SANTA CLAUS IN GILDED CART

HO HO HO !!
The ole CROSS STITCH WOMAN is soooooo slow !!
But what do you know ...
Santa Claus has arrived !!

Yes, Santa Claus in his gilded cart is here, finished & framed.
I finished backstitching Santa about ten days ago and was trying to figure which frame was right for him. I had a red frame but I kept thinking the antique looking frame went better with the color of cloth. I don't know the name of the cloth, only that it is 14ct and I liked the antique look.

Santa Claus In Gilded Cart is from The Schiffer Collection by designer Donna Gallagher. The title is " FATHER CHRISTMAS III ". I bought this pattern booklet on Ebay and it is a retired booklet.

I have a love for folkart, antique and old world Santa's. I feel this pattern fit into the antique look of Santa's. I must say, I enjoyed stitching this pattern but the backstitching seemed endless. The copyright was 1990 and I can sure say today's patterns are much easier to follow. Overall, I am happy I stitched ole Santa Claus in gilded cart as he makes a nice addition to my Christmas collection.

I am ready to move on to a newer project and thinking of doing one last Christmas pattern by BLACKBIRD DESIGNS. "MERRY CHRISTMAS" from the JOYEUX NOEL Booklet. I will be making a change on my cross stitch of this pattern. I will replace the snowflakes with the holly/berries. I feel this will give a little more color to pattern.

Until We Meet Again.
HAPPY CROSS STITCHING !!!
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

SNOW AND STITCHING

We still have snow and cold weather. We are to have a warm up this week, in the 30's but still flurries. It has been so cold out that you just want to stay home.

It has been nice to stay home and do my backstitching in the evenings. I am hoping to be finished soon. I never realized how much backstitching this pattern has. It now has me looking at other patterns and thinking to myself... how much backstitching does this pattern might have. Ha! Looking each pattern over very closely.

I really want to finish this pattern of Santa and his gilded cart so I can move on to a few ornaments. When spring arrives, so does my seasonal spirit getting with the new season. I normally don't want to be cross stitching Christmas when it is Easter.
That is just me and that seasonal spirit again.

Have any of you noticed BLACKBIRD DESIGNS has announced the next and last two stocking booklets. Those being November and December. Very pretty !! The gals are asking for suggestions for upcoming patterns. Boy did I have a few suggestions. I suggested quick ornaments such as vintage Santas, snowmen and Christmas trees.
I also suggested witches as I am a witch collector. I know they have done two Halloween booklets but there is always room for more. I would love to see finishing instructions.
I don't know about anyone else but I love to see tutorials on finishing, they can be so educational. Any tutorial dealing with cross stitch I welcome.

Better get back to my backstitching !

Until we meet again...
Happy Cross Stitching !
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

NEW BEGINNINGS

New Year has come & started with a blast of freezing weather and snow. It is in the teens tonight and was 2 degrees last night. We have another winter storm heading our way on Thursday. The weatherman won't give an estimate of how much snow we are to receive but says an accumulation.
Of course the ole saying in Indiana is...just wait five minutes and the weather will change. So, we will wait and see !

New Years Day our family got together for an evening dinner at our home with the daughter-in-laws pitching in. It was a nice quiet dinner. Then arriving was the freezing weather.

Normally on New Years Day, I always take down our Christmas tree but this year it had to wait a couple more days. So, today... down came the Christmas tree and all the decorations. Funny how the house looks a little bare without all the bright red colors. I was told once that people feel depressed after Christmas and all the color "red" is gone in a home. The color "red" brightens a home and feelings.

Today, I feel like I have a new beginning with the Christmas decorations down, put away and now I can get back to some normalcy in my life.
With that said, comes... time for cross stitch !

I have started back cross stitching on my Antique Santa In Gilded Cart. I am going crazy doing all the backstitching. I do have plans of finishing Santa before the month ends. I am looking forward to starting a new cross stitch pattern. I had another Christmas pattern from Blackbird Designs picked out but thinking maybe doing some quick ornaments.

In todays mail I received a package of very old CROSS STITCH MAGAZINES. I am talking over 20 years old. This might sound odd, but I feel they are better magazines than some of todays on the market. I have been looking at some ornaments that look inviting and perhaps quick to do.

So, I am looking ahead in this New Year of 2010 to doing some of my own coffee/tea dyeing cloth and hoping to stitch a few ornaments. I love the antique look.

As I finish Santa & his cart I will be posting a picture. I had better get busy cross stitching !! Please check back soon for Santa's picture.

Until we meet again...
Happy Cross Stitching !
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

NEW YEAR

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
2010

"CHRISTMAS DILLS"

Every Christmas season we see the dill pickle ornament. To me it never made much sense why would anyone want a dill pickle ornament on their pretty Christmas tree. Then one year I attended a "Christmas Tasting" to find a dish full of what looked like hamburger dill slices dressed up somewhat. Looking at me were "CHRISTMAS DILLS". Needless to say ... that year the dill pickle took on a new meaning to me.

From many years past, I have made the "CHRISTMAS DILLS" recipe and given them as gifts. I always receive compliments and can I have the recipe.

So this Christmas season I would like to share with all of you my "CHRISTMAS DILLS". Yes, they are dressed up hamburger dill slices. And I might mention they are very addictive, bet you can't eat just one !

CHRISTMAS DILLS
1 Qt processed,sliced hamburger dill pickles
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Tbls Onion Flakes
1 Tbls Prepared Horseradish
3 Tbls Vinegar
1 Tsp Celery Seed

Drain pickles and discard the liquid.
Combine all ingredients.
Repack jar, adding sugar alternately with pickle slices.
Refrigerate.
Shake jar frequently to dissolve sugar. Soon jar will be 2/3 full of liquid and crisp slices.
Refrigerate 24 hours before eating if you can keep from eating them sooner.

I hope you enjoy these "CHRISTMAS DILLS" !!

Until I start stitching again...
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

CROSS STITCH WOMAN

SANTA AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAWS

Yes, ole Santa is on his way...

I am cross stitching fast to finish my Antique Santa in his gilded cart. I will be posting pictures soon. I swear the backstitching is tedious and so much of it.

I stopped in Needle Fever Shop, Indianapolis to pick up BLACKBIRD DESIGNS September and October Stocking Booklets and while there I found a great bargain. I purchased six DIMENSION Santa Ornaments on sale, who ever did the stitching of these Santa Ornaments did a great job. I have a vintage Christmas Tree and they go great on it. And again...they may end up on my large Christmas Tree.

My daughter-in-law Melissa is cross stitching making Christmas gifts. She ask if I had some white Aida Cloth. I said...lets look into my stash, Melissa laughed & said
"oh my lands". She walked out with white, pink & red Aida Cloth. That isn't mentioning all the other colors I have in my stash. STASH...that is another posting someday! As I told Melissa...this happens to us all who do cross stitching, needlepoint or rug hooking.

I know I have mentioned before that I have two daughter-in-laws. Melissa, does cross stitch. Karen, has done cross stitch and a few other projects. However, Karen is very busy with 4yr.old "Little C". Karen is also my gal who does the posting of my pictures and template changes to this blog. Karen, is a very busy gal but to our surprise this morning...we received a plate of homemade Christmas cookies. And they were delicious !!

So, I feel lucky to have two great daughter-in-laws that share cross stitch with me.
Thank You Karen for the cookies and all the help with this blog !
Thank You Melissa for sharing my hobby...cross stitch !!

Soon I will have pictures of Santa and his gilded cart.

Until then...
HAPPY CROSS STITCHING
CROSS STITCH WOMAN