I can't believe I actually finished it!

Yes, indeed I did! I finished it all by myself. I simply can't believe that I not only finished stitching this piece but did a decent job finishing it into an ort box. This is Just Nan's TrickorTreat Box, a specialty design she did for the Silver Needle cross stitch shop. Isn't it cute? It's done on linen stitched with lovely spooky shades of silks, a bit of sparkly metallics and finished with two really cute charms.

Here you can see the side with the witch in her striped leggings and a pumpkin with a bat hat. A witches hat charm is the closer. (don't mind the price tag on the candle holder I used to prop up the piece--sorry, I didn't notice the tag until after I uploaded the picture.)

This was my favorite side to stitch. I just loved the pumpkin with the mask, and the spider sitting on his head.

Isn't that cat in front of the moon cool? Spooky? And the ghost holding the monster head? And the bat? Yes, I do love Halloween. This is the back of the piece.

Here is the box open, and you can just barely see the witch hat and the copper moon charms. The witches hat is on a stretchy ribbon and fits over the moon to keep the box closed. But, do you know what's hiding inside?

A pumpkin shaped pincushion. I thought it was a cute idea, and I'm very glad to have this finished. But I will need to keep a close watch on this piece, my eldest son has 'dibs' on all my Halloween stitchings. I'm not sure what he would do with this, but he's been watching my progress with keen eyes.

All in all, I'm happy with my finishing on this. It's not perfect, by any means but I'm still learning all these new and different options besides framing.

In my last post, (which was over a month ago, so sorry but its been a long 30 days) I said that I had planned on stitching another Little House Needlework piece. Isn't this pretty? While I was stitching it, Indiana was having spring weather, balmy and almost summer like. Mid to high 70's. This piece was so soothing to work on--oh, and it's the one that I had to frog the entire left side border. Okay, so the frogging was NOT soothing, but the stitching and restitching was. This is Strawberry House, one of the All Dolled Up series.

I had planned this next one as a welcome to colder weather but that didn't happen. The piece got stitched but I'll always think of being too warm while it was being stitched. This is Holly and Berries by Little House Needleworks. It's a very simple piece but charming in its simplicity. It makes me think of stitching by the fire, with the snow swirling around outside.

Okay, so I guess I need to explain why this past 30 days seemed so long. Hubby was home for nearly three weeks of it. Yup the truck needed fixing, the company didn't want to give him back any of his escrow money to do it so he sold some junk (recycled metal) to buy parts, and then quit his job. Like I said, it was a long 30 days. (He's now working on his second run for a new company after a three day orientation to learn how this company wants their paperwork done.) I had more than two weeks of him coming in with black and greasy hands, bottles of anti-freeze and oil thrown all over our front yard, and the garage light left on for hours at a time. Unless you know big trucks, you'd never believe how much oil and anti-freeze those monster vehicles take.

I have started a new project a few days ago, Little House Needleworks, The Angels Sang. Haven't gotten too far on it yet, but after the month I've had, I needed a new project. Time for me to get back to it. May all your stitches be soothing, and in the right places.