Petergodijn

Here's an update on Redbird (Thanks to Jolene :). At some point, a Red Bird (It's a cardinal, right?) will appear. This is on the same piece of linen as Fox Forest, BTW. When unfolded, it's like they are opposing armies lining up for battle. I completely love stitching with the Juniper (is it CC or WDW; can't recall, sorry!) on this Meadowlark. It's pictured in a crocheted basket from Ikea, one of my 3 or 4 "Happy Places". Annemarie ID'ed it last time as being from their Hallowed Halls Showroom, and it is only my desire to finish Redbird this year that is restraining me from waxing long on their wonderfulness. :) Meanwhile, my enormous blog hasn't made it off the presses, but I want to go ahead and share my joy at the wonderful surprise I received late last week in the mail! Feast your eyes, Dear Reader, upon Rosewood Manor's Quaker Diamonds BeckySC hosted a GENEROUS giveaway of this amazing piece, I think, because she is enjoying her

You may recall that I was working on When Witches Go Riding by PS, and I've done some here and there between exchanges and my monthly HalloSAL. Today, I decided to take a progress pic, and I was shocked by how much I'd actually gotten done since last time just by doggedly sewing in black, black, and more black. Before: And Now: This one does the best job of showing the colours on this grey day. But this one is clearer, and un-cropped. You can see where a I had to take out some black border at the corner due to a knot-loop. Sigh. If you're looking for the "ruffle" at the bottom of the frame as charted, never fear. I am quite in love with it, yet contemplating inserting some sort of signature-date-etc at the bottom in a box before that fancy trim. I actually have--somewhere--about a million thumbnails sketched for personal logos that would be, in my recollection at least, very suitable for adaptation to the medium of needle and thread. Now all I h

What a Day! What a Year! What a Decade! Dare I say, "What A Life!"? I don't know that I could, factually, as I don't remember a good portion of it. :/ Well, Onward and Upward! :) Here are some stragglers that I meant to post in September, along with all those deserts and such--they are almost in season again! This was the first Arbor Day Exchange I sent to Lindsay . It never reached her, though a notice about a report being filed for its "theft" recently did. Wild! This was a freebie that Anita stitched; I fell in love with not only it but the thread she used! I don't know how well it suited Arbor Day, but I was so happy to have an opportunity to stitch it! Some fabric that I stashed a little while ago while shopping for "pastel" and "ecru" quilting prints to make a frayed circle quilt like the one Deb made a while back. lol--You can see how "Pastel" they are. :P These are a little closer. ;) The pi

I forgot the chart when away from the house, but was still able to stitch--thank you border! :D Usually, I pack EVERYTHING but the Needle. :) Out of season, but these steam-fried yams were so good! The recipe calls for a black sesame garnish, but I used fresh-grated nutmeg and cinnamon instead. I glugged in a little extra oil, and they did come out too oily! As the recipe says, it REALLY only needs one tablespoon. They won't get too oily if you do over-use as the potatoes are surprisingly non-porous. I took the good advice of Myra, Nancy and others and tried making a little sample bit of finished machine quilting. I think I really need some supplies such as gloves for grip and a slide-facilitating plate to put down around the plate. It'd be even better if I had a sewing table which puts the plate on the level of the whole table. I could only have one if it folds up, however, due to space constraints. I hope they make one, but have doubts due to the likelihood of

I want to thank you all so much for your kind, encouraging, and empathizing comments on yesterday's post; my spirit was so bolstered by all of you! I "sewed" most of the grass in yesterday, and my plot is now almost solidly green. I didn't think much of the Kudzu until it was all done and I stepped back, but now I can see the variegation and I think it's just quite subtly perfect. Next will be more of the personalization, along with a band that I'm considering working in purple--which would push this design more towards Hallowe'en--good or bad? Should I make the band with one of the colors already in the design or into one (which?) of these purples (they are WDW Concord and Eggplant, respectively. I know you can't see what the band is like, but that's the way it is! :P (It is very simple, though.) Enjoy your Saturday, everyone! It's beautiful, clear and cool with breezes--I feel like we've really lucked out! Yours Happily, Berit

Get your copy of The Daily Mel ! From Stitchy Giveaways Mel, of The Daily Mel is having a giveaway to celebrate her 8th blogging anniversary/1000th post! Whew! Now, it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that someone might read my blog who doesn't already read hers, but just in case DO check it out! The deadline for entry is Wednesday, 26 August 2009 at 11pm (Gee; I'm not sure what time zone she is...) , and the prize package is astoundingly wonderful in its bounty! Follow the link at the top of this post for full details and entry directions. :D ::: Now, then, for stitching on the home front, I've started a few things, and even FINISHED a few things since I last made a post here on "PoPn'N" (Yes, I just randomly made up a silly acronym for my blog title...Reminds me of one of those games at Chuck E. Cheese's-type places that says, "LeeeeeEEEEtssss POP 'EM!!" Then, "HOLLLLD DA Balls!" Only it sounds like "

On Monday morning, while sleepily checking my email/reader, I saw that Tanya of The Sampler Girl had released a new freebie: "eat your carrots". Because it was such a glorious, spring-y,sunny morning, and because I've been doing fall stitching most of the winter (which I love, but don't want to do winter all spring...), and because Marc's nickname for me is some form of the word "Bunny", and because I LOVE pastel colours (I'm happy as a pig in, umn, mud when the spring comes because I can just roll in pastels, eyelet lace, and seersucker regardless of whether or not anyone I know's got a baby.), I decided this would be an easy, fast spring make which I could then finish and enjoy as spring comes on. I think we all need a little cheering up from the winter blues. So, at some length, I finished, and "finish-finished" it. "eat your carrots" The Sampler Girl Start: 01 March 2010 End: 03 March 2010 Fabric: 1/2 on Myste

Gosh, but I have a beast of a blog in the works. Updates on all that cooking. Answers, answers, answers. Awesome stitching, and even more awesome SURPRISES in the MAIL. But I've only a moment, and so here's how I'm ringing in tonight's Snowfall. Red Bird Sampler Bent Creek Designs Recommended Fibers (CC & WDW) 36 count Meadowlark (1/2) Start Date: 10 February 2010 Other Snooze News: • Have you seen the Steweb scissors from Kelmscott? I wants them! :) • Patience 1898 from Hands to Work

Here is a bit of a writeup I made about my likes, wishes, and tastes intended as a help for the members of the Tiny Treasures Exchange--hopefully it will be of some help those of you in the group who have drawn my name! ... I like designs to be more iconic--representative and made of symbols rather than realistic. (This is why I like smalls best; because they have cute, neat icons to represent flowers or whatever the subject, rather than some photo-realistic life-size rose. Also, the geometric embellishments are charming.) For colours, I like blue greens-rather than yellow greens, but am not so opposed to yellow-green that it could not be used as a highlight on a leaf, for example. I also like pale yellows/creams together. I like that beautiful floss which changes colors. Lately I can't seem to stop stitching things in that red-plum-maroon one DMC makes, lol! ("blackwork" done in it is so charming!), and also like patterns such as houndstooth. For themes, I

Hello, All! I am just desperate to show you these buttons I bought from Etsy recently for my little version of Mary's Pin Pillow by Indigo Rose. They have yet to arrive, and this is the photo from the seller's site! They are size 7/8", so I think think they will be really striking! Etsy has some AMAZING buttons for sale, so I'm hoping I don't get too addicted! I had to restrain myself and only buy buttons that "I need now" for a specific thing instead of getting ever little thing that caught my eye! I could easily have spent $50 just on buttons! And nothing to sew them to...good thing I like Biscornu so much... But, I only bought this one kind. :) It doesn't really show so in my previous post, but there is a good bit of plum in the floss I used, so I am hoping that these buttons will really bring it out. I took those photos as a test of the camera on a friend's new phone--it has 3.2 MP!! Not sure it's colours are so good, however. But, i

Here, because it has been springlike-weather all weekend (to my great irritation: Why is it shorts-and-sandals weather in second-half of November!? I was shaking my fist at the sky all weekend. Do Not want to get sick due to yo-yo weather. But, if ya can't beat 'em, join 'em!)and even moreso today, follow a collection of summery items: This is a long-long overdue show-off of the wonderfully citrus-y exchange I received from dear Ann (who is offering a charming swap today; head on over!) as her recipient in the Tiny Treasures Exchange (Floss Tag). The floss tag has appeared in the corners of some photos in my blog before, and says "Bobbins" on the primary side. The other two items are the extras she made for me--a complete "Sewing Set"! The reverse side of the tag and the inside of the necessities pouch; so many nice pockets and a felt for needles and pins. How nicely it is made! A details pic--see the hand-crocheted button loop? And the star

First some pretty pumpkins sprout–some a rather anemic white... Then, the brown ground arises all around; As Dirty Dishes in the Sink abound. ... Here, also, are several hours of work. I frogged this little guy so many times trying to determine how I wanted to fill the background. Then, when I'd finally done it, I again ripped it out because I didn't like the lay of the colour variegation. OCD, Much? Hey, it's okay, Marc starts counting the clothes pins (we have orange and blue ones, and he knows how many of each.) And if they aren't on the line or in their little buckety-home, he Wants To Know Where They Are :D Or, he takes the lids off the tea sample tins and turns them so that they read the same direction as the labels. I feel that it's relevant to mention that the lids are printed with only the issuing company's logo, and nary a mention of the contents therein. :) Aand, because I have no restraint, a pic of the whole kit. You may

Dear Reader, I must confess that I have lately felt like an outsider, an interloper in these cross-stitch blog circles: Sometimes, I find myself hating Cross stitch! Yes! I feel just awful, but I am so impatient, and so much work goes into making things, and when it comes out looking less-than-perfect it is so disheartening! I simply cannot tell you how much heartache this one little piece caused, Reader! It is a little like what I hear childbirth is like--really awful while it's going on but when you are done you have such a wonderful thing. And of course, you forget how awful it was and think it's nothing but just peachy and begin aspiring to do it all again. lol (Although on a MUCH smaller scale.) Have any of you ever secretly hated this wonderful hobby? From My Finishes I made it as a birthday gift for our good friend Tak--It features a character from one of his favorite videogames (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). It is stitched 1 over on 32 count Zweigart