***Mercy Sakes****

Whoa.....How did that happen????????? I am noticing I have over 300 followers!!! Thank you guys! You make me feel good! And, what happens when I feel good????

A GIVEAWAY of course!

I will posting a little more about this tomorrow, but just wanted you to be looking for the announcement of what this tidy little giveaway might include.....so...stay tuned!!!

~~Anniversaries of the Heart progress~~

I worked on my Blackbird Desgns "Anniversaries of the Heart" piece last weekend and thought I would share my progress......

I finished the block on the right and started/finished the one on the left..... I am LOVING this series of designs....I am doing them in random order though.....





This square called "Clara Ellen" is dedicated to my parents....When they retired, they moved back to the farm my dad was raised on.......... Being out in the country, there are flowers everywhere and I thought this large basket of flowers were fitting.... I put the family name and their initials on the piece for personalization....

My younger son loves the beach.... When I saw "Swan Lake" I thought that bottom portion looked like waves...plus he always wanted to feed the ducks as a child........ So, this square is for him including his initials and year of birth.....

My older son is a March baby..... With the clover looking vine in this piece and the verse about being lucky, I knew this square would be for him............I incorporated his name and birth date also.............

And, here is what I have accomplished so far with AoTH...........The first squares are not personalized yet....I am still thinking about who the perfect fit will be on them....Once I have done all of the 15 in the series, I will go back and personalize those left.....

Blackbird Designs

Anniversaries of the Heart

R&R 35 ct Winter Frost linen

specified overdyes

Hope everyone has a great Saturday and is enjoying the cooler weather!!!

Happy Stitching, Faye

...Friday finishes.....

I had a teacher workday today WITHOUT a workshop to attend...YEAH!~~so, I used my time to finish a couple small gifties....

This week after returning from the retreat, I set my mind to make up a couple freebie patterns I have been holding on to...They are by Martine and very delicate and french.... the first is called "en rose et gris" and was done using DMC 224 and 644 on some white 32 ct linen....I even had a fabric I thought was a good match....

Here is the "before" finishing photo.....
And, the "after" finishing photo...

I also had wanted to make this small rose pattern by Martine called "Carre aux roses"... Using DMC 4180....

So, here is its "before" finishing photo....

And, the "after" photo.....The little scissors were a perfect match so I made it into a fob...

Of course, I had to use a little HOPE charm on the back to match the Breast Cancer Awareness fabric...... My local quilt shop, Linderella's Quilts has been a great source for my fabrics lately... I thought it all was a perfect match...

I have talked with my friend Barbara since her surgery Tuesday and she is awaiting the pathology report... She said the surgery went fine and she wanted to pass along her words of appreciation for all the kind comments you posted about your prayers for her... She said she was so grateful to know stitchers were praying for her and that she is very hopeful that her breast cancer is in its early stages. Thanks again everyone for helping me lift the spirits of my friend and I know you will continue to send good thoughts her way...

Until next time............Happy stitching everyone, Faye

More stitching exchanges....

Before I show you the goodies I brought home from the Friday night swap at the PALS Fall Fling, I would like to say to each and every one of you who take the time to comment and email me, "Thank you so VERY VERY much!!"....I love the inspirational words you say to me and the positive feedback you offer on my work! I truly appreciate it and even though I may not reply to each person, I do read each comment and email..... Thanks for making me feel so good about my cross stitching!

Several of you have asked me about the LHN Peppermint ornament and my using the jingle bells..I will be honest with you..I failed to order the candy button when I ordered my chart, so I decided to use what I had on hand and that just happened to be jingle bells....I toyed with the idea of using nothing, but decided the bells with the bow gave it an extra umph.... So, there you have it....And, yes, I DO attached most all my embellishments BEFORE I sew up the sides of the ornament...It is easier for me to do it that way!


On Friday night there is always an exchange where gifts get passed around and "stolen", if you will...Just to make things fun of course~~ So, you know when you get a package, you better not get too excited about keeping it because more than likely, you will not be carrying it home with you...I happened to be one of the lucky folks and got the Hydrangea Box in the end..... It was from Lois P from TN and she had it full of goodies.... there was a beautiful ornament attached to the top of the box.....



And, inside she had filled it with Aida fabric of every color and size imaginable...along with a tin, DMC needles, DMC needle holder and a beading tray.....Wasnt I lucky????

And, here is what I contributed to the exchange.... I had used the "Going Green" theme..I included a Sweetheart Tree kit, a scissor fob, lots of green shades of DMC, a needlebook I had made, Victorian Motto overdyes inside..Kelmscott scissors, Thread Keep and Needleminder... I even put some all natural lip balm inside~~

So there you have it~~~ Tomorrow I will try to post a photo of all the wonderful goodies vendors contributed to Fall Fling..They were all so generous and I know each attendee was thrilled to get their wonderul goodie bag..

Hope you all have had a "Terrific Tuesday"!

Faye

More goodies from PALS....

Each year at PALS we have an ornament swap and this year was so much fun! The table was loaded with really pretty Christmas ornaments and here are the two I picked...

I had to have this one by Amy...I have a total thing for red...Thanks Amy, it is just perfect!!

And this gorgeous Mill Kit ornament was by Michelle B......It is stunning in person...So detailed and perfect! Very nice job Michelle!!!

And here are the two ornaments I took....I didnt have the button, so I used little jingle bells...

And, of course I had to make my other favorite LHN ornament....

Well, I am headed out the door to work....Make it a great day everyone~!!! Faye

Gift giving and receiving...

At this weekends PALS Fall Fling retreat, I was so shocked and delighted to be given lovely gifts from friends who wanted to donate to my Pink Basket! Stitching friends are the best and these beautiful gifts truly touched me... Not only was I surprised at their generosity, I was humbled that they took the time to do such a kind act....

Karen made me the prettiest pin pillow called "Eat, Pray, Love"....darling pink handmade pins were included also~ And, Charlene made the "Hugs" pillow with darling tatting attached... That is a TRUE talent and the tatting is so delicate.... Also, Linda NC gave me the prettiest Kelmscott scissors called "Pink Snips" for breast cancer awareness...They are so nice and I LOVE them~~ Thanks to all of you~ It truly touched me to recieve these amazing gifts!!

And, here is the backside of Karen's pin pillow....She and Michele used beads to accent the back with the pink ribbon.... Putting our names on it makes it very special Karen!

Michele and Karen also surprised me with a bright pin pillow, handmade pins and a scissor fob using all those perfect beachy colors..... I LOVE it ALL!!~

I had made Karen this pin pillow to carry as a little thank you for all the hard work she has put in making our "Friends Stitching through the Seasons Exchange" such a success this year... Alot of hard work has gone into this exchange by Karen and I just wanted her to know how much I appreciated it....It has turned to be one of my favorite exchanges!

Bluebird

Blackbird Designs

Dinky Dyes silk floss/ 40ct cappucino linen

And, I wanted to thank Amy as well for organizing the PALS Fall Fling retreat with this small pillow.... I thought it might remind her of the autumn season and how many of us stitchers count on going to PALS and reuniting with one another.... Thanks again Amy for all you do~~!

Prairie Schooler

October

specified DMC

So, thats it for tonight..... tomorrow I hope to share photos of the Christmas ornament swap and the Friday night group exchange....That was alot of fun~~~ So, stay tuned.............

Happy stitching, Faye

PALS Fall Fling....Part 2...

Just a quick post this morning to share a couple more photos.....

This has been my view the past 3 mornings......Glorious weather at Myrtle Beach SC at the PALS Fall Fling...............
And, here is a quick snap of my goodies I carried with me.....Exchanges and gift giving was high on my list....
Here's hoping everyone has a great Monday! I will share more about this photo later this afternoon~~~

Faye

PALS Fall Fling...Part 1....

Can you guess what happens when you get about 60 or so totally addicted cross stitching crazed women under one roof at the beach?????? I will let the pictures speak for themselves~~~

In a second we can go from this......
to this.... With absolutely no real sound explanation !!! Or was it the Mary Kay music next door that drove them to act this way??????? Dunno.

And yes, there were a few staged photos of friends who share so many memories....

Carolyn NC, Nicole SC, Judy SC, Donna SC (standing)

Karen SC, Faye NC(that's me!) and Yvonne GA(sitting)

Even Fiona from Scotland was able to join us again...

Fiona, Donna SC, Judy SC

Most of you know what a speedy stitcher Nicole is....

And you would have sworn she NEVER sleeps...But, as you can see.....She DOES actually stop for a wink every now and again!~....zzzzzzzzzzzz...............

So, that's my first installment of a few more to come...... Just a shout out that I got home safe and sound and hope everyone else did too!!!

Gotta run....I need to unpack~

Faye

~~Punkin Watch...~~

Well....that's what my first graders are saying!!...Actually this is "Pumpkin Watch" by one of my favorite designers, Nan Lewis of Threadwork Primitives. I like her designs because they lend themselves to be primitive yet have a little bit of color to them as well... This quick stitch came together using DMC floss and some 32 ct Flax Belfast linen....I even had the fabrics on hand in my stash to use in my finishing.... Stay tuned as I hope to make that happen early next week..

Pumpkin Watch

Threadwork Primitives

Well, its getting late for me....so as Paula Deen would say...."Night ch'all"

Faye

Today is....

When I ran across this design by "By the Bay Needleart", I knew it was one that I would have to make...I love how simply it is worded regarding how precious life is....Donna Bayliss designed this cute piece in honor of breast cancer awareness..... You can check it out here....





I added some seed beads in the center of my flower just to give it a little pop...

And, on the back of the pillow, I put a little pocket to hold scissors or a sweet message....

I will be posting a little more once I return from the PALS Fall Fling on Sunday...... I plan on visiting with old stitching friends, making new stitching friends and getting plenty of quality stitch time in~~~ Woo-hoo!!!

((**Hugs**)) Faye

Sundays gift

Quick post....Sunday had me making a gift....Here are a couple angles............ I got button happy and put them on the front...

Prairie Schooler

"October"

And down the pleat in the back..........

Happy Monday everyone~~~ Faye

A new chapter begins for my dear friend....

This is a message of hope, determination and survival......

One of my oldest and dearest friends got the dreaded news of breast cancer this past week...When she called me Friday to share the news, I was amazed at her calm...her words of determination.... Her hope of early detection.....She is a long time friend of mine who has fought her way back from a heart condition and a near fatal car crash........ She is a fighter. Plain and simple. She is one of "ours"...She is a stitcher with no blog but reads MANY of your blogs and I know this because she constantly emails me and marvels at alot of YOUR works of art in cross stitching... (**Hey Barbara, I know you are reading this post and I am smiling with you...**)

This news set my mind in motion....With my MIL having been a breast cancer survivor of 20 years and now my good friend facing the fight of her life, I knew it was time for me to begin my Basket of Hope and Survival... My pink basket if you will... To honor those women who have been stricken of this cancer and the hope of one day there being a cure....

So I turned to one of my favorite designs by Blackbird Designs and a beautiful skein of "Fresh Raspberries" by Belle Soie and made my first little pillow to commemorate the belief I have that Barbara will fight and WIN. She WILL be a survivor and my hope, of so many others, that they too will find strength to overcome and persevere.

Blackbird Designs

Bluebird

Fresh Raspberries by Belle Soie

I know all of you will pray for Barbara.....hoping her surgery goes well.....hoping her doctors find the cancer in its early stages....and hoping she continues on her path of Hope and Survival! Good luck on the 26th Barbara...There is a whole world of cross stitchers out here pulling for you~~

Faye

1 * 2 Buckle my shoe~~~~

When my LNS recently sent me my order to me, there was this cute little shop free-bee from La-D-Da enclosed that I just HAD to stop and make..... I just love La-D-Da anyway and the thread quickly came to mind....A few months back, my dear friend Linda (stitch hag..) had graciously given me some Carrie's Creation threads to try....I went straight to "Olde Salem Red" silk floss and this little baby took no time to make.....

I had some funky shaped little red buttons on hand that seemed to fall right into the theme of things.......

I love attaching rick-rack once the little pillow is made.... and this homespun looking backing fabric was screaming for a little rick racky trim..........


So, there you have it..~~ I have the perfect person in mind for this little pillow....That is if it doesnt land in my "reds" basket and refuse to come out..... If so, I will be making another one of these little diddies!!

Have a great Tuesday evening everyone,

Faye

Winding down our week...

I caught myself reviewing photos and noticed there were a few I snaps I had taken of exchange items that I never posted.... These were exchanges I participated in the month of Sept....

Fall exchange with Becky SC

Little House Needleworks

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Friends Stitching through the Seasons Exchange

Made for Karen AZ

LHN stocking/ freebie pinpillow pattern

Fair and Square Exchange

for Joan S

Christmas Quaker Smalls by Mildays Needle

I also noticed that Jan of Tree of Life Samplings has introduced another piece in her Emma Rose series.... The latest is the Emma Rose Friendship Sampler and it is absolutely stunning!! You really must go over and check it out... AND, Jan tells there will be another companion piece in this series called Emma Rose Christmas..... Many of you are familiar with Jan's talent in designing beautiful pieces and this Emma Rose collection is absolutely beautiful!

Well, tomorrow is a special day for me.....Its my birthday and I am so excited! We will all be joining up at the UNC vs Clemson football game in Chapel Hill.... Ribs on the grills and all the trimmings~ Its always such a fun time and between tailgating, watching football and having a birthday all rolled into one.....What more could a girl ask for?????

Enjoy your weekend everyone~

Faye

A couple of finishes~

Seems like more and more prim patterns turn my head these days....I LOVE about anything Stacy Nash puts together and when I saw Pears & Strawberries Sampler I knew I had to stitch it~~ I have not decided if I will finish it as the Sewing Bag as she did, or if I will put it into a pillow.....Will have to see how things stike my fancy...

Stacy Nash Primitives

Pears & Strawberries Sampler Sewing Bag

DMC floss on Natural 32 ct linen

Also, I knew this pattern entitled St. Noel by With thy Needle & Thread, would be at the top of my to do list....So it too was done while I was at the beach during the week of rain..... Brenda Gervais has always been someone I looked up to with her creative finishing and this one was no exception...She made it into a "ditty pocket" and I hope to do the same....

With thy Needle & Thread

St. Noel

DMC and Victorian Motto Burnt Red on 36 ct sand linen

Finally, here is my cute little blackbird that sweet Myra made for me...He's all perched up on the fall themed tree and I think him and the "Berry Theif" (hanging below him...) well, I think they must have a little somethin' somethin' going on.... I think they might actually be staring at one another..................ha!

So, until next time, here's hoping your day was wonderful and your tomorrow will be even better~~

Happy stitching everyone, Faye

Today I got home after having been away for 2 weeks.....Love that fall intercession from Year Round school.... And, what do I find first thing on the table is a sweet package from Myra....Isn't this the cutest little bird you have ever seen????? Myra says this birdie was made to perch on my fall themed tree and it will be perfect~~~ Thanks SO MUCH for this wonderful surprise and Random Act of Kindness Myra...TOO cute!



Next, I had a package from Joan in our Fair and Square Exchange....She knows me all too well with this darling LHN piece~ I have the perfect fabric I am going to use on this one Joan...Thanks again for being my exchange partner!! I absolutely love what you made for me~~




And my dear friend Anglea from England sent me the nicest surprise~~~ It is a lavendar filled sachet with my initial on it....Done is RED no less~~~ AND, some of the prettiest ribbons for my embellishments.... Your wonderful surprise has truly blown me away Angela~~~ Thanks so very much for thinking of me~~~ I love it~~
Lastly, here is a poorly made snapshot of my completed block of SoHRH....I took it last night at the beach under no so good lighting conditions and it really tells.... I probably shouldnt post such a shabby shot, but wanted you to see my progress......I have fallen in love with this larger piece and know have 5 out of 12 blocks done...............
So, that is it for today....I have a mound of mail, MUCH cleaning to do (I live with all men in the household!!!) and not much food in the frig..... Guess you can tell what I will be doing the next couple days~~~~ But it sure was nice of them to let me sneak away for a couple weeks....Some me, myself and I time........