A Limited RAK

    I was just reading someone's Facebook post about how lonely she feels at the holidays because she has no close family living nearby. I'm blessed to be close by family and have received so much joy from the cross stitch blogging community, and so I want to give two RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness) for the upcoming holiday season.

 I will make a cross-stitched little item for the first two people who leave a comment on this post (US residents only).

    When I email you, please reply with your name & mailing info, and specify if you want something that is religious Xmas, secular Xmas, Hanukkah, or general winter theme. I'll look through your blog to try not to duplicate something you already own/have stitched. I will send as soon as I stitch them. 

YOU are NOT REQUIRED to pass it on/stitch for others. 

 Trillium

Happy Halloween

    I have been on a break from this blog. I have spent a lot of time quilting and embroidering, and too much time on Facebook. I hope to resurrect this blog in a few days and show my latest cross stitch. In the meantime, here's a Happy Halloween wall quilt that I made.

It is hand embroidered and hand quilted (all by me). I used Walmart fabrics, except for the white, which was a good quality cotton.

Sewing Sets Finished

I finished the sewing sets, added some new needles and boxes of pins, and sent them off by Priority Mail. I forgot to add delivery confirmation. I really wish I would have insured them--at least I'd be paid for my time, if anything goes wrong. All of my packages sent via USPS have gotten to their destinations, so I believe these will also.

This is a matryoshka-themed set, based upon a biscornu freebie by Alexandrina.

and the backs:

The next set is a spring theme from Biscornu #509, by The Floss Box:

and the backs:

I'm ashamed that the motifs on the needle cases are not centered. Yes, I did measure , find the center, and count the threads, but I forgot to allow for the margin of fabric that gets turned under. The next time I will write down my plan on paper. Measure twice, stitch once!

The two "L's" are from charted design books by Dover Publications.

Oh, I learned how to make a humbug!
Happy stitching!

A Reindeer Ornament

 Christmas Pattern #17, by The Floss Box ($1.75 PDF)

stitched with overdyed and DMC floss on 32ct. antique blue(?) linen

Edgar received the ornament I sent him in the HOE Christmas Ornament Exchange 2011, so I can finally show you a picture of it. Emily's patterns are really cute and fun to stitch. I have a good supply of them still yet to stitch.

Happy stitching!

Been Busy Creating

Where have I been, you are wondering? I spent much time hunting through CDs of all my old pics in an attempt to find the missing picture files from the early days of my blog. I just realized that there is a whole stack of CDs in a container here on the computer desk, under a pile of other things. I won't have time to go through them until after Christmas. I have several projects in the works.

"Merry Christmas," by All Through The Night

Victorian Motto Sampler Thread on 32ct. linen

This is what I stitched originally for my HOE Christmas Box Exchange partner, but had to abandon it because I couldn't find a suitable box for it.

Michaels used to have really nice, heavy, unfinished, chipboard boxes to decorate. I got one trip up there to the store and the quality of the boxes was poor. I had to stitch a smaller design to fit onto a lightweight wooden box that I painted red. I glossed the sides & bottom with Mod Podge. I can't post pics until it gets to it's destination.

Christmas Box Received

This is the wonderful box that I received from Lucy H. in the HOE Christmas Box Exchange. She transformed a shoebox with this design from By The Bay Needleart.

 This is a photo of the contents: a bag of assorted teas & coffee; "Santa Paws" chart by Twisted Threads; a 7"X9" piece of linen; two fat quarters; a framing hoop; DMC tapestry needles #26; a pkg. of snowman buttons; a book about Christmas; and a handmade needlecase that looks like a Christmas ball ornament when unfolded. See below:

I will treasure this beautifully finished box. Thanks so much, Lucy!

Give Thanks Finished

I finished "Give Thanks," even though I've been suffering from a bad cold all weekend. Now I need to iron it and find a nice frame.

a freebie from Heartsring Samplery on 28ct. Lugana

This is the first large-count piece that I've done in quite a while. I'm happy with it and want to display it for Thanksgiving. I changed some of the colors. I like it so much that I might do one more and give it to a friend.

Give Thanks Progress

I made a mistake and had to frog out the entire bottom pumpkin border. Thjis is my progress as of today. I like these colors (I chose them).

Happy stitching!

Bent Creek's Sparkle

I stitched "Sparkle," by Bent Creek, for Gaby M. in the HOE Perpetual Christmas Ornament Exchange (Snowman Round). I forgot to take a photo of my own, so you can see him here. It's such a cute design. I have enough mushroom Lugana  and required floss left over to make myself one.

My First Bourse

This is the bourse that I stitched for Carol S. for the HOE Fall Exchange.

The bag is cotton, and the design is from The Prairie Schooler Book 141, "Thanksgiving Comes Again."  I made several adaptations. My yellow was too light.

The verse, the date, and the wind swirls are stitched over one thread; everything else is over two threads. This design is stitched on 32ct. lambswool Lugana, and is stitched with DMC and a (French) overdyed floss that I received from ? (I'll put this in tomorrow).

Freebie Noel Pinkeep

This is a freebie Christmas design that I received via email or by download. I stitched this last year and I cannot find the chart/designer right now. It is on a CD of old documents from our old computer.

I really like this design, both for the tiny deer and the soft colors.

I purchased more mat board recently in order to finish a lot of WIP's.

A Robin Pinkeep

This is a freebie by Elizabeth's Designs. The link to the it seems to be unavailable.

I have a piece of cloth with the state birds and flowers, and so that is what I used for the backing.

Halloween Treat Bag

This is the Halloween treat bag that I stitched for Edgar in the HOE Halloween exchange. It is "By The Light of The Moon," a freebie from The Primitive Needle. It is done with a combination of DMC and Carrie's Creations threads on a hand-dyed linen(don't know the count). The handles are black grosgrain ribbon.

I found some great Halloween fabric and created the bag. I added a cross-stitched commemorative label on the inside. Adding initials (or names) and dates makes needlework more valuable for the future. Plus, we get to remember our stitching buddies every time we look at their creations.

I just love this design and want to stitch a bag for myself.

I thought my daughter mailed this Priority mail and was worried because it hadn't arrived. She just told me it was sent Parcel Post.

Halloween Exchange from Michelle

Michelle B. sent me a wonderful box of pumpkin-themed goodies for the HOE Halloween Exchange.

First, there is a beautifully stitched "Happy Jack" on fine linen that she attached to a great canister that is decorated with jack-o-lanterns. Inside the canister is a bag of candy pumpkins. She added a cute copper-colored jack-o-lantern pin and a set of cute Halloween stickers.

The piece de resistance is the pumpkin greeting card with a small pumpkin that morphs into a huge, frightful, menacing "Jack."

My April Biscornu

This is the biscornu that I stitched for my April entry in the Basket of Biscornu SAL. This is a freebie design from the web. It has the word "esther" in the file name. I can't remember the site from where I downloaded it.

It reminded me of tulips open and closed, so I stitched them in two shades of pink. I placed green seed beads in the center. I'm sorry that the photo is out of focus.

Winter Quaker from Karen D.

This is the pretty quaker snowman floss tag that I received from Karen D. in the HOE Winter Quaker exchange.

Unfortunately, the light was not good for the photo. It's stitched with white floss on a sparkly blue evenweave (possibly hand-dyed Lugana).

It's Groundhog Day

The morning news as reported from Gobbler's Knob: Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow today and will go back into hibernation for six more weeks of winter. I don't think anyone in my region expected a different prediction.

This is the Erica Michaels freebie "Is Winter Done?," stitched on linen. I changed the color scheme and substituted a gold glass heart for the required pink button.

Freebie for Seasonal Stitchers

To all stitchers who enjoy Halloween designs:

If you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the owner of The Primitive Needle, she will send you a delightful, primitive Halloween chart titled "By The Light Of The Moon."

Saint Nick Pinkeep

This is "Saint Nick," an ornament design by Studio Seven, from the Nov/Dec 1990 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. It's on linen (32-ct) and finished as a pinkeep.

Coeur d'automne Exchange

This is the Coeur d'automne (pattern by Corinne Leroy) that I received through the exchange set up by Ness. It was stitched by Marie-Ange in lovely shaded thread.

I forgot to take a photo of the one that I stitched for her, but you may see it on her blog. In the picture it has wrinkles because I rolled it for the mail.