I Couldn't Decide and a Giveaway

     I had a hard time deciding what to focus on when it came to my stitching since the beginning of the month. I was all over the place and I'll share with you what I've been working on.

I added almost one line of verse and the butterfly and bird on the berry bough.

Jane Atkinson - The Scarlet Letter

       It wasn't long before I grew bored with Jane A. and decided that what I really wanted to do was start a new sampler that featured a bird. It was a toss up between Sarah Harvey and Sarah Pain and Sarah Pain was the winner.

Sarah Pain - The Scarlet Letter

       Sarah P. is being stitched on a piece of 36 ct. mystery linen with both AVAS and NPI silks.

      Nicola, Stitching by a Cornish Sea Shore, invited me to participate in a relaxed SAL. A bunch of us will be stitching Manifesto by The Scarlet Letter. We are to designate one day a week for Manifesto and post our weekly progress photos on  Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year. Manifesto is a new release by Marsha and it will be a labor of love for us all. The sampler is 600 stitches wide by 381 stitches long. I started my piece this past week and am stitching it on 38 ct. cream Bellazia linen with an assortment of silks.

The Manifesto (photo  from The Scarlet Letter)

My Start.... I have a long way to go!

       I would like to devote my Sunday stitching time to needlework smalls. Yesterday I started Butternut Tavern by Stach Nash Primitives. It's being stitched on 40 ct. Lakeside  Pear with GAST as charted.

      I know my readers are anxious to see the last it's Finally a Finished Finish that will be part of my 100th Blog Post Giveaway. Here it is... a sweet needlecase. The Birds of a Feather was a kit I received from Brenda S., in February 2012, in a giveaway win package. I think it's wonderful that I'll be passing along my giveaway win to another lucky giveaway winner!

      In addition to the sweet needlecase the luck winner will also receive the following gifts:

 

      Yes, there is a box of Emma and Owen's favorite doggie treats... Wet Nose Pumpkin treats. Emma was feeling very sad when she realized that she tore the corner of the packaging of the Olde Colonial Designs tiny Christmas tree kit. She wanted to help me put together the package and bit down a bit too hard on the kit. Thankfully only the packaging and a tiny corner of the paper was damaged. She's hoping the lucky winner has a sweet pup (she really doesn't understand why the winner wouldn't have a pup) that will enjoy the pumpkin treats as much as she does. 
      In addition to the treats, the package will also include a Quality Chick T-shirt from the Decorah Hatchery, a leather embossed lined journal, bunny thread drops, Colonial Designs Christmas Tree and Thread Pallette kits, Ewe & Eye & Friends - Flower Scissor Companion kit with pink scissors and a Pick n'Thread.       
      The Giveaway is open to everyone, no matter where you may live, and the winner will be announced on Friday, February 15th, as part of  the weekly (this moment) post... which will be my 100th post. Leave a comment on this post only if you would like to participate in the Giveaway. You don't have to be a Follower... but it would be nice if you were! Good luck!

Laurie

A Perfect Ending to 2012

      I put the final stitches into Jane Pattison this past week. A perfect ending for the 2012 Stitching Year. I loved working with the Simply Wool fiber and hope to stitch another sampler one day using the wools.

 Jane Pattison 1806

Shakespeare's Peddler

32 ct. Lakeside Vintage Navy Bean

Simply Wool 

 

 

      I was hoping that Emma Miles would be completed in 2012, but it just didn't happen. All those satin stitched flower blossoms in the border took longer than expected. I just have a few more blossoms to complete and the remainder of the over one Adam & Eve along with some small motifs. I think this will be my first 2013 finish!

Emma Miles 1848

The Scarlet Letter

40 ct. Lakeside Light Examplar

AVAS silk

 

 

           I also worked on a few more panels for the PA German Sewing Box.

Side Panel

Bottom Panel

Side Panel

      While I spent many hours in my stitching chair Emma and Owen spent many hours doing this....

Emma

 

Owen

      I was very blessed to have won several giveaways from generous bloggers.
Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe had a wonderful giveaway each day of December. I was the lucky winner of several skeins of her floss and an assortment of charms.

        Kathy, The Unbroken Thread, had a wonderful giveaway of a two beautiful wooden laying tools made by her father. Why two... because I'm to keep one for myself and give the other one away. As Kathy states... the best gifts are the ones we can share. Someone will be receiving a surprise package in the mail.

 

        From the  very talented ladies of Tokens and Trifles I won an issue of Early American Life which included an article about Token and Trifles along with a perforated paper card to embroider.

      I've been longing for one of Marly's ("Samplers and Santas")  Sampler Boxes  and I finally have one to call my own. Of course it depicts Adam & Eve.

        I wish all of my blog readers a very Happy New Year. May it bring you many hours of stitching and sharing your accomplishments with your stitching friends. 
        A very dear friend of mine is battling liver cancer. She's been keeping her friends and family up-to-date with her diagnosis and treatments through group e-mails. Today she shared with us the following quote  and I'd like to share it with you... my blogging friends.

Christopher Robbins message to Winnie the Poop. 

 "There is something you must always remember.  You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.  But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.....I'll always be with you."
 

Laurie

And The Winners Are.....

      A big thank you to all of you who participated in my triple plus giveaway. I wish you all could have been winners as a thank you for following, reading and commenting on my blog. 
Without further delay:

The winner of Jane Atkinson by The Scarlet Letter is Kelley.

 Hello Laurie! You have made so much progress on Elizabeth Smith. It took me several months to finish her. It would be so much fun to watch you stitch just to see that needle fly through the linen!! I would love to have Jane Atkinson. Thanks for the chance. Blessings from Kentucky - kelley

The winner of Mary Ann Gollins by Cross Stitch Guild of the UK is Mouse.

oooohhh well done on the stitching front and don't do them in your sleep could end up having a frog attack ..lol wonderful goodies you got and would love to be in with the chance of the birds of a feather and the Mary Gollins though number one is nice too ;) love the sleeping positions .lol
take care and have a lovely day :) love mouse xxxxx

The winner of L'arbre de Noe by Julia Line is Michelle.

Michelle said...

Elizabeth is gorgeous and I LOVE the robotic A&E!! So fun when they are different from the norm. Love it. And congrats on the giveaway you received - that little BOAF is so cute. I do think that finishing as a cabinet hanger or for a smalls bowl would be lovely. And what a generous giveaway - it's so hard to choose!!! But, I think I'm going to have to go for the book...it looks like it has some fantastic things in there.

The winner of Birds of a Feather is CJ in OK. 

You accomplished so much, the sampler is amazing and the Adam and Eve are great. Love that little Birds of a Feather design too, and it's just my size. If no one else has claimed it, I would love to have that chart to stitch with the leftover silks. The other giveaways are wonderful but probably a little to much for me. Thanks, CJ in OK ;-) 

Congratulations ladies. Please send me an e-mail with your mailing address. My e-mail address can be found in my profile.

As soon as the sun returns I'll be taking photos of my finish, Frederick, and my other stitching projects. Be back soon.... I hope.

I am grateful for snow/rain/sleet days... because it gives me so much more time to stitch!

Progress Report, Some Giveaways and Sleeping Dogs

      It's time for a progress report. I decided to stick with Elizabeth Smith and here's where she's at as of today. I just have the border left to complete. I should be able to stitch those repetitive flowers in my sleep... although they are not all exactly the same. I'll do a few close-up photos of the flowers when the sampler is completed.
      I love they way Elizabeth stitched her Adam and Eve. I've been referring to them as the robotic A&E's. Either by choice or because of limitations, Elizabeth created her rather large sampler using only twelve colors. I'm very impressed with her skill at creating her sampler with a limited color palette. Her name is stitched in rice stitch.

 Elizabeth Smith 1811

The Scarlet Letter

40 ct. Lakeside Vintage Light Examplar

DMC

      I received a lovely package in the mail from BrendaS.  I was the lucky winner of her giveaway. 

  I got all excited when I saw that the Birds of a Feather chart came as a kit. The linen and strands of Belle Soie and Gloriana silks were included along with the chart.  It's stitched on 36 ct. Lakeside Vintage Luna linen. I haven't decided how I want to finish this piece. I was thinking of a needlebook or perhaps a fob. Any suggestions?
      I think there is enough leftover silks to stitch this design again. I'd love to pass the chart and silks along to someone who would like to stitch the design. Just leave a note in the Comments section if you'd like it. If more than one person wants the chart I'll put the names in a hat and select a winner.
      I have been the recipient of many giveaways and it's time for me to have a few giveaways of my own. I couldn't make up my mind what chart I wanted to giveaway... so I decided if one giveaway was good... then three giveaways would be even better.
      I would like to gift three of my readers with their choice of one of the following:

1) Jane Atkinson - The Scarlet Letter with some additional goodies.
2) Mary Ann Gollins Sampler - Cross Stitch Guild of the UK with some additional goodies.
3) L'arbre de Noe - Julia Line (US readers only)

If you would like to receive one of these giveaway items please leave a Comment and indicate which gift you would like to receive if you should be the winner. I have to restrict the Julia Line book to US readers only due to the weight of the book and the high cost of international postage. Both the charts and the book are brand new items. If you prefer not to leave a Comment you can send me an e-mail. The only Rule... you must tell me which gift you would like.... don't leave it up to me to decide! If no choice is given you won't be included in the drawing.


Emma will be selecting the winner of the Jane Atkinson chart plus extras. Owen will select the winner of the Mary Ann Gollins chart plus extras and I will select the winner of the Julia Line book. All names will be placed in a bowl and the first name drawn by either paw or hand will be the winner.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. February 29, 2012 Central Time. I'll post the winners on March 1st. 


Emma mentioned to me that she is willing to accept bribes! I'll have a long talk with her about her willingness to cheat. Owen can not be bribed... he takes his duties very seriously. 


      Nicola is having a fun competition. She's asked us to post photos of the funniest sleeping positions of our pets or our people. Emma and Owen want to be included in the competition.

Emma on the chair... Owen on ottoman

Emma

Owen... my very serious boy!