Feeling Spoiled!

Hi everyone,
A few weeks ago Stephanie at Loft Creations
was doing a sponsored giveaway on behalf of Connecting Threads
The giveaway was only open to USA/Canadian residents but not wanting to disappoint her international readers Stephanie also offered a gorgeous Dresden Plate candle mat giveaway especially for them. Of course I had to enter. Who wouldn't want their very own piece of Stephanie's beautiful work?
Well, imagine my surprise and delight when I received an email to say I was the international winner!
I waited anxiously for the package to arrive. The Spanish postal service is slow but they say good things are worth waiting for and was this package ever worth the wait!



Inside the prettily wrapped packages was the much anticipated Dresden Plate candle mat which is gorgeous. I love the fabrics and the way the quilting follows the lines of the Dresden Plate.



and just as lovely on the back as it is on the front using this neat hexagon printed fabric




When I opened the second package I was completely blown away to find a copy of every single one of the gorgeous bag patterns that Stephanie designs. There are eight in total and I have to wonder how I can ever pick the one I like best because I love them all.
Here are the first four



and here is the second set of four



Also tucked into another little package were two reels of Connecting Threads sewing thread in yummy colours of purple and lime.




I think I must have spent most of yesterday looking at my gorgeous new bag patterns and pulling out this fabric and that while I pondered which bag I might make first but of course the plan is to make them all eventually.
Thank you Stephanie for such wonderful gifts.

On to other things. I stitched a small cross stitch design called Bless my Scissors by Notforgotten Farm and finished it into a little pillow. It is stitched over one on 28ct linen using DMC threads.



finally some stitchery from a vintage 1970's design that Helen of Bustle and Sew offers on her website for free




It's called Funky Chick and uses very bright colours of DMC. As soon as I saw Helen had finished the design into a pillow using Cath Kidston fabrics I was hooked and had to make it for myself. I spent today putting the pillow top together.
I'll add some thin wadding and do some hand quilting using perle cotton.


I wish I'd had some of the darker prints including some reds or dark pink but I was using from what I had and think it is quite pretty.
As it is Mother's Day in UK today I want to wish all of my UK readers a very happy Mother's Day. I hope you are being totally spoiled and enjoying your day.
Thanks to everyone for your continued visits to my blog and for your lovely comments and a big welcome to my new followers.
Margaret