Julianne's Stitching Corner

An Ornament Fest

2012-01-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

This blog has been sorely neglected. I did do quite a bit of ornament stitching before Christmas and sent them off to family and friends. In fact, I still have a couple to finish before I visit my family in Michigan later this month.

My treatment for my cancer is now completely finished. I finished radiation two days before Christmas. It has been an excellent way start the new year. I'm feeling so much better and can walk without becoming winded. I'm even back to fighting with my appetite!

I'm just going to post the pictures and leave it at that. If you desire specific pattern information, you can leave your question in comments and make sure your e mail is attached.

Thanks for paying me a visit.

Halloween Stitching

2011-10-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

It was a good day weather wise to work on some Halloween designs that I have been wanting to get finished. The grey skies have been punctuated by a misty rain.

I don't know if I ever mentioned that I am a painfully slow stitcher. I marvel at how fast most people seem to stitch. Perhaps I'm a wee bit jealous.

I don't keep track of the hours it takes me to accomplish just a small design (like those below) but suffice it to say that if I did, I might just throw in the towel on stitching.

This is the owl design from the Prairie Schooler's Boo To You leaflet.

This witch is a design from The Prairie Schooler's leaflet "Boo to You" I changed some of the colors on this to suit me. I like witches with green skin.

I recently received this fantastic little pillow from Becky K. We had been in touch through e-mail and decided it would be fun to do a Halloween exchange. She stitched on both sides! I can really appreciate the time she spent on this little gift. I ordered some scissors to grace this little pillow. I tied a green ribbon to it in order to attach it to my scissors. It matches the cat's eyes.

I received this cute little doll with the Halloween ornament attached so creatively from Marie P. this past Friday. What a thoughtful surprise.

The little haunted house is a design from Prairie Schooler and Marie personalized the back of it. Thanks again, Marie.

Halloween will be a very special day for me this year because my last chemotherapy session happens to fall on it. To say I'm excited that it's coming to an end may be an understatement. I probably will have to have some radiation treatments but I'm just looking forward to living without nausea.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying the autumn cool and colors.

I Am Still Here

2011-09-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

I found out a few days before my 49th birthday (May) that I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After trying to figure out what was causing my symptoms, the doctor finally ordered a CT scan and it revealed that I have a mediastinal tumor in my chest. One of the lymph nodes in that area had become cancerous.

I have been undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks since the end of May. I have five more infusions left and then I will have radiation.

This week I finally got a wig. Up until now, I was able to hide my thinning hair with a headband but it has progressed past that point. I will leave you with some pictures that my daughter took of me out in our backyard, yesterday.

Thank you to those of you who have contacted me during my absence. Your kindness means a great deal to me. It is always nice when people think of you, but at this difficult time it has been even more special to me.

My Third "12 Days" Finish

2011-03-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Above is the most my most recent finish for this long term project. I'm sort of running out of steam. I just haven't been in a stitching mood lately.

My younger daughter is home from college this week on spring break. I'm spending most of my free time in the kitchen making some tasty meals. She is getting pretty tired of dorm food.

I replaced my food processor that I've had since my kids were little. I got a new Kitchen Aid 12 cup food processor and so far I'm really liking it. Today, I'm going to give pie crust a try. Cherry pie is on the menu. YUM!

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for paying me a visit.

Party In the Barnyard!

2011-02-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

I just put the last stitch in my 8th (and final) ornament from The Prairie Schooler's leaflet Barnyard Christmas. I started working on this project ages ago. I really enjoyed stitching these ornaments. I just love the colors. Which one is your favorite? Mine has to be the cat. I just love the bird in the design.

I stitched my first design from the new Prairie Schooler leaflets. This one is from Sunny Days and I knew it had to be a birthday gift for my good friend Becky. The backstitched bees were so much fun to stitch.

Thanks so much for paying me a visit.

Maybe I Should Change My Blog Name?

2011-02-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

I am thinking that I should just go ahead and change my blog name to The Prairie Stitcher. All I seem to stitch is Prairie Schooler designs. I do love them!

I finally finished this little santa from their Good St. Nicholas leaflet. This is for a special friend who loves dolls and collects them. I still need to do the finishing on this and that is on my to do list for the coming weekend.

Speaking of The Prairie Schooler, have you seen their new designs? You can see some great pictures as well as place an order with Mary Kathryn at e-handcrafts. Her blog is on my sidebar. Pay her a visit. She is great to work with.

Thanks so much for paying me a visit here. I really appreciate my loyal friends who leave me comments. You are all very special to me - my fellow cross-stitch enthusiasts.

Pear Tree

2011-01-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished my second square of this series. I had to do quite a bit of re-stitching on this due to counting errors. I guess that is what happens when you try to stitch when you are under a lot of stress.

Thank you to all of you who left me comments about Owen's ordeal. I'm happy to tell you that he is doing very well.

Say A Little Prayer for Owen

2011-01-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

On Monday, I was walking my dogs when the neighbor's two little dogs came bounding off their property. They had gotten out without any leash on them and came barking into my dogs faces. Owen grabbed one of the little dogs in his mouth.

The teenage boy who lives there came running across the street and proceeded to punch Owen in the head, in an attempt to get him to release the little dog.

Owen suffered a fractured skull from the forceful blows. Fortunately, his brain and eye are going to be ok.

This has truly been a nightmare and unfortunately the neighbor has refused to take financial responsibility. It looks like there are court dates in my future :(

Thank you for your concern for Owen.

A WIP, A Finish and Gifts

2011-01-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

This Blackbird Designs piece (Blessings Be Thine) has been languishing in my WIP basket for far too long. I pulled it out on New Year's day and put in some time on it.

I am a pitifully slow stitcher. To make you believe this statement I offer up the following evidence. A stitching session of several hours produced the star in the lower part of the octagon, the ivy leaves in the wreath, and the curly cue down in the left corner. I'm declaring here and now that this will be a finish this year!I did finish my first of 12 Prairie Schooler 12 Days of Santa designs. I even put in the first few stitches on the next one. Anyone care to guess which number I am doing? I like to skip around as you can see from the WIP above.
Here are some pictures of the lovely gifts that I received from my friend Arcadia for Christmas.

In the first picture, the dolls that she made me a few years ago are showing off the new Renato Parolin book that she sent.
She also stitched this C Mon Monde design for me and made it into a lovely little purse complete with another complimenting pouch.
She spoiled me with three great French stitching magazines.
I hope your year is off to a wonderful start. Thank you so much for taking a minute to visit my blog.

Leaping Into The New Year

2010-12-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

The clock is ticking down for 2010, and with 2011 in view, I've decided to make The Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Santa my big stitching project for the year. I didn't actually decide this until I started stitching #10, shown below. I love all 12 of these designs and think they will make a wonderful wall hanging when all put together.

I am using a very striking red thread from Victorian Motto that was sent to me by the thoughtful Marie P. I plan to do all the santas with this thread. I've got a supply of my favorite needles handy thanks to my pal Vonna who sent a pack of my favorite brand and size. I even feel like I could stitch in a Parisian cafe thanks to my very special friend Arcadia who gave me the lovely scissor and fob you see in the picture below. She sent me some other lovely gifts which I plan to share with you in my next post.

Earlier last week, I found a package in my mailbox with this lovely ornament from Carol. It is from The Prairie Schooler's A Prairie Year. It is just the loveliest ornament and I can't stop admiring how elegant it is! Thanks again Carol. I look forward to having it on my tree for years to come.

This next lovely ornament came from the talented hands of Robin. It graced my doorstep on Christmas Eve and made me smile with its sweet simplicity, beautiful shape, and sparkly trim. Thank you again Robin!

Happy New Year everyone!

2010-12-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is a collection of the ornaments I've sent out as gifts this year. I'm so happy that they've all arrived to their respective recipients just in time for Christmas day. Click on the image below to see them in complete detail.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Merry Christmas.

A Combined Effort

2010-12-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

I put the final stitches into this piece just last week. I started this back in August when we were on vacation in the Philippines. I knew at that time that it would be for Justine's boyfriend's family. They enjoy skiing and what more of an excuse did I need to stitch the 2010 annual Prairie Scooler Santa?

Last night, Justine and her boyfriend stopped by for dinner. He's been visiting in the area but is soon on his way back to Southern California to join his family for the holidays. The time was NOW to do the finishing on my gift.

Justine is much better at sewing than I am and she wanted part of the gift to be her effort, so she did the finishing on it. By the time she was done I was already in bed, but she knew that I would want a picture of the finish. Here it is for you to enjoy too.

(click the picture for a closer view)
Thanks so much for visiting.

Gifts For and From

2010-12-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

It was my friend Nicola's birthday the other day and we did a birthday exchange this year. Here is the gift that I
made for her.

This design is from The Prairie Schooler's alphabet series. I mounted it atop a wooden box which I stained.

I received a lovely e-mail from Nicola telling me she really liked the gift. I'm so happy that it got to her in time to add a little more joy to her special day!

This is the ornament that I stitched for her Christmas gift; it's another Prairie Schooler design. This one is from the Old World Santas Leaflet.

Besides sending gifts to my friends, I have also received some really sweet ones from special people.

This first sweet ornament is from the very talented Myra. I just loved the elegant Victorian look of this little skate. The blade is creatively fashioned from a piece of wire. I thought the way Myra shared it on her blog was beautiful. I was really touched when a little package appeared in my mailbox last week bearing this delicate little keepsake. Thanks again Myra! It is really a charmer and it will be treasured every year when I hang it up.

This next stitched beauty is from the sweetest lady I know, BeckySC
When Becky posted this little pillow to her blog, I commented how much I loved it because of the color combination of red and green. I was really touched when it came to my house last week.

Thank you everyone who has made my Christmas holiday a very special one this year!

Happy Holidays,

Catching A Glimpse of Santa

2010-11-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

I remember when Thanksgiving Day marked the arrival of Santa. Do you remember waiting for him to make his grand appearance at the end of the Thanksgiving Day parade? I do, and I feel a pang of sadness that everything has changed so much for the children of today. The anticipation made it all the more special.

I came home last week to a package on my doorstep. What a wonderful surprise to receive something from a friend when you had no idea that she was sending anything. Nicola had put together a lovely gift package for me that contained a beautiful calendar of a delightful destination that she and her husband enjoy visiting frequently. She also enclosed the ornament that I am sharing with you here. Isn't it just lovely? I am thrilled with it but even more so to have Nicola as a friend.

Thank you so much for stopping to visit with me. I appreciate your friendship. I wish all of you in the U.S. a very Blessed Thanksgiving.

Pac Man Does It Again!

2010-11-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating the 8th world title of Manny Pacquiao in last night's fight against Margarito. My husband is a big boxing fan and the fact that he is Filipino makes him a HUGE Manny Pacquiao fan.

When we were in the Philippines late this summer, we had an opportunity to meet Pacquiao at the founder's day celebration of my husband's alma mater in Dumaguete City on the island of Negros. Andrea was really thrilled to be able to get his autograph and pose with him in a picture. I got to shake his hand.

You would definitely not assume that he is a world-class fighter just by looking at him. He is quite small but as showed his opponent last night; looks can be deceiving.

Thanks for stopping by. I should have some stitching to share soon.

A Pumpkin or An Apple?

2010-10-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

I started stitching this design a couple of years ago. I dug it out of it's hiding place a couple of weeks ago and finished up the stitching on it.

It's from The Prairie Schooler leaflet "Pumpkins" I knew that I wanted to finish it in a pumpkin shape but I didn't want to sew it. Here is what I came up with. It's decidedly more apple shaped than pumpkin shaped. Oh well, I think my friend that I am sending it to will like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by to pay me a visit.

Lost In Cyberspace?

2010-10-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I've posted. Perhaps many of you had given up thinking I would ever post here again. I've never been a very consistent blogger but I greatly admire those of you who are.

Things are very quiet here. My husband and I are now officially empty nesters. We moved our youngest daughter off to college toward the end of last month. Perhaps the whole "empty nest" theme had me itching to stitch this little mama with her full nest.

Thank you for stopping by.

The Graduates

2010-06-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

My youngest daughter, Andrea, graduated last Saturday with high honors from high school.

And this is my oldest daughter, Justine, who graduated at the Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus back on May 15.

Congrats to my grads! I'm very proud of both of them.

Coeur est terminé

2010-05-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

I stitched this as a gift for my oldest daughter who will be graduating from college this month. It is from the book Un petit fil rouge m'a dit... by Isabelle Vautier. It was a gift from my wonderful friend Arcadia.

An Oink Oink Here, and a Meow Meow There

2010-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I've posted here; I have been stitching but not posting about it.

I did manage to finish stitching my 7th animal (the pig) from the Prairie Schooler Barnyard Christmas leaflet and I've started the final one.

My oldest daughter will be graduating from college in a few short weeks. She asked me to stitch her a cat for her French professor. We both agreed that this one by Danybrod would be perfect. I stitched it up yesterday and she is going to sew it together and put some whiskers on it.

This spring break she went to New York City and had some fun adventures. She met Clifford the Big Red Dog and visited a store dedicated to trims. Can you imagine that, an entire store filled only with trims, most of them imported from France? She picked up several nice ones for me.

I sent my most recent Christmas Ornament Exchange to Edgar which he received this week. I'm always so happy to stitch for Edgar because we both share a love for Prairie Schooler designs. I thought this one was perfect for him because he is a very hospitable person, and pineapples are a symbol of hospitality.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I hope you are enjoying springtime.

Two More Exchanges

2010-03-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

I received delivery confirmation on two other exchanges that I mailed out on Monday. I thought I'd share pictures of them.

The first was for a mailart exchange that I was in. The theme was birdhouses. I stitched a portion of The Prairie Schooler's Birdhouse Sampler from the leaflet Garden Samplers.

This is the ornament that I sent to Meghan. It is from The Prairie Schooler's Cranberry Christmas leaflet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Spring Showers

2010-03-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

We have been having our fair share of spring showers here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was pouring when I drove my daughter to school this morning. I couldn't get Owen to go out in the stuff. Fortunately, when I got home the rain had stopped and I took the dogs on a long walk.

I heard from Becky K. that she received the Easter exchange that I sent to her. Here is a picture of the pinkeep that I made for her. It is one of the designs from The Prairie Schooler's new leaflet Signs of Spring.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

An Oily Situation

2010-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

I had another Owen mishap this past Saturday. Owen is our adopted ex-racing greyhound. Here he is with his famous crocodile grin.

DH had used a frying pot to cook something and then he told me he was going out to the grocery store. Well, he didn't tell me that he didn't put the frying pot in a place where Owen couldn't reach it.

I was upstairs when I heard a crash and I went running downstairs to find that Owen had pulled the pot over. There was cooking oil running everywhere! I stripped off most of my clothes (what a sight!) and started to clean up the mess. There was no way that I was going to risk ruining my clothes with stains from cooking oil. So there I stood, working for what seemed like an eternity in my underwear, cleaning up oil that covered the floor, cabinets, and countertop.

I came away with some positive thoughts from the experience. Here is a list of them:

1) Owen was not injured because the oil was already cooled
2) The floor, cabinets and countertops received a deep conditioning from all of the oil
3) My old kitchen rugs were ruined so I was finally able to justify throwing them out.
4) I got some good exercise from all the bending and stooping
5) I'm really thankful for paper towels. They were invaluable for cleaning up the mess. Can you imagine life without them?

Pretty in Pink

2010-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

I received a wonderful surprise in my mailbox on Tuesday. Mylene sent me this lovely scissor fob as a Valentine's Day gift. I'm just thrilled to have another beautifully stitched and finished piece from Mylene. What a sweetheart she is!

My baby turned 18 on Tuesday. This is a candid shot of Andrea taken by one of her friends. Is this a foreshadowing of things to come when she goes off to college this fall? With a major in Chemistry, I don't think she'll have too much time for partying.

Gifts from My Best Friend

2010-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

It's been ages since I've posted to my blog. My mother became ill very suddenly in early November and came very close to saying goodbye to us. We are so thankful that she is getting stronger despite her acute kidney failure.

I received some lovely handmade gifts from good friends over Christmas. I will share pictures of all of them, but today I wanted to start off by showing you the gifts that my dear friend Arcadia made for me.

Here are the gifts that she made me for Christmas. The little bag with the sunbonnet girl with two dogs is all hand-appliqued by Arcadia. The other heart drawstring pouch is hand embroidered. I've given you a close-up of it below.

With this green shopping basket I'm all set to go to the outdoor market and do it in style as the European's do. This is a popular product in Europe.

This is actually a bag that Arcadia made me quite awhile ago but I never shared it on my blog. When I saw that many ladies in France were making these bags, I asked Arcadia is she could make me one as a birthday gift. Its creation was no small feat of sewing talent. I think it's assembly nearly drove her mad but she did an outstanding job! I love the pockets all around the exterior and the interior of this bag. They are wonderful pockets to use for storage of needles and other stitching necessities.

Thanks so much for paying me a visit. I promise I'll try to be a better blogger.

Christmas Ornaments on Halloween

2009-10-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

I'm in the second round of Becky's Christmas Ornament Exchange Group. We are exchanging every other month which makes the pace a little easier.

I never posted the ornament I stitched for the first round. This one was for Carol and I thought she would like the nautical theme.

This one was for the second round and for Roberta, I'm hoping that she likes it.

13 Days from CA to TX?

2009-10-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

The squares that I stitched for the F&S Halloween round were sent on the 13th, and arrived yesterday (the 26th) Wow, I could have practically walked there faster. Anyway, I'm sure happy that they finally showed up.

This is from one of The Prairie Schooler's newest leaflets "Boo To You"

I hope you all have a fun Halloween.

My Gift for Linette

2009-10-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Linette celebrated her birthday on September 25th. I was a little late in getting a birthday package off to her, but I finally got it in the mail to her on the 6th. She finally got it today.

I guess the package went on vacation to Canada before it finally made its way to her in France. I'm so relieved that it finally reached her.

Here is what I stitched for her

Thank you for paying me a visit. I've been a pretty poor blogger lately. I just have not had the desire to post.

I hope you are enjoying the cooler weather and perhaps some pre-Christmas stitching and crafting.

Shepherd's Bush SAL

2009-09-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Becky posted her beautiful finish of SB Sail Away. I liked it so much that I e-mailed her and asked if I could borrow the pattern for it. Well if you have the pleasure of knowing Becky, you know that she is a very generous person. A week or two later, I received a surprise gift in the mail from Becky. She had gone ahead and purchased the kit for me, and had Shepherd's Bush ship it to me.

When Becky mentioned that she was going to be stitching a Shepherd's Bush piece, I suggested that we do a SAL. Yesterday was our first day; we'll be stitching on Tuesdays. Here is a picture (clickable) of what I accomplished.

Today's mail brought a lovely ornament from Donna for our first round of our Christmas Ornament Exchange Group. I think you'll agree that Donna's stitching and finishing are perfect. I'm looking forward to hanging this beauty on my tree.

Thank you so much for paying me a visit. I hope you have a safe, and relaxing Labor Day holiday.

The "Dog" Days of Summer

2009-08-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, I joined a now defunct Yahoo group to stitch a wreath by The Prairie Schooler. I chose the leaflet Barnyard Christmas and just a few minutes ago I finished the sixth design out of eight. With two more to stitch, I might actually have a wreath hanging in my home this Christmas.

Thanks for dropping by to pay me a visit.

It's August Already?

2009-08-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by. In just a few weeks summer will be over, and my youngest child will be going back to school to start her final year of high school. My other daughter will be starting her final year of undergraduate studies. It's going to be a busy year.

I had the pleasure of making a new friend recently though her blog. I've been visiting Rachel's blog for a long time now, and only when she recently ended her old blog (which she wrote in French) and started her new one (which she is writing in English) did I actually take the time to send her an e-mail. That little effort was rewarded by a warm and gracious e-mail from her. Please pay her a visit.

I'll leave you with a picture of the gift that I stitched for Julie's recent birthday. I thought the gardening theme was just perfect for her. My daughter Justine picked out the fabric for finishing the little pillow. She said it reminded her of a garden apron.

Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to pay me a visit.

The Last Round Is Complete

2009-07-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

I participated in a round robin where each group member built a theme using Little House Needleworks patterns. I finally finished the last piece that I needed to do, and now this lovely project will go back to Joan. She came up with a very creative theme. Below is my square for her piece.

Thanks for stopping by to see what my needle and I have been up to. I hope you have a safe, and happy Independence Day.

Hurray For The Red, White, and Blue

2009-06-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

A bit of patriotic stitching has been taking place here. First up are the squares that I stitched for my partner Linda B (no blog) for the patriotic round of Fair and Square.

Here are the adorable squares that I received from Linda

I was also invited by Cathy B to participate in a patriotic exchange through her group Friends Through Threads and I stitched a portion of Homespun Elegance's Summer Patches for my partner Carol. I finished the little piece as a weighted pin cushion which I stuffed with crushed walnut shells.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the upcoming weekend.

My First Needleroll and A Lovely Exchange

2009-06-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

This was the last month of our first round in Becky's Ornament Exchange group. I thoroughly enjoyed this exchange that Becky organized because I love to stitch Christmas ornaments.

For Becky's ornament I chose to stitch a needleroll. I had never done one before. I'm pleased with the results, and I really loved the subtle color variation in the Gloriana silk that I used.

I also received my exchange from Leah for our second round of the Year Long Prairie Schooler exchange that Becky leads. Leah made me a sweet little pillow that she accented with lace. I just love it.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a fun and stitch-filled weekend.

A Very Special Pincushion

2009-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of reading to my daughters when they were little. A few of our favorite stories were Bony-legs by Joanna Cole, Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, and Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

When my oldest daughter Justine gave me this pincushion as a combined Mother's Day and birthday gift, I was teary-eyed. This is her own creation; it was lovingly handmade by her.

Here is a recent picture of Justine with her chinchilla named Chauncho

Thanks for stopping by to check out what I've been up to. I am stitching, but there's nothing to show at this time.

Two Exchanges

2009-05-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

I sent out two exchanges on Tuesday and have gotten the delivery confirmation back on both, so now I can share some photos.

First up is the ornament that I stitched for Amy. May was her month to receive an ornament from everyone in the exchange. I stitched her French Country Reindeeer by JBW Designs.

The second exchange was for the second round of the Prairie Schooler exchange group. I stitched the barn motif from the leaflet Old MacDonald and peep.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

More Gifts

2009-05-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I shared that there were two packages that I had saved for my birthday this past Friday. I wanted to share them with you.

The first package was sent by Sonja in Germany. She made me a lovely little scissor fob and a coordinating biscornu. She attached a pink pair of scissors to make a complete stitcher's set.

The next package was from Becky K. She stitched this adorable hanging pillow from the Prairie Schooler and included a handy pair of scissors and a notebook and pen.

Thank you, to all of you who left me such kind birthday wishes. As always, thanks for stopping by. I hope the rest of the week goes well for you.

Special Friends, Special Gifts

2009-05-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I'll celebrate my birthday and I've received some lovely gifts from some special friends that I've made through my blog. Though I've not met these ladies in person, they are friends who have made my life a richer and happier one.

The first gift that I'll share with you is from Julie in England. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Julie's blog, I highly recommend it! Julie has a great sense of humor and is a very talented stitcher and finisher. She made me this lovely mattress pincushion.

The next gift that graced my mailbox was sent by the sweet Mylene. Her package for me included a mattress pincushion with a design from Primitive Betty's. Her finishing on this little piece is so perfect! She also included some delicious chocolate bars, a bookmark that showcases her area of the Netherlands, and a very cute magnet of a sheep.

I have a couple of gifts that arrived yesterday that I'm saving until tomorrow. I'll share them with you in my next post.

Thank you so much for visiting me. I hope you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.

A Flower For Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have been blessed to be a mother.

I put the last stitch into this motif from my Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler last night. I dedicated most of my stitching time to it this week. I'm starting to enjoy the looks of the sampler a bit more. I had been regretting my decision to stitch the entire piece with the same color silk but I'm liking it more as I get more of it stitched.

I leave you with a picture of my mother on her wedding day. It's not the greatest picture because it's actually a picture that my daughter took of one of the photos in her wedding album.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope that the coming week is a good one for you.

A Pretty Freebie

2009-05-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

I found this free design posted on the blog of Ravenelle. I started stitching it this weekend and just put the last stitches in it this afternoon. This was such an enjoyable stitch that I'll probably stitch it again with a different color. This one is stitched with GAST in blackboard.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope your week is going well.

What I've Been Up To

2009-05-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I stitched this little pansy freebie and on the other side I stitched the word "spring" and a bee from the Marjolean Bastin Four Seasons piece. I hand finished this little fob and sent if off to my friend Sonja in Germany.

The pictures shows this little fob attached to a new pair of Dovo scissors that I bought myself from Crewel Jewels. I recommend them for great service. I also got this other pair at the same time.

Thanks for looking in on my corner of the web.

Meet Tess

2009-04-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you have seen the creative talents of Wendy on her blog. She makes the cutest bears and last week I received one as a thank you!

I am now the proud mother of Tess. Isn't she the sweetest little bear? She has a movable head, arms and legs. I just love her feathered hat. She looks like she's heading off to a tea party.

Thanks so much Wendy for sending me one of your special creations. I just love her!

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you have a good week.

My Pride and Joy - My Daughters

2009-04-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my daughter Andrea (left) and I went to visit my daughter Justine (right). Justine is in her third year of college studying Nutritional Science at UC Berkeley which is about a half hour drive from our home. My husband stayed behind so it was girls' night out.

We are on a mission here to eat a healthier diet and Justine shared this link with me. Check it out. It's chock full of wonderful recipes. I've already made the black beans and roasted beets this week.
I wish you all a very Happy Easter. Thanks so much for stopping by.

A Finish After 20+ Years

2009-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

I stitched this design way back when I was first married and it's been sitting in an unfinished pile since then. When I found out that Wendy makes bears, I thought it would be something she might enjoy. I finished it into a little pillow for her.

I went ahead and ordered a book of french designs that I've been wanting from Amazon.com in Canada. I've seen several of the designs from this book on French blogs and can't wait until it arrives.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

Ornament Time

2009-03-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm the recipient of Becky's ornament exchange group's April round, and Vonna got a head start on things, and sent me this beauty. It landed in my mailbox this past Saturday. It's lovely, don't you think?

Our recipient for March was Jill. She had requested that there be a pine tree somewhere in the design that we stitched for her. There are no shortage of pine trees in The Prairie Schooler's Christmas designs, so I chose this cute design from their leaflet Old World Santas. My daughter suggested the blanket stitched edge. I think it really adds to the design.

Thank you for stopping by.

A Week of Gifts

2009-03-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

The weather here in Northern California warmed up a bit this week. This was a welcome change from the rather cool and grey days we've been having; and the fact that several lovely gifts were delivered by the mailman made it an even nicer week.

First to arrive was the lovely box that Becky stitched and finished. She generously offered her blog readers the chance to win her stunning creation and good fortune shone upon me. I won! It arrived a few days ago, and I've been admiring it ever since. Thank you Becky, for this beautiful keepsake.

The next surprise to arrive was from my friend Sonja in Germany. Sonja made me a very cute bag that I will use for my small WIP's, and a sweet little pincushion. Thank you again Sonja! I'm so glad that we met through our blogs and have become friends.

The last gift that came was a magazine from Mylene. Mylene surprised me by popping this into the mail for me and I've already found my next pattern for the Fair and Square exchange in this issue. Thank you so much Mylene for your friendship and this unexpected surprise :)

I also received my first ornament from the ornament exchange group that I'm part of. I'll be posting pictures of it next time.

CathyB's Round Robin

2009-03-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

I'm finally done stitching for CathyB's round robin. I was happy to stitch this design that Diane Williams did for a UNICEF fundraiser in France. I purchased this chart through Gigi and this is the first time that I've stitched it.

Here is how Cathy's RR looks to this point. I'll be sending this off to Joan for her to apply her talented hand on Monday.

Make New Friends

2009-02-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

The thing I enjoy most about having a stitching blog is the opportunity it affords me to make new friends. I left a comment on the blog of Sonja in Germany toward the end of last year and she kindly responded to me. We've been corresponding through e-mail and I decided to stitch her a little something and send her a surprise package. Here is a picture of the little two-sided pincushion that I stitched and finished for her.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog. Reach out and leave a kind word for someone, you just never know what may happen.

I'm Still Standing

2009-02-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! A bit late don't you think? I started the year with grand intentions to do some interior updating in the house that we've lived in for close to 15 years. As some of you probably know, it's a long, slow process and I still feel like I'm camping out inside of my own home. Hopefully, that will all be behind me by the end of this month.

Stitching time has been scarce but I did manage a small start to my Beatrix Potter piece last month. I decided to stitch the piece on 32 ct. desert sand linen and to use Gloriana silk in the Rosewood color.

I sent two ornaments for our group ornament exchange at the beginning of the week. The first one was for Cathy B and I stitched her Prairie Schooler's Christmas Bell

The second ornament was for Carol. I stitched her one of the santas from The Prairie Schooler's Father Christmas leaflet.

I hope that they both liked what I stitched for them.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate your frienship so much.

Linette's Gift

2008-12-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

About a week before Christmas an envelope arrived for me from Linette. I was rather surprised to find the envelope opened but thankfully nothing was missing. Linette stitched this lovely ornament for me and she included a pattern that I have been wanting from a French designer.

I stitched and finished this ornament for Linette's tree. I also sent her other gifts but I didn't take a picture of them. If you'd like to see what I sent her, you can click on her name and take a look at her blog

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I wish you all a happy and healthy 2009.

Winter Exchange for Becky K

2008-12-18T19:52:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of being paired with Becky K in the Seasonal exchange group. We agreed to stitch a Christmas ornament for this round. This is the ornament that I made for her. It is a design from The Prairie Schooler leaflet "A Christmas Visit".

Thanks so much for dropping by.

Some Special Ornaments

2008-12-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago, my mother moved from her house into a condominium. I went back to Michigan to lend a hand and I came back with some very special mementos of my childhood.

These are some ornaments that my mother made when I was a child and I remember hanging them on the tree every year. I'm so thankful that my mother has always enjoyed handcrafts and that she passed that on to me.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that these sweet ornaments bring a smile to you.

Odds and Ends

2008-12-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

I realized that I haven't posted pictures of my Christmas Round Squares that I did for the Fair and Square group. My partner was Jill and I read on her profile that she likes Bent Creek designs. I was excited to see that because I've had a couple of their patterns that I've been wanting to stitch. Here are the two squares that I came up with for her. I definitely want to stitch "Glad Tidings" again for my own tree.

I also participated in the Prairie Schooler Fans Yahoo Group ornament exchange. I've been a member of this group for several years and always look forward to this annual exchange. Here is a picture of the ornament I received from my partner Denise.

Here is the ornament that I made for Denise

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. I wish you peace and time to stitch in these next couple of weeks before Christmas.

Ornaments Galore

2008-12-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

I received a super Winter exchange from Becky K. She stitched and finished my favorite motif from The Prairie Schooler's Button-Up leaflet. Becky stitched on both sides and even put our initials on the back. Notice the two cute tiny buttons that she used on either side. I just love this sweet keepsake because it came from such a sweet and talented lady.

And here are the two ornaments I made for the private Christmas ornament exchange that I'm participating in. The angel was for Joan and the other one was for Carolyn.

Better Late Than Never

2008-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

I promised quite some time ago that I was going to share some pictures of Christmas gifts that I received from Arcadia.

I had seen this stitched box on some French blogs and mentioned to her that I really liked the pattern. Well, wouldn't you know that she went ahead and made it for me! This design comes from a book entitled Cartonnage Brode Un Fil des Boites. I believe it is available through Elegant Stitch.

Arcadia also made this doll. Isn't she wonderful? I am amazed at her skill and patience. Can you imagine stuffing those long, pencil thin, limbs? That would try the patience of Job! This lovely doll sits proudly atop the armoire in my bedroom. She's high enough where the dogs can't get her but I can still admire her.

Thank you dear friend for these beautiful treasures!

More Pre-Christmas Joy

2008-11-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

I received these lovely squares in yesterday's mail from Jill. We were partners for the Christmas round of the Fair and Square group.

The design square is "Christmas Wish" from The Cricket Collection and the name square that Jill did is the most creative one I've seen. Jill stitched all the information in the same shape as the tree of the main square. It is so delicate too, as it is stitched over-one on the 32 ct. antique white lugana.

Thanks to Jill, my Christmas tree will have a very pretty new ornament on it this year.

Julie received the ornament that I stitched for her for our personal exchange. It's the first Prairie Schooler design that she has seen in person and alas I think a new PS addict has been born.

Personal Exchange from Julie

2008-11-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying Julie's blog for quite some time and I e-mailed her awhile back to see if she wanted to do a Christmas ornament exchange with me. We decided upon mailing out the first week of November. Her package came in record time and was delivered to my door this past Saturday. Here is picture of the beautiful ornament that she made for me.

She also gifted me with one of her precious hand-knit bunnies. I'd like to introduce you to Robyn.

Isn't she sweet? Thanks so much Julie for these precious gifts made from the heart :)

A Sweet Surprise

2008-10-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's mail brought a sweet surprise from dear Becky. She made me the cutest pin pillow. The design is Proud Lil Pumpkin by The Sweetheart Tree. I just love the button that Becky used in the middle. I treasure this little token of our friendship.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a beautiful pair of Dovo scissors on Staci's blog. I e-mailed her to ask her where she had purchased them. It is a limited design, but I was able to find a needlepoint shop in the state of Washington that still had a couple pairs of them for sale. They came in my mail yesterday and I think they are a super addition to my growing collection.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Please come back later this week because I'm going to be posting about some beautiful gifts that I received from my dear friend Arcadia in France. You're going to be wowed by her handiwork :)

Autumn House Exchange

2008-10-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is the lovely exchange that I received from Wanda for the Autumn House Exchange on the SBEBB. She stitched "Bittersweet Moon" from Blackbird Designs and finished it at a stand-up. I really like the design, especially the checkered pattern of the house. It must have been a lot of work! I appreciate the amount of time she put in to making this wonderful exchange. It serves as a fantastic decoration for this time of year. :)

I heard from Becky K that she received the exchange that I sent to her, also from the Autumn House Exchange on the SBEBB. I stitched her the bottom portion of The Prairie Schooler's "Pumpkin Patch" and finished it as a two-sided pin keep (minus the pins).

Linette's Birthday Gift

2008-10-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I left a comment on Linette's blog about a Christmas design that she and several ladies were doing as a SAL. To my surprise, she gave me a response about the design and offered to send it to me! Since then, we've formed a friendship, and although I speak almost no French, and she speaks very little English, we manage to communicate with the help of Google's translator feature.

Linette celebrated her birthday on the 25th of last month. Here is a picture of what I stitched for her special day.

She sent me a lovely gift for my birthday back in May and I never shared it here on my blog. Here are a couple of pictures of the lovely thread book that she made for me complete with floss which she hand dyed herself.

Vonna's Ornament

2008-10-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Vonna received the ornament that I made for her in today's mail. This one was a little hard to send away, but I know that Vonna and her family are going to give it a terrific home.

I made it especially with her young children in mind. I have great memories of special ornaments that I loved as a child, and I'm hoping this one will become a favorite of her family.

Back From a Hiatus!

2008-09-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a long time since I have posted on this blog. I've been stitching, but I can't show any pictures, just to keep things under wraps. :)

I did get a message from Kendra that she received the Fair and Square

Halloween Round that I mailed her on Monday.

I received the squares she stitched for me a couple of weeks ago and I really like them. We both stitched the same border for our squares! How's that for a coincidence?

Cross Country Stitching and An Exchange

2008-08-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Annemarie was wondering out loud on her blog why more stitcher's don't like Cross Country Stitching Magazine. I am a fan of this publication, and have been admiring the design below for a year or more. I know to some it probably looks cluttered and junky, but it really appeals to me. I hope that I'll actually be able to stitch it some day.

BeckyK received her first seasonal exchange from me yesterday. I stitched up this cute design from The Prairie Schooler. It is great being paired with Becky for this year-long exchange because we're both avid fans of PS, and they have some wonderful seasonal designs. Here are a couple pictures of what I sent her.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I really appreciate the comments that you leave; they really help to brighten my day.

Another Round Finished for the Little House Needleworks RR

2008-08-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the square that I just finished for the LHN Round Robin that I'm participating in. This particular piece belongs to Debbi (I don't think she has a blog). It was a fun one to stitch, but it seemed to take me FOREVER! It will now make its way to the talented Joan for her to stitch a square.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great week.

A Gift for Becky and a Blooming Amaryllis

2008-08-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

I stitched this up for Becky two weekends ago and finished it this past weekend. It was my daughter's idea to finish it as a key hanger. I hope that the bright colors will bring a bit of cheer to our dear friend.

This second picture is of the amaryllis that Justine's boyfriend gave her when she was a freshman in college. She will be starting her junior year in August, and this is the first time that it has bloomed. We were all very happy about that, because for the longest time, it only had leaves.

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy lives to visit my blog. I appreciate your kindness.

Zach Turns 7

2008-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today is Zach's (our whippet) 7th birthday! My daughter Andrea baked special birthday cakes, using a dog-friendly recipe, for him. She found the recipe for the Peanut Butter Delight Cake online.

Zach resting on the morning of his birthday.

While the cakes were in the oven, Owen, our greyhound, trotted into the kitchen with his nose raised high. He was very curious as to where the delicious smell was coming from. He paced back and forth in front of the oven, excitedly, until he was shooed away by Andrea, who reassured him he would get a taste of the treats later on.

After the cakes were done baking, Andrea garnished her creations like any good pastry chef. The cake on the blue plate was for the birthday boy Zach, and the cake on the green plate went to Owen.

The dogs ate the cakes outside in the backyard in order to prevent a big mess. Owen instantly gobbled down his share while Zach daintily savored his culinary delight.

It was fun to watch them enjoy their treats so much. :) Even better, there are left-overs that will be enjoyed again with as much excitement as the first time.

Zach licking his crumb-laden chops.

Celebrate Summer

2008-07-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

These are the squares I sent to Gaby for the summer round of Fair and Square. They were a joy to stitch!

I hope you are all enjoying the summer!

The Golden Touch of Goldie

2008-07-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

We recently finished up the first year of Seasonal Exchanges on Becky's Seasonal Exchange Board. I was the lucky recipient of Goldie's stitching and finishing. Each of the projects that she sent had both specialty stitches and fibers in them. It was always a delightful surprise to open the exchanges that she sent. She's an amazing finisher as well, and each of her projects demonstrated a different style of finish. Here are photos containing the four lovely projects that she did for me.

I wanted to say thank you to Goldie for all the time and effort that she put into her exchanges for me, so I sent her a stitched decoration for the 4th of July.

Little House Needleworks Round Robin

2008-07-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have never mentioned on my blog that I'm currently stitching in a round robin with seven other ladies. I just finished the second round and I thought it would be nice to share a picture of the project that I just worked on. This lovely round robin belongs to Nicki. She said that she wanted a house in the center square and I was happy that it was still vacant. I decided to stitch the house from Home of a Needleworker Too. I substituted DMC floss because that's what the group decided upon.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you have a safe and peaceful Independence Day.

Fair and Square Round 7

2008-06-22T16:21:00.001-07:00

I'm back from my trip to Michigan. We had a very nice time seeing all of my family there. The picture above is of my daughters and me posing with my nephew who just graduated from high school.

These are the squares that I stitched for my partner Daniela for the 7th round of Fair and Square. I mailed them to her in the Czech Republic two weeks ago. I hope that she's received them by now.

Thanks so much for stopping by to read my blog. I really appreciate your comments.

Two Lovely Pinkeeps

2008-06-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

Last week I received two beautiful pinkeeps in the mail. The first one was for my wish made on the Make a Wish Exchange Board. My wish was granted by the lovely Carolyn who stitched and finished the pinkeep with the tree and the two sweet little birds beneath it.

The next one was a complete surprise and it came from Marie. She stitched and finished this as "Thank you" to me for stitching for her in the Seasonal Exchange Group. I've always admired Marie's work and I was so happy to have one of her beautiful creations to call my own.

I'm off to Michigan for a week to visit my mother and siblings. I've got my stitching packed so I know it will be a good trip.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you stay cool in all of this summer heat.

Birthday Flowers

2008-05-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday yesterday. It was a lovely day, but one key person was missing ... my husband. He is out of the country until the first week of June. He did send me a lovely bouquet of flowers and I also received a bouquet of beautiful tea roses from his family.

Thank you for stopping by. I wish you a safe and peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

Rabbits and An Exchange

2008-04-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce two rabbits that recently came to live with me. They were brought to life by my talented friend Arcadia in France who lovingly cut, sewed, and stuffed them. She then dressed them in finery by sewing beautiful clothing for them. They are so lovely.

Thank you my dear friend for making them for me.

The weather here in northern California was very windy and chilly last Saturday but the sun was shining. I ventured outdoors to take these pictures and included the pinkeep that I made for the SBEBB Spring House exchange for Susan. The rabbit on the left is one that my daughter has had since early childhood. The other rabbits are the ones that Arcadia made for me.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope the rest of the week goes well for you.

It's Hip to Be Square

2008-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

I mailed out my first round with Vonna's Fair and Square Group. This is such a fun group. Thanks so much Vonna for running it. I enjoy the fact that we can send an unfinished item. It sure makes for a quick exchange.

My partner Suzanne told me that she likes French designs. Arcadia has given me several L' R de Rien charts so I chose to stitch Miniature Poulette.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you all have a pleasant, stitch-filled weekend.

Don't You Love To Surprise A Friend?

2008-04-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

As stitchers in this blogging/cyberspace community we have the opportunity to stitch fun surprises for friends that we haven't actually met face to face. Let's face it, not everyone we know appreciates the time and effort that goes into our beloved craft. But a fellow stitcher, well that's another story. She or he not only loves the finished product, but also has firsthand knowledge of the gift of ourselves that we put into every stitch.

Most of you are familiar withVonna through her blog and her Fair and Square group. She is a truly lovely lady who I admire a great deal. When I was browsing the web, I came across a lovely victorian style alphabet. I thought that the letter V was especially nice and thus my "plan of surprise" was born.

Vonna has already posted great pictures on her blog. I just got a new digital camera (SonyDSLR-200) last week and definitely need a few lessons on how to stylize my photos. I've also had numerous problems trying to load pictures here on Blogger and getting them to be clickable so that you can see a close-up.

Thank you one and all for stopping by my blog. I treasure our stitcher's community here on the web and each of you that are part of it.

Scissor Fob Sent and Received

2008-03-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm very sorry, but the other two pictures will not upload properly, please click on the links below to see them.

Enjoy!

My Baby Is Growing Up

2008-03-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my youngest daughter has already turned 16. February was a big month for Andrea. She celebrated her birthday on the 16th and attended her school's formal dinner party on the 29th.

I'm so proud of the young woman that she's becoming. She attends a Chinese Christian School and has been learning Mandarin since the 6th grade. She loves language and has the desire to be an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. I know if she sets her mind to it she'll be able to accomplish this goal.

On a "stitchy" note, I've been busy with my needle and floss. I joined Vonna's great Fair and Square group and almost have my square completed.

I hope all of you are enjoying the longer hours of daylight and getting lots of stitching done. Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to. I leave you with a picture of my Andrea.

Gifts from a Special Friend

2008-02-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Arcadia in France made me the loveliest sewing basket with a matching tape measure for Christmas. I absolutely love the little flower buttons that the girl is holding. Arcadia also spoiled me with two stitching books and the beautiful lace handkerchief which she had a friend purchase for her in Belgium. I am so grateful to have received such intricate and beautiful gifts. I apologize for waiting so long to post this! I got caught up in all the excitement from all the holidays.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and catching up on what's new here. Keep on stitching and enjoy every day.

Frosty Friends Exchange for Leena

2008-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

I received a copy of the book Country by Helen Wind from my friend Arcadia . I chose to stitch a snowman from it for Leena for the SBEBB's Frosty Friends exchange. I was fortunate to have purchased a grab bag of linen cuts with this pretty blue one in the mix. I thought it would be the perfect backdrop for this frosty gentleman.

Barnyard Continues

2008-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to report that no one finished their wreath in the PS Grapevine Wreath SAL group. I do intend to finish mine for Christmas 2008.

I'm currently working on the dog. I've finished a couple more animals since I last posted about this SAL . Here they are:

Thanks so much for stopping by and for all of your comments and good wishes concerning Owen- our newly adopted greyhound. I'm happy to report that he's doing well and seems to be settling into our routine.

A Couple of Ornaments

2008-01-10T18:35:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple of Christmas ornaments that I gave as gifts. The first is one that I did for some former neighbors that owned huskies. I thought the dog in the piece resembled a husky.

The second ornament is one that I gave to my sister. It was a freebie that I found somewhere on the web.

We adopted a retired racing greyhound last Saturday. We had been thinking about getting a second dog and went ahead and filled out an application with a local adoption group. After making sure that we were fit to adopt, they told us they had a dog for us and that we could pick him up that evening.

We've named him Owen and he's quite a big fellow. He's doing well and I'm adjusting to caring for two dogs. Here is a picture of us that they took when we went to pick him up.

Frosty Friends Exchange From Andrea

2008-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

I was the lucky recipient of Andrea's wonderful stitching and finishing skills. She sent me the cutest needleroll with three of the most adorable snowmen stitched on it. The pattern is from Winter Fobs by Heart In Hand.

Here is a picture of all of the "extras" that Andrea sent. Isn't that the cutest fabric? Thanks again Andrea for a wonderful exchange.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's been quite some time since I've posted here. I was very busy stitching gifts and ornaments. I was a participant in Becky's Birthday and Christmas exchange group and my partner Irene has her birthday a few days before Christmas.

For her birthday gift I stitched a design over one in DMC 115 and finished it as a stitcher's tin.
I knew from looking at her blog that she likes The Prairie Schooler so I chose to stitch the annual santa from 1986
Happy New Year to all of you. May 2008 be a healthy and happy year for you and everyone you hold dear.

Barnyard Trio

2007-11-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in a SAL http://pswreathsal.blogspot.com/ to stitch and finish a grapevine wreath for Christmas. Many participants are stitching The Prairie Schooler's Twelve Days of Christmas, but several have chosen to stitch from other leaflets.

I chose to stitch Barnyard Christmas and I just finished my 3rd animal yesterday. I've got five more to do. I started the sheep last night. Here's what I've done so far.Thanks for stopping by and taking time to see what I've been up to. Happy stitching to you all.

A Couple of Things to Share

2007-10-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

I participated in the SBEBB's Grateful Hearts Exchange and received an absolutely beautiful biscornu from Carol. She stitched the "Four Little Hearts" by Indigo Rose on both sides of the biscornu and she edged it with delicate seed beads. It is so pretty! My picture just doesn't do it justice. You can also see the wonderful goodies that Carol included with her lovely exchange piece. Thanks again, Carol for a lovely gift that I will always treasure.

My partner for the exchange was Chris and I chose to stitch her JBW's French Country Love. I finished it as a small project keeper with a pocket. It arrived safely in the UK and Chris liked my choice.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your taking time to visit my blog.

Autumn's In The Air

2007-10-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is the exchange that I sent to Marie for the Autumn portion of our seasonal exchange. It is another Prairie Schooler design and I just loved the colors in it. It is supposed to be finished with a flat bottom, but I haven't mastered that technique.

I'm very pleased that Marie likes the exchange! It is so much fun to put an exchange package together. I always try to give things that I would love to receive myself. I'm just thrilled that Marie likes scented soaps because I love shopping for those types of things.

I hope you are all enjoying the cooler, shorter days of autumn. I know that many of you are very busy stitching Christmas gifts. Enjoy your stitching time and thank you for stopping by to read my blog. :)

I'd Love to Stitch This

2007-09-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

I found this project pictured on a French website http://perso.orange.fr/isadarenabroderie/index.htm and I really would love to stitch it. I especially love the little dog. Isn't it cute? From what I can understand, this talented lady designed these patterns. I've tried to contact her but I have not gotten a response. If anyone can direct me as to how I can purchase these charts, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you so much for your compliments on the wall hanging for Marie. I really appreciate your taking time to read and leave comments on my blog.

Summer Exchange for Marie

2007-09-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

I received the nicest e-mail from Marie letting me know that she received the summer portion of our seasonal exchange. I was so happy when Becky sent out the names and I saw that Marie would be my recipient. I enjoy stitching Prairie Schooler designs and I knew that Marie was fond of them too, so I decided to stitch one of the Summer Samplers.

This was a really fun project to stitch and sew. I bought a new Pfaff sewing machine this summer and it's really great for these quilted projects. My daughter and I had a good time selecting the fabrics together and I relied heavily on her superb eye for color. The photos are clickable and you'll see a much sharper picture if you click on them. My daughter's boyfriend lent us his new Sony digital camera. It sure takes nice pictures!

Thanks for stopping by.

Two Recent Exchanges

2007-08-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

I've been busy stitching and finishing some exchanges and now I can finally share them with you.

The first one was given to Nancy K. for the "And A Forest Grew" exchange on the USEBB. I really fell in love with this design from Cross Country Stitching magazine and I knew that Nancy was a fan of primitive designs. I really enjoyed stitching this one and my daughter came up with the novel idea of using twisted paper and raffia as the edging materials.

The second exchange that I made was for Chris
for the "Freebie " exchange on the SBEBB. I chose to stitch Little House Needleworks Garden Gameboard. I made it into a tote bag. This was a challenging and time consuming project and I'm proud of how it turned out.

Thanks for reading my blog, and please know that I really appreciate your comments.

Introducing The Amish Couple from France

2007-08-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Arcadia is an exquisite doll maker. When I found an old book of patterns for Amish/Appalachian dolls I knew it would be something she would make use of. Well, you can see for yourself that she went to work creating this lovely couple. They arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago and have found a new home in my bedroom.

A Myriad of Gifts from Arcadia Part 2

2007-06-05T20:54:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow stitchers. I have finally made the move from Xanga to Blogger.

If you would like to see my old blog, it is located here.

The following pictures are a continuation, as promised, of the gifts given to me by my friend Arcadia from France.
This is a cute doll (Isn't she adorable?) and a little rooster that I received. The tray in the background was Arcadia's first work of the art of Cartonnage. The tray came packed with tea, coffee, French baked goods, and other yummies.

I have a penchant for French needlework magazines. I am incredibly fortunate to have a friend like Arcadia. She has spoiled me silly with so many wonderful magazines. I cannot read French, but fortunately, cross-stitch charts need no interpretation.

These are some cute needlework racks. Arcadia sent just the right things because I have a love for chickens!

Of all Arcadia's gifts, this one is my favorite. It's not actually one whole pattern. She took hens from different patterns and combined them herself! Très magnifique!