blasts from the past and S.A.B.L.E. giveaway

I know, two posts in two days...either feast or famine with my wee blog : ) I was looking through some photos of vacation yesterday, this being one--one thing they have lots of in PA is corn--and remembered that I had taken pictures of some cross stitch in my parents' house that I gifted them over the years.

I'd like to say I remember the names of these designs but I don't--I think the blue house pillow was from a cross stitch book. The other pillow is a Prairie Schooler design but I don't know which one. My DD thought it very odd that I was photographing pillows.

Kinda difficult to get good pictures of framed pieces because of the flash/glass interaction, but I took a few anyway. This is the Goode Huswife's 1824 Penny Rug sampler, one of my favorite pieces that I've gifted to someone else. At least it's still in the family : )

and another Goode Huswife piece,

Pennsylvania Quilt Pincushion (I think).

I heard from Mayte that she did receive my replacement BBD exchange (whew) but I will have to wait to borrow one of her photos since I neglected to take one myself.

On to what I'm sure you've been waiting for, the giveaway! I've been on a list-making spree lately and that included a list of my current WIPS and charts waiting to be stitched. This as you can imagine was a bit scary--about 15 WIPS/UFOs and some 56 charts as yet untouched, and another pile of charts of things already stitched. So I've hit S.A.B.L.E., I'm sure...and there are things due to be released at market that I've already decided I cannot live without, SO here's the giveaway--and since this photo will not cooperate, a list:

1) BBD Peacock Pinkeep

2)The Goode Huswife Raven's Roost

3) The Primitive Needle Follow Me

4) LHN's Poinsettia House

5) Carriage House Sampling's Samplers in Miniature

6) Notforgotten Farm's Pennsylvania Pillow

7) La D Da's Mocking Bird

8) Carriage House Sampling's Matter's Choice

9) Carriage House Sampling's Fall's Gifts, and

10) Stacy Nash's Liberty Sewing Pouch.

If y'all want individual pictures of any particular chart on the list, just let me know. I've stitched most, not all, of these. Though I have a harder time parting with things not yet stitched since I always think, maybe someday... some of my others which have been in my possession for years (decades?) will no doubt be offered up later this year. If anyone is interested in this batch, just leave a comment on this post. I will draw a winner in one week on next Sunday. Good luck!

no time and too much stuff to do in it

(if that even makes sense). This pretty much sums up my existence at this point. Things be a bit hectic. Between the kids' school stuff, work (inconvenient and often boring but unfortunately necessary), volunteer activites, and a house that needs cleaning no matter how I try to ignore the problem, there's the fact that I've signed up for a zillion exchanges and need to stitch for my BF's birthday, DD's birthday and the school's annual fundraising auction. It's so bad I actually dragged out a calendar and made a stitching schedule. My blogging and blog-reading and commenting have definitely gone by the wayside!

I have a (very few) things to show. I did do a lot of stitching during vacation but I think many of those finishes will end up being exchange pieces, so I won't show them here at this point. I didn't go too crazy at my favorite cross stitch shop in Reading (about two minutes after we walked in the door DS asked when we were leaving) but I did pick up a few BBD patterns--one of which was the Peacock Pinkeep above-- and indulged in some Belle Soie for the first time (which I love). I also finished a few WIP's including this little Goode Huswife quaker.

I hope to have some exchanges to show soon. I had to stitch a replacement piece for Mayte for the BBD exchange since this went missing, much to my distress (although, according to the post office records, it was delivered, Mayte never received it--she lives in an apartment complex and I am afraid someone might have stolen it). I sent the replacement piece with signature confirmation required, but she never received the notice (although, again, according to the P.O., a notice was left). I hope the second turns up since I don't know if I can produce a third!

Thanks all for letting me rant. I promise the next post will have more stitching and less complaining : ) At least the weather's cooled off...and only a little over a month until Halloween!!

bad bad blogger

That's me. I have been back from PA for a week and just have had too much stuff to get caught up on to make it to the computer--and DD and DS are back at school, so unless I happen to be up at 5am or thereabouts blogging might be scarce. I did want to show some exchanges I received--here is my gift for the Blackbird Designs exchange from Laura R., Pumpkin Blossom, front and back....


and two biscornus received from Michelle for the Please Pass the Biscornu exchange, one a Sweetheart Tree design and one Michelle's own design. Sorry for the crappy photos. They are both beautiful!




I did lots of stitching during vacation but haven't taken any pictures yet so I will share next time. I think a small giveaway is in order in the near future since I now have over 100 followers. Until next time...

RIP little guy

My daughter's cute little brown and white mouse, Pippin, passed away this morning. I know he was "just a mouse" but he was a sweet and funny little soul and we all grew to love him over the two years he lived with us. Rest in peace buddy, we miss you.

A fall explosion

It's August. I don't know what that means to most people but to me it means it's time to kick my Halloween fervor into high gear. I've had some help this year from the very generous Ranae (http://crazyxstitcher.blogspot.com/ --still haven't perfected my hyperlinking), whose blogoversary giveaway I was lucky enough to win a while back. Can you see all this fall goodness?! Ranae included this cute ornie she stitched as well as charts, Halloween fabric, needles, floss, a Mill Hill kit, and handmade scissor fob. Thank you again Ranae, I love everything!

I pulled out my mongo tub of Halloweenie decorations and am ready to get started! I have been finishing up some Halloween/fall smalls of years past which are finally ready for display this year.

Can you tell I'm really really tired of summer?

Finally, I heard from Catherine that she received my giveaway package...

unfortunately of the stitched items in the three packages I sent, this was the only one I remembered to photograph beforehand. You'll have to check out Cindy's and Valerie's blogs to see the rest!

That's all the news that's fit to report. Have a good weekend and thank you for all your past comments!

one last pumpkin...

is all I have to show, and then I must get off my hiney and get a final exchange out the door, as well as the packages for my giveaway winners...I have not forgotten you ladies, your goodies should be in the mail next week! Pumpkin is from an old old old xs magazine, done with a variety of overdyed floss from my stash on Sugar Maple fabrics Pumpkin Patch. Not sure how I want to finish it, a pillow maybe--ideas anyone?

Almost forgot my Please Pass the Biscornu exchange for Sheila--pattern from a French blog, stuffed with crushed walnut shells. I am pretty proud of myself on one hand for actually remembering to photograph an exchange before it was mailed, but I can never take a decent photo of these little things.

That's about all. I'm in town for another few weeks and then it's VACATION in Amish country!! Wot Wot!! Can you tell I'm ready ?

Pumpkins in July

Greetings to those of you who are still following this blog despite my absences! I have wanted to post over the last few weeks but with kids and DH underfoot it has been near impossible to get near the computer or to stitch either, for that matter...

I am on the countdown to Halloween : ) much to the amusement of my family. Everyone seems to think my pumpkin frenzy is a bit premature but once the solstice has passed and the 4th of July festivities are done I am ready for fall--as evidenced by my recent stitchy choices:

Pumpkin Pete by The Trilogy--minus the words, colors tweaked a bit in accordance with what I had on hand. His shirt bears a scary resemblance to one of my DH's shirts which I am convinced is the world's ugliest

And Boo to You by Homespun Elegance, using some great hand-dyed thread from an eBay seller I recently discovered. I am working on another pumpkin from an old cross-stitch magazine and started Witch's Hill from Notforgotten Farm, but not enough progress to warrant a picture yet.

Do you like my eerie Casper pumpkin shot above? I wanted to show how big they have become, --I have four now, hoping for more by fall...

A few recent exchanges have been received by my partners. As usual, I forgot to photograph them before they were sent so the photos were all borrowed from the recipients. First off is my biscornu for June sent to Mayte at MagicXS (picture better than any I could have managed : )) This pattern was a freebie from the My Aunt's Attic blog, one of my favorites, done on antique white linen with Carries' Creations Phantasm. This thing turned out HUGE, the biggest biscornu I have ever done, but thankfully Mayte likes it..

Next is my offering for the Seasonal Exchange/Summer. This is the LHN pattern "Heart and Home" which I changed by replacing the berry basket with a flag, and the row of hearts on the top with a star, photo borrowed from my partner Tanya of the Friendship Crossing blog.

Finally, this is my exchange for Blyn for the Holiday Exchange (4th of July)--Happy Flag Flag Day by The Trilogy. This was my first attempt at a pinkeep and I am pretty happy with how it came out.

Thanks everyone for letting me borrow the pics, I am really going to try to remember to photograph my next exchanges before the mailman takes them away : )

I also wanted to thank Staci (Snippets and Stash) for her 400-follwer giveaway which I was lucky enough to win and which I received over the weekend.
There are some cute buttons, rickrack, napkins and note cards, among other things. Thank you Staci, this really cheered me up!

Until next time, happy stitching!