Friday, June 22, 2012

Stitching Delights

I recently participated in one of the Stitched With Love Exchanges.  The theme of this exchange was My Favorite Things.  The mailing date was June 8th.  I received my theme package a few days before that & couldn't have been more pleased!  We had to keep ourselves secret until everyone had received their packages so I had no idea who sent to me but today was the unveiling & now I know ... it was Greta in Indiana!

Greta really outdid herself!  As stated, the theme was My Favorite Things & we all know what my favorite things are, right? Winter/snow related stuff   : )   Greta sent me 2 pattern charts ... a Cherry Wood Design Studios chart called Snowman Kisses & a LHN chart called Sleigh Bells Ring.  Hard to imagine but I had neither of these!  Not only did she send me these charts but for Snowman Kisses she sent me the suggested Babbling Brook linen & most of the Crescent Colours the designer calls for!  The stitched item she sent truly took my breath away!  It is beautifully stitched & finished.  Look how she made it into a little stand-up!  It is absolutely gorgeous!  And as if all this wasn't enough, in the next day or two I received another package which had a Q-Snap cover of Greta's own making with a frog print fabric.  It's supposed to help keep away the frogs   : )   There was also the cutest pair of butterfly scissors as well as a thread pull-in thingie! Note how I use the correct terminology for all the tools of the trade here ... lol! Honestly, I just can't remember the name of this thing but I've been wanting one for a long time now but I never took the time to search for one myself ... probably because typing "thread pull-in thingie" in Google would've gotten me some strange results   : ) Anyway, I am forever finding myself with barely enough thread left on my needle to hide a tail so this little thingie is going to be a real godsend for me   : )   Thank you again Greta!



I was assigned to send a package to Carol at Stitching 'n Stashing.  Carol indicated on her questionnaire that among her favorite things were smalls & samplers & one of her favorite designers is BBD ... so I stitched this small cupboard tuck for Carol from a BBD design & along with it I sent a few other things ... a Stacy Nash pattern which has a garden/flower theme (gardening is one of Carol's likes), some platinum needles, 2 packages of chenille trim (we share a love for this), some hand dyed floss, & a piece of Tobacco Cashel linen.  I received an email from Carol today & she is very pleased with all she received & so I am very happy about that   : )  

Of course my posts as of late would not be complete without a few photos of daylilies thrown in.  Doug Bee must've spread the rumor that Hollywood is slinking around with a camera because I caught 2 more insects posing in the photos today!  I didn't even see them until I downloaded the photos, sneaky buggers   : )   I know the name of the first daylily pictured ... Eye-Yi-Yi ... but the name of the second is a mystery for now.  

Yesterday was eerily productive!  I did a load of laundry, washed the dishes, straightened up the house, roasted a turkey, got all but one of the medical insurance headaches off my back (for now), did my nightly 1-2 hours of watering the gardens, & stitched a small!  This morning I went outside to deadhead the daylilies.  Although the predicted temperature for the day was miserably hot with a 100% chance of even more misery, there was a somewhat nice morning breeze & I thought I'd just stay out & zap the weeds with weed killer.  I figured I might have to touch up my hair when I came in but it would be worth the effort.  I had the foresight to go inside & put on gardening clothes first just in case some weed killer splattered on me.  Well, about an hour later I not only finished spraying the weeds but I looked finished myself!  I looked as though someone had pushed me into a pool but without the refreshing look about me that would accompany something like that.  The somewhat nice morning breeze decided to disappear completely shortly after I got outside but I told myself I'd be fine.  I'm surprised John didn't need to call for an ambulance.  My bum leg & back were killing me from the constant bending & kneeling & dragging around of the 5-gallon container of weed killer.  I was huffing & puffing like an old steam engine.  I tried my best not to inhale the weed killer as I sprayed it around but at some points it couldn't be helped & I'm sure this added to the gasping for air effect.  I knocked at the back door when I was finished because I wanted John to come out to see 2 new little tomatoes that had suddenly appeared on our tomato plant. You can get an idea of just how bad I looked as he opened the door & the first words out of his mouth were "What happened to you?!?!?"  Thankfully I recovered.  Hopefully the weeds will not.  

10 comments:

Mouse said...

ohhh gorgeous exchanges you sent and received :)
and sat here giggling at your slight ermmmm watering and gardening make over .... charlie dimock of ground force we are not girl ...lol hope you have recovered by now :)
love mouse xxx

marly said...

You have such a lovely variety of lilies! Fabulous exchange on both sides. Hope your weeds wilted as much as the poor weed warrior did!

TheCrankyCrow said...

I truly think we need to swap homesteads for a season....it was briskly cool here today (never did shed the long sleeves)....can't promise I'll look any better than you did when you appeared at your back door, but heck, if it bothers John, you can take him with you to Nod. ;o But tell Doug Bee that he needs to stay outta sight....me no likey bees so much.

Sweet exchange gift from Greta - but oh, I'm lovin' that sampler tuck you did for Carol. So when is this Etsy shop of yours getting off the ground again????

Happy Weekend My Friend.....Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

(PS - What is that thread-puller-thingie really called??? I NEED one! I didn't even know they made such an ingenious invention!!!)

Vickie said...

It is always so nice to read about an exchange that went well both ways. Thanks for sharing more lovely daylily pics. :)

Carol said...

Such a great exchange, Shirley--love the little pillow you stitched for Carol (you know me and my love of little pillows!!)...And I'm eyeing that glorious piece of Polish pottery behind it, too!!

Hope things cool off down there for you--it's a wonderful 65 here right now. Our 90+ days have left us for a while :)

Dawn said...

Shirlee, Love the exchange pieces, Lainey emailed me yesterday that my partner was delayed is now has posted, I'm so anxious for my box of goodies, I'm gonna pee my pants! I was so excited to see what everyone received. Your lilly garden is beautiful.

Kendra said...

What wonderful exchange goodies!

The flowers are looking lovely as I am sure the rest of the gardens are :)

Kendra

Siobhán said...

What beautiful exchange pieces, both sent and received!

Yikes--I'm glad you survived the weed killing--hopefully the same won't be said about your weeds! ;)

butterfly said...

Lovely exchanges, lovely goodies , and yes I do love those butterfly scissors ,
now you made me want some of these. ha.

Your daylily is just so beautiful. hugs.

Patty C. said...

Love the exchanges - especially the snowmen !!!