Valentine's Day Exchange

Design: All You Need is Love
Designer: The Drawn Thread (freebie available here)
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

I stitched this for Staci on the HoE blog.

The freebie from The Drawn Thread was originally much brighter - more reds and deep pinks - but I wanted something softer, so used the palette from the Heart Throb (below) and added a couple of my favourite greens from the 50* range of DMC. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Like all DT designs, it was a pleasure to stitch, and the stitch diagrams are so easy to follow.

I finished the piece as a mattress pincushion, but used a quilting fabric for the sides and base, instead of an evenweave. I think if I do this another time, I will use four shorter pieces instead of one long one, as I think there is room for improvement in the corners, but overall I like the effect, and Staci has told me she likes it, and that's all that matters!

These are the rest of the goodies I sent along - I had a good time finding pink and flowery things. I'm not normally so girly, but sometimes one has to be girly! I found the heart in a gift shop which specialises in 'Fair Trade' goods and it's got me thinking about whether I could do something similar ... LOL

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who reads my blog - may you feel loved and blessed today.

Mattress Pincushion for Anna

Design: Victorian Pincushion Designer: Brenda Keyes Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream Thread: Stef Francis Fine Mercerised Cotton (hand dyed)

I stitched this for Anna as an exchange on the Hooked on Exchanging blog. This is the first mattress pincushion I have ever made, but thanks to Vonna's great tutorial, it was really pretty straightforward to put together.

The top was the Victorian pincushion design from one of Brenda Keye's books, and I stitched it using a single strand of Stef Francis fine cotton. The motifs from the reverse and for the sides came from my old favourite Bristol sampler by the same designer.



I added some goodies for Anna - some Vikki Clayton silks and a chart from Anna's wishlist, as well as beads, a chart booklet and a chocolate cat.

I really loved putting this exchange together, and learning a new technique!

Mattress Pincushion From Jayne

This is the lovely mattress pincushion and pincushion I received from Jayne (no blog) from the Hooked on Exchanges blog. She obviously reads my blog (or my mind!) as the design is by Bent Creek, one of my favourite designers, and features a bee, my favourite beastie! And those ladybird buttons are just too cute :o)

The rest of the goodies included some backing fabric which features pins and needles, some pins - ideal for all the pinkeeps I make, a tape measure and stitch unpicker which will fit neatly into my work bag, some hand cream - perfect for my handbag and a bar of Galaxy, my favourite chocolate. I'm surprised it managed to last long enough to appear in the picture, but it disappeared shortly afterwards!

Thank you so much Jayne for such a thoughtful exchange, I love it all!

Mattress Pincushion From Jayne

This is the lovely mattress pincushion and pincushion I received from Jayne. She obviously reads my blog (or my mind!) as the design is by Bent Creek, one of my favourite designers, and features a bee, my favourite beastie! And those ladybird buttons are just too cute :o)

The rest of the goodies included some backing fabric which features pins and needles, some pins - ideal for all the pinkeeps I make, a tape measure and stitch unpicker which will fit neatly into my work bag, some hand cream - perfect for my handbag and a bar of Galaxy, my favourite chocolate. I'm surprised it managed to last long enough to appear in the picture, but it won't be around much longer :o)

Thank you so much Jayne for such a thoughtful exchange, I love it all!