Birthday Giveaway!

ETA: GIVAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

48 years ago today, at 4:21 AM, my parents welcomed their first born, and both sets of grandparents had their first grandchild - ME!

This sweet card was sent by people I don't remember.

Here's the birth announcement my parents sent:

To commemorate, I am giving away this mattress pincushion, stitched by yours truly:

 

 Mausimom free design on 32 ct natural linen with NPI silk.

Entry deadline is 11:00 PM, Pacific Daylight Time, March 30.  I plan to announce the winner on March 31.  Good luck!

Poor little neglected blog :( **picture heavy**

I knew I hadn't posted for a while, but I hadn't realized quite how long it had been.  After I finished Mill HiIl's Winter Wonderland, I whipped up a freebie by Aury for the Bride's Tree SAL.  THEN I started stitching on Home of a Needleworker (Too!), and it was like starting a new relationship.  It was all I could think about, I didn't want to spend time doing anything else, and (of course) I had to change it (just like a man :p ), and I became a bit obsessed until I was done.  By then, I was on a stitchy roll and moved on to one thing after another.  I thought about blogging, but the needle and floss kept me hooked.  So, here we are a more than a month since my last post, and I have a lot of new stitchy finishes to show, as well as a couple more stragglers from 2009 that I have unearthed since last time.  Here we go!

Mill Hill Winter Wonderland

As charted with floss, beads, buttons, and perforated paper from kit, Shadowbox frame from Ikea

Aury's Be My Valentine Quaker Style

40 ct LL fawn, DMC 815

LHN Home of a Needleworker (Too!)

40 ct LL vintage light exemplar - substituted GAST Brandy for house and thread on spool, CC Weeping Willow for swirls at bottom, the rest as charted.

The wire broke on my first attempt at a beaded fob while I was stitching Home of a  Needleworker, so I broke out the graph paper and "designed" this fob to fit a scrap of leftover linen.

"My Snips" fob

40 ct LL vintage light exemplar, HDF, filled with rice

Photographed on top of my current WIP, Sandra Cozzolino's Summer Blessings, which had been lanquishing as a UFO since 2008.  I am determined that I will finish it, but it might not be this year.  I'm not loving it.  It is in serious danger of going back into exile, as the siren songs of new projects call to me.

Blackberry Jam was another UFO.  I got bored and frustrated with all the backstitching, so it was ignored and forgotten for well over a year.  I found it, while trying to locate something else, in a project bag that I had been carrying to work before I got the one I use now.  It didn't look like there was much left to stitch, so I got to work on it.  I quickly learned why I had given up on it - I can't seem to count backstitches worth a darn!  But I plugged away and got it done.  It took much longer than I thought it would, both times.  It's only 60x60.  Wouldn't you think it would stitch up fast?  I did - until I realized that it was one that you have to have one eye on the chart at all times.  There aren't any big areas of filling in, just a lot of detailed back stitch on an open field.  Blech!  I love how it turned out, though, especially the berries.

The Sweetheart Tree Blackberry Jam

As charted, with 28 ct Graziano linen, DMC threads, and Mill Hilll beads from kit 

I belatedly decided I'd try to stitch Bride's Tree ornaments for both kids this year, so I had to play a little  catch up with the next two.  The original plan was to do one set this year, and another next year, but the first ones stitched up so fast....   I may regret this later - or now, since I haven't even started on the first one for March yet! LOL

Chartmakers House on a Hill

32 ct MCG natural linen, DMC as charted, omitting initials and date

Passione Ricamo Be My Love

32 ct white Belfast linen, DMC conversion except used 3823 instead of 677, because the 677 clashed terribly.  Omitted lettering.  The picture doesn't do this justice.  It is so vibrant IRL.

Here are the aforementioned stragglers from 2009.  I'm not ruling out the possiblity that there may be more. :)

Bent Creek Signs of Winter

32 ct Permin natural light, as charted. I used DMC 741 for the candle flame.*

With My Needle's A Needleworker's Pocket

2003 JCS Ornament Issue

40 ct LL fawn, DMC 815

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a "Birthday giveaway item" listed among the 2010 finishes in the sidebar.  My birthday is tomorrow, and I've stitched a little something to send to one lucky reader.  The giveaway post is scheduled for the same time that I was born.  (I sure don't plan to be awake at such an ungodly hour!)  So, come back soon, because that was the only time in my life that I was a morning person!  :)

Thank you for visiting and/or reading, and I appreciate your comments!  I may not respond, but I do read them all!  GOOD NIGHT!

*There was nothing in the key to correspond with the symbol in the chart, no correction on the website, and I got no response when I tried to email the designer(s).  One of the email addresses bounced, and I'm not confident the other was working either.  I guess I should have expected as much, since their website never seems to be up to date. :(

Most of the rest of the finishes for 2009 ~waiting for framing~

Lizzie*Kate Snippet

Housework Never Killed Anyone

stitched on 32 ct country mocha Belfast

leftover GAST colors from Housework Makes You Ugly

I plan to stitch a few more on this theme and hang them all together.  As you may have guessed, I'd much rather spend my time stitching than cleaning.  :)

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Shepherd's Bush

Be Calm

stitched 2 or 3 over 4 on 40 ct vintage light exemplar

Crescent Colours as charted

Someday I'll get around to adding the embellishments (which I have) to this...

This was stitched for my son who has a great deal of trouble with self control.  He has had a horrible temper almost since birth.  I'm hoping that a gentle reminder will help.  We'll see. 

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Carriage House Samplings

Withering Tulips

stitched 1 over 2 on 36 ct white Edinburgh linen

NPI silks as charted

I love this one, but it has bittersweet memories for me.  I started stitching it while we were on vacation in New York last summer.  It was my favorite vacation so far.  I didn't get very much stitching done during our trip because we were on the go so much, and by the time we got back to the hotel I mostly wanted to sleep.  When we got back to L.A., my dad was hospitalized.  During visits, I would stitch on it while he napped.  He would drift off to sleep often, sometimes in the middle of a conversation.  Progress was gradually made on the stitching as Dad steadily declined.  I finished the stitching on the morning he peacefully passed away

~~ I miss you, Dad. ~~

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Blackbird Designs

Happy Birthday

stitched 1 over 2 on 40 ct vintage light exemplar

Silk N Colors, my own conversion

I modified the houses by omitting the patchwork/checks and hearts.  I felt they were too busy with the patchwork.  I didn't even realize there were hearts charted until after I had stitched the bodies of the houses when I was referring back to the chart for the colors of the windows and doors.  I couldn't see them on the model because they're lost in the busy-ness.

I stitched this for my daughter's 21st birthday.  She received it in December, sans frame.  Something else to get around to someday, right?

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Little House Needleworks

Acorn Hill

on 32 ct country mocha

Belle Soie as charted

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Little House Needleworks

Snowflakes

stitched on 32 ct natural somethingorother (can't find the chart, my notes, or the tag from the fabric)

Crescent Colours as charted

I just noticed that 2/3 of these have birds in them, like the ones I showed a few posts ago.  I hadn't realized how much I was drawn to birds in designs.

So that about wraps up the 2009 finishes.  There are assorted fobs and floss tags that I haven't shown, but they're pretty insignificant.  There's also an item that I stitched for an RAK that I'm plugging away at getting made up into a finished item.  I'll show that one when it finally makes it into the hands of its recipient.

Next time I'll show you the finish that had me happy dancing last Saturday....  Stay tuned!

Thank you for visiting and/or reading, and I appreciate your comments

2009 stitches that will be ornaments ~someday~

Prairie Schooler

Herald Angels

JCS ornament issue 2003

stitched on 32 ct white Belfast linen

DMC and Kreinik as charted

Shepherd's Bush

In a Stable

JCS ornament issue 2004

stitched on 32 ct country mocha

overdyed flosses from stash (request conversion if interested)

Heidi

Sleigh Rides free design

stitched on 32 ct country mocha

combination of Weeks, GAST, and Belle Soie overdyeds from stash

4 My Boys

Rejoice freebie (no link)

stitched on 32 ct white Belfast and 32 ct natural Permin

my own conversion of overdyeds from stash

Mill Hill petite beads

SamSarah

All is Calm

JCS ornament issue 2003

Stitched on 32 ct country mocha

overdyed flosses from stash

Instead of a button, the little bird is stitched one over one and was from the Lizzie*Kate ornament in the same issue.  I will be adding a star button when I finish this, though not the one used by the designer.

Tiziana

Christmas SAL

stitched on 32 ct white Belfast

DMC

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I just found another one last night on a piece of linen that I'm using for the February Bride's Tree SAL.  I'll post it when I finish the February ornie.

Thank you to everyone who has commented!  I love getting comments!

The End is Near

Progress is being made on the Mill Hill Winter Wonderland.  All the cross stitch is done as well as the majority of the beading on four of the five trees.  I'm hoping to find enough stitching time to add it to my short list of 2010 finishes this forecasted-to-be-rainy weekend. 

No stitchy pics, so I'll share a shot from our summer vacation.

Christian at the Flatiron Building, NYC

 July 2009

I'm working on getting details on the rest of my 2009 finishes.  I've been too lazy in the evenings to go through my various hidey-holes to find the charts, notes, and fabric info.  Hopefully that will be another weekend project.  Stay tuned.

Beautiful exchange received, more 2009 finishes, and my WIP

I received an absolute treasure in the mail yesterday from Sharlotte as part of the Ties That Bind Exchange.  Look at this beauty!

This was Sharlotte's first bourse finish, if you can believe it.  Didn't she do a fabulous job?!?  The design is exerpted from Blackbird Designs' Be Kind and True, and she stitched it on evenweave that she dyed herself.  The exterior fabric is a lovely sage moire and, you can't see them here, but she used pretty mother of pearl buttons at the corners.  I absolutely LOVE everything about it!  Thank you again, Sharlotte! 

By the way, Sharlotte is hosting a giveaway on her blog that ends January 31st.  Hurry on over there for a chance to win - or not, because if you DON'T enter, I have a better chance of winning! LOL

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Below are the only Christmas items that I finish-finished in 2009.

Suzanne

2008 Christmas Ornament free design

stitched on 14 ct dark green aida

Ecru DMC

Mill Hill beads

Jardin Prive

SAL Christmas offered on The Thread Basket

stitched on 26 ct cream Shannon linen by Zweigart (discontinued color), 1 over 1

DMC floss

Download this one before it goes away.  There are charts with "Merry Christmas" in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.  Many stitchers participated in this SAL.  There are pictures on this blog of it stitched in a lot of different ways.  So many creative stitchers!

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This is the bane of my existence my current WIP.

Mill Hill

Winter Wonderland

Love:

• how this looks
• the design 
• how sparkly this will be when I finally get to the beading

Don't love:

• perforated paper
• sorting floss in kits - especially trying to tell DMC 3756 from white
• sorting itty-bitty beads
• stitching with three threads
• that this is taking sooooooooooooo long to stitch
• that it looks like I'm going to be short several lengths of 3756 (I haven't had to restitch anything, so whoever kitted it miscalculated.)

Started just before Christmas.  Will it ever end?????

2010 Finishes to Date and Welcome Followers (whoever you are)

Lizzie*Kate Freebie

Snug as a Bug

26 ct cream Shannon linen by Zweigart (discontinued color)

DMC conversion

Siena Alphabet from Stitchpoint.com

Stitched for Sharlotte in the Ties That Bind Exchange.

More photos on Sharlotte's blog here.

Finished as mattress pincushion.  New to me finish and/or technique #1 for 2010.

Primitive Bettys

Home freebie

40 ct vintage light exemplar

Anchor Bates threads from ollllllld stash

Stitched for Brides Tree SAL January 2010

Edge finished with hemstitch.  New to me finish and/or technique #2 for 2010.

Welcome, followers!  We have a computer shortage at home, and by the time one's free I usually am too tired to go online, so I do the vast majority of my blog reading between phone calls at work.  I would love to be able to greet you individually, but apparently you are "inappropriate".  The followers feature (on every blog I look at, including my own) shows this lovely message on the work computers:

ATTENTION

AN ACCESS RESTRICTION HAS BEEN PLACED ON THIS SITE BY STATE FARM

Our filtering software has indicated that the site you are attempting to access contains information or material which may be inappropriate for use or viewing by State Farm agents or their staff.

This event has been entered into the access logs.

Isn't that nice?  Um, yeah...NO!  So pardon me if I don't greet you all individually, and I hope you'll understand why I won't be following your blogs using this feature.  Chances are good, though, that yours is probably already among the 878 (yes, eight hundred seventy-eight) blogs and counting that I try to keep up with in Google reader. 

And finally, just because it makes me smile, here is our feline trio in a rare moment of harmony (even though Hope's eyes make her look like she's possessed and Shia says the picture makes his butt look fat). ;)

Monkey, Shia, & Hope

More 2009 Finishes that need to be framed or ornamentified - with birds

Bent Creek

Redbird Sampler

unknown linen

threads as charted

Knotted Tree NeedleArt

Red Bird Fraktur

unknown linen, tea-dyed by me

threads as charted

Blackbird Designs

Christmas Ornament 2004 (JCS ornament issue)

40 ct vintage light exemplar

silk conversion from stash

(modified the sentiment on the one on the right at the request of my daughter)

Angel Stitchin'

JCS ornament issue 2003

32 ct country mocha

threads from stash

More to come....

A few 2009 finishes

Mini biscornu fob

The Floss Box

14 ct fiddlers cloth

mystery vintage floss

Floss tag

My own "design"

Pinkeep

Alphabet from 1989 Craftways Keepsake Calendar (May), designer uncredited

Fob

Mini biscornu design from The Floss Box

All stitched on unknown 32 ct linen
DMC floss

Housework Makes You Ugly

Sisters & Best Friends

Yellow 28 ct Cashel

Gentle Arts Sampler Threads as charted

Fob

Mini biscornu design from The Floss Box

32 ct R&R Reproductions Creek Bed Brown linen

DMC floss

Scissorskeep and Pinkeep

"Red Motifs" by Carole Rodgers-Simply Cross Stitch magazine J/A 1994

Mini Biscornu Fob

The Floss Box

Origami Orts Box and Floss Tag

Combination of designs from The Floss Box and my own design

All stitched on 32 ct Permin lambswool

DMC linen floss