Vacay pics, a WIP and a finish (picture heavy)

Happy weekend friends!  It's Labor Day weekend here in the States and I'm again looking back at the summer wondering what I have to show for it..

The highlights of my summer were visiting Niagara Falls for the first time; Stratford Ontario for some Shakespeare (King Lear); and swinging through Frankenmuth MI for some German food and Christmas shopping.  Here are a couple of the best pics:

We stayed in Buffalo NY while visiting Niagara.  Hubby and I both enjoy seeing Frank Lloyd Wright homes/buildings when convenient to our other travel plans and so we spent one afternoon touring the Darwin Martin complex in Buffalo.  Spectacular!  Highly recommend.  Also highly recommend Caramici's Bakery and Bisto down in the Little Italy part of town.  We had dinner on a Saturday evening there and both agree that it was lick-the-plate good!

 

Horseshoe Falls (Canada)

the largest waterfall in North America

After being awe-struck at the Falls, we headed westward to calmer water in Stratford, Ontario to catch King Lear.  The place where we lodged had a beautiful lake on the premises and some of the biggest mosquitoes you've ever seen in your entire life.  I loved the place, but would have died of dehydration (of the blood) if I hadn't bathed in Deep Woods OFF. 

so peaceful...

 

so serene...

 

Everything about Stratford, Ontario (and King Lear) gave me warm and fuzzy flashbacks to those precious days I spent at Oxford studying Shakespeake and British history.  I've been lucky enough to see Shakespeake on stage in Stratford, England twice and now Stratford, Ontario once.  Here's hoping hubby can tolerate a few more Shakespeare plays in his future.  I hear Utah has a killer Shakespeare festival!  :-D

 

While he drove us from point to point, I worked on the JBW baby sampler for a friend from work.  I actually took two WIPs to stitch on the road because I was sure I'd be done with the baby sampler before our return home.  How. Ever.....it kept getting bigger with each passing mile.  When did 8"x 4" get sooooo big???  I'm in the home stretch now though.  Don'tcha just love all the sweet mini motifs in the JBW Designs?  I know I do...

 

 

To Do: chart "Lilliana" for the center area

(color is much prettier in real life)

 

And finally, another Christmas ornament finish to share.  Prairie Schooler this time.  Again, I'm not in love with the finish, so it will be easy to give away!

 

 

 

Have you started your Christmas stitching yet??????   Stitch Happy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardinal ornament finish

I really love the simple yet elegant art of Charley Harper.  Not only was he a West Virginian but also a bird/nature lover which he expressed in his creations.  While I only own one CH canvas, I've been itching to make a couple of Harper inspired Christmas ornaments.  This one is mainly felt with just a few stitches for wings and such.  The shapes are so simple that I didn't bother with drawing them first.  I grabbed some felt, denim and scissors, and started with the birdbath.  The rest was super easy..

120 days til Christmas!

Prelude to Autumn

With all the 'below normal' temps this week, I'd swear it's autumn already!  But, we haven't had the Dog Days or Indian Summer yet so I know Mother Nature is just fooling around.  Fooling around or not, the cool mornings have triggered my Fall Spirit!  Since I'm leading a little blackwork workshop in a couple of months, I decided the time was right to whip up this little tissue cover (and continue ignoring my wedding sampler WIP). 

 

Liz Skinner leaf and acorn design

Marion Scoular tissue cover instructions

Here's hoping you all are having a great week!  Stitch happy,

Fun, fast Olympic style finish

Meet Sochi.  Isn't she sweet????  A clever stitcher friend (hi Becky!) charted this matryoshka doll to stitch in honor of the Sochi Olympics back when the games were actually being played.  I thought she was just 'totes ma-goats' adorbs... So even though the 2014 Olympics are a distant memory, here's hoping my Sochi will enjoy hanging with me for years to come.  Anyone designing anything fun to stitch for the RIO games?

Christmas Ornament finish

Who is feeling ahead of the game?  Me!  That's who!  Christmas ornament #1 (2014) done and finished (cording, tassel, etc.).  I'm not sure I'm in love with it, but hey, it's a start to the ten I am aiming to complete before December 1.

 

 

design from Gift of Stitching magazine

corner motif from larger design