A beautiful exchange, a finish, and a new start as well

A week ago Kathy send me the most gorgeous Christmas ornament. It's just lovely:

.
Some of my own Christmas ornaments got also a finishing touch. The first one I did earlier because I sent it off to Germany to my mother and wanted it to arrive in time. The rest I "ornamentified" last week. I plan to make the one I sent off again, because Michael likes it a lot. But who knows...I have ...errrmm....quite some projects in planning.

I FINALLY finished the first row of "Manhattan Wonderland" and can confirm that with this speed it will take only couple of years to finish it. Not more then 10 years, I can assure you that (for now)

Lastly a new start. Thanks to a dear stitching friend I am able to stitch this wonderful Blackbird Design called "Blessings be Thine".

After a long absence....

What to say after so much time without blogging. I'm not sure and that's one of the reasons I didn't update my blog earlier. I tried several times to sit down and write something, but my brain turns blank every time. Let me try to keep this short...
First I lost my stitching mojo for a while - did a lot of knitting though
Then I fractured my wrist and could not stitch, nor knit, nor type (I cannot type with one hand only...I need all my 10 fingers or it drives me nuts in no time)
And lastly we were confronted with a health scare which left us undone for a while.

It's now all better. I'm back at stitching, although I still cannot stitch on my frame somehow nor type too long.  I'm declared healthy again (but under supervision...LOL) and all is fine. We're started to go on vacation more often, which is a huge plus. Plus I sit less at the pc and try to be more active. Enough of that!!!

What is way more important....stitchy stuff.

Margo send me an email that she received the ornament I stitched for her for an exchange at HoE .

Happy Skater

Designer: Little House Needleworks 

Just Cross Stitch Christmas Oraments 2010

Stitched on Quaker Cloth with Silks and DMC

I started last month on vacation a Dimensions kit which I have since ages laying around in my always growing stash. I went trough all my kits - which I do buy and then never start because I actually don't like kits, certainly not the ones with Aida. (don't make the same mistake like my husband and ask me why for gods heaven sake I buy kits if I don't like them. He's still not completely forgiven)
And I told myself that or I do something with these or sell them. Which means I planned 2 kits in for vacations (I convinced myself that these are ideal for stitching in the caravan). Around Christmas I will start  "Amsterdam" by Thea Gouverneur, which is thankfully on linen (I do hate the way they organized the floss though...lol) and the rest of the kits I sell or give away.(I think)

Anyway, the first of the 2 kits  is almost finished and I try to finish it off the next days:

 Christmas Ornaments by Dimensions

Love is in the Air

First of all....I received the exchange piece from the "Stitch Red for your Heart" exchange....and I'm in love with it. Leigh stitched for me this fantastic 15sided biscornu. You should see it in person...it's SO beautiful. Thank you so much Leigh for this beautiful piece and also for the candle holders and the red floss.

I finally finished this scissor pocket called "Token of Love" This one was in my travel bag for donkey's ages, and I thought it's time to get it out and finish it. The initials of my daughters and my husband are worked in it :)

"Token of Love" by Barbara Bernard

stitched on Belfast "Country Cream" 

with Threadworx and Gentle Art Thread

Then there is a little surprise for my husband. In reality I wanted to stitch something completely different for him. The plan was to stitch a design from Paulette Steward (Plumstreet Samplers). But...some gremlins stole my time and at once it was to late to order that design from the US, and of course it wasn't available anywhere in Australia. Never mind, I made him that little key thingo and will stitch him the other one at a later time. 

I tried to use some "manly" colors and finished it off with a black backing. I'm pretty sure he won't tolerate anything pinkish on his keys. Men can be amazingly  sensitive...lol. Sorry for the rather crappy picture. But it was taken in the evening. 

"Love" from the Stitcherhood

 This freebie can be found here 

Stitched over one on 28ct hand dyed Jazlyn (Silkweaver Solo)

with Gentle Art Threads

Next in row is an applique piece, which is my second piece ever, and I'm pretty pleased how it turned out. I mounted that on a canvas. The kit was laying around here since months  simply because I'm a chicken and didn't have the courage to start it. After this one was finished, I ordered  2 more out of the serie (Hope and Faith).

Love by Kenna McRyan

And that was enough "Love" for one post...don't you think so?

Red for your Heart

"Stitch Red for your Heart" was an exchange I took part in lately and I really loved to take part in that. Red is one of my favorite colors. After hearing from Caroline that it arrived safely, I can show it now.  The idea for the little book I made was born out of my frustration when I visited last time my doctor. As usual long waiting time, which doesn't bother me too much as long as I have something to stitch with me. And juggling with scissors, the thread, and everything I thought it would be so very handy to have a small something to hold it all. A small booklet just to hold everything for a small travel project. And so the idea was born. Hopefully Caroline finds it handy too.

Stitched with Threadworx "Bleeding Heart" on 28ct self dyed Jobelan. 

The design itself is from Aurelle and is called "ABC oiseaux"  She designs quite a few designs and put them up for free on her website.  Have a look at Aurelle's site, she is very talented woman and quite some beautiful designs available. I used one of my self dyed fabrics for it (Jobelan) and Threadworx Bleeding Heart.


There is also an update on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow. Since last month I'm taking part in a SAL for it at the "Needle and Thread" forum. Goal is to finish each month a block.

Did anyone miss the next design ...Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow? Another beauty coming up. Can't someone please extend the time a bit? Like 9 days in the week....or 30 hours per day...or both? I need more time if I want to stitch everything I like in this life time.

Another page of Manhattan Wonderland

Major happy dance!!!Page 4 of Manhattan Wonderland is finished. Somehow it feels every time a milestone when a page of that project is done. In hindsight I found that it helped amazingly that I said that I had a page finished when it wasn't finished (and not even started). That irked me enough to get my butt into moving gear and get that page finished. May be I should do it more often like that? It might get finished then in this lifetimes.

And while watching tennis (Australian Open) I grabbed my knitting needles and finished another square of the "Great American Aran Afghan".  This one was a real fun stitch. It's the Vicki Sewer square and I love the meaning of it. It's not only presenting the fight against cancer, the other symbols stand for Faith, Hope and Love. 

I also finished my first applique block - and loved doing that too. "Snowbound" hopefully will give me the confidence to jump into other applique projects. I just started a Kenna Mc Ryan piece as well...so we'll see how that goes. Anyway....finished part one from "Snowbound":

The other projects I'm working on I can't show, because they are for an exchange or not enough progress to show.

And since we're now in February, I can go on with Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow!!! :)

Something complete different. A vent!!!  If you have dogs and go each and every year to the vet to get them their injections and think your dogs are protected because of that....forget it. My dogs have gotten kennel cough while their last shots should have last another 7 months.  And that's weeks ago.  Lucy had it that bad that she needed cough medicine for almost a week....and then antibiotics. We can't even go inside at the Vet....lol. We stay in the car and the vet comes out to check them. Which makes sense though...I don't want other dogs getting it as well. They got it last December. And both are still coughing every now and then, and Lucy's nose is still often blocked. Worst thing, it affects them in their fitness and well being level. To protect other dogs we can't really take them out in town. And we can only do very short walks, or you end up carrying them. Never had a dog with kennel cough before, and to be honest, I could have happily lived without that experience.
I think next time if the vet asks if we want them also protected against kennel cough I might strangle her. What's the use of that -  except that it cost heaps of money.

Overdue update

Again it took ages to update my blog. Time seems to fly away all the time.

Shortly ago I wrote in an email to someone that I had finished page 4 of "Manhattan Wonderland". To my utter despair   astonishment I realized that that wasn't the case when I grabbed it to work on it. There wasn't a page 4 finished. Sigh. I REALLY thought I had that page finished. Must have been in one of my dreams...lol. With that said...page 4 partially finished:

I also stitched 2 more Prairie Schooler ornaments. The first one is from the Gift of Stitching magazine, and I did that one already once - and gave it away as a gift. For the very first time I regretted giving something away. So I stitched it again.
The other ornament is one of the 3 ornaments to stitch that belong to "Christmas Eve". I didn't finish them off yet, because I want to stitch the other ones under it and then ornamentify them in one go.

Then there is an update on Alla Turca as well.

I did some sewing too, my very first time doing applique. Better said this is my (almost finished) second go at it. First time I had it completely finished, and then realized in one glance (it was quite obvious....lol) that I cut the base fabric wrong. It missed 1/2" in width. On the bright side, exercise is the key to learning isn't it?

I need to stitch a word on the dark blue fabric, but had troubles to get the lines on it with the light method because it didn't shine through. Ordered now water soluable paper and wax free tracing paper, if there are more options, I have an open ear.

The block is the first part of "Snowbound" which is a free design by Bunny Hill Designs.

First finish and some sewing,

My first finish for 2010 is a Prairie Schooler design, and I finished it as flat fold. I love flat folds. They look so neat, don't need a frame, and I can just display them. Love it!!!

Christmas Eve by The Prairie Schooler

stitched on 28ct Cashel (solo from Silkweaver)

The fabrics in front and background are the fabrics used for the flat fold finish

See the little angel in the picture? Anna sent it to me for Christmas. And I'm totally in love with it. It is SO cute. Such a little beauty.

Here is my progress on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow. While stitching the second blog I became aware that in January started a  SAL for it, and that stopped me in the tracks. I joined in the fun and will finish blog 2 in February. Here is where I was at when I stopped:

And look what we found in our backyard:

Hero as I am, I called Mike to grab it. But I was brave enough to take a picture...lol. So there!!! I'm not a total chicken. Besides...these things bite. Plus Mike is better in catching whatever then I am. Did I ever tell you we had a mouse in the house? 3 cats (yes you are reading that correctly THREE cats) were watching with interest how Mike was catching the mouse.  He caught another mouse (this time with a trap) in the garage....and we left the cats in the garage to get them interested in it. They didn't even look at it...nor sniff. EUWWWW....a dead mouse!!!! That's our cats...sigh.

I also did some sewing. We have some very comfy chairs in front of our garden doors...however they look totally terrible. The white cushions became partially black...and rather spotty. With that said, I found a great tutorial for covers from Amy. I love especially how she finished off the corners. So simple and easy, but it makes a world of difference.

This is how our chairs looked before .....

Me and the girls hard at work in the craft room .......

The finished product!!! And no ...it was not intended that a doggy moved IMMEDIATELY on it. I told Lucy off and told her to get her bum off the pillow. She was very impressed...look at that tail.

My loud protests helped. Mike and Ashely came immediately to my aide...errm...sort of.  Anyway...that was it...I threw them all off the pillow and brought both pillows outside and put them on the chair. Then went inside to get the camera....came back outside....

I threw them off the seats!!!! Minutes later.... 

I gave up at that point. I got the hints: one of the next things to sew will be new dog beds. I'm such a person of authority....lol.