Blogging on the last day of the year

Well, I am finally here to blog for the last time for 2009! I promised myself that I would make my last blogging entry today since I have neglected my blog for some time now and I am really feeling guilty that I have not written anything for the past months. This was due to work commitment, household chores etc. So here goes!

So what did Santa bring everyone? Whatever you got I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and that you will have an equally enjoyable New Year. I also wish everyone a happy, prosperous, healthy and blessed 2010. Around this time of the year when the new year dawns, I usually reflect on the past year and I get very apprehensive about the coming year. Last year was a bitter sweet year for me and my family but we are grateful that we have reached the end of this year and hoping that 2010 will be a better year for all of us. I am not one for making new year's resolutions simply because I find them hard to keep so I just pray for good health and guidance to make the right decisions as the year goes by.

Stitching wise, as always I do have some projects I want to start and complete. There are so many but I will try to stitch them all. I am looking at stitching something small each week but I will see how that will go. And of course there are the exchanges. I hope to participate in more this year as well. Speaking of exchanges, I took part in another HoE exchange - beCAUSE it's Pink in October. My Partner for this exchange was Margaret from New Zealand. It go there in record time and I was very pleased about this. I made her a pendibule for the exchange.

The design was from 'My Aunt's Attic'. I stitched it on cream 28 ct. evenweave and added pink beads along the pointed area of the pendibule. I liked how it turned out despite I thought that the colour thread choosen was too light but nevertheless my partner said that she was pleased with it.

For this exchange I received from Nela. She made me some pincushions. I am not sure what she called them because she wrote in Spanish so I was at a lost to what she said they were. She included some pins with roses pin heads which are very cute and some embellishments. This is what she sent:

Thank you so much Nela.

Well I have more pics to show but not right now. I will post again soon in the new year before I return to work on January 5. So do look out for them but for now thanks for stopping by see you in 2010!

Key keeper

It's back to work tomorrow and back to school here for most of the kids here in Barbados. I know I wouldn't be stitching much for a few weeks as I know I will be tired most evenings and then there will be helping out with homework. No rest for the weary they say, lol. I did manage to stitch one little key keeper while on vacation. Oh what a pity as I want to do so much more but I had to spend some time with my daughters as they will be off to University and college from this September and I was getting them all prepared. Oh well, I guess the kids come first. Anyhow this is what I did.

I found this pattern somewhere on the net but can't recall where, so I don't have a name for it or the name of the designer. If anyone is familiar with the pattern could you please let me know so that I can give it its proper name. I am calling it a key keeper with a 'fancy lady' on it.

Fancy Lady (Self named)
Fabric: 28 count beige Jobelan
Threads: DMC
Finish: Key Keeper

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Good News!

Someday day this week, can't remember which day exactly, I got word that I was the 1000th poster over on the Freebie Gallery and for this I will be receiving a surprise from Carol! How good is that??!!! I am so looking forward to receiving the surprise! This was really great news to receive now that my vacation is at an end. Not that I don't want to return to work because there are so many persons out there without jobs during these tough times and I am grateful for this job that I have but you know how it is after a long break from work, you have to get back into the thick of things. So its off to work I go, the bills have to be paid, lol.

Some more good news! 'My By the Sea exchange' on the HoE board has been received by my partner, Stacy in the USA! She got it in just a matter of days of me posting it off to her and to think I was a few days late. Great job by the post office! I chose to stitch a pincushion using the freebie 'Sommer' from Mausimom freebies. Most of the colours used reminded me of colours you will find on the beaches here in Barbados on any sunny day. I thought I would add a sea shell from the beach close to my home to embellish the pincushion. I also enclosed some small sea shells as a little souvenir from Barbados. I do hope Stacy will enjoy her exchange as I enjoyed stitching it for her.

Design: Sommer

Designer: Mausimom's
Fabric: 32 count white linen,
flora fabric for backing
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pincushion

So, I off now to prepare for work on Monday. Thanks for paying me a visit and have a great weekend!

Vacation time is here!

It's vacation time for me - one whole month of it and it is going fast! I started my vacation on August 4 and so far it has been a little more hectic than I planned. No beach time as yet but I may take in relaxing on the beach on Friday since it is my daughter's 16th birthday and she want to spend the day at the beach with her friends. So we are preparing for the beach party. Sounds like fun but I hope the rain doesn't spoil it as it has been raining for the past couple of days. I do hope she has a sunny day to frolic in the sun and do whatever kids her age do.

Although it has been hectic I still got some stitching and finishing done. I am also in the middle of stitching my exchange with the HoE board so that will be shown some time later. So here's what I have been up to. This freebie is from Cathy Roy's blog, Le Chalet des Perelles.

Design: Rose

Designer: Cathy Roy
Fabric: 32 count cream linen
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pillow

My next stitched piece is also a pillow which was made in memory of my Godmother who died recently died in Florida. I lived with her until I was age 10 when she left her homeland, Barbados, to live in the US. She first lived in New York then moved to Florida. She taught me how to sew and I am eternally grateful to her for teaching me not only how to sew but about life in general. I thought this pillow was a perfect way of remembering her and what she love to do. She was 93 years old.

Design:Black Needles
Designer: Ravenelle
Fabric: 32 count white linen
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pillow

I have a dear friend who attends my church and who loves needlework - as a matter of fact we became friends because of needlework. She told me that she gets all excited over a machine but now that she can't see so well to sew at night she has to do all her work in the day before it gets dark. She has about three embroidery machines and she did some lovely embroidered table cloths for the church. I recently stitched a pincushion, designed by Perlin Tezer, for her as a gift for her 74th birthday and I will present it to her this Sunday. I do hope that she likes it.

Design: Romantique Roses
Designer: Perlin Tezer
Fabric: 28 count cream evenweave
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pincushion

I am not a very big fan of pinkeeps but I still like to stitch one or two every now and then. I decided to stitch this quaker style freebie by Gencat and make it into a pinkeep mainly because of its shape. Never attempted to try this shape before so it was a bit difficult to draw out a template on card (I was a little off with the measurements) so don't look too carefully, lol but I like how it turned out. I also had difficulty in finding the exact blue trim but nevertheless I am satisfied that I did an alright job with this particular pinkeep, eventually.

Design: Quaker Time
Designer: Gencat
Fabric: 28 count cream evenweave, floral backing fabric
Threads: DMC

Finish: Pinkeep

Here's another pinkeep freebie by La-D-Da. This was a simple pattern but still presented a little challenge to me to stitch even because it was recommended that the rose be stitched in a circle rather than side by side or up and down which meant I had to plan my stitching a little more carefully than usual, lol.

Design: Rose
Designer: La-D-Da
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, floral rose fabric
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pinkeep

Floss Tags

I have also stitched two floss tags to add to my collection of favourite things. Floss tags are fun to stitch and I want to stitch a few more during my vacation which in a couple days. The first floss tag is a free chart offered by Madame la Fee.

Design: Lapinou
Designer: Madame la Fee
Fabric: 32 count white linen
Threads: DMC
Finish: Floss Tag

My second floss tag is also a freebie from Echevette. I used the motif from the centre of the pattern. Apparently this freebie does not appears to be available on the site directly but I think you can email the designer if you want it to add to your collection.

Design: Motif from "En attendant le Printemps"
Designer: Dominique Ayzac
Fabric: 28 count Creame evenweave
Thread: DMC
Finish: Floss Tag

Another Favourite Thing

As promised, I have another "favourite thing to stitch" to show today. It's a pin cushion from one of my favourite French designers, Danybrod. Although I don't speak a word of french, her blog is one of many which has been a source of inspiration to me. I like her designs and her selection of colours for these designs not to mention the way she finishes them. She is a very creative lady to my mind and hopefully I will be able to stitch most of her designs some day. So, here is my attempt at stitching and finishing one of her designs.

Design: Pins Needles Creation
Designer: Danybrod
Fabric: 32 count white linen, eyelet trim, flora cotton
Threads: DMC
Finish: Pincushion

That's it for tonight. There's work in the morning and its way pass my bedtime. Thanks for stopping by.

A Needlebook and Scissors Fob Set

Another month is quickly passing by so I'm making good use of my stitching time and have been stitching a storm lately. What have I been up to you might ask?! Well I've been stitching some smalls and completing the finishings as I go but I'll not show all here now as some of them still need more work being done on them. So watch out over the next few days for my steady flow of exhibition of my smalls.

I have come to love stitching and finishing needlebooks. I found one way to finish a needlebook on Nataliejo's blog which I thought was very interesting. I think I did a not-so-bad job on the needlebook and I really enjoyed stitching and making it up. So you know I will be making plenty more needlebooks in the future with different style and variations. I choose a freebie from A Mon Ami Pierre and used DMC colours with the help of Carol's (Just Carol) Blog. So I take this opportunity to thank Nataliejo and Carol for their help.

Design: A Mon Ami Pierre Freechart

Designer: A Mon Ami Pierre
Fabric: Creme 28 count evenweave
Threads: DMC 926, 924, 640, 3721, 223, 632, 3064, 902, 3052
Finish: Needlebook

Thanks for stopping by and have a very good weekend!

On with the Exchanges!

The next exchange I did with HoE was held in September 2008. This was a Prairie Schooler exchange and I stitched a pincushion from Pins and Needles Book No. 115 for Yasmin. It was my first time sending out an exchange to Malaysia so you could imagine my fear of it being lost but she got it in about two weeks or so which wasn't bad. I enjoyed stitching this for Yasmin.

And I received this wonderful floss ring from Marie. I think this is the second time she got my name last year! But I am not sorry because she does such a great job with her stitching and finishings. I hope some day to turn out project just like her. Here is what she sent. She stitched me Friends Book No. 84.

November saw the exchanging of floss tags! My partner for this one was Joke. I stitched her a motif from "Life is Sweet" designed by Ria Lanser. I tried to be different on this one just for variety. I did not use an eyelet by just a piece of ribbon for the loop. I made my own cording. It didn't turn out as I would have liked but nevertheless Joke liked it. This is the floss she received from me.

I received in this exchange the tiniest floss tag I have seen from Caroline in England! She did it on 40 count fabric one over one and it was her first time stitching one over one. I think she did a wonderful job and I am hoping that she wasn't crossed eyed when she was finished, lol. It is too tiny! I must try that one over one thing some day.

In February, 2009, I started my exchanging with the Valentine's Day exchange for Sadie in the U.K. I stitched a piece called "Valentin" from the website http://feutrieetpetitescroix.fr/.

I also crocheted a doily for Sadie as she is learning to crochet. I hope she found it useful.

Michelle in the U.S stitched me a scissors fob and a sachet bag for my Valentine exchange. "Heart Throb" from the Drawn Thread. I love the way it was finished. I think it is very cute and a "Teeny Tiny Love Bag" from Victoria Sampler. Thank you Michelle.

She also included a sachet bag, bath salts and needles which I am sure will come in handy.

My last exchange so far is one which was done for Arbor Day - with a woodland theme. I chose my piece from Just Cross Stitch Magazine Christmas Ornaments 2004 for my partner Becky K. I wanted to stitch this one for myself but thought that it would go well with the theme. I am glad I stitched this one because Becky loved it. I finished it into a pinkeep/scissors keeper.

And my exchange for Arbor day came from Marie in Sweden. She stitched an oven mitten taken from an English magazine called the "Cross Stitcher. It depicts the chestnut tree.

So that's it for the exchanges. Thanks to all of you who sent me beautiful exchanges. I love every one.
Please note: Sorry but I am not able to get the links to show up so that they can be clicked on. I think that I am doing everything right but they just won't show up! Grrrrrr!
*Edited to say that I finally got the links figured out so the links are clickable now.

A very pleasant surprise!

In my previous post I mentioned that my Biscornu exchange from August 2008 had gone missing and my partner, Maria (lolopx.blogspot.com/)from Venezuela, graciously made me another one. Guess what,! The first Biscornu arrived safe and sound at its new home and it is a very beautiful biscornu. I love it and the extras are just lovely, especially the floss. I hope that you can see the delicate stitching on the biscornu. Thank you, Maria for all the hard work you put into this exchange!

It's been a while.......

As you can see, it’s been a while now since I wrote anything in my blog. No, I haven’t been having writer’s block or anything like that but the latter half of 2008 was not a particularly happy time for me and my family. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for me to concentrate on blogging and most of all spending quality time on my stitching was out of the question. Just when I thought my life was going fairly well then I was suddenly in a tailspin which left me wonder what next to do. Though the problems are on-going, I‘m trying to cope and I am taking one day at a time. As a result of all this, I’ve only completed small pieces of stitching. I’ve also participated in some exchanges which gave a welcome break from all that was going on around me. I am happy to say that I did a couple of exchanges with my favourite group,none other than Hooked on Exchanging (HoE). As mentioned before I love exchanging especially on the HOE board from which I have received some lovely exchanges. I did a Biscornu exchange on the SBEBB Board also in late August 2008 for Susan in the US. I had a couple mishaps with this exchange and had to start over at the last minute and then I made a mistake in her address! It got there eventually after returning to me. Here is what I did for her. I also included a fob to match the biscornu.


And this is what I received from Maria in Venezuela. Her first biscornu was lost in the mail so she did another one which came only in January this year. Thank you Maria, your second biscornu finally arrived and it was well worth the wait.

That's it for now. Will publish more picture soon and I promise I wouldn't take another year to do it, lol! Thanks for stopping by.

Sandrajay