A surprise in the mail

This afternoon when I went down to my mail box, I found a large envelope sent all the way from New Zealand.  I was very suspicious but then I remembered some teasing from Claire about a project she was working on for me.  I was so excited!!!!!  I opened it very carefully and she had a beautifully worded card telling me about her working on this project and a glimpse into her every day life.  Anyone who knows me that I have always been fascinated by New Zealand and Australia because of my father being stationed there during WWII.  This touched me greatly because someone who I will probably never meet in this life, who lives halfway around the world, thought enough of me to spend time stitching this absolutely beautiful needlework set.

Claire, I cannot thank you enough for sharing a part of your talent with me.  You even remembered my love for pink and green!  This will definitely be treasured by me not only for the talent it took to make this but for the thought that went into it.  Claire - all my love!

I also want to say thank you to all you ladies who posted comments about the email I received.  I was and still am overwhelmed with your generosity.  I love each and every one of my followers and I always try to hold up my end of having an interesting blog for you to visit.

I'm still plucking away on my Christmas stitching and hopefully will be finished with it soon.  There is one thing in particular I want to share with you but I can't till after the holidays are over.  The recipient reads my blog so I can't show it till she opens it.  Sorry Rhonda.....no hints.  LOL

Again, I thank Claire for her beautiful RAK and all my wonderful followers and to those in the northeast, my prayers are with you.

Till we talk again have a Blessed day,

Barbara

Add your prayers

I'm very much concerned for my family and friends who live in the northeast.  This storm is going to be a monster and I believe it's going to end up hurting alot of people.  All we can do is pray and hope for the best.  So please add a prayer to your list for those in harms way.

Till we talk again, have a Blessed day,

Barbara

I guess i'm quilty

I received a very unexpected email from a follower who had some very harsh words for me.  Apparently, in their eyes, I am a show off and not worth the time to read.  I was accused of only posting whenever I purchase something so to showoff what I have.  I have to say that this hurt me very deeply.  I guess this person just can't pass my blog on by and read the next one in line.  I don't force anyone to read or look at what I've posted and I hope I don't come across that way.  I'm not posting this to get sympathy but I'm hoping that none of you have received an email about your blog like this one.  I'm going to take a little break and concentrate on things I have to finish for the holidays but I will still post anything that comes my way for the SAL starting January 1st.  

Just incase I forget, all of you have a Happy Halloween and don't eat too much chocolate......what am I saying!.....eat!

Until we talk again Have a Blessed Day,

Barbara

Caution! Enabling Post

I hope everyone's week has started out great with no problems to worry about.  I have some things to share with you and please remember I did put "Caution" in my post title.  :o)

First up I finished a new project bag and I just love this pink and black fabric.  I found a pattern on my embroidery machine that I thought would look really nice with it and it has been stitched in black.  This bag you will find in my Etsy store for sale.

Now for the goodies.....

Since I already went off my stash diet I thought "what the heck" and purchased some patterns from The Threadbasket and other places.  The one above is a C Mon Monde design which is to be stitched over 1 thread but my old eyes just can't do that anymore so I'm looking at 20ct. Jobelan for it.  I doubt if I'll get it finished for this Christmas but there's always next year.

The above pattern I found on a French website and instantly fell in love with it.  I just purchased a large spool of HDF Perfect Red in premium and it will look great in this pattern.  I'm thinking 38ct. Gander linen but we'll have to wait and see.

The two above new Drawn Thread patterns I just couldn't resist.  The Give Thanks is for myself but the Noel will be a gift for a friend after it's stitched.  She loves all things Christmas so I know she'll love it.

Next is another C Mon Monde pattern which is so different I couldn't resist.  Of course you've heard of Mary Poppins.....well meet Mary Bobbins.  She's standing with her ever present umbrella floating over the house tops but along with her are all things needlework.....scissors, threads, etc.  This is a deceptively large pattern so it's going to have to wait until the first of the year to be started.  I have all the threads for it and the fabric.....Anchor and Belfast linen.

Well I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I'll be working on in the coming months.   What I'm working on now is Lizzie Kate's new boxer....Faith, Hope and Love.  It was to be worked on natural linen but I decided to do it on cream Belfast.....I wanted it a bit more cheerful.  This pattern will be up for sale after I'm finished with it so if you're interested in stitching it, please be patient and it will be added to Never Enough Stash.

So please enjoy your coming week and take time to enjoy the fall colors wherever you call home.  I can tell fall is coming finally to Florida because the rain trees are turning colors.  That's about all we get here so I enjoy it while I can.

Until we talk again,

Have a Blessed Day,

Barbara

I've been playing

I really never knew that embroidery machines could become addictive.....is there a 12 step program out there!!!  LOL  I have become a junkie when it comes to this machine and I'm afraid that my cross stitch is taking a beating in the "doing" phase.  I played with it all day long today and learned how to bring in a picture from any where and turn it into an embroidered piece.  That is just too cool!!!!!  

This is what I was up to today....

For the SAL I'm hosting with Jenn starting Jan. 1, 2013, I decided to start off with making a project bag for the random winner chosen at the end.  Each month a new item will be placed in this bag to be given to the winner who finishes the SAL and who's name is drawn.  It was so much fun designing this and choosing the fabric collection.  I think what I chose is just about perfect.  The main part of the bag is done in the navy background with straight pins design with the logo added to the navy background that has all the stitching necessities on it.  The lining is the same fabric but with a cream background.  

Isn't it wonderful to drool over fabric?  When my DH goes with me into Sewing Studio, he just doesn't understand the "touching" process.  I've tried to explain it to him but I think there is something missing in the males DNA that they just can't comprehend what we are talking about.....at least I know mine is missing that "touching" gene.  LOL  From cottons to silks to linens to velvets.....they all have a "certain touch" that we don't even have to look at the fabric to know what it is made of.  Am I the only one who plays the guessing game with fabric.....you know when you feel a fabric and try to guess what is in it and only then look at the label.  Okay I'm weird but fabric is my favorite thing in the whole world....right next to silk fibers.....but that's a different story for a later date.  LOL

I hope everyone is having a great week and will have lots of time for those little x's this weekend.  May the frog stay away from your door!  (here's a laugh for you.....about frogs.....there's one living on our porch lite so that dang frog is here every dang day) 

Until we talk again,

Have a Blessed Day,

Barbara

And the Winner is.....

LIDA

I used the random number generator and it came up with number 10 which is Lida.  I have contacted her to get her address so this little red bird can fly it's way to her.  Thank you to all who entered.

Till we talk again,

Have a blessed day,

Barbara

Some updates and a little giveaway

This has been a terrible two weeks for me.  Last week I woke up with a summer cold and it really whipped my butt.  I don't know if it's my age or what, but colds seem to get me down harder and for a longer period of time than what they use to.  Today was the first day I left my house for any period of time since last week.  

Infact the morning after my DH bought me my embroidery machine, I was sick.  I can only speak for myself but when I'm sick nothing sticks in the old brain so needless to say I didn't get to play with my new toy very much.  I tried reading the books but nothing made any sense.  Below you will see what I finally was able to stitch.  I thought I would use it in my SAL book as a name plate of sorts.  I used the rayon thread for the purple flower and regular sewing thread for my initials.  It was fun and amazing to watch how the machine does this.  I've seen them in stores sewing of course, but it's different when you've told the machine what to do and actually have it turn out right.  LOL

 As always when I'm sick I really don't feel like doing anything that doesn't involve my pillow so not much stitching was accomplished these last 2 weeks.  But what I was able to do was my January page for the SAL.  If you would like to see some of the covers that stitchers have come up with, click on the link over to the right.

 I wanted to be able to let the stitchers know who are going to participate that wool felt works great for your pages.   For my two designs and techniques, I crocheted a little medallion and cross stitched a new design put out by the Trilogy.  More on this design later......

I used 100 weight silk thread to sew my pieces to the wool felt and it worked out just great.  The 100 weight is about the thickness of a piece of hair and makes almost invisible stitches.  I used a color that matches the page which I highly recommend.  Also when you stitch your pieces to the page, only pick up a few fibers of the wool felt....do not go thru the entire thickness.  This makes the stitches invisible on the opposite side of the page which you will be using for the following month.  Any questions, please feel free to ask.

Now about that darling little new pattern by the Trilogy.  Let's have a simple little giveaway and pass this along to someone who would like to stitch this.  Maybe that person could pass it along again and let this little bird fly all over the place.  If you are interested in receiving this little chart, please leave a comment to this post only and I'll have a drawing on Sunday during the Nascar race.  They are at one of my favorite tracks this weekend....Talladega....and I will be cheering for Dale Jr to win another race there.

I hope all of you have been of good health and are getting lots of stitchie time in and until next time....

Have a Blessed Day,

Barbara