Wyoming Breezes

Zeke photo taken in 2019 Zeke's mom, Stephanie asked her grandmother to stitch this photo of her precious little guy. Marilyn has stitched many photos over the years for family and special friends. She seems to love the tiny needle as much as she does making quilts.  Marilyn stitched the graduation portraits of her grandson and granddaughter , special gifts , and wedding portraits for Stephanie and one of her friends.  It would literally take me years to complete one let alone several of these pieces.  June 1, 2020 It was fun to watch the image appear on the fabric.  July 13, 2020 Marilyn sometimes stitched during our Sunday FaceTime calls.  Zeke August 2, 2020 Zeke's stitchery is finished and ready for framing - a work of love and certainly an heirloom. 

From my house to yours  Happy Easter! Even though many are celebrating the resurrection  by streaming a church service, it does not dampen the joy  He is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed.  Alleluia!

The things that count the most in life are usually the things that cannot be counted ~ Bernard Metzer ~

holiday cross-stitch stitched in 1991 May your Christmas be Merry and Bright!

holiday welcome stitched in 1986 May all those gathered  under your roof and around your table  have a Merry Christmas

Statue of Liberty holiday cross-stitch stitched July 1986 Counted cross-stitch was my craft of choice in the 1980s and 90s. A few holiday pieces are framed and hanging in my apartment. The holiday Statue of Liberty design commemorated her Centennial. The pattern was published in a craft magazine, and I stitched it on 22 count navy Aida cloth in July 1986. close up of stitching with ruler She is one of three holiday pieces I stitched on 22 count cloth. holiday wreath stitched in 1992 The second piece is a holiday wreath. I had planned to stitch a wreath for each season, but for some reason that did not happen. close up of stitching with ruler Another holiday picture stitched on 22 count Aida cloth can be found here . I haven't done any counted cross-stitch in years. I enjoy it, but my eyes aren't what they used to be.

Stephanie and Maria June 2015 It all started with a photograph taken before a wedding on a hot and humid day in Oshkosh, NE. A photo of a mother receiving a necklace from her daughter, the bride. Marilyn works on the counted cross-stitch portrait June 2017 The photo was lovingly transformed into a work of art by the bride's grandmother one stitch at a time.  I snapped the photo of Marilyn working on the project when she came to help me after my knee surgery. gradually, the image became more like the photograph June 28, 2017 Marilyn finished stitching on July 30, 2017 framed and ready for Christmas gifting September 2017 It was hard to wait until after Christmas to post about Marilyn's special gift. I think she did a beautiful job. Maria struggled with her emotions when she opened the gift. Note - the patten is attached to the back of the framed piece.  Marilyn has stitched other photographs here  and  here .  Marilyn stitched a pho...

This project is finally back from the framing shop and on the wall. It is officially crossed off of my UFO list. It has been awhile since I had anything professionally framed, so I experienced some sticker shock. Dividing the total by the 20+ years this project has been languishing in a drawer made it easier to justify the expense.

The backstitching is done! It always amazes me how much the backstitching adds to a piece. The metallic thread that outlines the circle tangled and frayed like crazy, but it sparkles in the light. I still need to sew on the beads for the holly berries and find a frame, but essentially this project is finished. Even though it took me over 20 years to get this far and contains numerous mistakes, I am pleased with the result. Its progress over the last year can be seen here , here , and here . My sister sent an e-mail yesterday to show me a project she is going to have framed. What are the odds that we worked on the same project? The beads are sewn on her picture, so you can get a better idea of the completely finished picture. Nice job, Sis!

I first posted about this project in June 2009  and in July 2009 . My attention waned, and life got in the way. Again, it was stuffed in a drawer. When I stumbled across the project in December, I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to finish this piece. I've been working on it off and on for a couple of weeks. Now, the actual stitching is finished and all that remains is to backstitch, launder, iron, and add the beads for the holly berries. Hopefully, this project will be finished soon and I can get it framed and off of my UFO list.

I can't believe that Marilyn already finished the  cross-stitch portrait  of her grand-daughter. Isn't it awesome? She started it June 2009 and finished it May 2010: it would have taken me decades. I visited Marilyn last week in Denver, so I got to hear her say, "Ta-Da!"

My sister Marilyn is making a cross-stitch replica (16 x 24 inches) of her grand daughter's graduation photo. This is the third photo she has cross-stitched: the first was her grand daughter's junior photo, then her grandson's graduation portrait, and now this portrait. Here is the finished replica of her grandson. The original photo is in the bottom right corner. Even the white background is made of individual  stitches. These portraits are a labor of love. I am not so sure that I would have the patience or the tenacity to take on such a project.

Victorian House Counted Cross-stitch finished in 1991 I made several holiday decorations for the door of this Victorian House, but I frequently forget to change them. Two of my goals this year are to change the calendars on time and to wind the clocks regularly - simple tasks but so hard to remember - everyday items lost in the shuffle of Life.

I am making progress on my summer goal , but I am having to make some unexpected and sometimes major alterations in the pattern. I am sure that I stopped working on this piece several years ago because my count was off and I got frustrated. I'm still frustrated, but I have more time to try and make it work. At least the alterations are not glaring, but I worked hard to make sure the angel's face and hand were not too morphed. Since the angel is made with half-stitches, the work went fairly quickly. Now, I need to stitch the holly and the back-stitching (a part I detest, but it always makes the piece look polished) and add the seed-bead embellishments. My errors from the past will continue to cause problems, but now they seem more manageable.

Over the years, I have done a lot of counted cross-stitch, and The Sleeping Baby is my favorite picture. I originally made it to be a birth announcement with name, weight, etc. in the bottom right corner for my niece, but sadly she did not have any children. It hangs in my sewing room along with a picture made by my niece and a sign made by my mother. This Victorian House with the door sign hangs by my front door. The sign has Velcro on the back and is interchangeable to reflect the holidays or special occasions. The "Welcome Friends" sign is displayed between holidays. This piece with an Amish family at the clothesline is on display in my bedroom. I especially like the colors and the movement of the quilts. It reminds me of hanging clothes when I lived on the farm. I also have a lot of Christmas and Winter counted cross-stitch pictures; perhaps, I will remember to post photos of them when I hang them in November.

I don't know why this counted cross-stitch project was never finished. It was started in the early 1990s and was intended as a Christmas gift for my pastor and his wife. Intended is the key word, yet in reality, my intentions did not manifest into a framed picture. At the time, I was working full-time and could work on it only in the evenings. The thread count on this piece is 22 stitches an inch which requires good lighting and sharp eyes. Time has passed, and my eyes are not getting any better. I really want to finish this piece, so I am working on it again. My goal is to finish it by the end of August.