Spring Giveaway!

Good morning, everyone--it's SPRING! Yes, spring officially began at 7:21 PM last evening. Finally--I don't ever remember a winter as long and cold as the one we just experienced, do you? So, in honor of the arrival of spring, my 100th post, and the special day that is today, March 21st (I'll tell you about that later), I have created three little pieces for three lucky people. Will one of them be you?


First up is an old Prairie Schooler freebie called "S" Is For Spring. This is probably the third or fourth time I've stitched this one--I like it that much. The chart is not available on the PS website any longer, but I was able to track it down for you via "The Wayback Machine"--oh, I love that name! Click here and be patient...it takes a while to work. I've found a number of older Prairie Schooler freebies that I didn't own via that site. It takes some patience, but there are a lot of goodies to be discovered. This is stitched on 32 ct. white jobelan and accented with a yellow/gold cord and ribbon.

Another oldie, but goodie freebie is this one from The Drawn Thread. Yes, the power of "The Wayback Machine" helped me track this one down, too. You can get it for yourself right here. Just wait a bit and then click on "Free" and you'll see where to click for "The Spring Keeper." The designer meant it to be a scissor keep, but I stitched it as a little spring ornament. Again, I used 32 ct. white jobelan with DMC and WDW threads. I love the little specialty stitches that are on the basket. And a new first for me--I made my own cording in the most luscious shade of soft purple! I finally used the Kreinik Custom Corder that I had been given for Christmas back in 2009 and I was so pleased with how the cording turned out.

Since I had so many wonderful comments about the little Just Nan "Spring!" ornament in my last post, I decided to make another little pillow to offer as my third giveaway. This is stitched on 28 ct. gray Monaco using DMC threads and backed with the leafy green fabric shown underneath it. I topped the white cording with a pale pink ribbon and pin (they're actually much lighter than my photograph is making them look). I'm sure the little brown bunny will find a welcoming home somewhere in the world.


So, now it's up to you to decide which one you would like to try to win. You may enter all three contests and the giveaway is open to my followers, old and new alike. Just leave a comment on this post telling me which ornament(s) you would like to win. And to make it more fun, please tell me your most memorable vacation spot or share with me a favorite memory from one of your vacations or holidays. For me, the image that sticks in my mind is the Cape Cod trip my husband and I took in the fall of 1981 before we had children. I still have a photo of me lounging on the beach in my pale pink bathing suit with my hair blowing in the wind. But, it is the look of complete contentment and joy on my face that makes this photo so special. You see, I was pregnant with my first child--my oldest son who was born 29 years ago today: March 21, 1982.

What a special day for any mother--the birth of her first child... I'm very proud of the young man he has become and it is so heart-warming to look back on that photo of myself, the young "soon-to-be" mother, and know that so many of my hopes and dreams for my child have come true. So Happy 29th Birthday to my firstborn son--may the coming year bring you every happiness!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your many kind comments. I so appreciate the time that you take in saying hello each time I post! I'll keep the giveaway open until April 2nd--good luck to all. Bye for now...

Paying It Forward

Good morning, my friends! Last year around this time, I was lucky enough to receive a beautifully stitched piece from Andrea as part of a PIF (Pay-It-Forward). You can see what she sent me right here--gorgeous, isn't it? Well, I had one year to stitch three treats for fellow stitchers who signed up to continue the kindness after they received my gifts. I squeaked right in under the deadline and I'm happy to say all three PIFs have been received and the recipients seem quite pleased with my efforts.


This little bird flew all the way to New Zealand and is now making his home with Lee. She is a major bird-lover, so I knew this would be the perfect piece for her. I've stitched it before for myself back in 2009, but mine remains unfinished in a dark drawer--I really need to get to it! I finished this one with some tiny brown beads and a brown ribbon hanger that I thought complemented the shades of brown in the bird. It is stitched on 32 ct. twilight blue Permin linen using DMC threads. "Painted Egg" is from the Cross-Eyed Cricket Design No. 109 chart called "Eggs...etera." (By the way, I will forever associate this little design with the beginning of my friendship with Myra as she asked about it and our friendship was born!) Anyway, I'm so glad you like it, Lee--it was a pleasure stitching it for you...



My next PIF has hopped it's way into the hearts of Melanie and her family in the United Kingdom. She told me that not only did she love it, but that her children were trying to claim it for their own, too! This is from Just Nan's "Spring!" chart and is stitched on 28 ct. gray Monaco with DMC. I backed it with the pale green leafy fabric shown and added a trio of pink, green, and white ribbons. I'm sure the little bunny will be very happy in his new home "across the pond."


I actually sent my third PIF to Shari in Indiana back in December. Most of you will recognize this as another Just Nan piece called "Snow Faces." Sweet Cindy had given me the chart as a gift last year and I thoroughly enjoyed stitching it. It is finished on 28 ct. blue Monaco with the suggested DMC threads. I did add a little border around it to give it a little something "extra" and trimmed it with snow-white cording and a pretty ribbon. I hope you enjoy it for years to come, Shari...

So, that completes my portion of the PIF--I look forward to seeing what creations spring from the hands of these three talented stitchers...





Oh, and look what we woke up to again this morning. After days of rain, surprise...the snow has returned. This is the view from my front door taken just now. Seriously, Mother Nature--did you know that spring begins on March 20th--nine days from now? It looks more like Christmas outside doesn't it? Time to get out the shovels again...

And, finally, finally, after two+ years, I have reached my 100th post today!! I think this calls for a bit of a giveaway--what do you think? Look for a little stitched something as a giveaway prize on my next post... Nothing huge, just a little token of my appreciation to say thank you for visiting me and taking the time to say 'hello!' Your comments never fail to bring me smiles. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Bye for now...

Tweet! Tweet!

Good morning all! Hope everyone has had an enjoyable week so far. This week I stitched and finished my March ornament, LHN's "Cardinal Winter" which Valerie gave me for my birthday. I stitched it "over one" on some mystery fabric using the suggested Crescent Colours and DMC threads, with a few substitutions. I had to change the word "Tweet" from the suggested white to a dark green to make it show up on this fabric and I also changed the rabbits to more resemble the color of the little bunnies that appear in our yard each summer, fluffy white tails and all! I then finished it off as a little hanging pillow and trimmed it with ric-rac and a little red bird button. What do you think?



Speaking of "tweeting," do you "tweet" on "Twitter?" Maybe it's just a generational thing, but I just don't get it... My sons keep telling me it's useful for business, but I don't understand who has the time to "follow" all these people/celebrities on Twitter. Can any of you younger stitchers enlighten me (I guess that would be most of you!)? As I said, it probably is a generational thing; after all, I just found out that I'm eligible for the "senior citizen" discount at a national department store and I'm only 56! Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a few extra dollars off my purchases, but I think that actually, they're just calling me "old." And I honestly don't feel old...I'm just slowing down a bit.

This collage of cardinal photos was taken from my kitchen window this winter. To me, there is something so striking about those brilliant red birds set against the snowy landscape. Our snow has finally melted, and I'm not sorry to see it go. I'm so envious of all of you who have little buds appearing and flowers blooming already. Hopefully, our spring will be here before long.



I also began stitching Drawn Thread's "Sunflower Bellpull" that Brenda surprised me with. I'm just loving the colors of this one and all the new specialty stitches that I'm learning. I'm probably about one-fifth of the way done--it is going to be a long, long piece (but then, again, it is a bellpull!).Thank you again, Brenda--I'm thoroughly enjoying myself with this one. It is so nice to stitch something that reminds me of warmth and sunny summer days!



This wonderful treasure trove of charts, fabric, and thread arrived through the generosity of Becky in one of her recent giveaways. Twelve gorgeous charts, some pretty opalescent blue fabric, and two skeins of DMC 115 greeted me when I opened her package! Becky, you are such a generous soul (not to mention the very fastest stitcher on earth!)--I truly am thrilled with everything. I only hope I can make these pieces look half as nice as yours did when you stitched them. Thank you again so very, very much...


And just look at this Christmas gift, (yes, I did say Christmas gift) that finally arrived in my mailbox last week after three long months! My sweet blogging friend, Edit, mailed this from Spain on December 2nd, 2010! Just where has it been hiding all these months? I'm wondering about your experiences with international mailings...have you ever had a package disappear or take an extra long time to arrive at its destination? Edit and I had both just about given up on it when it decided to make its appearance. But, oh, it was so worth the wait; just look at what she sent: a beautifully sewn stitching pouch featuring one of my favorite woodland designs, some lovely ribbon, tiny aqua blue beads, handmade felt ornament and threadholder, and some brown floss that says it smells like chocolate when you stitch with it! Have you ever heard of such a thing?! What could be better than combining two of the things I love most: chocolate and stitching? Thank you, dear Edit--I'll treasure the pouch for years to come and enjoy using each of the other treats you included. I'm thrilled that we've become friends across the miles...








Finally, the winner of the Hillside Sampling "Seasonal Samplings" chart giveaway from my previous post is Hilda from "Hildi's Good Life" blog in Austria! Hilda, please send me your mailing address and I'll get the chart off to you as soon as I can. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did. Thanks to all who entered--perhaps it will make its way to one of you in the future as it is passed on from stitcher to stitcher.

I have a nice day to look forward to. I'm meeting Lee, the Lake Stitcher herself, for some lunch and an afternoon of stitching. I can't wait--it's always nice to spend time with others who share your passion, isn't it? Enjoy your weekend everyone and thanks for taking the time to visit my little corner of the stitching universe! I always love reading your comments and seeing what you've been up to each week... Bye for now...