The Stockyard in Fort Worth

After the Stitch Niche we headed to Fort Worth and the Stockyard.  

We missed the cattle drive through town. 

I’m sure it was a lot earlier than we got there.

The first thing we saw though was a steer. 

Don’t know if this is the classic Texas Longhorn but, pretty doggone close.

 We were in the area of the Stockyard that is pretty much touristy.

The building and the cobblestones were pretty cool looking, hard to walk on though.

There are stage coach rides.  

The little kids were loving it.  

You can have your picture taken with the steers.  

There was a group of people laughing about having a picture took.  

One of the guys said, "Look!  There's another one!"

I said, "Be careful.  His name is Diablo."  There guys were practically comatose.  

The handlers were careful of  the horns.  

The rodeo museum.  

Not a great picture since I was facing the sun.  

I just thought the building was cool.  

The weather was amazing...78 degrees.

A welcomed break from winter!

Across from the gambling parlor was the Stockyard Hotel.  

The doorman opened the door for us.  

Before we went in, I asked if it was okay.  

Then I asked the desk clerk if it was okay to take pictures  

It was like walking into the 1890's or so.  

Found they had a restaurant.  

The floor had to be the original.  

Sheet metal repairs and big old nails in the boards  

I loved the buffalo heads.  

The menu cover was leather

Were they smoked and grilled meat.  

We were having more barbeque that night so Bob had Grilled Rainbow Trout.  

I had a Chicken BLT wrap with a jalapeno sauce that was really good!

Stuffed Hog

Some of the artwork.  

Loved this painting!

So remember the earlier picture of the buffalo heads.  

This was the other side of the wall.  

Took a little walk up the street.  

Stepped into Maverick Fine Westernware  

Anything in Western Couture.  

Boots, Hats, Jackets. Bolo ties and neck kerchiefs.

It was all very interesting.  

The wedding was a lot of fun.  

The Bride was beautiful.  

My pictures of the wedding just didn't turn out.  

It was great to see family and friends.  

 February 13

 February 24.  

And now for the latest in weather...it SUCKS!

Good news, we didn't get the 8-12" forecasted.  

We actually only got about 5-6".  

Now the temperature is dropping and the wind is wicked.

Its blowing snow around.  

We also aren't in the Blizzard area.  

About 2/3's of the Upper Pennisula is under a Blizzard warning.  

Roads are closed.  

Schools are closed tomorrow, including our school district.  

The snow banks at the end of our driveway are seven feet high.  

There isn't too many areas to go with the snow.  

Marquette has had 200" of snow with a 53" snow cover...what is on the ground and hasn't melted. 

My first #stitch9challenge 

With Thy Needle and Thread:  Forget-Me-Knot

That about sums it up.  

Hope the weather is better where you are!

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

Cross Stitch Travels

We just got back from Dallas for another family wedding.  

This time we went to a cross stitch store.  

I did a little research on line and then posted on a few FB pages fore recommendations

Two popped up: Creative Stitches and Stitch Niche.  

The recommendations were all favorable.  

I opted for the Stitch Niche because I felt it would be all cross stitch.  

Creative Stitches looked like it was more needlepoint.    

My wonderful husband found the why with GPS. 

I was not disappointed!

They had a lot of samplers stitched up. 

Many of them had been stitched by a man and he is an incredible stitcher!

She had a great assortment of fibers:  dmc, overdyes and silks.  

She also had a good selection of fabric.  

She had several Hands Across the Seas, Kathy Barrick, Scarlet Letter  and Scarlet House  patterns.  

Wall of Gloriana Silks.  

My husband said those aren't that bad, $8, until I pointed out with one of the patterns and the number of skeins needed, what the cost would be.

  I do love silk but, I have a little difficulty justifying the cost.  

Right above the Gloriana was Village Square Mary Allen Sampler by Samplers Remembered.  

I fell in love with this.

She didn't have it in stock but, is getting it for me.  

The front of the store.  

She had a lot of Little House, La D Da, Prairie Schooler and more than I can remember.  

Plum Street, Stacy Nash and Chessie and Me.  

Bob immediately found a "guy chair" and hung out.  

So the goodies I picked up.  

Nothing much here, just some floss I needed but, a needle minder

I think it is from a Heartsting Samplery:  "First I drink the coffee, then I do the things."

Some Shakespeare's Sampler

Jenny Beans Creation Sampler

The new series, Jenny Bean For The Parlor.  

It will be the same size as And They Sinned.  

I will need to get the next seven parts.  

I may have the Stitching Bee order the rest for me.  

I actually picked this Stacy Nash at the Bee on the way to Milwaukee because we flew out of there.  

We were able to get a direct flight.  

Mary Jane Smallman from Brenda Gervais.  

It is a reproduction sampler that is very sweet.  

I haven't seen this one before.  

Pineberry Lane Susanna Pratt.  

I have seen people working on this one.  

La-D-Da:  A Happy Life Sampler and Auspicious Hope.  

I really am a La-D-Da fan.  

They are usually a pretty quick stitch.  

Sometimes, I need some instant gratification.  

Will be posting more pictures from our trip.  

Buster is due for a hair cut.  

He is really shaggy right now, my favorite way.  

I think he is still so uber cute!

Katy refers to it as "Fluff with attitude."

I took his sweater off to wash it.  

He goes to the groomer and will need that sweater because it is his warmest one.  

We have another snow storm on the horizon for tomorrow, 3-5 inches, so not that bad.

We have more than enough.  It was in the '70's our first two days in Dallas and then dropped to the '50's.  

It still was better than here where this morning when I got up, it was -16.  

That about sums it up for now.  

I need to do some stitching.

Keep Stitching 

Monica

And Even More Weather

I think on Friday we were the coldest places in the contiguous United States.  

After the really cold weather of the previous week and the warm weekend, we had rain on Monday that turned to an ice storm.  

Parking lots were incredibly bad so, Bob took me to work. 

Then we got six inches of snow Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, so Bob took me to work on Wednesday.  

We live on a corner.  

As the snowplows plow and turn the corner, all the snow gets dumped at the bottom of our driveway.  

There was about two feet of snow at the end of the drive.  

It started snowing again Thursday afternoon and we got another six inches of snow.  

I told him I could drive myself to work since I was able to get out of the driveway before the snowplows came through.  

He came home early from work and got the driveway cleaned out before I got home.  

We got two or three more inches yesterday .  

The good thing is it light and fluffy.  

Henry after he's been out rooting around in the snow.  

There had been more snow on his muzzle before I was able to get the phone.  

 After Tuesday, I had to light the Christmas lights to see how the deer were buried.  

 The chimnea after the first snow storm.  

 We are suppose to get another snowstorm Tuesday into Wednesday that may accumulate to 7-10 inches

OUCH!

Spring better be early this year.  

The last couple of years, the early part of winter has been pretty mild and late spring has been when we have been hit by storms.  

It needs to get nice in March!  Just sayin!!

Since there isn't much else to do...haha

I've had some progress on Sarah.  

I nearly have the flower border done.  

There is a lot of satin stitching.  

There is a flower in the border that has a satin stitched center.  

I will try one but, if it doesn't lay nice, I may do something different.  

I have found if the satin stitch is too long it gets wavy.

You can't pull too hard otherwise that distorts the look.  

Even though it is a reproduction, I really don't care if I stay true to the design.  

Sorry the lighting isn't the best.  

Hope the weather is better where you are.

I'm not really complaining, Bob takes care of the snow, it's just a hassle getting out and about. 

It is a good excuse to cozy up and stitch!

Have a wonderful week!

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Now Comes the Ice

We have had very cold weather.

Our windows were in a constant state of  frost.  

Things started getting better on Friday, a high of 17 that day.  

Yesterday was really nice.  

Today not so great....not cold but, very damp.  

This morning it was foggy which means untreated sidewalks were slippery.  

It has gotten into the 30's today but, starting about 9 pm we are suppose to get freezing rain and ice.

Tomorrow's commute will probably be a nightmare.  

I just went and picked up my work computer so I can do a little work from at home but, that doesn't really amount to much.  

I will have the ability to make cancellations.  

With it being so cold last week I did get some knitting done.  

Last year I made a scarf out of some Rowan Thick n Thin yarn but, wasn't really very happy with the results .

I took it all apart and made it into a Mobius cowl and a beanie.  

I have never knitted in Mobius style and it was fun.  

Its done on really long circular needles.  

The needle is looped as you cast on so when you are done there is a twist in the piece.  

It only took about three hours to knit the cowl since it was a chunky yarn and about two hours for the beanie.  

My kind of project.  

I did decide to participate in the #stithc9challenge sponsered by the Midwest Stitchers.  

It took some time to figure out what I was going to do and it maybe ambitious.

Sarah Braizear 1829 from Hands Across the Seas Samplers

Autumn at Hawk Run.

Two panels left after the ghosts in the cemetery is complete.   

That shouldn't take two long.  

A La-D-Da freebie that is very small and do-able 

I've had this for several years and really want to do it but, something shiny always comes up.  

I have the basket for it too from Olde Colonial Designs.  

It was a finishing kit.  

I started this to take with me when I went to North Carolina a 2015.

I got a little started so it would have been easy to pick up but, worked something else.  

It is from Brenda Gervais and was a Market exclusive that year.  

Homespun Elegance Ferry Farm Cherry Sampler.  

It is based on pottery shards found at George Washington's Ferry Farm.  

It is a really cool little piece.  

I have the box to finish this Brenda Gervais piece too.  

I picked a different color box.  

I hope I like it just as much as the white box but figured the brownish orange finish matched my decor better.  

Blackbird Designs Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring.  

I just love this piece!

Sorry about the sideways picture.

Little House Needleworks Farmhouse Christmas that I'm going to start over as a bellpull on 36 count natural.  

I saw it stitched up that way and it was phenomenal!

The only one I'm not sure about being able to finish is Sarah Braizear but, you never know.  

I had some runner ups:  

I took this picture of a Solomon's Temple Sampler in North Carolina and when I saw it, 

"Hey, there was a sampler called this in Needlework and Antique Sampler Quarterly.  

I really want to do it sometime soon but, it is monumental!

 This is a really cute pinkeep and a quick stitch.  

I tried to mix in a few shorter term projects into the mix just to help maintain sanity. 

I will eventually get to this someday soon.  

I did finish Christmas Bells are Ringing.  

I thought about using that as one of my 9 but that might be cheating.  

I did get a pieced started and finished in January that on someone's flosstube (can't remember whose)

said that was something in French that m eant the year was going to successful or something like that.

Our son Ed is suppose to be going to D.C. for business.  

This is his first work trip and the first time he has flown since he was a little kid.  

He's a little nervous but, travelling with two other guys from work.  

This should be good for his self confidence.  

Hopefully, the weather won't be as bad as forecasted. a

Or hopefully REALLY bad enough to stay home.  

I could use another day to stitch :) .  

Hope the weather is good where you are and you  had a great weekend.  

Stay safe and warm.

Keep stitching

Monica