Happy Dance and Update

After 14 months of stitching, I finally reached the finished line. Here is my Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler. It is stitched on 32ct Belfast Linen using DMC variation 4210. I had personalised this sampler with the family names. I enjoyed stitching this sampler, thanks to Hazel for hosting this SAL. The blog posting each month urged and encouraged me to stitch on this sampler every month. Every stitch counts, no matter how small a progress I had made month after month.





I had won a giveaway gift from Dovile of Lithuania. She has a beautiful blog and she stitches beautifully. Have a look at this gift!



Dovile stitched pansies and finished them into a sketch book. I love it and will treasure it. Thank you, Dovile, for this beautiful book and the goodies.




Next, I want to show you this gorgeous cushion cover I received from Bernadette. This is the HoE LHN/CCN Exchange. She stitched LHN Needlework and finished it into a cushion cover. Her stitching and finishing are perfect. I really love the fabrics she used for the cushion.


This picture show the details of her stitching, isn't it beautiful?



Remember in my last post, I mentioned that I had started another two new Quaker projects. Here are the two pictures of what I am stitching, the Contest Sampler and the Spring Quaker Sampler. Both Samplers are designed by Martina of Wiehenburg Samplers.



I have started on the Contest Sampler. My color scheme for this sampler is chocolate and turquoise. I stitch it on 36ct linen using DMC 598,938, 3809, 3910 and 4030. I have decided to start the Spring Quaker again, didn't like the green I used. Will show picture of progress in my next post.



Here is May's update of my Oakhaven Month SAL. We are almost half way through this SAL and I am loving it. This is a quick and fun SAL.



More boxes to show you. The stitched pieces are Love Grows by Oakhaven Designs and a Freebie by Blackbird Designs. I had stitched them some time ago but had just finished them as boxes. This is a lovely way to showcase my stitching. I am still having cartonage lessons, next project will be a round box. I love the fabrics that my teacher provided for the boxes.




This is quite a long post. I will end here and save the rest for my next update. Thank you for visiting my blog. All comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy stitching and take care!

Hugs,
Ellen

Another Beauty Received

Look at this beauty I received from Melanie. This is the pin cushion she stitched for me for the Pin Pillow Exchange hosted by Becky SC. I love this design, it's Happy Heart Day by the Trilogy. This pin cushion is bigger than the conventional ones but I love it. Thank you, Melanie for this beauty, I will treasure it.


This picture showed the detailed stitching, it's beautiful.



A quick update on the Oakhaven Designs' SAL. April was a quick and fun stitch. The SAL is coming along very nicely.



I started on another two Quaker projects. What did I tell you, I am crazy about Quaker designs, lol. The first one is the Contest Stitching hosted by the Wiehenburg Samplers Group. You have to be a member in order to join this Contest. The Contest chart is designed by Martina. The second project is the Spring Quaker SAL. This sampler is also designed by Martina. You will have to pay 11 Euros for the chart. This is a big sampler and the SAL will stretched over many weeks with a part per week. I will update with pictures in my next post.

Thank you, friends, for taking the time to comment on my blog. All comments are welcomed and mean a lot to me.

Take care and happy stitching until the next update!

Hugs,
Ellen

A Beauty Arrived From Australia

I won a RAK Giveaway prize recently from Lisa V. Look what she stitched for me, a gorgeous pinkeep. The design is a freebie from Textile Collection and the colors are great. Lisa's stitching and finishing are perfect. Thank you so much for the Gift, Lisa. I love it and will treasure it. Now I will let the pictures speak for itself.








An update on my Hardanger SAL, I had completed part three. Isn't it lovely? I love the white on the brown/raw Cashel Linen.


Here is a picture of the Bag that we are stitching for this SAL.



I had done the second ornament for the LHN Monthly Ornament SAL. It's the Pear Tree, the 2nd Ornament of the year.



The finishing line is in sight after more than a year of stitching. I have three more motifs and some personalization to go. Please pardon the wrinkles, I did not iron this piece before I took the picture. I am so happy to have this completed soon so that I can start another project. Another quaker? Maybe, lol.



Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciated and valued all your comments.

Happy stitching and take care till the next update.

Hugs,
Ellen

Another Box and Some Finishes

**Edited** I have received an award. Thank you very much, Mbroider, for giving me this Sunshine Award. Rule of this Award is to pass on the award to 12 bloggers. I have a hard time as there are so many blogs that I read, love and admire. So, I am passing this Award to all beautiful and creative bloggers out there!

I am obsessed with boxes, here is another one on show. The stitching (LHN Chocolate Box) was done some time ago and I had just finished it as a box during my cartonage lessons. I love the fabrics used for this box. The box was lined with strip green fabric inside. It was tricky to get the fabric properly aligned.

Next, some finishes to share. Remember the BBD Loose Feathers Pattern I started in September last year? Happy dance, Autumn Song is done. I stitched it on 32ct Lambswool using Cosmo, DMC and Anchor varigated threads. This is going to be another box, lol, but a round one this time.




I am way behind in the LHN Monthly Ornament SAL. Got my charts late and only started stitching early this month. I decided to start with March's ornament - He's A Flake. It was stitched on 28ct Cashel Green Linen using DMC threads as charted except for the tree (DMC 4045). Pear Tree will be the next ornament.



Look at this cute pin pillow! I stitched it for my partner, Lillie, for the Pin Pillow Exchange hosted by Becky SC. The design is a freebie - Winter ABC - by Vavi. I used Cosmo Marble Thread. You can't see it in the picture but the pillow was lined with pretty white and turquoise trim which matched the color of the thread.


As promised in my last post, here is a picture of my new Quaker start - Eiffel Quaker. This design is the creation of Nathalie of Jardin Prive. She gives 3 colorways for this design. I chose the Bois de Rose : DMC 407, 632 and 950. Now, I have 4 Quaker projects in rotation.





Next, an update on my various SALs. I had finished stitching the second instalment of Joei's SAL - Her Flower Garden- Orchid. I am stitching the six instalments individually. They will be finished as stitching accessories at the end of the SAL. Just started on the third instalment - Lavender. This time, I am stitching one over one as I want the design to be small for a scissors fob.




A picture of Oakhaven Design's Months SAL 2010. March was a real quick stitch with only five alphabets. The design is looking very lovely, love all those red hearts.



I join another Hardanger SAL hosted by Mamen Arias. She is Spanish. Here is a picture of my wip, parts 1 and 2. It will be finished into a bag.


Thank you for visiting my blog. All comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy stitching and take care until the next update.

Hugs,
Ellen

Many Things To Share

It's time for another update. I have many things to share.

A present arrived from Holland. Mylene sent me a mattress pincushion. Look how beautiful the pincushion is, her stitching and finishing are perfect. It's a PS design. Thank you, Mylene, for granting my wish.

Natasha had received my HoE LHN/CCN Exchange. I stitched for her a LHN design from the "Something Old and Something New" series. The stitched piece was mounted on a fabric box. I am currently taking cartonage lessons from a Japanese teacher. Here are some pictures of the box.

Here is another of my fabric box. The design is a freebie from Carol R. I am now addicted to making fabric boxes. Box finishes is the new technique to showcase my cross stitch.

Next on the show is my hardanger doily. I joined a Hardanger SAL on a French Board. The SAL was organised and designed by Ticoeur. The design is so beautiful and I really enjoyed stitching this doily. I stitched it on 32ct Sand Belfast using white DMC perle 8 and 12. Thank you, Ticoeur, for organised this SAL.

I received my Valentine Exchange from Ellen Sharp. She stitched for me a lovely pin pillow. It's a HIH design and beautifully stitched. I love it. Ellen also sent me some goodies. Thank you, Ellen, for a lovely exchange.

An update on my OakHaven Group's SAL. I had finished stitching February, it was quick and fun.

I did not take a picture of my Eiffel Quaker as promised. Hopefully, you will have a view of it together with my other Quaker updates in my next post.

Thank you, friends, for visiting my blog. I love and appreciate all your comments.

Happy stitching and take care till the next update,

Ellen

Updates and some small finishes

It's February and time for some updates. I wanted to post more regularly but some things always get in the way (is that a excuse for being lazy, lol).

Here are some updates on my quaker projects, Quakers & Quilts(Q &Q) and Beatrix Potter(BP). BP is a year old. I try to work on it every month. My goal is to finish it by this year, I have eight more motifs to go. I am enjoying Q&Q, it stitched on 40ct linen using one thread. I ready love quaker designs and actually started another quaker project, Jardin Prive's Eiffel Quaker. I promise some pictures in my next post.




In between the big projects, I had been stitching for exchanges and quick pieces. In the Holidays Exchange, I stitched for Cindy Mae two heart designs and finished them as a biscornu. These are freebies but I cannot the source, sorry. I included some goodies with this exchange, go to Cindy Mae's blog for more pictures.


Here are more biscornus. You can tell that I love making biscornus, lol.

The blue one is a freebie from Victoria Sampler. I modified the chart to add webbed roses. The hardanger biscornu's chart is found in the magazine - New Stitches. There are 4 designs to choose from.



I currently joint two SALs. I am now stitching Joei's Her Flower Garden Block 2, will post picture soon. The other SAL is the Month SAL 2010 on Oakhaven Designs' group. Here is a picture of January. This is a quick and fun SAL.


I love boxes and tins. Currently, I am taking cartonage lessons from a Japanese teacher. These are my project works so far, a photo frame, a spectacle box and a small green box. In the near future, I want to incorporate my cross stitch into this finishing technique. Look out for the next update, more fabric boxes to come.


Thank you, friends, for visiting my blog. I love all your comments. I will be away for a few days during the Chinese New Year period. For those who celebrate - Happy Chinese New Year!

And Happy Valentine to everyone! (February 14th happens to be the first day of Chinese New Year).

Take care and happy stitching till the next update.

Hugs,
Ellen

A New Year, A New Start

I just cannot resist a new start. I saw this design being stitched in blogland and fell in love with it. Here is my progress so far.



I am stitching this sampler over 2 on 40ct Newcastle linen using Valdani threads as charted. So far, I am enjoying stitching on 40ct.


Here are my stitching resolutions for this year:

1) to complete my three big wips started last year, namely, Christmas Quaker, Beatrix and LK monthly blocks

2) to stitch LHN monthly ornaments,

3) to be timely on Joei's Her Flower Garden SAL, which started in Dec 2009


Joei's SAL consists of six designs, one each month starting from December 2009. I have chosen to stitch the designs individually instead of a sampler. They will be finished later into stitching accessories. Here is a picture of my first instalment - Rose.


Please visit Joei's blog to see the same design stitched on different fabrics. They are all beautifully stitched.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love and appreciate all the comments in 2009. Looking forward to more visitors in 2010.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!

Hugs,
Ellen