A Few More

I found a few other choices for LK's ABC Lessons:
Antique Almond
Silkweaver Days Gone By
(slightly lighter than the Antique Almond)
Picture This Plus Sterling
(very, very light gray)
Purple Rose Minister Linen
(very light pink)
and of course the Stormy Skies (below).

Calling All Opinions!

I dug through my stash of fabrics last night to see what I could come up with for the Lizzie Kate ABC Lessons. It was a choice of off white, white, or this:

The floss is Crescent Colors, and that wad
on the far right is all the DMC colors in a bundle.
The fabric is Silkweavers Sudden Storm
28ct Cashel Linen. Does it look too dark?
I've been doing quite a bit of stitching on TMQ. I'm finding out that it's certainly going to be uniquely my own, as I'm having to change the design in order for it to fit in the center part of the afghan. In stitching the "quilt squares", I've already changed colors and will probably be changing some of the colors for the center motifs as well. Here's what I've done since my MM update:


And another view:
More WIP pics can be seen HERE.
Incidentally, I found out that I might need to go back to remedial kindergarten (lol). After completing the "H", I happily stitched half of the next letter "J". Whoa, wait... A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.... I! Doh!

Marvelous Monday Update 12/28/09

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I went to my parent's for the usual holiday feast. I actually talked my Mom into "posing" with the food she made. Yummy stuff! The weather turned bad toward the evening, so all of us cleared out pretty early. Ice and snow doesn't make for good driving!



WEATHER
Over the holiday weekend, I shoveled snow three times. The first snowfall yielded 3", and the 2nd was between 6 and 8". The following morning was another dusting. At least it was the light and fluffy stuff. We're not due to get anymore snow until March... lol, I wish. Our next snowfall is due on New Year's Eve.


STITCHY STUFF
I managed to get quite a bit of stitching in over the snowy weekend. I started and finished this:

Candy Cane Wishes
Designer: Plum Pudding Needleart
Fabric: Silkweaver 32ct Wintergreen Luguna
Fibers: DMC
Time: Approx 5 hours
Anyone know how to get the little red fibers out of the fabric in the upper left corner where I had to frog?

I also finished this:

Flower & Bee
Designer: Annalee Waite Designs
Fabric:
Fibers: GAST, DMC
Lastly, I worked on TMQ and did quite a bit of the border. Ironically, I stitched on it while it was snowing (all day!) and was watching Day After Tomorrow.

Wish me luck. I *really* want to finish this
before the end of 2010.

Laurel's Stitchery is having a 25% off sale until the end of the year, so I got something off my wishlist:

Now I just need to get a pretty fabric to stitch it on!

CSE Advent Exchange

This year I decided to "mix it up" a bit and participate in an Advent Exchange instead of my usual 12 Days of Christmas Exchange. I received a package from Cyndi in CA on December 1st - Just in time! :)


All the little gifites are under my tree.


AND ON CHRISTMAS DAY
A very cute snowman kit from Janlynn:



LAST ONES
I don't know where I went wrong, but somewhere I didn't photograph a giftie and I don't know which one it is. Anywho, two sets of gift bags and floss...




DAYS SEVENTEEN, EIGHTEEN, NINETEEN, & TWENTY



DAYS FOURTEEN, FIFTEEN, & SIXTEEN
Meari had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb...
a lamb (sheep?) finger puppet, DMC Linen Floss,
and Carries Creations Floss.


DAYS ELEVEN, TWELVE, & THIRTEEN
The mini whisk got the best of me.
I "felt up" the package and couldn't
figure out what it was, lol. Cute little
spool of ribbon, and a Gingerbread
Christmas ornie.


DAYS EIGHT, NINE, & TEN
A Tropical Paradise Calendar (Boy, what I wouldn't give to be in a tropical paradise right now! A girl can dream, can't she?!), Pair of Festive Christmas Socks (Guess what I'll be wearing on Christmas Eve?), and a paintable Sleigh ornament


DAYS FIVE, SIX, & SEVEN
I think there was a Santa theme here :)
The star Santa is paintable -- I'm looking forward
to decorating it up. Plus, another skein of Carries
floss. Can't have too much floss!

DAYS THREE & FOUR

Cute snowman cube note pad and
a skein of Carries Creation floss in a
Christmas-y color. Very nice!

DAYS ONE & TWO
A pedicure set in a pretty blue color, and a
Stitch & Hang Santa ornament. These are
great little patterns for on-the-go projects. :)

Thank you for all the gifts, Cyndi!

Marvelous Mid-Week Update

Mel has FINALLY received the ornament I stitched for her in our private exchange. (I was worried those sled dogs were on strike!) Here's what I stitched for her:

Design: Joy
Designer: Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct Hand-dyed Linen (don't know what kind)
Fibers: Six Strand Sweets, DMC, Kreinik Blending Filament
Embellishments: 1/4" ribbon

I know a couple of you asked how I did the edging. It's called Ruched (Runched) Ribbon. I didn't take the time to sew the ribbon on by hand. I glued it on instead and held it in place with straight pins until it dried.


PIF-FY MAIL!
A while back, I signed up for a PIF on CJ's blog (Tea & Stitches). Just in time for Christmas, it arrived in today's mail! I absolutely loved everything she sent me.

... a handmade card from Italy! I'm always in awe the time and talent these ladies put into making cards. Colored head pins -- Great for embellishing pinkeeps and ornaments. Cute little lady bug charm. Six Strand Sweets Floss (Wintergreen) in an adorable handmade pouch envelope. 32ct Evergreen Opalescent Luguna fabric -- I've already cut a piece off this for an ornament I want to do :) A pair of 3" Wescott scissors. They are so cute!


But wait... there's more! Don't you just love handmade gifts? I know I do

Baked Potato Bag -- I can't wait to try this. CJ says it works really well. Beaded Bookmark by Lady Sophie. A crocheted dishcloth. I have a couple of these from my sister. They work wonderfully.

Thank you, CJ. Your PIF is really appreciated.