More Fair Squares!

Last week I received my Fair Squares from NadiaB  in the Netherlands. She stitched me a great design from a Belgian stitching magazine called Handwerken, dated Nov 1968. Amazing! The design is as contemporary today as I’m sure it was then – see for yourself…

F&S Round 15 from Nadia

Closeup of squares from Nadia

 Did you notice the matching fob she added to the squares? Cute! Thank you so much, Nadia for adding to my collection with a beautiful and important reminder of the needlecraft heritage that we share today.

I also finished another set of fair squares I received from Linda B(no blog) in Round 11. This is a really striking quaker design stitched in quaker colours. I’ve finished it very simply to reflect this, and love, loove it. Thank you once again, Linda.

F&S Round 11 from Linda B - front

Back of ornament

Side view finishing detail

 More and more Christmas stitching is popping up on stitchers’ blogs.  A hint that I need to get a wriggle on if I want anything finished to display at home over the holiday season! I’ve selected a couple which I’ll show you next post. Until then,

Happy Stitching
Pokua

Fair & Square Round 15

Hi, Stitching Friends

It’s been a little while. I’ve been stitching, but haven’t been able to show. NadiaB  my exchange partner for Round 15 reported that she’d received the squares I stitched for her, so I thought I’d show you. It’s an adaptation of Prairie Schooler’s Q is for Quilting pattern. Nadia loves quilting and I think she’s planning to incorporate her Fair Squares into a quilt, so I thought it would be the perfect design for her.

Prairie Schooler Q is fo Quilting - with slight modifications

Close up of Prairie Schooler Q is for Quilting

I moved the motifs around a little so they’d fit into a square. Really enjoyed stitching this pattern, and I’m delighted that Nadia likes it.

Happy Stitching

Pokua

Fair & Square Finishing Frenzy

I’ve been in a finishing frenzy the last couple of days. On Friday I received my gorgeous squares from Renee K, which led me to take out all the other squares that are rolled up in the drawer. Well, wasn’t there an uproar! They all complained very loudly about being neglected. So I decided to get them out of the drawer and finish them.

This is the finished pinkeep from Renee’s squares:

Exchange Square from Renee K

From Renee K - back of pinkeep

This is the finishing result of my last 4 Exchanges: left to right: Rnd 14 from Renee K; Rnd 6 from Christy; Rnd 13 from April K; Rnd 12 from Sharon V. My heartfelt gratitude to all my exchange partners for giving me such pleasure and joy. Those scrumptious colours just make my heart melt

Finished Far & Square Exchanges

Thanks to Jill and Vonna who’ve kept the  Fair & Square Friendship Exchange well organise and a pleasure to be in. Wish I could join more groups, but  right now I can only commit to 2.

 See how the newly made pinkeeps  have proudly taken their place with other items in my basket of smalls.

My ever growing basket of smalls

 And now I must hasten away! I’m preparing for an important anniversary

May your stitching  bring joy into  your life
Pokua

Fair & Square Round 6: Thanks Christine R

My exchange partner for F&S Round 6 (April 2008) was Christine R. Her squares arrived at home in Perth while I was away in Ghana, and though I emailed her to acknowledge receipt and say thank you, I wasn’t able to post a picture until now. Well, here they are – A colourful rendition of an AMAP pattern. How gorgeous is that! Such lovely colours, and the stitching was soo… neat.

A huge Thank you to you, Chris and for all the wonderful gifts you included in the parcel. :-D

I’ve been doing some stitching now – will give you an update next post. Meanwhile, I’ve been catching up with stitching blogs and admiring the many beautiful projects you’re all working on. I’m so inspired!

Happy stitching to you all!

Pokua

WIP Update – CHS and AMAP

Another month gone! How come time’s passes so fast when I’m on my year’s break? Not fair – it never happens like that when I’m at work! On the stitching front, I haven’t done a whole lot this past month, mainly because I’ve been attending to my Mum, who’s been quite unwell these past 3 weeks. It started with extreme nausea/vertigo which landed us at the hospital emergency and which turned out to be a middle ear disorder. On top of that Mum had to fast for three days in preparation for a colonoscopy. This proved too much for the 74year old, and she collapsed – another rush to emergency. Happy and relieved to report that she’s on the mend now. I was going to travel back to Ghana with her on 29 March, but we’ve had to postpone our trip to mid-April. 

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to:

a) progress on Virtue Sampler Series, CHS - I’m stitching Love, Faith, Hope and Charity together

b) started the Stitcher’s Heart, AMAP to add to my redwork collection

Sorry about the dark pictures – it’s raining here in Perth today. First signs of transition into autumn…

c) finished my Fair & Square exchange piece for my Partner Christine R – but can’t reveal anything yet.

I’ve also created a separate page for the F&S exchange – click on the tab at the top of this page to get there.

Happy stitching

Pokua

Thank You Dani!

My Fair & Square Round 3 Exchange partner Dani stitched me a gorgeous Elisabeth’s Designs Full Moon. Well, look what happened to it….

 

 

Merci, Beaucoup, Dani - Thank you very very much I shall treasure it always…

I’m working on a couple of other projects  - will show some progress soon. Having a ball with my stitching right now

Happy Stitching !

Happy 2008!

Dear stitching friends

Here’s wishing you all a great stitching year in 2008! My thanks and appreciation to the many cyberfriends I have made in the last 6 months with whom I share the love of stitching and creating. May your stash double and your stitching times be filled with friendship, sharing and joy.

I’ve had a month’s retreat for Christmas and New Year. The preparations were frantic, but I cannot express how much joy it gave me to catch up with family and friends. I now start a year long leave from work for a well-earned break. Early in 2007, I had a health scare which forced me to review my priorities. I decided then that I needed a bit of time out to smell the roses and rediscover my mojo. Well, that time has come…. I have some travel plans, but I’m not committing to much… Hoping to do much more stitching, hanging out with friends here in Perth, catching up on my reading and whatever else comes my way. One of the things I’d really love to do in 2008 is to attend a stitching retreat, so if you know of one happening in July-Aug, please pass on the details.

I haven’t done much stitching, but I did receive many gifts during the festive season. These are the gifts I received from my Fair & Square Round 4 partner, Kim.  A beautifully stitched redwork, dark chocolate covered mint Altoids, LHN  Necessities Sampler and the threads to stitch the pattern. I’ve been truly spoilt by my F&S partner, don’t you think? Thank you very much, Kim.  This piece will be a part of my Redwork collection which I’m starting this year!

Happy Stitching ;)

Fair & Square Round 3 – Dani!

Happy, happy dance! Ooh, look what the postie brought today from Dani my Fair & Square Round 3 exchange partner. The neatest gifts! I am so very lucky! Thank you so much Dani. The pattern, the stitching, the choice of colours have just been so elegantly put together. The addition of the extra DMC threads are so thoughtful of you… Thank you, Dani I love them

Fair & Square Friendship Exchange

 I showed you previously the exchange piece I received from Vicki in Round 2 of the Fair & Square Exchange. Vicki has broken her left wrist -not good for stitching. Hope you get all fixed up real soon, Vicki.

I did forget to take a photo of the piece I made for her but you can see it posted here on the F&S Exchange Blog. Needless to say, the exchange was soo… much fun, I’m hooked! 

My Fair & Square Round 3 partner is Dani. Can’t show you what I’m stitching for her, ’cause we need to keep her in suspense for a wee while yet

This weekend I finished Vicki’s piece into a pinkeep. Take a look! So Delicious…… Full Frontal, Back view and Side view. Absolutely love it  Thanks a million, Vicki.