Bloom Where Your Are Planted

It's a rainy Easter Sunday here, but not as cold as it's been so I think Spring may be trying to pop out.  This design makes it seem like Spring anyway.  I made a baby sampler for one of my Jazzercise instructors.  This is her third child, a baby girl.  It broke the spell on Jazzercise instructors at the facility where I take class.  The previous 10 babies born to instructors at this facility were all boys! The design is "Bloom Where You Are Planted" by Birds of A Feather.  I've been hoarding this design, just waiting for the right baby to be born.  Am I the only one who hoards designs in wait of a special occasion?  Anyway,  I used all DMC. I will say that the DMC color choices were excellent.  They are not just the easy use of some online conversion charts to turn hand-dyed GAST to DMC, the way some designers seem to do grudgingly as an afterthought.  The fabric is a piece of 32-count linen from my stash.  Would you believe that I didn't notice there were numbers in addition to the alphabet until I got to the very end to stitch them? I always stitch from the center out.

I also stitched up this sweet little old freebie from Brightneedle, called "Bunny Hop" to use on a card to accompany the sampler.  So simple and just grabs at my heart!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday, and to those who celebrate, Happy Easter or Happy Passover... whatever your pleasure.

Good Luck Lady Lexi

Well, it's been about five weeks since I sent what was to be a surprise gift to Michelle.  Don't know where the package is, but it hasn't reached it's expected destination.  Michelle and I decided I could blog about it in hopes that just after I do this, the package will arrive as sometimes these things do.

Originally I had planned to do a Valentine's gift, but I fell behind on that score.  But then Michelle opened an Etsy Shop, Lady Lexi Designs, so I thought a little good luck gift was in order to wish her well on this venture.

I decided to stitch this pretty pink flower from the Workbasket.  You can find the pattern here.  It seemed perfect for an Altoid tin top and I love the design.  I had planned to put Michelle's initials on it, but then the shop name seemed like an even better idea.  Actually, the shop is named after Michelle's dog, so may this is a tribute to her dog as well!  It's stitched over-one on off-white Monaco.

To go inside, I crocheted a cute little pincushion sunburst granny square with #10 crochet cotton.  I made two sunburst granny squares and joined them together through the back loop.  There are two squares of blue felt underneath and some fiberfill inside.    If you are a crocheter and want to make your own,  you can find the instructions for the square here.

And hoping to provide a guardian angel, I included an adorable angel bead fob from Melanie's Moonraker Lampwerks.  I hope the angel doesn't let us down!

I also included a pretty bookmark made from a design by Pelin Tezer.  I don't see it online any longer.  This was done on 14-count Aida, a piece that Michelle sent to me as a gift previously!  It's very soft Aida and nice to work with.

If we all keep our fingers crossed, maybe this package will find it's way to Michelle!

Sleeping with Polar Bears

I really wanted this post to be about a gift I made and sent to a blogging buddy, but that mailing seems to be hung up in the maze of international postal operations.  It's been three weeks since I sent the package.  At week four, I will blog about it in any case.  Keep your fingers crossed that this is not a permanent loss in the ether.

Meanwhile, I had a pillowcase sitting around that was begging to be decorated.  I adapted another of Helen Dardik's design from Orange You Lucky.

I just picked a pile of embroidery floss in different colors and started stitching.  I mostly used satin and  stem stitch, but I threw in some buttonhole wagon wheels and some lazy daisies for fun.  I had thought I would try out lots of different stitches, but I didn't seem to have the energy to do the research.  I'm very happy with him.  It's nice to have a security polar bear!

My Jazzercise instructor and one of my cousins have each had a new baby.  One  girl and one boy and all are doing well.  Stitchertunities!  Yea!  So my work is cut out for me now and indeed, my fabric is cut out as well!