Ornaments and other Goodies Received

First Up, here is the ornament I received from my secret stitcher (the one who sent me gifties), Lisa, The Inspired Stitcher. Isn't it cute?  I'm sure it's a LHD ornament done in my favorite color blue.

Notice the beautiful, sparkly beaded edging. Lisa does wonderful work.


Notice on the back how she stitched a whole nother border around the whole ornament. I'm glad to have an ornament and goodies stitched by my good friend Lisa.

At the Tiara Christmas party I won this cute snowman. I'm not sure who the designer is and the linen is actually a much warmer color than is showing up in my picture. 

It's a pinkeep with gold headed pins along the edge. He was stitched by Christy Y.  She is a very talented stitcher also and inspires me also.  In fact, when I saw her Amy Mitten Forgery 15 - Polly Whitlock 1840 I knew I had to stitch it some day too.  It's in my stash, ready to stitch.  She has also stitched Dutch Beauty and many other wonderful samplers.

The third ornament I received in the Queen City Sampler Guild's Christmas party exchange.  It was stitched by Diane L. Once again, another incredible stitcher.  We have a lot of those in the guild. I am always inspired by her stitching too.

Here is the backing fabric. I know her thread colors were based on this fabric - love it.

Christie M. gifted me with this adorable pin cushion.  She was my Secret Stitcher last year.  The bottom is an old canning jar lid.  It's on my desk already waiting to be stuck and poked.  She also knows I love the color blue.

At our place settings this year we each received a cute needle book, complete with two John James petite needles.

My last gift from Lisa P. for Christmas included this great set of stamps.  I like to make cards and she knows I love bees.

 A lovely set of post its, list and note cards with a bee theme also.  The problem is I have a hard time using them 'cause I like them so much.  I gotta get over that, I know.

And we both share a love of Hello Kitty.  You need to run over there and see the Hello Kitty things she got for her birthday from Jenny of One Stitch Closer to Nirvana.  Way too cute for words.  Looks like I need to do my own internet search for Hello Kitty designs.

Patti F. gifted me with some more cuties.  Patti travels to lots and lots of stitch retreats.  Some day I'll be able to make a trip with her.  She has a unique stitching style that is very happy and vibrant.  She finds the prettiest color linens for her projects.  She is in the guild also so is a sampler lover also. Love this pretty bird.  My Christmas tree this year has my bird ornaments on it so this new one feels right at home.  See the green sparkly needle keeper with my name on it?  Thank you Patti!

My sister, Terry, sent me a big surprise in the mail.  A new ring.  She's the best!  Love you Terry!

Marsha

Christmas ornaments

Ornament number one was stitched early this year and waited patiently to be finished.  It's hard to see, but there is green ric rac around the edge.  All the hangers that I used this year are from Hobby Lobby.  It's sold as a beaded trim, on a spool in the ribbon area.  Very easy to work with and makes a really nice hanger.

Here's the back. The linen came from stash and I can't remember the floss that I used but I'm thinking it was an NPI silk. This one went into the Tiara group ornament exchange and Janice was chosen for it.

Ornament #2 was stitched on the other half of the linen with the same color silk.  I added the little jingle bell to dress it up a bit.  I also used ric rac around the edge of this one.  I prefer the look of flat ornaments but I ran out of time this year and made pillows instead.  I used raw (but clean) wool for stuffing and it works really well.  Much nicer than polyester filling.  The candy cane pillow was the only one that I used plastic beads for fill. It gave it a nice feel too.  Lisa, The Inspired Stitcher, chose this one as her thank you gift for being my secret stitcher.

Here's the back.

Ornament #3 is a LHD.  I used Autumn Fields linen and the floss colors called for.  The trim along the bottom came from Archivers - a scrap book store.  Beware: it does not like a hot iron!  I hid the balls on the left as they became a little deformed from the iron.  ( I could say a lot about this but it just wouldn't sound right LOL)  I will not be ripping it out and redoing as most people won't notice. i.e. my family.

And the back.  I'm keeping this one so no one has to be subjected to deformed balls.

Ornament #4 I made as a floss tag.  I invested in a crop-a-dile to make eyelets, and I'm really glad I did.  It makes things so much easier than trying to punch a hole with scissors.  I used a coupon and got it it at Archivers also.  This ornament went to the person I had as a secret stitcher, Linda K., and gifted through out the year.  It was fun sending anonymous surprises to her.  I never got a chance to stitch something for her so I wanted to do something she could use all year.  It is stitched on 36 ct. Dubloon linen from Picture this Plus.  The color is not showing up well in this picture.  I used the DMC called for and stitched it one over one. It's a Little by Little design 'Quaker Blackbird'.

the back.

I did our initials in the reddish brown instead of the green, LK and MK. This ornament was for the Secret Stitcher ornament exchange at the Queen City Sampler Guild's Christmas party.

Ornament #5 was stitched for the Queen City Sampler Guild's regular ornament exchange.  Not everyone participates in the secret stitcher activities so if you want to make and a receive an ornament, this is another way to participate.  Paulette Stewart of Plum Street Samplers designed this one - 'Yuletide'.  It's from the 2011 JCS ornament issue.  I used 36 ct. Dubloon linen again and some of the listed floss colors, 1 thread over 2.  I didn't have all of the colors so I substituted what looked to be a close match.

I just had to add a red bead to the lead reindeer's nose.

Once again, the back.  Evelyn was chosen for Yuletide.  This might be the 3rd ornament of mine she's been picked for. Hmmmm.

My next posting will be the ornaments I received. They are really nice.

Marsha

Christmas stitching

 It's been sooo rainy here in Ohio.  The days have been so dreary that taking pictures of stitching has been a disaster.  Today was gorgeous but I'm on a huge deadline to finish ornaments for the Queen City Sampler Guild Christmas party.  I can't show those ornaments yet as they are surprises.  Next week is another ornament exchange with the Tiara stitching group.  So, I will have lots of pictures to post after this weekend and next.

This another oldie but goody that I hang every year. The frame on this is so old.  It must have fall and is now broken in the upper corner.  Yup, it good old foam board and masking tape again.  What did we know.

If you aren't sick of seeing this stitch-along here's another picture.  I'm almost there and am looking forward to finishing it now that all the ornaments are finished.  I used a 35 count linen from stash that Hand Dyed Fibers sold for a while.  It was in the dark naturals and doesn't have a name.

When I got it out to stitch on, I was shocked to see this imprint in the linen.  Do you see it?  The angel.  Right above the house and snowflakes.  Pretty cool.  The problem is, its way into the margin where framing would cover it up.  I may have to make a pillow with wide margins and a quarter inch seam. What do you think?

Here is the a Prairie Schooler Year pillow for Dec.  Remember when I said these all hung in a LNS for quite a few years.  When they called to tell me I could have them back they had bad news.  The original Santa had been stolen.  Can you believe that??? People are so weird.  Luckily, I still had some of the original Davos so I restitched it.  The fabric back is different but no one looks at that.

If you don't have one of these cool lights, you need to splurge and get yourself one.  Really.  Tons of us in the stitching groups have it now.  It comes with a pole so you can have a pole light/magnifier.  It comes with a clamp if you want to attach it to a table.  It also comes with a battery pack which makes traveling with it easier.  It makes stitching so much nicer.  The bottom of the magnifier has LED lights all the way around.

I've been using an extra Vera Bradley zippered bag to put over it so the sun doesn't shine through it and start a fire in my sewing room.  Very awkward and I've been too busy and lazy to make a simple draw string bag. I saw a friend at a craft show and told her what I was looking for and laughingly said she could make me one.  I felt kinda bad after I said that. Like she doesn't have her own stuff to make and buy etc.  So, I was at the end of the craft booths and back in the corner of one I saw cloth bags.  Perfect!  She didn't have any regular bags just seasonal but it was just what I needed and the Santa's ARE cute.




Sooo, I went to work Monday and guess what.  My friend had MADE ME ONE!  I was thrilled. I did apologize to her for asking her to make one when I'm so capable myself, and it is Christmas time.  But she said it was nothing and she enjoyed doing it.  Yeah.  I love it.  So now I have one for Christmas time and one for the rest of the year.

Marsha

Thanksgiving Time

A week until Thanksgiving.  Where did this month go? 

Today I finally made it to my water aerobics class.  It felt great to get-a-move-on and do something exercise wise. This is not something normal for me to say but after missing quite a few months of exercise it's pretty tragic how your body lets you down and gets all soft and well, you know....  So, it was a nice surprise to open my mailbox when I got home and find a package from my secret stitcher.  I was so hungry I had to eat first but, that gave me time to realize I could take a 'before' picture of my gifties.

So, here it is out of the envelope and ready to open.

It's always polite to open the card first. Another turkey to brighten my mantle.

And here are my goodies.  Love the themed flosses I've been getting. A great idea. I will have to make a fob soon.  So many great ideas here and in the previous Halloween package.  Thank you so much secret stitcher.  I've been spoiled rotten this year and have loved every minute of it.

Thought I would share previous year's Thanksgiving stitching.  Prairie Schooler's month of November is represented by a turkey.  And a lovely one at that.

Another of my foam core board and masking tape wonders from long ago.  I found this cool frame in a garage sale years and years ago.  I can't tell you the last time I went to a garage sale.

Buddy helped me open my presents today.  He was neutered earlier this week and was supposed to be kept calm - yeah right.  We took a nice long walk to burn off post operative energy after taking stitching pictures.

Buddy says "Gobble, Gobble"

Marsha

Last of Halloween

Sooo, I'm kind of late getting these pictures up.  Real late actually.  This first piece I finished last year.  The chart had a stitched scallop border but after stitching that black boot I didn't think I could stand doing the border too. It's on a yellow linen and used most of the charted threads except for the black eyed susans.  They are in a more yellow color than the darker gold that was called for.  I used some beads mixed in on the bittersweet vine instead of cross stitches or french knots.

I got the chart for this one a month or so ago from my secret stitcher.  Can't believe it's stitched up and framed already.  It was fun.  It's on a piece of Autumn Fields linen with the DMC threads called for, except for one or two.

I also stitched this last year.  I changed the letters to a different color thread so it would show up better on this linen.

Now this was stitched years and years ago. It's a Prairie Schooler Year from long ago.  I had stitched all of them and due to some personal issues decided I couldn't have them in my house.  Yeah, I can be weird too. Anyway, Creative Cottage a LNS  displayed them for quite a few years.  When they went out of business, my weird streak was over, they gave them back to me and I was SO happy.

I have hung this up for years and years.  My kids were still young when I stitched this.  I framed it myself with  foam board and masking tape - gasp!  Yes, masking tape and foam board, can you imagine?!?

Down Sunshine Lane ~ Your online source for all of your stitching needs! had a Halloween sale last week and I did a little shopping.  I liked this the moment I saw it.  Cute and kinda funny and funky. I pass Green Acres farm every chance I can get and this time of year the turkeys are out in the fields getting fattened up for their special day.  Kinda sad but it's cool to see turkeys raised in normalcy not jammed in some disgusting barn with no room to move.

A cover for my 6" q snaps to protect the extra linen.  A pair of counting needles, jazzed up with a cool bead.  Very handy for all those motifs that are spread out and require painful counting between them.

A gorgeous ripping needle.  Hoping I don't need to use this much and can just gaze at its prettiness in my tool box.

A new needle minder made from a button.  Love those bees and all things bee related.

A great package deal of vintage trims.  LOVE IT!  Chenille trim in two thicknesses, buttons, bunches of ric rac and bias tape in rich dreamy colors. This picture does not do the colors or awesomeness of this package justice.  EDITED TO SAY:  The trim pack is on the accessory page of Down Sunsine Lane.  The 'Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe' is the package paper header.  It includes: Assorted 1/2" ric rac, 15 colors, 1 yard each color, Chenille trim, 10 colors, 2 yards each color, Cotton twill tape, 4 colors, 1 yard each color, Hand dyed buttons, 5 colors, 4 buttons each color

Hope you liked my late Halloween.  On to Thanksgiving!

Marsha