A Sal - Wip & Lovely stitched gifts received...

Have you been to Hetti's blog? Hetti offers many free workshops and free designs on her blog. She is from and lives in the Netherlands. I learned of Hetti from EMS website. For 2012 Hetti has Stitch-A-Long called "SAL Delft Blue Tiles". The 1st tile was offered in January and every month there is a new one. 12 tiles in all. I started in January and completed the first 2 tiles then fell behind. I just finished stitching Tile 6. There is no sign up for Hetti's SAL and you can start at any time. Hetti's blog is in 2 languages, I honestly don't know the 1st language (I think it's Dutch) and in ENGLISH:) So if you visit her blog please look thru her posts and you will see the English words. On the left side column on her blog, scroll down a little and you will see "SAL Delft Blue Tiles 2012" click on it and Hetti has very conveniently consolidated all the tile charts together for you. All in one place. She also offers many wonderful different ways/possibilities in stitching the tiles. It's a great blog for cross stitching and learning new finishing techniques. She has step by step and with photos. Well that's a no brainer for me.

I did change the colors she used to suit myself. Hers are traditional blues with a touch of red and green. I decided to go with browns and lighter blues. I'm stitching on 28ct Irish Linen by Charles Craft. I had this linen in my stash and I remembered I did buy it from Micheal's. I'm sure I had a coupon:) The threads I'm using are: DMC 801, 931, and DMC color variations 4010, Caron's Wildflowers Azure skies and Walnut. That's it. I am thinking of making a needle roll when this project is done. I honestly am not sure but I have time to decide.

Our very special friend from New Zealand has been blessing us with her Love, Talent and Kindness...Lee. I cried when I opened her gift to me. Lee's gifts were not only for me but for my sister Nicole, and for my mother. Nicole received a the Beautiful stitched Heart ornament from Lee. The darling Blue Bird ornament pictured, decorated the outside of my gift - also hand stitched by Lee. The fabric is felt and is beautifully made. I can't believe I did not take any close-up photos of the heart and blue bird.
And this is my gift from Lee. Isn't it remarkable. Oh yes I couldn't believe my eyes, I was and am so very honored & touched. The design is called Yellow Bird, and she is stitched in chocolate silk. That's a glass stone off to the side of the cover.
Then I opened her up. Is your heart singing? Mine was. My jaw dropped open. There is a scissor holder and a scissor fob (the fob is removable). On the left side of the case there are pockets. Lee tucked some very lovely silk threads for me.

The above photo speaks for it self...

And then the lovely needlecase had yet another magical page that opened.....(a very deep sigh...)
Yes there are more pockets on the left and a flip-able needle wool page. The whole needlecase is decorated with lots of lovely silver charms.

See the crystal beaded pins.....The raised pincushion is perfect...
I don't know how Lee stitched that.

Lee sent an Angel to my mom. I think she did make this...Its so beautiful and incredibly perfectly stitched...I tell you Lee is a Master of needlework. I'm still in awe.
To Wonderful, Loving, Talented & Thoughtful Lee, your gifts of love will always be cherished and remembered by us. You know we love you but it is always great to hear & can never be said enough XXOO. That's from me , mom and Nicole..

What a wonderful week I had receiving such lovely gifts. Liz from our EMS exchange had me for our Scissor Fob exchange. Liz stitched this beautiful Hearts Design for me. How did she know what some of my favorite colors are? :))) Reds, Greens and plums...I love it Liz - thank you so very much. Hmm I guess I get to go scissor shopping for these beautiful fobs I received.

I love that Liz included her name and year on the back. Time tends to go by to fast and before I know it I think "what year was that?" I won't forget who stitched it for me:) She also made the hanger for me. I have yet to make one.

And an update on Ann Dale....
I finished stitching all the yellow and green rows below the motifs. There were lots.

I love stitching this sampler. Stitching with silk is wonderful.

Just a quick update on mom. As you know I & my sister have been caring for mom. Yes we have seen a change in her. The last time mom was in the living room, was for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. She did not see all of it, but did get to see & enjoy the festivities. Time is so very PRECIOUS with our loved ones! We are laughing and sharing wonderful memories with her. I mean we truly are making every moment count that we have left with mom. Time for tears will come later but right now, we are celebrating With Her. She is still here...
Always with Love and Appreciation - Annette in California

A Proper Finish

Hello fellow stitchers. I hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend. I managed to finish this mini sampler in time to enjoy the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. That's 60 years for a woman to hold a HUGE job in a man's world. That's impressive. And so far she's not forced into retirement. That's a miracle.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Sampler
by The Sampler Girl
25ct Cream Lugana
DMC suggested threads

The backing, I love this fabric I was lucky to have found a fat quarter. I put it to good use.
I added some glass beads from Mill Hills. Of course a Queen needs to have sparkle in her crown.
Now if I could only stitch and finish this fast on my other larger WIP'S....One can hope.
Off to stitch on Ann Dale and accompany my mom who's been watching the BBC America channel - lots of programs of the Queen's reign. Very delightful.
I wish you a wonderful week and may your needle and thread comply with your designs:)
Always with my Love and Appreciation - Annette

WIP for The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

25ct Lugana Cream
Queen's Diamond Jubilee Sampler
by The Sampler Girl
DMC Threads as suggested

Who didn't watch any of the Royal Wedding's? I sure did. I had fallen in love with Princess Diana ever since her wedding. I and lots of my family & friends, have watched all the royal weddings that were aired since. Now its the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this weekend. In preparation of the event I am stitching this wonderful cute sampler. When I saw it - I just had to stitch it. I ordered it from The Sampler Girl online catalog. It's an EPattern. As soon as I paid, I received the EPattern in the same evening. Talk about convenient! I started this wip last night. I think it will be a quick stitch, it's only 5x7. Mine will be slightly larger because of the 25ct and not 28 ct it calls for. So nice to use up my stash. You can find the EPattern here. If you want the hard copy of the pattern , you can chose to order that instead. I wanted to get it done before the festivities begin.

In USA this Monday (June 4th) and Tuesday (June 5th) morning on Good Morning America - there will be live coverage from London. And this Tuesday (June 5th) night will air The Concert from Buckingham Palace in Honor of the Queen. It's the same channel as good Morning America is on. It's all so very exciting for me. Mom loves all the jewels the royals wear and she will watch also. I'll post as soon as I am done stitching and finishing it. So get out and wear your Pearls, Diamonds and Tiara's. I plan to make tea sandwiches and order a cake:))) Have a Royal great weekend. Thank you so very much for your comments. I do enjoy reading them.
Always with Love and Appreciation - Annette

Shopping & Hand Dyed Floss

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. There are lots of sales going on. I have been wanting a good light lamp for stitching. I finally got one. Went to JoAnn's looking for DMC threads, because they are on sale this weekend, and saw this OttLite Lamp regularly $69.99 marked on clearance for $19.97. I couldn't believe it. I've been eanting a floor lamp but this fit better in my budget. I selected my threads and took this lamp up to the counter to pay. I love coupons. Yes I had my JoAnn coupons with me and I have their app in my cell phone so I also have coupons in my phone. The clerk rung up my order which came to a little over $40 dollars. Then I showed the man I had a coupon for 50% off (good thru last night) so he rings it in and my new total was $26.86. He and I looked at one another, well the coupon got to be applied to the lamp which became $9.98. He said the computer is right. I was thrilled. This is very exciting for me because I don't have very good lighting for stitching in the evening. I usually sit at the kitchen table because we have light right over head. I haven't taken it out of the box YET! But I just had to post first:) Now moving on.......
Yes, I got to hand dye my very first threads. After seeing others post on their blogs how easy it is to over dye DMC floss - I had to give it a try. The photo above shows the threads WET. I had just dyed and rinsed them.
I divided up my threads into groups of greens, pinks, and two other groups I wanted to dye in tan and taupe. I dyed today (this morning) 4 groups, using Rit's liquid dyes of Dark green, tan, taupe and a box of pink. It was very easy and quick. I had rubber gloves, a plastic bowl and a aluminum disposable pan all from dollar tree. I heated some water on the stove and poured the water in the pan in the sink, then added some liquid dye. Swished it around with a plastic spoon, then added my flosses. They turned color very quickly. Took them out, squeezed out the water, rinsed them in cold water in the plastic bowl (just for dyeing purposes only) and added some salt. SO EASY. Then laid them on paper towels on the counter. When I was done with all threads, I took a cookie sheet and lined the pan with wax paper then layered with new dry paper towels and untied the flosses and laid them out to dry.
Here are the threads all dried, well almost dried, still a little damp. I'll let them finish drying over-night. I'll make floss tags tomorrow. I love how they turned out.
This is a scissor fob I made for this months exchange for EMS Scissor Fob Exchange. The lady I made this for has received it so now its okay for me to post and share with you. Yes she liked it very much.

28ct Lambswool Linen
Design: motifs from "A Stitchers Journey" Blackbird Designs
Threads: Gloriana Silk - Twilight, Weeks Dye Works
and Sampler Threads
Beads: Crystals and mixed pearls

The year 2012 stitched on left side.
I must say I enjoy doing the beading. I have some ideas for Christmas gifts.

I want to send all our men and women who have served and are serving our country, my heartfelt thanks and blessing's to you. Many of my family members have been and currently are in our Military forces. I'm very proud of all of them.

Thank you for your comments and prayers. Mom is doing good. Yes she sleeps alot and gets tired but is in HAPPY Spirits. Always with my love and appreciation to you - Annette in California

Pretty eye candy today

Ann Dale by Shakespeare's Peddler
40ct Vintage pear linen

Hope your all having a wonderful weekend. Here is an update on Ann Dale by Shakespeare's Peddler. I had to restitch the whole top border. Now the waves are going the right way. It feels so good to have all three top borders done. I finished 1 more motif and been working on the yellow stitches all across under the motifs. It must get done:) I still love this sampler.

Stitched by Lee for Franciene
Notes from Under the Mountain blog

Lee has been brightening up my mom's days and weeks. She has stitched all these cards just for mom. The top up-close photo is called "Bullion stitch Roses". It just takes my breath away every time I get to look at it. My mom remembered seeing this stitch photographed in Victoria's 1st issue magazine. She had fallen in love with it then and had never seen any since, until Lee sent her this remarkable, gorgeous card. The card on the right or the up-close, is the flower of New Zealand's Kowahai Tree. This certainly added sunshine for my mom and did brighten her day.

This is the card on my previous post mom was holding up. Had to get a closeup photo for you. Just PERFECT in every stitch and looks Holographic to me. They are all Spectacular works of art. From the 1st moment I laid eyes on Lee's blog, I always have called her a Master Stitcher. I had no idea that she really and truly is.... That's her story to share but she did teach on National Level........just sayin. Thank you Lee for everything not just for mom but for all of us. We love you:))))) Yesterday I was notified by It's Daffycat I won her giveaway on her blog. I won business cards. I can have my name, address, email and blog printed on them. I'm so excited I've not had cards before for me. Thank you to Daffycat. Love and Appreciation to all for visiting me - Annette in California

Happy Mother's Day

Nannie (98yrs old, my Mom's Mother), Franciene (my mom)
and Aunt Pat (moms friend since junior high school)

We all had a beautiful Mother's Day Weekend. Lots of company for my Mom - Franciene:)
Aunt Pat came from Orange County California to visit mom and me:)) I've know Aunt Pat well I should say she's known me all my life. Story she just told me (mom confirmed) that Pat dated my dad during one week and told mom she had met a boy that was not for her. Later the that same week, my mom dated my dad and told Pat that she had met the boy for her. And neither one of them didn't know who it was that the other had dated. True story. My mom did marry my dad.

Now can you see the Card my mom is holding up. She received it from New Zealand. The needlework was all stitched by our precious friend Lee (Notes from under the Mountain blog). It's so spectacular I don't even know how to describe it, but it looks holographic. It's all done in the color copper, and the fabric background is hunter green silk. It's SUPER GORGEOUS!


Well Aunt Pat was so mesmerized by it, that evening when she left us, she went straight to Jo Ann's fabric store.

This is what she presented to me and my sister Nicole. Today on Mother's day. She bought supplies for all 3 of us, Yes including herself (Aunt Pat), brown silk fabric, 2 shades of gold sheer ribbons, DMC gold metallic thread, and this pretty gold iridescent sheer fabric. Our project is to stitch something resembling the card Lee sent us. Not to make it exact (as if I could....), but to create puffy butterflies and cutwork (using the ribbons) and stitch around them. Oh suuuure Aunt Pat. Nicole and I looked at each other and said "OH Okay!", with our eyes as huge as saucers. So we will see what we create in the next 2 weeks. I 'm giving us 2 weeks because normally we could get done faster (in my dreams) but with caring for mom, we give ourselves more leeway. Thank you so very much Lee for all your thoughtfulness, generosity, and for being the beautiful person you are. You make my mom feel very honored, cherished and loved. We are very blessed to have you in our lives. Now Lee has sent my mom some other cards that I have not been able to photo or post about yet. What can I say Lee is an Angel sent to us direct from Heaven and we love her. ((Hugs)) to you Lee from Mom and Me:)) Thank you to all my blog friends for all your well wishes and prayers...You are greatly appreciated and cherished Love Annette

Mother's Day May 12, 2012
Nannie, my mom and me -
Annette in California

Gorgeous Flat Fold for Me!

See the beautiful colors and sheen of threads.. Friday this lovely flat fold came to me in the mail from Chris. Chris had me as her EMS exchange partner and she's from USA Arizona.
I love the motifs and the verse. Chris I'm amazed and impressed how all the colors of threads compliments the fabric. The delicate lace trim outlines the sampler perfectly. I've not seen this design before but I sure love it.
This is beautifully made & finished. I absolutely love my treasured sampler. Chris thank you very much for all the work you put into this project. It will be treasured and admired always. I greatly appreciate it. I feel so lucky to have received this from you.
My time these days have been greatly spent caring and visiting with my mom. She was hospitalized from last Saturday - Tuesday. Her sugar levels were in the 400's (from chemo) and she needed a blood transfusion. We know now that her levels of sugar will not be stable. We have to treat each number individually. This means checking her blood every 2 hours after she eats. The most challenging part is her levels have been dropping in the night. So that means every few hours we are checking it again. Yes my sister and I are taking turns but we sleep when we can. Right now mom is feeling better because we are consistently on it.
I wish everyone a blessed and great week. With love and appreciation Annette - California