Unexpected Gifts

     Happy New Year! Wishing all my readers a 2011 filled with good health, happiness, hope and time to stitch or quilt.  
     As I look back over the holiday season my fondest memory is the 'unexpected gift'. One day I found a package from a dear friend, Sandy, in my mailbox. The pups and I rushed back into the house to see what the package contained. I had been admiring Sandy's beautiful wool table runners and penny rug mats she had been creating. I was stunned to find a beautiful wool pincushion in my package.

Sandy's blanket stitch is perfection. But that was not all that was in my package. She also made this sweet scissors keeper using one of the Blackbird Designs alphabet fabrics.

 Thank you dear friend for taking the time to create two very special gifts. Unexpected gifts... it just doesn't get any better.
     As I was sorting through my WIP pile to try and decide which WIPs I would focus on completing in 2011 I discovered poor Dorothy Ians at the bottom of the pile. Dorothy hadn't seen the light of day since November 2009. I was determined to get her completed by the end of 2010.

Dorothy Ians
Sampler Dames

BOAF 36 ct. Barn Owl 

AVAS and Soie de Paris

 Filling in the background of the verse was boring... but I do love the effect.
      I was also able to put the final stitches into Mary Gipson.

1836 Mary Hannah Gipson Sampler

Reproduced by Ruth Ann Russell of C Street Samplerworks

PTP - 40 ct Heritage

GAST & DMC

     It's a bitterly cold day here in my little corner of Iowa. Emma stayed up late to welcome in the New Year. She'll be spending the day catching up on her beauty sleep. I'll be stitching on Jane Atkinson and enjoying the Rose Bowl Parade. Owen will be happy to snooze in the sun.