Brave Hearts

Memorial Day. . . . .

Today we remember men and women across the U.S. who have served this country and who are still serving today.  Our design, "Brave Hearts" honors the memory of those who are no longer with us but have served their country well.

In my family, my father served in the US Navy and his father before him served in the US Army as a medic in France during WWI.   

. . . . . . .  . . Remembering

Grandma's Quilt

A number of years ago, Ron and I visited his Grandma Wilda in southern Illinois.  The night we stayed with her we slept beneath a wonderful quilt that I knew was made in the wedding ring pattern. 

That night before we fell to sleep, Grandma came in and sat on the end of the bed, telling us the story of the quilts she had made with her mother.  There were even more quilts in the closet in her room and I was overwhelmed by their beauty and history.

She told us each quilt was made by hand and that the fabrics used were from the dresses her mother had made for herself and Wilda.  The fabrics were vintage prints that automatically made you think of summer days, being barefoot in the grass, and riding on a tractor in the field.  The tiny stitches that made up each of the quilts were lovingly quilted into each one by Wilda and her mother Lucy. 

A few years after that stay I was shocked to see the quilt arrive in the postman's hands.  It was wrapped very simply in brown paper and a lot of tape.  Inside the wrapper the note said she had wanted me to have the quilt since it had seemed to mean so much to me to know all about it.  Ron and I have both cherished it and often take it down off of the top of the armoire just to rub our hand across the fabrics. . . . . . reminding us of days gone by and a loving little grandmother who was so very thoughtful.

Half a Year Old!

Gracie just turned 26 weeks on Saturday.  She is looking like a big girl more and more.  She is very easy to train and has so many tricks mastered, including "roll over" which I couldn't get either of our last two dogs to do.  She's a great dog and we just love her! 

Touring Tucson. . . . . . Part Two

Prickly Pear Cactus

 Gracie didn't care much for the mission visit so we took her to a park for some "Gracie time".   I had never been to this park before and got a good laugh from the sign.  All of Tucson is "desert area"!  OK. . . . . so we had Gracie with us and her snoopy nose could get in trouble if she found a moving object so we did keep a closer eye on her.  There is a beauty in the desert . . . . it isn't all tumbleweeds and dirt! 

Jumping Cholla

Ron and Gracie

Venomous Creature!  (just a little ground dog!) 
Can you spot him in the center of the picture?

That's the end of the mini-Tucson tour.  Ron and I are planning more short trips to re-visit some places we haven't seen in a while but the temperatures are heating up so we'll see how well we do! 
Thanks for stopping by and touring some spots in my home town.

Touring Tucson. . . . . Part One

Every now and then it's nice to re-visit your own town or city.  That's what Ron and Gracie and I did today.  We left the house early and headed for the San Xavier Mission which is south of Tucson.  The mission sits well off of the highway and is affectionately titled "The White Dove of the Desert".  For years now the mission has been under a much needed renovation that you can see when you view the close-up. 

There is a steep hill to the right of the main property and a cross that sits atop that hill.  I didn't wear the best shoes but we climbed the hill and stopped to take this photo looking back on downtown Tucson.   We live much further to the north than the actual city.

The close-up photo shows the before and after renovations so much better.  The repairs and paint on the left and the yet unrepaired side is on the right.  The mission was founded in 1683 but construction on the building did not begin until 1783.

 It was partially destroyed in the 1887 earthquake in Arizona.  See, I told you we have earthquakes here!  Remember I felt one not that long ago!  Gracie wasn't thrilled about this part of the trip at all.  She couldn't wait to leave and find some shade (us too!)  She was quick to get back into the truck and rest.  I'll post part two tomorrow!

New Patterns

Hi everyone. . . . . it was web site update day!

www.littlehouseneedleworks.com.

This is the the next ornament of the month, The Merry Skater. 

Her companion ornament comes out in the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue later this year.

This is the one my mom, Carol stitched.  It's called "Simple Joys". 

It's on a bookshelf in my family room where I can see it every day. 

Thanks so much mom!  XO

The third release this month is "The Mercantile" stitched by Rita DePalatis. 

She tells me it was fun to stitch and she loved the colors.  You can check out all of the threads used on each of these designs at the Little House web site. 

You'll get fabric info along with stitch counts to can get your stash ordered all at once!

Happy stitching. . . . . . . Diane

Gracie's #1 Fan

A while back I received this photo from my friend Vonna (Twisted Stitcher).  It's of her daughter Ellie, who absolutely loves Gracie.  I dubbed her #1 fan and send her pictures on the side and she and Gracie "talk" to one another from time to time.  Ellie notices everything about Gracie, including the fact that Gracie no longer wears a pretty pink princess collar.  I had to explain that Gracie is a dirty little girl and couldn't wear pink again until she stops rolling in dirt, playing in the sandbox and in general, is out of puppyhood.  So when you see me make a comment to Ellie in a Gracie post, you know who I'm talking to! 

Mom. . . . .

I am so blessed to still have my mom and have her in my life.  We chat on the phone every singe day (sometimes more than once!) and catch up on family things, chat about our day, and now even talk about stitching.  As many of you know from an earlier post, my mom is stitching on linen at the age of 78. She just just learned this year and has already completed a number of projects.  The one I want to share here is a model she stitched for me called "Simple Joys".  It was also her first experience with overdyed thread and I must tell you that she is spoiled already!  The model is beautiful as she has always been a very neat and pretty stitcher.  I am so proud to share this snippet with you and showcase my mom's work!

I've displayed the finish in my home where I can see it every day!  This design and the other two will ship at the end of this week.

Mom has stitched a few more models that will appear here and on Nikki's web site later on.  Right now she is hard at work on the Rose Quaker and loving it. 

Little Miss Gracie

Gracie had her spay on Monday and it was awful (for me).  I cried when we left her as she did NOT want to enter the kennel where she was being kept.  How much trauma should a mother (me) have to go through???  lol. . . . . .Well, it was all for nothing really, because the day after the surgery she was acting like nothing happened.  Stitches come out in less than two weeks and that will close the chapter on that part of her life.

Her highness now weighs 45 pounds and is 24 weeks old.  She still has a way to go to reach her full weight but she's well on her way!  I took the photo this morning so you could see how good she looks after the surgery!  (See how good she looks Ellie?!)

July and August Thread Packs

This post will interest those of you who are on autos for the thread pack months distributed by Crescent Colours.  This set is sooooo pretty and summery.  It ships in early June. 

I have seen a lot of very creative finishes using these designs.  The stitchers that have made calendars have really done wonderful work in their finishing.  I haven't seen a cube yet and I thought that would be a great way to showcase the designs.  If anyone has made a cube, send me a photo please!

A Special Little Something. . . . . . . .

"Remember Me"

We have a very long way to go in our continued fight against breast cancer.  This design, "Remember Me", is a special project that will help raise funds to assist in research and education in our fight.  If you are interested in this little kit (designed by me!), email Lois at: lois@elegantstitch.com for information.  Please do not call your local shops as Elegant Stitch is selling this exclusively.  All sales and information regarding this project are being handled by Lois.

The people involved in donations, Crescent Colours, Elegant Stitch, and LHN are not profiting in any way from the sale, just like the last project we did for the same cause.

Thank you Lois for stitching, kitting, sewing little wool pillows and even taking the photo!  My part was very easy and I thank you for that and all you do to further education for women!