It's almost Trick or Treat Time!

Hello Everyone!
The last week during the day here in Northern California, I can tell that the air is getting a bit more chilly:) And we are not to have rain till November.
No update for Bothy Thread Cut Thru SAL for the last 2 weeks. But stitching has definitely been going on here. Since my last post I had been working on 2 secret projects and got both of them all done & have dispatched to their new homes:) and I had a birthday, I turned 50:) 
My friend and an amazingly talented needleworker Lee - Notes from Under the Mountain blog, sent me a birthday package full of goodies,

Lee made for me a beautiful Beetle with special silver gilt threads. Also I received a kitted package of linen, threads and a chart to make a bookmark. A very pretty stitched bell flower fob and something extremely special......

 "The Coromandel" designed by Lee's friend Ann Brocas

A needleroll - 36ct Lambswool Linen

In her note to me Lee said she wanted to stitch me something special. This piece reminds Lee where her and her husband Paul use to live. Her friend Ann designed this piece for the Coromandel guild Retreat (New Zealand) in 2011. All the motifs in the design relate to Coromandel, New Zealand.

Lee wrote: The Fantail birds will always join you on a walk in the forest, where one could walk between the tall Kauri trees. Archey's frog is so rare it is only found in two places one being high on the Coromandel hills.

 The Kiwi (very top row in photo) whose call we would hear at night. And the bright Pohutukawa flowers that bloom all along the coast in the summer.

The inside

Look at the beautiful stitching on the ends of the pillow top of the needleroll. 

I don't know if you can see in the photo but every individual spoke of the web - the thread has been twisted around. And it looks perfect! I'm in awe of the stitching and the finishing.

 You can imagine what I thought when I unrolled this stunning piece of needlework? Not to mention how touched I was that she made this for me and the tears of gratitude in my eyes? To see this piece in person it is truly an amazing work of LOVE and ART!

Oh Lee - I will enjoy using this and THANK YOU from my heart. It's Exquisite!!! And I love that it has such a special meaning representing you and Paul. I will treasure it.

 Sweet Linda from Stitching with my Furbabies blog sent me these wonderful charts & 2 lovely skeins of  floss form Victorian Motto Shoppe. She knew that I fell in love with Good Morning the first time she posted her progress on it. When she finished stitching it she asked me if I would like to stitch next!
I couldn't respond fast enough to her to say "YES".

 This is one of those charts for me that I HAVE TO STITCH and display it yesterday:)
Thank you sooooo very much Linda for your thoughtfulness & kindness.

 Autumn Delights - SAL with Vickie (who finished stitching hers already and it is beautiful).

 Here's my progress so far! If you haven't seen Vickie's finish please visit her blog.

I just saw that she has fully completed it. WOW!

 Mary's Sampler by Plum Street Samplers Sunday SAL

I haven't yet removed my red center placement stitch. Will do so at the end.

We are ready for Halloween trick or treaters here. Halloween is will be here next week and we usually get over 100 kids.  I so look forward to seeing all the little's (young children) in their darling costumes. Happy Halloween!  With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Christmas Ornies and SAL Updates

Hello Everyone!
Finished 2 ornaments that I had stitched 2 years ago. When I had seen some ornaments by Little House Needleworks, I knew immediately that I had to stitch them & with some changes. That was 2 years ago and finally got them completed. But first:

Congratulations to Linda - "Stitchin with my Furbabies" blog,

You won the drawing for "Snappy Sampler" by Bent Creek chart.

I will be getting this in the mail to you this week Linda.

"Gingerbread Village" by LHN

14ct adia, called for threads and "Ho! ho! ho!" by Fils a Soso

This ornament I named and added "Holly Lane" to this, because a part of my childhood we lived in the mountains. And I actually got to live on a street named "Holly Lane".

 

Our street "Holly Lane" did go up a hill and led to our house. So this was a perfect design to recall some childhood memories.

"Red House in Winter" by Little House Needleworks

14ct adia & all recommended threads

Next ornament I named "the Cabin". Growing up, everyone in our family called the house in the mountains "The Cabin". And our cabin was painted this color. Too perfect of a design to commemorate our family house from long ago.

 Finished part 2 of "Mary's Sampler"  by Plum Street Samplers. I know many of you are stitching this too. It's fun to see everyone's progress. This is my first nativity I have gotten to stitch. I am loving this sal.

 My progress on Vickie's SAL "Autumn Delight". I started on the bottom left of the design.
Yesterday I got in the mail 2 new Qsnap Huggies made by Christine that I ordered. I love them and I got them quickly. The name of the fabric for this one is Horse and Carriage. It has darling barns and apples too.

 This Qsnap Huggie fabric is called "Tinkerbell". It also has the pixie fairys - so cute.
Perfect for stitching "Fairy Hill"by  Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL with Debbie and Linda.

This weeks progress on Fairy Hill - I filled in lots of the sand on the bottom and got a good large section done, then got some mint green stitches at the top. Working on page 4 of 9.
This week is my birthday and I turn 50:) Plans? Probably a day of going out for lunch, a special dinner and maybe some shopping:)
Hope you are enjoying good weather and are able to get some stitching done.
Beautiful weather here, low 70's and sunny.  With Love and Appreciation - Annette

Ornaments and SAL's

It's October and even though it's Fall we've been having Gorgeous weather here in Northern California. Hello everyone! Wasn't it spectacular to see all the posts to support Cathey! I too was so moved with "Pumpkins for Cathey" posts.

Well I decided to pull from a piled stack of stitched mini's and "Finish" them into something.
Until I place the finished stitched piece in front of me, I have NO idea what I will be using or how to complete it. Didn't want tons of framed pieces. So I went and looked at Vonna's tutorials (HERE). I also looked at blogs for inspiration. And there are LOTS of great ideas - I know you know:)

Here we go I have a few completed items to share with you:

"Life's A Stitch" by Lizzie Kate

32ct Flax Linen

 This look is what Vonna had shown on her post on her blog. I thought I would try it. I learned to let each layer dry and place under something flat and heavy. You want a good laugh? I had my bins of ribbons, I placed my first fabric glued piece under it. Cheked on it a bit later and found that there was a ripple impression. I checked the bottom on the container, it had like rows. So I started looking for something else heavy/ flat to use, and my sister said "Turn the ribbon container upside down".....LOL it was perfectly flat. I laughed. I told her "that's using your noggin".

 

I think this is the first time that I didn't run to Joann's or Micheal's for some supplies. I used what I had in my stash. This is a 3 layered flat fold ornament. I learned how from Vonna's tutorial.

I hand stitched this pretty pink cording. I pulled it from my moms stash, so I have a represented her on this ornament.

"Candy Shoppe Ornament" kit by Dimensions. This is a felt ornament that I learned also from Vonna's Tutorials.

 

"Baked Goods"  by Little House Needleworks

32ct Pecan Butter Linen by Lakeside Linens 

This ornament is one of my Favorites and will hang in my kitchen (I think all year round) LOL.

I had the checked ruffled ribbon and placed it above to look like a mini window valance. I had some brads from scrapbooking and pulled them, added them as charms.

All the Christmas needlebooks I was working on are now completed.

"Snappy Sampler" by Bent Creek

32ct Natural Belfast Linen  and "Prim Christmas" - Nina's Threads

For this design only 2 threads are used DMC black and one specialty thread. So all the coloring you see is "Prim Christmas" thread and the darker color is the black.  

Yes this is the specialty thread used, shown in 2013 Christmas JSC Magazine page 67, for the border on The Primitive Hare's ornament "Peace on Earth". Which I plan to stitch the ornament also. 

I purchased Nina's thread directly from her on her Etsy store HERE.

If you would like to stitch "Snappy Sampler" next, please leave me a comment on this post and please be sure to tell me you want to.

My progress for Fairy Hill - Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL Monday with Linda and Debbie. I didn't get too much done as I would of liked, but every stitch counts:)

 Plum Street Samplers Mystery Sunday SAL. I am using 32ct flax linen, 2 over 2 threads. In the process of frogging all the brown dress - lol. The red dot above is my center placement.

 32ct cream linen by Zweigart and DMC floss.

And today is the start of Vickie's SAL for "Autumn Delights". Still plenty of time to join us.
Thank you for your visit. I also thank you for your lovely comments, I enjoy reading every one of them. Now I know when I hit the publish button there will have been other news I would of liked to share with you. Does that happen to you too? Until my next post...
With Love and Appreciation - Annette