Need some help

Okay stitchers, I need some help tracking down a freebie pattern that I saw a few days ago and can't seem to find again.

It's a bee, possibly a queen bee (with a crown) stitched on a coffee or tea stained fabric.  It was offered as a freebie, I think as part of a monthly series but I cannot for the life of me recall the name of the designer or any of the other charts in the series.

Does this sound the least bit familiar to anyone???

UPDATED:  Found it!  It's Litha: Summer Solstice by The Primitive Hare

Springtime Exchange with Robin

A few months ago when I started blogging again, a fellow stitcher named Robin (no blog... yet!) started commenting on my posts.  Through a series of emails, we started developing a friendship, and when I mentioned the Fair & Square exchange, she asked me a few quesitons about it, then suggested we do our own private exchange.

I thought that was a great idea, and we decided on a spring theme, following the F&S guidelines for size and a signature square.  These are Robin's squares - Mini Spring by The Sunflower Seed.

Aren't they just lovely?  Robin's stitching is so pretty and delicate!  Allergies be damned, I do love spring flowers and tulips are among my favorites.  I think these squares are going to make a wonderful no-sew cube, perhaps with a pretty spring colored plaid ribbon around the edges, depending on what I can find.

Robin also hit up my wish list and very generously included these two appropriately spring-y charts and some gorgeous silk threads from Dinky Dyes and Vicki Clayton.  Bent Creek's Shamrock Row will mean a trip to the LNS for a special cut of fabric, but Allesandra Adelaide's Little Blue will most likely be bumping some other pieces in the queue because I'm pretty sure there's a suitable piece of fabric in my stash.

Thank you, Robin, for your beautiful squares and generous gifts, but mostly for your friendship.  I so enjoy our emails!
 
And now on to what I stitched for Robin.  When she mentioned "springtime", I immediately thought of this one from Les Grilles des Liselotte, Amitie Brodee.  

Not only did the chart fit the springtime theme, but it expressed a sentiment that was especially appropriate.  Amitie brodee is French for "friendship embroidered" and I thought it was fitting to honor this new friendship that came about through a mutual love of stitching.

The original chart is done in purple, but I had a multicolor version of it saved in my stitching ideas file (I can't track down the original).  Since Robin prefers brighter colors to pastels, I chose a more vibrant palette, using WDW in Begonia, Sunset, Crepe Myrtle and Sally's Sunshine plus Carrie's Creations Purple for the flowers, WDW Meadow for the green, and WDW Heatherleigh for the butterflies.

I added a little bling with some copper color beads for the flower stamens, and hematite beads for the butterflies.

As I was stitching the piece, I kept second guessing myself and very nearly abandoned it in favor of another pattern, but I kept on with it, and it turned out exactly like I wanted.


I also hauled out my beading supplies and made this scissor fob featuring a butterfly charm and glass millefiori and iridescent beads.  I hadn't done any beading in a while, so it was fun to dig through my bead stash and play around with different colors and shapes.
 

A Very Grumpy Christmas

Merry Christmas Grumpy Kitty

Brooke's Books Publishing

Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct. unknown green evenweave with recommended colors

Continuing on with our theme of "Pieces I stitched AND finished in 2013", (Which is mostly ornaments since it's a fairly quick process and I don't have to obsess about frames) here's a little something I whipped up for a friend of mine.  She adores Grumpy Cat, and when I discovered him making the rounds on the blogs,  I knew this would be for her.  The original was stitched on a pale blue fabric, but I think the green gives it an extra pop.  This was a super quick stitch, and I got it out in time for her to put it on her tree.

I did substitute a gold metallic thread for the star and some fuzzy white Wisper thread for the trim and pom pom on the hat.  The gold metallic is prettier in person, but I did not get the effect from the Wisper thread that I had hoped for, even using one thread.

I used the same red plaid background fabric that I used for Little Dude's ornament.  It has a little bit of metallic shine to it, and metallic gold threads running through it, so it was a nice compliment to the gold star.  My friend loves anything glittery and shiny, so I went with a sparkly red tinsel-like cording for the trim (from the $1 at Joann's).  It was slightly tricky getting that glued into place without melting the bits of tinsel onto the hot glue gun, but I love how it turned out.

An ornament for our tree

I might as well get caught up on several of the pieces I finished at the end of 2013. I was determined to get some new ornaments on our tree, and someday plan to be caught up with the yearly ornaments for my son. (I can't tell if it's good or bad that he's four, and I'm already missing one year's ornament)

Angel Greeting by Kissy-Cross
Free Chart available here: http://kissycross.twoday.net/stories/4537414/
Stitched on 40 ct. linen with Belle Soie Cranberry Silk Thread

I apologize for the weird pink cast to the photo, but this is a beautiful piece.  The linen is a neutral sandy color, and the cranberry Belle Soie is a rich maroon color.  (The Belle Soie silks are always so lovely to stitch with, and they have a nice sheen to them)

It's been finished and sitting in a drawer FOREVER, waiting for my husband to stitch our name and the year (2011) for the back of the ornament.  (I won't even tell you how long it was kitted up waiting to be stitched in the first place)  I finally ended up doing it myself, and putting the piece together so it could hang our our tree this past Christmas.

Because his family is very proud of their German heritage, he went with the German wording, but the chart also includes Merry Christmas in English.

Tantes Zolder Patterns

The other day, I received an email from Karen at Ambitatterous.  She was looking for the Tantes Zolder butterfly chart I stitched a while back but the link in my blog post was dead and the page refused to load.  It wouldn't load for me either, and  it appears that the Tantes Zolder / My Aunt's Attic blog is offline.  From what I can make out from the translation, it appears the weblog.nl  that hosted the Tantes Zolder blog has been moved to wordpress, but I cannot find the blog itself.

I did, however, find another site that's hosting the patterns.  You can now get the Tantes Zolder patterns here, so you may want to update your links (I did in my previous post).

And if you're not familiar with Tantes Zolder, you should definitely check them out.  There are some very beautiful patterns.  They're from a collection of handwritten charts that were digitized and published on the blog.  Lilian Kok found the charts in her aunt's attic (hence the name) and with the help of some volunteers, generated almost 300 images that she made available for free.

If anyone knows where the original blog may have gone, please let me know.

Back at it: Valentine's Day Fair & Square

So it seems I'm back at my blog after yet another extended break. Sometimes life gets in the way, and sometimes I get frustrated that I can't do things as quickly and easily with this updated version of Blogger that I was able to do before. I have a whole backlog of posts I've set up, most of them partially written, and I'll try to be more consistent with posting. (I say this every single time, don't I?)

Let's start with an easy one - the latest Fair and Square exchange. Before I show the photos though, let me make another pitch for people to sign up. The Exchange IS taking new members. Participation has been down in recent rounds, and perhaps a few new members will re-energize the group. Jill has been a really wonderful administrator for the group and I have had a fantastic time getting to know my exchange partners, some with whom I've developed real friendships. If you're part of the group and haven't participated in a while, please consider signing up when the next round opens up. If you're not part of the group, submit your application to Jill - you won't be sorry.

Back to the pictures.  Peg and I were paired up again.  I enjoyed our last exchange, and was pleased to be her partner again.  These are the pretty squares Peg stitched for me.  The pattern is called Random Hearts by Erica Michaels, stitched on Vintage Strawflower with WDW Romance thread.  I'm thinking these would be lovely done up as an ornament or doorhanger with some lace trim, or maybe as a no sew cube with a Valentine themed ribbon around the edge.

And these are the squares I stitched for Peg, Valentine Heart 2008 by Dragonfly Stitches, on Antique White with WDW Begonia.

  

The pattern was a freebie I've had in my collection for quite some time.  Whenever I post a freebie I've stitched, I like to provide a link to the original so others can stitch it as well, but try as I might, I can't track this one down.  If you know where to find this chart, please let me know and I'd be happy to update the post with the link.

If you love primitive designs...

You'll want to check out Threadwork Primitives. Nan is a designer based out of Philadelphia and has some really lovely pieces - especially if you like patriotic and Halloween themes.

Carolyn, the owner of Just Cross Stitch (my LNS), posted photos of some of her designs on her blog, and they immediately made me think of a few stitchers I know. Make sure you check them out, and be sure to stop by the Threadwork Primitive blog to pick up a few freebies.

A Mini Quaker Sampler

Just another drive-by posting from me.....

Round #29 to Pokua
Quaker 1 from Gazette 94 (free chart)
Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White with Carrie's Creations Foxfire

I stitched these squares for the latest Fair & Square exchange for Pokua in Australia. I modified the chart slightly to add in both our initials and I changed the date. I wasn't certain at first that I was going to like it, but the more I stitched on it, the more I fell in love. And you'll be seeing that shamrock motif again somewhere, I'm sure.

I would just like to remind everyone that the Fair and Square Exchange IS taking new members. Participation has been down in recent rounds, and perhaps a few new members will re-energize the group. Jill has been a really wonderful administrator for the group and I have had a fantastic time getting to know my exchange partners, some with whom I've developed real friendships. If you're part of the group and haven't participated in a while, please consider signing up when the next round opens up. If you're not part of the group, submit your application to Jill - you won't be sorry.

If I could have mailed myself too, I would have

Last week, I mailed this piece off to Ireland for Round #28 of the Fair & Square Exchange. It now lives with Elaine. And yes, if I could have mailed myself too, I would have. It's been a lifelong dream of mine to go there, and someday, it will happen.

But onto the stitching. I've already shown you Elaine's squares for me. These are what I've stitched for her.

Tout en Rondeur by Liselotte
Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White
with Crescent Colors Ribbon Red

I've had this freebie chart in my stash for a while, and immediately went to my Valentine themed pieces when deciding what to stitch for Elaine. The chart is about 70x70, which would have fit into the 6"x6" guidelines, but wouldn't have left much room. And since I rather enjoy stitching over 1, I stitched this piece over 1. Lany received it very quickly, so I am happy to share it with you now.

Fair & Square Exchange

I have been stitching. Really I have! (Yes, I know I start out most of my bi-monthly posts with this claim). Sometimes I do put down the laptop and tear myself off Pinterest and pick up a needle and thread. Staying involved in the Fair and Square Exchange is a good way to get motivated to stitch.

My latest partner in Round # 26 was Milly D (http://stitchingobsessionii.blogspot.com/). Milly and her husband Patrick celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in July, so that gave me the inspiration for these squares. In her list of likes, Milly listed hearts and folksy designs, and also mentioned that her favorite color was red. Once I picked the heart, I thought it would make a lovely ornament, so I asked Milly if she'd mind if I did a slightly non-traditional signature square. Typically, the signature square includes the stitcher's name or initials, their location and the date. Since I was stitching it in honor of their anniversary, I wanted to do something a little different. I didn't tell Milly exactly what I wanted to do, but she gave me the go ahead to change it up.

The design is also slightly larger than the F&S guidelines, so I stitched it over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White, which brought the size in line and ended up being perfect for an ornament. And did I mention I continued the love theme by choosing Crescent Color's Cupid for the thread? If it's at all possible, I like to tie in the name of the thread with the piece I'm stitching. It's a little "secret" thing for me, and it helps narrow down color choices (something I can struggle with when presented with SO MANY great thread colors!).

The chart is a freebie I've had for a while, but it is available here: http://gazette94.blogspot.com/2009/01/grille-gratuite-73.html, along with dozens of other beautiful charts.

And these are the beautiful squares I received from Milly in return. Milly chose JBW Designs A Very Merry Autumn to stitch for me - a wise choice. Autumn is my favorite season. I love all the beautiful fall colors, and always look forward to the end of summer heat.

Milly's stitching is lovely, and I will be finishing this up as a no sew cube to put on display in our living room. For as much as I love the fall season, we don't have much in the way of seasonal decor and this will be a most welcome addition. I have to hit up the craft stores before all the fall goodies are gone, as I'm thinking an orange / brown / red plaid ribbon would be perfect for this piece.

Eye(let) see you.....

Yeah, so I'm not even going to make excuses about not blogging. I've noticed I have a tendency to wait until I *finish* finish something before I blog about it, and I actually do have a few pieces that have been stitched, but not finished completely, that I want to blog about, including the one that I gave you a sneak peak of a while back. In fact, I have to start harassing my husband to get cracking on three pieces to be framed. They're all ready to go - frames, foam core and everything.

But back to the stitching and my latest Fair & Square exchange.

These are the squares I received in the most recent Fair & Square Exchange from my partner, Shelley P. (Shelley has a blog but it's currently inactive). You know I love anything with a nautical theme, and these squares are perfect for me. I'm going to finish them up as a no-sew cube for our living room. I think they'll be a perfect complement to the squares I received from Marie P, which I also finished up as a no-sew cube.

Rhodes Butterfly Biscornu by Kincavel Krosses
Stitched on 32 ct. Antique white with DMC flosses

And this is what I stitched for Shelley. Her profile indicated that she liked spring color palettes, so I selected this pattern because I really wanted to stitch the Rhodes Butterflies. I like stitching Rhodes stitches with rayon / satin threads - I think that little extra sheen really adds something to the specialty stitch.

I also enjoyed doing the eyelet stitches again, after having done them on the Shamrocks piece I posted about previously. They make a nice contrast with the raised centers of the Rhodes squares.

I'm not sure how Shelley plans on finishing the squares, but I did design the signature square to accommodate a biscornu finish.

A little something for my husband

Stitchinspiration Celtic Quickies
Stitched over 1 on 18 ct. Ivory Aida Fabric
with DMC 823
Finished with seed beads in Jet

My husband has a habit of sticking his needles in the arm of the couch while he's stitching. It drives me nuts. He says it's because he doesn't have anywhere to put them - the little fob I stitched for his scissors is too small and he doesn't like the typical tomato pincushion.

I have a little biscornu I stitched from from some freebies on The Floss Box website which works great for my needles, so my husband asked if I'd make one for him. I told him I'd stitch the designs if he put the piece together for me (he's the finisher of all my biscornus). He agreed, and I showed him several patterns I had in mind for him. He picked two by Stitchinspiration.

<-- Celtic Quickies - Spinner

At first glance, they look the same, but if you look at the middle of the piece, you can see that they are a different design. The original design calls for the knots to be stitched in color, then outlined, but I really liked the blackwork look of just stitching the outlines. Luckily, so did my husband, which made this a much easier project to stitch up. I was very careful not to cross over any open areas with thread so you couldn't see it through the fabric, and as a result, the reverse of each side looks almost identical to the front. (And once again, I forgot to take pictures before he started stitching it together.

Celtic Quickies - Loop De Loop -->

As you can see in this picture, it's a good sized biscornu - that's my hand in the photo, and let's just say I'm no petite flower (I'm 5'10"). Also, we're not planning on pulling the middle together with a button or anything - we both like the way it looks now, and it's more functional as a pin cushion this way.

I have a few pieces of Aida floating around in my stash drawer and wanted to do something with them. Most of my work is done on linen and evenweave now, but I picked the Aida because it's a little sturdier, and less expensive for something my husband will be regularly sticking with needles. It was kind of strange stitching on Aida - I don't do it often and it took a little getting used to the rougher fabric. But one of the other pieces I'm working on now is on 40 ct., so it was a nice break for my eyes!

So once I got the pieces stitched up, I turned them over to my husband for finishing, and once again, he did a great job with it, especially with the beaded edge.


I use regular craft store seed beads and so far, it's worked out fine. Sometimes it take a little picking through the pile of beads and discarding any that are oddly shaped, but it still looks nice to me. (Note that every other stitch is beaded. Beading on every stitch can look crowded)

If you've never finished a biscornu before, they're not hard to do. My husband has followed this tutorial for the ones he's finished for me, and it works out very well.

Another Just Nan Ornament Finish

Christmas Hearts by Just Nan
stitched over 2 on 32 ct. Antique White
with DMC threads

During a Fair and Square exchange, I had the pleasure of being partnered with Linda B. We really hit it off and have been emailing back and forth ever since. Now if I can just talk her into starting a blog....

When Linda suggested a private ornament exchange, of course I said Yes! I love looking at the stitched ornaments on our tree each year when we decorated, and I knew Linda's ornament would be a very special addition to my collection. I also wanted to do something special for Linda, and as you may have guessed by now, this is one of my favorite patterns, and finishes. I love that even though it's a simple pattern, it's quite beautiful when it's finished. I also love being able to personalize pieces, change colors, etc. I think it makes every piece special and unique.

I also really like the mix of threads in this piece. I don't think the original called for using satin / rayon threads, but when I stitched it the first time with a red satin thread for the hearts, I was hooked and immediately started thinking about other color combinations. This pink and green one has been in my head since almost the beginning, and I absolutely love how it came out.

I used DMC 30899 (Rayon) for the hearts in this one, DMC 367 and 368 for the greens, 762 for the grey and 962, 963 and 3832 for the shades of pink. I used the same silver lined seed beads from the craft store to embellish this ornament as well.

Our 2010 Dallas Cowboys Ornament

Christmas Hearts by Just Nan
Stitched over 2 on 32 ct. Antique White
with DMC and overdyed threads
embellished with beads

Every year, my husband and I add another Dallas Cowboys ornament to our Christmas tree. (You can see Emmitt Smith's elbow in the photo above) We have an entire section dedicated to these ornaments - we call it Cowboy Land. They're not all specifically Cowboys ornaments - we have a few assorted stars, mostly blue and silver, and a blue and silver angel hanging along with them.

I stitched this piece a while back in more traditional Christmas colors of red, gold and green, but had this color combination in mind for our own tree. Since the Cowboys use two different color combinations (one dark blue and white for the jerseys, silver for the pants, and the other white and light blue for the jerseys, and a lighter blue for the pants), I wanted to include both color combinations.

I used WDW Peacoat and Pewter for the dark blue and the grey around the border and a silvery grey DMC Rayon / Satin S415 thread for the hearts. The lighter blues are DMC 824, 826 and 827, and the other shade of grey is DMC 415 with a strand of opalescent blending filament. For the beads, I just used a silvery lined seed bead from the craft store and sewed them on with matching thread. It doesn't show up well in the photo, but the beads do add a pretty sparkle, especially in the light from the tree.

I finished the ornament with a painted wooden embroidery hoop as I described in the post about the first Christmas Hearts ornament. I picked up some dark blue ribbon at the craft store and mixed up a little bit of acrylic paint that I had to match. Once again, I am a big advocate of sanding the hoop before painting to make a much nicer finished product. Some fine grit sandpaper and a damp paper towel can make a huge difference in the hoop's appearance, and it's well worth the extra effort. To finish it up, I used two light coats of matte varnish, available alongside the acrylic paints at the craft store.

As a side note, we did purchase the Tony Romo Hallmark ornament when it was released, but it will not be allowed to join the ranks of the two Troy Aikmans (yes, we have two) and the one Emmitt Smith already hanging on the tree until Tony can bring home a Super Bowl. Sadly for us, it won't be this year, despite our high hopes at the beginning of the season.

Fair and Square Exchange with April K

Why yes, it HAS taken me almost 5 months to post these pictures - from an exchange back in FEBRUARY. I'm not even going to make an excuse about it took me so long or why my blog posting in general is sporadic at best. Otherwise, it would be much like my last several posts.

Moving on....

These are the very pretty squares I received from April:

JBW Designs French Country Amour

Once again, I forsee something destined for a no sew cube, perhaps with a pretty red velvet ribbon and some silver / crystal embellishments.

As to my contribution to the exchange, when I read that April is a huge fan of Halloween, I knew I had the perfect design in mind. I have already stitched the butterflies from the Tantes Zolder website, and this was the motivation I needed to stitch the bats. Mind you, I am not a fan of Halloween, so I'd never stitch them for myself, but after seeing them stitched up at my LNS (Just Cross Stitch in Lederach), I knew I wanted to stitch them. (Speaking of Just Cross Stitch, I wonder if I can pester Carolyn to post a photo on her blog of her VERY cool version of this pattern, stitched on purple fabric and turned into a pillow with an awesomely fluffly black fringe trim....)

Bat Freebie from Tantes Zolder
Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White with GAST Raven 

NOTE: Above link updated March 2013 as original blog no longer online

You can't tell from the photos, but the Raven thread is a deep black color with hints of green in it. Perfect for these bats. And this is my attempt at being all fancy like and taking a closeup photo...

Two more Bride's Tree Ornaments

Way back in 2008, I started on a project to stitch a set of Bride's Tree Ornaments for DH's cousin, who was getting married on August 1. While I did manage to get the first one stitched AND finished before the wedding, the rest of them kind of fell by the wayside. I did (do) have at least some of them stitched, just not finished into an ornament, but when I decided to buckle down and finish my son's first ornament into an actual ornament BEFORE I put away the Christmas decorations this year, I decided to finish up a few other ornaments I had hanging around.

Mind you, I am not a big fan of finishing things, unless I have an idea in mind. And even then, sometimes the tedious nature of finishing hampers my progress. But I am bound and determined to finish up AND send these ornaments to DH's cousin before their second anniversary in August. Wish me luck - I think I am going to need it!

This is the "bird in a nest" ornament, a freebie available on the Waxing Moons Website.

Spring Bluebird by Waxing Moon Designs
Stitched over 1 on 18 ct. fabric with DMC threads

I finished it with a pretty piece of floral fabric on the back and a bit of store bought satin cording.

This one I am going to have a VERY hard time parting with -- it's one of my favorites:

Christmas Hearts by Just Nan
Stitched on 32 ct. Bone fabric with overdyed and DMC threads, plus beads

This is one of those ornaments I knew exactly how to finish before I even started stitching it, and it was inspired from beginning to end, not to mention a lot of fun to stitch. So much so that I'm going to stitch it at least twice more - once more in this color variation, and a second time using pink and silver instead of red and gold.

It fit PERFECTLY into a tiny wooden embroidery hoop that I sanded and painted a pretty shade of green to match the thread. I can't stress enough how much a light sanding with a fine grit sandpaper can improve the look of craft store wooden objects. After sanding, I wiped the hoop with a damp paper towel to remove the dust, let it dry, then put on a coat of sealer (available in the paint section with the acrylic paints). A couple coats of paint to get the right color, and a top coat of varnish (also available with the acrylic paints), and the hoop was finished. You can't tell here, but I only sealed, painted and varnished the outer hoop - I left the inner hoop natural wood after sanding.

I tried to be as neat as possible with the stitching, but I still wanted it covered up. I took a plain piece of neutral cotton fabric and glued it to the rim of the inner hoop, across the open area. After it dried, I trimmed off the excess and put the stitching over the top of it. And yes, I used a little fabric glue to hold my stitching in place, then trimmed off the excess stitching fabric after that dried. The painted outer hoop covers the edges nicely, and no threads peek through.

As a final touch, I wrote the name and wedding date of the happy couple on the inside hoop.

A long overdue acknowledgement

I am in the process of cleaning up my blog - deleting dead links, reorganizing, etc., and realized that I have never publically thanked Angela for a beautiful gift she sent me just before my son was born.

Gazette 94: Grille Gratuie 87
28ct Brittney linen in Iced Blue with DMC Threads

My jaw dropped when I opened the package - I never cease to be amazed, thrilled and deeply touched by the kindness and generosity of my fellow stitchers. What can seem like such a small thing - stitching up something because we love to stitch and want to share it - can really make a huge impact on someone's day.

Most stitchers will say, "Oh, it was no big deal. No trouble at all, really." But even if it is no trouble to you at all, you should know that your gift has brought a smile to someone and is quite meaningful. It's more than some fabric and threads - it's that someone thought enough of you to put their time, energy and materials into making something for you. And that, my friends, is no small thing.

So thank you, Angela, for your lovely gift, which is now very proudly displayed in my baby son's room.

Backing fabric

PIF for Deirdre and Tammie - Completed!

I finally completed my PIF obligations. I won a PIF from Yuko in July 2008 and had until July 2009 to get my own PIFs out to my three participants. One of them got out on time, to Michelle in Ireland. The other two? Well, you know what they say about good intentions.

I found out I was pregnant in February 2009 and had ever intention of getting those PIFs out and done before the baby arrived. Until I hit the wall of pregnancy exhaustion - my first trimester was brutal and I could barely keep my eyes open during my stitching times. But after months of feeling guilty for not getting my PIFs done and sent out, I finally got them finished and packaged up just before Christmas.

This is what I stitched for Deirdre (The Stitching Teacher):

Tudor by Karen @ The Cross Stitch Directory
Stitched over 2 on Weeks Dye Works Linen with WDW Calypso thread

Deirdre mentioned on her blog that she liked kalidescopes, so I picked this design and thread to create a kalidescope effect. It's bright for certain, but it's very cheerful and pretty, and stitching on the green fabric was fun - a nice change of pace from my usual neutrals. And because Deirdre had to wait so darn long for her package, I *might* have gone a little overboard to compensate:

I was able to find lots of neat goodies in Target, and I included some fabric and ribbons for finishing, a blank journal, a Christmas wreath stitching kit and a super handy fold up, reusable bag from Target (I LOVE these things - keep one stashed in my purse at all times)

I also raided my jewelry making stash and made a scissor fob with the initial D for Deidre. And I included 2 tiny little angels I made - one for Deirdre and one for her daughter, whom she mentions on her blog.

I confess, I was a little worried when I heard my first package had made it all the way to England within a few days of mailing, and I still hadn't heard from Deirdre about the one I sent her (in the US). So I sent her an email asking if she had received it yet. She replied that she didn't, but would ask her husband. As it turns out, the package did arrive, but thinking it was a Christmas gift, her husband stashed it under the tree! Luckily Deirdre let me know she got it and put my mind at ease.

Tammie (A Stitch in Time) also had a PIF coming to her

Mermaid Pattern from a German book I borrowed from the library
Stitched over 2 on mystery 28 ct. fabric with my own dyed threads

And once again, I went overboard to compensate for being sooooo ridiculously late.

I also included this scissor fob and beaded angel. I've read on Tammie's blog how important her faith is to her, so I went with an angel theme. And like Deirdre, Tammie's favorite color is purple, so I picked purple beads.

So my PIF obligations are officially concluded. Yay me!

A Star Danced

A good friend of mine gave birth to her first son just a few short months before our son arrived, so part of our pregnancies overlapped and we were able to share our experiences. Rachel was a tremendous help and a source of support for me, so I wanted to make something for her son as a thank you for some very nice things she did for me.

The trouble is, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do, so I stitched both! First up is a simple birth record.

Snips and Snails by Serendipity Designs
Stitched over 1 on 14 ct. white Aida with DMC Threads

I purchased the boy and girl versions of these designs as they're a handy piece to have around. They stitch up quick and are super easy to personalize, plus they're not overly cutesy. The original design only calls for the first name, but whenever possible, I like to include the middle name as well as it fits nicely into a 5x7 frame. I don't generally stitch on Aida anymore, but I do like the slightly chunky look it lends to this piece.

I also knew I wanted to stitch up this piece, ever since the first time I saw it way back in January.

A Star Danced by Sharon Bennett (Daffycat Designs)
Stitched on 32 ct. linen with my own hand dyed threads
Name blurred for privacy

I fell in love with this design that Sharon created for her daughter's 21st birthday (you can read the story on her blog by clicking on the link to the chart). I personalized the back with the complete information, then finished the piece into an ornament. I followed Nicky's tutorial for ruched ribbon, and stitched it on the finished pillow by hand. I LOVE how it came out.

Fair and Square exchange with Peg

Another Fair and Square exchange has arrived safe and sound. I heard from Peg (Lost in Threads) last weekend to let me know the squares I stitched for her made their way to Missouri.

Peg mentioned in her profile that she likes Quakers, so I thought this one would be perfect for her, and Peg says she really likes it.

Quaker Hill House by Anniebeez
Stitched on 32 ct. Antique White with recommended DMC threads

I'm especially pleased with how the over 1 stitching came out!

And these are the squares I received from Peg:

LHN's Schoolgirl Lessons stitched with Waterlilies Cherry

You should SEE the back of these gorgeous squares - Peg's stitching is picture perfect! Thank you again, Peg! I can't wait to finish these into something cute. Perhaps a pinkeep with red rickrack trim?