And the Ornaments Continue.....

Hi again to all my stitching friends and visitors.

Today I continue to highlight my ornaments for this year.  Here is a cute little fellow I knew I had to stitch  from the first time I saw him - "Festive Owl".

Design: Festive Owl

Designer:  Holly's Hobbies

Fabric: Gray 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red satin ribbon and

green and white backing fabric

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

From here I will let the pictures to the talking:

Design: Fill with Love

Designer:  Cathy Coombes
JCS 2007 special Christmas Issue

Fabric: Gray 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Green satin ribbon and jingle bells

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

Design: Santa Sack

Designer:  CoatsCrafts.co.uk
Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red and multicoloured ribbon
Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

This particular ornament reminds me of the traditional drink sorrel which we here in Barbados drink at Christmas time.  It has a ruby colour and has a bit of a tangy taste. We dry the pods and then steep them in water until it is ready to drink. 

Design: Noel
Designer: Unknown

Fabric: Gray 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC 

Trims: Ruby red ruched satin ribbon 

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

Design: Merry Christmas

Designer:  Nan - Threadwork Primitives
Fabric: Cream 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red satin ribbon and holly

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

Design: Emmanuel 

Designer:  Plum Street Samplers
Fabric: Beige 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Cream Grosgrain ribbon 

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

And here they are all together.  For me it is hard to pick a favourite because I like them all but if I had to really choose I would choose Woodland Joy with Emmanuel being a close second.  I found that they were easy, fun and enjoyable to stitch.

So, that's my ornament offering for 2013.  I do hope you enjoyed being here and I hope you will visit again soon.

Seasons Greetings to all!!!

Seasons greetings to all my fellow stitchers and visitors!  I sincerely hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and that you are looking forward to the new year.  As usual, I had an enjoyable and peaceful day with my family.  I really wanted to show my Christmas ornaments  before Christmas day but I had not finish on time but as the saying goes, better late than never so here I am to show a set of ornaments made earlier year. First up is"Woodland Joy" designed by Something in Common Designs:

Design: Woodland Joy

Designer:  Something in Common

Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red and green grosgrain ribbon and

green and white backing fabric

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

I found this freebie pattern from long ago in my stash and decided that I must stitch it this year. Unfortunately, the site "Something in Common" is no longer available.

Next is The Prairie Schooler's a Christmas Visit:

Design: Ornament "Christmas" from A Christmas Visit

Designer:  Prairie Schooler

Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red cording and backing fabric

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

I chose this ornament because of its shape since I have never attempted a finish like this before.  It was a bit challenging but nevertheless I think I did a pretty good job but will make some changes if I ever do this type ornament again.

Another Prairie Schooler design:

Design: Motif from Prairie Stars

Designer:  The Prairie Schooler

Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red satin ribbon and backing fabric

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

I stitched this one sometime ago but only finished it this year.  I think he was my first santa ornament but I know he won't be my last as I intend to stitch many more santas from the Prairie Schooler.

Finally, but by no mean least for this post is "Biscornu de Noel" which can be found on novalee02.over-blog.com:

Design: Biscornu de Noel

Designer:  Carole

Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red satin ribbon, gold cord and backing fabric

Finished as: A Christmas Ornament

I love the backing fabric on this ornament!  It was given to me by my good friend and fellow stitcher, Joan which I found in my stash and I felt that it went nicely with the colours and pattern. By the way, you have to email Carole for this freebie.

Well, that's it for now so until next time when I will continue to show off my Christmas ornaments for 2013.

Happy Independence Day, Barbados!

Hello my dear stitchers,

The land I love, Barbados is today celebrating 47 years of Independence! Yes, this fair land, I call paradise the island of my birth is quickly becoming of age.  Despite our economic challenges, we are still striving as a nation and hopefully we can ride out this difficult "storm" that now confronts us as a people and a country. Today my prayers go out for the Government and people of Barbados that we will join together hand in hand to carry our country forward to better and greater achievements as we continue to grow.  Please see my little token of appreciation of my beautiful island, Barbados.

Design: Patriotic Heart 2013

Designer: AuryTM

Fabric: 28 Count White Evenweave

Threads: Yellow. J.P. Coats - Yellow, Black and Blue 

Trims: Cording and Blue satin ribbon

Finish: Heart-shaped Cushion

 For the occasion, I stitched, a heart-shaped cushion in the national colour of Barbados - yellow, black and blue on white evenweave.  I used the background fabric at the back of the cushion. the pattern was orginally done to celebrate the United states of America's Independence Day 2013.   You will guess by now that I changed the colours. Included in the picture above is our national flag, national flower and little items which I wear during the month of November - brooch  and handband.

And ...... here's my granddaughter, Asia, all decked out in the national colours for school yesterday!!!

I close with a picture of one of our beaches, Pebbles showing  the calming waters of the Caribbean.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

My First Christmas Ornament........

I guess by now most of you  have already finished most of your Christmas ornaments and they are put aside to hang on the tree!  Well, I finished my first ornament last week and I am ready to show it off.  This was stitched sometime last year just in time for Christmas this year.

Design: Christmas Greetings (Freebie)

Designer: IStitch

Fabric:White 28 Count eavenweave

Thread: DMC recommended

Trims: Red and green satin ribbon, 

           cording and matching fabric

Finished as an: Ornament

I have a few more to finish and also to stitch so I should be good with my ornaments by the time Christmas comes around providing all goes well in the coming months.

Well, I'm off to continuing working on my ornaments so until next time have a wonderful and stitchy
weekend!!

Friendship Exchange

Once again the HoE blog has been having an exchange!  This time it was the Friendship Exchange.  My partner for this one was Rosa C.  I choose the Cosmic Handmade design, Friends, as it was a quick stitch and was fun to finish.  As you might have noticed in my previous post, I also choose the  same design because I thought it was very appropriate for both Beverly and Rosa. I made a hanging pillow for Rosa which I hope she liked.

I also received my exchange from Mylene.  She stitched me a very cute and pretty pinkeep.  She chose a design from Lizzie Kate called Friendship grows.  I love the lace of pastel colours she used for the trim around the pinkeep. It matched the colours used to stitch perfectly.

Since I was last here......

Hello fellow stitchers,

How has your summer been in your neck of the woods? I have been enjoying the month of August so far since it is my vacation time! The summer here is hot and humid and it makes you wish you could spend the whole day at the beach under the trees.  Just two more weeks to go and my vacation will be over and then it is back to work.  Oh well, I suppose the bills have to be paid and I have to eat so off to work I go in September.  No, I haven't gone to the beach as yet but have been spending some cherished time catching up on some much needed stitching and finishing.

In my last post, I mentioned that I would have been practicing how to make cording and so I have some results to show.  I had this pattern in my stash from the Workbasket which I stitched sometime ago but only now got around to finishing it.  I decided to finished it in an oval shape and trimmed with cording. I am very please with out it turned out, only next time I will have to use thicker pieces of cardboard as the ones I used were too soft.  All in all I thought it came beautifully.

 Design: Blueflower (Freebie)

Designer: The Workbasket

Fabric: White 28 count evenweave

Thread:  Specified DMC Threads

Trims: Homemade cording, blue satin ribbon

Finished as a:  Wallhanging

Last week my friend Beverly from Trinidad and Tobago paid me a visit on her four day vacation to my island, Barbados.  We met and I took her on a tour of one of our "must see" attractions - Harrison's Cave. She is my stitching buddy and I was very glad to have her visit my island. We did lunch and shopping in Bridgetown. As a token of appreciation, I stitched her a little keepsake of her visit here.

 Design: Friends

Designer: Cosmic Handmade

Fabric: Gray 28 count evenweave Jobelan

Thread:  Specified DMC Threads

Trims: Matching Homemade cording, backing fabric

Finished as:  A Standup

I made it into a Standup for displaying which is very similar to a flat fold. I bought a Standup kit from Stoney Creek 

 The instructions are very easy and I am very pleased how it turned out. Beverly liked it very much as well.  I am seeing a few Standups in my future as I already have a few patterns I want to display.

Well, that's it for now. Bye, and thanks for dropping by!

A little stash, a new sewing machine and exchanges!

Hello fellow Stitchers

I hope that you had a lovely weekend and you were able to get some stitching done.  My weekend went well and now it’s that time once again to share a bit of stitching news with all of you to let you know what I have been doing over the past weeks!  At the beginning of the year, I had promised myself that I wouldn’t be purchasing any more stash until I at least used most of what I have here. With the tough economic times around, I thought it was the proper thing to do.  Well, sadly that promise was not kept and so I am now the proud owner of three patterns which I just had to have from some of my favourite cross stitch designers!  Well that is my excuse and I am sticking with it.  I bought Spring Has Come by the Prairie Schooler, My House  by Little House Needleworks and ‘Tis The Season by JBW Designs. I also bought me a wonderful gadget to make me some cording, a mini drill aka a corder!  Oh and I also bought some cross stitch fabric which is on the way as I speak, lol. I am hoping to start ‘Tis The Season by JBW Designs soon as it will be a part of my Christmas stitching.

There, now that I got that off my chest. I made my first set of cording with my mini drill and also some to use on my HoE Summer Exchange.  It wasn’t perfect but I know I can do a lot better with lots of practice so that is what I will do during my vacation.  I have so many projects to finish that will require cording so here’s hoping I will be perfect by the end of my vacation.  Wish me luck!!

 

My cording maker and my cording efforts

I also bought a sewing machine since my Brother machine decided not to cooperate with me on my last exchange and I had to hand sew my project.   I saw a Singer sewing machine which was going for a steal!  I could hardly believe it was going for that price, and looking so modern!  I remember my Godmother sewing on a Singer eons ago.  She would be really happy to see this new one with all the special stitches.  My, how things have changed!  I am just hoping that it is as good as those old singer sewing machines!

A modern looking Singer sewing machine

 I got word that my partner received her HoE summer exchange from me!  Roberta,  who was my partner, said that she liked my fob/cushion especially the sunflower since it remaindered her of her sunflowers on her back deck.

Design: Summer is in the air

Designer: Michelle M. Lash (Brittercup Designs)

Fabric: 28 count cream eavenweave Jobelean

Threads: DMC as recommended

                 Trims: Cording                       

Finished as: FOB/Pin Cushion

I received my summer exchange from Dawn last week. I absolutely love her little pillow, it is soooo cute! She chose to stitch "Summer-licious" by Lizzie Kate. Thank you Dawn, you did a great job. Here take a look. 

So now I'm off to finish my "Friends" exchange which should posted out this week.  I am on a roll!

Thank you all for taking the time out to visit and do have a terrific week! Cheers!!!

Breaking the long silence!!

Hello dear friends and fellow stitchers, its been such a long while since I posted anything on my blog!  I'm not proud of that by any means, however I’m back to share some of what I have been doing over the past months.  I’ve been doing some cross stitching but still need to do some finishing.  I am also stitching my Christmas ornaments and am pleased to say that I am one month ahead, yeah!!  During my long absence, there was a Spring Exchange with my group from Hooked on Exchanging (HoE).  My partner was Marie P and I choose a motif from Signs of Spring from the Prairie Schooler Book No. 163.  It was a fun stitch and I was pleased with how it turned out considering there was a lot of frustration on my part putting it together.  My sewing machine broke down which meant I had to stitch it by hand.  Marie seems pleased with what I made for her and I breathed a sigh of relief thanking God that she liked it.

Design: Motif from Signs of Spring

Designer: The Prairie Schooler

Finish: Pincushion

Fabric: Creame Jobelan Evenweave

Cotton fabric for backing

Trim: Olive green satin ribbon

I received my exchange from Linda O.  She stitched a sweet “Lizze Kate” design made into an ornament.  Thank you Linda!

With that done, I’m off to start my next exchange – HoE summer 2013 Exchange.  It should be fun stitch again. Along with that I will be doing my Christmas ornaments and hopefully some finishing to show off.

Bye for now and happy stitching!!

Sandrajay