Gifts of Stitchy Kindness

I was envious when I read of stitchers' adventures at St. Charles' Needlework Galleria.  But then my BFF#2  brought me back goodies!  I am so tickled to have some nifty stuff from Needlework Galleria.  It was fun to hear about the fun and classes that BFF#2 had and to see the stuff she bought.  But I was blown away by the stuff she brought back for me.  She knows I collect waxers and she brought me back two very cute ones.
A mermaid:

A fish:

Isn't that a great fish?

I got a couple of very cute kits.  You know I love strawberries.

Cute!
Then I got these two from Noteworthy Needle.  I'm not terribly familiar with her designs but BFF#2 says she is a great teacher.

I just love this little thimble chest.  I started it and hope to finish it today.

Thank you BFF#2!  You are the best!
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Finished-Finished

I stitched up the little pin cushion for the squirrel.  It turned out so cute.

I used Stitcher's tape to hold in place.  Love it.

Then I took off the loops on the tray that Marilyn sent me.  Everybody said don't paint it, so I didn't.
I used Stitcher's tape to hold this in the tray too.

I finally made the two strawberries.  I like how this turned out too.
I'm making my favorite cake today, angel food with a fudgy icing.  Yum.
It was a nice day for walking.
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Automatic

I got the latest Just Nan mouse and house from The Silver Needle.  I am on automatic for them.  It is a Halloween design this time.

I 'm not crazy about Halloween designs as my birthday is just before Halloween when we are inundated with ghosts and goblins as opposed to pretty flowers. Black and orange are not my favorite colors. But I love the little Just Nan mice and they are easy to stitch.  I kind of have a collection of them.  Maybe I can stitch this on the way to my next retreat which is in early September.

I got the fabric too. It's 32 count.  After stitching a lot on 36 and 40 count, this will be very easy to see.  I just have to kit this up.

Claire wants to be Moana for Halloween.  I haven't been drafted to make the costume (yet).  But it doesn't look too hard.  But I am getting ahead of myself, it's too early to start thinking of Halloween!  Although, I love Halloween candy.  But I'm trying to be good!
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Monday

It was rainy this morning.  Not like Houston.  I was able to walk using an umbrella.  I really like walking outside as opposed to walking at the Y.

I got my monthly Colour and Cotton overdyed fabric.  This time I asked for bright colors.  And it is very bright!

The bathrooms are clean.  Claire got her dress and it fits, sort of.  DIL had to alter the straps.  I took four inches out of the straps when I altered it and DIL had to take out another two inches.  Something is wrong with this pattern!  It is designed for a gorilla.

I should get my Colour and Cotton floss order this week and there is a package coming from The Silver Needle.
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Blame Facebook

I saw this project by With Thy Needle and Thread on Facebook.  It was so cute, I just couldn't resist.  I love projects which are finished in an interesting way.  My BFF has a connection to squirrels so it was special that way too.  BTW, BFF also got this project.

Is that not cute?
I got the package yesterday.  They are out of stock until September 1 (Friday!).  The stitching looks easy.
Here is what was in the box:

I must start this.
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Mystery Project

It's Saturday and I've got the walking done and have been to the Farmer's Market.  It was so cool yesterday and today that I've worn long pants, in August.  I've been a bit envious of those attending the Needlework Galleria in St. Charles this week.  Classes, shopping, being with other stitchers and friends,  meeting designers, wish I was there.  But socializing usually means not much stitching so I am grateful for lots of stitching time.

There is one project that I haven't updated you on since June.  That is the mystery project.  One of the reasons I wanted to take July off was to work on this project as much as I wanted.  I found that after a couple of hours, I needed to take a break and work on something different and smaller.  I got a couple more pages of the chart done.  But for each page there is about a week of confetti hell connected to it.
Here it is in June:

Here it is now:

I'm still enjoying it but I know I have to work on other things and give myself a break.
Basting is essential on a big project like this so you don't get lost.

Cathy Boyd gave me some of the Sulky holoshimmer thread for basting and I love it.  You can't pierce it with a needle and it pulls out easily when you're done with it.
I think I might get something fun in the mail today!
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Marilyn To The Rescue

I was surprised at how kind stitchers are when I bemoaned not finding the tray for the Berry Coverlet Tray.  Several people offered to help me out.  Marilyn said she would check out Hobby Lobby that very day.  She found two trays of different sizes.  I measured my stitching and said the smaller one would fit.  She sent it to me!

Here's the info if you are looking for this tray.  I was surprised at how inexpensive it was.

Now Marilyn is a long time reader of this blog and always comments.  I admit that I don't usually respond to comments because of the time commitment.  It is either respond or stitch and I always choose stitch.  I read all the comments as they are sent to my email.  Anyway, Marilyn knows me well.  She also included a package of Jelly Bellys!  Which, by the way, are all eaten.  You are the best Marilyn!

The directions say to cut foamboard to fit the bottom of the tray.  That is not easy to do without a foamboard cutter, which I do have.  But I didn't happen to have any foamboard on hand.  So I took two pieces of comic board and taped them together and put two pieces of Warm 'N Natural on top.  I laced the stitching over the padded comic board.  Ta-Dah!

If I put a magnet on the back of the stitching, I could just switch it out with another stitched design.
I plan to take a pair of needle-nosed pliers and pry off the loops with rope through them as I want this to be a tray and not hang on the wall.

I'm trying to decide whether to paint the tray or not.  Lazy me says "it looks fine, you don't need to paint it".  Responsible me says "just get a can of shiny black paint and make it look nice".  We'll see who wins.
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What's Behind Door #3?

The last package I got on Monday was an order from The Attic.  I had been hoping that Theresa Baird would publish these designs.  BFF#2 is stitching three (!)  Heart's Ease samplers.  They are quite complex.  Someday I want to stitch Theresa's Sojourner sampler, I love that flower border.

 I got four charts.  These aren't really just charts as there are so many pages and are expensive as charts go.
First:

It only uses two colors and doesn't look too hard.
I have wanted this a really long time.

These are two teaching pieces that look very intriguing.

These last two call for Belle Soie silk.  I thought I had some and went looking.  I could only find one and it wasn't the right color so I had to order the silks.
These charts alone could keep me busy for a year. (Or two!)
Most of these charts are recommended for 40 count over two.  But 36 will also work.  I have to figure out what fabric works for me.
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What's Behind Door #2?

The second package I received on Monday was from The Silver Needle.  I wasn't going to sign up for the With a Little Help From our Friends Club again this year.  But BFF#2 signed up and then The Silver Needle called me.  I caved.  Besides, they send Jelly Bellies with each order.  That's how easy it is to talk me into something, give me candy!

I love the tissue paper with flowers on it.

There was a very cute scissors fob with the same design on it.

All the stuff to stitch with.

A cute counting pin

The design is by Heartstring Samplery.  I like it, I'll stitch it.

Because of rain, I had to walk at the Y yesterday, so today I sooo appreciated being able to walk outside.
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What's Behind Door #1?

I got three (!) packages in the mail yesterday.  It was so much fun.  The first package was Stitchy Box.  I got a three month subscription and this is the second box that I have received.

The biggest thing in the package is an overdyed fabric.

Then there was an assortment of threads:

Some finishing accessories:

Evidently this is a Christmas themed box.
It was raining this morning so I had to walk at the Y.   The eclipse was no big deal where we live.
It looked slightly overcast for a few minutes, that's all.
I might start something new today.  The hard part is deciding what to work on.
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Corner Gauge

Thank you to those who have so very kindly offered assistance in finding the tray that fits the Berry Coverlet Scissors Tray.  Marilyn bought me one!  Thank you so much.  I'll show it when I get it all put together.

I sewed the little corner gauge bag together.  It was easy.  The lining material has starfish on it.  Perfect.

 It is all done but really needs to be ironed.  I didn't get around to that this morning.  But I did get the bathrooms all cleaned.  I sent off the dresses to Claire.  I went to Target and bought everything I wanted.
Hey, what if you are driving during the eclipse?  Will you go blind?
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Update

I worked here and there, once in a while on this sampler.  It is Sleeping Beauty Awakened by Lauren Sauer. It can be worked in all white or in colors.  I chose colors.   I've changed a lot of the colors though.  Most of this first section is to be all green.  Not a green girl.  I am getting lots of practice doing the Montenegrin stitch as the dividing bands.  I am about one fourth done.  I think the bands get more interesting as I go along.  This is what it looked like at the end of June:

Now:

Overall progress:

I finished the stitching for the corner gauge holder on I Dream of the Sea.  I hope to get it all sewn together today.  I'll show you tomorrow.
Have a happy Sunday.  I get to talk to Claire and Evan today!
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Another Match

I finally finished altering the second set of dresses for Claire and her doll, Natalie.

The pattern shows a doily thing in the middle of the waist but I don't think it needs it.

I'm hoping it fits Claire.  Fingers crossed.

I've been walking and to the Farmer's Market.  Besides all the vegetables, I got all the bad things today, a turtle (only one!), a cinnamon roll (I only ate a little bit of it - so far) and some Herbed Havarti cheese.  Yum.

We had a good time at Stitching Bits and Bobs yesterday.  They had even more threads than I remembered.  And we got 20% off!  Can't beat that.

Have a great weekend!
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Coverlet Tray

Sometimes designs just appeal to me.  I don't know why, they just do.  I just liked the Coverlet Berry Scissor Tray design.

 I think I got it at Stitchville along with all the threads.  It is stitch on 40 count.  I like how it turned out and it wasn't too hard even on the 40 count.

 The package says that she got the tray at Hobby Lobby.  I went looking at Hobby Lobby and couldn't find it.  If anyone knows where the tray is in Hobby Lobby, let me know.  The designer altered the tray by taking off some loops or hooks and then painting it.  I'm hoping I can do that - if I find it!
It includes a pattern for the strawberry which I think adds a lot.  I'll have to see if I have some red wool in that rat's nest of a closet.
I'm hoping to make a road trip up to Stitching Bits and Bobs this morning with BFF#2.  I just need a couple of threads, and boy, do they have a selection of threads there.  Maybe we'll do lunch and hit the quilt store too.
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Surprise Package

I was surprised the other day when I got tracking for a package I didn't remember having ordered.  A while ago (the end of June?) Mary Corbet talked about some metallic threads that were easier to work with.  They were available from Needle in a Haystack.  I ordered some.  It took a while because some of the threads were out of stock.  I had totally forgotten about them until I got the tracking number.  I got them this week.
They look like lovely threads.

There are several different sizes of braids, from 4 to 32.

  I haven't tried them out yet so I don't know how they are to work with but the colors are very nice.

Speaking of metallic threads, I found the metallic braid from the Amy Mitten kit that I had misplaced.  So I was able to finish up the rose with stumpwork petals.  Now I can start the next step which is the top row.  I need to iron (carefully!) the petals so they lay nicely.

We are expecting rain today but I was able to walk outside this morning.  It was 71 degrees.  Warm!
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