Where Do I Begin?

So much to catch up on, where do I begin? Do I start at the beginning and work my way backward or start at the end and work my way forward? Or should I catch up by categories of what needs to be posted? Or do I just jump in and get started in my usual haphazard manner? Hmmmm...... Yes, I guess I will just jump in - if I wait to get organized I may never get started!

First up - HoE Lizzie*Kate Exchange

I stitched for Maria from Sweden this time and decided a cat design would be best. Not a lot of L*K cat charts to choose from so I used part of the Meow Blocks chart to stitch a scissors fob for her. I added her name, my initials, the year and HoE on the back. I sent a few extras along with it - blue embroidery scissors, painted wood cat buttons and two of the Jim Shore Button and Bead Quilted Cats kits that she wanted. I hope she is pleased with the exchange, it was fun stitching this one up - I've wanted to stitch that design for a long time.

Sharon C stitched for me this time. She made a pinkeep using the Lizzie*Kate Bless Our Home Snippet chart. She sent along some extras also - pretty floral print finishing fabric, a magnet, wonderful-smelling body lotion, cute sticky notes, a skein of Stranded by the Sea Hand Dyed Floss, a skein of ThreadWorx overdyed floss in beautiful autumn colors, and a package of my favorite size needles. Thanks again, Sharon!

On the Flip Side

My last two exchanges for the year were sent out this month. The first one for the HoE floss tag exchange is still traveling, I guess - or it is MIA. I'm hoping it's just taking the scenic route to its new home and will eventually get there. The other one made much better time - just a couple of days to find its way to Vonna (for the same small exchange that I received the gorgeous pinkeep from Becky!) I've been busy with the Tiny Treasures Exchange setup so I've neglected this blog for far too long, so I will start on the road to recovery by posting the pictures of the exchange for Vonna.

I originally planned to stitch another Prairie Schooler chart very similar to the one I did for Cathy B for the HoE Prairie Schooler Exchange. I had the fabric, all the flosses and the chart ready to go, and then.....I changed my mind, just minutes before I was to begin stitching. I had planned to get it all done and on its way early for a change but I received a note from the Brooke’s Books Interactive Group that a new chart had been posted so, of course, I had to check it out. I just loved it and decided to stitch it instead (because Cathy B was in this same exchange I thought it would be nice to stitch something different, anyway.) Of course that meant a bit of a delay getting started since I needed all new colors of floss, some new embellishments..... You get the picture! Needless to say, I just barely made the mailing deadline but it was a really fun design to stitch and it turned out well. Vonna seemed very pleased with it, too, so I'm glad I made the switch.



Autumn Pantry Challenge Chart by Brooke Nolan (Brooke's Books) Stitched on Wichelt/Permin Lambswool 18 count Linen over 2 using DMC floss, Swarovski Crystal topaz montees, Mill Hill Sunflower Button, and red and white size 8 seed beads. I used the same backing fabric (this was the perfect fall fabric - it went wonderfully with everything!) as I did for Cathy B's flatfold but I forgot to take pictures of the back this time.

And here is the whole exchange : a Cricket Collection chart and Cheetah scissors from Vonna's wishlist, six tins (because she loves tins), some ribbon for finishing and a couple of pumpkins just for fun.





Vonna has much better pictures on her blog (here). She seemed to be quite pleased with the exchange - always a relief to know the recipient likes what you chose!

New Exchange Group Started

I have decided to start a small exchange group just for small needlework accessories. (HoE is a great exchange group but it is hard for new people to get in because it is usually full.) Several people expressed interest the other day when I mentioned it on the blog so I have set it up and we'll see how it goes! I've never run an exchange before but I will do my best to make it fun for everyone. If you are interested in joining, please check the Tiny Treasures Exchange blog and be sure to read the guidelines before signing up. Hope to see you there!

Floss Tag Exchange From Deb!

Just a day or two after the exchange from Becky arrived, I was treated to another great exchange package, this time from Deb H for the HoE Floss Tag exchange.







Deb did such a great job on this exchange, not only on the beautiful stitching and finishing of the floss tag which I just love (more leaves and pumpkins! - It goes well with the piece from Becky, don't you think?) but all the extras were a delight as well. The coordinating paper floss tags are wonderful and Deb tells me she made them herself! I've been wanting to make some of these but my punches all seem to be too big or too small or the wrong shape, etc., etc., so I was very happy to receive them. She included some really cute finishing fabrics, needles, ribbons and the papier-mâché boxes it was all packaged in. She also included a really cute beaded bookmark that a friend of hers made - very colorful and jangly - love it, but I decided to use it as a doorknob decoration and it looks great! Thanks so much, Deb, for the wonderful exchange!

Exchange from Becky SC!

I cannot believe the wonderful exchange package I received from Becky SC! An absolutely gorgeous pinkeep that I just love! It was the perfect choice - a fall theme complete with pumpkins and cats designed by Homespun Elegance and exquisitely stitched and finished by Becky! I love the tall narrow shape which enables it to fit perfectly in its new home - tucked in the corner of my keyboard shelf of my computer armoire which is always open (I know - that kind of defeats the purpose of having a cabinet to keep the computer in!) It is much too beautiful to be put away at the end of the season so it will remain in its little corner year round so I can continue admiring it - which I will!! Becky, I hope stitching this beautiful piece brought you as much joy as the end result has brought me - thanks so much for the time and effort you spent on me! And in keeping with her well-known reputation for generosity in addition to her expert stitching and finishing, she also included (drum roll, please) "The Shores of Hawk Run Hollow" by Carriage House Samplings (WOW!) and JBW Designs "Autumn Harvest" (love this one, too), a spool of fall ribbon and a beautiful set of acorn & leaf salt & pepper shakers (which are currently on display in the living room)!!! I have been spoiled beyond belief - Thanks so much, Becky!

Prairie Schooler Exchange

Hooked on Exchanging recently had a Prairie Schooler Exchange that I just had to join. I love Prairie Schooler designs and they are so fun to stitch! After receiving the gorgeous needlework smalls set that Barbie stitched and sent, I couldn't believe that I was treated to another wonderful set, this time from Hazel! It is a beautifully stitched and assembled needlework set complete with scissor case, fob and needle case - fully stocked with pins and needles, of course! I have had this chart in my stash for a long time but every time I thought about stitching it up, the thought of trying to finish that scissor case totally intimidated me! I just love it and it is even better because it is already finished! On top of the fabulous stitching set, she completely spoiled me with the extra goodies. She included a new pair of scissors (I didn't have any of these in my collection) that I immediately dressed in the fob and inserted in the scissor case. She also sent a Drawn Thread chart from my wishlist (now my set of the four seasons is complete!), beautiful Sea Green hand-dyed floss from Carrie's Creation (I love soft shades of green) and a lovely postcard of her area. Hazel, thank you so much for this delightful gift - and especially for all the hard work and obvious effort that you put into making it!

And the other half of the exchange.....

I stitched for Cathy B this time and chose the November design from Prairie Schooler Book No. 23 "A Prairie Year II". I used Wichelt-Permin 18 ct Lambswool linen stitched over 2 threads using DMC floss. I changed the colors slightly to "brighten" it up a bit. (I hope Cathy didn't mind the change!) I used a flatfold/easel type finish with some bright harvest print on the back.

I really enjoyed stitching this up for Cathy and was pleased with the final result. That is one of the great things about this exchange group, the projects have to be completely finished so they actually get done instead of adding to my "someday" pile! I sent along a few extras as well - a chart from Cathy's wishlist, a couple of pieces of 32 ct fabric, a packet of needles, a small assortment of thread drops, Chocolate Skittles (Have you tried these? Yummy!), some fall -themed items: ribbon, embellishments, pumpkin stickers, a fun little checkered pumpkin and overdyed floss. The last item didn't really fit the autumn theme but I sent it anyway - a small "tuckable" banner with a beaded hanger - I love these little banners - instant finishing and veeeery cute!!

LHN Exchange for Carol R

Carol R received the Hooked on Exchanging Little House Needleworks Exchange from me on Thursday. I was a couple of days late mailing it out so I was glad it arrived in a reasonable amount of time. It was fun stitching for Carol again and I knew right away what I wanted to make for her this time - a tea caddy! The stitching is always the easy part - assembling it into something is another story....especially anything that requires sewing. But I did manage to dig out the sewing machine and get it done.

I used parts of two LHN designs - Coffee Menu and Herbal Tea. Inside there are three pockets to hold tea bags, sugar and creamer packets, and a spoon. I stitched it on 28ct cream Jobelan using DMC floss so it would be washable. I included a few extras in the package - With My Needle's Quaker Turtles Chart, flavored tea, a pair of Love Scissors by Kelmscott, a scissor fob with an Oklahoma quarter attached, a large piece of matching fabric, some ribbon and a postcard. Carol has more pictures on her blog here. I do hope she will enjoy using her tea caddy as much as I'm enjoying the stitcher's caddy that Marie made for me for this same exchange!

HoE LHN Exchange from Marie has Arrived!!

You will not believe what an incredible package was waiting for me Monday morning when I arrived at my office! Marie P sent me the most exquisite stitcher's caddy she stitched for me for the HoE Little House Needleworks Exchange! I was overwhelmed with how beautiful it is - beautifully stitched and expertly finished! Marie stitched the limited edition "Attic Needlework" which I so wanted when I saw it but was unable to get. This beautiful piece would have been more than enough but she didn't stop there - she also included Victorian motto hand-dyed flosses, needles, and a lovely new pair of scissors :D inside the caddy, as well as coffee and a package of ribbon and lace trims. To say she spoiled me would be an understatement - Marie, once again, I thank you for this gorgeous and generous gift!

HoE Freebie Exchange

As usual, I'm lagging behind....I have needed to post several things to this blog but have been really busy doing other things so I will try to get this caught up today. Now, where was I....? Ah, yes...I see I haven't posted about the last exchange both sent and received. I did post to the HoE blog but never managed to get it up here so here we go.....

First, I want to share the wonderful package I received for the HoE Freebie Exchange from Mercy. She sent a beautifully stitched and finished pinkeep - my first one - using a design by one of my favorites, Barbara Ana. Mercy's stitches are perfect! She also sent some wonderful goodies - three zippered mesh bags (great for projects), a magnetic notepad, two skeins of DMC Variations floss, cherry blossom-scented lotion, a nail file, a beautiful piece of overdyed fabric and two new charts that I didn't have yet - "Joyful Summer" by Country Cottage Needleworks and "Hand Over the Coffee" by Barbara Ana. Here is a look at the entire package:

And here is a closer look at the pinkeep:

Mercy has much better pictures on her blog, including a close-up of the beautiful ribbon bow and silver heart at the top - take a peek!

AND....

The same day I received my freebie exchange from Mercy, I got my package for the exchange mailed off to my partner. It took several days longer to reach her than the 3-5 business days that the International Priority Mail was supposed to take, :o( but it could have been worse - at least it arrived in good shape. My partner for the exchange was Carol R and I stitched one of my own charts for her and used it to top a wooden box that I lined with black and white gingham. I saw on her blog a pinkeep she had made for herself that she was very pleased with so I tried to make something that would match or at least co-ordinate with it. It was the first time I had topped and lined a box and I was pleased with my first attempt but it certainly took longer to do than I had expected. Carol seemed very pleased with it - I hope she will enjoy using it.

She has much nicer pictures of it on her blog here. Hmmm...maybe I need a photography class....?

Olga's Gone Stitchin'...!

What a treat for me! Olga (Olenka's Stitches Blog) stitched one of my designs for her partner in the Hooked on Exchanging Freebie Exchange and emailed a photo of her finished piece to me. Her partner in the exchange, Mylene, posted she received her package yesterday so it should be okay to post a picture of it now. I am so honored that Olga chose one of my designs to stitch and finish - she does the most beautiful, creative and professional-looking finishing! Check out her blog to see what I mean! She stitched one of my favorites, "Sorry... Gone Stitchin' " - I hope Mylene enjoys it as much as I enjoyed seeing the picture and reading Olga's email and blog post. Thanks so much, Olga! I hope to see more of your work soon!

April Away!!

Either days are getting shorter, time is moving faster or I'm living in a time warp of some kind. How can it already be the end of April?!? I am just squeaking in a post before the end of the month, yet again. I have taken in a few baseball games (I love baseball!) and I've been busy stitching and project planning, chart designing, working and doing various other activities that seem to make the days fly by much too quickly. Most of my stitching has still been for exchanges and gifts, so not much to show yet. I can show a picture of the replacement I stitched for the HoE Biscornu exchange for Annette because her original partner has gone missing (I hope everything is okay with her - I think she is in the military, so maybe she has had to be away on assignment). Anyway, Annette posted yesterday that it had arrived. I hope she likes it, I didn't have much time to figure out what she really likes. I seem to be stuck on purples, pinks and periwinkle blues right now - so I hope she likes the colors.

I had planned to post some charts this month - one each week. It's a little late for that now, so I will just post them all at once. These are more of the old charts that I designed for a monthly kit series for a local needlework store several years ago. I have taken them out of mothballs and updated the charts a little. I still have the needlework set so I took some photos of it to post but the Best Mom Needleroll model was never returned to me so I don't have a picture of it.

Another Exchange Reaches Its Destination

Cathy B sent a message that my biscornu for her did arrive yesterday, so it is okay for me to post the pictures now. I'm sorry to say my pictures don't really do it justice, the Swarovski crystals that add so much to the beauty of the piece don't show very well in the photos. It was the first biscornu I have ever made and I may make more some time. I would much rather maker scissors fobs though.

And here is a picture of the entire exchange package that I sent. The Little House Needleworks chart was from Cathy's wishlist - I was hoping she hadn't already received it from someone else.

March Marches On!

It is so hard for me to believe this month is almost gone! I think the older I get the faster time passes....and it's leaving me in its dust. I have been busy stitching, mostly for gifts and exchanges. A few of them have arrived at their destinations, though, so I think I will post a few pictures. I have received some lovely things as well, so today is Show & Tell!

First is the Hooked on Exchanging Scissors Fob package I put together for Nela in Venezuela. It was my first exchange and I had great fun checking out her likes on her blog, shopping for her and choosing the design to stitch. I used a chart from a kit, changing it a little to look like her cat, Minina. I gathered from her blog that she really liked cats, roses and the color pink, so my theme was set. I was so excited to get it sent off to her, posting it a little early and sending it International Priority so it would arrive in 6-10 days.....and the weeks dragged on....and on....and on......I began to panic and decided to start over and resend. The very day I had decided to start restitching the fob, I heard that the package was being held in customs so I had to send Nela a list of everything in the package so she could claim it. That was no problem, but I felt like it somewhat spoiled the surprise for her. I 'm so sorry it was such a hassle for her to receive it - I hope that she feels it was worth it. And finally, today, I have word that she actually has it all in hand!!!

While I was waiting for my scissor fob for Nela to reach her, my own fob exchange package arrived from Melissa. It's a Drawn Thread design stitched on R&R fabric with silks. She also sent some extra goodies - some calico fabrics, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Stick Cappuccino mix and some cute Mary Engelbreit notecards and sticky notes - way too cute! THANK YOU, MELISSA! Here is a picture of the whole package and one of the fob attached to a pair of my scissors.

Now I'm waiting for my biscornu package to make its way to my exchange partner. I thought it might arrive today or tomorrow. In the meantime, I received my biscornu from the exchange from Perri in Australia. It came in a brightly colored gift box with purple stripes and circles in several shades of pink. She sent a beautifully stitched and finished biscornu using a design from one of my friends (and favorite designers!), Barabara Ana! I read on the HoE blog that this is Perri's first exchange and she did a wonderful job putting together a special package. Along with the expertly done biscornu (Her blog tells me this is the first biscornu she has made, but you wouldn't know that from looking at it!), she also included a very generous piece of 32 count Summer Khaki Belfast linen, a skein of beautiful Australian hand-dyed size 8 pearl cotton, a package of Size 26 (my favorite size to use) Piecemaker needles and a really cute "Twisted Whiskers" spiral notepad. Thanks for everything, Perri!!

And speaking of Barbara Ana - she has some new designs out - you can preview them here. She also has a new freebie design available here.