I've finished a couple of pinkeeps - the first one is a Brightneedle freebie design Humble Daisys.
I went out on location for the photo shoot LOL. Roaming around the weeds and nettles on a piece of waste ground near to where I live. Anyone passing would have probably thought I was nuts but I had to find a daisy!
Please click on the picture as it looks so pretty when seen close up.
I couldn't decide which picture I like best so you get to see both of them :)
I have no idea what the purple flowers are but they are so pretty. I snapped this picture on my way down to the beach.
The second pinkeep is one of the JBW French Country series using the recommended threads and linen.
Still with the cross stitch I stitched a Stacy Nash Primitives design which was supposed to be a sampler pinkeep drum. Here's how it should have looked
I had so much trouble with it as nothing I did even remotely resembled a drum so here's what I ended up with
I turned the stitched piece into a zippered pouch from a tutorial I found here
I thought the zippered pouch would make a great project bag so I made a matching needlecase. Here's a view of the back of the needlecase
Moving on to stitchery now I just love to visit Nadine's blog and on my last visit I saw the most gorgeous little heart shaped stitchery piece. This reminded me that I had started a heart shaped stitchery from the Bronwen Hayes Flower Bed Quilt book.
I quickly finished the heart and turned it into a little door hanger.
Now I want to show you the newest addition to my mermaid collection :)
I received a lovely surprise in the mail from Roberta who sent me a belated birthday gift. It seems like my birthday went on forever this year but hey, I'm not complaining!
Here is the little glass mermaid. Isn't she just gorgeous? By the way, she's lying on some fancy fabrics I have saved for the day when I do an ocean themed crazy quilt block but I'm not sure when I'll ever get round to that! The little mermaid looks like she is swimming in a sparkling sea doesn't she?
Roberta also sent a tin of Key Lime Coolers - delicious bite sized cookies in the most gorgeous tin that has a view of the ocean and a pretty Marjolein Bastin card. Thank you so much Roberta.
Another friend did something really special for me. Domy is from France and when I told her I loved the cross stitch designs by French designer Isabelle Vautier she told me she would soon be going to a stitching show where Isa V. would be one of the vendors. Domy offered to shop on my behalf by getting me Isa V's book and she was also kind enough to send me a French stitching magazine as well.
Here's the inscription Isa V. did for me in both French and English
and here's a page with some of the many lovely projects
Still on th subject of books and reading matter here is my latest book purchase.
I enjoyed the recent BBC dramatisation of Cranford so much that I wanted to read more of Elizabeth Gaskell.
OK, I'm almost done but I just wanted to show you the prize I won on Nancy's blog
This was for guessing the date and birth weight of her new grand daughter. I guessed the correct date and was within a couple of pounds of the weight. Now why can't I correctly phrophesy the lottery numbers???
Oh, and I'm happy to tell you that one of the three apron swaps came good in the end :)
Maria lives in PA and made me this apron on her treadle sewing machine.
She told me she chose the blue fabric to remind me of the ocean which I love.
Next time I will be showing off two bags. One is made be my friend Char and the other by me.
