Friendship exchange

Last week I told you I was involved in a Friendship exchange of the Crazy Exchange Group. Well, my exchange is with its new owner, Caroline, now. She told me she loves boxes, especially this one ;) the little thing on top of the box is a pincushion.

This week I have been busy stitching on HAED's Call of the Raven, but only if I finish the page I'm working on, I will get a picture of it, so be patient!

Yesterday we went to The Hague. DD and some of her friends wanted to go to Amsterdam, to visit a concert. As she is 'only' 16, we didn't allow her to visit the concert (that lasted until midnight) and come home (a two-and-a-half-hour trainride) after that. Imagine three girls in the big, mean world! So, being the greatest parents of the world, we decided to bring them by car and to pick them up after the concert.

That way they had a great day and so DH and I. We went for some quiltshops and after that we had a stroll on the beach, had dinner in an Italian restaurant at the beach (the weather was great so we could sit on the terrace!) and after that we drove to Amsterdam to pick up the girls.

Given the fact we had a long carride, I took the latest block of Red Delicious. I almost finished it! Again, a picture will come after finishing LOL

Birthday exchange with Taija , stash and a new start

In the Crazy Exchange Group, I have been involved in some birthday exchanges. Taija and I were a couple too. So a couple of weeks ago I sent her my gift to her, a bourse. The chart comes from The Gift of Stitching. I added some goodies too, but forgot to take a picture of the whole package.

Today the birthday present Taija sent me, arrived. Her package was so carefully and thoughtful wrapped, I have to show you!

She made me (what a skilled lady!) a selfmade notebook, and wrote she made it from begin to the end, all by herself.
She added some nice goodies, a piece of lovely fabric, two flossrings and pins. It was such a nice feeling, getting a birthday present after your birthday, it's like an extended birthday. Taija, thank you so much!

This week I finally decided to start a new BIG piece. Again a design of Chatelaine, Holland Springtime. Everything needed was collected some time ago, but I wanted to finish the Celtic Garden first. Now that masterpiece is at the framer's, I thought I could make a start on a new one. Updates will follow soon :)

I also bougth some new stash, I was getting afraid I would not have anything left to stitch, so I went to ebay and did some bidding on a couple of lovely charts., mostly Brightneedle Designs. Today they arrived and I am so happy with them! They all look great, so I went to ebay again to buy me some time LOL.

Exchange received and sent

Today I received this wonderful small biscornu. Najma sent it to me, we both joined a 'Winter Biscornu Swap'. No goodies in this swap, just the biscornu. And it is so dellicate, with some beads on it, and on the end a little heart and a star. The backside is different from the front, I will add a picture when the weather lets me to take some good ones.


Lisa let me know she received the Christmas Ornament I stitched for her, an exchange of the Crazy Exchange Group. We agreed not to send any goodies, so just the ornament.
I chose a design of Prairie Schooler, from the book A Cranberry Christmas. I stitched it with Belle Soie, Rose of Sharon, and DMC 3815. I used a matching backing fabric, but I've no picture. Forgot to take them, and Lisa was so kind to send me a picture of the front.



My winter Biscornu left my home today, I hope it likes its future home LOL

Workshop and exchange news

Boy, did I have a day today. Since I am a member of the Dutch sampler society MERKWAARDIG, I went to Nijkerk today, to take part in a workshop to learn some new stitches and to meet the other members. Maybe, I thought, also buy some new stash.
The workshop started at 10.30 a.m., so I had to catch the train at 07.50, to be in time.
Guess what? I didn't hear the alarm to wake me up, but, lucky me, I woke up just in time, I thought... Leaving the house I remembered promising DH to put the alarm clock at his side of the bed, because he had to go to work this morning. So I ran into the house again, upstairs, did what I promised, left the house for the second time and ran off to the railwaystation to see.... the train leaving.
Lucky me, there is a busstop at the other side of the road. I quickly walked there, to catch the bus to Central Station. Arriving there, I jumped out of the bus, ran off again to see.... the train leaving the railwaystation, just in front of me. Aaarghhh!
I always like to be dressed like a lady, and leaving the train a nice young woman told me my nylon stockings were damaged. From top to bottom of my right leg there was a railway, so to say. (Don't know the right word, but I'm sure all you girls know what I mean). Of course I didn't have a spare pair with me, so there I was, a not-so-perfectly dressed woman, arriving too late at the workshop, finding out I had to learn a new stitch I already knew. I only didn't know the Dutch name for it, 'stersteek' I only know it as an Algerian Eye Stitch.
Being I at home again, I feel I had a pefect day. I enjoyed myself, showed my lovely stitching piece Mystery XI to some fellow-stitchers, bought some wonderful stuff (show pictures tomorrow) and had some nice chats with some other members of the society.

Coming home I found out Taija received the Crazy Exchange I sent to her. So here are the pictures. I stitched her A Sampler garden, by Elegant Designs, used DMC (as charted) and finished it as a flatfold.

Autumn Exchange for Edda :)) and a gift sent

Edda let me know the exchange I did for her arrived yesterday, the same day I got hers (what a coincidence)! So now I can show what I stitched for her. Remember my complaints about frogging? Well it was on this piece. I had the front of the scissor pocket all done, when I read I should have done it with one thread instead of the two I had been using. So I continued stitching the backside, using ond thread, just to see what I liked the most.
Guess what? The designer turned out to be a great designer (Beardie Designs - Autumn Accessoire), she was right! So I frogged the whole front and did it again, using one thread this time.
This is how it turned out, being put together and sent to Edda.

A few weeks ago a fellow stitcher did something nice for me, and I thought it would be a nice idea to let her know how much I appreciated that, by stitching something for her. She told me it arrived safely :))
I made her a floss tag and a small cushion.

Jen received the Crazy Exchange I did for her. So, picture time! The picture above shows the shield I finished, a little bit too shiny! And so is the next picture, a cushion.
Both are from Brittercup Designs, Britty Kitties. I choose these two, because I know Jen is a catlover, and she loves cartoons. I thought these cartoonish designs would just fit her. Of course I forgot to take a picture of the whole exchange, I added a chart too, so I think it's okay if I 'borrow' the picture from her blog. I'm really glad she likes it!

Matchbox swap

Yes! The matchboxes I made are on its place, Pascale let me know she got them. Yes, them. We were supposed to make one matchbox, so I did one in Pascale's favorite color, pink. But finished, I was not satisfied, it was not like I had in mind. So I sent my DH to the groceries, and let him buy another matchbox (we now have plenty of loose matches, lol).

I chose a theme: blue and white. I finished the box, filled it with goodies and then realized I quite forgot it was not Pascale's favorite color. Oops, what to do? Make a third one???

No, that would be too much for me, I would run out of time and become all stressed up. So I decided to send both boxes, one filled with goodies (blue and white) and one empty (pink). Pascale let me know she likes them both, lucky me (or she?). We.

Birthday Exchange to show

Yes! Carol's birthday was a few days ago, and she let me know she was very happy with what I stitched for her.
I stitched her a tape measure cover from Nenne's Design and a fob, designed by Annemiek , The Needle's Content.

Finished!!

Wow, am I proud of myself! I finished my WIP Celtic Butterfly! All morning I stitched like crazy, and I finished it at 13.00 h. I washed it, hanged it to dry, and after that ironed it. Jumped into the car to go to my LNS where I left it to be framed, and was at home again at 16.30 h.

To give some more information: I started this WIP July 16th, 2007. I didn't work on it during winter months, because the light wasn't well enough to work on it. April 2008 I decided to work on it again. It is a design of Heaven and Earth designs, QS Celtic Butterfly I. Stitched one over one. Designsize 185 x 126, 91 colors.

Another thing to show is the Crazy Exchange I stitched for Stephanie, and she let me know she received it this morning, so now I can show pictures. I sent her a needleroll by Shepherd's Bush, Shepherd's Roll. I just love stitching them, I think I will stitch it for myself too, some day!

Holiday stitching affairs

It's too early to rise, but I awoke and it seems I don't fall asleep again, at least not in a moment. So what is a better time to update my blog?

First of all, I was sooooo happy to read Carol received my gifts. I was her partner in a Birthday Exchange, and I received a Crazy Exchange from her a few weeks ago, so I stitched something in return.All I can show at the moment is the CE, since her birthday is about a few weeks. I sent it off early, because I didn't want to take the risk she wouldn't receive it in time.

This is what I stitched for her:

I forgot to take a picture of the goodies I sent, but luckily, Carol did, so I think it's okay with her I use hers.Last two weeks in Czech Republic I had plenty of time to stitch. I finished a CE that I can't show of course until the receiver has got it. Besides that I stitched a biscornu, only have to finish it, because I didn't have fabric for the back side.

I also finished a little design of Lizzie Kate, Snippet #78 Hop Squared. Luckily I could buy a piece of fabric it was originally designed on, and I have plenty of the fabric left,so maybe I will stitch it again, to give away. Of course I have to do the finishing, I think I will turn it into a pinkeep.

I made a start with Periwinkle Design, I Love Letters Needlebook.

And I made good progress on my WIP, a design of Heaven and Earth Designs, Celtic Butterfly. I think I can finish it this summer, before duty calls again ;)

As always I took too much with me, but you never now what you are willing to do, isn't it? So the things I brought but didn't start or finish are now future plans, waiting for their turn to become WIPS ;)