Exchange stitching

The Lizzie* Kate Exchange I sent the other day has been received. My partner for this round was Michele...who had sent to me in the last round. What a great chance to pay her back for the gorgeous floss tag she made me! Since it is getting close, I couldn't resist stitching this silly Halloween kitty. I dunno why I never saw the fuzzy smack dab between kitty's eyes.

Design ~ Peek-A-Boo

Designer ~ Lizzie* Kate

Fabric ~ 28 count Jobelan, dyed green by me

Fiber ~ DMC

Finish ~ Ornament

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Woot, woot!

Today, I received my Lizzie* Kate exchange from Michele of Just Another Stitching blog. I am really thrilled. Isn't this the best floss tag ever? I freakin' LOVE ladybugs and the colors in this tag are just gorgeous. Then, to top it off are the sweetest floss cards made from scrapbook papers. OMG! Thank you so much, Michele, I'm so pleased!

WIP

Here is a little update on the Traveling pattern. I'm not finding the time I thought I'd have the past couple of weeks and my mood is definitely off. Give me my stitchy time ~ or else!

Just another shot of the WIP. I swear, I centered this; Gremlins came, when I wasn't looking, and moved all my stitching two inches to the left.

They had to have.


I don't make mistakes.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

L*KE & RAK

First off, I received word my Lizzie Kate Exchange arrived with Melissa. I am so proud of this exchange. Do you know how you picture something to make, it all looks so perfect? I was so pleased that these pieces came out exactly like I pictured. I made a scissor fob and a floss tag. The scissors pictured didn't go with, as this was a no-extras exchange.

Design ~ June Flip-it
Designer ~ Lizzie* Kate
Fabric ~ 28 count Jobelan, tea-dyed
Fiber ~ DMC

Here is the front:



Here is the back:

I was feeling a tiny bit goofy when I free-hand-stitched the personalization. I really hope Melissa liked it!

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In today's mail I found this little treasure from Sophia at Scotland for the Senses. A tiny RAK thank-you gift! Lots of you know how much I like those Hielan' coos! This will be a fun project to make.

Thank you, Sophia!

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Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Success!

I'm quite pleased with myself! My Lizzie Kate exchange is stitched, finished and ready to be mailed. I worked hard this week, let me tell you! This exchange was such a joy to stitch. The finishing turned out perfectly ~ easing my tender feelings about the epic disaster of my last one on the gingham fabric. Now, I can start on Crabby July and the Traveling pattern. Hopefully, I'll be back soon with those updates!

ORTs

I haven't shown my ORT jar since Christmas. Everybody has been joining the Totally Useless SAL at Dragon My Needle and showing off their ORTs. I haven't joined the 'SAL' because I already save ORTs and one of the conditions for membership is that it's a new collection. Poo. For some weird reason, I really like ORTs...I think they are beautiful. I really, really enjoy seeing everyone's updates, even if I am not participating.

Pretty! Are you a skimpy stitcher, using every scrap and bit. Or are you a floozy and spread wasted inches far and wide? I'm a floozy. I hate fuzzy threads. As soon at a thread starts to wear and get ragged, it gets tossed into the jar.

Hot, hot, hot

Our hot weather continues. It was 109 here yesterday. Already, it is 103 at 2 in the afternoon. Miserably hot. I am tired of summer. I am sorry I ever complained about the cold last winter. I can't wait for autumn. I can complain about the wind then, wait and see!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Snowman exchange again

Lisa sent word the package I sent her for the Snowman exchange has arrived. This is affectionately known as Disaster Snowman but I do have proper info listed below! This is the design that gave me so much trouble. I finally decided to completely finish him before giving him up and I'm glad I did. After washing and iron-blocking his stitched settled and he looked fine. I backed him in the fabric he is photographed on.

Design~Candy Cane Snowmen from The Cross Stitcher (USA) Dec 2004.

Designer~Ursula Michael

Fabric~32 count Belfast, hand-dyed with blue Rit.

Fiber~DMC

Finish~Ornament

Here is the entire exchange parcel I sent. Lots of fun snowman goodies. There were so many 1/2 price sales and $1 items; I was able to fill out a good sized box. I think Lisa was pleased. I really enjoyed hosting the exchange and I hope to do it again some time.

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Today I cooked a turkey dinner...it was a mini-Thanksgiving of our own. We are always guests for dinner so we usually cook a turkey of our own so we can have turkey sandwiches. Yum! OSU lost the game so Rick buys dinner. Again. I picked them up after the game and it took me a good 45 minutes to drive home with all the traffic! I think they both had a good time together. My second snowman is all ready to finish but I was too busy cooking turkey to put it together. I have stitched a lot on Summer Joy the past couple of days and will update with a picture of it soon.

Thank you for reading my blog today!

Snowman exchange

I hosted a private exchange with a few friends. It's theme was snowmen. We were to stitch a snowman design and finish any way we wanted, plus send some snowman goodies to go with. My present arrived this afternoon from Lindsay!

Lindsay stitched me the sweetest snowman and finished him in a little pillow ornament. Isn't this darling? The stitching and finishing is so perfect.

Here is the ornament and all the great goodies. I love the fabrics and ribbons and there is even a little snowman kit to sew. Look at that awesome pen with all the fuzzies...it has a little wiggly snowman that lights up...hilarious! I am going to use that pen for all my notes. But, I will have to hide it from Taco!

Thank you very much, Lindsay.

Your gifts are so precious!

Exchanges ~ Gahh!

I love exchanges. It is so exciting creating something special and mailing it off! It is especially fun when your project turns out perfect. The worst thing about exchanges is being a stitching blogger and not being able to post pictures or chat about what you are stitching! I'm in the middle of a rash of exchange stitching so I can only rarely post. Grump! So...I decided I'd share one of my favorite exchange finishes today.

I repeat, this is an old finish!

This is from an EMS sachet exchange I did last year-before I began blogging. The exchange was recipient's choice and mine chose "cute bears." Well, the cutest bear I know is Margaret Sherry's Archie Bear from the UK's Cross Stitcher Magazine. So, I stitched Archie "Thinking of You" (sitting on a log) from the December 2005 issue. On the back of the sachet, I stitched a little part of the Archie design "Head Over Heels" (ladybugs and butterflies) from the July 2005 issue, and stitched our EMS screen names and the date. I loved the way this sachet turned out. I used the selvage edge for the hem and tied it up with a white bow. I really, really wanted to keep it for myself but I sent it off to Linda from Stargazer's Haven.

I have a couple of questions & such from recent comments to answer...

Someone mentioned putting the eyelet through the stitching on the floss ring tag I made...yes, I did, although I put a dab of Fray Stop on where I cut the hole through. Regarding the rings; in the USA, Wal-Mart carries colored book rings. They are stocked with the office/school supplies with such things as push pins.

Several people have commented and emailed regarding how I finished the cube. Vonna has great finishing instructions on her blog The Twisted Stitcher. I followed those and it was super easy! And the bow? I googled "how to make a bow" and it came up with several links to crafts sites and Youtube videos. After watching a few videos that bow was simple to make, as well!

Exchange with Becky

The Halloween exchange I stitched for Becky has arrived! I decided to make a cube finish as I've never done one, it turned out all right. That bow I made rocks! Also my first. (I'm now trying to think of more things that need bows...) I think I'd rather have done a half-width cube but it looks okay. Please visit Becky's blog for nicer photos...and I forgot to photo the back of the cube! I really enjoyed stitching for Becky.

Design ~ Hip Hop Black Cat

Designer ~ Sam Sarah

Fabric ~ 32 count Belfast, tea dyed by me

Fiber ~ Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

Finish ~ Cube

KISS exchange received

I received word my KISS exchange arrived in the UK for Val and completely forgot to post about it. It must be that Old Blind Dogs swoon I am still in! Anyway, I stitched up a floss tag using, using...OMG, I forget which magazine this design came from! I'll have to suss it out. I really enjoyed stitching for Val! Visit her site for pictures of the entire exchange package...and for awesome photos in general; Val is quite a good photographer.

Many thanks to all that visit here regularly and welcome new visitors! I cherish your comments and really look forward to reading them. I must admit I am behind in commenting! I have been reading your entries...I did get behind being away and ill this past week so I haven't been able to comment as often as I'd like.

Halloween Exchange with Becky

While I was out of town this package from Becky arrived! I was lucky enough to be one of her partners for a personal Halloween exchange. Alas, I am still in the big middle of stitching hers! I should be done stitching soon and then on to finishing. I am rather a lot intimidated stitching for Becky!

Becky stitched me the cutest Lizzie Kate design called "Fright Night" and finished it into a wonderful pillow. I love how the stitched design has little swirls and Becky repeated this element in the finishing fabric. Included with the exchange were the sweet little goodies pictured.

Thank you, Becky...I love this!

KISS Exchange

My K.I.S.S. exchange has arrived! This comes to me from Sue P. (no blog known) in Nevada. Isn't it wonderful? The sentiment is perfect. K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple Stupid...meaning this is to be a simple easy exchange~don't go all out. I love this pillow! This is the first pillow I have ever received in an exchange. I really, really need to practise my sewing skills so I can make things like this. Sue also included a puppy dog calendar and a little kitty datebook. Oh, I love them!

Thank you, Sue!

Fair and Square exchange received

Yippee! I can finally show a bit of stitching! I've had word my Fair and Square exchange has been received! My partner was Joan and I stitched Tin Pin USA by Twisted Threads, using Weeks Dye Works on 32 count tea-dyed Belfast. I had a major boo boo stitching this design...I didn't dye the fabric dark enough and the white parts blended right into the background! It really looked weird! So I improvised a background with DMC. I think it turned out OK.

Here is a snap of the goodies I sent with the squares.
Thank you for being my partner, Joan! I truly enjoyed stitching for you!

Fair & Square Exchange

I was starting to fix dinner and Rick came in from the mailbox with what Patternnuts calls a puffy! I had a puffy envelope addressed to me and it was my Fair and Square 4th of July exchange from Joan! Yippee!

Here are the wonderful squares she stitched. Look close at the way she stitched the personalised square...isn't it darling?
Here are all the lovely goodies...Joan made a project bag and tuck pillow with firecrackers. She sent some of the fabric used in these. She also made some teardrop floss holders and the cutest chicken pincushion ever! She sent a holiday pin and a flag-painted bucket, some York mints, sweet holiday ribbon and a sample of lotion.
A close-up of the tuck and chicken. Too cute! Wasn't I spoiled?

Thank you so much, Joan!

I've been working on my return exchange to Joan but I doubt I can top what she has sent to me. Oh...dinner was Chicken Parmigiana with spaghetti and steamed cauliflower. It was late but pretty tasty! Super easy too...email me and I'll send you the recipe.

Our Tulsa Talons won last night against the Manchester Wolves. It was a rough game, a comedy of errors to be exact but we scratched, clawed and bit our way to a last-second victory. Whew, I am too out of shape for that much excitement!

EMS biscornu exchange 2008

The biscornu I sent to Armelle in France has arrived! Whee, now I can show pictures! I finished my biscornu as a scissor fob. The theme was blue (for the New Year) and you can't really tell from the photos but the fabric I used is light blue monaco. I was pleased with how it turned out...

Stitching updates!

Here is the biscornu I received from babynurse in the EMS exchange. Isn't it lovely? Thank you Melissa, you did a great job and I love the silver buttons! I'm sorry to say I haven't been able to get mine mailed as yet. With the trip and all I'm just a little behind. I'll post it on Monday...sigh, the deadline date!

Here is my WIP update on the counting sheep aka les Moutons. I got quite a bit of stitching in during my trip and I'm well pleased with my progress. Oh, yeah...I got to use one of the greens-finally! I was getting a bit tired of white and Raspberry Parfait...giggle!

December already?

How can it be December? I've been in a fog since Thanksgiving I guess! I'd had a dreadful cold and lost some time there...add working and keeping house and I think I've lost track of myself!

Here is a picture of the counting sheep. I got it out last night to work on a bit. I've been stitching Christmas cards but can't show any pictures as they haven't been received yet. These sheep are adorable...I'm stitching them on 32 count blue evenweave with Gentle Arts overdyed threads. I am tweeding the overdyes so I get very subtle shading and variation in color...


Here are a few very special cards I have received...from Joan and from Rachael, both in the UK...
This one is from Barb in OZ...
And this one is my EMS exchange from Annemiek in Holland...

Feeling lazy

I'm up early today; cleaning house and trying to get in the mood for getting ready for work this afternoon. Blah, work! I had a GRAND time in OKC yesterday. We went shopping for stash and I was able to get the rest of the DMC Barb needed. When I pointed out to my dad that Hobby Lobby doesn't carry every DMC color he was (very sweetly) disgusted. What if your pattern call for that color? Jo Ann fabrics saved the day and I got the needed colors. I also got several packages of glass head pins in different colors. I'd like to make more pin-keeps...they turn out so pretty. Shame on me, I ended up with yet another cross stitch pattern book...

My EMS Christmas Ornament exchange has been received and here are the photos:


Didn't it turn out sweet?

This design, Star of Wonder, is by Ellen Chester of With My Needle. It called for an octagon shape but I liked the circle instead. It is a mixture of over two and over one on 32 count Belfast linen which I dyed myself. I'm thinking I must make one for myself now too!

I had a pressie arrive from Australia...Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch & Beading Christmas issue. Oh thank you, Barb! I'm in stash overload this week!