Stitched Sunday

If you have not already seen it Helen Stubbins has started doing a Stitched Sunday project for everyone to learn (or re-learn) basic hand embroidery stitches. It's a needle-case and looks interesting.

To find out whats happening click on the link in my sidebar. http://hugsnkisses.typepad.com/

Lady of Steeles Hand Embroidery Crafts - SS swap

I got a box in the mail this week. My son helped me open it and it was hot and steamy :) After letting things cool off for a wee while this is what we discovered and oohed and aahed over. Thanks to Linda (who also lives in Tennessee) for making me feel like Christmas had come many times over :) My husband was amazed !!!!

Oh look a tortoise ironing. Might it be a reference to the fact that I joke about being such a slow poke with my projects :)

I don't drink espresso but I love the towel, a great way to visually jump start my brain. The pincushion is made of felt and already comes armed with pins for my next project.

I'm already using the bag for my crochet traveling project and it has been seen out and about a couple of times.
The embroidery on the gardening gloves is gorgeous. Too good to dirty up so maybe I'll have to think up a way of displaying them.
Lots of needles, embroidery thread, a pretty pin and some other fun items. Linda also made the card.
My package is off in the mail and should get there some time next week. I have photographs but they will have to wait.

LofS pincushion swap update

My package from Latha arrived last night. I feel totally spoiled. She made 2 pincushions for me and embroidered an Easter wall hanging as well. I think she also added the flower petals onto the pins. The little pincushion is magnetic and is currently being used to hang the little wall hanging on my freezer door in the kitchen.

First project finish for 2010

I don't normally post on the week-end but I have started AND completed my first project for 2010. I'm in shock :)
A freebie from http://passe-tempsdeflo.over-blog.com/ stitched on 14ct. Aida in 3 shades of teal DMC 3847, 3848 and 3849. Total finished size 8"x8". Design size 3 3/4"x3 3/4".
I've also completed all the embroidery blocks for the LofSHe embroidery exchange. Boy am I glad that is finished. Good experience but I'm not sure I would want to do that many again (23). As a group we are creating and participating in a BOM for the rest of this year. Should be interesting. January is a mitten and yours truly has agreed to design a block for one of the months :) I have to decide what fabric I want to use for the background before I can get stitching.
Next project - a birthday present for my youngest daughter. I cannot decide whether I want to quilt, cross-stitch or do a combination of both.

Peek-a-boo

Look who's decided to tag along to Britain as quality control inspector for my sewing project. It's baby penguin from the recent pincushion swap. She's going to make sure I do my chain stitching properly and finish all 26 blocks for the LofSHE "siggie block" exchange. We shall see how that "OC" goal develops :)

Baby penguin needs a name. Maybe we will get inspired while we are on our travels or maybe one of you can suggest something. I'm thinking she may need an outfit to protect her from the sun :)

Just call me the village idiot :)

A mystery package from Malaysia showed up at my house a while ago and for the life of me I could not work out what it was for. An adorable baby penguin that had obviously been hand made, along with some ribbon, buttons and a little note book. I think I looked through every group I belong to and checked almost every swap I am participating in to no avail.

Today it dawned on me try looking in the pincushion swap site and lo and behold there was Diah's blog - and there was the penguin (which I might add I had read about previously) - so needless to say I feel like the village idiot.

So thanks Diah it all got here safely :)

LofSHE - siggie block exchange

This is what I am contemplating doing for the center of my signature block for the exchange. We have to do a 7" plain muslin block with the hand embroidery no larger than 5".

I had a picture of a double celtic knot sitting out on my sewing desk but it was too big so I cut it back to one. I'm contemplating doing any required writing within the intertwining knot sections. Not sure if I want to do them in green.

I'm going to take this trial block and use it for something else :)

I did a basic, 2 strand, chain stitch and it took about 2 hours to complete. (I was supposed to be knitting but the group did not meet today.)

Happy stitching.

Carol H.