I've been busy finishing.

"Focus on the journey,

not the destination.

Joy is found not in finishing an activity

but in doing it."

Greg Anderson

I have been busy getting some more projects from my January basket finished. It has been so much easier having several pieces all ready to stitch. In the past I would search through the old stash looking for what I wanted to do next.  With several projects all kitted up makes it so nice.

My first piece wasn't part of my basket of  projects it was the other pendant Pam had sent me from her Shephard's Bush trip. It just had to come first before my other projects.  I can't wait to wear this at my trip to stitching camp next month.

My next project was a piece I bought last year after the Nashville show. I put off doing it because I didn't like the pink linen I had. At the fall retreat Pam and I went to Yankee Cross Stitch and I found a pink in the remnant box just perfect for my Just Nan Butterfly pin keep.

I finally was able to finish all the green grass in "Bunny Hop". Seems like I had been working on this piece forever.

When I take a picture sitting on the floor this is what really happens behind the scenes.

I purchased this Shephard's Bush kit at the retreat in the fall. It was a fun piece to stitch. I really liked the colors. The light teal and pinks just made me happy as I stitched. It also helped that it was a scissor fob, my favorite. The scissors are a pair I bought at retreat.

The first Thursday of the month our church hosts a dinner for seniors. I do the centerpieces each month and my daughter serves the dinners. She loves a apron for each month. I also finished this St. Patricks Day apron for her to wear.

Isn't she so cute modeling it in front of our orange tree. The poor little branches are overflowing. She picked a box after this picture and took them home and make lots of fresh orange juice. If you need some oranges come on over.

Well that's what has been keeping me busy and out of trouble. I also finished my retreat project but don't have any pictures yet. Don't forget my follower thank you give away ends tomorrow night.

Always keep love in your heart,
Teresa









I'm One Today !

"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,

but for you my heart has no bottom."

Arthur Unknown

OK birthday wise you can guess I'm not one, but blog wise I am one today. One year ago today I started blogging. What a wonderful year it has been. Nataly is the one who encouraged me to start blogging. I started following her blog right before my first retreat. I am so happy I took her advise. I can not tell you how special all of you are with your wonderful comments. I love reading all of your blogs, sorry I don't always comment but I do read a lot each day (or most days). I have learned so much, especially in how to finish a piece and new ideas. I have participated in several exchanges that have been so fun and special. I just can't thank you enough for being there when my family was experiancing a loss. Your kinds words meant so much to me.

I would like to thank all my followers with a special give away. I received a pattern from Deborah - Cranberry Samplings to make a project folder.

 

It is a tri-fold pouch that can hold your pattern and stitching. I would like to give this away to one of my followers. Since this is a "Thank You" give away, it is open to my current followers. All you need to do is comment on this post before midnight March 1 PST. Who knows maybe something extra will be added to the give away.

"A friend is someone who reaches for your hand

and touches your heart."

Arthur Unknow

 

Thank you so much for a wonderful and exciting first year. I look forward to many more to come.

 

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa







Another great exchange!

"Hands that give also receive."

Arthur Unknown

It was another wonderful exchange with the "Stitched with Love Exchange".

I was spoiled rotten by Lisa with the most wonderful thoughtful package.

Everything was wrapped so pretty in heart tissue paper. One of the packages had my most favorite needles attached. My last trip to the shop I was going to buy a new package for my upcoming stitching camp and they were all out. How perfect this new package is.

First I opened these wonderful new magazines. I love to sip tea and just look through them. A perfect afternoon I say.

In my exchange questionaire I said I liked anything with teacher or air force because of my two kids. Lisa was so kind as to add these lovely charts and a wonderful bookmark.

Also incuded in the box was all this wonderful new stash. Some wonderful threads, ribbon, fat quarter, linen, post its and pen. Yes can you see a pair of cute scissors and a beaded fob. Always my favoite and a pair I didn't all ready have, imagine that. In the mesh bag was some wonderful chocolates, they tasted just like a chocolate covered cherry with out the mess. Sorry those were gone a long time ago.

My wonderful stitching piece was this beautiful ornament. Sorry it won't go straight. It is just perfect in pink with hearts. It already has a special place on my bulletin board in my craft room. Thank you so much Lisa for all the wonderful goodies.

I sent my package to Edit in Spain.

I stitched this Love pillow. On her questionaire she stated she is trying to decorate for all the holidays and thought this would be a nice additions.

I also enclosed some spring colored threads, ribbon and a bag of spring buttons for her to use. She stated she like postcards so I enclosed some from So. California.  She mentioned she stitched on Aida and I had several colored pieces I was not going to use. I also sent her and told her it was not part of the exchange but wanted it to go to a new home a bag full of Aida cloth.

It was another wonderful exchange hosted by Lainey. Thank you Lainey, I look forward to the next one.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa



Love of Friendship

"Open your hearts to the love God instills.....

God loves you tenderly. What He gives you

is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared."

Mother Teresa

Happy Valentine's Day. Do you have something special planned? We have always stayed home and enjoyed a home cooked meal. I have loved a tradition started way back when we were kids and I have continued it on with my own family. Everyone must wear something red to the dinner table and when you pull out your chair you would find a special treat. Growing up our favorite meal was my mom's meatloaf so on Valentine's Day she would shape it into a heart and we thought we had the best meal on earth. We knew we were truly loved and special.

Speaking of feeling special, I received a wonderful surprise package from Pam. She had recently gone on a business trip to Utah and was lucky enough to visit Sherpherd's Bush while there.

She knew I loved their pendant projects. She sent me not one but two of them. Also enclosed was some delicious cookies and some heart shaped Peeps. Yes I admit I like those sugary treats. I really like them after they are open and stale.

Here is a couple of the cookies with some peeps. There was also some dark chocolate dipped cookies but they broke in the mail. That's OK because when that happens all the calories fall out so I hate them right away. I admit these two got eaten with tea this morning. Did I mention the package just came yesterday. I can not resist a frosted sugar cookie.

This is the first pendant. It came in this cute box. I could not wait to start this one so I spent the entire afternoon working on it.

I am very pleased to say I did it in one day. This really is only about a inch long stitched. It is one over one.

The other pendant will be started real soon. It will be one I will be taking with me to camp with all the other Easter themed goodies.

Thank you Pam what a wonderful surprise. You can be my Valentine any day.

When I was back in Mass. in the fall I had the pleasure of joining a stitching group and meeting a fellow blogger Deborah from Cranberry Samplings. I had admired her quilted project bag. I took down the measurements but with all the stash I brought home it got lost. She was so wonderful to not just give me the measurements but she drew me a picture.

Joann's is having a sale next weekend and I will for sure be looking for some fun quilted material to try this out. She also enclosed a pattern that she had two of.

I think this one would look nice in the same colors I did the "ABCD" pattern in. I do like my pinks.

Thank you so much Deborah for taking the time to draw out the measurements for me.

I got my little heart fob all sewed up just in time to enjoy it for my Valentine's Day stitching.

"Today, see if you can stretch your heart

and expand your love so that it touches not only

those to whom you can give it easily,

but also those who need it so much."

Daphne Rose Kingma

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa





Sharing

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,

and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Buddha quote

Crafters can be the most generous of people. They are not afraid to light another candle  by passing on their wisdom and supplies. I have been very fortunate in receiving from others.

First there is the La-D-Da traveling pattern "ABCD". First Peggy Lee had it and loaned it to Jennifer. Jennifer then posted she would share the pattern with Peggy's permission. I signed up and waited for my turn. Edgar sent it to me  and I last posted my progress. I am happy to say I have completed the pattern and now you can follow it on Kathy's blog. It will be off in the mail tomorrow to her.

28 count Silver Spun Linen

Crescent Colors Jolly Holly and Secondhand Rose

Since I am among friends I will tell you what happened. I last told you I had a visit from the frog and had to go back to "D" to fix it. So I continued on a bit after that and it still was not right. It seems I really needed to go  back to "B". I was so frustrated I just started over.

OK can't get it to post correct but yes you are seeing two. I am warning my over seas friends I have put the frog on a over seas flight with a one way ticket . Isn't it strange how some of the simplest patterns give you the most trouble.

I finished my piece as a pillow. I used some of the chenille trim Pam gave me for Christmas to finish it off. It is now sitting on my craft room bed with my pink Valentine bedspread.

I commented on Nataly's Needle Creation blog about a cute piece she did. It was Val's Stuff, Little Bitty Kitty Quilt Club. It was 12 small quilts with a kitty in each one. I said they would be cute little fobs on their own. When Nataly was done with the pattern she sent it on to me.

Not only did she send me the pattern but a pair of cute scissors, some fabric pieces to use for fobs and the most beautiful counting pins she made herself.

I have already stitched up one of the quilts on one of her pieces of linen. I will now sew it into a fob.

OK once again don't know why some of the pictures are coming out sideways. You can't tell but it is stitched on a very light green. I changed the greens in the pattern to match.

Thank you so much Nataly for the fun unexpected package.

"There is no delight in owning anything that is unshared."

Seneca Quote

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa