Giving Thanks to my Mom!

All year I've been ooogling over socks my Momma has been making up for friends and to be sold or gifted at charity events.   My sweet mother has the biggest heart.  She spends most of her precious stitching time making the most intricate, beautiful, soul-warming socks.  Christmas morning brought me one of the most precious gifts possible - a pair of my own!!!

As you can see, I have them on right now.  Actually, I put them on yesterday morning and they haven't left my feet since except to shower and run little Cocoa.  They actually feel better than they look and I'm so very Thankful Momma made them for me.  

Check out these great puppy scissors Momma gave me, too. 

They are from Hiya-Hiya and are really sharp.  Mom explained that they are just perfect for the outside of my stitching, travel bag because they have that great metal chain on it.  

Christa, Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases!  

The embroidery piece above was worked by my mother on linen using wools and metallics when I was 8-10 years old.  Watching Mom work this and other cross stitch pieces inspired my interest in and love of the Needlearts.

Christa, Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com

Santa Claus is com'n to town!

I'm crazy about Santa's, especially the Strictly Christmas Santas.  They work-up just so nicely.  I got into them when a friend of mine did a few of these for her grandchildren.  My experience is that the painted design looks completely different than the finished piece.  I'm ashamed to say that there are three that are practically done but have not been finished... ah well, it's all about the process, right?

My dream is to work up all that I have in my collection (the stash has at least 10, well ok, a lot more than 10) into stand-ups and place them on my dining room table.  I'm talking a cluster of Santas of every kind!  The backgrounds are all being done in two creams: a wool and a twist.

The fur is being worked in a couple strands of Alpaca in Turkey Work.  The trees are all being done in a variegated green in a layered lazy-daisy.

Sugar and Spice (above) is perhaps my favorite.  This is the first Sugar and Spice Santa, I have a second one in production that I'm doing for one of SIL who has the same Santa affliction.  The doll has been worked using Stumpwork techniques.

This "fatty" Santa was fun to do (below).  Check out the beaded star on top of the tree and the couched gold star near his pocket.  I'm rethinking the way I worked the pom-pom on the hat and will most likely do a half pom-pom instead.

Guitar Santa was actually more like Musical Santa when I started.  The Guitar was actually a violin.  I changed it to reflect my husband's Martin acoustic, six string, box Guitar.  I'm planning on putting frets on the guitar and six strings.  The piano cords are all worked in Petite Very Velvet.  The pom-pom has not yet been worked.

LilyStitch wishes you the best of holidays!  Thank you for reading along and joining in our journey this year.  I hope that your Santa brings you everything that you hoped and wish for.

Christa, Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com

Belated Valentine

Hope everyone had a terrific Valentine's Day.  Due to a ton of air travel this past week the only type of stitching I had time or energy for was some pretty cross stitch.  This is a pretty free pattern from The Sampler Girl.  Please check her out if you do any sort of charted work or love Jane Austin as I do.

Now, how to finish her.... perhaps I'll do a hanging, year round ornament for my studio or bedroom.  I'll post a picture when I get around to it.

Christa
Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com

Bless these needles...

Thank you for the bounty they bring,
... the grace they spread,
... the joy they invoke,
... the loveliness they create,
... the beauty they convey,
... the memories they pass along
... and most importantly, for becoming an extension of my fingers to thread and cloth.
Amen

I've taken the day off from stitching to give my needles rest.  May they be blessed as well as everyone who employs a needle for the sake of NeedleArt.

Christa
Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com

Festival of Broken Needles

For the last few days I've been doing a ton of boring administrative/SEO work.  As a result you will soon see changes on this blog and on www.lilystitch.com (example V.1 of store has been published).  To top it off, I have a business trip schedule Tuesday - Friday this week so I may be silent for a few days.

In the mean-time, there is SO much going on in the blogosphere.  Check out this great article on a Festival of Broken Needles.  This makes COMPLETE sense.  I'm going to find out if my good priest will bless my needles to make me a more complete stitcher.  Here's hoping!

Joy in stitching,
Christa
Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.blogspot.com and www.lilystitch.com