Sew Red for Your Heart Received

The postal service here has lately been erratic, and several things have gone missing en route to me. Unfortunately, one was my Sew Red for Your Heart Exchange :o( However, Karen D very speedily stitched another, and put together another super package and it arrived on Friday.

You probably can't feel it, but the extravagant ribbon is red velvet - very nice!

Opening it up, you can see the goodies - a stitched floss tag with some floss drops (my first!), a fat quarter of finishing fabbie, two red heart buttons, Carrie's Creations thread and my fave DMC Color Variations colour.

And just look at the design - the little spools of thread as a band in the sampler - and finished by a cute heart eyelet!

Thank you Karen, for a great exchange, and thanks too to Jill who organised it all beautifully.

Gather The Flowers - Helen Philipps

Design: Gather The Flowers

Designer: Helen Philipps, from the book The New Cross Stitch Sampler Book

Threads: DMC as charted

Fabric: 28 count linen offcut, cream

Embellishments: Mill Hill seed beads

I have heard from Ronel that she has received this piece I stitched for a Friends Through Threads exchange, so I can now share it with you all!

I've always wanted to stitch this little piece, as I thought it was very sweet, and when I read Ronel's likes and dislikes included pansies, I went straight to the book and started pulling the threads! The chart in the book is a colour chart, and looked a bit more restrained than this - I did wonder at first what on earth I was doing, but the palette does work. I did change the lettering from black to the dark green/gray colour though, and cream stitches were replaced by beads (the model had been stitched on darker fabric). I also left off the other backstitch.

The finished piece had to be a pinkeep, so I used some nice bright fabric to back it, and to keep the contemporary feel going.

I really enjoyed working on this, and I'm so pleased Ronel likes it!

Little House Needleworks Exchange

I received this lovely parcel from Lillie. It was my gift on Hooked on Exchanges Little House/Country Cottage Needleworks Exchange. She made this wonderful pillow with the message of "Hope" on it - isn't the finishing and trimming just deliciously frivolous? You can't feel it from a picture, but it is lovely and soft, and the backing fabric is too.

And I received not one but two pin pillows which she had stamped - plus the handmade flower pins you can see.

And if that wasn't enough, there were some cute buttons - very appropriate, as I'm planning a Sunbonnet Sue quilt for my niece, and some delicious sounding teas and chocolate.

Thank you Lillie, for your generosity, I feel very spoiled!

PS In one of those coincidences, the tea came in a good luck envelope from HSBC bank - both my sister and brother in law work for them, and they have a major centre in my home city!

Pinkeep Received!

 

On Saturday, this little gem arrived from my near neighbour (in global terms) Hazel! from the Friends Through Threads exchange blog. It's wonderful. The design is from Carriage House Samplings, from their Folk Art Pincushions chart. I loved especially how the lady is wearing a shrug just like *my* favourite one - I think Hazel must have been spying in my wardrobe, even The Hermit noticed the resemblance - mind you, I was wearing it at the time :o) Hazel's stitching and finishing is great - the ribbon is double layered, which must have taken some time and patience to get to work on the bow :o) The backing fabric is a Moda design, and as I told Hazel, I've just bought a fat quarter of the same fabric, so again, she got my tastes spot on!

Thank you again Hazel, for a special gift, and it will be treasured!

Stitcher's Heart - A Mon Ami Pierre

 

Design: Stitcher's Heart (freebie available here)

Designer: A Mon Ami Pierre

Threads: DMC 75

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

I stitched this lovely freebie for the Stitch Red for Your Heart Exchange over on Hooked on Exchanges. My partner was Marie, and she tells me that due to all the bad weather she has been having, it was one of only two valentines she received this year - I'm glad it cheered you up!

The theme was dear to me, as it is to Jill, the exchange organiser. My dad was taken ill in November last year - frighteningly so. Tests have shown that although he is basically very fit, with low cholesterol and such, his blood pressure is way too high and his heart isn't pumping as efficiently as it should be. He has mild Left Ventricular Dysfunction, and possibly has had it since he was a child, when he had rheumatic fever. The good news is that he's reached 68 without it being a problem before - and he was a coal miner when he left school, and then was a builder's mate and spent 27 years in the police force, all fairly hard on one's heart in various ways. The bad news is that he's going to be on medication for life now, and there is a chance of reduced life expectancy. It's been a bit of a shock, but I think we're all getting adjusted now. My ma's biggest complaint about the situation at the moment is that she had to spend a day phoning round and internet searching because their insurer wanted to triple their holiday insurance premiums! (She's found a company that will cover them for pretty much the original premium, so it pays to shop around!)

Anyway, back to stitching! This freebie was a joy to stitch, and I used a discontinued DMC thread (75) to work it. Actually, I think the thread may only be discontinued in the UK ... although 115 is a close substitute. I traced the heart freehand using the chart as a guide - and it doesn't look as uneven as the picture. I used some vintage Laura Ashley fabric to back it, and some bought cord to trim.

The observant among you will have noticed that the fabric has changed colour between the photos. This is because when I mounted the stitching on the board, I used an aerosol glue, and there was a little seepage in one spot. Using solvent didn't remove it, and the Hermit suggested coffee dying the piece! As I couldn't dismantle the piece, I brewed some strong coffee and dabbed it on with a cotton wool ball, so that I wouldn't soak the card - and then used a hairdryer to "set" the dye and to stop any potential buckling... so, if things do go wrong, all I can say is don't panic and think laterally!

Prairie Schooler Exchange

Here is the delicate Santa Leeann stitched for me, over one, no less! We're both members of the Year Round Prairie Schooler Exchange blog, so obviously this is a PS design, although I don't know which leaflet it came from.

This cheery chappie has gone to join my other handmade ornaments in a basket (I don't have a tree). Thank you  again Leeann!

Sow Dry, Set Wet - Prairie Schooler

Design: Sow Dry, Set Wet 

Designer: Prairie Schooler (freebie)

Threads: DMc as charted

Fabric: 25 count natural linen

Finish: Thread fob, beaded edges and loop

I stitched this for my partner Patti on the Year Round Prairie Schooler Exchange. I wasn't sure if she celebrated Christmas, so I played it safe and stitched one of my favourite freebies for her.

I used some large count linen from my stash and stitched the design over one.

To make it a little more interesting, I personalised the back on another piece of this linen and then whipstitched and beaded the edges. I didn't want to puncture the fabric and use an eyelet for the thread ring, so I made a beaded loop inside - I think I may use that again in future, it was easier and looked neater, too.

Happy Stitching - Elizabeth's Designs

Design: Merry Christmas (Happy Stitching)

Designer: Elizabeth's Designs. Freebie available here

Threads: DMC (my own conversion)

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

Finish: Pinkeep

I stitched this for an exchange on Hooked on Exchanges. I think it's an appropriate design to display today!

Merry Christmas to all my online friends - I wish you all joy, love and peace now and for 2010!

A Merry Tree for Thee - Full Circle Designs

 

I chose this ornament from the JCS 2002 edition for Cathy on the Friends Through Threads Exchange. Cathy does some lovely work and I though she might like this tree as it's not just cross stitch. I used the fabric you can see in the picture to make this into a pinkeep style ornament. The colours in the picture above are a little off because I took it under artificial light.

 

 

This is much more accurate!

Design: A Merry Tree for Thee
Designer: Full Circle Designs
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: unknown linen
Finish: Pinkeep

Hooked on Exchanges Christmas Exchange

This cheery little chappy with his dove of peace came all the way from the West Coast of the USA, courtesy of Edgar on the Hooked on Exchanges blog.

Edgar and I both love Prairie Schooler, the designer of St Nicholas (who I guess is doubly appropriate as he is really my namesake) and Edgar chose a design from an old OOP book - Book 20 - for me. He is stitched on 32 count fabric and finished into a 'pyn keepe' (Edgar's preferred spelling!).

Thank you again, Edgar!

Friends Through Threads Christmas Exchange

Isn't this sweet? Goldie on the Friends Through Threads blog made me this really sweet ornament with some of my favourite motifs - letters - and although it's very festive, it will be appropriate to show it off all year round! Thank you Goldie, it's lovely!

Trick or Treat - Lizzie*Kate

 

Design: Trick or Treat from Halloween Sampler

Designer: Lizzie*Kate

Threads: DMC as charted

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, colour unknown

This little mini pillow went to Chris H, a fellow member of the Hooked on Exchanges blog. I love doing Lizzie*Kate designs, which is something back a few years I'd never thought I'd say - I thought the designs too simplistic, too childish ... and now I love them - well, most of them! I think initially my thoughts were because I was trying to find my own 'style' in decor, having always lived in shared houses or furnished places. Discovering my own particular way meant that actually, simple and quirky was 'me'.

It's interesting that my own designing style doesn't appear to be the same, perhaps I'm just being over cautious not to plagiarise?

 

I had great fun putting together some 'treats' to go with the package, I think the UK is really beginning to embrace Hallowe'en now.

Sew and Sew - Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin

Design: part of Sew and Sew (an old freebie)

Designer: Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave

I stitched this for Goldie on the Friends Through Threads blog. Our theme was 'Needlework' and I thought this design fitted it to a 'T'.

I decided to experiment and make a needlebook in a way I'd never tried before. I wasn't quite as smooth as I anticipated, but I think it worked out okay in the end, and Goldie loved it, which is the important thing.

I used the ingredients above - card, fabric, felt, eyelets and ribbons - and made a 'loose leaf' needlebook, so hopefully it can be added to if useful. It's all tied together with a big bow

 

 

I also sent Goldie some goodies, following on the ribbon theme :o)

E is for Embroidery - Prairie Schooler

Design: Part of E is for Embroidery 

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Chart: D*E*F (Book 99)

Threads: DMC as charted

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

Backing fabric: A's, Bees and Dandelion Seeds fabric from Red Rooster.

I stitched this for Jayne over on the Year Round Prairie Schooler Exchange blog whilst listening to the cricket back in September. I jokingly said it really should be called 'A is for Ashes' because England managed to win whilst I completed this!

I stitched it pretty much as charted, apart from not filling in behind the 'E' - I think it looks too heavy on little pieces.

The backing fabric is one of my favourites. I see that there are quilt patterns specially for this range - I may have to invest...

A Little Sea Bathing - The Sampler Girl

Design: A Little Sea Bathing (freebie, no longer on the website)

Designer: The Sampler Girl

Threads: DMC Color Variations

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, antique white

I stitched this for Carol, my partner on the Hooked on Exchanges 'By The Sea' exchange. I adapted a freebie from Tanya, the Sampler Girl, changing the colours a little, and using a different alphabet for the 'signature'.

I finished this as a pinkeep, with ricrac braid to echo the 'wave' theme and trimmed with matching ribbon and pins. It turned out one of my favourite finishes of the year so far, so I think I will have to stitch it again for myself!

To compliment the theme, I made Carol the Hourglass Dishcloth and Anchor scissor fob you can see in the picture below:

To round off the exchange, I added a 'do it yourself' card kit which had shells and other treasures.

Quaker Strawberry - Blackbird Designs

Design: Quaker Strawberry

Designer: Blackbird Designs - taken from the JCS Ornament Issue 2006

Threads: DMC115

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, antique white

I stitched this design for the Hooked on Exchanges Christmas in July Exchange (which shows how far behind I am with my blog posting!). The stitching itself was fairly straightforward, but the finishing was a trifle fiddly.

I followed the instructions for the body of the strawberry itself, although I also backed the piece with iron on interfacing. My fabric was a little small, so it was a question of crossing my fingers and hoping that it didn't fray too much when I gathered the top... The leaves I did differently to the instructions in the magazine, as they are just interfacing backed fabric, no wires. The ornament will hang, but Stacy, the recipient tells me it is going on display as it is.

Here is a little snap of the goodies I added:

By The Sea Exchange

Michelle pulled out a blinder for the By The Sea Exchange I received recently. She'd obviously been looking at my blog and spotted some of my likes and dislikes and I think she judged them very well indeed!

 

The design is a pretty new one by Country Cottage Needleworks and I think Michelle has done a super job, making it vibrant but not spoiling the balance of the design - the evenness of the stitching is amazing, too!

The mini pillow is backed in a jewel bright turquoise fabric, and Michelle was kind enough to include more of the same in the package:

She also included a fabulous star pendant. I've had to hide it from my mother, she was coveting it ...

It was a fabulous parcel to receive, thank you so much Michelle! The pillow is now gracefully decorating my bathroom and I can admire it multiple times a day!

Oh - and did you know the 'she' in this rhyme is based on a real person, called Mary Anning? She was an amazing fossil hunter, but because of her humble background and gender didn't get the recognition she deserved for a long time although she was honoured in her time. Apparently, the new Tracy Chevalier novel features her..
 

It's quite an appropriate gift in another way too - I've been out of circulation because I've been working on a new show based on Nursery Rhymes and Fairytales. We had a 'work in progress' showing at a local festival at the weekend, and now we're into revising and refining the concept for an even bigger Arts Festival in October. I was performing at the weekend, which is a *very* rare occurrence and I'm hoping just to be Stage Managing next month - keep the public wanting more, daaaaahlings ... Photos do exist but I think I'll stick to showing you my needlework...

Needlebook Arrived!

I got home yesterday after an exhausting day at work - not only am I doing my 'normal' work, I've been roped in to perform at a festival this weekend so we're rehearsing for that, and I'm not a natural performer - to find a lovely package from Jill!

 

 

Jill tells me this is a Lizzie*Kate design which she adapted. The sunflowers are so cheerful and one of my favourites - and of course there's a bee :o)

 

  

 

The leaf of needles is attached by the little cute star, and the lining fabric matches the border on the front perfectly - and is another one of my favourite colours! 

 

And talking of bees:

 

 

Jill included this really sweet Shepherd's Bush kit from my wishlist! Wow! My needles are itching to start it already!

 

Thank you so much for a lovely exchange!

The Squirrel (part) - Full Circle Designs

Design: The Squirrel (out of print)
Designer: Full Circle Designs
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave
Finish: Bourse

I stitched this for the Woodland Exchange over on Hooked on Exchanges. I took the centre portion of The Squirrel chart and used it for my project. I think I had hopes of stitching the squirrel as a matching scissor fob but making this took a lot of time!

I backed the piece with this fabric from my stash and folded the corners back. I secured them with stitching - the buttons are purely decorative!

I added ribbons in two colours, and the design hides itself away cleverly when they are gathered.

But it can be opened up and sits like a bowl when needed for storing bits and bobs.

This was my first bourse, and I enjoyed making it, although I don't think I got the proportions quite right.

Summer House Exchange Received

I received this very cheerful envelope in the mail on Friday...

It came from Diana O and was just as cheerful inside - the tissue paper has sparkles!

There were several layers carefully concealing this treasure:

Isn't it beautiful? The colours just sing out. I think it must be the silk threads Diana used. Diana tells me that the motifs are from a Brenda Keyes book. Diana made a great choice - Brenda is one of my favourite designers, in fact hanging over the computer I have the "Schoolhouse Sampler" designed by her and which I stitched in 1996. Brenda's website seems to have been expanded recently, I recommend a browse if you like samplers!

Thank you so much for the gift, Diana. I will cherish it for the care, thought and skill you showed. And thank you too for the 'extra' you put in, naughty girl!