Witch Hazel's Cottage- A Halloween House Freebie

Do come in, my Pretties and join me for a spell! Cackle! Cackle! 

Witch Hazel McPunkin has a brew of "something" boiling up in her large black  cauldron. I am sure she is willing to share a bit of the ghoulish gruel if we so dare. 

Welcome, Sweet Peas and Happy Happy Thursday. It seems like it has been a spell since our last visit.  Doesn't it? 

All is well in the holler. I have been busy with my own broom and duster giving the house a good "fall cleaning" . 

Meanwhile, Witch Hazel has been doing the same thing- Sweeping away.  Whisp! Whisp! Whisp! 

Witch Hazel's Cottage is stitched on  coffee/ tea dyed 14 count Aida. 

Witch Hazel McPunkin's Cottage is the newest addition to my "house collection" . A grand purple cottage- just perfect for a good witch. 

Witch Hazel has a full house with ghosts and all of her pets like an owl , bats and of course Minerva , her beloved, prowling black cat. 

Sixteen DMC floss colors were used in the making of Witch Hazel's Cottage including: DMC Blanc, 301 , 436, 610, 645, 730, 780, 832, 838, 922, 975, 3021, 3041, 3052, 3371, and 3835. 

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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My favorite witch of all times is Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched.

Do you have a favorite witchy poo?

Graphic from Pinterest

Witch Hazel insisted that I share my slow stitch progress on Autumn Acorn.  The embroidery work is  completed  . I shared this little doodle earlier this fall .

 I decided to applique  the acorn and then embroider the details using DMC 898. Soon Autumn Acorn will go into the hoop. 

Well my friends, I best get back to the cleaning detail. There is laundry to be folded  and dust bunnies to shoo away.  I wish I could say "Hocus Pocus" and all would be magically clean and put away. Oh well. 😏 Perhaps by this afternoon, I can spend some time with needle and thread. 

So tell me how has your week been thus far? 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for  our wits to grow sharper.  "- Eden Phillpots

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy  who made the Halloween season magical. 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

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A Little Bit of Junk and a Little Quilt

"Honey, now don't go all crazy on me, " said Mr. Pinker as he began to direct me down an aisle at the thrift store. " I want to show you something, but again don't go all crazy." 

Then Mr. Pinker pointed to a shelf filled to the brim with Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco tins.  "Eeeh" I squealed in glee as I began to spin around! "Jackpot" . I then looked at the price $1.00. " Wowzer! Double jackpot!  "   

Mr. Pinker smiled and walked away knowing that I would get a couple . Well I got more than a couple, but I left the majority of the tins there. When I got home, I began to decorate with them.

I have decorated with tobacco related items for years. Many of y'all may remember that I grew up and worked on a tobacco farm. My main job was planting and helping hang the tobacco. 

As a kid, I was a climber ( well, I still am) , but I would climb the poles of the barn . The staked burley tobacco would be handed up to me to hang on the poles for drying. This was usually done in August when it was hot and steamy. 

The top level of the tobacco barn . The poles are from the farm and were hand hewn by dad. 

I shared a tour of the tobacco barns and the story of the Tobacco Grower quilt in April of 2023. 

Over the years I have collected tobacco related tools from the farm and from the  warehouses where the tobacco was sold. 

This small collection of tobacco related items are pieces from my grandparents, like Papa's pipes, matches  and pipe cleaners. Little rusty treasures from my sister have also made it in the display along with our neighbor's pipe collection.  I think the Sir Walter Raleigh tins fit perfectly with the rusty crusties. 

 But the Sir Walter Raleigh tins were not my only thrift finds of the day. I came home with a few more treasures which I will show you in future posts. 

I also purchased a large wooden hutch and a wicker rocking chair which I will show later. 

Since I am on a tobacco related post, I am chomping at the bits to show you my latest little quilt finish called "Matchsticks" . 

Matchsticks is made up of lots of little strips and scraps that I have saved from previous projects. It was time to do something with them. 

"Matchsticks" is made up of 25 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"(unfinished)  scraps and 4 - 2 1/2" x 20 1/2" ( unfinished ) neutral strips.

I used many of these fabrics in Melva's Little House on the Prairie Sew Along. 

 

Matchsticks measures 18"x 20 "( finished) 

Doesn't Matchsticks pair perfectly with my vintage tobacco related collection? I know this junk is not for all, but it is just my style.  I like things old , rusty, crusty and filled with character. 

Sweeties, I guess I have jabbered enough today. Thank you so much for taking the time to see my clutter and my newest little quilt. Now I am ready to work on another.  I am going to try to be a good girl and avoid the thrift stores this weekend. Hee! Hee! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"A collector's heart is filled with many  fond memories .  "- unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy  who was my thirfting buddy. I miss our chats and sharing our thirfty finds.

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

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Witches, Pilgrims and Thrifty Finds

 What's going on in the holler today? Well, a little bit of this and that and a whole lot of nothing! LOL. 😀😏

Oh bother, here comes Miss Witch Hazel McPumpkin, sweeping up a storm when she should be working on her cottage. Cackle! Cackle! 

 

Please forgive her green complexion . She had a bad bowl of toadstool soup, but she will be fine and dandy come Halloween time. 

I work on Halloween stitches on Wednesdays for at least 15 minutes. 

Pickings have been slim at the thrift stores lately , but over the last few weeks I have added 2 stinkin' cute Halloween jack- o- lantern mugs for my small collection.

2 thrifty Halloween mugs to add to my collection

Hmmm... what else can I show you? Well,  I am making progress on Susannah's dress in Celebrate the Harvest , a new design I am working on. 

On Thursdays I work on Thanksgiving stitches. 

I found this turkey planter the other day at the thrift store for $1. 27. Gobble ! Gobble! 

And... I am ready to sew down the binding on Little Red Four Patch .

I guess there is a few things going on in the holler today. 

So ... What are you working on today? 

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"Wednesday : it's almost, sorta, kinda, close to,just about , nearly the weekend .  " - unknown.

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo. 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

More sidewalk chalk artwork from my grandson

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Four Patches and a Tomato Freebie

Over the last few days, I have been thumbing through a new cookbook. I know. I know . It is much easier and quicker to look up recipes on the Internet, but I do enjoy looking at a good ole' cookbook from time to time,  especially when it is a vintage one.🤗

Last week,  I picked up this cookbook called  Favorite Mormon Recipes Casseroles Edition  for a mere 50 cents.

 It was published in 1962 and is choked full with not only casserole recipes but breads and sweets as well. The original owner placed check marks beside favorite recipes. Perhaps she prepared them or was going  to in the future. 

 I found several recipes that caught my eye. 

FRESH TOMATO CASSEROLE

6 tomatoes ,sliced

1/2 tsp. of salt

1/8 tsp. of pepper

1/2 tsp. of celery salt

1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup on onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups of crushed potato chips

DIRECTIONS : Place half of the tomato slices in a casserole dish; sprinkle with half of the seasonings. Top with half of the cheese and onion slices; repeat layers. Cover with crushed potato chips. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

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I am sure I will find more yummies to prepare as I continue looking through this wonderful cookbook. 

The other day, I finished a A Basket of Pincushions 

into a a little pin pillow. The trim is yarn that I simply twisted and tacked  along the seams.

  

Since I finished one tomato stitch, it is time to start a new one( Hmmm ... Should that be my new rule for Spring and Summer stitching? Maybe. Hee! Hee!)

I am working on a simple stitch called "Tomatoes" . If you are interested in stitching it, just snatch the charts below . This is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN COLORS chart. I will certainly update this post as I decide on the colors. At this point , these are my thoughts on what colors I am going to use --

POSSIBLE FLOSS COLORS:

WORDS: DMC 3371

TOMATOES: 815 & 895

SPOOLS: 840 (wooden spool) 931 and 782 (threads)

NEEDLE and PINS- 413

DOOHICKEYS ( bottom border) 931

If I change my mind on the colors, I will let you know, but again choose whatever colors make your heart sing.  

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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UPDATE: August 10 , 2026: I fully finished Tomatoes into a pin pillow using bits of cloth and crocheted ribbon as a trim along the seam. Easy Peasy! 

A few weeks ago I told you about 9  four patches that I found sitting sad and forlorn in the "Quilt Nest. "   "Work on us?" they replied as I passed by. Gently , I scooped them up and went to the task at hand. 

The four patches were made up of 1 1/2" squares ( unfinished). 

 I added 2 1/2" squares and strips (unfinished). 

It was not long before I added the borders which measured 3 1/2" wide (unfinished). The little four patches were quite gleeful to be made into a wee quilt. 

Today this little quilt will go into a hoop. 

Do you like to make little quilts? If so,  do you decorate with them? 

In the works: "Where the Strawberries Grow" 

Oh gosh, I have been chatting your ears off. Please do forgive me. I know you have  much to  do, and I do not want to keep you too long . I so appreciate that you stopped by to visit me today. If you are in the neighborhood tomorrow , please stop by. We can enjoy some coffee as we chat about Summer stitching and a little bit of this and that.  I wish you the most delightful day!

I will be decorating with strawberries today. 

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"The fabric may fade, but the memories stitched within will last a lifetime. .  " - unknown.

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo. 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

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