A Last Bit about New Orleans!!

Well, I know I need to talk about something else, but I have one other little bit of fun to show about New Orleans!
On my last post, you saw the adorable yellow-wrapped chart package from The Quarter Stitch.  I also visited the Needlework Vault near Magazine Street.

These are the New Orleans/Mardi Gras charts I purchased!

I do have one very small finish that I stitched in the car and a little bit in the hotel.  It's a little freebie from Talons Aiguilles and located here.   I only stitched the little mask and not the whole chart.  I must get this one finished up quickly so I can enjoy it this year!

As part of the Grow Your Blog Party, I've been enjoying visits from other bloggers, and visiting their blogs, too!  This has been so much fun!  Don't forget to comment here to be entered in my mystery cross stitch giveaway!  *It's a mystery because I don't know what I'm giving away yet--but it'll be fun!

Since I haven't mentioned my sweet kitty, Dolce, lately I'm going to close with a cute photo of her!

Thank you for stopping by--please come back soon!
Frances

GROW YOUR BLOG!!!!

Hello!  I'm participating in the GROW YOUR BLOG event and am so excited to have new blogs to check out, as well as new visitors here!  Thank you Vicki for organizing this!  I am going to have a giveaway on February 15th!!  It will be some type of cross stitch giveaway--haven't decided on the gifts yet!  I hope many of you will sign up on this post for it!  Stay tuned!

If you are new to my blog, let me give a very brief introduction!  My name is Frances and I live in Mississippi.  I love all things "artistic"!!  I am a classical musician, but I have a dear interest in counted cross stitch!  I started this blog almost a year ago, after enjoying the blogs of many other cross stitchers out there in blog land!  My favorite stitching items are ornaments.  I guess I like them because they're small and finish up rather quickly.  I also enjoy making them into little "pillow ornaments" and it's fun to select other fabrics, trims, buttons, etc to turn them into fun seasonal decorations.  I keep a tree up all year, and decorate it for every holiday or season!  It's just a lot of fun!

If you saw my previous post, you know that I just fixed my Mardi Gras tree.  If you didn't see it yet, just scroll down and see!  It was a fun time putting this tree together!

In fact, we spent the weekend in New Orleans and I've just come back in the door to make this post!

Here are a few photos of the fun and crazy things that go on in New Orleans.  I'm originally from Southwest Mississippi and we went to New Orleans very often.  I understand that some of you who live far away have probably not visited yet!  If you haven't, you must head South and check it out!

Here's our first view of the New Orleans Skyline from the car!  And below are views from our balcony at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, looking at Bourbon Street.

       

I particularly liked the decorations on the top balcony of this building!  Probably an apartment.

I actually did a little shopping and found a couple of needlework stores, but they were mostly needlepoint and yarn shops.  However, I was able to pick up a couple of "local color" cross stitch patterns--about Mardi Gras!  Gotta get those done quickly to add to my tree!  Don't you love the way they wrapped up my chart???  It is so cute and special!   This was a small chart from The Quarter Stitch.  I'll get to it quickly!

Thank you for visiting my blog!  Please come back again!  I'm going to put a post with my Valentine tree on here shortly!  It's all pink and red and full of hearts!!!  I can't wait to look over your blogs and see many blogs that are NEW to me!  Thank you for visiting and I hope to see you back here soon!

Frances

Mardi Gras!!

I am originally from Southwest Mississippi, not far from New Orleans...and we used to go to Mardi Gras parades every year!  This was a very long time ago, when I was very young, back in the 1960s! I haven't been since that time.  I'd love to go back one day!
If you aren't familiar with Mardi Gras, it is called Carnival in other countries...it's a time of parties and fun from the Twelfth Day of Christmas until the season of Lent.  The grandest parade in New Orleans is Rex, which is on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday--the beginning of Lent.  The floats are elaborate and they throw beads and doubloons and all kinds of fun trinkets.  The Mardi Gras colors are Green, Gold, and Purple--for Faith, Power, and Justice.

In that spirit, I have a Mardi Gras tree!!!  I have stitched a few ornaments, getting the patterns from a freebie search online.  There are several more I'd like to add!  I used many strings of beads--some are new and some are vintage, from the days of my childhood!  At the top of the tree is a parasol, which was a favor at a convention we attended at some point.  Parasols are carried and twirled in jazz funerals, and at events throughout New Orleans.  There are also several masks--some with feathers, and ornaments with the fleur de lis.

It's such a fun time at Mardi Gras!  Everything is so bright and cheerful! Music is playing and everyone seems happy!  There's always too much to eat, but all of it is wonderful!

This ornament is the comedy/tragedy masks and has a beaded bottom made from vintage Mardi Gras beads.  The pattern came from here and is by BD Coture.

You see the fleur de lis all over New Orleans, all the time, because of the French influence.  Even the Saints football team has one for their logo!  I stitched this one in Mardi Gras colors.  I found it here and it's by Penelopis.  I had a fleur de lis charm I put on the top left side, over a black tassel.  I was able to find many cute Mardi Gras fabrics in stores locally.

This freebie, located here, is "Let the Good Times Roll" in French--a common saying during this time of year!  Again, I used some really cute Mardi Gras fabric, and I added a black bead edge (more vintage beads), feathers, and a button with a crown charm. Those feathers came from my mother--her friend has a blue front Amazon parrot named Joe!! Joe drops feathers all the time and one day my mother mentioned that I love pretty feathers.  Now his owner sends me feathers every so often! It's amazing that Joe is not totally bald!!!  But she assures me that it is normal for feathers to fall!  I was so pleased to use them and when I showed her the ornament, she teared up!  Joe is her "baby" and she has had him for 30 years!!!!!  They live to be very old, and she has already lined up who will take him when she passes!  (people love their pets!!  sweet!!)

This cute Mardi Gras freebie sampler is from The Sampler Girl, but I cannot locate it online!!   I added a crown charm and put a very glittery edging on it!  These are so much fun to make!!

The last little ornament I made is just a little pillow from Mardi Gras fabric, but I included a little purple crown with a King Cake baby on it!  King Cakes are popular and you probably know the story--a little baby, said to represent the Baby Jesus, is baked in the cake, and the person who finds the baby in their slice of cake is supposed to receive luck and prosperity AND host the next party!

It has been easy to locate Mardi Gras fabrics, and Wal Mart and Party City carry Mardi Gras items.  Michael's has some, too, but I realize that it might not be so plentiful in other parts of the country.  I try to be thrifty (ha) and I used up some small scraps of purple and gold Aida on these ornaments.  I want to use some more neutral fabrics on some others--for a different effect.  I intend to add a few more to the group, but you can fill in with lots of beads so the tree isn't empty!  

I also have my Valentine Tree up, and I'll show that one shortly!  The calendar made these two close together...Valentine's is February 14 and Mardi Gras is over February 18 this year!!!  So, I just put both of them up, in separate rooms!

Thank you for visiting, and please stop by again soon!

Frances

Some goodies!

While at the shop in Memphis, I did buy a stack of charts, needles and some thread.  I even picked up a few store models from discontinued charts.  I have "shopping-itis"--
I cannot resist a bargain!  Hahaha!
Anyway, here are few stitched items I picked up for next-to-nothing!  I will have to finish off the cute little autumn stitching.  I don't even know who designed it, but it will be fun in my Fall decorating!

I did get the cute little Lizzie Kate Snippet called Sled Dudes--to make on perforated paper and attach to the little sled ornaments that everyone has talked about.  The sleds are out of stock almost everywhere, but I'm told they are shipping out soon!  The rest of the charts I bought were in the sale bin....more shopping-itis?????

And, I'm still having trouble with being a no-reply blogger in commenting!!  I have changed my status a million times....I read about it online and it seems that many people have problems with it.  It's all something about Google+  Anyway, I have done the necessary repairs, YET AGAIN, but I know that it will probably continue to happen.  One other blogger said hers reverts to no-comment every few weeks...........ugh!!!  I guess I'll just have to check it every few days......

Thanks for stopping by--please come back soon!

Frances

A visit to a real store!

I went to Memphis this week with my husband.  His office is headquartered there and I dragged along for something to do!  We had a good time.  We stayed in Tunica, MS, because he had a free room at a casino there--aren't we thrifty!?!?!?  Then we got up and were in Memphis in less than an hour.  I dropped him off so I could go do something. AND, I was able to find a real cross stitch store!!!  It was heavenly!!   Stitchers Inc. is the name and it was so much fun!  I stayed in there for a couple of hours, looking at everything in the store!  I bought quite a few things and some were even in the sale bin! That just makes it even more fun!  The employees were so nice and I plan to go back soon!  My husband goes pretty often and I've never even thought of going with him to look for a stitching shop!  Oh well, I know about it now!
I've been stitching on some little New Year's ornaments, so I'll be ready for next year!  I stitched this cute little freebie in the car, and it's pretty cute!  I found it here and I will finish it soon with some sparkle and glitz!

It hasn't been ironed yet...sorry!  I think it will finish up really cute.  This is on a small scrap of Cobblestone Aida and I used Crescent Colors Apple Fritter.  It's much prettier in reality.
I have almost finished two others, for a grand total of four!  That will be a good start and I can hopefully add some during the year!  I also got a cute little Snoopy New Year's ornament at the Hallmark Store and some glittery stars in gold and silver!  What fun!
Today I ran by the local Hancock's and grabbed several shiny fabrics for finishing these. Of course, while I was there I had to go through the stock quickly to see if there was anything I couldn't live without....I found several!  And the beautiful new fabric store in my town is having a big sale, so I intend to be in there on Monday to check for necessities!
Thanks for stopping by and do come back soon!
Frances

A Little New Year Stitch!

I'm enjoying a little free time right now, and making stitching plans! I did a quick little New Year's stitch (now that the holiday is over!!!)  I have two more almost finished, so I feel another special tree coming on for NEXT New Year's!!

This is so sweet!  It's from Millennium 3 by Trail Creek Farm.  The color is off a little--it's gold and silver threads.

I'm doing another similar one but it's not quite finished.  I'm also working on a little reindeer New Year freebie--just needs some beads!

One of the reasons I enjoy ornaments so much is because they're quick and you finish fast!  The other reason is because when I first started cross stitching, I bought up lots of fabric and supplies, and I'm trying to use up some of those old things!

These three New Years ornaments I'm working on now are done on 22 ct. Hardanger.      I feel like my eyes might just pop out of my head right now!  HAHAHA!  I'm using a lamp and glasses!  It's killing me, but I couldn't toss this fabric away...I must be thrifty!  HA  (this is the last of it, though!)

I look forward to finishing these--I have some ideas for trims, etc.  I have to see what fabric I have that I can put with it.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start on 2015!

Thanks for stopping by--please come back soon!

Frances