The Big Chill

      Since I last posted we've had one major snow fall and one blizzard that nearly brought the state of Iowa to a standstill. The poor folks along the Eastern seaboard are currently dealing with the storm. Our temperatures have plummeted to the negative digits and the wind chills have registered at -20 to -30 below zero the past few days. It's supposed to reach a high of 20 tomorrow... it will seem like a heat wave.

       A major snowfall is always a challenge for stubby legged dogs like my Emma and Owen. The first order of business was digging a path from the back door to the garage so they could 'take care of business'.

 

       Since the weather has been so frightful I've spent many happy hours in my stitching chair. I finished Scarlet's Christmas Sampler.

 Scarlet's Christmas Sampler

Chessie & Me

Lakeside Linen - 36 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley

GAST Limited Edition 

        The minute I saw the A&E sampler in the latest issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly I couldn't wait the put needle to linen. 

 1836 Mary Hannah Gipson Sampler

Reproduced by Ruth Ann Russell of C Street Samplerworks

PTP - 40 ct Heritage

GAST & DMC

      I was sorting through my basket of charts and kits to determine which one would be my New Year start. I decided on The Scarlet Letter - Jane Atkinson since I had the chart, silks and linen already purchased. It was laying on my dinning room table and it kept calling to me. I decided rather than wait until January 1st I would begin a new tradition of starting a new project on my birthday. So, a little over a week ago I put the first stitches in this beautiful A&E sampler.

 Jane Atkinson

The Scarlet Letter

Silkweaver - 36 ct. Sandcastle

AVAS

Photo from The Scarlet Letter's website.

The bright floral border has helped ease the dreary gray winter days.

      I adore Adam & Eve samplers. I've reserved one wall in my dinning/living room for my stitched A&E sampler collection. There are only six samplers framed and hanging on my wall. I've completed two more samplers and they are waiting to be framed. I won't even admit to how many A&E samplers I have in my 'to be stitched' collection. 

     For those of you who are as passionate as I am about A&E samplers please check out Paulette's latest blog entry, Inspired, and feast your eyes on all those lovely samplers. Darlene is my hero!

     Emma and Owen can hardly wait until Christmas morning to see what Santa has brought for them this year. They're already keeping watch...

Keep warm, keep stitching and play nice... you don't want to find coal in your stocking come Christmas morning.