From Autumn to Spring

My exchange partner has received her pinkeep now so I can show you all what I sent.

The front is an Autumn quaker square from a pattern in The Gift of Cross Stitching and I personalised the back with her initial. It was great fun getting everything together and ensuring the chocolate was Made in New Zealand!! My mother who lives with me kept saying "do one for yourself too" but these things can't be repeated can they??

Earth Day

A New Zealand Pukeko now lives in Nashua! Joanne has received my Earth Day exchange so I can show you all what I sent. It was great fun getting together a themed package and I am very happy that the postal system worked so efficiently!

The very first exchange

My partner has now received her biscornu so I can put the picture here. I was rather pleased with the overall effect of this and it sounds as if she was too. I had fun putting the goodies together. I have sent off the pinkeep today and it has a long way to go to so hope all arrives safely. It was a real search to find NZ threads and then I managed to find a similar silk ribbon too but wouldn't you know it the company is no longer making these and it was merely old stock that particular shop held. Kept the colour scheme of the exchange though ;)

Thank you for your comments

I am amazed that people seem to read my blog. But proof is that visitors leave comments and one kindly left a generous comment and asked a question about the "hidden box" in the display cabinet. So here it is unhidden! And I've included a photo of the Just Cross Stitch magazine which has another similar box which I have kitted up ready to start. Again it will be changed as I don't do surface embroidery much but I love drawn thread so will change the design to suit my likes and dislikes.

Finished!!!

Have Ewe any Wool is completed now. I made little linen toggles for the needlebook tie as I'm tired of tassels.

Now as a reward to myself have now started a basket band from Cherished Stitches which I bought from CrissCross Row about two years ago. Hopefully it won't take two years to stitch!

Easter weekend is coming and I go to the beach = long days of stitching and long walks on the beach = happy. What's more I have Thursday off work too so it is a looong weekend.

How do you display your creations?

Now that I have ventured into "blog world" I can see so many wonderful creations and I wonder how do you all display them. As you can see needlework is displacing everything else in my display cabinet. While it provides a source of conversation for guests I sometimes wonder how my elderly mother (who lives with me) feels when she sees her china and crystal pushed to the back!!

Last night I managed a few more stitches on the construction of Have Ewe Any Wool and kitted up "The Magic Kiss" (The Cricket collection gift design) as I intend to give that and a large box of Hershey's Kisses to my 'niece-in-law' for her birthday.

Progress report

Have Ewe any wool is well on the way to completion now. The scissor fob is done and the strawberry pincushion just needs its leaves and stalk. Maybe tonight?! I am rather pleased with this one and have found the chart instructions very clear to follow.

Do you like my pink mat underneath? That was a class at our embroiderer's guild some years ago. A New Zealand embroiderer revived an old English style of embroidery called Fisherton De la Mere and the technique was taught at guilds up and down New Zealand. It is rather time consuming but very effective - I rather like the textured result but don't actually use my mat. It is rolled up and put away in a drawer and I only rescued it as a backdrop for this photograph :-)