Squares sent and Square received...

I was a lucky girl to have pulled Cathy B's name for my own Fair Squares's round #7 exchange this time. And since I consider Cathy a very good and dear friend of mine I stitched her these:

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Design: "Friend" Freebie (very old out of print)

Fabric: 32 ct. Creamy Cocoa by Sassy's Fabbys

Fibers: DMC

I don't think Cathy has received these yet...so I hope she doesn't look here until she does...but I think she should get them today...I mailed them out on Monday so for heaven's sake they should reach her soon!

On Monday I received her squares to me:

And that sweet Cathy sent me a pattern off my list! Woot! I love Mid-Summer Night Designs and this is one I've been hankering after for awhile! And look at all that beautiful DMC Variations floss, pearl headed pins AND I've been secretly coveting a pair of those marbelized DMC scissors and yep, she sent those too ;) Thank you Cathy you are a sweetheart!

Well today rings a busy day...it's only 10:11 a.m. and I've dropped off two kids to Artists Camp, been to the Post Office, been to the library and ran to Joann's to pick up some supplies for an ornament that I'm doing over with the Christmas Ornament Swap, it's a beautiful ornament - let's hope I can finish it the way I want to so that it looks as beautiful in real life as what I have it looking in my head ;)

I'm stitching away on my Witching For Stitching RR...let's just say my plan is coming to fruition ;) More on that later....

In the meantime, I've got myself full of stitching deadlines until the foreseeable future! LOL! But I seem to like to live life one step away from the precipice of failure...I've always liked to be pressed to the limit and stressed out...if I'm not busy or trying to find something to be busy about then I'm not living, I've decided! LOL! Yes, can we all say TYPE A? and I'm not talking my blood type either!

This weekend we're headed to our parent's homes in good 'ol Southern Indiana so we've got a bit of a trip and I have an Art Review to attend at 11:00 a.m. for the two kiddos in Artist Camp (Katie and Jacob) and then it's back home feed all 4 hungry mouths lunch, then off to work and then back home to await shoving off for the weekend - we've not been to the Grandparent's houses since Christmas - so my kids are like gnats on a hot griddle!

Until next time....stitch with joy and as Helen says..."may all your frogs stay in the pond" - isn't that the cutest?! :)

My July 4th Exchange for Cathy B!

Cathy B just e-mailed me that she received her 4th of July Personal Exchange that I sent to her! Hurray! I was hoping she'd get it today....she's on her way out of town for work and told me that she had her daughter open it while she threw things in a suitcase...travel safe Cathy!

Here's what I stitched and sent to Cathy:

4th of July Exchange for Cathy B

Some "Firecrackers" that I made for Cathy including a US Flag that I "scrungied" to look old the wire basket that I sent along to "display" the whole set

USA 1776 Pinkeep

Designer: Prairie Grove Peddler (Freebie)

Fabric: 28 ct. evenweave that I tea dyed and baked in the oven myself

Fibers: DMC

American Girl Pillow

Designer: Brightneedle (Complimentary Pack)

Fabric: 28 ct. evenweave tea stained and baked in the oven by me

Fibers: DMC

Made as a small rick -rack pillow

I'm so glad that I had Cathy's name for this personal exchange....Cathy's blog was the very first blog I every stumbled upon...I remember sitting and reading the whole thing one summer afternoon - I was intrigued, I was inspired and I wanted to stitch up everything so that I could have a blog too! Almost two years later...and I'm still going strong.

Thank you Cathy for letting me stitch for you....I hope you love my humble exchange pieces as much as I cherish you and your friendship!

Patriotic Personal Exchange

Hello Friends! Thank you for the warm wishes for recovery from my illness! I'm feeling much better today and I think I'm fully recovered :)

Today I received a lovely package from Laurie in Iowa (who doesn't have a blog) but we were members of a personal "Patriotic Exchange" between some lovely stitchers. I was a lucky girl because Laurie totally spoiled me! Here's what the package looked like when I opened it:

and when I unwrapped it:

Laurie sent me a bundle of sparklers (my kids were OVER JOYED!), a lovely americana plaque to hang on a shelf, two Midsummer Night Designs patterns that I've been wanting, some red, white and blue DMC and then she stitched me a super pinkeep and made me a punch needle necklace! WOW!!!

Here's the pinkeep and necklace together...aren't they sweet?!!!!

Punchneedle Necklace - darling isn't it?

Pinkeep Design from Birds of a Feather - "Land that I Love"

Laurie I cannot tell you how much I adore everything you sent to me and I appreciate your thought that you put into my exchanges. I've admired this pattern for so long and now I'm the proud owner of it! All finished and stitched over 1 no less! THANK YOU LAURIE!

Now I'm seriously behind schedule on my own exchanges that I have coming up so it's off to stitch all afternoon and evening as long as everyone cooperates! Keep your fingers crossed for me ;)

Until the next time stitch with joy and in good health!

Spring Exchange for Sharon

Hello Friends, quick drive by posting here....I just received word that Sharon received her Spring Exchange that I did for her, and here it is:

A Scissor Keep for Sharon

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Design: "From Me to Thee" taken from booklet "Tokens of Friendship"

This is my last stitching installment for Sharon. We started this same time last year and she's been my stitching "victim" through it all. I was lucky to have her as my partner, and friends we shall always be. This although not a totally "springy" type pattern shows what I thought of her and the big crow holding a bundle of flowers was spring enough for me...our initials and year were added for memory's sake.

Sorry this is short....but I've got a terrible case of the stomach flu, virus...or whatever you want to call it...I guess my day of melancoly the other day was just the beginnings of this terrible virus...I can't seem to shake it. So my first weekend off in 12 weeks and it's spent lying in bed...felling like crap! LOL! Gotta laugh...no use in crying! ;)

While I can't stitch because I can't hold my head up....stitch your fingers off for me :)

A wish received...

Hello Friends, I thought life would slow down a bit after school started, but it seems to be marching along at a harried pace!

On Tuesday I received this lovely pyn keep from Chris. I made a "wish" on the Make a Wish Board for a flatfold or pyn keep with a Blackbird Design, La-D-Da Design or Little House Needleworks Design featured on it. This is what Chris did for me to grant my wish:

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Design: Motif taken from Country Garden Chart

Made as: a Pyn Keep

Isn't it gorgeous? She used a lovely floral calico to back the keep. It's gorgeously done and I can add it to my "Chris" collection as I'm the proud owner of another piece made by Chris seen HERE. Thank you Chris for this lovely wish...you fulfilled it to the letter and I shall cherish it always!

Well friends it seems I have a tad bit of the blues today...why I don't know but it seems that I got up on the wrong side of the bed. Said my prayers this morning hoping that would change things and that didn't help, so I've now got the kids off to Prairie School and I'm going to:

• Search for some "happy" music to put on my blog...we'll see what I come up with
• make some coffee...that always makes me happy
• straighten my house...a perfectly clean house makes me happy
• stitch...always a good thing to make me happy and I have a bunch of deadlines looming....which may be a bit of the reason I'm blue because I'm worrying about them..
• take some fish oil...did you know that fish oil contains DHEA and that is a natural mood elevator and it seems to work for me and I've not had my daily dose yet

After I get all of these things accomplished perhaps I'll be my same old happy self.

Until next time stitch with JOY...I'm trying to!

Days on the Prairie....

Hello dear readers, I hope this finds you all well!

Today my children are attending "Prairie School" for the first day! It will continue throughout the week with its culmination on Friday with a "school fair and recitation day", which I and Ellie will attend ;) Our school corporation maintains an original 1800's Pioneer School House called Honey Creek. They run programs two weeks during the summer for 60 children to attend (30 each week). It's like a "day camp" I guess (for we have to pay attendance fees), but they attend school, as it would have been in the 1800's for children that lived during that time in Bloomington (or on the Prairie). Children must wear period clothing, take their lunches that are "period" correct, and they must speak in terms of their family at home as living during that time (farmers, railroad men, etc). It's something that I would have gone "NUTSO" over when I was a girl, for I lived in the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder - in my mind....


Here's a picture of Honey Creek (outhouses are out back behind the school house):


Here's a picture of my "period" lunches (they actually give you lists of what you can provide the children). My children got today: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches (they really did have that during late 1800's), potato chips (yep, had those too...the housewives made them though... this housewife didn't make hers, but in spirit I was with the Frito Lay man that did!), rice crispy treats...I needed a "homemade" sweet treat FAST because THIS pioneer woman worked outside the home this weekend...so I unwrapped store bought rice crispy treats - no one will know....tomorrow, they're getting homemade cookies. And finally, they each got an apple. Notice I had to wrap everything in wax paper...no plastic, no foil...just wax paper. The lunches may be sent in a basket or tin pail and drinks are of well water from a dipper at the school:





Here's the little Pioneer Pfeiffer Kids in all their glory!:

And then here's the whole Pfeiffer kid bunch with a little 21st century girl there too with her sippy and pacies

They almost didn't get to go today because of High Water...Bloomington and surrounding counties have been declared "disaster areas" by the President this a.m. we've suffered a lot of rain over the last 7 days and I'm talking Biblical Proportions....seriously I thought I saw Noah swim by my window the other evening! You can read all about it HERE and see photos of the flooding. We thankfully live on a ridge top and we're one of the highest homes in our subdivision. Below us is a natural springs and a sort of "nature preserve" probably beneath us are limestone caverns...in fact I'm almost sure our house is on top of a cave...but anyway...last Wednesday when things were really getting out of hand rain - wise I and the 4 kids "saved" 3 box turtles as they trudged up the hill in the downpour...probably escaping their flooded habitat. We captured them and drove them to a woods over by the kids school (and on high ground) so they wouldn't get run over by traffic. Later that evening I saw a 6 ft (at least) Black Rat Snake coming up the hill. I didn't go capture nor save him. But I did tell the kids to make sure and CLOSE all doors when they run outside and inside the house from now on because this is not a barn! Yikes....I'm probably a real juicy looking rat to that big snake...

Yep its' been a might interesting week...and apparently there is more rain on its way. I'm not complaining, but I hope that all the people that are suffering are granted a break....

I'll leave you with a set of Fair and Square squares that I sent out some time ago and heard from my partner that she received them:

Designs: Waxing Moon Designs (freebie from website) - "Spring Bird"

Fabric: 32 ct. Sassy's Fabbys Creamy Cocoa

Threads: DMC

AND before I forget...please take a look at a new blogger among us...you'll find Coni (a fellow Hoosier - I might add) at Spinster Stitcher. You really need to visit Coni and check out her and her sister's Bonus Room build ins made specifically for stitching and crafting...WOW! Impressive!

Until next time my dear friends....keep afloat!

Old RR, New RR and a surprise!

Hello Friends :)
Hope all of you are ship shape! It's 9:33 a.m. in the good 'ol morning in Indiana and we've got a perfectly clean house, supper's in the crockpot, breakfast is done and the kids have had their 45 minutes of "Mama's Summer School" so we're in for "free time" the rest of the morning until Lunch....then it's lunch, clean up the dishes and 30 minutes of quiet reading time with quiz after lunch....then it's back to some "free time"...don't ya love summer?

I mailed Rowyn's RR out yesterday for Group 2 of Hello Neighbor RR's. Here's my contribution:

Here's Rowyn's RR as it stands prior to my stitching it.....just two spots left and they will be flying their way home! Yippee!

I was beginning to think of starting another RR on my own....and then I ran across my friend Donna starting up Witching for Stitching and thought hmmm...why not? So Donna graciously let me join!

Then it came to...."oh no...fabric..." So last night I went through my stash and pulled out a large cut of white 32 ct. linen and then pulled out my RIT and a squirt bottle and went to town dyeing....Here's the results of my efforts:

Not too shabby, I'm thinking....the squirt bottle worked great...I first dyed it all over with tan. And then I rinsed and rinsed in cold water, laid it all out in the bottom of the sink....and commenced squirting the Cocoa Brown on it, stopping to rinse and rinse in cold water - re-laying the fabric out and squirting...over and over until I got this mottled, layered look.

This one looks like unmentionable things happened on it.....just the way I like it ;) LOL! Ideas for the Halloween RR is whirling thorugh my head....hmmm.....but I've always admired this booklet and especially the crow holding the treat bag with a witch's hat on...so I believe that he shall be in the center of the fabric and will scatter blocks around him for the participants to stitch....we'll see what I come up with ;)

Finally friends, I was surprised by the ever sweet Kendra...Kendra and I met through blogging but we shared growing up in the same area of southern Indiana...we also share going to college "in state" I attended Indiana University - right here in good 'ol Bloomington, IN. Kendra on the other hand went more north to a black and gold college....and it hurts me even to say it, but Purdue University home of the Boilermakers.....ahem...

Anyway, friendship and good 'ol rib poking good fun ensued after our "meeting" and so became a friendship. . . Yesterday I received in the mail this:

My very own Indiana - Hurryin' Hoosiers floss tag and ring! The back shows our names and Kendra said that although it hurt her to chart her own IU design and stitch all that Crimson on Cream linen (IU colors) she added her own name in the Purdue Black and Gold colors....apparently she showed her better half the result of her stitching and he told her to - "get it out of the house NOW!" LOL!

Thank you Kendra....you made my day!

Until next time my dear sweet readers, have a great day and lots of stitching! As always stitch and live with joy!