Seasonal Exchange for Barbara

I was really delighted to hear that my very last Seasonal exchange had arrived to its destination today Barbara and I have been doing this for a whole year - this is the last one, and I have really really enjoyed it, finding something that Barbara would like has been real fun, and I am really sorry it has all come to an end.

Barbara was the blogger who encouraged me to start blogging, many many moons ago, and we have become good friends ever since.

For our last one I stitched for her 'Dutch Strawberries' by Goode Huswife, what with her living in The Netherlands and strawberries are very summer season. I so loved how Nina had finished her fobs a while ago, I copied the finishing style LOL!

I have stitched it on 40ct Creme Brulee and have done it 1 over 1 (petit point style - as I have been asked about 1/1 on 40ct before, I don't do full crosses my poor eyes just wouldn't be able to take it LOL) I have used the recommended DMC threads and I used satin ribbon for the fob top and a little for the floss tag part to hold the ring in place. The back has a toning MODA fabric which toned really well with the colours and I am really happy that Barbara liked my choice. The little fob is only about 3 - 3.5 inches long and about 2 inches wide, I had such fun doing it I want one for myself now.

Final Seasonal Exchange from Barbara

Isn't it lovely!!! This is the wonderful summer exchange piece I received from Barbara, this was our final seasonal exchange and I am sad to see it end as I have had as always a wonderful array of Barbara's wonderful stitching and finishing an I have so enjoyed it. Unfortunately I can't show you what I have stitched for her as its not quite finished yet,but I am rapidly catching up with myself over my PIF's and exchanges.

Barbara, handpainted the wooden box in a pinky red colour and has stitched a Mary Garry design for the top, as she knows how much I like MG. Inside the box, which I forgot to photograph was a wonderful thread winder with 2 houses on it, in rememberance of when we first met which was doing a neighbourhood RR, many many moons ago.


I had a lovely holiday and have come back with quite a tan which makes me look healthy and glowing LOL!! I am trying to get myself into a new sort of routine, which does involve lots and lots of stitching!! My sister Helen came over to visit just before I went away and has given me a new hairstyle which I love, getting your hair done always makes you feel so much better doesn't it!!

Thankyou again to you all for your continued visits and comments and emails, its been really nice to know that you are out there, and thankyou too to a couple of lovely ladies who have extended me invitations to visit, I was very overwhelmed by the lovely kind thoughts of you all.

Seasonal exchange - Summer

A while ago I was invited to join a Seasonal exchange where we are given a partner to send to for a whole year, the first time we send is a secret to your partner (like the posting below with Claudia, she is sending to me), but of course for the 3 others after that, they know that its you sending to them. I was given Nicki as the person I was to send to and I was truely delighted as we like a lot of the same type of designs and I knew it would be fun to stitch for her.

Now I knew that Nicki was a lover of 1/1 and of redwork, so I really wanted to at some point in the exchange stitch something in redwork for her and I deliberated whether I should do that for Winter, but I changed my mind as I found the cutest design by L'R de Rien in my stash and decided that it would be perfect. Its very small when done 1/1 especially on 32ct linen, it turned out about almost 2 inches in size. I wanted to finish it as a hornbook as I had an itsy bitsy wee one that I wanted to use. Nicki emailed me yesterday to let me know that it had arrived and that she really liked it so I was quite chuffed that she did.


I would like to thank everyone thats sending comments my way and visiting my blog I see a few new names are appearing and I am so pleased that you like to visit my blog, it really makes blogging more fun when folks visit - Thankyou to all my visitors old and new!

Wonderful surprise

I got up this morning feeling distinctly green and not well at all - so much so Mark said not to go to work, so I went back to bed after a few visits to the loo! To be only woken up by the postman, not 30mins ago, and oh how I feel so much cheerier now, I opened the envelope that he handed me and saw it was my Seasonal exchange, from my secret partner who is now longer a secret, I have admired my partners blog for a very long time now as she stitches and creates some very beautiful pieces and this one is no exception, and LUCKY ME, I get to receive 3 others from her throughout the year- yippeeee!



I will leave you in suspense no longer as to who she is, its Claudia



Thankyou so much Claudia for this beautiful set of summer stitching I will cherish it very much and thankyou to for all the lovely stash goodies that you sent with it I much appreciate them.

I was when I got in from work tonight going to continue showing my holiday stitching, but it can wait as this really deserves a posting of its very own!