Strawberry Fields Forever Cross Stitch, German Shepherd and Dalmatian Love

I received my Confederate gray cloth, 32 count and I don't think it is the right shade of gray for this project. Drats!  If you'll remember in my photo of Strawberry Fields Forever, the background cloth looks almost cream to me.  Doesn't it look light or cream to you?

 I've looked through many finished versions of this project on the internet and all of them look much lighter than this material which is actually a light black (don't think there is such a colour, but if there were, this would be it).

This cloth is so dark I don't think the floss colours would show up very well at all.  I won't be trying to use this though it is a nice piece of cloth.  I'll save it for a design with a lot of light coloured threads.  Meanwhile I'm casting about looking for a lighter colour of 32 count that would be appropriate.
  Just look at that tight weave- still have my self-doubts.  Going to take some positive self-talk to overcome them and tackle stitching on such an even weave fabric.

In that same package (combining shipping costs) I'd ordered a pattern I've admired for a while.  Swirling Flowers by Rosewood Manor.  The same thread count material in antique white linen and the Weeks Dye Works threads are so pretty.   I've had to hold myself off from starting this as I'm standing firm that Strawberry Fields will be started first.

Someone asked about Rex and Murphy.  They are doing fine and spend most of their days hanging around on the back deck and patios.  They do have a very large fenced area there but mostly stay near the house and keep an eye out for one of us.  They seem very needy of our attention and I suppose we have spoiled them in that way. Lately we've fallen into the routine of taking them on two lengthy walks a day.  Hubby takes them first thing in the morning down the woods trail I showed you and I take them around the grassy trail before supper. We do think they have adjusted well to the new house and surroundings.  We've not taken them back to the old property; we wonder what they would do if we did.

I'd mentioned the dog paraphernalia we have.  Here are a couple of pretty porcelain pieces.  Hubby has had three German Shepherd dogs up to now.  Rex is the fiercest with visitors which is probably due to his early guard dog training in his first life.

We still think of Lacie, the dalmatian, a lot.  When packing for the move, I had to wash her old coat so naturally I remembered various things about her.  Sadly I never knew her as the elegant, graceful dog Hubby knew.  By the time we met, she was very elderly and coping with old age in a quiet sweet manner.  You can read my post Good Bye To Lacie  about how sad it was for Hubby to finally let her go.  He still cannot mention the simplest memory of her without tears forming. Of the three dalmatians he has owned, I think he is extra sentimental about her because she was the only of his dogs that he knew as a puppy; she was not a rescue.  

So what are your weekend plans?
 Hubby is getting his brand new wood splitter tomorrow and is very happy about that. I see wood stacking in my near future. Smile
 And  I am hoping Michaels will finally have on hand that cloth and I will (gulp) make a start on Strawberry Fields.  Wish me luck.
I have three more little autumn blocks prepped for appliqueing so hand stitching will be in my weekend one way or another.

A photo I took from Daughter's back deck last Tuesday.  Their trees were just beginning the wonderful colourful changes  that are autumn's most splendid marker here in Canada.

Hope there is something colourful in your weekend too!