Red House Sampler

is now finished. I survived the border, but I did leave a little of it off. It's only missing a few spaced stitches by the leaves. I'm happy with it this way. It was stitched with a combination of HDF and NPI silks, on 40ct. vintage Meadow Rue by Lakeside Linen. I'm not sure what I'll do next. I've been working on Quaker Christmas by Carriage House Samplings on and off, and it would be nice to have it done for THIS season. Last year at this time, I promised myself that I would stitch a small sampler ornament each month until I had enough for a small fir tree. Didn't happen. I did manage to stitch four or five, and they need the finishing done, which is not my favorite part. Maybe if I get at least one or two done, I can have a Charlie Brown tree!

Answers for...

Glenna, who just cracks me up. She asks lots and lots of questions. So, this post is for her.

Question #1

Here is the sampler you asked for a close up of. It's by Carriage House Samplings. Second one in from right, right?
Question #2

This is stenciling that I did three quarters of the way up in the master bedroom. I know it sort of looks like wallpaper, but it's not.

More stenciling. This is from the guest bathroom. It's hard to photograph with the mirrors. It's about to get a makeover. I'll try to take pictures then, but for now thought I'd include it.

Question #3

The walls are all painted a warm color that matches an old tan salt-glazed crock. I had it color mixed from a crock. Really, I did. Unfortunately, the walls look greenish in some photos, but it's really not green at all. Let me know if I left out anything, will you, Glenna?

Many, many thanks to you that left me such lovely comments on the last post. I appreciate them, and I love hearing from you. Lastly, I've spent the entire morning labeling the samplers in my stitching album. It was long over due. I have no idea why I didn't do it in the first place. Many times I get asked about a particular one that I've done. For the most part, I could remember the details, but a couple were stitched long ago. If you double click on "This stitchers work" to the right, you'll get to the album.
Have a great weekend and happy stitching!

Around the house, part two

It's a fact. We're all voyeurs, I think. I love seeing how others live, and especially how they decorate and furnish their homes. I also enjoy sharing some of my favorite things, so here's another look around the house:

A view from the dining room looking into the kitchen. I love decorating for the holidays. Before long, the pumpkins and gourds will be replaced with evergreen. The witches hat chandelier is a fun place to drape berries and vines.

Although it's not an antique, I treasure this table. I searched high and low for a farmhouse table that looked old but was still functional. Everything I liked was too big for the space or it was in the Midwest. How would I get it to AZ? I came across a really big coffee table that was the perfect size. My husband cut the top off and added the new legs. I love the look of pine with the black Windsor chairs. Also in the dining room is a possum belly table. The bins were once used to hold staples such as flour. Whoever owned it before me painted the galvanized tin a hideous shiny gold color. Once again my husband came to the rescue and was able to strip the gold off. It looks much better, believe me.

The clock was a gift and it needs repairing. Someone got a little too carried away with the winding. Someday, I'll make the effort to have it fixed, but for now I enjoy it in the hallway. As you can see, I've started filling the wall with samplers.

This is in the entryway. I use it to store some of my stitching stash.
Okay, I feel sort of weird showing you where I sleep. So, forget about that and just look at the bed. I have wanted a canopy or four poster bed for my entire life. Several years ago, my husband made this for me almost entirely by hand. It took a lot of work to get the pencil posts just right. He then matched the color perfectly with the dressers and armour. The bed's pretty high off the ground and I still think about hanging a canopy eventually. He's a keeper...my husband, this is.The salt-glazed Noah's Arc is another favorite thing. It was a birthday gift many, many years ago. Thanks for stopping by.

Red House Sampler update

All that's left is the date and my initials, and the border, of course. I tried to take Glenna's advice and work on and off on the border. Couldn't stick with it for long, so now I have no choice but to finish it. My favorite part has been stitching the row of bunnies and moose, two of my favorite animals. As always, I'm anxious for it to be completed. Anticipation of what to stitch next has been consuming me. I have a couple of samplers that I want to do for a guest bathroom redo. They involve ships and are very colonial.
Thanks to you that left such lovely comments on the previous post. Glad you could take a small tour of The Scarlett House. It's been suggested that I do a part two. I may just do that.

Around the house

When I created this second blog, my intent was to post about my stitching, of course, but also occasionally about antiques and decorating. For me, the three are infinitely entwined. Some people, my children in particular, think that by surrounding myself with antiques, I somehow am living in the past. And that's a bad thing? For as long as I can remember, I have loved the simplicity and warmth of this style. I shudder when it's categorized as "country", but I can't define it any better. Modern colonial, maybe? I could no more live in a contemporary style home than a man in the moon. It's just not who I am, or what makes me happy. Today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things.

Salt-glazed crocks. Who'd have thought that something so

utilitarian could become so treasured?

My spinning wheel, a gift from my friend, Cindy, who is no longer with us. I think of her every time I walk by it, and to me it's priceless. It is also a favorite with my Grandson, Kai. He just loves spinning that wheel.

What once held pies to cool, now is jammed packed with holiday decorations.

It's really quite a mess inside, but we won't go there.

Windsor chairs are my favorite. I paid $67.00 for this way back when. An odd amount, I took it in exchange of cash to settle a phone bill. I get pretty nervous if anyone tries to sit in it. Not very practical, I know.I rescued this big boy from a back room of a body shop. It was filthy, covered in grease and grime, and was being used to hold a car engine. I got the tip that this guy was willing to sell it, so I made my way to a not so nice part of town. It was worth the trip. It's solid wood, and it took four college guys to deliver it. It took me months of planing and sanding to get it to look like this. It sits now where an island used to be. I could never part with it.


On top of the butcher block, sits a bowl full of flat-backed cookie cutters. I have more in a glass jar on the counter. These are some of my favorite things to collect. I always look for unusual shapes, and particularly birds and animals.

I couldn't leave out the butter churns. I don't have any plans to make butter, but it's nice to know that I could. Again, it's the love of salt glazed pottery.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the tour.