February Pincushions

Here are a couple of pincushions that I stitched recently. 

One is for an exchange. 

I hope to show you some others later today.



This is the one I made to exchange. 
It's an old Prairie Schooler pattern
that I added the word friends to in place of the alphabet letters.
I hope whoever receives this likes it.
It was a fun stitch.



This is from a BBD Reward of Merit pattern.
I didn't center it properly on the fabric,
so I had to leave part out.
Made into a cute little pincushion.

A Fine Finish From LZ

Linda - aka Super Stitcher! - finished her Mary Wigham just in the nick of time to frame it

and enter it in the WRSG 2010 Contract Piece Challenge. 

The sampler didn't win, but received many oooohs and aaaahs.

The actual piece looks much more beautiful than this photo. 

Linda used the hand dyed silks from Vicki Clayton for this piece. 

I can't remember the name of the Lakeside Linen she used,

but it is a beautiful green and goes great with the silks. 

She won a free frame at a shop hop contest and chose this one for Mary.

Great job, LZ.

I'll post more projects that were in the Contract Piece Challenge soon.

The lower left hand portion of the piece.

Sorrow

I was so sad to hear of Elizabeth Edwards' passing this week.  She was a remarkable person for so many reasons, and we all can learn much from the way she handled life.  Hers is truly a courageous life to be honored. 

I just learned within the past hour that my former next door neighbor, Terry, passed yesterday from breast cancer.  I think it was three years ago at this time of year that she was diagnosed.  I am so sorry to say that I hadn't kept in touch with her for the past year plus.  She was in my heart and some prayers.  My prayers go out to her husband, Dick, and their four boys and their families.

I have a friend who is very stubborn about things like getting mammograms, etc.  I so hope that she will reconsider.  I do a lot of the "it's easier just not to know" thing, too, so I can't be too forceful with her, but she has had enough life experiences that she should know how important this is.  Three out of the five members of my neighborhood book club are survivors.  Four out of the eight women who were at a stitching weekend this summer were survivors.  It is an honor to know these women and to learn about their experiences. 

God Bless Us, Everyone...Those who have been blessed and who have survived, and those who fought this battle and have gone on to their new lives.

The Holly and The Ivy

While battling this cold I also have finished Shepherd's Bush's Holly and Ivy. 

I started this piece last year, too.

I used the materials as kitted by SB.

There are a couple of changes on the top section,

since I didn't get the count across correct

and had to put in a couple of smaller motifs that on the chart.

This was a fun stitch, too.  Maybe I'll have it framed before Christmas??

I don't know why this photo is horizontal...I didn't save it like this.

Close up of top section...with some alterations!

Halloween Hornbook - Stitching Finished

The past week while I have been housebound with a cold I finished a couple of stitching projects.

This is the Halloween Hornbook from Plum Street Samplers.  I started it last year.  Fabric is unknown; threads are Belle Soie.  I can't decide whether to have it made into a pillow or have it framed.  We'll see.
It was a fun stitch.

Thanksgiving Tradition - Updated

One of my not necessarily healthy Thanksgiving traditions is to have a piece of left over apple pie for breakfast the day after our feast.  We had Thanksgiving dinner early here this year, so this morning my traditional piece of apple pie was made by my granddaughter, Kyle.  How time flies.  Twenty-three years old, mom of Izzie, and baker of a Thanksgiving pie brought to Gram's house.  How sweet.

Acorns, Pumpkins, and Friends

We only had five in our group today.  We missed Lenore, Linda, and Terri, but had lots of fun any way.

I made a German Apple Pancake this morning...my first ever.  Despite it overflowing a little on the bottom of the oven, it was really good, and I have the confidence to make it again.  I just got the idea in my head a couple of days ago and found a recipe online that sounded reasonable.  I continue to be amazed by the fact that anything that pops into your mind can be found at your finger tips today.  Awesome!

After a slow start, we made little stuffed acorns to fit into the burr oak caps from my nephew's yard in Northwest Ohio.  I have a lot of caps left to fill! Thanks, Jim.

We had a super potluck lunch and then made wool pumpkins.  Rose was the only one to finish hers, but we got a good start on them.  Sandy elected to continue stitching on her contract piece.  It is looking beautiful. 

We also exchanged hand made pincushions.  So much fun!  Rose fooled us by saying that she didn't have time to make one, but ended up putting a beautiful little one together...one of Lauren's patterns.  And Linda...you sneaky little one!  When Rose came and said she had two pincushions - and then explained that one of them was from you - immediately I knew what it was and I unashamedly (well, maybe with a little shame) started jumping out of my skin, saying that I hoped to pick that one.  And guess what...I did!  Thanks Linda.  That was such a fun surprise.  We all got a big kick out of it...mostly me!

Anyway, here are some photos.

 Acorns, acorns everywhere.

Pumpkins...I think both of these are Rose's.

Our pincushions for exchange.  The one I received is the Blackbird one in the back. 

Thanks again, Linda!

I just had to stitch this gal up for fun.

I finished her at 12:35 a.m. this morning!

Lots of laughs today.  Lots of good pointers on stitching, too.  And some life lessons maybe learned regarding the pincushion exchange.  Don't know if I will ever learn the one about procrastinating, though!