The house around the corner...

... and down the hill.  And no, this hasn't been Photshoped!

Happy Halloween to those who observe the spooky Oct. 31st tradition!

 Tootles, Sue

Paris Embroidery House ~ Lesage

Sharon over at ~My French Country Home~, treats us today with a lovely post about the Paris embroidery house Lesage, which is also a school.

Take a peek HERE.

Amusez-vous bien!


 

Snickerdoodle Snippet ~ NOT ...

Hi again ~ didn't expect a double-post today, but this day was filled with a very sweet surprise and I couldn't wait to thank Ma Teakettle!


Ma recently shared Sassy's newish color Snickerdoodle on her blog .  It looked nice and prim but monitors can be deceiving, so I asked her how it compared to Sassy's Golden Promise.  Ma was so helpful and patient, she even offered to mail me a scrap ~ YAY!  You know, a snippet from being trimmed, just so I could get a first hand look at the color before ordering from Sassy's.  What stitcher would have turned down Ma's sweet offer?  Not I!


So this afternoon my plan was to slather on the butt glue and hit the stitchy chair, but then I got called out unexpectedly.

When I arrived home tonight, I found this at the door...

What the heck?  A box?  Who sent me a box?  It was Ma.  For a snippet?  I'm a shaker, so natch ~ I shook it, something rattled, then I got that *confused in the brain* sensation and that blasted crater wrinkle between the baby blues.  You know, the one that grows deeper with age, at least mine does:)

Opened it and found this...

Can you believe it?  Not a snippet, but a beautiful piece of Sassy's Monoco 28 ct evenweave in Snickerdoodle (superb prim mottling), delicate counting pins (pretty pretty), a perfectly prim pincushion (my fave drab colors), happy Jack-O-Peeps (hiding them), and a note from sweet Ma!

I've seen Monoco online but never handled it.  Snickerdoodle is a nice prim shade, I now know why Ma favors it, will definitely be ordering this ~ love it.  Of course, I already have something in mind for this fabby, can not wait to get started!


Ma, your teakettle runneth over, you're too kind and too sweet and I thank you from my surprised stitchy heart, you really got me good!  Oh, the Peeps... half gone now, well a little more than half gone, guess I'll hide the rest... or not:)


Tootles, Sue

Swoon Worthy...

Oh my... check out this nifty needful for needleworkers, quilters, sewers and crafters everywhere!  Skip on over to Karen's Etsy store *KimsSister* HERE.

Enjoy your weekend!

published with Karen's permission

Tootles, Sue

 

Isn't she lovely...

... isn't she wonderful, remember that song?

Hi Sweet Friends, popping in to share a thrill with you!  A small parcel was in the mailbox yesterday, all the way from warm and sunny Orlando.  Yeppers, some have seen this already, and I knew what it was, but I wasn't prepared for the stunner that awaited me ~ this keepsake  pincushion ~ beautifully crocheted with a sweet pearlized button and supremely finished by none other than Barbara over at To Stitch Or Not To Stitch.

Thank you Barbara, your generosity is gratefully appreciated and happily received:)  

So... if everyone will now please excuse me, I've got some swoonin' to do:)  And, uhmmm ~ hope you don't get that song stuck in your head, or start singing to your pincushion ~ l.i.k.e. I. d.i.d.  And I don't care who knows it:)

Tootles, Sue



  

Weekend Start...

A zigzag border

simple things suit me fine...

Sassy's Golden Promise 32 ct ~ WDW Kohl

Tootles, Sue

October Sweets and Snake Hash...

Hi there stitchy and prim luvin friends!  It's been a drizzly and grey weekend here, yet it's my fave time of year, I love Fall!  The foliage is not yet at peak in our area, hoping the glorious turning of colors doesn't pass us by this year.  My sweet thanks for your good wishes on my last post, my burn is healing nicely with no problems at all.  How's everybody doing?  Here's a bit of this and that from our part of NYS...

STITCHIN...  I keep eying a kitted project on the table but sorry, nothing new to report, so skip on by if you like:) 

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CRITTERS...  Hubs left the mudroom door open, this little guy snuck in and was makin a squirmy beeline for me in the kitchen.  Luckily my hero came to the rescue, here's where it landed, under the truck tire.  He's ok, not hurt, wiggled away, and DON'T COME BACK, YOU'RE NOT WELCOME IN MY KITCHEN YOU REPTILE INTRUDER ~ NEXT TIME I'LL MAKE SNAKE HASH OUT OF YOU AND FEED YOU TO THE SNAKE EATING VARMINTS! 

 

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ROOTIN IN THE BARN...   We rescued this advertising sign from the barn, a monster at 4 feet wide and very heavy, no room inside so we hung it in the garage.  Condition isn't good, dates from 50's-60's when this variety of poultry was being developed.  She's a keeper, grunge and all.

 

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COLLECTIN AND THRIFTIN...  I confess, I'm a plopper!  Found this sturdy older pine bench with square nails and nice patina for $10., score!  The Lion Brand cream cheese vintage box was a buck, I plopped in a pothos cutting and a few fall things for the kitchen window, probably too much, but I'm not enough of a fusser to re-do it.  The newer miniature fraktur print was also a buck, I always keep a watchful eye out for anything frakturish.  The chenille ear of corn is huge and was only 2 bucks, it got plopped too.  Lots of us have seen the twine storage in a sugar jar, very handy and works great.  I finally added a homespun bow and Sweet Annie to my hand turned tigermaple clothespin to dress it up a bit, it'll get plopped somewhere too.

 

    

 

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BAKIN...  We all have those projects, we say ~I'll get to it, one of these days~.  Well, yay for me ~ I got one accomplished!  Please won't you meet my very plain apron, she's all of 30 yrs old, bleached a bazillion times and worked as hard as a mule.  Mind you, I was a young lady when I started wearing it, and of course, the years grew on me... as they always do.  Can you guess where this is going?  Yep, the apron strings became difficult to reach from behind.  I snipped off her old strings and sewed on a long length of grosgrain to each side~VOILA!  I haven't decided whether to retire the old girl, maybe she's good for another 30 years, I just kinda feel good knowing she's still workin for me:)

There's something about almond paste that promises an impressive and elegant delight on the tongue, yet some think it's really too fussy to bother with, I can testify that it's not.  Almond Paste {not marzipan} comes in a small can, has the consistency of sugary Play Dough and is very easy to work with.  There was a bakery in Buffalo, NY called the Ken-Paul Bakery {closed years ago}, they  made the most divine Almond Rings.  A girl can only crave one for so long 'til she decides to do something about replicating it, the easy way if possible!  This is what I tried, it was f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s.  The recipe is HERE .  I followed the directions exactly and would not change a thing.  These bars are on par with a better quality bakery, and I dare say they'd be at least $3.00 each anywhere, if you were lucky enough to find them.  Our leftovers were wrapped well and sent to the freezer, I'm a bit curious to see whether they freeze well.  Please let me know if you try these, and what you think? 

 

I wish each of you have a few sweet moments of peace this coming week, needle or apron in hand, if the mood suits you:)  Thanks for stopping by...


Tootles, Sue