Another small finish

I think I'm on a roll, at least with smaller pieces and having finishes. This is the new Shepherd's Bush 2009 Scissor Fob. I think the ribbon took longer than the rest of the finishing. Please, can someone tell them to go back to the cording around the outside? Makes a much more useable scissor fob. I did enjoy the stitching of this one. The fabric color is just mouth watering. It's called Seafoam green but it looks more aqua than green.

I used a pair of antique scissors that I got on eBay just for display purposes. I hope to be able to find a pair of "Roberta" Ginghers to go with this fob eventually.

Next up? Not sure, but I'm leaning towards SB's Winter Sampler shop exclusive. It came with an absolutely adorable mat.

Thanks for again stopping by, and for all the lovely comments you leave. Stitch on, and keep warm.

A Tiny Finish--Framed

I didn't have time to get the camera out, so a scan will have to do. This is 'Where there is life', (LHN) stitched over one and framed. I chose to paint my frame a pale green and then sanded it to make it look time-worn. Since this was such a small framed picture, instead of the hanging hardware on the back, I've drilled a hole for a small piece of dowel rod, to make it a stand up, stand alone piece. How did I do with the color? I thought about staining it but just had the feeling that would make it too dark.

I'm finished with the front of my SB 2009 Scissor fob and have a start on the back. I'll get moving on finishing that part tonight during Ghost Whisperer--I just love that show. Happy Stitching to all of you and thanks so much for the comments. Have a great weekend.

A Tiny Finish

Yes, indeed, a tiny finish. This is "Where there is life", a compilation kit from Elegant Stitch, designed by Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks, with the threads by Sharon Crescent of Crescent Colours. I loved this piece but after seeing Lois' finish over one, I decided I just had to stitch it that way. I was a little bit disappointed in the colors used--my "clay pot" looks nearly the same as the "second-hand rose", and the colors used in the house, "country lane" and "bunny honey" seemed to be reversed on the chart. (I always use the darkest brown for the roof.) Those problems were simple to fix, and I love that Lois is always doing these Breast Cancer awareness pieces. I know my picture is pretty poor--I just put it on the scanner but I'll take a better picture when I have it framed. I made the frame this afternoon, and if I can decide on a color for it, it will be ready in a flash.

This is not the first time I've done an entire project 'over one' but with my eyesight, I do find it difficult to stitch. I'm very proud that I actually finished it. (I had second thoughts about the over one while I was doing the border, which was the first part I stitched, but as I'd cut the fabric in half, no going back.) And there was that "perfect timing" about the finish--yesterday, my new Shepherd's Bush kits came: Winter Sampler and 2009 Fob. I was determined NOT to start the fob until this piece was done--so now that it is done, on to the fob. My project to start tonight. Very thrilled I am. And the icing on the cake? Mr. DH is finally home after being out on the road for 17 days without a home visit. Can you say dirty laundry? Ick.

Until next time, dear friends, keep those needles flying, and only stitch what you enjoy stitching. Life is way too short to waste time stitching on something you don't like.

UFO now a finish!

Here it is, Shepherd's Bush "FRIGHT", finally done. I really like how this one turned out. It's so pretty. (Yup and it's another one that eldest son has put his name on since the theme is Halloween.) You probably can't see it, but the fabric is distressed, and the fibers are silk, with the variegated thread Autumn Foliage by Threadgatherer.

That makes at least three UFO's that I've done in the last month. I'm so psyched about that. Of course, I have plenty more to get done, but I'm feeling righteous so . . . . . a new project. I'm thinking of starting LHN's 'Where there is hope' but I'm really tempted to get started on her 'Winter Whites', that Nicole started. It looks so pretty and wintery--and here in Indiana, it is certainly winter. Our high for today was -1 and right now, we're at -4 degrees. Just too too cold. We did get a bit of snow yesterday, so when I look out the front door my car is simply a white mound. I'm staying indoors to keep warm. I've been keeping busy, with laundry mostly, and some minor picking up. As soon as dinner is over, then I'll pick which new project to start on. I'm sort of leaning towards the 'Where there is hope', but I'm trying to decide if I want to do it over one or over two threads. Wouldn't it be neat to have that as a miniature? Decisions, decisions. If my order from Shepherd's Bush had come, there would be no decisions to make--I'd have started the 2009 Fob immediately--it's really adorable. But, from what I understand, the Bush is awaiting an order of ribbon for the kit and they won't be sending any out until it arrives. Boo, hoo.

I'm off to make dinner and then head for my stitching nest and an afghan for my feet. Hope all of you are keeping warm, and enjoying your stitching. Stitch on dear friends. And for those on the other side of the pond, keep cool, stay out of the sun, and send a bit of the warmth our way.

Come Tarry and a new finish

After more than two years, I can finally hang "Come Tarry" by Shepherd's Bush on the wall. For that long, I've had a blank spot waiting for this piece and now I can fill it. I really enjoyed working on this, as I love long narrow band samplers and Shepherd's Bush have the best ones. (In my opinion.) I did change the piece a tiny bit--I changed the pudgy's hair color and made it a lot longer--the braid that is. That was done to make the pudgy resemble myself--I used to have hair that color-before it all turned gray and white and faded out. And I still have long hair, just not quite as long as the braid I gave the pudgy.

I took some close up shots of the top, middle and bottom of the piece, to show more detail. What do you think of the frame and the color? I was just so tired of staining the wood. And no, the color isn't light yellow but the color of heavy cream.

And here is my newest finish. A small piece, again by Shepherd's Bush, called "Come". The end result was a bit lighter than I thought it should have been but these were the colors that came in the kit. Haven't decided on a finish finish--if you know what I mean. Frame? Make into a pinkeep? A cube? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking, and get those needles smoking! I hope to be back soon, with another finish. I'm stitching and half done with Fright by Shepherd's Bush. I love reading your blogs and seeing your finishes. Those finishes encourage me. Stitch on.

I've been FRAMED!!!

I finally got into the back room, got my power tools out, and got some stitchings framed. Can you believe that? It's been simply ages. Unfortunately, I missed taking pictures of most of the projects. Yep, Lil Miss Too Much To Do forgot about taking pictures until after 6 of the projects were wrapped up and ready to give as gifts. I was so mad. And then I forgot to take my camera home to take pictures when the recipients opened the gifts. I still have "Come Tarry" to frame but as it's going to be a huge frame, I needed to make sure I had enough molding for the gift frames first. That one will come tomorrow and I can't wait. Seems like I've had that Shepherd's Bush piece done for years.

First up, the gift for my daughter-in-law, Brown House Studio's American Sampler. It was stitched with the recommended WDW's threads over one on Belfast Linen. She really liked this design when we saw it at House Of Stitches. She was very surprised when she opened this gift.

Prairie Sampler by Little House Needleworks


Holly and Berries by Little House Needleworks

Thread Gathering by Little House Needleworks


Autumn Blessings by Shepherd's Bush

Stripes by Shepherd's Bush

The rest of the framed pieces were for the house here. Prairie Sampler, Holly and Berries, and Thread Gathering by Little House Needleworks, and Shepherd's Bush Autumn Blessings and Stripes. At least I think its called Stripes--it has been forever since I stitched it. It was the first design I thought to give to my brother-in-law--until I found Brave Hearts. Yep, that was one that also got framed, along with Morning Berries, Strawberry House, and Drawn Thread's Spring Spot that I forgot to get a picture before wrapping.

Until next time, dear friends, stitch on and don't forget to get those lovelies framed or finished for all of us to drool over. And take lots of pictures before you wrap!

A Birthday Finish

I wanted to share a special finish that I had a while ago, but couldn't share until the birthday girl received her parcel. I didn't have a lot to go on except that she likes scissors, the colors purple and pink and smalls. HMMM, whatever shall I stitch her? Okay, smalls it is.

I chose a design by Indigo Rose, her Victoria's 2 pence Scissor Fob. I enlarged it, changed it around, added to it, and came up with this set: a scissor fob, needlebook and biscornu. I also used her Rhodes Heart to decorate a scissor sheath. I used R and R's linen in Breast Cancer Pink and Belle Soie silk in Empress purple. I added beads to the edges of all pieces except the sheath.

I loved working on this. Loved changing it, making it bigger by adding an extra row of rice stitches, and loved doing the finishing on it. I think its taking a blank piece of fabric, a soft piece of silk and making something lovely out of it. Something three dimensional out of it. Something that can be used. And don't we all love using pretty things? And because the birthday girl works giving Mammograms, I added the pink ribbon scissors. I think it made a sweet set. What do you think? Oh, it might help if I add a picture of the set?

The beaded counter was made by my son Chad to match the set I stitched. Isn't it pretty?

I have other finishes to share but the camera batteries need a recharge. I'll be back soon with an update and some pictures that I've just finished framing and a couple of tin necklace finishes. Until then, happy stitching!

Another Just Nan finish, Hooray!

I was so happy at finishing the previous UFO of Just Nan's, that I thought I'd give a try and finish this up. It's Just Nan's, "And Many More" needlebook, to match her "20 Flowers". I had started it years ago. I so totally loved the look of this piece, with its many flowers, sheepies, but with so many flowers, so many color changes. Way too many color changes, if you know what I mean. I felt like I spent more time threading my needle than stitching. But, now that it's finished, I love how it looks. And it was stitched totally with silk thread. This is the front, isn't that rose on the flap gorgeous?

And the back, with the over one blue birds, the pretty sheepies, and all those flowers. If you look closely at the backstitching at the bottom, on the hills, you'll see a 'S' and a 'N' hidden, for Silver Needle.

I ordered the finishing kit but didn't follow many of the instructions, preferring to finish by hand, instead of by machine. I did follow the instructions for completing the inside flower, which I thought was a really cute idea. The way you sew the top and bottom flower together makes tiny pockets that can be used for needle threaders, charms, buttons and such.

Our house is home to three pets; a dog named Boo, (a black lab/chow mix) a black cat named Spooky (can you see a theme here?) and the newest member of our family, a grey cat called Shadow. We love all our pets but Shadow is something special. She lives to be loved on. She'll sleep in my lap despite me having a lap full of stitching and pillows. The night she decided to use my chart as her pillow, I just had to take a picture of it. So, here she is, Shadow, my stitching buddy. Isn't she adorable?


Now, if I can keep her from playing with my threads, I'll be happy. Sometimes I wait until she falls asleep before I start stitching--saves my silks. I have several charts with tiny teeth marks on the edges. She loves to cuddle. Next post, I'll try to find pictures of the other two beasts that live in our house and our hearts.

Once I finished stitching and finishing this project, I got started on Little House Needlework's "The Angels Sang" and its about half done. That was the chart that Shadow was sleeping on. I put it aside to start a project for a birthday exchange for next month. Most of the stitching on that is finished, just have to get started on the finishing for all the different pieces.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and I hope you manage to get some stitching done, in between taking the pies out of the oven, basting the turkeys, and slapping husband's hands that sneak tastes. Until next time, happy stitching.

I have attempted, several times, to edit this post. The last three paragraphs should have spaces between them. Blogger won't allow me to do that, and I don't know enough about code to do it myself in the edit mode. Someone advised me to add the pictures last, and then blogger will allow editing--but when you add pictures last, they all go to the top. I'll try it next time, see if I can manage moving pictures without leaving off much needed code. You'd think that Blogger would make it a little easier to insert pictures, or edit, wouldn't you? Thanks for reading!

I can't believe I actually finished it!

Yes, indeed I did! I finished it all by myself. I simply can't believe that I not only finished stitching this piece but did a decent job finishing it into an ort box. This is Just Nan's TrickorTreat Box, a specialty design she did for the Silver Needle cross stitch shop. Isn't it cute? It's done on linen stitched with lovely spooky shades of silks, a bit of sparkly metallics and finished with two really cute charms.

Here you can see the side with the witch in her striped leggings and a pumpkin with a bat hat. A witches hat charm is the closer. (don't mind the price tag on the candle holder I used to prop up the piece--sorry, I didn't notice the tag until after I uploaded the picture.)

This was my favorite side to stitch. I just loved the pumpkin with the mask, and the spider sitting on his head.

Isn't that cat in front of the moon cool? Spooky? And the ghost holding the monster head? And the bat? Yes, I do love Halloween. This is the back of the piece.

Here is the box open, and you can just barely see the witch hat and the copper moon charms. The witches hat is on a stretchy ribbon and fits over the moon to keep the box closed. But, do you know what's hiding inside?

A pumpkin shaped pincushion. I thought it was a cute idea, and I'm very glad to have this finished. But I will need to keep a close watch on this piece, my eldest son has 'dibs' on all my Halloween stitchings. I'm not sure what he would do with this, but he's been watching my progress with keen eyes.

All in all, I'm happy with my finishing on this. It's not perfect, by any means but I'm still learning all these new and different options besides framing.

In my last post, (which was over a month ago, so sorry but its been a long 30 days) I said that I had planned on stitching another Little House Needlework piece. Isn't this pretty? While I was stitching it, Indiana was having spring weather, balmy and almost summer like. Mid to high 70's. This piece was so soothing to work on--oh, and it's the one that I had to frog the entire left side border. Okay, so the frogging was NOT soothing, but the stitching and restitching was. This is Strawberry House, one of the All Dolled Up series.

I had planned this next one as a welcome to colder weather but that didn't happen. The piece got stitched but I'll always think of being too warm while it was being stitched. This is Holly and Berries by Little House Needleworks. It's a very simple piece but charming in its simplicity. It makes me think of stitching by the fire, with the snow swirling around outside.

Okay, so I guess I need to explain why this past 30 days seemed so long. Hubby was home for nearly three weeks of it. Yup the truck needed fixing, the company didn't want to give him back any of his escrow money to do it so he sold some junk (recycled metal) to buy parts, and then quit his job. Like I said, it was a long 30 days. (He's now working on his second run for a new company after a three day orientation to learn how this company wants their paperwork done.) I had more than two weeks of him coming in with black and greasy hands, bottles of anti-freeze and oil thrown all over our front yard, and the garage light left on for hours at a time. Unless you know big trucks, you'd never believe how much oil and anti-freeze those monster vehicles take.

I have started a new project a few days ago, Little House Needleworks, The Angels Sang. Haven't gotten too far on it yet, but after the month I've had, I needed a new project. Time for me to get back to it. May all your stitches be soothing, and in the right places.

Two New Finishes

This is my first new finish, Heart and Home Sampler by Little House Needleworks. Isn't it cute? I loved working this piece, it seemed to soothe me somehow. Why is it that some pieces you fight with, trying to make headway, and some pieces fly way too fast off your needle? This was the later, too soon finished. I opted to go with just stitching the berries instead of using beads. Just liked the way it looked stitched. I used the called for colors, DMC and Crescent Colours Cottons. I'm thinking of doing the tiny, over one thread necklace too.

This is Two Cabins by Nancy's Needle. I finished the sky and windows last night. Really enjoyed stitching on this but it will never take the place of cross stitch for me. I found it difficult dealing with the mounting frame, trying to hold it and stitch at the same time. I would like to do a quilt this way, but a really big one, to hang over our four poster bed. I think that would really be prettty. But, in thinking of that possible project, I think that I could design a geometric quilt in shades of colors and stitch it on linen. Think I'd enjoy it more, also.

I'm almost finished with LHN's Strawberry House. I totally mis-counted on the border and had to frog the entire left side or it would have been finished by now. I think I'll use the buttons on that one to "doll" it up like the designer intended. After that, I have a birthday exchange to decide a project for and a Shepherd's Bush (several in fact) that I want to do. It's been way too long since I've done one of their projects. And I'm several sheepies behind on their sheep series.

Stitch on dear friends. I'll try not to take so long for my next post.

I have tried, several times, to edit this post and put spaces between the paragraphs. For some reason, Blogger won't let me do this. And since my dh is hoping for dinner that will actually be served sometime tonight, I have to let this post stand as it is. Perhaps some other time Blogger will allow some changes, and editing. Thanks for reading.

Beth's Fob

When I made my last post, I thought I had posted a picture of the fob I made for Beth, the Purple Three Penny Scissor Fob by Indigo Rose. NOT! So, here it is. The different shades of purple, the white beads to match the handles of the scissors--I think it turned out quite nicely. This was part of her birthday gift. I was going to try and post these pictures in my last post, but I just can't seem to add pictures where I want them to go. If I don't add them at the beginning and then write my blip, the pictures always end up at the top. If someone can tell me how to put pictures where I want them, I'm all ears.

Happy Stitching everyone.

A little this, a little that

I can not believe it's been over a month since I last posted. Seems that life has kept me very busy. We finally have a new shower and it only took a week to install. We are having a problem with the caulk curing, so might have to remove it all and re-caulk with a different brand. You'd think that after two days, it would be dry and stay dry. Nope, it gets tacky whenever it gets wet, and seems to wash away. Really annoying.

Summer is nearly over. Isn't that the best thing you've heard in ages? Autumn, with its lovely colors, and cooler temperatures, is just around the corner. Last night, I turned off the a/c and opened a window--was to get down to 45 degrees. Must have because I was very comfortable--and I like being cold when I sleep. Really cold. Don't believe me? I once slept in the truck, parked on the top of a hill in Northern Illinois in the middle of January--and the temps were below zero. (and the truck was not running!) I had no trouble sleeping. And why on earth would I do that? We were visiting my husband's parents and as they are getting on in age, they like to keep the house REALLY warm, like 85 degrees. So, I'm very happy to see the end of summer. The grandkids are back in school and it should be reported that they all like their new teachers. And all they can talk about is Halloween coming. Oh, and birthdays--three of them have birthdays this month.

So, in amongst all the busy-ness of life, I did get a bit of stitching done. First up, Little House Needleworks Reading. I do not know why the fabric is showing up blue because it was stitched on Antique white Belfast, with Crescent Colours. I really enjoyed stitching this one. When these charts were previewed, I decided then and there I was only going to stitch the Quilting one. I am a reader, but the Quilting piece was the only one that really interested me. Guess I changed my mind. Looks like I'll be stitching all four in the series. Am I a sucker for LHN designs, or what?

Here is my stitched piece, Little Women Reading by Little House Needleworks. It was a fairly quick stitch, and has been done for days. (Just kept forgetting that the batteries for my camera needed to be recharged.)
Next up, Indigo Rose's Three Penny Scissor fob. For my birthday, my friend Beth gave me a pair of scissors. She bought the same pair for herself. For her birthday, I stitched her this very same fob, in a purple over-dyed silk, Empress Belle Soie by Crescent Colours. Since the scissors matched, I made myself the same fob, but in my favorite color of blue, Blue Lagoon Belle Soie by Crescent Colors. (side note, if you've not stitched with Belle Soie yet, give it a try. You'll fall in love with this lovely silk floss.)

I did change the chart somewhat. I enlarged the design size from 4 stitches by 4 stitches (woven) to 8 stitches by 8 stitches. On the front, I left an area in the middle unworked to have a place to stitch an initial, this time, mine. The back was worked as Indigo Rose designed it, just a bit larger. You can't see the lovely sheen of the beads--here they appear white but they are the exact color of the darker part of the silk floss. The cording is made of the same silk floss. It's filled with plastic pellets for weight.

Seems like quite a few stitchers have been trying canvas work. Beth has been working on canvas for about 6 months and she is thrilled with it. Nicole has done a few and her's have turned out so pretty--her's look like mini quilts and that always makes my mouth water--so I thought I'd give it a try. This is Two Cabins by From Nancy's Needle. I'm enjoying the work, the learning something new but it will never replace my cross stitching.

If you notice the pine green on the outside border, I've finished up with that green tonight, and the last snowflake has been done. It's very small, only 4 inches by 8 inches but there is a lot of detail in that small piece. And can you believe it? I've had trouble doing the counting. Do I count the threads or the holes? I am finding it hard to understand how I can count wrong so often, when I don't do it very often in my stitching. A lot of frogging went on to get this far.

So, what is next? I'm thinking it's time for another LHN design, and I've chosen Heart and Home Sampler. It's charted for DMC but I think I'll try and find some Crescent Colours overdyed cottons to stitch it in.

Birthday Gifts and Stash

Fair warning, this is going to be a long post. If you need to grab a cup of tea or coffee, or a diet pepsi, go on, I'll wait. . . . . are you ready now? Well, here goes.

My last long post concerned having a tooth extracted and the aftermath. I weathered that ordeal fairly well, and then. . . . wait for it. . . . promptly got sick with a horrid sinus infection. The last time I had something like this was three years ago and it nearly landed me in the hospital. I just can't eat, which is not good when one is diabetic. So, there I was, just days from my birthday and so sick I couldn't even eat, let alone stitch, or read, or make merry with my family. My eldest son tried very hard to help me, before he went off to work and when he got home at night--he works second shift. Hubby finally came home to get the truck in for some repairs and stayed until I was able to do for myself. During that time, I had three days of feeling pretty good and his gift to me for my birthday was a trip to House of Stitches, in LaPorte, Indiana. We made the most of that day, let me tell you.

I've uploaded many pictures so you can see some of the things my family gave me for my birthday. They were all thoughtful gifts. First up, the ones from my eldest son. He knows that I collect Boyd's Bears Treasure boxes and resin figurines, so that's what he got me. The little hats below are Treasure boxes and the figurine is the new Halloween piece.

There is the Snowman Hat, Witches Hat and Santa Hat. The hats all have tiny mice figures inside. My favorite was the Snowman hat because the little mouse figure has a snowman.
See the close up of the snowman. Isn't he cute? He also gave me a pair of lovely earrings, and a book I've been wanting to read. But, the biggest gift he gave me was the care he showed during this difficult time.

Next up were the gifts from my youngest son and his family. They got me three pairs of earrings, a cute pair of capri pants and two really cute, dressy tee shirts. And I have the promise of a cook out this coming weekend with a cheese cake to celebrate.

The next picture was a surprise gift from my dear friend, Nicole. This package arrived the first day I felt human and knew I was going to live. LOL.

Nicole sent me five cuts of linen, all of them specialty linens. Aren't they gorgeous? And look at that ton of Crescent colours. She also sent the JABC buttons for LHN "All Dolled Up" Strawberry House. But what really topped everything is the beaded scissor fob she sent. Isn't it gorgeous? All in shades of blue, my absolute favorite colors. I put it right away on my scissors and have been using it ever since. Thanks Nicole.

As I said before, my birthday gift from my hubby was a trip to House of Stitches. We decided to take the entire day to ourselves. We enjoyed the trip up, all 2 1/2 hours worth, with a stop for lunch at KFC. We talked like we haven't been able to talk in months. Sadly, music went by the wayside because we were jammering so much. The weather was clear, bright and really warm.

I was thankful that we went on a Thursday because the shop wasn't crowded, as it always is on the weekends. Hubby decided he'd do best to take a nap in the car while I shopped and visited, and shopped some more. So, here is what I walked out of the store with:
Just Nan's Gilded Dragonfly and silk thread pack, the Halloween ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch and the Autumn issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework.
A large bag of Best Way floss bobbins, a package of thread drops, a pair of scissors with handles shaped like the Eiffel Tower, a pin cube kit and Crescent colours for 4 new projects.
Four cuts of specialty linen, a skein of Belle Soie in Empress, and a few Kelmscott pieces in the mother of Pearl: ruler, thread rings, and a winder that looks like a butterfly.
Twisted Threads Tin Pin Flag and a Just Nan frame accessory of a bat, for a project I'm making my son. If anyone has made the Tin Pin Flag, please let me know. I have a few questions for you, LOL.

It was a wonderful day. I had a lovely visit with Linda and her daughter Sarah. With hubby napping, I could take as long as I wanted to, browsing the store, chatting, looking at everything. I think Linda got a chuckle --there is so much you can't see when you browse online, as opposed to being in the store proper. Linda is not just a great shop owner, she's a lovely hostess. I enjoyed my time there immensely.

Hubby got a really nice nap, nearly two hours, so we opted to take the long way home. We took the back roads all the way, and most of it was through Amish country. We passed lakes and lovely hilly land. Saw a sunset fit for royalty and enjoyed each other's company. We ended the day with dinner at Ponderosa.

It took a few more days for me to feel fit and healthy but I'm doing better now. Thanks to all who emailed to see how I was feeling. And thank you, all of you who stayed to the very end of this very long post. I wish I was better at describing things.

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Pay It Forward again

Here it is, the 1st of August. I'm sorry to say that I only had two takers for my Pay It Forward but we're going to make the best of it. By August 1st of 2009, I will send a handmade item to Amy and Peg . Thank you, Ladies, for offering to be a part of this PIF.

There is someone else who really did want to join, so I have included you anonymously. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

Okay, so Ladies, please email me your physical addresses, or leave your email in a comment and I'll contact you.

P I F

Deb has selected me as one of the recipients for her PIF and so I am offering the same from me to . . . the first three who post a comment on this particular blog post. I will do the draw on August 1, 2008 and post the lucky three here so watch to see if you are it ;-). The three selected will receive a handmade PIF gift from me within 365 days and the only condition is that they in turn do the same thing on their blogs.

Gifts and new stash

Its my birthday this Saturday, and my partner for the birthday exchange sent me this lovely Etui. Isn't it just gorgeous? The first picture is of the front of the etui and the extra gifties Dane sent. Aren't those threads lovely? The second picture is the back of the Etui, with my initials--and please, anyone that can translate what else it says, please tell me. (I flunked out of high school French.) The last picture is the inside of the Etui, and what a superb job she did. There is a little pocket with a ribbon that holds a pretty pair of scissors, a needle and pin page with a gold needle and a special pin with a heart on top. On the other side, a heart shaped pocket with several heart shaped charms inside. The two small sides have heart-shaped mother of pearl rings for threads. The finishing is exquisite, and I love how it folds up to be another heart shape. I was very impressed with the gift and the package. Also included in the package was a chart by Atalie called Mon Petit Jardin. So, does that translate to "my little garden" or "my little heart?" The instructions are all in French, of course, so a visit to my sister is in order. My niece Katie is fluent in French.

A little side bar to the first part of my post. This package arrived last Friday but on Thursday, I had a really bad day. I had an infected tooth, and the infection had spread to my jaw. Now, that's bad for most people, but I'm diabetic, and as such, my immune system isn't as strong as it should be. This was bad enough that my husband, dear sweet Shawn, came home from Chicago, and took me to the dentist--who not only extracted the tooth, but put me on a very high dosage antibiotic. Now, we live 20 minutes away from the dentist office, and were still 7 or 8 miles away when the numbness wore off. Poor Shawn, I kept saying "hurry", and he was already doing above the speed limit--he thought I needed to use the bathroom. Anyway, he got me home, put to bed after taking some pain meds, and went to fill my prescription. He let me get up for a bit of soup for dinner and then back to bed. Friday, still on pain meds but feeling a tiny bit better, and in he comes from the post office with the package from Dane. It made my day.

This week, reality set in. Diabetes has lost me most of my teeth. The tooth the dentist pulled was the last molar I had on the bottom. My doctor has me on a high protein diet--but now what do I eat? I refuse to live on soup the rest of my life. (Receding gums was the first indication that I had a problem. My dentist asked me outright if I was diabetic--NO! but guess where my next stop was? You guessed it and yes, I was!) My gums have receded so far that I don't have a bone ridge for a denture to sit on. So, I was feeling really low today. Hence, the reality setting in. (do you know how hungry one can get without chewing? Even if your stomach is full.) Today's mail brought another package. From my friend Beth, the friend of my heart.

This is what she sent me for my birthday. The Shepherd's Bush kit, Queen Sheep and the gorgeous--I need to find another word--pair of Sajou scissors that look like Mother of Pearl. I was totally in shock! I love these scissors. And won't they look perfect in a sewing box with the Kelmscot thread rings, winders, and ruler? I feel so spoiled. Of course, I had to open my gifts early, just couldn't NOT open it. Isn't she a thoughtful friend? We do all the SB sheepies together. Now it's my turn to put together a lovely package for her as her birthday is just days after mine.
My package also included my latest order of Shepherd's Bush items. The leaflet, She Tends, with the charms--won't they make lovely scissor fobs?--Happy Pumpkin NR, Into the Night Sampler, which is a really cool Halloween sampler, Mermaid Sampler and Sail Away. I'm happy, even with soup for dinner.

Until next time--and there will be a next time, I have ring tags to show off--Stitch on, and have a great summer. Thanks Dane and Beth.