Birthday Exchanges

This year I’m into birthday exchanges. So far I’ve signed up for an exchange with Gaby (January) and with Patti (April). Gaby let me know she received her birthday package a few days before her birthday, so it’s OK to show and tell. This is what I made for her

 

Biscornu for Gaby, birthday exchange Jan 2010

Biscornu bottom

Desig:  biscornu freebie from Sablaise
fabric changed to red (Gaby’s favourite)
black and white threads and beads to match

 

The second item I stitched was chosen from Gaby’s wishlist of Christmas ornaments:

Pinkeep for Gaby’s birthday exchange

Pinkeep – Shepherd’s Bush design

Design: Shepherd’s Bush (Just Cross Stitch 2007 Special Christmas Issue)
fabric – cream Belfast linen
prescribed DMC alternative threads
embellished with heart bead and angel charm

 

I’ve  been browsing more than stitching this last week, but I’m making sure I have time to work on Patti’s exchange – don’t want to be late for that –  my deadline is mid-April so it gets to the UK by end of April.

If any one would like to participate in a  birthday exchange with me, please drop me a line. My birthday is in May

 

I’ve visited so many craft sites on my Magic Carpet with the One World One Heart event and I’m really having fun checking out the many and varied crafts people are into. It’s simply amazing how generous crafters are.

Wishing you many happy stitches this coming week :wink:
Pokua

I’ve Fallen in Love!

I’m completely smitten …

Lizzie Kate Green FlipIt 2010

 I’ve ordered the first three releases through Stitching Bits and Bobs, where they’re on sale and I can’t wait until they arrive!

 

I’ve also fallen for another new release, a  Spanish pair…

Raquel Blasco Wonderful Village 2

 

Raquel Blasco Wonderful Village 1

 These are available from Jardin Prive – ooh! I can feel a stash enhancement experience coming on!

I haven’t been stitching much this week – been busy on my magic carpet visiting all the blogs participating in the One World One Heart Giveaway (see my giveaway in previous post) which will be drawn on 15 February. I’ve managed to put in a few stitches in my DT – Marriage of the Minds, though! Will show you next time.

In the meantime, wishing you all Happy Stitching
Pokua

Giveaway for One World One Heart

Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver the other gold

 

I’m participating in the 2010 One World One Heart Giveaway because  I support that philosophy wholeheartedly. It’s the reason I blog -  to make friends and connect with stitchers and crafters from all over the world with whom I can share the joy of whatever it is we enjoy together. You can find out more about the One World One Heart movement on Lisa a Whimsical Bohemian’s website.

I warmly welcome all those who stop by to visit. If this is your first visit, please feel free to introduce yourself and leave a link to your blog so I can pop in and say hello.

Here’s what I have to giveaway:

Edited to add:
Readers please note that the second item in this giveaway (Little House Needleworks Moon and Stars) is a cross stitch chart only, not a stitched piece.

Drawn Thread’s Pearls and Rosebud freebie. I stitched this into a scissor fob on pink Belfast, using recommended threads. Embellished with a pink silk hanger and  pink and silver beads & charms to complete the tassel.

DT - Pearls and Rosebud scissor fob

Pearls and Rosebuds close up

Bead work and tassel

Chart – Little House Needleworks’ No. 10 –  Moon and Stars (gently used, but in as new condition)

LHN Chart No. 10 - Moon and Stars

If you’re interested, please leave a comment on this post only with your contact email. 

The Closing date for the draw is midnight GMT Sunday 14th February. I will announce the winner on Monday 15th February.

Don’t forget to pop over to the Whimsical Bohemian’s website  to get on the Magic Carpet and visit the hundreds of bloggers who are participating in this fabulous event. Last time I looked there were more than 570 680 blogs listed.

Happy Stitching
Pokua

Happy Australia Day!

Wishing all my fellow Aussie stitchers and crafters a happy Australia Day. It’s a fantastic day in Perth today 32 deg and blazing true blue skies We’ll get the barbeque going for dinner on the patio when things cool down in a little while.

Australian Flag - symbols explained

Hope you can fit a few stitches in with the Celebrations
Pokua

Framing Experiences

Hi, Friends

In November, I ordered a couple of frames over the internet.  As you know, taking stitched pieces to  a framer’s is an expensive business and I was looking for a cheaper alternative.  So, I found a couple of framers online that are prepared to mitre cut the moulding to customer specifications. No problem, I thought! Except no one told me how difficult it is to select a colour, size and style of moulding that will actually suit the stitched piece when all you’ve got to work with is an online photo of the moulding I tried and have had some success and some not so good result. Check them out…

Frame No. 1 …

Kindness Samlper Framed

Close up of framing

Rustic look, dark wood with fine black edging. Love the finished effect!

Frame No. 2 …

Willie's Quaker No.7 framed

Close up of frame

Beautiful frame, but  not wide enough me thinks Or is my perfectionisim showing here?

All in all, I’m rapt that I can buy pre-cut moulding and frame myself. Both frames cost me a total of about $Aust 45.00 including postage, which means more $$ available for stash acquistion I’ll gettter with practice. My lesson here is not to be afraid to buy a wide frame!

It’s been scorching here in Perth; we’ve had a couple of days over 4o°C and a couple of others over 35 °C over the last week or so. I’m afraid my roses are not too happy with that kind of hot, so they’re not looking so elegant. My pot of pizza thyme, on the other hand, is thriving on the patio

pizza thyme

 

On the stitching front , these are the WIPS I have going at the moment …

1. Birthday exchange stitching for Patti ( just started)  – Birthday exchange for Gaby left Australia last week
2. Primitive Needle’s Earth Sampler
3. Primitive Needle’s Of Female Arts
4. Drawn Thread’s Marriage of the Minds – you can follow my progress on the 2010 Weekly SAL

Until next time,

Happy Stitching
Pokua

Off to a Great Start!

Hello Fellow Stitchers!

Hope you’ve all survived the Christmas festivities and are now firmly planted in the New Decade and the New Year. I had family visiting from overseas over the holidays and  only had the 3 days between Christmas and the New Year off, so couldn’t devote as much time as I would have loved to my stitching. I did have the time, though, to ponder and acknowledge the many aspects of my life for which I’m deeply grateful and to note those areas that I need to pay more attention to. Like my  friend Myra I’m not too good on the stitching goals and resolutions, but I do have a couple of new activities for 2010 that I’d like to share.

Firstly, I joined Gaynor’s  2010 Weekly SAL to keep me on track with my Marriage of the Minds (25th anniverary) project. After a trial on 36 count fabric, I decided to return to the 32 count. My eyesight is not the best – that’s my excuse, anyway Right  now I’m waiting for my new prescriptions to arrive and I think MOTM is too big a project for me to undertake on 36 count when I’m not used to stitching on the higher count. If you’d like to follow my progress, and that of quite a few other stitchers, do drop by the  blog and visit. This is my progress so far

Week 1: 4-10 January – finished the house and topiary on left hand. Not much, I know but I had a very good reason.

DT Marriage of the Minds - Progress Week 1

The next project is a birthday exchange that I have with Gaby. Her birthday is at the end of January, so I’ve been very  busy stitching and finishing her exchange gifts. Sorry I can’t show you what I’ve  been up to until Gaby receives her parcel, which will start it’s long journey from Australia to Germany  in the next couple of days.

If anyone wants to do an exchange with me (my birthday is in May) just drop me a line.

I also wanted to share with you my Fair & Square Exchange Round 16, the last one in 2009

Received from Mairi G (the crafty camel) in Melbourne. Thank you, Mairi.  Apologies for not posting about this earlier – just love the cute little bluebirds

Fair Square from Mairi G

and as Mairi is well known for her love of bright colours, this is what I sent her:

Fair Square from me to Mairi G

Many of you will recognise the pattern as a freebie from Maryse, stitched in Anchor Variegated 1349.

I have a couple more projects on the go which I’ll show you next post. I’m off to Melbourne on Wednesday for 3 days doing a workshop for auditors. Will catch up with you all when I get back. Until then,

Happy Stitching
Pokua

Happy New Year

Hello Stitching Friends

Wishing all of you a safe, happy and successful year in this first year of the new decade. I want to say thank you to all those who visit my blog and to express my appreciation and gratitude for the many friendships and  kind and generous people I have come to know through this blog and through our shared love of stitching and craft.

Last night was a quiet night for me and my household. We had a great dinner before my two young adult children and neice (visiting from Geneva) left for New Year’s Eve parties with friends. This morning I woke up early as usual to have a cup of tea on the patio, enjoy a bit of quiet time (aka stitching )  and contemplate life. It was such a lovely morning and absolutely the most fantastic start to the new year.  This is my view of  New Year’s Day as I stitched Earth Sampler and listened to my favourite radio station (Radio National)…

New Year's Day from my patio

I received the most awesome gift of a wifi digital radio for Christmas… I can get thousands of stations on this!

My Christmas present from family - a wifi digital radio

Got to go now… off to New Year’s lunch

Happy New Decade, Happy New Year and Happy Stitching
Pokua

Birthday Gifts and Finishes

Hi, Friends!

A couple of weeks ago I received a mysterious little package in the mail. I didn’t recognise the sender and I wasn’t expecting any exchanges or purchases

Well, it turned out to be a belated birthday gift fromPatti. My birthday’s in May, mind you but Patti, being the kind and generous person she is, insisted and am I glad she did Just see for yourself!

Gifts from Patti - tree ornament and magnet from Primoriginals

Close up of Primoriginals magnet - Cute!

Thank you so much, Patti for such beautiful and unexpected gifts I love and treasure them!

On the stitching front, I’m happy (and relieved!) to announce the completion of PS-Farmer’s Market. Whoo Hoo! My notes say I started this project on16 August 2007. Don’t ask me why or how it took so long – I have no idea! The finished work is just what I’d hoped for and I love it!

Prairie Schooler Farmer's Market - from A

... to Z

and in between

... from afar

I stitched it on 32 count antique white Belfast using the DMC threads. The only change I made was to place the last square (numbers) in the middle of the last row. The finished piece measures 15 5/8 in (39.5cm) W x 5 1/4 in  (13cm) H. Such rich and varied colours – reminds me why I love PS patterns.

I do hope Christmas preparations are going well for all of you. My DD returned from her European trip a couple of days ago. She’s the chispa in our lives and I’m so glad to have her back after 2 1/2 months absence. Well, until next time…

 Happy Stitching
Pokua

Tiny Treasures

Hi, Friends!

I’m really disappointed that I haven’t been blogging much lately, and I’m envious of all those giveaways I’ve missed

I participated in the needlebook exchange for Tiny Treasures Too and my partner turned out to be Nita, who’s the organiser. This was my first needlebook, so I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. In the end I decided on a simple pattern with a simple finish. I do hope Nita liked it.

Needlebook: Elizabeth's Designs Full Moon on 32 count Clay belfast

Inside of Needlebook

Needlebook back initialled

And I was the elated recipient of a beautiful needlebook from Renee K, who has also been a previous Fair & Square partner. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Renee, I love your style! Thank you very much:smile:

Needlebook from Renee K - Blackbird Designs on 36 count natural linen

Needlekeep inside - beautiful ticking fabric and winter white felt

gifts included with needlebook: Silkweaver Solo and Starquest fabrics

And as if the needlebook wasn’t enough, Renee added 2 lovely Silkweaver fabrics. Thank you Renee, for these goodies. It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas!

I’ve just finished a Prairie Schooler that I first began over 2 years ago. It’s hanging out to dry now so I can’t show you, but promise to do that next post.

In the meantime, wishing you all Happy Stitching
Pokua

A Quaker Finish

Hi, Stitching Friend!

I mentioned in my last post that I’d found my turbo needles. To prove it, here’s another finished piece hot off the press. It is my  pleasure to introduce Willie’s Quaker Square 7, by Monasterium Designs (The Gift of Stitching Issue 29, June 2008).

Willie's Quaker Square 7; stitched with DMC 115 on Taupe Belfast linen

Willie's Quaker Square 7 - up close

Willie's Quaker 7 - love that cheeky little bird!

This one, together with my finished Kindness Sampler, is waiting on framing supplies that need to be purchased. In the meantime, I’ve started another quaker in another colour – will keep you posted.

Happy Stitching
Pokua