Knitted Baby Blanket for Someone Special And Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop!

I finally finished a baby blanket for a very special couple expecting their first baby.  It was shipped off as a surprise and it arrived - along with a musical stuffed turtle that plays "It's a Small World After All".  I was so excited sending off the blanket, I forgot to snap a picture of the turtle.  (rats - its was CUTE ;)

I'm also participating in an Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop.  Click on the Bunny on my side bar to sign up and join the fun or on the link here - it's hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.

Keep yourself surrounded by stitches ~ Cheers ~

       

March Smalls SAL Project, Give Away on its Way!

Here is my project for the Smalls SAL hosted by Stitching Lotus. You've probably got the idea I love dogs.  I painted this porcelain box with little dog foot prints and hearts.

The inside bottom of the box has a heart, as well.

I designed and stitched a pup for the lid, mounted it and finished it off with black cording.

It measures 1.5 inches square and 1 inch tall.

Jacquie will be receiving the LHN's "Goodwill" pattern.  Congrats, Jacquie!!

Another Project Finished and Chart to Share

Just finished framing LHN's "Goodwill" proverb in a frame courtesy of DH.

If anyone would like this chart, I'd be happy to send to you.  There should be enough threads to complete another one.  Just place a comment to this post.  I will contact the lucky person tomorrow evening and send out Wednesday.

Keep yourself surrounded in stitches ~ Cheers ~

Project Finished!

DH made some frames for me.  Here is the first one all framed and ready to be admired.  It's a Little House Needleworks pattern from their Proverbs collection.

Please - Need Your Help

I had a request for a teapot and a heart thread keep from Heritage Hall.  I don't have a way to contact her.

Heritage Hall - if you read this, would you please e-mail me with your e-mail address?

If someone knows her and has a way to contact her, would you please let her know I'm trying to reach out to her?

Many thanks -

Pickle Barrel Design Spring Give Away

Take a look at the patterns from Nancy at Pickle Barrel Designs!  The lucky winner will get to choose from three darling choices.  If you enter, please be sure to tell Nancy I sent you.

If I win, I'll choose this one:

Good luck - Cheers!

New Page - "Hand Crafted Just for You"

I've had several inquiries about purchasing horn books and thread keeps I design and Hubby makes a reality.  Please take a look at the items I have listed under the tab at the top of my blog called

"Hand Made Just for You!"

to see what Hubby and I have put together.  I will accept personal checks or payment via PayPal (I will send you an invoice).

I can do custom orders (ex: horn books a certain size, a thread keep in the shape of whatever strikes your fancy).  Just send me an email and we can discuss.

Pricing is to cover the cost of the materials, shipping, etc.  There is no mark up.

I will be adding other things periodically and will post to give everyone a heads up something is new.

Please spread the word among your blogger-stitcher friends these items and service are available.

Keep yourself surrounded by stitches - Cheers!

Spring Give Away!

Look at this wonderful give away from Marie Christine.  What a great way to kick off Spring!

March Give Away Winner

I ran the Random Number Generator and the winner of my March Give Away is

Ariadne

Ariadne, please email me and let me know your address, and also the address of your friend who will be sharing in your good luck.  Please indicate the thread keep you would like and which you would like me to send to your friend:

You also get to choose from these scissor fobs - one for you and one for your friend:

Congratulations - and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Memories of St. Patrick's Day Gone By

Today memories of my mother are flooding my mind.  Our Irish heritage, her love of Irish music, the culture, its history - our visits to Ireland (just she and me) are lining up in my mind like pages on a book.  I can't believe a year ago she was happily making our Irish dinner, setting her table with fine linen, silverware, good dishes and crystal.  Everything sparkled like it always did for her.

She loved her kitchen.  It was her domain.  Everything had its place and she had her own routine, knowing exactly what needed to be done and when.  I could sit and sip on coffee or tea (or something stronger, depending on the time of day - HA!) and talk to her as she scurried around with loving attention to detail.  Even kitchen clean up was reserved only for her.

I know Mom is watching over me and wouldn't want me to grieve so.  It's difficult not to.  I believe in angels and know I have my own Irish Angel watching over me.

More Wooden Needle Keeps, Another Horn Book

I designed a few more needle keeps.

The poodle and teapot each measure 4x5 inches.  The puppy:  from tip of ear to paw is 6 inches and from tail to chin 5 inches.  

Here is the new horn book:

The design area is 3.5 x 4 inches, the entire horn book is 7 inches tall and 4 inches wide.

Didn't Hubby do a marvelous job??  More things are in the works, so stay tuned!

Downton Abbey, Irish Stitching, Horn Books, Thread Keepers and March Give Away!!!

OK - I'm a "Downton Abbey" fan.  Love it, love it.  Take the quiz here and find out which Downton Abbey character you are.  I never take quizzes like this, but couldn't resist. I was told I was Anna - which character are you?

My mother was very proud of her Irish heritage and passed along that pride to me.  She loved St. Patrick's Day and would fix corned beef and cabbage, creme brûlée - and, of course - Irish Coffee.  This will be my first St. Patrick's Day without her but, rest assured, I will be making her traditional feast in her honor.

I seem to be on an Irish kick and have been stitching a bunch of Irish-themed patterns.

This is called "A Little Irish Sampler" from The Sampler Girl.  

This a freebie from The Primitive Hare.

This is a free pattern from Plum Street Samplers.

This is another freebie from lesfilsdhelene.over-blog.com.  It measures 1.75x1.5 inches.

OK - I sent Hubby on a mission to make some wooden thread keeps using his new scroll saw.  I designed them, he cut and stained them - aren't they CUTE?!?!?!?!  I have other thread holder designs ready to be cut, so watch this space ;0)

I've become fascinated by horn books.  They date back as far as 1450 and were used as a primer for children.  It had letters of the alphabet and was mounted on a piece of wood, bone, leather or stone.

Well, I got it in my head I just HAD to design one - Hubby made these - they measure 5.25x5.5 inches. Including the handle, the horn book is 8.5 inches from top to bottom.

Here's my first horn book design - simple, sweet and a wee bit Irish.

I haven't charted it yet, but will soon, so be on the look out for another free pattern from me.  I have some ideas for more horn book designs.  Next project will be a smaller one, possibly doubling as a thread holder?   Hmmmmmmm - what fun!!!

Look at the amaryllis!!  They were a Christmas gift in 2012 and have come back into bloom like no tomorrow.  Isn't the color GORGEOUS?!?

ANNOUNCING THE MARCH GIVE AWAY

At the beginning of the year, I vowed to have a give away each month.  This month I'd like to do something a little different - share and share alike, as it were.  So, here we go!!

The give away for March will be your choice of:

 A wooden thread keep and a beaded scissor fob - for you and a friend.

Rules are simple:

Be or become a follower of this blog - one entry
Send someone and they become a follower - an additional entry
Blog about the March give away on your blog - an additional entry

The winner's name will be drawn on St. Patrick's Day (of course).  I will contact the winner and they can tell me their preference for the fob and thread keep - and what friend they would like to have me send their give away stash.

Keep yourself surrounded in stitches - Cheers!

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Give Away!!

Nancy is having another wonderful give away for a FREE SAMPLER CHART! of your choice!

Go here to see the eight to choose from.  If you enter, please tell Nancy I sent you.

Good luck!!!

Emma Update and First Selfie

Our little Emma is healing nicely.  The vet removed her hot pink bandage this past week and stitches will come out Tuesday (YEAH!). The stitches and surgery doesn't seem to bother her, she wants SO BADLY to play and run and jump and……but I'm the Evil Mother who watches over her and puts the cabash  to her potential fun.

She has a "custom hair cut" which leaves no hair to keep her warm. She's always been a bit on the cool side, easily chilled, and the lack of hair isn't helping her thermometer.

She has become more of a lap puppy, snuggling in her faux mink Cuddle Cup to stay warm.

I snapped my first selfie on my iPhone and sent it to my daughter.  She couldn't believe I knew what a "selfie" was.  SHEESH.  

OK - back to my stitching projects.  Until next time, keep yourself surrounded in stitches.
Cheers!