Blogiversary Drawing

Here is a photo of the pin cushions sets that I stitched two of. One for me and one for you. Some lucky person will get this mailed to them along with some other goodies, which I am keeping a surprise until the package is received. Please enter the drawing by leaving a comment on this post only and I will have my dear hubby draw a name one week from today! Yep, he will be home from Korea the day after tomorrow!!!

I am off to my finishing class and should have photos of my projects tomorrow, maybe. I am likely to get a bit scatter brained (more than usual), as I have lots to do before Monday. I am even a little late to post my drawing since my blogiversary was yesterday, lol!

Have a great day!

More Finishes!

Here is a floss tag I stitched using patterns from Blackbirds newest book. I decided to use it as a bag tag for the floss I am using to stitch up their little stockings.
















Now, I don't know what came over me, but I actually did the finishing on this needle book all by myself! I usually avoid any machine sewing unless it is for an exchange and that is because I put it off until the last minute and end up having to do it myself, lol! This time I was blog surfing and saw this free pattern and thought, I might be able to do this one. And sew I did. I am sew pleased with how it turned out. Mind you, it isn't perfect, but then again, neither am I =)

Now, keep checking back. I will be having a give-away for my Blogaversary, which will be April 3rd, of something I stitched. No, not the needle book. It's mine too, lol. I will give a hint though. It's a little something from Blackbirds new book. I had to stitch two so I could keep one for myself. My goodness I am a greedy girl this year! And I love it...

Have a great day!

The Ultimate Needlebook

At long last, here it is. Completely finished! This is the Ultimate Needlebook by Judy O'Dell. It was a SAL at my LNS last year. I really loved stitching it and even took the finishing class with hopes of doing it all myself. Talk about overwhelming! I gave it to the shop finisher and she returned it to me last week. I just love how this turned out and it is one of my most favorite things I have ever stitched.
















I added the verse from the Just Nan Sampler Winter Blues. I have a piece of the same linen left over that I just might use to stitch the sampler.


Needle page covers closed. I don't know if you can tell but there are a few tiny beads sewn on and in person they look like little tiny snowflakes or ice crystals. Just the effect I wanted!









I added the nun stitch needle pages to the inside and filled it with the John James Ultimate Needle Collection, of course.











I am currently working on a quick piece for the finishing class I am taking on Saturday, and then I will be working on the BBD stockings and another pin cushion challenge pattern from my LNS. Part 4 of Alla Turca will be out this week too and I am really looking forward to stitching on it again.

Have a great day!

Blackbird Stockings

MINE! All mine =) I am stitching these little pretties all for myself. I didn't think I could love these more than I already do, until I got these first three back from the finisher. They are lined just like a regular stocking so I can add stuff to them for decoration. I don't know what kind of stuff, but who cares. I just have three more to stitch, two from the March leaflet and the one from the JCS Ornament issue, and then I will be caught up. I find I am already very anxious to see what will come next! I am really into Blackbird right now. I have given my collection their own special box, kitted up several designs, and still wish for more, lol! I still need to do the finishing on the Autumn Song Loose Feathers I stitched last year, as well as the retreat projects from last summer. I have a couple other small finishes that I can't show just yet. One of them just might be a give-away for my blogiversary ;)
Have a great day!

PIF's & SAL's

I have stitched part three of Alla Turca and am really loving it. It will seem like forever for the next part now, lol!

I started the alphabet book some time ago and only stitched the first page before setting it aside. Now our guild has picked it up as a group project and we have a goal to get one page (two letters) done between each meeting. Here is my page for this month. I am using Splendor silks and they are stitched on cream Belfast linen. I purchased all of the kits at my LNS so I have no excuses not to finish it!

Finally, my PIF's are done and sent, except for one person I am still waiting for an address. I am going ahead and posting a photo because the two that were sent have been received and maybe if my third person see's this she will send me her address, lol! If I don't hear something pretty soon then I will have a drawing for it.

I have been working on several things and will post more photos when I get stuff back from my finisher. She has a Blackbird Stocking and a couple of pin cushions and I can hardly wait to see them done. I plan to stitch all of the stockings and stitched another one yesterday. They work up really quickly and are soooo cute!

Have a great day!

Craft-i-leigh

You left a comment asking me about progressing from Aida and no way to email you, lol!
So, here is the email I had composed before realizing that it was going to "noreply-comment@blogger.com"

>>>

I would suggest trying an evenweave such as lugana or Jobelan. An evenweave is like linen in that you would be stitching over two threads, but each thread is the same size and it is much easier to see. Linen threads can vary in size and width making it more difficult to start with. Also, evenweaves are very nice for stitching over one thread, too!

As for count, I would try something the same count as your aida that you had been working with. If you used 14 count aida, then try a 28 count evenweave. If you worked with 16 count, then try a 32 count evenweave.

Let me know how it goes and if I can be of any more assistance =)

Have a great day!

Please, don't faint!

Woohoo! I am finally stitching again! The photo above is the January pin cushion challenge piece from my LNS. Each month we will receive a pattern that is charted with only one symbol. The challenge is to stitch it how we "see" it using whatever threads and fabric we wish. By December we should have them all finished into some sort of pin holding small and there will be a drawing for a prize =) It is a really fun challenge and I am actually keeping up with it so far. I saw a delft pattern in an older issue of JCS magazine and thought it would be neat to stitch my challenge piece like a delft tile.

Here is the February challenge piece. I used a piece of 28 count Daily Grind linen and some threads I had left from the tulip and star pin keep (Blackbird Designs) I made for my friend Kim. I think we get the March pattern this weekend and I can hardly wait to start it!

Here is my very first Mystery SAL. It is "Alla Turca" by Pelin Tezer and you can find the info on it here . I am using Lakeside Linen Chantilly Creme and GAST Simply Shaker Weathered Barn. I am so loving this piece! Any other time I have tried to start a mystery sampler, I have ended up waiting until all the parts are out and then decided it is too big and don't do it. I even started one with my LNS and then stopped working on it before I even finished part one.

I am also working on several other projects which I will try to photograph and post about over the next few days. I signed up for another finishing class which is next month at my LNS. We will make a fob/ornament and learn to do ruched ribbon on the edge, and a tri-fold. I am doing the pre-stitching on those now.

I have updated my beaded creations album, see the link in the side bar.

Those PIF's I owe are in the works too! I will post again once they are mailed. I do still need to hear from Sharon so I can get your address. Please email me if you read this. I tried posting to your blog but haven't heard back from you. I hope everything is okay.

Have a great day!