Seasonal Exchange Received

good afternoon to all my friends, thank you for joining me on this gloomy afternoon.  

I received a seasonal exchange package today from Karen at Karen's Handiwork.  It is a beautiful tin for orts (or chocolate) with handmade counting pins.  I have admired her finishes from her blog and was delighted to see that she had me for this current round, I saw Karen, and South Carolina on the box, and tried to get into it, boy did she have that box taped down, had to pull scissors out!  She was also included a homemade card, everything all color coordinated.

my lns called to tell me my LHN Sheep virtue Hope is in, yeh, but she is closed tomorrow, oh the damn luck!  however....I got a second package from J J's collectables who had a 20% off sale and I snagged 3 charts and some pins.  I am so blessed today!

Have a wonderful evening!
Hugs and stitches
Dawn

Time is flying

Good afternoon dear friends,

Welcome to old friends and to my new ones, thank you so much for stoping by.  It's been a busy week. Son just got his drivers permit today, I think I've turned "50 more shades of gray" on the drive home, I let him drive in the neighborhood, trying to be calm, cool and collected, NOT!  I'm so worried he is going to try and use both feet, ugh, need to take him to a big big big parking lot. haha.  How did my parents manage, lol.

OK, well lets see, I'll work from today backwards, In the mail i received a darling RAK from dearest Cucki in South Africa, I have to say the doll is my favorite, she is the sweetest little thing. Plus a few other goodies, a bookmark, scissors and needles (can never have enough of those).

I finished 2 exchange pieces this week so I feel good about that, will work on them Monday and then get them posted to their newest owners :)

We had frigid temps this week and I found a hat my mother had made me as a child and put it on Chloe, she was so funny.
Duncan wearing his sweater and saying his prayers

I made it up to LNS and got to use the bag that Barbara had sent me, It is so beautiful.

I've spent more time playing with the sewing machine this week then stitching but I will work on my ornament SAL and Baby it's cold outside, my I've neglected it this week.  I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend.

Blessings to all
Dawn

Catching Up

Hello to my friends, old and new.  This has been a crazy week for me, all kinds of pleasant surprises.

Today I received a RAK from Grace, wonderful unexpected surprise from her.

Shepherds Bush, counting pins and some charms

Then yesterday, I knew I was getting the chart, but Jodi (no blog) has added a few more goodies to my package.  It is a Bent Creek Chart that she offered up as a RAK

how lucky am I to be blessed with wonderful gifts?  I'm still speechless that I was included in their warm gestures.

I am working on 2 exchanges at the moment, one is my Seasonal Exchange and the other is Stitched with love exchange, yeh, I do love these exchanges.

I did start working on Baby it's Cold outside, I am using 36 ct linen and the required threads, but after stitching 2 over 2, and it was leaving holes, I ripped out and decided to do 1 over 2 and am much happier with it's outcome.  I love the Pomegranate thread.  so pretty.

Lastly, a few of you have asked if I have touched the sewing machine my mother has given me, the answer is yes, I am having too much fun.  Went up yesterday to try something and 3 hours flew right by. It's addicting.  Now, I have to slow down with wasting the threads and work on my sewing skills so I can do something, anything, lol.

I don't have the sewing talents that Barbara has on the bag she made me, but I sure am inspired now.  

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and get a chance to match needle and thread.

Dawn

Second finish of the year

I finished LHN 's Winter Plaid today. It feels great to finish a bigger pattern, I lost steam before Christmas when I ran out of Hickory Sticks, but with a little bit of enthusiasm this past few days I was able to complete it. I used the required threads and 30 ct northern cross natural linen. The only change I made was to stitch all the letters in Hickory Sticks vice the second line which she had done using roasted chestnut, I also noticed that the pattern included an extra snowflake by the cardinal but the model picture doesn't include it. Lol.


Now to start another exchange piece, finish a exchange piece and I believe if needle and thread meet this evening, it will be to start Baby it's Cold Outside, I've been chomping at the bit to start but promised myself only after I finished Winter Plaid.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I do enjoy the visits.

**my apologies, I didn't realize how wavy the fabric was when I took the pictures!

Bag Received

Oh my gosh,my bag from Barbara at To Stitch or Not to Stitch arrived last night, I say last night because our mail lady typically takes long lunches and delivers into the evening.  Anyways....it's absolutely gorgeous and  my pictures do it no justice, now I'll have to run to my LNS just to use it!   It's so pretty, her work is well done and very detailed.  I put a pattern next to it so you could get an idea of the size, the typical bag you might receive at your LNS.  I fell in love with the "recycle" bag she made for herself and emailed her right away, and waa la, done and already to me in under 4 days!  I have to agree with her about reusing the bags, I know it's an expense on the shop owner and I typically save mine and use them as wrapping paper or take them back to the store, as I like to put it, hide the evidence that I was even at the store!

Also, if you like to do any online shopping, JJ's Collectables is having a 20% off sale today through Sunday the 13th.  I've ordered from them in the past and their communication to me was very good, they let me know immediately about any delays etc.   As far as I can tell, it's 20% off all cross stitch supplies, books, etc.  Just in case you needed to add to your stash....

Lastly, I can report that I'm near done with the sewing room and I turned the machine on (wow) and threaded it (and played with the automatic needle threader "wow wow")  even tinkered with some of the decorative stitches it does.  I want to jump in and do embroidery but since the thread is costly, and I don't want to waste it, I should just follow the lessons...?  we'll see.  I keep trying to thin stuff out so I'll keep working on the room as I go.

Thank you for stopping by

first finish of the year

Good afternoon,

I hope everyones New Year is treating them well, I am already wondering where the month is going?  I have been spending it up in the "sewing" room, sorting and reorganizing several times, still not happy, but I'll pitch more stuff as I learn the machine and decide I won't be doing some of the patterns mom has saved in her stash.  It's looking better each day.  I started to bring all my crafting stuff from the basement up and well, more clutter and pitching.  Only going to keep what I'm going to use, room is to small to go crazy and I don't want DH to kick me out.

I finished a cute little pattern by Katidid, called Peace on Earth.  It's been done a week now but I did the beading this morning and I'm pretty happy with it.  Denise at Riverside Stitching was kind enough to let me borrow the pattern.  I saw it before Christmas on her blog and immediately fell in love with it.  I will see if I can find a simple frame at Hobby Lobby for it.  Can't think of anything else to really do with it.

I went to LNS yesterday, bought some patterns and GAST for a RAK group that I belong to, want to get that in the mail tomorrow.  I went through a lot of her patterns but my heart wasn't really in it so I bought some linen and left.  I have plenty of projects that need my attention.  Oh I did reserve my copy of the LHN sheep virtues "Hope", should be here week after next or thereabout!  I'm so excited to do the sheep, that's seems to be my new craze, sheep, ewe's, lambs.  Seems there aren't many sheepy patterns to be found, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Thank you for stopping by,


Blessings
Dawn

Sewing Room update

Good morning friends,

Thank you for stopping by.  I have only done a little stitching this week, mostly just putting together some Ikea pieces and doing some sorting.  I think I need to go to Ikea for another 4 cube and then I'll be done, I may buy an 8 cube that matches the first bookcase but I don't think I need it and the printer will sit nicely if I get the 4 cube bookcase.  Anyways...I sat and just stared at the stuff, I like things organized and I'm sure I'll change it around several more times before I am completely happy with the organization.  The placement of furniture wasn't hard as I'm limited because of odd walls and placement of a vent.  Here are some pictures of my progress, as always,  a work in progress.

Yesterday i tried to find a pattern, linen and floss that I kitted together before the holiday, it took near an hour for me to find it.  It was right at the beginning of where I started, ugh.  I knew I took it up to show my mom and I remember making sure it went back right in my tote bag, yet I couldn't find it, I had put in a project pouch.  I'm happy that I didn't lose my mind (yet).

I also am working on a Christmas Ornament SAL and have chosen a LHN Ornament from JCS 2011 called Fresh Fallen Snow.  I am going to try and make more ornaments for myself this year.  I have some WIPS that need my attention to and in addition to exchanges to which I have an addiction, I am also participating in RAKS.  Lastly, I plan on using this sewing machine that my mom has given me, it's mostly computerized and I wanted to have a nice place to honor it and feel inspired, hence the guest room (that never  has any guests) turned into a sewing room.  No perhaps I'll have guests come visit, lol, and no place to put them :)  That's how fate works right?

Lastly, Chloe received a bit of a "spa" treatment yesterday at the groomer, I took her to Petsmart to  check on her weight and get her heart worm pill, and went into the groomer to inquire about services and costs, the girl who took care of her was so great.  Chloe is a 60# 10 month old baby who wouldn't even jump on their clipping table without lots of coercing.  Kristy, gave her lots of love and pampered her with brushing her teeth, cleaning her ears, spraying her with puppy perfume, clipping her nails and shaving her paws and fur between her pads and shaving her lower tummy (hygiene shave to help prevent UTI's).  I have to admit, I'm a bad mommy, I didn't know that it is recommended to clip the fur between the pads and toes, my labrador never had stuff like that done, lol. As always, I am a work in progress.  Soo, Kristy actually taught me how to do the paws so I can do it at home.  She survived and she looks great, I didn't pay for a bath as 80% of her is still puppy fur and I brush her daily anyways, plus I think she would freak out with a hair dryer, she is terrified of lawn mowers and vacuums, yet she is gun shot.  I don't get it.  I love my dogs.

laying on the sofa, he loves this spot, DH gets mad since he is ruing the back pillow

Chloe at 10 months and 60#

Here is a picture of them, each trying to push the other out of the way, just like kids

Happy New Year

Hello friends,
Out with the old and in with the new! Almost 2013, we all spent today cleaning our " spaces" today, kids room look great, I'm working on making a sewing room, it's been slow going trying to organize all my mom embroidery software. I don't know what I need and really don't understand how she did her organizing but it's all about to change, lol.

Well I have 1 and a half pieces that I've done over the holidays, but mostly no stitching and more family over the holidays.  Did some traveling to see my parents and my husbands, now tonight a quiet night home... May not be for long when we break out the wii for Mario cart!


AlsoChloe loves the snow, pushes her face all over in the snow, rolls around it it trying to cool off, Duncan, he does his business and rushes back in the house.

I wish everyone a safe and happy new year, I hope the new year brings you peace and happiness.

Blessings
Dawn



This is from the JCS 2001 Christmas ornament catalog, Merry Christmas to Ewe, I need to go pull the darn magazine and find out the designer, I saw it done as a gift from Lainey and emailed her and she helped me track it down in one of my old JCS magazine.  I was so happy I had it all along!

Peace on Earth by Katydid- about done, needs beeding done but I like the simplicity.

I saw this done on Denises blog Riverside Stitching and immediately fell in love with it.