Finish, gift....finish, gift.....

Is that title kinda like, "rock, paper scissors"???  I have an weekly update...

First, may I present to you my sweet little Emma Mills 1839... I made the command decision to NOT frame her nor put her into a pillow....Rather, I will press her and lay her in my prim basket..

Emma Mills 1839

The Scarlett House

40 count Pearled Barley

Overdyed specified cotton threads

Please do NOT look too closely at the back of Emma...but,I did want to show you that I simply blind stitched her hems...

Another sweet finish I mustered up this week was the first of my Praire Schooler Santas...I made a pledge (fingers were crossed behind my back though....tee hee....) to stitch a PS Santa a month in 2012.. Here is my first forthe year, so I'm already a little behind, but oh well.... I chose the very first PS Santa they published because it was waaaaayyy back in 1984, the year our oldest son was born....

Now, I must, must, must show you what my dear sweet French friend, Marylin has sent me from the French Needlework Market  in Paris, France..... You can probably imagine how blown away I was  to see this fantastic box of fresh goodies, hot off the market from across the ocean..... Merci mon Amie... I simply will not know which stitch to make first for these awesome hornbooks!!!!   I simply love these gifts you have spoiled me with~~~~

Look at the cute detail on these hornbooks...I simply love them~~~

And, I was also showered with a sweet Thank you gift from a follower, Pat.... Pat doesn't have a blog herself, however, many of you see her comments posted on your blogs... Pat had borrowed something from me, and when returning it, she tucked in a sweet surprise....Perfect for my red basket.... Love it~

Doesn't it look perfect nestled in there with my other red goodies??.....

Thanks again very much Pat!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend....

Windy and blustery here in North Carolina today...chilly too!

I plan on sewing tomorrow as I have quite a few project pouches to finish and mail out Monday...

Hope you have a great rest of your weekend!!!

la paix et l'amour

( Peace and love...)

Faye

January Cottage...My 2012 list...and GIFTS~~~

Okay....I struggled with my blog title today....What can I say....

Thanks for all the compliments about Sarah Eliz.Brooke! It truly is a beautiful sampler which I enjoying every single stitch....

When I arrived home this morning from my little beach sabbatical, I hopped it on into the craftroom and popped my latest finish into the chocolate brown frame that was waiting...

The Country Cottage Needleworks SAL is in full swing and they are so tiny and quick, I planted my last stitches in "January" and framed it to enjoy throughout the month...

40 count Lakeside Exemplar

Silk threads (email me for the conversion)

Added vintage lace at top....

Then I began opening mail that had arrived over the last week...Sheesh, I don't need anymore credit card applications, junk mail marketing leaflets or bills....tee-hee...BUT, I DID need a couple of envelopes that were laying there staring at me!!!

First off, from France, my dear friend Marylin had sent me the most darling of gifts....

Feast your eyes....

A perfectly stitched ornament with red checked ribbon, fabrics AND buttons....Is that not the cutest?? And, she knows my love for red silk thread so she included a couple skeins along with some wonderful french linen...It will truly be a special piece when I use that linen!!

Thanks so very, very much Marylin! You are truly a wonderful friend from across the oceans~~

AND...as if that were not enough, I was totally surprised to see another envelope with special international markings on it...hmmm...no clue what this was going to be....

The "Stitch it and Pass it on" Exchange had peaked my interest earlier in 2011 and so I had decided to participate...Long story short, things got bogged down and I was not to receive an ornament even though I had stitched one and done my part....no problem...I know these things happen... BUT, evidently Tracy and Hazel wanted to make things right...so, they sent me this...!~

 They included some beautiful Christmas fabric and metallic DMC along with a finished ornament..

Guys, you didn't have to do that...But, I love it that you did~~~ Thanks so, so much!!

Even the back has my name stitched on it...I LOVE it~~~

Many of you commented that you can't wait to see my to-do list for 2012...Well, I think I may have gone a little overboard, but one can dream...right???  So, here is what's on my mind to stitch up this year...in no particular order.........

Plum Street Samplers- Sergei

Carriage House Samplings- Fredrick

Little House Needleworks- My Dwelling Place

The Scarlett House-Sarah Elizabeth Brooke 1842 (WIP)

Primitive Traditions-A Petite Huswife

Tree of Life- Emma rose Freedom

Carriage House Samplings-The Gilded Cage

Marjorie Massey- Sous Mon arbre

Sampler Company- The Hetty Child

The Scarlett House-Emma Mills 1839

LHN- The Family Sampler (WIP)

Threadwork Primitives-Autumn Majesty Needleroll

La-D-Da-Yellow Bird (in blues...)

Hillside Samplings-Be You to Others

With thy Needle-Birds of a Feather

LHN_Thirteen Colonies

Sheepish Designs-Betsy

CHS-Shores of Hawk Run Hollow (WIP)

CHS-Quaker Stocking

Pineberry Lane-Autumn on Marigold Lane

Stacy Nash Primitives- Netty's Sampler Pinkeep Drum

and....of course my monthly CCN Cottages.....

AND.. I am embarking on something a little new...I have every single one of the Prarie Schooler Santa charts from 1984 through 2011....I want to stitch at least one each month and over time have all 28 stitched to finish up as ornaments....What would be nicer than a PS Santa tree one year..?..

I told you it was an aggressive list of want-to's.... If I get half of them completed I will be a happy camper... But, I like to set my bar high just to see how close I can come to it~~

If you are still reading, sorry for the long post..... Thanks for hanging in there with me...

Until next post.........Happy Stitching everyone~~~

Faye

Gifts can touch the heart.....

Ms. Myra knew what would touch my heart.......

This darling prim ornie arrived in my mailbox yesterday as I returned from the long line at my own post office~~~ I was blown away by this most kind gift.....

Here is my new "Joy" ornament, a Pineberry Lane freebie,  sitting front and center in my prim basket...

Myra writes..."When I saw this design, I quickly thought of you..."

I simply LOVE it Myra~~~ Thank you SO much!

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My day was spent sewing up a few more pouches that I will be handing out Monday...

I hope the ladies like them!!

I'm done with my shopping, so I hope to organize my menu list tomorrow...Kids will be home from college...visitors in and out...That calls for more things needed on hand.... AND, I had better get to baking a few goodies for the neighbors~~~~

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend..........

Faye

Blue bird with a little Blueberry Crumbcake....

I knew I would HAVE to sit down last night and  sew up something with my new blue fabric....

Ms LindaP (stitch hag) had stitched me this wonderful bluebird for my birthday in October in anticipation of the Moda Blackbird line being released.... So, I knew I would have to let this be my first finish using the Blueberry Crumbcake...

With me working in the education field, I just about melted when I read this passage as printed on the fabric...."Apply thine heart unto instruction, thine ears to the words of knowledge."...

How perfect is that????

And, the hemp rick-rack was the finishing touch...Thank-you Victorian Motto...

I hope your day is wonderful.....

Faye

~~~What makes me happy~~~

On this most honorable day of recognizing our Veterans and all they do, and have done, I salute them for their courage and dedication to our country.... I know you join me in saluting each and every person that has served in the military over the many years.... Their actions have helped shaped our lives to what they are today. For that, we are all eternally grateful.

I wanted to extend that gratitude into something I could do for someone..... Just a little something... MY way of saying "Thanks!"..... So, I submerged myself into my little world, and sewed up a small goodie....Just a little something....really, not much at all....But, something that may put a smile on someones face............ I will be mailing it out tomorrow to a friend..... I hope they like it.

 'Tis better to give than receive

La-D-Da

Winter Frost 36 ct by R&R Linens

Specified threads

I like to make it my own with a pleat and a few buttons down the back.......

I do have a couple projects in the works....

One is oh so prim.....

And, one is seasonal...A pure Turkey Day delight~~~

So, stay tuned as I hope to devote some time to each over this weekend.....

Peace,

Faye

Gifts, finishes and the heat~~~

First off, "Thanks" for all the well wishes for Linda P....She reads my blog and knows that each of you have said a prayer for her...She is progressing after her surgery nicely...soon, she be up shakin' a leg~~~

Speaking of Miss Linda, I had a chance to have a  "girls" Saturday with her recently and gave her a little early birthday present...Like me, she loves her some red...Hence this Friendship pillow by

 Jardin Prive was gifted to her...

I personalized this little pillow with our initials...The fabrics, I bought in January, when she and I attended a quilt expo...I thought it was fitting to use those fabrics in her pillow plus they were a perfect match~~~  Happy early Birthday Linda~~~~

Next, I couldn't rest until I made and mailed a little Thank you gift to Janet of HomeSweetHome for the beautiful Summer Prairie Schooler exchange bellpull she had sent me last month seen here...It is truly striking and I thought one of my small traveling pincushions might be something she could use....

I also included a few of my handmade pins....Janet received it a few days ago and was surprised...

I hope as surprised as I was to receive her beautiful exchange piece....

Thanks again Janet~

Lastly, I want to show a couple snaps of finishes I have completed for a customer of mine...She is getting a jump on Christmas finishes....

I was happy to help her out and would be glad to do the same for you...

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I just noticed the words in these ornaments....

"Peace", "Love", "Joy" and "All is Calm"

Just think how wonderful this world would be if we all lived by words like this....

something to think about....

Well, that's it for now...I promise to not be so long between posts from now on....Between starting back to work (Yes! Year Round school calendar has resumed...), this intense heat and basically being a lazy bone....Well, let me just say I will try  my best to post a little more regularly!~

Take care,

Faye

Champions...Again!

Can I be a proud momma for a moment?? Last year when my DS college golf team won the Carolina's regionals, I was proud.....And, since they were regional winners, they were one of thirteen teams who qualified for the National Golf finals in Chautauqua, NY...Man, I was so proud of them for their accomplishments!    Well.....They have done it again~~~

Way to go Phillip and the Sandhills Community College Mens Golf team for winning regionals again and qualifying for the Junior College National Golf  Finals~~  I plan on begging my principal for 3 days off from school so I can go up to New York and watch these very deserving young men play their hearts out and who knows, they may win the National title this year!!!  Way to go guys!

 Hard work DOES pay off~~ (Phillip is on the far right)

Oh, and Happy Birthday yesterday Phillip~~~ My "baby" is now 20....Where did the time go???

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On the stitchy front this week, I have been busy stitching 2 exchange pieces that are due out in June... Looking at the calendar, I can't believe it will be May tomorrow!! So, I knew I needed to get busy! But, I did have a couple deliveries land on my front porch this week....I love seeing the postal truck these days~

First, I was one of Amy of FL's  five giveaway winners......Man, o man, did she hook me up, or what/???  Check out the array of charts she gifted me!!! Don't look too close, because MANY of these designs will be stitched and gifted back to you guys in way of exchange pieces and RAKs....Thanks so VERY much Amy~~ I love everything you had in my giveaway win!!

~~Giveaway 5 winnings~~

Also, I was gifted a wonderful package from my generous friend Marylin of France!! Marylin has become a wonderful blogging friend and she knows I love French designs.....!! My box from her overfloweth with not only an awesome cross stitch book filled with 10 French samplers, but she also included some glorious smelling French perfume and 2 bags of French coffee.....Can I just tell you, this French coffee is heavenly!!!  And, I am smelling like a rose blossom now thanks to Marylin!!

I am so excited today because I plan on finally meeting Myra~~ Many of you follow her blog and know her as the accomplished stitcher she is....Well, we live relatively near one another here in North Carolina...And, after several previous attempts, we are finally meeting today! I feel like I "know" so many of you through blogging but it is so nice to put a face with a name.....

In closing, I want to extend words of support to many of you out there who have been in the line of these awful storms this spring. Although you may have not had a direct impact, many of you have friends or family who might have been affected. Times are tough right now with all the devastation  brought on by Mother Natures wrath....I plan on going through all my closets tomorrow and coming up with a trunkful of items I can donate, so hopefully those who have lost it all, will soon be able to recieve needed items to start over..... Won't you consider doing the same???

Have a safe weekend my friends,

Faye