A finish, a surprise and a new start

Yes, finally a finish again :) But ... no pictures yet. I finished a Christmas design for a friend, as a return gift, so obviously I can't show yet. Last week I have been stitching like crazy to get it done, so she can have it by December 1st.

The surprise? That's a BIG one, referring to the surprise as well to the chart. A dear friend gave me a chart as a present. She wrote to me she was given the opportunity by Michelle (HAED) and wanted to give it to me. So I could make a choice of all these beautiful designs! Ilike the great idea to let my friend make the final choice, so I mailed her my wishlist and asked her to choose. She did an excellent job, so now I can present you my future new start Foregone. I ordered the floss already, so I expect to start her in about a week or two.

The new start for today is also a HAED. Overdressed Yet Enlightened. I think it's a cute one and it has something to do with my love for China. I mean the dress, not the Duck LOL. I am going to stitch over one on 28 ct, so it will become quite a job. Can you already recognize the stick the right parrakeet is sitting on? LOL.

Apart from stitching on the Christmas design I also have finished a page on Call of the Raven. So now I am half way!

Time flies

November already, another few weeks and it is Christmas again ;) I have the feeling I have to wink my eye and another week is gone by. We had a busy week last week. Work is asking a lot of attention and I did quite some hours overtime. Yesterday my DD's bike was stolen. My DH was at work (he is a librarian, working at the library of the Court) and DD went to visit him as the courthouse had an Open Day for the public. DD left her bike outside (of course, can you imagine her lifting her bike on her shoulder and take it inside LOL ??).

An hour later she came back and her bike was gone! In front of the Courthouse, in broad daylight and even a policecar standing in front of the building. This must have been a very courageous (or stupid??) thief! DD was in tears when she came home, poor child! As she needs a bike to go to school we lent one from the local bikestore for the next days.

Today DD and DH went to look for her lost bike again, you never know, maybe the thief got tired lifting her bike (it was locked) and left it somewhere to pick it up another day. And guess what?? They found the bike, left (still locked) in another street, not far from the Courthouse.

DD hurried home to get the keyes and they took her bike home again! No damage at all, only the cable-lock was gone. The thief managed to get that open and removed it and tried to remove some other things too, like the little red and green ribbons DD had secured on her bike so she could recognize it from a distance. DD was so happy (and so are her parents, as it also saves a lot of money LOL).

On to stitch-related items. I am doing a lovely Christmas design for a dear stitching friend and I have to pay attention to it most of my stitching time. Otherwise I fear I'm able to finish it in time.

Fridaynight I was able to join Becky's SAT and I can show some progress on Chatelaine's Holland Springtime.

But I had a little time in the evenings to stitch on Call of the Raven.

Page 25 almost done (I prefer stitching from right to left)

Close-up

I also have been busy quilting on a Christmas panel. I sandwitched it and the blocks are quilted by machine. Now I am quilting by hand around the different figures.

Holidays and Halloween Exchange

DH and I have been on a short trip to Germany, last week. We fancied a week's holiday, as we used to have at the time our children were still children, but since they grow up they are more and more getting different opinions about what is fun! And a week's holiday with your parents is definitely not fun! So we compromised and left the youngsters at home and left for three days to Germany, Teutoburgerwald. We had perfect weather, no rain, a little bit sunny now and then and we enjoyed being together, preparing on how life will be when DS and youngest DD are going to leave the nest...

Of course we went out for dinner, we took a swim in a Wellness Centre and before we knew it was time to go home again. Some pictures are shown at the end of this post.

There's no holiday without stitching, so I can show some progress on Call of the Raven. But I'll start showing what I received and sent on the Halloween Exchange from the HoE board. This little treatbag went to Tracy, together with some goodies. It's a Prairie Schooler Design, Trick or Treat.

In return I received a beautiful pinkeep, stitched by Marie. She added some lovely goodies too, I sure can use them!

Call of the Raven

And I have been quite busy finishing block 5 of A Kitten's Tale. I did the embroidery during the carride to Germany and today I was able to sew the other parts of it. I have been quite productive!

And now Germany again ...

We couldn't help ourselves, had to write a postcard to them, LOL.


After some shopping we got hungry and enjoyed a 'Deutsche Bratwurst'

Corvey, here's a famous royal library with 74.000 books


Paderborn, Hasenfenster

It's been two weeks!

Last week I didn't post, simply because of the fact I had little to say and even more little to show. I have been stitching, of course, how can I not?? My major work at the moment is a surprise for a dear friend, so I can't show any progress. But there is progress!

My two HAEDs are going steady. Call of the Raven has got a little bit more attention, I have to show a progress of at least 1000 stitches at the end of each month to a Dutch group. Vibrant Vista is growing slowly and so is my quilt project A Kitten's Tale. Block 4 is finished now. And Mare let me know she received my PIF, so I can finally show the last one, also stitched over one. It's, like the others, from The Prairie Schooler, Pins & Needles. So, time to show some pictures!

PIF: Prairie Schooler - Needles & Pins

Vibrant Vista

Call of the Raven

Lynette Anderson - A Kitten's Tale, Block 4

Sunday again

These past few weeks it looks like I've only been able to post an update at the weekend. I suppose thats reality of life. The other days are filled with work, family, family, work, stitching, watching tv while stitching and of course eat, sleep and the obligated household tasks.

So here's a weekend update again! Most of my time I have been stitching on a gift. It's quite a large project and it has to be finished by November 1st. I think I can do it, but I have to give it high priority.

Last week Carol let me know she received my PIF, so two of them arrived at their new homes now. Being hooked to stitching over one lately, I stitched Carol a cute little flosstag. The design is a Prairie Schooler, Pins & Needles.

Today I spent my time doing some applique work and patching for the Kittens Tale. I managed to finish part 3:

Together the three parts look like this:

Lovely fabrics, PIF and another house

The title almost says it all! But I wouldn't be ME when I didn't make a story out of it, so read carefully :)
When I was in France last summer I bought some thimbles in Paris for a personal swap with Joan and she sent me some beautiful handdyed fabrics in return. Actually she surprised me with that, because she sent more than she should and the fabrics are from her newly released Casi Verde Collection.

I also received a PIF from Mare. Actually we signed in (a year ago) at each other's PIF. She made me a lovely fob in blackwork and added two yellow roses to it. She sent it in a cute little box, together with some floss.

And of course I have been stitching last week. Most of the time I was busy stitching on a gift, but I also finished House nr. 4 of the HOHRH. I love the way the houses look now, I finished the first row, only eight to go!

Three PIF's and an exchange

Last week I was able to sent three PIFs to their new owners.

I liked stitching over one that much on the PS Exchange I did, that I went on stitching that way on the PIF I did for Henderica. I know she must have received it by now, although she didn't let me know yet. This is what I sent her almost a week ago. As she lives in the Netherlands, like me, it arrived probably one day later. It's part of a design of Lizzie Kate, Bless Our Home (Snippet 47).

Lynn was the one to stitch me a PS Exchange and it arrived last week. She stitched me a lovely bird in greens and browns, Just gorgeous and I have to mention the thoughtful way she wrapped the package. It was a real gift!

I also received some beautiful handdyed fabrics from Joan of Sapphire Stitching. I don´t have a picture yet, but, promise, next post ...