Getting ready to start the Paris Mandela

Well I'm ready to start my first large Chatelaine design and I'm feeling way overwhelmed.  I'm stitching it on 36ct. natural linen and as you can see, the box is quite filled with silks, metallics and DMC flosses.  I haven't gotten the beads and crystals yet but I'm not concerned since they will go on last.  I plan on ordering them from Fire Mountain Gems if and when I get to that point.  Notice I say "if".  I'm very concerned that this is just a little too large a project for me to undertake.  I have trouble with concentration and this might cause problems.  So wish me luck and if I start falling behind, please give me a kick in the butt to get me restarted.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Ruth's Let it Snow

I received an email from Ruth this morning and she was sharing her version of my Let It Snow.  She made it for a friend of hers who loves pink.....now I ask you....how can you go wrong with pink???  It's just adorable!!  I want to thank Ruth for sharing this with us.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

My Christmas Giveaway

It's time for my Christmas giveaway and I thought Black Friday would be a good day to start it on.  What I am giving away is a sweet little pattern from Little House Needleworks.  What I also am including is all the floss, the 28ct. Jobelan, the chenille braid and the Weeks Dye Works Wool for the finishing.  I know the pattern calls for the red wool but I only have green and it does match the floss in the design.  

Now for some of those pesty rules.

1.  You must be a follower of my blog to join in on the giveaway.

2.  To get a second chance to win, please post about my giveaway on your blog and post about it separately.

So leave your comments on this post only and I will have the number generator pick a number on December 9th.  That should give you plenty of time to stitch this up for this years celebration if you wish.

Good luck to all who enter!

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  

Blessings as always,

Barbara

BBD Thistle House Pincushion

I had started this Blackbird Design several weeks ago and then had to put it on the backburner while other things needed to be finished.  Well I finally got around to finishing the stitching and turning this absolutely beautiful design into a pincushion.  The fabric around the middle is a Moda fabric for Blackbird Designs and it matches the linen color perfectly so that was a no brainer.  When it came to the trim I was a little stumped.  I have the chenille trim that Blackbird Designs uses so often but it just didn't do anything for the design.  Then I found this narrow braid in a soft burgundy and it was perfect.  

I went up to Joann's this morning in search of some cotton fabric to use for backing on an ornament I'm doing for a friend.  I've designed the pattern and after she receives it, I will post the pattern on here for you all to enjoy.  While there I saw that they were selling dog collars with Christmas designs on them.  Well you know my Miss Vallie just had to have one.  I will try to get a picture of her later with her wearing this.  She thinks she is hot stuff with her new collar.

I hope everyone is having a great Monday and that you are getting all ready for Thanksgiving.  I don't know about where you live, but here in Orlando that traffic was terrible this morning.  I think alot of people have the week off from work and are taking advantage of getting some shopping done.  I'm glad I'm home now and will be all week.  I never, ever go anywhere on Black Friday.  I truly don't believe in it and  I think it's terrible that the stores almost force you to do your shopping on that day.  Oh well....I guess I'm showing my age because I can remember when it was fun to go Christmas shopping with my Mother and actually enjoy the experience.  Now it's all about rushing to this store to get this bargain and then unto the next.  No fun as far as I'm concerned.  Am I the only one who feels this way?

Blessings as always,

Barbara

My new Christmas pillow

I decided to finish my C Mon Monde SAL into a pillow and I love how it turned out.  My first try was a square pillow with a flange but I just didn't like the look of it, so I went back to my old standby.  The under pillow is red velveteen and the backing of the sleeve is a red plaid.  With the organza ribbons for ties and the white eyelet lace, I'm all ready to celebrate the season.

Everyone have a wonderful Sunday.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Jenn's Let It Snow

Jenn has posted a picture on her blog of her finished Let It Snow ornament and it's completely different than the original I stitched.  Her's is done in all Kreinik Braid with a little DMC floss thrown in for good measure.  She also did it on a very unconventional fabric....lime green....which will match her tree.  I think it turned out fabulous and if you want to see her newest finished Mirabilia, Jenn's blog is here.

This morning we did our usual friday errands and now I'm home sitting here getting ready to put my first stitches into the Jardin Prive Sampler of Flowers.  I've decided on a HDF fabric, 36ct. Bunny Brown which is a very light, soft tan and I'm stitching it with HDF silk Perfect Red 6217.  I think this is going to be a very relaxing stitch to do when I'm not working on the Chatelaine Mandela.....no thinking involved....just beautiful stitching in red.  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with plenty of stitchie time.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Brenda's Let it Snow

Look at this!!!  Brenda has taken my design Let It Snow and did it in completely different fibers and colors.  Isn't it stunning!!!  Some of the fibers are:  Threadworx, Glissengloss and silk.  This is what I had in mind when I designed this.....how everyone would interpret it in very different color ways.  Thank you so much Brenda for sharing your beautiful ornament.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

One SAL down and another to start

Well I have the C Mon Monde SAL finished and I'm all ready to start the Parisian Mandela from Chatelaine Designs on Dec. 1.

I've decided to finish this design into a pillow which I will do this weekend and then I'll post a picture of it.  I don't have a Christmas pillow and I thought this design would be perfect.

Now I'm onto 2 more Christmas ornies.....one for my grandsons and another for Jenn and her husband.  They are pretty simple designs, which I designed, so they shouldn't take long at all.  I'll post them and the finished pillow later this week.

After I'm finished with them, it onto a sampler I'm dieing to start.  Remember this:

This was designed by Jardin Prive .....one of my favorites....and I have the fabric and threads all picked out for it.  Yum!!!!

Well back to work and I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday and that you all are able to get at least a few stitches in today.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

P.S.  This is a picture of the Parisian Mandela incase you haven't seen it.

My free Christmas ornament to you.....

The other day I posted about the colors that are used for Christmas ornaments and asked what everyone prefers.  I received some wonderful comments on this and it got me thinking about designing a Christmas ornament pattern that you could possible do in just about any color combination.....I think I came up with it.  Several ladies posted about using light pink and silver, light blue and silver.....well this is my version of those combinations.  In the picture, you will see all the fibers I used in the stitching of this ornament.  I hope you will stitch this in the colors you love and please don't forget to send me a picture so that I can share with the others.

I stitched mine on the palest of grey 28ct. Jobelan and I used Anchor Pearl Cotton for the kloster blocks.  All the other stitching was done in Anchor floss and Rainbow Gallery Treasure Braid.  The little snowflakes I bought at my local LNS, Needle Orts, which you can find in my list of "places I love to visit".  Of course you don't really need to use these if you don't wish, I just saw them and fell in love.

 The twisted braid around the outside was made using 1 skein of the pink and 1 skein of the green Anchor floss.  I then used straight pins with a bead on it, dipped in a tiny amount of glue to anchor the floss to the ornament.

You can find the pattern here and if you do stitch this and post the finished ornament on your blog, would you please make a link to this posting and give me credit for the designing.  I would greatly appreciate it.

I am hoping I receive alot of pictures showing all different kinds of color combinations....please don't disappoint me.  Thanks and have fun with it.

Blessings as always,

Barbara