Fair & Square for Chris B.

These are the squares that I stitched for Chris B. for the Fair & Square Round #22.

The lighting is poor-they are stitched  with overdyed Threadworx floss on 32ct. linen. The design is from a Dover book of charted folk designs. 

This was my first Fair & Square exchange.

Stitching Update

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments about the bourse. I used the directions on a blog (will post link later). I'd like to do several bourses, and make one for myself, too.

I never cooked a pumpkin pie with eggs. I think it would take longer to cook, due to the added liquid. I ruined at least three eggless pumpkin pies before I achieved a good one. I keep the oven at 350 degrees for the whole time, instead of starting very hot (425) and turning down later. That is what all the recipes state to do, but it did not work for me. If I make an eggless pie according to the Libby's canned pumpkin directions, the one that calls for evaporated milk and regular sugar, I plan to use less milk and see if it works better.

I finished both my Fair & Square Exchange (regular Round) piece, and my Christmas ornament for HOE .  I cannot post pictures until they have been received. 

I stopped by Michael's craft store yesterday and got some holiday-themed buttons to use for ornaments I'm stitching for home and for additions to family gift parcels.

I hope to have some freebie cross stitch designs posted soon, as I have been designing with my PC Stitch Pro.

And yes, finally got a pic of me onto the blog! It's hard to do a self-photo.

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).

Eggless Pumpkin Pie

This is the pumpkin pie that I baked yesterday, along with some beautiful sunflowers that my daughter purchased at the store.
 I'm practicing recipes for Thanksgiving. This recipe is a vegetarian version of the Eagle Brand pumpkin pie recipe.

   Trillium's Eggless Pumpkin Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 unbaked pie crust (single)

Place into a pie pan. (I used a non-stick metal one, not deep-dish, but regular depth).

Mix together:

1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk (the full-fat variety)

1 15oz. canned pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon gr. cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon gr. ginger

1/8 teaspoon gr. cloves

1 T. cornstarch

Put into pie shell and bake at least 25 minutes at 350. You can then reduce to 325 degrees and finish baking until done. I don't have a crust protector, and have found that trying to put aluminum foil over the crust doesn't work for me.

Allow to thoroughly cool, so that it firms up.

Enjoy!

Another Pink Giveaway. . .

is taking place on DJ's blog. See her cute cat, giveaway goodies, and enter before 10/29.

Teresa Is Celebrating. . .

her 100th blog post with a great cross stitch giveaway. Go to her blog and enter.

Jennifer's Oct. Giveaway. . .

is going on now, to promote breast cancer awareness. Visit her blog to enter before 10/31. You can win a lovely chart and some Kelmscott pink scissors.

Dixiesamplar. . .

is having a fabulous Halloween goodies giveaway! Everything you Halloween stitchers could desire is there! Go to her blog now and enter.

Ends midnight EST, Oct. 30th

Craftymoo's Giveaway. . .

is ongoing until 10/31. Visit her blog and see the lovely goodies (Jobelan, floss, pattern, etc) that she's giving away.

A GO Cutter Giveaway. . .

is going on until 10/31 at Alderwood Quilts. You can enter four different ways, for four chances to win. This cutter would be great for small shapes to adorn smalls, of for needlebooks-lots of uses!

Halloween Exchange from Verona

This is the great ornament that I received from Verona in the HOE Halloween Exchange 2010. I am so happy to receive this, because it saves me the time of making it! It's from the Just Cross Stitch 2010 Halloween Ornament issue, and it is by Blue Ribbon Designs.

She enclosed some beautiful Victorian Sampler overdyed floss.

Thank you, Verona!

Trick or Treat Tree for Kathy

"Trick or Treat Tree"

by Pat Thode of The HeartStrings/The Artists Collection

from  the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Just Cross Stitch
Overdyed & DMC on 28ct. eggshell linen

 This is the front of the ornament that I stitched for Kathy as part of the HOE 2010 Halloween Exchange. I put the pumpkin face in the wrong place. I added some tree branches here and there, and used a different yellow for the moon. I worked on it off and on for about a month.

I put these wonderful buttons on it that I bought last year at Michael's.  This year I went to three different Michael's, in two states, and they did not offer them.

The reverse side: