Pop-up Retreat, Cross Stitch, Felt and Sewcialites 2

Hello and happy Friday, dear friends.

I promised a recap of last Saturday’s pop-up retreat.  First, I should explain…

Anabella’s is a cross stitch store on Etsy as well as a brick and mortar here, in Waynesville, NC. They host cross stitch retreats all over the USA. Big name designers are featured and they always sell out.

They have recently joined the world of virtual retreats, which are typically hosted on some platform like Zoom or EventHub.

Last Saturday, Anabella’s hosted their Autumn Pop-Up Retreat using the EventHub platform.  They featured some wonderful designers but due to technical difficulties, I didn’t get to interact with all of them. It was suggested to use a laptop or desktop for best results, and they even offered a Zoom dry run so that participants could troubleshoot their devices before the actual retreat.  I won’t go into all the boring nits but it just didn’t work smoothly.

We were sent a box ahead of time to open during the retreat.  Items were wrapped in tissue paper…

A Bundle of Goodies

A Bingo Card

Patterns, floss, needle minder, sticker

The event began at 11:00 am EDT and ended at 6:00 pm. You were free to come and go as you wished. When there wasn't a presentation to view or game to play, we were in "rooms" where we stitched and chatted with others. I met some nice cross stitchers from all over the US and Canada.  That was the BEST part.

 

I pulled a WIP from last year to work on during the retreat…

Cinnamon Stars by Plum Street Sampler. I’m stitching this on 32 count evenweave “Ruth” by Fortnight Fabrics. And I’m using the called-for flosses.

 

Then I finally found some buttons I thought may work for the felt project I told you about last week. This is one of Carole’s projects for Autumn Jubilee.

I wasn’t sure of the button color so I haven't sewn them on the felt yet. I posted this photo in the Friends of From My Carolina Home facebook group to get everyone’s opinions. Folks were supportive and I knew it would be ok when Carole commented they would go with the embellishments she will reveal next week. How intriguing!

 

And to end the week…

I finished putting the Sewcialites2 blocks into a simple layout.

I’ve selected some grunge fabric from my stash for the binding.

 

Hubby and I took our walk around Lake Junaluska Thursday morning and I took a ton of photos.  Fall is truly in the air. I will share a few here…

We are attending Waynesville's annual apple festival this weekend and then we’ll be getting ready for another trip to Florida next week.  Mom’s 80^th birthday celebration is set for October 28^th so I’ll be busy once I get there.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

Fall, Finishes and Felt

Happy Friday, Friends! 

We are having some beautiful fall days with sunshine and cool temps here in the mountains.  Last weekend our lows dipped into the 30s and our highs reached the 50s. I was inspired to make chili and buttermilk cornbread on Sunday.

It was delish!

 

I’m happy to report the weather has warmed up a bit this week with 60- and 70-degree Fahrenheit days. I’m not quite ready for really COLD weather just yet.

 

I finished stitching the remaining two pillows from this pattern…

You saw the first one last week

Here is the second

And the third

I used left over 14 count aida from another cross stitch project…which, for the life of me I can’t remember which one.

I think the fabric is about done, don’t you?

 

I selected a Moda BasicGrey Grunge for the backing.

Auditioned some Lady Dot trim.

And came up with this…

Front

Back

These were supposed to be in a dough bowl and sitting on the Hoosier cabinet, but I kind of like them propped against Flossi the Featherweight, at least for now.

 

Remember I told you I was going to participate in Carole’s Autumn Jubilee? And I wasn’t going to make her wool penny rug, but sew a kit I already had?

Well, I was disappointed to find out that not all the wool was included in my kit. I believe this was a mistake.  I figured I didn’t have time to order any wool so I would just get some felt from Michaels.  Then I decided if I’m going to get felt from Michaels then I may as well get the felt for Carole's project.  I know there is a big difference between Michael’s felt and real wool, but felt will work just fine for my purposes.

 

The Autumn Jubilee penny rug is adorned with apples.

It will eventually have buttons and other embellishments, but we do not have the instructions for those just yet. We had two weeks to cut it out, add the apples and buttons to the base. I still have to locate my larger buttons and see if I have anything that will work.

 

I’m participating in a Pop-Up cross stitch retreat this Saturday. I’ll share more about it next week. I’m also hoping to finish assembling the Sewcialites 2 quilt top.

 

That has pretty much been my last week and a half and my weekend plans.

 

What is on your agenda for the weekend? Anything creative?

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Change of Plans, SAF and Autumn Jubilee

Happy Monday, Friends.

I’m writing this a bit late on Monday morning and here is why.

We were supposed to be in south Florida this morning for my husband’s knee replacement. His primary care doctor decided (fairly late in the game) that she wants to do additional testing before clearing him for the procedure. He has postponed the surgery until early January.

We took my Mom back to her home in Florida on Saturday because she has appointments there this week. We then returned to North Carolina yesterday. Can you say whirlwind?!?!

Two 12-hour days of travel allowed me to produce a SAF. What is a SAF? It is a Start And Finish.

This chart was one from the stack I shared here. I was able to stitch this in the car while hubby was driving because it is on 14-count aida.

Autumn on the Square by ScissorTail Designs. I used the called-for DMC floss and think the colors are just perfect!

Well, now that we are going to be home for a few weeks, I decided to join Carole at My Carolina Home for her annual Autumn Jubilee. I won’t participate in ALL of the projects but I’ve decided to try some. I’ve added the button to my sidebar if you are interested in learning more about Carole’s event. There are wonderful prizes offered by some amazing sponsors so I encourage you to check it out.

Today’s project is wool applique’. I do not have the colors needed for Carole’s penny but I do have another Fall kit I can use.  So, check back for that progress.

Hope you had a nice weekend and your week ahead is even better 😊

A Little Bit of Fall

Hello, Friends.

We are enjoying some lovely cool temps and it has put me in the mood for a wee bit of fall decorating. Since we are going to be in Florida much of this month, it didn’t seem like I should do too much.

 

I mentioned earlier this week that Mom and I went to a craft show.

This handmade pumpkin stack came home with me. I think it is a nice addition to the front entry. The rafia on top should be replaced by a bow...maybe for next year.

Pay no mind to the poor peace lily. Believe it or not, the thing is on the mend.

There are a few fall pieces here and there on the inside, but the Hoosier cabinet has gotten most of the attention.

It is so much fun to change the decor on the cabin to match the seasons.

The cross stitch piece on top is "Be Thankful" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I don't think I've shared it before. It was stitched on 10 count Aida in the color Burlap.

Various decor items from Michaels and some I've had a while.

Of course, you will always see an item or two from Hobby Lobby

More vintage Pyrex. I have quite a few pieces that came from my husband's family and my grandmother so I'll be swapping those out seasonally...I think.

I've shared about the battery operated candles.  They are hand dipped in real wax and look so nice with the lights turned off.

And I have to show a couple recent photos of our wildlife.

We still get frequent visits from these guys.

 

I wonder how close to November they hang around?

 

Thank you for visiting our little place on the ridge and enjoy your day!

A Finish and Some Frogging

Hello, Friends.

I’m excited to tell you that I kept up with the stitch-along for “A Patriotic Christmas Eve” by Twin Peak Primitives. My friend and I started on the same day last January and we finished on the same day this month.

I stitched mine on 25 count evenweave, Prim by Lori Holt. It measures approximately 16.64” x 10.88” which is HUGE! I have an idea of how I want to fully finish it but need to do some calculating, or as my Papa used to say, some cipherin' 😊

 

I used a mix of floss brands and colors, sort of just picked what I wanted and went with it. 

I also added beads for the Christmas tree ornaments.

I added French knots to Santa’s beard.

I tried adding French knots to Mrs. Claus’s hair, but they do not show very well.

 

I was so happy to have a big finish that I decided to pick up my next big project.  Red Bird Sampler by With Thy Needle and Thread.

I finished the whole right side and started on the grass, only to realize…

I am one row off, but where? I searched and found this…

Everything in this circle is one row too high. (I thought some pretty bad words!)

 

So now I’m frogging (rip it, rip it)!

 

This one is close to being finished, so I will work it in somehow.

Check back tomorrow if you are interested in seeing a little fall decorating. (and I mean a very little amount)

 

Otherwise, I hope you have a great weekend!

A Trip to the Apple Orchard

Happy Hump Day, Friends!

We just returned from Florida where my husband had his pre-op appointments. We are still waiting for the final “OK” before heading back down this weekend. If all goes well, he’ll have his total knee replacement on Monday, October 2^nd.

 

We brought my Mom back to North Carolina to spend the week with us and enjoy some much cooler temps. We attended a craft show and visited the local apple orchard.

 

I hope you enjoy a few photos from the Orchard…

Barber's has been in operation for a long time

The trees were still full of apples

Silly me didn't get photos of the produce side which was full of vegetables, as well as apples.

Attached to the produce stand is a bakery. Everything there is baked in a huge kitchen on the premises.

There was a long line of patrons patiently waiting

In addition to pies, doughnuts, muffins, etc., they offer apple butter

Sauces, dressings, canned vegetables

Of course there is apple cider

And even coffee

So, what did I get?

Honeycrisp Apples

What did I do with them?

Apple Galette

This apple galette is delish. You can find the recipe on Carole's blog which is My Carolina Home. I skip the allspice and it still tastes great and it is so easy to make.

Some people in the house enjoyed theirs with a little ice cream

I hope you visit my blog this Friday as I have a big finish to share.

In the meantime, enjoy your week and maybe an apple or two.