LHN Exchange from Yuko

Lucky me! I received an HoE LHN Exchange from Yuko today. I have long admired her work on her blog, and now I am the happy owner of one of her lovelies. She stitched LHN's Necessities Sampler and made the sweetest tassled pillow for me. It is so pretty on my vanity in my bedroom :-) So very beautifully done! And great little treats - in the plastic bag are two patriotic fabrics, a card of wooden buttons and some hand made lace from Japan. Nice! And the Pocky treats - DH is loving them! (He just loves when exchangers and friends send me sweets from around the world).
Yesterday I stitched up a little ornament for the Christmas Ornament SAL. I couldn't get a photo yesterday due to thunderstorms and dark sky. But I snapped one in the garden today - the fabric is slightly darker in real life. Today was a bit sunny :-)

Winter's Night Ornament
Periphaeria Designs - complimentary chart exclusive to customers of Violarium
Silkweaver 28 ct Intrigue Cashel Linen, DMC Floss - B5200, Kreinik #4 Braid - 001HL

And... tonight's progress on Michelle's Halloween Neighborhood Round Robin... still waiting to hear if I should stitch the moon ;-)

A little something in the garden today (complete with spider web that I did not notice until I downloaded the photo....) - Daylily: Green Eyes Wink

Stitched on today: Finished SL project, stitched on a gift, and stitched on Michelle's Neighborhood Round Robin **Mailed out a new Crazy Exchange today

LHN Exchange for Annemiek

I saw in the HoE blog today that Annemiek has received the LHN Exchange that I sent to her... I had no idea what to make, and then it struck me that one of my favorite LHN charts came out really tiny when stitched one over one, and the result was...

Blossoms & Blackbirds Fob
Little House Needleworks
32 ct Antique White Belfast Linen, DMC Floss

And to complete the exchange, I made sure to send her a pair of gold Gingher scissors so that she can use the fob... and some other goodies too ;-) Enjoy Annemiek - I was really happy to get your name for this exchange.

Tonight I started working on Michelle's spooky Halloween neighborhood RR. It is going to be like "Halloween in July" for the first half of July for me. I need to finish Michelle's as well as start my own for the new Halloween RR group... both to be mailed by July 15th. I have heard of Christmas in July, and now I have Halloween in July too. I am adding the bottom portion of Pumpkin Patch by Prairie Schooler to Michelle's RR. I don't know if Michelle wants me to stitch the moon above the blackbird that I stitched... after all, there already is a moon above the house next to mine... how funky do you want this to be Michelle? A multi-moon or single-moon neighborhood? If I don't hear from you, I will email you ;-) I have to remember to stop after work tomorrow afternoon for a skein of DMC 898 for that pumpkin patch beneath the house...

I also stitched up a pretty little Christmas ornament for the Christmas Ornament SAL today... but as I was finishing our (almost) daily thunderstorm came through, which ended the NASCAR race early up in Loudon, NH... and left the light around here too dark and gloomy to take a good photo of this delicate ornament... so will try tomorrow...

Stitched on today: Stitched a Christmas ornament, and started Michelle's Neighborhood Round Robin

Patriotic Exchange from Nancy

I participated in a private Patriotic Exchange with a few other stitching bloggers this year, and today I received my exchange from Nancy. Nancy stitched me a long pillow using a L*K freebie. Very pretty. And she sent me some of the finishing fabric, some Weeks Dye Works floss in very patriotic colors, a pocket tissue holder that she made with the pretty fabric, a chart (flash caught it - sorry, it is gloomy/rainy today) for a flag using embroidery (not sure, I have to look into this a bit further, something new to learn!), and some candies. Thank you Nancy :-)

So - I sneak off again to enjoy the day - gardening to do, secret stitching to do.... looks like it will be a good day, for sure!

Stitched on today: Finished a new CE exchange, started SL project **Mailed out a gift today

Thank you Margaret :-)

What a treat! I received a lovely surprise from Margaret today. She stitched me this pretty hardanger tassel, that is currently hanging on the knob of one of my hutches. I like it there, and I think it shall stay :-) Oh, Margaret, your work is lovely

Here is the rest of the gift package - some cute kitty tissues/napkins and two bath products (I just love bath products!). Thank you so much Margaret - I love it all!

I am secret stitching today, so that's it for me.... BUT... I do want to say thank you to all of you who took a moment to leave me a comment about the ornament I stitched for Verona. I really appreciated it!

Stitched on today: Finished a gift, and started a CE exchange

Thinking Christmas Already

If it isn't bad enough that back to school sale commercials are already airing on TV (school only just got out this past week!), here I am thinking of Christmas already :-) I just saw today that Verona has received the ornament exchange that I sent to her for the Christmas In July Exchange - I only posted it off on Monday, and it already reached the Netherlands safely. Pretty amazing. When it was time to select something to stitch for Verona, I could not resist trying out one of the ornaments in the new JCS Christmas Ornament Preview Issue...

Joyful Blessings Ornament
Blue Ribbon Designs
Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Preview Issue, August 2008
Silkweaver 32 ct Heritage Belfast Linen, WDW Floss

I am blogging early again today, this time from my lunch break at work... want to join me in a Caribbean Chicken Salad? ... I figure on stitching away on gifts again tonight (I have to!).

A client showed me this yesterday - I thought it was just too funny, and it is only 39 seconds long, so please give this a peek:

... This is one high energy young lady who must have some sort of experience with gymnastics!! LOL

Stitched on today:

Crazy Exchange for Joke

I heard today from Joke that she received the new Crazy Exchange that I sent off to her last week. Photos of the rest of the exchange are in Joke's blog. She is such a lovely soul, and I had such a nice time stitching for her.

Garden Alphabet "J" Fob
Prairie Schooler
Silkweaver 32 ct Solo Belfast Linen, DMC Floss

For anyone not familiar with Crazy Exchange but looking for something "a little different" to do, I recommend clicking the link above and checking it out. Unlike most of the exchanges on the 'net, this one allows you to select a recipient whenever you want from the group database, and you stitch or craft something for that person. Once they receive it, they are to send an exchange back to you in 30 days. There are also specialty exchanges run there that do result in you being assigned a person, such as Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas, Scavenger Hunt... hope to see you there!!

OK... I am posting super early today - am still at work... I plan to devote my evening to baseball and gift stitching tonight. I hope everyone is having a great day and enjoy your evening!

Stitched on today: Stitched on gifts

AQC and Ava

I think I have managed to fix at least some of my camera problems ;-) I worked on gifts today, but then figured, oh why not... back to A Quaker Christmas for a while...

And here is where Ava has spent much of the evening... lying atop our copy machine (this was before I fixed the camera) - why??? Gosh, she is sitting there hoping we will give her some dry cat food that is in a bowl on one of the DVD racks behind her! (Our cats only get that as a treat as one is not allowed any dry food at all due to kidney issues).... what a sad life... sitting on a copier....

And this... just because I like it ;-)

Stitched on today: Started a gift, stitched on a gift and A Quaker Christmas

ABC Exchange from Chris

I received this sweet ABC Exchange from Chris today- she stitched me a lovely stitcher's pocket that has felt in it for needles, heart shaped mother of pearl rings for floss, and a pocket for scissors. I am having serious (operator) issues with my camera right now, and my two attempts to get a photo of the insides failed miserably - sorry Chris! (I must have mistakenly hit a setting button on my camera and just cannot find my way back yet....). She also sent me some gorgeous Vintage Cashel linen, velveteeen ribbons, buttons (in a tube that looks like lip gloss - LOL) and charms! Oh, Chris has studied me very, very well! Those charms will all find their way onto fobs, for sure!!! Thank you so much Chris - you really made my day... which until I got these treats just looked like this: Rain, rain, rain! (See camera operator issues continue - how hard was this photo to take?? Not hard! But, I still messed it up!).... yucko!! And my daylilies are really blooming today - but they are mushy, no photos... sigh...

It is a bittersweet day today. Today would have been my father's 72nd birthday. We lost him in 1995. Each year is the joy of Mike's birthday on June 22, and the sadness of missing my father on June 23.... a rollercoaster ride of emotions every June.

No stitching of my own to show today...shhh.... off to start a super important birthday gift, no peeking ;-)

Stitched on today: Started a gift **Mailed off Christmas in July Exchange today

My focus today was on finishing my exchange for Christmas in July... I got it done (and want to keep it!).... but then I stuck with the Christmas theme and put an hour or so in on A Quaker Christmas.

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes for Mike today ;-)

Stitched on today: Finished Christmas in July Exchange, and stitched on A Quaker Christmas

Exhausted

I had really hoped to get a bit done on the bottom section of Acorn Sampler today. However, I am just wiped out. We had a family BBQ for Mike's birthday (which is officially tomorrow) today. But, I did do a little. I might take a few minutes still tonight to work on my Christmas in July Exchange project... little x's might be easier right now ;-)

Lily is exhausted too. I just took this photo of her sleeping atop a chest of plastic drawers next to my stitching chair... one of her favorite places (actually, almost all of my cats nap here from time to time)...

Stitched on today: Stitched on Acorn Sampler, and stitched on Christmas in July Exchange project

PIF for Dawn

I continue to work my way through my list of stitchers who signed on to do PIF with me. And today I heard that Dawn received my PIF gift for her... this is the stitched part of what I sent to her - I had been digging through Patriotic patterns while putting together the Patriotic Exchange I did last week, I came across this sweet chart - had to stitch it too!

USA Fob
Trail Creek Farm
32 ct Dirty Belfast Linen, WDW Floss

And, this is for many of friends, especially Jill - you may have already seen Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on David Letterman's show, but I only heard of it today and did, of course, find it on You Tube - we are waiting out a rain delay at the Red Sox game now - the Celtics are all there to celebrate and Paul Pierce will be throwing out the first pitch :-)


Off to work on my Christmas in July Exchange project now...

Stitched on today: Started a gift, and started Christmas in July Exchange project **Mailed HoE LHN Exchange today

Acorn Progress

I am still shooting for my goal to finish Acorn Sampler this month. I have made it to the last band - all that delicate backstitching, the quidlobets and the verse are ahead. I do think this would have been much, much nicer on 32 ct instead of 28 ct linen (this is a class kit from Celebration of Needlework last month, so I had no choice) - the silk would have covered better ;-)

Stitched on today: Finished HoE LHN Exchange, and stitched on Acorn Sampler **Mailed out a new CE Exchange today

Patriotic Exchange for Jill

Jill sent me a lovely email and a very lovely ecard today to let me know that she received the Patriotic Exchange that I sent off to her - only two days ago ;-)

Uncle Sam Pinkeep
Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin - in Seasonal Mementos III
32 ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen, GAST and DMC Floss

American Acorn Fob
Stitchy Kitty
32 ct Dirty Belfast Linen, GAST, WDW and DMC Floss

.... And the rest of her treats :-)

Now... with no sports on tonight (will sure miss the basketball finals now! - and the Red Sox already played... and won... earlier today), I am going to go do my cardio and then stitch away on some exchanges .... shhhh.... ;-)

Stitched on today: Finished CE exchange, stitched on HoE LHN Exchange

KG Gets His Trophy!

(photo from nba.com)

CONGRATULATIONS BOSTON CELTICS!

A little more Quaker

Another short, short entry tonight. It is busy here with the Red Sox beating the Phillies... and well... the Boston Celtics are about to....???? Will they? Can they?? Oh my! In the meantime.... a little more of A Quaker Christmas (oh, and I did change the batteries in my camera!).

Stitched on today: Stitched on HoE LHN Exchange, and A Quaker Christmas **Mailed a PIF today

A Smidge of Quaker

I have been stitching on all kinds of things today - bits of this and that - but all I can actually show is this little smidge of A Quaker Christmas in this (blurry) photo. All I did was finish the motif in the bottom right of the sampler... and forgot to change the batteries in my camera too!

Thank you for the lovely comments on the two exchanges I sent out recently - you are all so very kind!

Stitched on today: Stitched on CE exchange, finished a PIF gift, started HoE LHN Exchange, and stitched on A Quaker Christmas **Mailed Patriotic Exchange today

SAL Night

I think I finished all of the girl's skin tonight ;-)

Happy Father's Day to all!

Stitched on today: Stitched on CE exchange, started a PIF, and stitched on Spring Ride

ABC Exchange for Joan

I just heard from Joan that she received the SBEBB ABC Exchange that I mailed to her today. Now there you go - this time the postal service was fast!

ABC Maison Bleue Pinkeep
Les Grilles de Maryse
Silkweaver 40 ct Violet Mist Newcastle Linen, DMC Floss

... And the rest of the goodies that I sent to Joan. My camera needs new batteries - my photos are starting to come out a bit blurry. I better go fix that!

Stitched on today: Finished Patriotic Exchange, and stitched on Acorn Sampler

Spring Exchange for Myrna

I heard from Myrna today that she has received my Spring Exchange for her. For the past year, I have had the pleasure of stitching for Myrna and sending her treats for the Seasonal Exchangers group. This ends the first year, and I have a new victim for next year ;-) I had such a great time stitching for Myrna this past year. She is such a sweetie! I won't go into showing the whole gift package... but I did send her these two stitched gifts...

Spring Biscornu
Barbara Ana Designs
Sassy's Fabbys 28 ct Spring Shamrocks Lugana, DMC and DMC Color Variations Floss

Hello Spring Pinkeep
Lizzie Kate
32 ct Sunburst Yellow Belfast Linen, GAST and WDW Floss

I am still a bit shaken by an almost-accident that almost took place on my way home from the seminar yesterday. Some woman in a mini van was eager to get her iced coffee at Dunkin' Donuts yesterday, and was cutting across two lanes of traffic on a busy road near the airport... right in my path... yesterday. A near miss. I jammed on my brakes and still cannot believe that I was not rear ended by the traffic behind me. Rattled!

OK.... secret exchange stitching time for me....

Stitched on today: Stitched on Patriotic Exchange projects

Wow... how about those Celtics!

How about those Boston Celtics? Down by up to 24 points to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half... and come back to win! What an amazing game! So.... yep, I was distracted while stitching while the game was on. And now I am just exhausted, having gotten up very early this morning to go to a conference.... almost finished the motif I am working on. And, I can now see the right side edge of the sampler. I am not there yet, but I am only one mid-sized motif away from the edge now ;-)

Stitched on today: Started Patriotic Exchange, and stitched on A Quaker Christmas **Mailed SBEBB ABC Exchange today

HoHRH

It's still very humid here, but I did last longer with my stitching today. I picked up HOHRH again tonight and starting working on House 9. Love the colors at the top of this one - lots of shades of orange coming up for those shooting stars... and then the upper area is filled in with black. Funny though - as I was stitching, I thought that was a cat sitting on the moon. When I was done, I took a better look and realized it was an owl :-) Makes more sense. But the collar on the owl threw me - but I love him - it's my favorite motif on the whole sampler.

Stitched on today: Stitched on CE exchange, finished SBEBB ABC Exchange, and stitched on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Too Humid To Stitch

Just a little of the new motif on Serenity tonight. It is way too humid to stitch here. I am watching the Celtics-Lakers game in my finished basement and no air conditioning. I just can't keep my hands dry enough to stitch much tonight. Thunderstorms are on the way, and hopefully the weather will be better for stitching tomorrow.

Stitched on today: Stitched on CE exchange, stitched on ABC Exchange, and stitched on Serenity