There and Back Again... A Stitcher's Tale...

Or...
The Long and Winding Road out of the Dark Forest...

It has been a long, long while my friends... Yet Again... and I do not have any grand excuses for my overlong absence other than my total and complete loss of blogging mojo... and unfortunately every other mojo I may have possessed fell into step right along behind it... and off they crept into the dark, and shadowed woodland... and me, being the curious sort I am, of course could do naught else save follow heedlessly and pell-mell into the darkness!  And oh, my but what a dark and dreary place I found myself... the shadows stretched deep and long and no sunlight graced the darkened paths and I found myself quite alone most of the time...   Thank Heavens, I did have the foresight to holdfast to my stitching bag 'ere I stepped into the unknown  ~ thus finding solace here and there with my needle and thread in the faint traces of light filtering down through the shadows... 

Thus I do not have a lot of grand stitching finishes to show for my long absence from Bloggiton... just a few wee finishes... nothing of any outstanding significance ~ no amazingly wonderful and artful finishes galore or beautiful Samplers as those glorious beauties that grace the blogs of stitchers extraordinaire such as ~ Siobhan ~ Margaret ~ Kathy Ellen ~ Catherine ~ Sally ~ Babs ~ Glenna ~ Tanya ~ Laurie ~ Carol ~ Lois ~ Lynn ~ Barbara and Jan ~ just to mention but a wee, wee handful of all the awe-inspiring needlewomen of renowned magnificence with whom I have had the ultimate pleasure in visiting your blogs... and those of you I have come to know as friends...  sharing in your beautiful and inspiring needlework and your lives... your amazing stories... Your joys and laughter... your tears and sorrows... your perseverance in times of distress... your words of encouragement...  Thank you all...  And most of all I thank my dearest love, my Chief Inspector and my precious family...  You all have been Angels unaware...  And you remain rays of light through the shadows... Blessings in times of darkness.... if not for you all ~ and if not for the continued love and support of my Dearest and Precious Beloved, Chief Inspector and my Dear and oh, so precious family, and you, my dear friends, and of course my faithful stitching, I fear I would remain forever lost in the Dark Forest...

Well... enough of the darkness and on towards the light... Thus without further ado... a few stitchy finishes over time and a few finishes I had framed that I never got around to posting in the last long while...

Petites Lettres Rouges...

by Blackbird Designs

Stitched with Red Fox and Tulip Belle Soie Silks...

on Belfast R & R French Vanilla Linen...

finished in August of 2009

Loves Me... Loves Me Not

by Stone and Thread...

Stitched with GAST and WDW Threads

on Cashel R & R Dark Cappuccino Linen...
finished November 2009...

And I also had this one framed last year.  It is one of my favourite mouldings... Oh, I do Love this frame...  I have several more finishes tucked away in a drawer that I want to have framed... and hopefully not too far away in the distant future...  A stitcher can dream!  

Loves Me... Loves Me Not...

by Stone and Thread...

Stitched with GAST and WDW Threads

on Cashel R & R Dark Cappuccino Linen...
finished in November 2009...

And I also had this one framed a couple of years ago... and since my blogging has been nearly non-existent in the last two years, I have yet to post it.

Ladybugs and Bumblebees...

by Country Cottage Needleworks...

Stitched with GAST, Crescent Colours and DMC

32 count Country French Cafe Mocha Linen

Finished 21 June 2006

Ladybugs and Bumblebees...

by Country Cottage Needleworks...

Stitched with GAST, Crescent Colours and DMC

on 32 count Country French Cafe Mocha Linen

framed in 2009

Hen Party
by Little House Needleworks...

Stitched with Crescent Colours and DMC threads...

on Cashel R & R Iced Cappuccino Linen

Finished April 2009

Hen Party by Little House Needleworks...

Stitched with Crescent Colours and DMC Threads

on Cashel R & R Iced Cappuccino Linen

Finished in April 2009

Hinzeit Design ~ Fireman...

Modified to Fire Chief by Lizzy

Stitched with Thread Gather SilknColours In the Reds

on Cashel R & R FogLifter Blend Linen

Finished 11 June 2010...

Hinzeit Design ~ Fireman

Modified to Fire Chief by Lizzy

Stitched with ThreadGather SilknColours In the Reds

on Cashel R & R FogLifter Blend Linen

Finished 11 June 2010...

And yet it is another finish I have had framed ~

a Gift for my beloved Chief Inspector...

Fire Chief and Lieutenant Detective extraordinaire...

Sweet Friendship

By Silver Creek Samplers...

Stitched with Overdyed Threads

on Cashel R & R Daily Grind Linen

Finished 4 July 2010 for dear friend, Jan...

Glory Bee by Glory Bee Designs...

Stitched with overdyed Threads

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha 

I added the wee flower ~

Finished in July 2011

I stitched two of these cute wee "My Dad" pillows by Pine Mountain Designs for my sons for Father's Day... I substituted the Aida for a Belfast Cream linen... 

My Dad by Pine Mountain Designs

Stitched with DMC Threads

On Belfast Cream Linen

for my son, Elisha

Father's Day June 2011

My Dad by Pine Mountain Designs

Stitched with DMC Threads

on Belfast Cream Linen

for my son, Jamie

Father's Day June 2011

And a few wee Christmas ornaments I stitched in the Winter of 2010 and early 2011 ~ Silly me did not write them down in my stitching journal, thus I have not a clue as to exactly when I stitched them...

You Are My Gift

By Dragon Dreams...

Stitched with DMC and Kreinik Threads

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha...

Finished in February 2011

Christmas Eve

 by The Prairie Schooler

Stitched with DMC threads

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha Linen

Stitched in Winter 2010 ~ 2011

Glory to God

 by Little House Needleworks

Stitched with Belle Soie Silks

on Belfast Autumn Fields

I changed the colour palette

Stitched in Winter 2010 ~ 2011

Fa La La ...

by Little House Needleworks

Stitched with DMC threads

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha

Stitched in Winter 2010 ~ 2011

Fa La La ... 

by Little House Needleworks

Stitched with DMC Threads

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha

Stitched in Winter 2010 ~ 2011

And as always Mr Darcy is ever my faithful assistant with the photos... he so loves attention...  And Roses...

Hmmm.... if I bide my time and stretch out here ever so nonchalantly... she will remember that she forgot something... she's always forgetting something... and she will leave the room and then they are mine... all mine...   

Ah ha.... just a wee bit longer...

Ah, yes!  She's remembering...   

she's turning to walk away.... 

Ah, my precious, you are almost mine ~

transforming into stealth mode now...

Ah, my precious... Almost mine at last...

Almost... not quite!  

My Everything

By The Sampler Girl

Stitched with Tulip Belle Soie Silks

on Cashel Vintage Country Mocha

Finished in February 2011

Stitched for my beloved Chief Inspector...

And just because I love this one so much... another photo of this lovely design by the wonderfully, talented ladies, Barb and Alma... I dearly love, love, love everything by Blackbird Designs...

Heart in Bloom...

By Blackbird Designs

From A Stitcher's Journey

Stitched on Cashel R & R Espresso Linen

I changed the colour palette...

Finished May 2011

Heart in Bloom

By Blackbird Designs...

with Mr Darcy

Stitched for my beloved Chief Inspector...

Plumpkin...

by Lizzie*Kate

Stitched with Overdyed, Kreinik and DMC Threads

On Cashel Vintage Country Mocha

Finished October 2011

I think I may have a couple of other finishes tucked away in a drawer... but they will keep until another time... And shhh... I dare not even mention the WIPs and UFOs...  I do declare, there are far, far too many and I really must get busy with my needle... and since I got my new Spectacles a few weeks ago ~ many thanks to my darling, Chief Inspector ~ I can finally see what I am stitching, I seem to get a lot more accomplished!  I can not believe Christmas is nigh upon us and I have so many ornaments I need to stitch... 

And I just have to show a photo of my most current WIP and it is what I am stitching now ~ I first saw this darling design over on  Siobhan's  blog and you know I just had to start stitching it... It is so me, and reminds me of my sojourn in the Dark Forest... And yes, I do dance with squirrels whene're it strikes my Fancey...  I was hoping to finish by Halloween... alas, me thinks not... Oh, well... Not to worry, for I am sure this one will hang in my home all the year 'round...  It makes me smile...  

Fancey Blackett ~ The Harvest Dance

by Pineberry Lane

Stitched with DMC and Hickory Sticks CC Threads

on Cashel R & R Dark Cappuccino

And I could not blog without posting a photo of my sweet precious Angels... this was taken in August and is one of the most recent I have of them all together... Catalina, poor wee sweetpea had been crying and sweet pumpkin' Caleb was busy eating and sweet "Wee Willie" Benjamin just thought it was all so funny...

Jamie with Sweet "Wee Willie" Benjamin,

 Sweetpea Catalina and Pumpkin Caleb with Brandy...

And later, if I don't disappear into the Dark Forest yet again, I hope to share with you some adventures of late... all the grandchildren's birthdays... my wee Jamie's romantic wedding by the seashore... a trip back into the days of yore at the Renaissance Faire... a Safari at the Zoo... just to mention a few... and then, whatever dreams may come along the way...

Hopefully, I will continue along this long and winding road out of the shadows and back into the light... as long as there is love... and family... and friends...  wee shafts of sunlight filtering through the Dark Forest... precious rays of golden inspiration leading me ever towards the light and the road back home...

I finally had this one framed a while back...

And indeed, stitching is a sweet comfort to the soul... 

I am sorry I have rambled on and on for such a long, long time... Thank you for visiting my dear readers and friends... may your days be Blessed and filled with love, joy and peace...

My soul is fed with needle and thread... 

Blessings always in stitches...

Lizzy
xox

I am thankful for precious moments... precious grandchildren and children... dear sweet friendships... sunshine through the shadows... and my precious and everlasting true love, my Chief Inspector...

A Mother's Blessings...

"More Beautiful than all the flowers that blossom is the heart of a loving mother..."

Lovely Mother's Day flowers

 from my daughter Brandy

 and son-in-law Nick and wee grandson Caleb...

I hope all Mother's had a Lovely and Blessed Mother's Day... 

My beautiful children and grandchildren...

 My wee ones... when they were wee ones...

And then they were adults...

Elisha ~ Jamie and Brandy

engaged and beginning beautiful journeys with their beloveds...

Brandy and Nick

{one of their engagement photos ~ 2008}



and me with my not so wee ones

at Brandy's wedding in June of 2008...

 where does the time go???

Jamie and Danielle

One of their engagement photos...

wedding will be this year 30 September 2011

{I will post more later... they are all gorgeous!}

Elisha and Heather ... 

With wee babes of their own...

Brandy and wee Caleb...

Elisha with Catalina and

wee Jamie with Benjamin "wee Willie"...



Jamie and Danielle

and Precious Angel Benjamin "Wee Willie"...

My Precious Angels ~ Catalina and Caleb...

Precious Caleb hunts for eggs with the Easter Bunny...

Precious Catalina... sweet blossom in the garden...

My wee Jamie with my dear Momma, Onnie...

These are just a few of a Mother's wonderful blessings... and I thank God for them everyday...

And just to show y'all I have been stitching... here's a wee something I finished the other day...

Blackbird Designs ~ Heart in Bloom

from A Stitcher's Journey...

Cashel R & R Espresso

I changed the colour palette...

and of course Mr Darcy had to be in the photo...

and in closing a beautiful Blessing for Mothers and everyone else... 

Thank you for your continued visits... your kind words are ever blessings and sunshine through the rain... 

Blessings always in stitches...

Lizzy

I am thankful for precious moments and precious memories ~ a mother's gifts ~ children and grandchildren and mothers ~ and sweet Love Eternal...

For Auld Lang Syne...

It's been a long, long while my friends... and as the Olde Year fades gracefully into the New... I wanted to wish you all a Blessed and Joyous New Year filled with love... peace and contentment... prosperity... good health and good cheer... and a treasure trove of wonderfully glorious stitchy stash...

Quite a lot has happened in my life since my last post... I have been ill for a while and was in hospital... TIA's and such health related issues and heart-related issues... And then was laid off my job... Suffice it to say, it has been a year I do not mind leaving behind in the least... Of course with the exception of the precious blessings that were my gifts...  I have been lurking quietly in the shadows of your blogs for these long months... admiring all your lovelies and oohhing and ahhhing from afar...  I do hope to blog more frequently with the New Year and when I visit your blogs actually leave comments again rather than slipping quietly away without so much as a fare-thee-well... Oh, my... such long, long months it has been... and beginning again can be quite daunting to say the least and while I cannot hope to catch up in one post... I would like to share a wee bit of my life and loves with you... with the promise of more to come with the New Year...

And what better place to begin than with my grandchildren... "Grandchildren did you say... as in plural?  As in more than one grandchild?" When I last blogged my dears, it was just after the birth of my sweet and precious grandson, Wee Willie...  My only grandchild at the time...  Fast forward to July of 2010 and Voila! Two more wee ones joined my family...  Ah yes... I now have three wonderful and precious grandchildren whom I adore and cherish more and more with each day that passes... Thus without further ado... my story of the last year or so in photos...  My daughter, Brandy and son-in-law Nick's sweet son... and my precious wee grandson, Caleb Nicholas... 

Wee Caleb Nicholas

14 July 2010

And his wee precious cousin... Catalina Zoe... aka Rapunzel... her Mimi's pet name for her... ;)  I did try ever so sweetly to convince my son, Elisha that it would be wonderful if Rapunzel was her middle name and even suggested they could give her two middle names... thus still using Zoe...  Alas... he paid me no heed!  May I introduce my son, Elisha and my future daughter-in-law Heather's daughter and my precious wee granddaughter,  sweet Catalina Zoe 'Rapunzel'...  She was a preemie... born five weeks early... she and wee Caleb are just two weeks apart...

Wee Catalina Zoe...

'Rapunzel...'

27 July 2010

Catalina with her Daddy...

8 August 2010

And the two sweethearts with Mimi just before Halloween... They both got to stay with me that evening while their parents were at Elisha's 30th Birthday Party...

My Precious...

Wee Caleb and Wee Catalina 'Rapunzel'

with Mimi Lizzy ~ 23 October 2010

Brandy, Nick and wee precious Caleb...

Elisha and his fiancee, Heather...

Wee Precious Catalina and her Daddy...

Trick or Treat...

it's Superbaby Caleb...

Superbaby Caleb and his Mommy, Brandy...

Zooming by to Trick or Treat at Mimi's...

Wee lamb Catalina... 'Rapunzel'

Trick or Treating at Mimi's...

Honey of an afternoon
with Mimi and Pooh Bear...

Precious wee Caleb...

cozy afternoon with Mimi...

2 December 2010

Precious wee Catalina...

Cozy afternoon with Mimi...

2 December 2010

Wee Jamie, Danielle and sweet Benjamin moved to Winterville in  August of 2009... Their absence tugs at the heartstrings and I miss them more keenly than words can say... My precious Benjamin ~ aka 'Wee Willie' to his Mimi ~ turned one year old on the 30th of June 2010...   

 Happy first birthday

precious Benjamin William...

Wee Willie at Halloween...

31 October 2010...

Trick or Treating with his Daddy...

Sweet Benjamin 'Wee Willie'...

Christmas 2010...

Benjamin 'Wee Willie' with Santa...

Jamie, Danielle and Benjamin 'Wee Willie'...

Christmas 2010...

Wee Caleb with Santa...

Precious wee Christmas Elf...

Christmas at Mimi's...

Brandy with wee Caleb...

Christmas at Mimi's...

Heather with wee Catalina...

Oh and did I mention she is a redhead?  ;)

Sweet Catalina laughing with Mimi...

Lovely Christmas Card...

Mr Darcy enjoying the Christmas snow...

Whew... My goodness... but I do hope I have not bored you all to tears with all my 'catching up'... In truth it is but a wee sprinkling of sand in the hour glass of time... just a few wee chapters of my story in pictures... I will return with more of my journey in a few days... and this time I promise more of a stitchy 'catch up'...  And as I cannot bid you adieu and Happy New Year without at least a couple of stitching photos... I will leave you with a photo of my Christmas Day new stitch and my New Year's Day stitchy beginning... I had every intention of taking a photo of my progress on my Christmas Day project... alas, time slipped away and I forgot and it is the wee hours of the morning now and I'm sure you all are tired... it will keep until next time...

My Christmas Day stitching project and a much loved Christmas gift from my heart...

Carriage House Samplings...

Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow...

28ct Vintage Examplar by Lakeside Linen...

with NPI silks...

and Gandalf the Grey taking a wee cat nap...

My New Year's Day new stitching project is Blackbird Designs ~ Anniversaries of the Heart... I am going to stitch them all on one piece of linen... Wish me luck, my dears... that's two new BAP's... Yes, I have lost my mind... {what wee bit I had left...} The Blackbird Designs Yahoo group also started a New Year's  Anniversaries of the Heart SAL at the New Year...

 Blackbird Designs...

Anniversaries of the Heart

Snow Garden... 

28 ct R&R Iced Cappuccino Linen

with Gentle Art Sampler Threads

and Weeks Dye Works Threads...

 

 Ring Out, Wild Bells

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

~ 1850 ~

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

 Auld Lang Syne

Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We'll take a cup o' kindness yet

For auld lang syne...

Wishing you all Love, Joy, Peace, Health and many Blessings and lots of stitchy stash in the New Year...

Thank you all for stopping by and leaving your inspiring words of cheer and good will... they are ever a beacon...

Blessings always in stitches...



Lizzy
xox

I am thankful for precious moments and precious memories... precious children and grandchildren... Love and friendship... Christmas and Blessings... and a New Year and New Beginnings...