October Mini Check-In Plus Playing with Crayons

This month I took 

a little sewing liberty with

my monthly mini.

I had been wanting to do something

that showcased October.

You know,

pumpkins, fall colors,

and

sweater weather...

I had purchased a pattern 

last year when I was in Houston 

for festival from Primitive Gatherings.

It fit all the required criteria.

But I didn't want to do ghost pumpkins,

so I dug out the orange wools instead

and started stitching.

Black wool

11" x 30"

Pumpkins, wool, fun stitching,

the feeling of fall.

It all came together.

The bittersweet vine doesn't grow

 here, so it's nice

to include it on this runner

with clusters of little colonial knots.

Fall has arrived here 

and this little runner 

reminds us of the crisp air,

flannel sheets,

crunching leaves,

the need to slow down,

and enjoying everything pumpkin.

****

Several of you asked about the crayon tinting

that I did in my embroidery.

I learned how to do it from Meg Hawkey

of Crabapple Hill Studios and have 

found her techniques to be very successful.

Click on this  LINK for  

a YouTube video that Meg made 

explaining in wonderful detail how

to use your Crayola crayons 

with your embroidery.

Now you can have fun coloring too.

Happy Fall!

Until Next Time-

Kyle

A Little Embroidery

I know there are many of us who

take the time
 just before leaving on a trip

 to gather up a stitching project.

We all know there can be long periods of time
where stitching can save
 you from going crazy.

Just before I left
I prepped some embroidery.

I had a large piece of toweling
leftover when I finished the "do over" of the vintage
applique baby quilts.

I also had a Kathy Schmitz embroidery design
I had been wanting to do
from her book

The timing was perfect.

I enjoy incorporating color tinting
with crayons into an embroidery project.
So I added some underlying color to my snowgirl.

I really didn't follow the color suggestions 

of the pattern.  Instead I found floss

the colors that I liked 

and that went with the crayons I had picked.

Doing a variety of stitches, 

other than just back stitching,

is always more fun. 

Even though,

it's sometimes hard to remember a fly stitch vs.

a lazy daisy, or a feather stitch.

This winter towel was my saving grace
during two long flights and a couple of long layovers in Boston.
All that time adds up to a finish.

Which leads me to the
"never to be answered" question:
What the heck is with the numbering
system for DMC floss?!

Over the years I have tried a variety
of methods for
keeping my floss organized.
I bet you have too.

I've done the wrap around method.

I've done the plastic baggie method

I've done the wrapping around
a floss stick method.

And the toss it in a pile method.

So in my basket where I keep floss,

you'll find floss in each of the above methods.

Some organizing methods 

are good when you're looking for a

specific number, but then the pile method

is better if you're looking for a color.

We all know

those numbers don't lead you to

a color family.

Well, after looking at my untamed pile

I did  do some resorting

into smaller, 

more useable piles.

I might see if this makes it easier next time.

But it still doesn't explain

that crazy number system!

Until Next Time-

Kyle

A Maritime Vacation

Raise your hands if you've

ever visited the Maritime Providences of Canada.

If you haven't, but you like. . . 

beautiful coastal fishing villages,

a culture that revolves around the sea,

and more idyllic villages nestled along the coasts 

then this is for you!

 It's a beautiful place to relax,
and enjoy a wonderful vacation.

We walked on the bottom of the sea at low tide

at Hopewell Rock on the Bay of Fundy.

The sandstone is eroded into formations 

known as "flower pots".

When the tide comes in, it rises 

on the average of 43 feet in about 6 hours.

 It's quite a phenomenon. 

It's the perfect place 

to put on a bib and enjoy

a lobster supper or

a dozen oysters 

                                                   in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
                                                                  (no, not my thing!)

                                                     You'll find plenty of Anne all over PEI.

Lucy  Maud Montgomery's classic 

Anne of Green Gables (1908)

continues to be a favorite of young and old alike.

The island is beautiful 

with green pastures

bays filled with mussel lines and oyster farms, 

and coastlines with rose colored sand.

Then  headed off to the dramatic coastal cliffs of the

Cape Breton highlands, Nova Scotia.

Visiting the tiny Acadian community 

Che'ticamp, Nova Scotia you'll

hear toe tapping music,

while eating your lobster roll

and then learn about the community's famed

rug hooking art.

I can't even imagine.

The Maritime Providences must be 

the lighthouse capitol of the world.

The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove

 is said to be the most visited fishing village in Canada

Take time to talk with an old sea captain

to learn about his sea adventures.

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and

has a beautiful harbor front

with lots of ships sailing in and out.

  You might even see a cartoon tugboat celebrity.

Make a stop at Cows Ice Cream for

some of the best sweet treat found only in Canada.

Halifax played a significant role in the tragic Titanic story. 

Halifax was the closest major port and

just hours after the Titanic sunk, ships from Halifax were sent 

on the sad mission to recover the bodies of the 1,518 victims.

Of the 208 bodies that were brought to Halifax,

159 were laid to rest here.

116 more were buried at sea.

 In 2007, as a result of extensive DNA testing,

 the child's shoes were identified 

as those of 19 month old Sidney Leslie Goodwin from England. His entire family perished.

Ready to go?

These Atlantic Providences may be small

Bay of Fundy, high tide

but they pack a lot into a small area.

Nature and Wildlife

 Eagles fishing

A Rich Cultural Heritage

Great Food

Sampled 5 different 

bowls of seafood chowder!!

 Gorgeous scenery

And besides all of that

the people of the Maritimes are fabulous.

Thanks for making our vacation a wonderful experience.

Hope you put a visit on your bucket list.

Until Next Time-

Kyle