Creative Thread

Two Beautiful Exchanges Received

2009-11-08T16:24:00.011-05:00

I am so glad that I signed up for Becky’s Ornament Exchange; it is an ongoing exchange that runs for an entire year. My second ornament arrived from Donna this past Friday and I must say that it certainly made my day! I truly love the design and the finish on this one. I love how Donna tucked some tulle and adorable Christmas lights into the cone shaped ornament!

2009 Ornament Exchange from Donna

Thank you so much Donna, I can hardly wait to hang this beautiful ornament on our Christmas tree.
Here is the ornament that I stitched for Tracy:

2009 Ornament Exchange for Tracy

Designer: BBD

Design: Quaker Medallion Strawberry
From JCS 2006 Ornament Edition

After spending the entire weekend scrapbooking, I was glad to get home and feast my eyes on Cross Stitch. Waiting for me was a large envelope from Kerstin who was my partner in the final round of FTT Seasonal Fall Exchange. I was so excited when I opened the package and found all of this:

Kerstin stitched a fun design on some ginger type fabric then finished it into this great little pillow. She sent me two pieces of neat cross stitch fabric in my favorite fall colors, a large cut of cotton fabric that compliments the cross-stitch fabric perfectly, two skeins of hand dyes threads (such gorgeous colors) and two new patterns for my stash. What a way to finish this year long exchange with a very talented group of women. Thank you so much Kerstin for this amazing exchange, I love everything that you sent and I adore my new decorative pillow.

I must thank Cathy for organizing the FFT Seasonal Exchange and for inviting me into the group. It was one of my favorite exchanges and I feel so blessed to have received beautiful exchanges from four talented, generous and sweet women. Thank you to Kerstin, Brigitte, Moni and Gaby!

Here is the Exchange that I sent to Kerstin:

2009 Seasonal Exchange Fall for Kerstin

I must confess that I stole the finishing idea from Brigitte who sent me this beauty:

2009 Seasonal Exchange Winter from Brigitte

I do believe that I taxed my brain a bit too much this weekend trying to figure out color schemes and page layouts for my scrapbook. I am also feeling a bit sleep deprived so I must end now so that I can rest and maybe stitch a bit.

I will share a Scrapbook page with you before I end:

Have a great week~

Until next time...

Exchanges: One Down Four To Go

2009-11-04T20:19:00.011-05:00

Over the course of three years, I have participated in 80+ exchanges. I have never been late in mailing, and pride myself on always meeting my commitments. Fortunately, those assigned “my name” have been just as responsible. There have only been three individuals (I shall not mention names but shame on them) that failed to honor their commitment and have forever gone MIA. That averages only 1 per year so I cannot complain but I will never understand how people can receive an exchange and not send one.

Here is an exchange that I sent out over three weeks ago but I have yet to hear from the individual, she has not responded to my email, and I have not received her exchange so I must assume that she too will join the ranks of MIA.

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design: Trick or Treat

It is hard to believe that I only have 4 more exchanges this year! One of those is already packaged up and ready to mail, the other three need to be stitched. Maybe next year I will do as I had planned and not sign up for as many exchanges. Like everyone, I have so many projects that I would like to complete. The WIP basket keeps growing, as does the new stash bin ~ so many projects so little time.

My new neighborhood is large and filled with children so I thought that I would need quite a bit of candy for Halloween. I purchased 12 bags of the Fun Size chocolate bars but only used 6 so I quickly tossed the rest into a flat rate box, taped it up, and mailed it to my son at college. I certainly do not have the willpower to keep all that chocolate around.

Costume creativity was top notch this year. The one that made me laugh was 4 teenage boys standing at my door with only their boxers on and a gold medal around each of their necks. They quickly stated "We are the US Swim Team" ~ I thought that was rather clever. As for this year's cutest trick-or-treaters:

Misha dressed as a clown ~ Lily as a witch

I am heading out this weekend to attend a Scrapbook retreat. I have attended quilt retreats but never a scrapbook one. I just found out that the retreat is being held a mere 26 miles from my house, somewhat close for a weekend get-a-way. I am not much of a scrapbooker and I have very few scrapbooking gadgets. I never intended to add Scrapbooking to my list of hobbies but I am on a mission to create three scrapbooks for family vacations to London, Paris, and Tokyo ~ after that I call it quits!

I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"...

Potato Chip

When you have a potato chip that has a bubble in it,

put the whole chip in your mouth and chew exactly

ten times. Make a wish as you swallow. If you

swallow the whole chip at one time, your wish will

come true.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Fabulous And Fun Exchange

2009-10-17T10:44:00.007-05:00

In 2007 I participated in 24 exchanges, in 2008 I topped off at 28 and my 2009 total (thus far) is 28. That is a total of 80 exchanges and I am SO happy to report that I have finally been blessed with a wonderful piece stitched by Edgar! I have been an admirer of his work for quite some time and secretly wished to one day receive something stitched by his hands. If I saw his name on the list of exchange participants, I would think “oooooh, maybe this time!”

My DH walked in with the mail and handed me a box. You can imagine my excitement when I saw the return address label…Yahoo, my heart skipped a beat! As I rushed to open it I was running my mouth about Edgar and his amazing stitching, I am not sure my DH understood a word that I said. I carefully opened the package and saw this fantastic Pinkeep:

Designer: BBD
Design: Trix or Treat
Stitched By: Edgar

I did not get to gaze at it too long before my DH took it from my hands and, impressed with what he saw, commented that it is quite nice. Edgar select a BBD (one of my favorite) titled Trix or Treat and stitched it on 28ct Birds Of A Feather Sandpiper using WDW and Gentle Art threads.

And look at this fun backing fabric!

Cute huh? Edgar also included the display stand, which was sweet of him.

He packed the box with a bunch of fun, and I mean fun, Halloween treats.

2009 HOE Halloween Exchange from Edgar

I love everything but I especially loved the Lip Pop and Pez dispenser. Not only did they make me laugh they made me wish that I had thought of sending that in my exchange ~ very cute! It would be an understatement to say that I am over the moon with this exchange. I guess you can say that wishes really do come true! Edgar, I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful pinkeep and the many treats; you certainly made my day!

I spent the last two days at the huge quilt show here in Houston viewing beautiful quilts and walking in an out of over 900+ vendor booths. My company has left, the house is quiet, I am exhausted, and I am definitely ready to plop on the couch and stitch for as long as I can keep my eyes open.

Thank you Edgar for the wonderful exchange I am so excited and very grateful. Thank you to all that find time to stop by for a quick read, do come again.

Until next time...

Treats And More Treats

2009-10-12T16:34:00.008-05:00

And what a treat it was to open my Halloween exchange from Paula C and find this beautiful Halloween Ornament that Paula stitched:

I truly love it! “Happy Jack” makes me smile; he is so very cute (and perfectly stitched and finished). The design was taken from the 2009 JSC Halloween edition.

The box was packed to the rim with so many wonderful treasures:

I gasp when I saw the box of See’s chocolates…my very favorite. It did not take long for me to gobble that up! I shall save the other edible treats for later. Paula also treated me to some of her very useful scrubbers. These top my list of favorite kitchen gadgets they really do work! My kitchen is now looking more festive with the Halloween dishtowel, orange scrubber and washing cloth. There is also a cute pumpkin pincushion, two fabulous Halloween fat quarters, ribbon, and post it notes. Thank you so much Paula for this amazing exchange it was such a treat and you are such a treasured friend! :)

My Halloween Annalee Doll is the perfect place to display "Happy Jack" ~

Fair & Square round #15 arrived today as well. Bridget stitched this cute square:

Thank you Bridget, your selection was perfect!

Here is the block that I sent to Bridget:

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design taken from: When Witched Go Riding

I have not posted any pictures of the dogs lately so I shall leave you with these:

Lily (1 year)

Misha (12 years old)

They are both tuckered out from their visit to the vet for annual shots.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Until next time...

Halloween Happiness

2009-10-04T18:14:00.006-05:00

And just look at this smile (this guy loves his self portrait)...

The minute I saw this skeleton doll I knew what I would do with him ~ I was going to make him the main attraction in my personal Halloween exchange with my good friend Paula C. I had planned on stitching a design from the new Prairie Schooler Boo Too You leaflet and when I saw this doll, I knew exactly which design I would stitch ~ the skeleton. He is stitched using DMC glow in the dark white and finished using a glow in the dark trim that I found on eBay. It did not take long before I knew that I would like to have one of these for my house. I rushed back to the store to get the other doll but sadly, someone else loved him too, he was gone. That is okay, I am just happy that Paula loves him as well!

There are so many wonderful designs in Boo To You leaflet, I could not help but stitch this Haunted house for Paula as well....

And here is the entire exchange:

2009 Personal Halloween Exchange

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design: Boo To You

Stitched for: Paula C.

Back in late July, I mailed a SBBC Exchange but did not post a picture of the birthday exchange that I sent so here it is….

2009 SBBC

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design: Summer Breeze

Finish: Project Bag

Given that the entire day has been rainy and a bit gloomy, I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"...

When Lightning flashes across the sky, make a wish

Wishing you a week that is filled with many hours of enjoyable stitching!!!

Until next time...

Two New Exchanges

2009-09-23T10:37:00.011-05:00

The mail carrier was good to me yesterday; he left two wonderful packages in the mail. The first was from Patti who stitched for me in the Year Long Prairie Schooler exchange. She stitched this pretty design on 40 ct and used a great decorative trim on the edge, very nice choice!

Year Long Prairie Schooler Exchange

Stitched by: Patti

Patti included a gorgeous beaded fob that she made ~ the beads are beautiful. Thanks you so much Patti I love what you sent.

This is what I stitched and sent to Lillie:

Next, I received an amazing exchange from Ronel who stitched for me in the FTT Needlework exchange. I am not certain that the pictures will do this justice…

Ronel is a master at Stumpwork and I am truly honored to own a piece of her work. The detail on this is amazing; can you see the owl’s eyes? They are tiny! The flowers are a combination of red seed beads and French knots (?) and the dragonfly is made from beads with wings stitched in gold thread. The stitching is perfect in every way.

Oh, did I mention that it is a needlebook? This too is perfectly constructed. Given the range of Ronel’s talent, I imagine that she made the lovely pins as well. Ronel also stitched a beautiful little scissor fob, personalizing it on the back with my initials.

In addition Ronel included some Madeira Silk threads (in my favorite color), needles, a pink tape measure, charms, and a fragrant sachet. Thanks you so much Ronel for a wonderful exchange!

FTT Needlework Exchange

Stitched by: Ronel

Finish: Stumpwork Neeldebook and Fob

Here is what I stitched for Gabriele:

FTT Needlework Exchange

Designer: Little House Needlework

Stitched For: Lillie

Finish: Needlecase

I took a trip to San Antonio this past weekend and stopped in at Cross Stitch Plus where I managed to find a few "must have" patterns and a bit of fabric:

Texas Tree

Blackbird Design

Glorious June

I also managed to find two floral frogs and a dish for one of the frogs. I saw this on a blog (sorry can't remember who posted this fabulous idea) and loved it.

What a great scissor holder!!!

Thanks for stopping by and I do hope that you find time to stop by again~

Until next time...

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2009-08-30T18:54:00.011-05:00

I was so surprised to receive these beautiful note cards in the mail from Michelle. She was the winner of my BBD Thread Keeper give-a-way and sent me these cards as a thank you. I am just happy that she liked the Thread Keeper so much! Thank you Michelle, you are too sweet. :)

I joined Becky's Christmas Ornament Swap and received a truly gorgeous ornament from Carol.

REST EASY MY FRIEND, YOUR PACKAGE ARRIVED TODAY! :D

When I opened the package my mouth dropped, this beautiful ornament is stitched on 40ct over two, using Atalie floss! ~ How lucky am I??? Carol, you are an angel, please know that I will treasure this special ornament. Thank you so much for making this an extra special exchange! :)

Christmas Ornament Swap

Stitched by: Carol S.

Designer: The Sampler House

Design: Symbolic "X" Christmas Ornament

Here is the ornament that I stitched for Amy:

Designer: M Design
Design: Joy Tree
Ornament Exchange for: Amy

I am such a HUGE fan of the M Design and especially love the word/name trees. Over a year ago I purchased name tree designs for both my boys and, although I have not barely started stitching on one, I REALLY hope to finish them both this year!

FYI: tomorrow is September 9, 2009...09/09/09 what a great birthday that would be. Well, I just read that not only does the date look good, but it also represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101). Hmm, I wonder where I will be then? :)

I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"...

If you slice an apple into equal halves without cutting or nicking a seed, your wish for love will come true.

Until next time...

OOPS, I Did It Again!

2009-08-30T12:14:00.007-05:00

Designer: Jardin Prive

Design: My Lady's Quaker

Need I say more ~ Would you believe that I pressed "ADD TO CART" a mere 20 minutes after posting my last post! Really now, how could I resist?

I am convinced that the Dave Barry quote, found on Julie's blog, is true:

"There is a fine line between hobby and mental illness"

I must thank Jeanne whose post could not have made it easier for me to purchase My Lady's Quaker, thanks Jeanne!

It was comforting to read all of your comments to my Ambitious or Absurd post and as Gabi stated, we are not absurd we are merely "ambitious collectors" ~ sounds good to me.

To justify my many purchases I shall share with you a picture of my most recent finish:

OOPS...battery died, no pictures today! (and that's the truth)

Until next time...

Ambitious or Absurd? You Decide...

2009-08-24T15:29:00.010-05:00

Do you remember back in January I set out on that endless journey to complete my first HAED titled, Wintery Heirloom? No need to get excited, I am not here to post that I completed that monster of a project. In fact, I have made very little progress:

January 2009

August 2009

What is wrong with me? Why can't I sit down and stitch on this?

Could it be that I was too busy contemplating my next HAED purchase?

HAED: Witches and Crones

Or, maybe this beauty…

HAED: A Moment To Cherish

Struggling to put needle to fabric on Wintery Heirloom one would wonder why I managed to press ADD TO CART becoming the proud owner of both designs!

Let me state this very clearly “I have BIG DREAMS of completing A Moment To Cherish before one of my sons decides to marry”~ With a 20 and 22 year old, I think (hope) I still have time!

But WAIT... did I have BIG DREAMS of completing that Folk Art Wedding Quilt for one of the boys? A beautiful block of the month by Robyn Pandolph. I believe I did, and over the course of about 4 years, I have managed to complete 4 of the 12 blocks…

Folk Art Wedding Quilt

Robyn Pandolph Block of the Month

This does not really qualify as “progress” now does it? Actually, I have not worked on this quilt for about 3 years. So much hand appliqué, so little time (or maybe interest)!

Much like the Bermuda Triangle many of my projects have become a modern mystery, disappearing into that “Stitcher’s Triangle” ~ a black hole that defies explanation.

So why, why, why do I continue to buy, buy, buy???

Blackbird Design: I Thee Wed
M Design: Family Tree

PS: Boo To You
PS: Christmas Eve

Ambitious OR Absurd? I will let you decide!

Ambitious: Having or controlled by ambition
Ambition: The desire for personal achievement
Absurd: Ridiculously unreasonable, unsound

Yes, I do manage to complete some projects ~ usually those small ones. It's off to the Post Office with these two exchanges!

Until next time...

One Of The Best Days Of My Life ~

2009-08-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

August 10, 1987 ~ Yes, one of the very BEST days of my entire life!

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY GARRETT !!!

Hey Garrett, in honor of your birthday I dedicate this post to you and wish you a very happy birthday.

Here are a few memorable pictures that are certain to make you smile as you ponder this question:

"Why is she doing this?":D

Answer: "Because IL&IMY"

Your very first picture

Puppy OR Person?

Garrett (it's a person)
Monday August 10, 1987

6:07 PM
9 lbs 8oz ~ 22 inches

(you look like Lily)

Here are some notable facts from 1987:

1) You were born :D
2) Ronald Regan was President
3) George Bush was Vice-President
4) Popular song: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" Whitney Houston
5) Hit Movie: Fatal Attraction
6) Gas was .87 per gallon (is that possible?)
7) Stamp cost .22 cents
8) New car cost 9,293.
9) New home cost 129,000

You were born under the year of the Rabbit ~ You are the kind of person people like to be around ~ You are affectionate, obliging, and always pleasant ~Being cautious and conservative, makes you successful in business.

I would agree that you are all that and more!

Adorable At 8 Months

And yes, you were dining on the dog food!

Cute At ONE

When I grow up I want to be...

A Mickey Mouse Fire Chief

Had I known where life would take you I would have propped you up at a desk, diligently working on the computer, with a poster of Time Square taped to the window before snapping this picture.

I really do not know where the time went:

When you get home from work tonight maybe you and Drew can break out the Arts & Craft box and update this with your larger "rainbow hands" and send it to me! :D

Wishing you a wonderful birthday!!!!

And remember...

Have a great day and an exciting, rewarding, happy, healthy and safe year ahead!

IL&IMY, always!

MOM

Summer Exchanges

2009-08-04T14:53:00.010-05:00

Two wonderful exchanges arrived on my doorstep. The first was a Fair & Square exchange that was sent by Darla. She stitched me the cutest design taken from the Gift of Stitching magazine (great online magazine). I just love that there is a little dog and that she changed the design up a bit and added my initials. Thank you so much Darla for the wonderful blocks!

Fair & Square #14

Stitched by: Darla

The next exchange piece was from Moni who was my stitching partner in the FTT: Seasonal Exchange Summer rotation. Moni stitched a decorative hanging heart with a strawberry motif. The backing fabric on this is truly perfect; it has tiny strawberries growing from the vine. I love pieces like this that I can easily display on door handles, knobs, or pegs. This beauty is hanging from a peg on my hall tree.

In addition, Moni treated me to a very generous piece of fabric, a pretty piece of backing fabric, ribbon, variegated floss, floral buttons, 2 wonderful patterns, and a delicate and very pretty crochet sachet that has a scented heart shaped soap inside. I venture to guess that Moni made this, it is beautiful! A special thank you to Moni for making this summer exchange extra special.

FTT: Seasonal Exchange ~ Summer

Stitched by: Moni

So, what did I stitch for Moni?

This is the first time that I finished a piece as a fabric basket. I received one from Chris back in the summer of 2007 and loved it. It only took me 2 years to finally get around to making one myself!

FTT: Seasonal Exchange ~ Summer

Designer: LHN

Design: Season of Growth

Stitched for: Moni

Okay, are you wondering how I remembered "who sent me what" over 2 years ago? I have a horrendous memory so I assure you that I did not rely on that! When I first entered the world of exchanging, I started a photo album to document the exchanges that I sent and received:

I do have the pictures on the computer but this book has become a great resource and a source of enjoyment. Sometimes I just like to grab the album and a cup of coffee (naturally), sit on the couch and flip through it.

In my last post I showed you the beautiful squares that I received from Jill in the F&S Summer Exchange. Let me share with you the squares that I sent her ~

Fair & Square Summer

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design: A Prairie Year Book #13

Stitched for: Jill F.

Life is GOOD…my Primitive Wizard of Oz arrived and I rushed to pick it up. I would start it TONIGHT however, I was unable to get the fabric and must wait until that gets ordered. Jenn, keep those “FYI” links coming and thanks again for this one.

For now I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"...

JUG
When blowing into a jug, if you can get a sound on the first try, make a wish.

Until next time...

A Bit Of This And That

2009-07-30T17:30:00.007-05:00

I received my F&S Summer Exchange blocks from Jill and they are truly wonderful. Jill selected a very appropriate Lizzie Kate Design called “Summer Basket” and I could not be more pleased. What a wonderful design, I love the alphabet that surrounds the basket. Thank you so much Jill for these great squares!

Fair & Square Summer

Lizzie Kate Summer Basket

Stitched by: Jill F.

I have been busy stitching but I am working on exchange pieces so I cannot show you any pictures right now. Speaking of exchanges, I have decided to be very selective on which future exchanges I will participate in over the next few months. I really want to stitch some special holiday gifts for some friends but I am struggling to find time to start these projects. It is very difficult to pass on the many wonderful exchanges that I see out there but I will do my best.

My Victorian Motto Sampler Threads arrived and I just love all the beautiful colors:

How can one resist this, it is candy for the eyes! I should point out that Nancy is so nice to deal with and gets her orders shipped super fast~ thanks Nancy.

I would also like to thank Jenn for sending me a link to a “must have” design. She read that I liked the Wizard of Oz and emailed a link to this design:

Designer: Midsummer Night Designs

Design: Primitive Wizard of Oz

I just love it! I quickly ordered it and hope to "quickly" stitch it! It would look nice hanging with a collection of my other samplers.

I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"...

Corn On The Cob
If you have an ear of corn with either seven or fourteen rows,
make a wish as you take your first bite.

Until next time...

Christmas In July

2009-07-20T10:32:00.018-05:00

If it were not for the postman it certainly would not feel like Christmas; it is much too hot for that!

I received a beautiful ornament from Verona. She stitched for me in the HOE Christmas in July and selected a LHN design titled, Holly and Berries.

This is such a wonderful ornament that has been stitched and finished perfectly. I love the silver bells dangling from the ribbon! Verona treated me to a new pair of scissors, an array of ribbon, some adorable winter buttons and a little photo key chain.

HOE: Christmas in July

Designer: LHN

Design: Holly and Berries

Stitched by: Verona

How lucky am I? I can hardly wait until Christmas when I will be able to hang this beautiful ornament on our tree. Thank you so much Verona for this very special exchange!

Not long ago, I entered a blog Give-A-Way on Deb’s blog and was surprised when I learned that I was one of the winners. Yes, one of the winners…Deb is not only one of the sweetest people she is also very generous. She has been known to give multiple gifts away in her drawing. I was the winner of this beautiful Needleroll Kit. Thanks again Deb, I look forward to stitching it!

Be sure to stop by Deb’s blog and read about “Elaine’s Quilt” ~ what a wonderful gesture of friendship!

Do you remember when a collection of my stitched, but not "finished", sampler pieces almost ended up in the trash? I am happy to report that most are safely framed and waiting to be mounted on the wall. I am waiting until after my window shutters are installed before I hang any pictures, stitching, or quilts.

Here are the latest framed pieces:

I stitched this for my younger son, who enjoys fishing, and put his initials in octagon shapes at the bottom.

Designer: Mary Garry Sewing Cabin

Design: Fishing (out of print)

I stitched this one to commemorate my oldest son's recent college graduation

Designer: Blackbird Design

Blog Sampler Contest

This one was stitched as a reminder to my husband that "the best thing in his life is me" ;D

Designer: La D Da
Design: Noble Wife

One of my very favorite movies is "The Wizard of OZ" so I had to stitch this

Designer: Drawn Thread

Design: No Place Like Home

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Design: Wooly Winter (kit)

Some of you asked who the designer is on the Pray for Me piece ~ that would be Sheepish Designs:

Designer: Sheepish Designs

Design: Pray For Me

I am glad that you were able to stop by for a visit and do hope that you will come by again.

Enjoy your week ~ I shall leave you with this "Wishing Custom"

If you are riding over a bridge you’ve never crossed
before, lift your feet off the floor of the vehicle you’re
riding in and make a wish.
(The driver, for obvious reasons, isn’t suppose to make a wish)

Until next time...

And The Winner Is…

2009-07-05T23:08:00.009-05:00

On July 4th I used Random.org to draw a name for my 4th of July Give-A-Way and then immediately started stitching the person’s initials onto the almost completed piece. On Sunday I spent much of the day working on the finishing and am happy to announce that the winner of this Blackbird Design Thread Keeper is…

Michelle H.

Congratulations Michelle, please email me with your mailing address so that I can get this in the mail to you!

I received these very festive blocks from Melita D. who was my Fair & Square partner in the 4th of July round. Thanks so very much Melita, you did a fantastic job on these great squares.

Here are the squares that I sent Melita:

I am happy to say that both of my sons have arrived safely in the northeast. They traveled 1,677 miles in 3 days, stopping in New Orleans, North Carolina and NJ. When I drove down here this past February, it took me 5 days but then again I was making essential stops at quilting and needlework shops along the way. I am certain that they passed right by these! They are now safe and sound in the northeast and they are both greatly missed here in the south.

Thanks to all those that make time to stop by my blog, I am always glad that you come for a visit and look forward to your return.

Until next time...

OH SAY CAN YOU SEE…

2009-06-24T18:52:00.014-05:00

This wonderful Patriotic Exchange that I received from Carol S. It certainly is a beauty, take a look…

FTT: Patriotic Exchange

Designer: San Man Originals

Stitched by: Carol S.

Opening her package was the highlight of my day! Carol’s does such gorgeous work I could not have been happier to see her name on the return address. She selected a very nice design by San Man Originals and finished it as a pinkeep; I love it! In addition, she sent me beautiful Gingher scissors, patriotic dishtowels, very pretty bookplates, and tasty mints.

Carol your generosity is amazing, I cannot thank you enough for all that you sent! You certainly made this an extra special exchange!

Dear sweet Vonna will be celebrating a birthday very soon so I decided to send this little gift off a bit early so that she could display it over the 4th of July (we know how she loves all things patriotic). When I saw this Annalee Patriotic Elf he was screaming Vonna’s name. I also knew that a Pinkeep would fit perfectly in his hands so I stitch this Birthday Pinkeep...

The Pinkeep is reversible with the other side looking like this:

I absolutely love how this turned out, cute huh?

When I saw this next design I knew immediately that I had to stitch it for my cousin. I call her my "direct link to God" and call upon her to "pray for me" with every "crisis" that I encounter. :) Now that I live far away from her I want to make sure that she constantly thinks of me (not sure that will happen but I am going to try). I am hoping each time she glances at this two things happen:

1) She thinks of me

AND

2) Smiles...Smiles BIG!

"When This You See Pray For Me"

There is another person in my life that is deserving of this same design and when I find the time, I am going to stitch it again! I seem to be doing quite a bit of that lately.

Only about a week left until my Blackbird Design give-a-way. If you are interested you need to leave a comment on my previous post before July 4th.

Tomorrow both boys will be leaving, can you hear me sobbing??? They are taking the long 1,677 mile "road trip" back to the northeast. I know that they are excited about their adventure but I'm not ~ they will be missed. I did have my son install a Web Cam on my computer so that I can video chat with them (can you say "helicopter Mom?"). Let’s hope that they answer when I “video ring” them!

"If you cross a state or county line when traveling in a land vehicle, make a wish three times out loud. This is one of the few times when custom allows you to speak your wish out loud" (from Wishing)

~Have a wonderful weekend~

Until next time...

So Many Beautiful Exchanges

2009-06-19T19:01:00.038-05:00

As promised, I will share with you the many beautiful exchanges that have been rolling in...

The first Exchange arrived all the way from New Zealand. It was beautifully stitched and finished into a Bourse by Margaret S. My very first Bourse and it is a beauty!

Friends Through Threads
Blackbird Design Exchange

BBD Exchange
Design: My Pink House
Stitched by: Margaret S.
Finish: Bourse

Margaret also stitched a very cute Scissor Fob using the strawberry design pictured and she even included those great scissors! She made the matching pincushion and included needles, sticky notes, quilter's wheel, and scented bath bag.

Thank you again Margaret for this fantastic exchange.

Here is what I stitched for Ronel in the BBD Exchange:

FTT: BBD Exchange

Threads: VMST (love this thread)

Stitched for: Ronel W.

Finish: Floss Tag

Friends Through Threads

Seasonal Exchange ~ Spring

My second FTT Exchange traveled all the way from Germany and was stitched by Gaby M. She selected a design from one on my favorite designers, Prairie Schooler, and finished it into a two-flanged pillow ~ how cute is this...

FTT: Seasonal Exchange ~ Spring

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Stitched by: Gaby M.

Finish: Pillow

As you can imagine the box that arrived was quite large and packed with so many extras: A magazine, book (it is always exciting to receive these from other countries), fabric x 2, silk thread, honey soap, delicious candy, a cute little ladybug for my key chain, and last but not least a very special bookmark made by Simon!

Thank you so much Gaby for the extra special exchange!

Here is what I stitched for the FTT Seasonal Exchange:

FTT: Seasonal Exchange ~ Spring

Designer: Blackbird Design

Threads: VMST

Stitched for: Gaby M.

Finish: Floss Tag

Look familiar? I just love this design and love stitching it, I really do! I love it so much that I am offering a "give-a-way" just so that I can stitch it again. :D Post a comment and leave your first/last initial and I will include you in the July 4th drawing for the Blackbird Design Floss Tag.

The third exchange arrived from Canada and was stitched by Wendy B. She stitched for me in the Prairie Schooler All Year Long Exchange and I could not be happier, just take a look:

PS All Year Long

Round #2

PS All Year Long #2

Stitched by: Wendy B.

Finish: Needle Book

I love the Needle Book finish, it is perfect for this design. I really like Wendy's technique and recently used it to complete a needle book for a patriotic exchange. The PS All Year Long is one of my favorite exchanges. I love that we always stitch a PS design and am happy that we do not include extras. A special thank you to Becky SC for organizing this exchange group.

Thank you again Wendy for the beautiful, and much needed, needle book!

Here is what I stitched for the PS All Year Long Round #2 exchange:

PS All Year Long #2

Design: Prairie Fairie

Stitched for: Janet H.

Finish: Pinkeep

Fair & Square Exchange

Here is what I sent to Jen R. ~

And what I sent to Jenn F. ~

And the beautiful squares that Jenn F. sent my way...

Fair & Square round #13

Stitched by: Jenn F.

I am anxious to try Jenn's hand dyed threads, they look beautiful! I love that Jenn stitched the Texas heart, thanks again Jenn!

This was a long post but I had so many exchange pictures to share...thanks for hanging in till the end!

I am off to work on a Penny Rug project.

Until next time...

I Just Had To...

2009-06-09T20:21:00.028-05:00

What, no stitching pictures???

Nope, not today ~ sorry. Please indulge me, if only for a second, as I share these memorable moments...

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

COLD AND DAMP BUT NO RAIN

GRADUATING CLASS OF 2009

A QUICK WAVE

PIZZA DELIVERY

A MESSAGE ON THE CAP

I love this picture of my son and his girlfriend (she too was graduating from the School of Business). The night before graduation I asked my son to mark the top of his Cap so that I would be able to identify him in the crowd...actually the "shades" did the trick...Well, to my surprise, he did mark his Cap with a message for me: "Thanks A Bajil" ~

It is still so very hard to believe that he has graduated, where did the time go? My very dear friend told me when he entered High School that it would fly by; she failed to tell me that his college years would go by even faster. For those of you that will be sending your DS/DD off to college this fall, hang on it's a fast ride!

I returned home to find three wonderful exchanges that I am anxious to share so stay tuned I will be sharing pictures of them in my next post.

Until next time...

Time Flies

2009-05-15T02:02:00.003-05:00

It seems like yesterday he was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...

And on Sunday he will be graduating from college!

I will be heading off to Pennsylvania today to attend my son’s graduation from Villanova University this weekend. It is so hard for me to believe that he is graduating. It seems like yesterday that we were taking a campus tour and discussing how impressed he was with the University. Then again, it seems like yesterday that he was eating that sandwich!

I am truly looking forward to seeing both of my sons. I have never lived so far away from them and am not liking that too much. Fortunately, the younger one will be returning home for the summer and I could not be happier. The older one has a new job (close to NYC) and will remain in the northeast. Now that he is graduating what are the odds that he will ever return home? Slim, I know.

I do not expect to get much stitching done since I will be busy helping him locate an apartment and moving…yes, more moving! I did pack my HEAD stitching in hopes of making a little progress on that huge design. I am not certain when I will be returning home; it will depend on how fast he gets an apartment.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and as always I thank you for making time in your busy day to stop by!

Until next time...

What A Treat...

2009-05-06T10:21:00.008-05:00

To open a box from Paula C. and find all of this….

I could not get over her generosity. How lucky I was to win her Blogiversary! Would you believe that I remember reading Paula’s very first post? I have enjoyed it ever since! Thank you so much Paula for this amazing Give-A-Way, I especially love the stacked pincushion that you made and shall treasure forever.

Can you believe that I also won one of the 2nd place prizes on the Blackbird Design Blog?

Yup, I was one of the 133 people that entered a picture of my stitched Petites Lettres Rouges sampler and my name was drawn. Seriously, I can’t win a cake in a cakewalk maybe my luck has changed. Can you believe that 133 people stitched up this sampler? 132 of them probably linked to it from Vonna’s blog! Thanks for sharing Vonna; you are always so good about that. I shall post a picture of the card from Paris that I won when it arrives.

I am very happy to say that four of the stitched pieces that were almost accidentally discarded by my DH are now at the frame shop being framed. I decided that, for their protection, they needed to be framed and mounted on the wall. I still have about five more that need some form of finishing; they have been safely tucked away in my sewing room where no “man” dare enter!

There’s a new blog in town: Cross Stitch in the Garden by Beth…you may know her from Fanci That Designs. Actually, Beth is not new to blogging; she is returning to the blog world so stop on over and take a look... Welcome back Beth! :D

I was reading Heather’s blog and she mentioned that she has been doing far more quilting these days than cross-stitch…I remember those days, I had put down my tapestry needle in exchange for the tiny quilting needle and gave up on cross stitch for a number of years (so very hard to believe). In 2007 I switched back and have done very little quilt making, however, I am seriously considering starting this quilt:

Spinning Wheels Quilt

What is holding me back? Could it be the many unfinished quilt tops and bags of quilt blocks that I already have? Why YES! I don’t know, this quilt is calling my name and I am not sure how much longer I can ignore it~ time will tell.

Have you visited the All People Quilt website? There are some great quilting/crafting freebie projects, video instructions, tips, and much more. I have found instructions for projects that I can modify and use in my cross stitch finishing. I printed out the instructions for this Sewing Roll so that I could use it to finish one of my cross stitch pieces:

Instructions for Sewing Roll

Thanks to those that shared with me their “dog” stories, I found them helpful and encouraging. Lily now has her crate and does not seem to mind going inside when I leave but then again who knows if she is howling while I am gone…let’s hope not. As for the messed up wall ~ well, it is being fix thanks to my DH and his million gadgets and tools.

Have a great day!

Until next time...

Fair & Square from Jen

2009-04-29T17:16:00.003-05:00

My "collection" of Fair & Square blocks continues to grow, with the newest addition arriving from Jen R. What a wonderful block, I adore this sweet birdhouse design and love those tiny buttons. I wish that I could share with you what I plan to do with these beautiful blocks but for now, I have no idea so I shall merely share this picture:

Fair & Square ~ round #12 from Jen R

Now, how cute is that? Thank you so much Jen for the amazing blocks I love them.

My "cute" little dog is driving me NUTS! Unlike any other dog that I have owned, this one chews and does not like being left alone. I was out and about for a mere 2 hours and when I returned and opened the laundry room door this is what I came home to:

She must have scratched at it!!! I use to leave her in the master bath until she chewed on the corner of the vanity! Now when I leave I put both dogs in the laundry room (Misha is a good girl and does not need to be in there but I am fearful of what Lily would do without her) this is the 1st time that she has done any damage and it shall be the last. I am going to end this post so that I can read about "crating" and check for some type of a corral to keep her in. I have plans to attend a quilt show on Friday and had planned on leaving her in the laundry room, now I am afraid....very afraid~

Thanks for stopping by~

Until next time...

24 Hours And It Is Done!

2009-04-22T14:06:00.011-05:00

I am certain that Vonna did not realize when she wrote her April 16th post that she would be setting me up for a challenge. When I read these words:

"I printed the chart off, picked my colors and fabric and here it is 24 hours later"

I thought, "How did she do that?" I was determined to see if I could stitch this in 24 hours!

Well, I loved the chart and knew in an instant exactly what I would do with my version of the Blackbird Designs Petites Lettres Rouge sampler...

When I first saw the sampler, it brought to mind the Schoolgirl Samplers of earlier days when young girls under the age of 10, as a way to learn letters and numbers, executed these simple style samplers. These samplers enabled the girls to learn various stitches but more importantly, they served as an educational tool setting the foundation for reading and mathematics. For this reason, I immediately thought of stitching Petites Lettres Rouge as a way to commemorate my oldest son’s upcoming college graduation from Villanova University. With the school colors in hand I headed to my LNS to find the appropriate threads, selecting WDW Americana, Sampler Threads Blue Jay and Morning Glory I then rushed home to stitch this design on a piece of 32 ct Belfast linen. And to quote Vonna:

"I printed the chart off, picked my colors and fabric and here it is 24 hours later:"

Petites Lettres Blue, I Am So Proud Of You!

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Design: Petites Lettres Rouges

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Linen

Threads: WDW, Sampler Threads

Here is my version of Petites Lettres Rouge Sampler, now titled: Petites Lettres Bleu, I Am So Proud Of You!

Once framed it shall hang on my sampler wall where 3 years from now I shall hang the second one, stitched in browns, to commemorate my youngest son’s graduation from Lehigh University.

Thanks Vonna for sharing the information and link to this design. I must also thank Alma and Barb at Blackbird Designs for offering this free pattern for without it I surely would not have thought to stitch such a beautiful remembrance of my son’s accomplishment.

I had a number of new visitors to my blog and would like to say thank you for finding me and for your nice comments! It is always exciting to see that new bloggers have stopped by, but as always I value the returning bloggers more than you know!

Have a wonderful week. I encourage you all to jump at every opportunity to challenge yourself it is so very rewarding!

Until next time...

“Is This Trash?” He Asks

2009-04-06T12:26:00.013-05:00

As he stands in front of me holding this opened, and almost emptied, book box...

My eyes bulged, my heart skipped a beat, and my blood boiled as I spat these words, “OMG NO, that is not trash, that’s my completed cross stitch pieces!” And this my friends is what could have easily been discarded…

He, my husband that is, meant no harm ~ he was trying to be helpful. You see as I open boxes I tend to leave a small one for trash or items I no longer want and he thought he would be helpful and bring the box outside to pile with all of the others. Can you imagine sending these off for rubbish collection? I am not sure my marriage would have survived that. :D

All is well these lovelies are safe in my sewing room, a place that he does not enter. I did not realize that I had so many completed projects that needed finishing!

Yesterday was a very nice mail day. I received this beautiful exchange from Nic who stitched for me in the FTT Drawn Thread Exchange. She stitched a gorgeous scissor fob and a floss tag:

Friends Through Threads

Drawn Thread Exchange

Scissor Fob and Floss Tag

From Nic

In addition, she sent some wonderful extras: a fat quarter, some ribbon, folding scissors, a note pad and some seed beads. Nic also sent a very nice card wishing me well in my new home and when I opened it I found the leaf buttons and flower bud; so very thoughtful.

Thank you so much Nic for the wonderful exchange, you certainly brightened my day!

I recently complete a Sheepish Design titled: Pray For Me. I stitched this one for my cousin but I have not decided how I will finish it. I would like to find a nice wooden box and mounted it on the top but if I cannot find one then I will frame it.

My friend had her first grand daughter so I made her this quilt and I also made this little door hanger but I forgot to post a picture of it.

Recently I sent pictures of Little Lily to my son who sent me a text to say that she looks so much older, she has grown fast as you will see but she is still cute as ever.

Lily at 8 weeks ~ too cute!

Lily at 10 months ~ still too cute!

With that lovely picture, I will end this post! Thank you for taking the time to stop by for a visit and for your comments I do enjoy reading them.

Until next time...

Completion of the Neighborhood

2009-03-29T22:34:00.011-05:00

My new Texas neighborhood is under construction with houses being built all around me and I have no idea when all this construction will be complete. The completed neighborhood that I am referring to is my Halloween Neighborhood.

Back in January 2008, Carol asked me if I would be interested in being a replacement stitcher in the Hello Neighbor Round Robin and I jumped at the opportunity to join in. I rushed to the LNS to select a large piece of 32 ct R & R linen, rushed home to baste the grid, and finally rushed to stitch in the first three gridded blocks (I had missed the first three stitching rotations). On February 1, 2008, I happily sent my Halloween theme neighborhood off looking like this:

However, I was even happier when it returned looking like this:

Hello Neighbor Round Robin

Fabric: 32ct R&R Linen

Who would have guessed it would look this awesome??? I am so very pleased with my newly constructed neighborhood and must thank the builders:

Bine, Carol, Deb, Glenna, Karen, Leslie, Nicole, and Wendy

You all selected such great designs and stitched them so beautifully; you are the reason that my neighborhood looks amazing. I have not yet decided how I will stitch your names into the neighborhood but they will be added! I also would like to include a Halloween verse at the very top, but I have yet to find the right one.

Carol I cannot thank you enough for inviting me to step in and join this talented group of stitchers. It was truly a rewarding experience and I have such a wonderfully stitched neighborhood that I will forever treasure.

Now that I am somewhat settled, I had the opportunity to do a bit of online shopping. I used the Down Sunshine Lane (great online shop!) gift certificate that sweet Vonna gave to me for my birthday and I purchased two patterns that I wanted SO much: LHN - Traveling Stitcher with thread chart pack, and Plum Street - My Pretties.

The "Traveling Stitcher" was newly released at the Nashville Needlework Market. What a great project keeper and needlebook design. I have wanted the “My Pretties” leaflet for quite some time and will almost certainly use this for a Halloween exchange ~ I just love the tin topper!

I am anxious to put needle to fabric on both of these…let me see, which one shall I start first? Knowing how I operate I will almost certainly have both of these on my WIP list very soon.

Thank you so much Vonna for the birthday gift and for your valued friendship.

I learned that Nic received the Drawn Thread Exchange that I sent her so I am free to share pictures with you. I stitched a section from the pattern titled: Brown Ranch Sampler and mounted it onto a photo book.

Friends Through Threads

Drawn Thread Exchange

Finish: Photo Book

Stitched for: Nic

It is late and I have spent much of the day organizing and opening a few picture boxes so I did not get any stitching done today…or yesterday for that matter. I believe I hear the couch beckoning me to come sit and stitch for a while ~ music to my ears.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by it is always fun to hear from you. I hope you have a wonderful week, and that you find time to sit, stitch, and relax.

Until next time...

Oh Happy Day!!!

2009-03-24T14:57:00.013-05:00

And that it was…Yesterday I opened my mailbox and found two packages tucked inside. The first is a beautiful gift from my very dear friend Vonna. Before I share a picture there is a bit of a story behind this:

While trying, like so many others, to sell our home during such a depressed housing market I had mentioned to Vonna our difficult struggle. She shared with me information on St. Joseph, the patron saint of home and family, and told me that some people who are in need of a faithful helper purchase St. Joseph statues. I was surprised at what I read online and it convinced me to purchase a small statue, not long after this we sold our house. Since he is a patron saint of homes and family, it was nice to have the St. Joseph statue in my house but recently I handed him over to an individual that I knew could truly use him. I shared this with Vonna but was quick to tell her that I would most certainly be purchasing a new one. To my surprise, Vonna sent me this beautiful St. Joseph statue along with a prayer card:

St. Joseph
Patron Saint of Home and Family

I am so happy to have this in my new home, even happier that it was given to me by such a wonderful friend! I shall treasure it for so many reasons, thank you dear Vonna!

My first exchange while in my new house came from Gabi, and what an amazing exchange piece it is. I participated in a Winter Quaker Exchange with the HOE group and this is what I received, feast your eyes on this gorgeous scissor pocket:

HOE: Winter Quaker
Scissor Pocket
Beautifully stitched by: Gabi

Fabric: Belfast Linen ~ Country Cream
Threads: Threadwork ~ Blue Navy

Are you drooling? :D I am speechless; this is beautifully stitched and finished! It just astounds me and I am so very grateful to Gabi for all the time she spent creating this. The pattern is by Barbara Bernard who designed it to honor the 10th anniversary of the Loudoun Sampler Guild; Gabi did however make a few minor changes. She also treated me to some very nice extras: A wonderful pair of stork scissor, a bag of decorative buttons, and some great braided trim. Thank you again Gabi for such a wonderful exchange!

HOE: Winter Quaker
Received from Gabi

Yes, I am still unpacking boxes. Some days I spend hours unpacking and arranging and then the next few days I will not even look at a box. Thankfully, all unpacked boxes are now upstairs so it is easy to avoid them. I will leave you with an updated picture of my sewing room. I wish that I could say that it was all done, but it is not. I decided that I must concentrate on putting away everything that was in there before I would haul in another box…yes, there are more boxes!

Thank you for all of your well wishes and for taking the time to stop by ~ Come back again soon!

Until next time...

I Have Arrived…

2009-03-18T11:58:00.011-05:00

Well, my move has ended (for that, I am grateful!) and I am setting up home in the wonderful state of:

Thanks to all that participated in my “guess the state” contest. A number of you did guess correctly, so I put these names in a hat and pulled the winning name out:

CONGRATULATIONS TO: Annemiek

You are the winner of the TEXAS Needleroll ~ Please email me with your address and I will send this out to you.

All 30,000 pounds of our personal belongings arrived at my doorstep on Feb. 26th. I am drowning in boxes and dreading opening each one. Here in Texas, there are no basements and storage space is limited. With each open box, I struggle with where to put all of this “STUFF” ~ my sewing room is maxed out and I still have oodles of boxes to unpack:

Given all of the unopened boxes in the media room, I am not certain when we will be able to properly set up this room:

I have walked this path before and can take comfort in knowing that with time this chaos shall turn into an organized home!

Okay, on to some wonderful stitching pictures….

I received two wonderful exchanges; the first is from Brigitte who was my partner in the Friends through Threads Seasonal Exchange. I was overjoyed when I laid eyes on this gorgeous Stitcher’s Bag:

Stitcher's Pocket from Brigitte

Beautifully stitched and finished! I just love the design it makes me smile. :D

Brigitte spoiled me with so many wonderful extras:

Friends Through Threads

Seasonal Stitcher's Exchange - Winter

Received from Brigitte

Many thanks Brigitte for making this a truly wonderful exchange!

I received the second exchange from Stephanie who stitched for me in the Prairie Schooler Exchange:

Prairie Schooler All Year Long

Received from Stephanie

What a real treat, I got not one but two exchange pieces a beautiful Pinkeep and an adorable Scissor FOB. Stephanie you did an amazing job on these treasures and I cannot thank you enough for your time and generosity!

I can no longer sit at this computer so I will share pics of the Fair & Square blocks that I received in my next post. Must run...I hear boxes calling my name. Grrr!

Thanks for stopping by and I do look forward to your return.

Until next time...