Happy 1st Year Blog Anniversary to ME:) & Giveaway

Hello and early Happy Easter to Everyone! Today - March 27th (it is for me till I go to bed), I started my blog. With the help of many of you, you were very kind to me & helped me learn the how to's of blogging. I am still learning - lol. I so enjoy blogging and meeting new friends. Thank you.

 I want to celebrate with a giveaway. All you have to do is be a follower on my blog and leave a comment on this post. That's it:) I will draw a winner on April 12th. I decided on this date, due to Easter, and many of us are the cooks:) Lots to do and prepare for. I am not even close to being ready.

 Gifts for of my 1st Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway

The gifts are: a project pouch sewn by me, its 12 1/2" inches wide and 9" inches height (remember the fabrics I added to my stash in a previous post?), Little House Needleworks chart "Around the World in 80 Days", 32ct Flax linen 11" by 11" - yes plenty to stitch this chart, and all the required DMC floss to stitch it. By the way I like to add the felt flowers for decor and its a quick convenient temporary pincushion. I would not recommend that you leave needles or pins in it. Only till you put away your project. Very handy I think:) 

 Last year I came across this darling freebie chart and this year I'm stitching it. When I saw it I cracked up laughing. It just makes me laugh. Too cute.

 This is what it will look like when done. I don't know if I will be done it time but its my goal to finish and I plan to make it into a flatfold (to learn how to make a flatfold -  instructions can be found on fellow stitcher Vonna's blog  HERE).  The freebie chart is by Virginia Knutson. Last year it was on her blog and now I could not find it. But she does have lots of darling freebie charts listed on the right side of her blog. HERE. I had found her thru EMS forum.

 A total surprise parcel, I received in the mail. It was from new Zealand. My friend Lee sent me this darling box she decorated. I had to get my camera and take photos as I opened it.

 Look at how she beautifully wrapped up the little gifts. 

Can you see the sweet bunny she stitched for me on the notecard?

My jaw dropped open when I unwrapped this amazing retrackable tape measure. And it has a crystal pull and its PINK!!!

These are my Easter trinkets/treasures from Lee.

Thank you so very much Lee. You totally surprised me:)

Love you lots.

Well I wish you a very beautiful weekend with your loved ones. Spring has arrived. I did pick up some plants to add some color for Easter. One yellow Rose plant, 4 stick plants in white and purple/fushia, and 4 impatiens of white and pink:)  Not much has blossomed in our backyard yet. Just lots of green leaves. Please don't forget to leave a commit for my giveaway. 

With Love and My Appreciation - Annette

Winner of 100+ Follower Giveaway

Hello friends. A big warm welcome to every one and to my new followers. Oh my Goodness! I jumped far above 100 followers. A big Thank You to for those of you who listed my giveaway on your blogs - wow. That was so kind & sweet of you and very unexpected.

I have some photos of what I've been stitching since my last post and from this weekend mostly.

I only had one mishap. A tip for you needleworkers - make sure you always put the cover or cap back on your seam ripper everytime you go to set it down. Can you see where this is going? Oh yea! I had to frog some stitches. I took my pretty seam ripper and used it, then I set it on my lap (didn't put the cover back on). Of course when I reached for it, it slid down my lap. I went to pick it up and moved my hand around to find it - found it. When I pulled my hand up, I saw the sharp end was stuck in my hand....bleeding stopped after 30 minutes. I'm fine. So please recap your sharp seam rippers.

Some photos to share with you then at the end of post the winner is listed:)

 Finished this block on Autumn Hawk Run Hallow.

Stitching 1 over 1.

 Progress on my next block.

 This darling freebie black cat design is by Lynn B, "Happiness is Cross Stitching blog" and the chart can be found HERE.

 This darling Bunny I found thru Lee's - "Notes from Under the Mountain" blog HERE.

 I stitched this on 32ct White Belfast Linen with silk threads and DMC B5200.

I participated in an exchange on EMS (Ellen Maurer -Stroh designer) Forum. Now that we have both received our exchanges I'm sharing with you. This is what I received form Terri. The exchange was to stitch a Sachet with beads. I love what Terri made for me. She does beautiful stitching. Thank you very much Terri.

A close up of the design Terri stitched for me.

 Some new stash I picked up at Thimblecreek Quilt store in Concord California. It's a beautiful store that has many gorgeous quilts on display and is packed with lovely fabrics.

 This is what I made for Terri. Being that I had never stitched a sachet before, I first stitched the design and added the beads. Then I wasn't really happy with it. I thought I ruined the design by adding the beads. So I decided not to remove what work I had done but to stitch another design on the other side.

 32ct Lilac Linen with DMC threads

 I stitched this Lady who is embroidering on her lap (there is a scene shes stitching) and shes surrounded by flowers which I added beads to the petals. The chart I used to stitch the lady and the castle is called "The Illuminated Manuscript" featured in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine dated Jan/Feb 1990. I kept my magazines from way back. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled them out over the years for charts.

 Now I ended up making the sachet into a stitchers purse fully lined.

 And of course the Elegant Lady needed her Castle. So I stitched a needlecase and added a lute charm.

I added a pocket in the back of the needlecase.

CONGRATULATIONS TO 

"CHOCOLATES FOR BREAKFAST" - TERRI

WINNER OF MY 100+ FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY

Thank You very much to everyone who left me comments, entered for my giveaway, and for joining my blog. I so love getting to meet fellow friends who we all get to share our love of needlework thru blogging.

With my Love and Appreciation - Annette

100+ Followers Giveaway

Hello friends! I would like to Thank You for following my blog and for all your kind comments.
I now have over 100 followers. WOW! I am soo humbled & thankful for getting to meet all of you. Welcome to my new followers and to all of you:) 

 Gifts for my 100+ Follower Giveaway

To show my appreciation to you, I'm having a giveaway.  I have made a large zippered pouch (approx. 13"Wide by 8 3/4" High). I call it a project pouch. Our local quilting store downtown had recently received some new Anna Griffin fabrics. I love Anna Griffin, her prints are very old world Elegant French designs. The front, back and inside the pouch are her fabrics. The top of the pouch is a plum fabric -  I believe it is a reproduction of a Civil War print.  Also included is: Birds of a Feather chart called "Bloom Where You Are Planted", all the DMC floss required to stitch this chart and a piece of 32ct Flax linen (10x10). Oh yes there is plenty of fabric for stitching the chart I'm giving away.
To enter for the giveaway -  Be a follower on my blog & leave a comment here on this post. That's it!
I will draw a Winner on Thursday March 21, 2013.

I have been stitching everyday except yesterday. I finished something for a EMS exchange I'm participating in.  I can't share what I stitched until my exchange partner receives it.
Today our high was 77. Its warming up. They say will have 80 degree weather later this week.
With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Bunnies in the Garden & Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow

"Bunnies in the Garden" - With my Needle

32ct Lilac Belfast Linen

It is March! I know I haven't posted in a while but I have been visiting everyones blogs and commenting:) I wanted to have something finished to share with you and I DO! And a new start.

I finished Bunnies in the Garden in time for Spring. I wanted to enjoy/use these sewing necessaries while stitching other projects during the spring time.  Let me tell you the Chart and instructions were fantastic and easy to follow. If I could finish this any one can. I highly recommend Ellen Chester's Charts - With my Needle.

 Here is the Needleroll opened. It is lined with a light lavender raw duponi silk fabric.
This photo shows one sode of each the pin cushion and the scissor fob/weight. Yes mine is a scissor weight because it contains a quarter inside stitched away. I like the bit of weight so my scissors don't disappear. Haven't you've had your scissors slide away and hide from you? I sure have. I've wasted more time felling around for them, too many times to count. Can you see my little dragonfly charm?

 Here is the flip side - showing the bunnies. I stitched my initials on the scissor fob. Okay I know my ribbon on the pincushion is a bit too wide. But this is all I had color wise to coordinate with the fabric and threads. VERY first time I ever made the scrunched ribbon and making a cord....I am so HAPPY with my cord on the scissors. And I had no cord machine - YEP that's Ellen's wonderful instructions she gives us in her charts:)

 The needleroll - unrolled.

 Talk about sweating  glistening - I had to cut out my needlepage. This was a first time for me.  It contains nun-stitches all around. And I had to cut this out. I did well, thank goodness. My hands were damp while holding the scissors. I used my small thread scissors NOT my BIG scissors. I did cut too short in one part but missed the stitches:))))))))  

 "Autumn at Hawk Run Hallow" by Carriage House Samplings

32ct Linen - Flax color

Threads: DMC, Crescent Colors,The Gentle Art, Weeks Dye Works and 

The Thread Gatherer Silk

A new start for me - Autumn at HRH. I'm stitching this ALL one over one. YEP the whole chart. Okay I want to share with you my latest discovery, Oh MY I think its the best invention ever!!! Have you heard of the Graph Gripper Pattern Holder? One day I was searching on 123stitch.com website. 

I found this chart holder. I ordered it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Its fantastic for holding our small charts. Okay I take mine and fold it up showing only a small section I'm currently working on. And it stays on my embroidery hoop. Also is clamps on QSnap Frames. It was less than $6. So glad I ordered it. You might already heard of this gadget but I hadn't.

 I had seen Autumn at HRH on Nancy's blog. I think she is in France. I'm not sure. But once I saw the colors she was stitching this design in, I fell in love and knew I had to stitch it. So on her blog if you scroll down on her previous posts, you will see she has listed a chart of the symbols and threads she's using. It's a SAL. I'm behind but I'm stitching it. I love the look of the hand over dyed threads. What do you think? I am guessing since this chart has been out for a while, many of you may have already stitched this. Or maybe you have the chart? It would be fun if anyone else wants to join in.

 My book came in. This is from the Saco Museum in Maine, USA. The link is here if you would like to order it. I have flipped thru the pages and it is a beautiful book. I couldn't believe it was only $26, compared to some other books of Samplers that are over $100. This is a book I will read cover to cover, because I'm fascinated with all the stories of each sampler. 

Thought I would share a few of the pages with you so you could see the beautiful quality of the photos. I also want to let you know that I will have a giveaway when I hit 100 followers. I just need 3 more followers:) Its almost been 1 year since I started this blog. I have been so blessed by getting to meet you through blogging. It's been truly fantastic. Hope you have a wonderful week and thank you sooo much for visiting me. Always with Love and my Appreciation - Annette
p.s. I love getting to see large photos. I have noticed since my last post that these photos are really much larger than then used to be.