Sandy Littlejohns

Finally! Sandy Littlejohns has a website where you can order PDF files of her wonderful charts!

And if you're only missing one part of her large charts (the ones that would run in several issues of the British cross stitch magazines) you can even order just the part you're missing.

She's got a newsletter, too, so don't forget to sign up for it.

Sandy Littlejohns website

http://sandylittlejohns.co.uk/index.html

Stitching Box Giveaway

Angela over at Hooked On Stitches is hosting a giveaway for the most fantastic stitching box. If you're interested in entering the drawing, hurry over to her blog for the details. Here's a link to the post with all the information: STITCHING BOX GIVEAWAY.

Veterans Day

To all the men and women who have every worn the uniform of our country, THANK YOU.

It was 20 years ago today...

To the veterans of the Cold War: Thank you.

Sr. Dulce's Ornament

I finished the stitching on this last night--now I've got to assemble it, my first-ever ornament to finish. Is there a patron saint of stitching finishes I can petition? I've looked in Butler's Lives of the Saints, but I haven't found one listed...so I guess I'll invoke St. Anne, who happens to be the patron saint of seamstresses, for help with the finishing process!

This was a freebie pattern from my stash, stitched on 35 count linen from Hand-Dyed Fibers using one of the DMC Variations flosses, both also from my stash. In retrospect, I do wish I had stitched the border using a solid floss, the modified Greek key design would have shown up better. But I think it looks like a faded ceramic tile--not exactly the look I was going for, but I'm not unhappy with it, either.

Later today I'll go to the craft store to pick up my finishing supplies. I'm going to make this into a pinkeep-type ornament, so I need the mat board, some batting, some edge trim, and pins. I'm thinking ric-rak for the edging--what do you think?

Paul and I with Sr. Dulce at her birthday party
October 12, 2009

New Beginnings

Yesterday my dear husband and I went to celebrate the marriage of a lovely young couple, Julie and Jeff. Julie's parents (Bob and Kathy) have been friends of ours for decades, and years ago Julie surprised (and honored) me when she called and asked me to serve as her confirmation sponsor.

It was a lovely day. The Nuptial Mass was held in Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans, the same church where my parents were married almost 52 years ago. It was a solemn, sacred, joyful occasion and I feel privileged to have been included among the friends and family asked to be there as Jeff and Julie began their new life together.

A mini-pilgrimage

Yesterday my darling husband took the day off of work and we made a mini-pilgrimage to Opelousas to venerate the relics of St. Mary Magdalene which are currently making a brief tour of the United States. This was a wonderful and edifying experience, and I wish you all could have been there with us. But here are a few photos:

The Reliquary

Sign on the side of the Mercy Bus

Picture on the back of the Mercy Bus

Mary Magdalene has long been one of my favorite saints, so this was an extremely special opportunity for me.

It was also a great chance to see the 'catholic-with-a-small-c' aspect of the Roman Catholic Church--the constant ebb-and-flow of the faithful included young and old, the rich, the poor, and the working class, the lame, the weak, the infirm, and the strong. Black and white, Cajun and Creole, recent immigrants and descendants of the founding families, there they all were, joined together in quiet reverence as The Body of Christ.