining, a slight breeze, all the windows are open and I feel great!
I have two recent finishes to show all of you. Remember that baby sampler I posted that I was helping a friend out with..well, it is finished! YAY!~ It was a lot more stitching than I had expected it to be, but it came out so pretty, I just have to share:

The Mom had stitched the Monkey square separately, and I made a tooth fairy pillow out of it for her baby:

I put a big "pocket" on the back so the tooth fairy can leave some coins for a very special little girl :)
Now, onto something else I had finished stitching. I have a very dear and wonderful friend that has always been like a Mom to me. She was always Grandma to my children also. I have been wanting to stitch her something special for some time now. She will be turning 87 years old this year and knew I wanted to give her a stitched piece for her birthday. Here is what I stitched for my dear friend: "A Friend Indeed" an old freebie from Blue Ribbon Designs:

I had a "helper" while I stitched...here is my daughter's bird "Andy"!

and...his side-kick "Misty"!

By the way..if you would like to listen to Andy's whistles, he has his own Facebook page, yes he does!
 Click Here :Andy The Bird

My Son sent me a picture he took while on leave. It's our neighbors dog "Sparky" What a beautiful dog!

The picture looks like a postcard! Oh!, look at the closeup...
What a GORGEOUS FACE! I just LOVE him to pieces...yes I do! :)

I have been up to more crocheting...made another frilly scarf :)

Saint Patrick's Day is upon us..Although a wonderful day to celebrate, its also the day my husbands Father Patrick passed away , 20 years ago today. Our bird "Sunny" also passed away on this day years ago. I still make the traditional meal of corned beef, and I make the most wonderful Irish soda bread! I cannot stop eating it...(which is not such a good thing)! This recipe bakes up a wonderful bread that is so moist inside, I make this recipe every year now!

If you would like this recipe, head on over to my recipe blog! Click HERE!
My pansies have survived the winter months in their special planters...they are blooming now, prettier than ever!

I ordered some new stash in the mail, a new chart, and DMC threads. Sometimes I am able to get a floss fairy to help me out with DMC floss. The craft store for me is over a half hour away, and with the price of gas, I just don't go often :( It always seems that when I am in the middle of a project, that is when I run out, or need a certain color, and of course it is always the color I do not have! Love getting new stash in the mail!

This chart is called "Amish Alphabet" the designer is From The Heart. Pretty design!
I will show you a quiet place I go to sometimes..there is plenty of woods behind my house..sometimes I go for walks through the woods, sometimes I even sit down and take time to pray. It is so peaceful and serene out back, I know how blessed I am..

Sometimes I find little things as I roam around...

I wish you all a very Blessed Saint Patrick's Day!

It's that time again...

A couple of days early, but decided to prepare the corned beef, red potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and my homemade Irish soda bread!
:)
My husband was one happy man tonight :)

I might make another soda bread to bring in to work to share with my friends. Some of them have told me they never tried Irish soda bread before.

I am off to stitch!
Bye for now...