Home From Denver

Rex and I have just spent the last 3 weeks in Denver, Colorado. Rex was there on business and while he was working I enjoyed exploring Denver, the suburbs, the LNS and meeting Staci!

Staci and I had a great time going to the thrift stores, visiting a favorite quilt shop she loves (which was wonderful!), having lunch and going to the coffee shop where I stitched and she knitted some gorgeous socks (which she just posted on her blog)! Staci is just as sweet as can be. I have found a very special friend in Colorado that I hope to see again soon!

When I picked up our mail today, my pinkeep exchange from the Friends Through Threads blog was waiting for me. Goldie stitched me a Blackbird Design that I had actually kitted up and put in my stitching bag to stitch while in Colorado and never got around to stitching it! Now, I don't have to!



Thank you so much Goldie, I love it very much!

I sent to Nancy (no blog) and I stitched a design by Carol R. called Sew Blue. I stitched it on 40 ct white over 2 using GAST Dungarees. Nancy loves it and I was enjoyed stitching it and finishing it for her so I have very happy she loves it so much.



The only stitching commitment I have right now is my Emblem rr piece. I am waiting to receive Deb's piece from Margaret and then after that I will just have to stitch on Edgar's piece and then the round robin will be completed. My round robin piece is really looking very pretty. This is one piece I am looking forward to getting framed.

Well, I think I will close for now. Thanks for stopping by.


Hugs,
Wendy Jo

Valentine Exchange For Irmeli

Irmeli e-mailed me that she has received my Valentine exchange. I stitched Irmeli a pattern by JBW Designs called French Country Love and used the recommended sampler threads and finished it into a door knob pillow for her. I included lots of extra goodies (fabric cuts, chocolate, a scissor sack and fat quarters).

I am so pleased Irmeli loves her exchange. I really enjoyed doing this exchange with her.




I am about done with Suzanne's rr. I need to stop watching so much t.v. when I stitch! I tell ya, I don't get as much stitched watching t.v. as I do when I listen to music or just sitting quietly. Anyone else have that problem? Plus the Olympics ceremony starts tonight so I know I will be watching the Olympics, the winter ones are my favorite.

Anyone have any special plans for Valentine's Day? Rex and I are going to Stitches n Stuff (my LNS) tomorrow as I have a few things on hold there :) and then we are going out to dinner. Its still up in the air where.

On Sunday, Rex is going to finish painting the kitchen. We wanted something brighter for the kitchen as its rather drab and only has a few windows over the sink area so we went with yellow and it looks really good so that is the plan for Sunday.

I hope everyone has a good Valentine's weekend!

Thanks for stopping by.

Wendy Jo

My Heart is Heavy Tonight

I received a sad note in the mail today. It was from a lady named Pam, a friend (actually Pam said more like a sister) of Mary Jo's. I had Mary Jo's name in the Lizzie Kate Round #3 exchange. Pam wrote to tell me that Mary Jo had passed away on January 14th from metastatic cancer. Pam said from the diagnosis to her passing was only 3-4 days. Pam went onto say that it was peaceful with her husband and daughter at her bedside.

Pam said one of the things that gave her the most joy were the needlework exchanges. Her eyes just sparkled with excitement when she spoke of the exchanges and how much pleasure she got from them.

So I ask that if you are reading my blog entry that you keep Mary Jo, her family and her dear "sister" Pam in your thoughts and prayers. Our needlework community is alittle smaller now.

Pam said Mary Jo would have treasured my LK's "Love" pillow I stitched her.



Rest in Peace Dear Mary Jo.



Wendy Jo

A Few Things to Share

My mailman has been very busy filling my mailbox with a few goodies and its time to share what I got in the mail!

First up, is my birthday present from my friend Lynne (no blog) in California. Lynne knitted me a pretty scarf for my winter coat that I really needed badly and just love it. She also sent some wonderful chocolate along with a handmade card. Lynne has a side card making business and is so creative and I never throw a card of hers away, they are just such works of art and great to display!

Thanks so much Lynne for the wonderful birthday present, chocolate and adorable card!!

I participated in a Valentine exchange on the ASOE blog and received my exchange from Karin in South Africa. Karin stitched me a pattern from the book "Made in France". She also put some dried lavender from her garden in with the stuffing and it smells so good! Karin also included some wonderful chocolate as well!



Thanks very much Karin for a wonderful exchange! Yours should be there any day now!! (Fingers crossed!!)

Another exchange I participated in was on the Lizzie Kate blog. I received the following from Michele. She looked on my blog and saw I love anything Americana so...she stitched the freebie "Liberty". A really cute finish by Michele with the beading.



Thanks so much Michele, its on display at my house!

I then wanted to do a personal Valentine exchange with Irmeli in Finland, whom I met through Hooked on Exchanging and we have become blogging friends. Irmeli sent an obsolutely delightful package.

The scissor case Irmeli made is a design from The Workbasket and the design on the fob is from a French magazine Ge fil a aguille (I hope I have spelled this correctly). She stitched both on 25 ct. floba one over one with DMC thread. Irmeli's stitching is beautiful and her finishing is perfect. The pink scissors are just so cute too!!

Irmeli included things by Finnish designers (some chocolate, overdyed threads, a cute little sheep accessory all tucked in a cute heart shaped tin).




Irmeli, thank you so very much for an absolutely lovely exchange. Hoping my package arrives in your mailbox very soon!!

I have finished working on an exchange and am now working on Suzanne’s Emblem of Love round robin. Its been perfect stitching weather here in Iowa as it snowed on and off all day today and tomorrow...again...more snow so another day of stitching is planned.

I think I will close for now. Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching.

Wendy Jo

A Darling Fob from Cathy B.

I had a birthday recently and received a pretty fob from Cathy in the mail a couple of days ago.

The colors and the stitching Cathy did is just gorgeous! She is such a beautiful stitcher!


Cathy and I have gotten to know each other through blogging and the Friends Through Threads blog. I am going to have the opportunity to meet Cathy in person this April when my stitch group heads up to Minneapolis! I am really looking forward to meeting her.

So thank you so very much Cathy for the gorgeous fob! My scissors are very happy:)

On the stitching front I have been working on an pinkeep exchange which is about done so no pictures for now.

I also received in the mail from Margaret, Suzanne's Emblem of Love RR so I will begin working on that in the next week or so. Suzanne has chosen to recommended colors and it is absolutely gorgeous!

Well, I think I will sign off and get busy with some stitching.

Thanks for visiting and happy stitching!

Hugs,
Wendy Jo

Carol's RR and a Gift

Happy new year (even though we have been into 2010 for 3 weeks now!). I hope the new year has started off well for everyone.

I have finished up my part of Carol's rr and I really enjoyed it. Carol chose Vikki Clayton threads (I believe the name of the thread are magpie tears..very pretty blue) and I hadn't worked with these before and enjoyed it. So Edgar now has Carol's rr and I am awaiting the arrival of Suzanne's rr from Margaret.


I know this is probably going to sound pretty odd and strange but...I stitched something for my Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Janae. She has taken a position closer to home and I wanted to do something for her as we had a great relationship and I'll miss her ALOT! She was so easy to talk with, she listened, very knowledgeable, caring, compassionate and really into women's health.

I have met the new FNP that is taking her place, Rachel and she is very nice and we hit it off really well. So I am pretty happy.

So here is what I stitched for Janae. She really liked it alot. Its a Pine Mountain Design.



I have also been working on Valentine exchanges and am finishing up the last one now. Then I will start thinking about what to stitch for my pinkeep exchange on the Friends Through Threads blog.

So, I think I will close for now, I hope everyone has a good weekend and has some time set aside for stitching.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Wendy Jo

Gifts and Stitching

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Rex and I spent part of Christmas Day with my mom and I managed to do a little stitching as well. I worked a bit on Carol's quaker round robin.

First up is some stitching I completed. One thing I made into a pinkeep and the other I just stitched and haven't finished as of yet. Both are designs by Heart in Hand. I just love these cute little snowmen!

I also stitched up a Christmas ornament. The design is by Helga Mandl.





Now the gifts.....every year I always send my friend Lynne (no blog) in California something stitched by Lizzie Kate as Lizzie Kate is her favorite designer as well. So..this is a design that is featured in her latest Tiny Tidings leaflet. I think it turned out pretty good. Lynne also loves flavored coffee, like I do, so I sent her a package of that too.



Lynne doesn't have alot of time for stitching right now as she is a very busy mom and works full time so this year she sent me a gift subscription to any magazine of my choice so I choose the magazine All You. I have been picking it up at the store alot lately and really like it so thought a subscription would be nice. She also sent some lovely kitchen towels, which I love, and some peppermint bark too!



Next up is what I sent to Carol for her birthday. I wasn't able to take a pic of the birthday gift myself as the store packaged her gift for me. So if you copy and paste this link and it will take you to a pic of what I sent. http://www.ibloom.com/ItemNumber/400847_LittleHugsPlaque.aspx

Its an Isabel Bloom. They are very popular here in eastern Iowa as the company is based in Davenport, Iowa. Its very unique and wanted to send Carol something special this year. I have sevearl Isabel Blooms and just really love them.

I also sent Carol something for Christmas and chose a Blackbird Designs pattern from JCS ornament issue from last year. This was my first attempt at a stocking and I am really happy that it turned out so well. It really wasn't hard at all to do. So I see many more of these in my future! LOLOLOL I also sent a quaker coaster that I know she would also love and its in her favorite color --- BLUE!





Well, I think that about does it for today. I have stitch group here tomorrow so I need to be thinking of a dessert to serve, nothing sounds good right now and do some housecleaning.

I hope everyone has a great week and if I don't check back in..have a safe and happy new year!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy stitching,
Wendy Jo

An Ornament Received and a Birthday Surprise Sent!

I participated in the Winter/Holiday/Christmas ornament exchange on the All Seasons Ornament Exchange blog and I received my ornament from Tracy yesterday. Tracy made me a cracker from an issue of the Gift of Stitching magazine. I love it! I am going to have to give making these a try, they are so cute!

Thanks so much Tracy and the card is cute too!




I also surprised my SIL, Jane. She is a dog lover and when my stitch group went on our road trip earlier this fall and paid a visit to Lizzie Kate's studio, I saw Linda had this all stitched up and was going to have it in the LNS soon, I knew it would be a perfect piece to stitch for Jane's birthday, which is next week.

This is my first piece ever to frame! I know...shocking! LOLOL (I must give some credit to Rex....he did cut the foam board!) It turned out great...Jane loves it..and I am a happy camper!

Happy birthday Jane!!


I am stitching on "snowy" things right now..no pics yet. I hope to have something to share soon. I also have a couple of Christmas gifts that are on their way to new homes so I also hope to be able to share pics of those as well very soon.

Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching.

Hugs,
Wendy Jo

Scented DMC Floss - Who Knew???

Earlier this year I participated in the Christmas in July exchange on the Hooked on Exchanging Blog and Lynn B. sent to me. Lynn had included in the package some "Secret Perfume" DMC floss! The package says "stitch and release the scent"...mmm I was quite fascinated with this! I had never heard nor seen this before. I mentioned to Lynn that I would like to try some again and....some more showed up in my mail last night! The scents Lynn sent were orange, lemon and toffee.

Thanks so much Lynn..you are such a sweetheart! I can't wait to give these a try too!



In other news....we now have some snow on the ground and a fair amount of it too! I can't remember how much we have gotten so far but we are to keep getting some throughout the day. Here is a pic of our wooded area in back of our home. This picture is taken from our windows in our living room. Its such a gorgeous view. I love that I can sit in my stitching chair and stitch away and look at this, which I think that is what I am going to do today after I do some cleaning.



Happy stitching!

Hugs,
Wendy Jo

Exchanges.& Exchanges & a Birthday Gift!

I have a few to share that have been received and sent onto their new homes.

The first one is from the Stitching Exchange Blog's Anything Christmas Exchange. I stitched for Elisa and she was really happy with the design I choose. I stitched LK's Ready, Set, Snow.


I received my ornament from Maggee and I just LOVE it to pieces! I love snowmen and she couldn't have picked a cuter design. Thanks so much Maggee!


Next is the Christmas exchange on the Exchange Heaven blog. I stitched Joy by LK for Lindsay. I also sent Lindsay some notecards too.I am glad Lindsay likes what I sent.



I received from Carol H. and she stitched a cute little snowman and sent a cute bunny rubber stamp. I am looking forward to adding this to my tree this year. Thanks so much Carol!


Then there is the Holiday/XmasWinter exchange on the All Seasons Ornament blog. I sent an ornament to Tracy and what did I decide to stitch..well a design by LK of course!(Gotta keep that theme going!) The design is from one of her Tiny Tidings. I am glad Tracy likes the ornament, it was fun to stitch.


I believe all I have is one ornament coming my way and I think all the exchanges will be completed for the year.

Cathy had a birthday recently so I decided to stitch a little snowman fob for her. She e-mailed me and said she just loves it..so glad to hear that! Its a design from HIHN from the monthly markings series. Happy Birthday Cathy!



I have been working on some Christmas things for myself and plan to play with my sewing maching alittle bit this weekend and hoping it behaves itself..sometimes it can be so temperamental!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Happy stitching and hugs,

Wendy Jo