Two Finishes!

There really hasn't been much time for stitching lately; we had houseguests (my cousins from Canada) all week and were busy visiting with them and other family members that stopped by...but today has been my day to stitch! It's been raining outside all day (we really need it) so there's no guilt feelings for not starting to work in the yard!

My first finish is a piece I started about 2 or 3 weeks ago. It's from La D Da and it's called Quaker Alphabet. As I think I mentioned before, the picture of the design did not appeal to me, but when I saw the stitched model at Stitcher's Crossing in Madison I totally fell in love with it! I stitched it on 35 count Straw by Weeks Dye Works and used the recommended fibers - Belle Soie Creme de Menthe and Noir. I love it!

Then, I couldn't help but not jump on the Blackbird Designs freebie/contest bandwagon. Here is my version of Petites Lettres Rouges. I like some of the quirky problems with the pattern so I didn't make too many changes. I added my grandmother's name and the year she came to America from Hungary. This is stitched with DMC 115 on some of the 28ct cream Belfast that I coffee-dyed. It was a fun stitch!

Giveaway --- If you would like to receive my gently used chart for Quaker Alphabet including my leftover silk, please leave your name on this post. I will draw a name next weekend. (You will need to supply your own fabric and Belle Soie Creme de Menthe; there's more than enough Noir to stitch the letters!)

That's it for today. I pulled out two new projects to work on and have couple of exchanges for May that need to get started. Until next time...

So Far Behind!

The past two weeks have been CRAZY at our house..we hosted Easter dinner for my family (15 people, I think?) This week we have relatives coming from British Columbia; they will be staying with us for five days. I'm very grateful for this time with family.

So, what have I been stitching lately? Let's start with the ornament that I stitched for Julianne on the Christmas ornament swap; April was her month to receive. She indicated that she loved Christmas greens and reds and that made me think of this ornament -- it's from the 2002 JCS Ornament Magazine and it's a design from Nordic Needle. I finished it off as a small stuffed pillow with beads around the edge and some personalization on the back. Cute, yes?


Next up are two sweet fobs that I stitched to coordinate with the Gingher Sarah scissors that came out last year. The design is a freebie from Debbie Draper called "Love" which can be found here. I chose thread colors which coordinated with the colors of the scissors -- the lighter middle is CC Persimmon, the darker middle is WDW Grenadine , the blue is ST Morning Glory, the green is ST Spring Grass. I stitched them on some 28ct white linen and finished them as tiny biscornus. What do you think?

Here's my current WIP. I would have never purchased this pattern based on the picture but I saw the model when Mama Joan and I went to Madison and fell in love with it. Wanna guess which design this is? I'll give you a clue, we went to Madison for a class with Lori from La D Da....

That's all I got! Hope you have all been well. I'm going to try to pop into some blogs now and see what I've been missing. Have a nice weekend!

Happy Easter!

Wishing you and your family and friends a Happy Easter!

I promise to have stitchy pictures soon...

Dirty Trick

Yes, Mother Nature played a dirty trick on us last night. We woke up to find snow everywhere! The pictures below are of our deck and the trees behind. I think we got about two inches of the fluffy white stuff. Can't complain, other parts of Minnesota have had it worse!

I can now show you a picture of the biscornu I sent out for the Tiny Treasures exchange. It went to Patti in the U.K. This was my first experience stitching on black!

Bumblehearts Biscornu
Periphaeria Designs
28 count Black Cashel
DMC fibers

Needleroll for Ronel

Over the weekend I shared with you the beautiful stumpwork bag, nametag, and scissor fob that I received from Ronel. Today, Ronel emailed to tell me that the exchange package I sent to her arrived! I stitched this Minnesota needleroll for her -- I thought it would be something she would remember me by!

Here's close-up picture of the nametag and the scissor fob. Please visit Ronel's blog for better pictures, plus she just posted a picture of a beautiful scissor pocket that she recently finished!

Finished! Finito! Fertig!

Will you dance with me? I put the final stitches in BOAF Red Reindeer last night and it is now finished!

Birds of a Feather - Red Reindeer
36 Count Meadowlark Linen
Weeks Dye Works Fibers

Then I must also share with you my Hello Neighbor Round Robin. This little beauty started circulating in July of 2007. I asked each stitcher to incorporate something significant to where they live into their square. My square is in the middle and I thought the LHN Lakeside Lodge design reminded me of Minnesota (10,000 lakes). Over the past almost two years it traveled to Carol in New Hampshire, Michelle in Texas, Katrina in Colorado, Judith in the Netherlands, Kathy in Arizona (and Ontario!), Erin in New York State, and Annemarie in the Netherlands. We had one problem stitcher in our group so when my RR came home to me late last year, I had one empty square. Dear Vonna kindly offered to stitch it for me, and so the final square is from Vonna in Indiana!

Hello Neighbor Round Robin
32 count Vintage Light Examplar

I intend to stitch a simple border in between the squares and around the entire piece. When I get that done, I'll share one more photo with you! Isn't it gorgeous? I'm grateful to all my online stitching friends who stitched on this beauty!

So Much to Share...

Yes, the letter carrier has been busy this week. Lot's of packages arriving at this house! Hmmm....where shall I begin?

Let's start with this beautiful biscornu that I received from Candace as part of the exchange organized on the Tiny Treasures blog. Candace studied my blog and tried to find a biscornu pattern from one of my favorite designers. She couldn't find anything that was exactly right, so she just took the bunny and the grass motifs from LHN's Nature's Beauty and adpated them into this design on one side of the biscornu.
The other side of the biscornu is a design from Teresa Wentzler called English Cottage Sampler. The two sides complement each other nicely.
Finally, check out these cool pins that Candace made. She used seed beads and insect beads to make them herself. Cool, huh? Thanks Candace! The biscornu that I stitched and finished for this exchange was mailed today, so stay tuned for a post in a week or so.

Next up, is a beautiful set of needlework smalls that I received from Ronel in South Africa. A couple months ago, Ronel and I decided to do an exchange with each other. We decided that we could stitch anything that we wanted and then finish as we wished. We both mailed our packages on March 16 and my package from Ronel arrived today.

Ronel told me that she enjoys ribbon embroidery and stumpwork in addition to cross stitch. She stitched this beautiful stumpwork set for me. The bag has a beautiful dragonfly on it. His tail and his eyes are beaded. Then notice the berries on stem - these are stitched and beaded too. You can't see it, but on the backside of this bag, Ronel stitched my initials and there's another stem with a small berry attached. The bag is lined with some coordinating fabric; it has a drawstring closure and there are beads at the end of the cording.

Now, look at the gorgeous nametag. More embroidery and beading. Can you see the little spider? You probably can't see it in the photo, but he is starting to spin a web! One the back side of the nametag, Ronel stitched her name, South Africa, and the year. There are also some cute little bees stitched on the backside!

Finally, a coordinating scissor fob. The little ladybug on this fob is so cute. Ronel is definitely an expert needleworker! In the package she also enclosed some threads from South Africa and a cross stitch chart from a South African designer. I am so glad to have a new friend - it was such fun exchanging emails and getting to know Ronel throughout this process. Now, I hope my package to her arrives soon!


Last picture to share today -- Jill is the recipient of the monthly ornament exchange this month. I happened to see her last night and so I hand delivered my ornament to her. Jill wanted a design that included a pine tree; this is one of the Prairie Schooler santas and he's holding the pine tree!
I'll have more pictures to share tomorrow - another special box arrived today and I'm almost finished with Red Reindeer.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are having a nice weekend!

The Drawn Thread Exchange

Recently, a small group of us decided to do an exchange with the theme of "The Drawn Thread." Today, a wonderful package from Suzanne was waiting for me when I arrived home from work. In it was this beautiful fob created especially for me! Suzanne used motifs from Tocatta Number II to create this beauty! Her stitches are so delicate; there are some beads added to embellish her stitching. It's really a stunning piece!

Here's the front:


Here's the back (my initials!):


Suzanne included a chart from Thistle Threads "How Doth the Busy Bee" - it's a design to be stitched on a band for a basket - as well as some other goodies, needlework themed fabric, ribbon, beads, and some metallic thread. I'm quite delighted with her thoughtful package. Thank you Suzanne!

Hazel also sent me a note today indicating that my package to her had arrived. I decided to stitch the Little Spot Sampler and finished it into a small pillow for her. I thought it turned out nicely! Hazel has some nice photos here of the entire package.

I feel like I've been running in circles lately and going nowhere! Red Reindeer is waiting to be finished (haven't touched it since my last post!) I did stitch and finish a biscornu and it's ready to be mailed. Tonight I started working on an ornament for Jill as it's her turn to receive in March (and there are only 7 days left! Yikes!)

Until next time...

Red Reindeer Update

If you guessed BOAF Red Reindeer, you were correct! Here's an updated photo for you. As you can see, I've made great progress. I just have two more rows plus two motifs in the third row to stitch and then it will be finished.

I finished up some exchanges this past weekend; they are going in the mail tomorrow. Two more exchanges to stitch yet this month. Busy, busy!

Thanks for stopping by!

New Project and a Better Photo

Tonight I started a new project. This has been in my stash waiting to be stitched for at least 2 or 3 years. Can you guess which design I'm stitching? It's going to be a quick finish; I'm about a third of the way done. Lots of counting with this one!


And, please allow me to post one more photo of "Lo" - I finally figured out what I needed to do to get a better photo that more accurately portrays the color of the linen.


Big winter storm expected to slam into Minnesota tomorrow. We're supposed to get 3 - 6 inches of snow in the metro; some places in the state may see as much as 8 inches. I am so ready for winter to go away! Spring, where are you?

Lo - Finished

It's finished! This is one of the most satisfying designs I have stitched in a long time! My camera doesn't seem to want to accurately capture the color of the linen; it's rich and warm. You may recall that I followed Vonna's "basted and baked" instructions. This is a 28 ct Cashel fabric stitched with DMC fibers over two. It's really a beautiful design and finish (if I may say so myself!)





Edited to add: This design "Lo, How a Rose Sampler" from Brightneedle, can be found in the Better Homes and Gardens A Cross-Stitch Christmas - Celebrations in Stitches. It looks like it was published in 2001. My pattern has already been promised to another stitcher (Jill!) I found my copy on Amazon.com a few weeks ago.

Busy week -- not much other time for stitching. DD's basketball team is in sectional playoffs trying to earn a berth to the state tournament; I was in Seattle on Thu and Fri for work; and amidst all of this I've been fighting a bugger of a cold!

Working on exchanges this weekend -- will have more to show you soon! Take care!

Ornament from Amy

A small group of us have been exchanging ornaments every month; January was my month to receive. Amy was quite busy and got a little behind (I can totally relate!) but her ornament for me arrived this weekend. It was worth the wait; it's so sweet - this is one of the new patterns from Blackbird Designs.

Here's the basket with all of the ornaments that I received from this special group of friends. It will be great fun decorating the tree at Christmas with all of these beautiful ornaments!


It's cold here today. I've been busy with laundry, dusting, and vacuuming -- doesn't that sound like fun?

Lo How a Rose - Another Update

Hello stitching friends! I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post more frequently; life gets busy sometimes and at the end of the day there just isn't enough time left for blogging!

Here's an update on Lo; as you can see, it is almost finished! I'm working on a couple of exchanges right now, so it may be awhile before I finish Lo, but certainly it will get finished in March. I've been contemplating what to start next.



Wish I had more time to chat! Have a wonderful weekend!

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow ...

...nor dark of night....would keep me away from a needlework class with Lori Markovic! Yes, my friend Joan and I traveled to Madison, WI yesterday to take a class from Lori at Stitcher's Crossing. I've always wanted to meet her in person; I absolutely love her designs, and so I snatched up this opportunity a few months ago as soon as I knew she was coming.
Now, realize of course that you never know what the weather is going to be like during the winter months in MN or WI. Traveling from the Twin Cities to Madison is a fairly easy drive, it's interstate the entire way, but as luck would have it, a winter storm hit the Twin Cities on Friday night. It was fairly clear here on Saturday morning and die-hard Minnesotans that we are, we decided that nothing was going to hold us back! Our four hour drive took five and a half hours; in places the driving was good, in other places not so good, but the important thing is that we made it safe and sound and with only seconds to spare!

We walked in the shop at precisely 1pm. The lady behind the counter said "Are you the girls from Minnesota?" We said, "Yes" and everyone in the class room cheered! We made it, woo hoo! What a fun group of ladies we met. A stitcher that I had met in the fall of 2007, Diana, was there. Leslie from the Legacy board was also there (I had met her at a Merry Cox class in the Twin Cities last year) - it was good to see both of them again!

Our class project was this little needle book called Pins & Needles. We had all done our stitching in advance of the class, so the next two hours would be spent assembling with Lori's guidance. The stitched piece was wrapped around two pieces of cardboard; then a piece of fabric was ironed to the inside to cover up the raw edges. There are grommets in the binding which hold the wool felt with the cording. As you can see, we also stiched up a strawberry pincushion. The two hours went by far too quickly!

Here's the class project:



Here's Diana, Lori, Cathy, and Joan:


P.S. Lori is wearing the "Star Pouch" that she designed and was available at Nashville this year. I am wearing my Miss Mary Mack necklace (stitched by friend Chris for me!)

If you are ever in the Madison area, Stitcher's Crossing is a great shop! They cater to both quilters and needlework lovers! Joan and I did a bit of stash shopping before heading home. By the way, our trip home was fine - it was still snowing around Madison, but once we hit the interstate and headed west, the roads were fine and it was clear sailing.

Teri & Tina from Shepherd's Bush last weekend, Lori from La D Da this weekend...I'm on cloud nine....

Progress Report on "Lo"

Just a quick progress report on "Lo" - this has been such a fun piece to stitch. After seeing Laura's progress on cream colored linen, I'm kind of second guessing my fabric choice ... hmmmm...I do love the mottled look though.

Before I go, here are a few more pictures from Temple Square in Salt Lake City - Here's a shot of the temple during the day. It took 40 years to construct the temple.

The leftover stone was used to create this chapel:
The organ inside the chapel is much smaller than the organ in the tabernacle:

Now we're inside the tabernacle - here's a closer shot of the Mormon Tabernacle choir rehearsing:
And just for my mom, here's a picture of the organ all by itself - almost 12,000 pipes!

Where Do I Begin? (Warning - Long Post)

Hello everyone, yes, I'm back after an awesome week in Salt Lake City. The trip's purpose was business related, but I had some free time here and there and stayed an extra day at the end of the week so that I could meet some online stitching friends and take a trip to the Bush.

Is it possible to fall in love with a place after just five days? Salt Lake is beautiful. No matter which direction you look there are snow capped mountains. Being from Minnesota, I don't get to see mountains like this everyday!

During the week, I had time to visit Temple Square and even slipped out of an evening work function long enough to hear some of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's rehearsal (what a treat to hear them!)


The highlight of the week though was meeting up with some Legacy Board stitching friends that I recently connected with online. Now, many of my co-workers were interested in knowing why I was staying an extra day in Salt Lake - you see, many of them flew out on the red-eye Thursday night or the first flight on Friday morning. How do you explain to a "non-stitcher" the significance of a trip like this?

I started by explaining that I was going to be picked up at the hotel on Friday morning at 9:45am by a friend -- the conversation went something like this...

"Oh, you have friends in Salt Lake, how nice - have you known them a long time?"

"Well, no - I just met them a few weeks ago."

"You just met them? Have you been to Salt Lake before?"

"Well, no - I posted a note on an online needlework board asking for more information on transportation options to a needlework store."

"So you are meeting up with people you don't really know?"

"Yes, there are going to be five of them and me!"

"Are you sure you are going to be okay? Where are you going with them?"

"We're going to a needlework store in Ogden."

"You're doing what?"

"We're going to a needlework store in Ogden. This shop in Ogden is world-reknowned for its designs. The owners are two sisters -- they are like 'rock stars' in the needlework industry. They are the 'Mick Jaggers' of cross-stitch."

"Oh, well have fun. If you're not at work on Monday we'll contact the state police."

"No need to worry, these ladies only travel with needles and designer scissors!"

I guess you have to be a stitcher to really understand the significance of this trip! Yes, I met up with some wonderful ladies from the Legacy Board - Alice, Lynn, Laura, Brenda, and Cheryl - we first stopped at the Craft Center for some stash shopping and then we headed up to Shepherd's Bush where I met Teri and Tina (rock stars in my world!)



After more stash shopping, we had lunch at the Red Rooster in Ogden and hit one more shop, the Needlepoint Joint, before heading back to Salt Lake. They dropped me off at the airport in plenty of time to make my evening flight home. It was a fabulous day and I have some wonderful new friends in Salt Lake!

Before I go -- while I was away, Carol received the ornament that I stitched for her. February is her month to receive from our group participating in this exchange. This is a design from Val's Stuff; it was in one of the JCS Ornament preview issues.


Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Couldn't Wait...

Now that I have the appropriate piece of fabric (see previous entry) I was just itching to start stitching "Lo." And here it is....

To see a finished and framed "Lo" visit Vonna's blog here.

I am going to be away this week with no access to blogs or email. I'm traveling to Salt Lake City to attend a conference for work. I've never been to Salt Lake before so I am excited to see it. The highlight of my week however will be Friday -- some of the ladies on the Legacy board are picking me up at my hotel and we're going to spend the day together. They have the itinerary all planned and it includes a visit to Shepherd's Bush! I can't wait to meet these online stitching friends!

Vonna's Recipe

After seeing so many others working on "Lo How A Rose" from Brightneedle, I decided this would be the project I take with me when I go out of town next week. I didn't really have the right color fabric on hand though and I'm determined to stitch as much from my stash as possible. Then it hit me -- I could create the right color fabric simply by following Vonna's basting and baking instructions. A pot of coffee and 4 bags of tea later - voila! I have fabric that is perfect for this Brightneedle project. Here are a couple of photos to give you some idea as to what I ended up with (I started with a cream colored Cashel - the last photo started out as Potato Lugana!) The first photo is the piece I will use for Lo...



A lovely ornament arrived from Julianne yesterday - check it out! I believe this a Prairie Schooler design, is it not? Beautifully stitched, nicely finished - it's going to look wonderful on the tree! Thank you Julianne!