Birthday Gifts, 1st Communion and Exchanges

These lovely gifts are from Angela for the Hop Into Spring exchange on the Stitched with Love Exchange blog.  I love these exchanges. She send me Lizzie Kate Spring String Snippet with the fabric, 2 overdyed threads, beautiful white eyelet fabric, spring color trimming and fat quarters, and gladiolas bulbs. I passed the bulbs to my aunt because she will grow them. I don't even have room for a plant container to grow them myself.  I am not sure what to call the finished item.  I never seen a stitched item finished this way. The only way I could describe it, it's in a shape of a light gift box with sides about an inch wide, and the back is covered with fabric. It is very beautiful and is displaying on my bureau.  Thank you Angela for these beautiful gifts.

Egg Hunt by Barbara Ana

16 count aida, DMC threads

Since my partner didn't have a preference of Spring or Easter, I made two items, representing both Spring and Easter.  The picture above is Egg Hunt from Barbara Ana Designs, done on 16 ct pink aida.  I finish it off in a wall hanging but I think I put too much batting on.

 Lizzie Kate Easter Sampler 

28 count cream lugana

DMC threads

I added threads, fabric, Easter candy, a new pattern from VeeandCo. and a notepad for C.J. She said she liked everything.  I really don't have anything new or updates to show that is worth while.  However, I do have birthday gifts to show. Plus my nephew made his First Communion and he had a speaking part during the mass too.  I am so proud of him.  The following pictures are not in the order I want them in , so I just label them in their order.  

Anthony with his proud parents.




Anthony and his godparents.

Anthony is a chocoholic so his mom got him a chocolate pizza. It was a cool idea.  There was cake too.

Anthony

Anthony reading his cards out loud with a little help with his dad when it was needed.

Here is some birthday floss arriving after my day.

This exchange was the Theme exchange In Stitcherhood group. My partner send me a patriotic theme.  It ws awesome package. Thank you Tonya!

These gifts are from Shelley in the ILCS Birthday Club (ILCSBC). The gift is CCN Red, White and Bloom with the threads, fabric, highlightrs, and Victorian purple scissors. Thank you Shelley!

This gift is from Penny in Stitcherhood group.
Little House Believe kit. Thank you Penny!

These gifts are from Graceann in the ILCSBC.  She send me LHN Sheep Virtues Peace and Love, and huge piece linen in a cream color. It looks it may fit all 12 sheep, but I have to do the measurements still. Thank you Graceann!

 

Tonya from Stitcherhood send me Mirabilia April Blue Diamond Fairy. Thank you Tonya.

Mark from ILCSBC send me Lizzie Kate Our House kit plus the fabric. I can not wait to start this one. Thank you Mark!

Val from ILCSBC send me August Cat pattern plus the floss. Isn't this pattern so adorable!?  After I finish my Spring exchanges, I will be stitching this one too.  Thank you Val!

Cards and floss from the ILCSing group.

More cards and floss from the other ILCS group.

From Debbie Jo in ILCSBC, I got LHN Virtue Sheep Love with the floss and material. It would make a lovely ornament. Thank you Debbie Jo!

 From Shaunterria, she gave me Mirabilia Sweet Pea Prixie with the beads.  I just got the perfect fabric for her. Thank you Shaunterria!

 From Heidi I got 3 Mill Hill kits, Cool Cat, Willow Wings and Black Swallowtail. Plus she included a cord maket to make cords. I will be using it very shortly. Thank you Heidi!

My brother brought me The Bomb for my birthday. It is a 3 layer chocolate cake with chocolate pudding in the bottom layer and chocolate mousse on the top layer. The whole cake is covered with chocolate ganache. It was so good!

I went to my aunt's for a birthday dinner. She made chicken parmigna, mashed potatoes and green beans. My aunt made me a cake. It was a coconut cake with strawberry sauce between the layers and cover with cream cheese frosting.  It sounds good but the flavors didn't really go together very well.

This bookmark was stitched by Mab from ILCS group. She added some tea with the exchange . Thank you Mab!

The final gift is from Ann in Stitcherhood.  She send me LHN Autumn Sampler and Mill Hill Victorian Christmas House. Thank you Ann!

I also received $50 worth of gift certificates at 123 Stitch. I already placed my order and will show you what I bought next time. I should have a stitching update too.  Thank you everyone for the birthday gifts and wishes.   It sure made my day special due to my wonderful stitching friends.

Hugs, Vicky 

Birthday cards and gifts, Exchange and IHSW

My birthday was this past Saturday and I turned 42 years old. I didn't do anything special with my family. No one had any money but I am fine with that. My aunt is taking me to see The Music Man being  played next Sunday at the Thomasaton Opera House.  I worked there for a couple weeks a few years ago, and it is a beautiful historical building.  I am looking forward to seeing the musical.  It is one of my favorites.

I am in a few birthday clubs in my groups. I didn't count the cards but I did get several cards and skeins of beautiful color threads.

From my Stitching Sisters group

from my ILCSing yahoo group

 The next three pictures are from ILCS yahoo group, ( a different group from above).  Some of the cards got into the pictures twice but I only got 2 same cards but from two different groups.

In my Stitcherhood group I got these lovely gifts:

From Chele LHN Coffee Menu with Crescent Colors Joshua Tree, Little Brown House,and Toasted Marshmallow and Piecemakers  Needles 26. The threads go with the pattern.

From Janet Hinzeit  Chocolate with charms-adorable!

From Tonya Country Cottage  Designs Ice Cream Sundae and Pie Menu

From  Georgena Sue Hillis Happy Stitching and  Piecemakers needles

From Ethel Brittercup Designs Haunt the Night Away and Britty Kitties IV Dmc 809, 823 and Carrie's Threads Black Cherry

???? Mirabilia Midsummer Eve's Fairy I have no idea who the gifter is but whoever you are, thank you!

From Mary Nora Corbett Lady Slipper Garden Pixie with the beads, Kreinik thread and material that goes with the pattern and LHN 2012 Quaker Birds ornament pattern.

 I also received $35 gift certificates from Carrie, Cindy and Sierra.  I will be getting some material and 11x11 q-snaps with the gcs.  Thank you so much everyone for the gifts, cards and birthday wishes.

Mixed  with the packages was my gift from the Valentine competition I won last month.  I didn't want to open any packages early and didn't know the moderator was going to send the prize from 123Stitch.  I was surprised when I read the invoice because I forgot about it. Thank you Shelley for organizing and sending me the prize and everyone who voted for me!

Lizzie Kate Think Spring, John James needles and 28 count Moss Green Lugana

Mary Louise send me a lovely card and Lizzie Kate Summer Sampler.  We have been chatting 2 or 3 times a week due to both of us on Weight Watchers.  We have been encouraging each other and chatting of our stitching. I have been enjoying our chats.

The picture above are the cards and floss I received on Monday (today).  My celebrations just continues, lol.

 I joined the Spring into Easter exchange with the Stitching with Love Exchange blog.  I sent the above to Expel of Hungary.  I stitched Lizzie Kate Spring Sampler and finished into a mini pillow. I included a Shephard's Bush Pattern, needleminder, 40 count linen, needles, threads, and fabric. I haven't heard from her yet but I do know she received it. I hope she likes everything.

Fiona send me a Easter package.  She send some beautiful ribbons, a Glendon Place free chart, the recent Cross Stitcher issue, a piece of green evenweave, Valadini threads, and a pair of green with white polka dot scissors.  Thank you Fiona!

Now on to the International Hermit and  Stitch Weekend.  It fell on my birthday weekend and I did so some stitching and here is my progress:

 I finished part  3 of Lavender Blue.  I need to finish part 4 before I get the other two parts.

 Saturday night I stitched some more on Born Shopper.  I decided to add blending filiament to the white when I get to it.  It may take a little longer but will be worth it.

I stitched a little on my Halloween House like I wanted to do before the week was up.  The picture is not great because it was a cloudy day. I am glad I stitched on this piece.   I took out my Mirabilia Enchanted Mermaid on Sunday night.  I was hoping to make progress on the face.  Well, I missed a row at the top of the face and didn't noticed it until I was at her lips area.  So I had to rip all the stitches I made on her which means no picture on her progress.  I will see if I get back to her this coming weekend, how well I do my stitching exchanges this week.

Thank you for lasting this long and reaching the end of the post.  I hoped you enjoyed reading it.  I will be posting a giveaway in a week or two.  I am still getting it together. 

Many hugs,
Vicky

Patriotic Snowangel

I finished stitching this snow angel last night, when the news was on. The Patriotic SnowAngel was stitched on 28 count Little Blue Boy lugana, using the recommended threads except for the carrot nose. I couldnt find the floss for the nose, so I had went to Joann's to get the floss, and I end up misplacing the skein somewhere in the house. I couldn't believe it. If I had a child or a pet, or even a husband, I could blame it on one of them, but I lost it somewhere. So I used WDW Pumpkin thread for the nose. The pattern came from American School of Needlework Angelic Snowmen leaflet. I will be finishing it as a pinkeep.

Any one watched The Marriage Ref after the olympics? First, I was disappointed how NBC cutted the closings into 2 parts. I was stitching and was half paying attention to what Bob Costas was saying so I didnt even know they were coming back on at 1130 until this morning, lol. Of course I was too late to watch it then. It sure was not smart of them to cut the program into 2 parts. To me, I thought that was it, The End of the 2010 Olympics, and regular programming will go on. I wonder how many people saw the closing credits after the news. By then, I was watching another channel as I was kitting another pattern. Anyways, ( talking about getting off track, lol) I did watched The Marriage Ref and I laughed my butt off. There was even one time I was laughing so much, I laughed right through the commericals and crying at the same time.

I kitted Little House Needleworks Pear Tree last night. I was able to find all the threads I needed for the pattern. It is going to be stitched on 28 ct mushroom evenweave material. I wanted to stitched in February but I ran out of time. So I will try to stitch 2 ornaments, since I have He's a Flake in my pile and Snowy Pines will be shipped out this week to me.

My birthday is next month, so I have decided I will be celebrating it with all of you. I will be holding my first giveaway in a few weeks. I am still deciding what I am giving away. Any suggestions will be helpful. I found out my friend and I will be seeing Mary Poppins on June 23. He got front row seats on top of that. It is going to be so awesome! I can not wait. I think I am more excited about the musical than for my birthday.