Birthdays & Finally a Finish

Today is my daughter's 39th birthday!! How fast those years have passed! She's finally landed a temp job doing what she loves to do. Hopefully she'll prove invaluable and get hired full-time. She needs the health insurance! I bought her a small orchid at Kroger at a good price, and IF later today goes as planned, I'll be picking up my mother and meeting DD then going to a large garden center (just down the street from her), then out to lunch.

Yesterday, SIL's youngest was Sweet Sixteen. I'd bought the JBW Very Merry Summer to mail her along with fabric, floss & needle - but after I started stitching a bit just to get her started, realized it would probably be more than she could remember from 2 summers ago. So I stitched it instead - unfortunately on the 14ct white Aida I'd purchased for her - AND EVEN FINISHED IT (sorry, totally forget to take a photo) by gluing it to a square of acid free white matboard, gluing down the backs, covering those with white felt, then running a strand of gold metallic braid around the edges, leaving a loop at the top for hanging. First finish I've done since before Christmas. I also bought a very small, inexpensive cross stitch kit that if she's interested and lets me know, I'll help her with. AND, in sorting through all my stash, I FINALLY found the calendar cover I'd stitched for another one of SIL's DD's for Christmas! Now, as soon as I find the calendar I bought to put that in, I'll get THAT in the mail as well!

Please vote for this worthy woman and charitable group

My sister posted this on Facebook earlier today.

"To all my Facebook Friends: Please go to this link and vote for Nancy Carter of Carrollton, TX, as the Energizer Bunny. She leads a group I work with that sends care packages to the troops and works tirelessly no matter what part of the world she is in. Read her bio at this link. The troops and I THANK YOU!"

http://www.facebook.com/EnergizerBunny?v=app_141741139208155

Nancy is the founder and tireless cheerleader and worker behind Airborne Angel Cadets, a volunteer group which acquires donations of items and purchases others then packs and ships (sometimes at their own expense) care boxes to members of the military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I generally do not get involved in "please vote for" requests but because this one affects the ability of a group to help our military members overseas, here I am.

Please visit their website. It has additional information re voting and about this highly motivated and very dedicated group. Thank you on behalf of our troops! Your vote is appreciated.

LindaMc

Breaking Tragic News

Lisa Roswell, of The Primitive Needle, died yesterday when her car was swept off the road by a flooded river as she drove to work at the North Coast Cancer Center. You may leave a message/comment for her family on her blog.

Local news article

Condolences to her family and many friends.

LindaMc

Super Bowl XLV

See up-to-date important information about Super Bowl 45 being held in Arlington on February 6th on my Emergency Managment Volunteer blog.

Pillow Cases

First a disclaimer. I did not make this pillow case, nor is it my photo. Due credit goes to Carol on the 123MB who made this wonderful pillowcase, and the photo is linked from her Carol's Photobucket album.

On the 123MB I've been drooling over the most wonderful pillow cases made by some of its members. I've got the itch to make one or two, for myself if no one else. I use 5 at a time and for gifts ... Wow! Understand that the last thing I sewed was a cat carrier pad cover (over an piece of old matress pad) about 15 years ago, and before that most likely that little pick gingham apron I made for my then 18-month-old DD. She's almost 39. I have a Singer that is older than she is, and some clunky pink thing her Dad once gave her back in high school. The bottom tension on both is atrocious, which is the primary reason I threw up my hands and screamed in utter frustration. I haven't used either since. But for a pillow case, I MIGHT consider pulling one out. How creative and fun can this get?? Here's a couple of links to excellent YouTube instructions.

Sausage pillow case with raw edge seams

Sausage pillow case with hidden French seams  (it looks easier than it sounds)

Christmas Greetings Bookmark

Count: 27w X 113h

Finished Size     14/28 ct 1-7/8w X 8h in

                         16/32 ct 1-5/8w X 7h in

                         18/36 ct 1-1/2w X 6-1/4h in

Use 2 strands of floss for crosses and backstitch

Use 1 or 2 strands of Kreinik Braid

Use 2 stands for simple French Knot

This pattern will fit a Charles Craft Bookmark, or make your own out of your favorite fabric with lace or rickrack as an edging, if you so desire. Back with felt. Choose your favorite shades of red and green. Overdyes in muted tones would be lovely. Perhaps a Kreinik gold braid? Back stitch the letters. The little dots are French knots. If to be used in a book, do NOT substitute beads for the French knots.

Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved

LMc Designs / Bits of Floss

Download and use are subject to the Copyright information on the right side of this page. Please respect designer's Copyright.

I'd love to see your finsihed Bookmark!

Merry Christmas, all!!

LindaMc 2010

Check out My Christmas Freebies From Earlier Years

Click on Christmas in the Tag Cloud on the bottom right for charts.

Another round of computer problems, which I myself managed to troubleshoot. Only took 12 hours. More apologies for my utter brain block on design creation. I haven't forgotten. Sooner or later an autumn and perhaps a Halloween design will be posted, probably at least 6 months late! I don't understand the artistic block. Sometimes I have so many ideas I can't get them all done. Had a good Thanksgiving with family. My daughter has plans for a large Christmas gathering, however my elderly parents announced on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner they were skipping Christmas. Too much confusion and hullabaloo for them. I did a wee bit of over one stitching before Thanksgiving - my only project in months. I needed to get it in the mail 2 weeks ago. In October I was at the Alzheimer's Walk and yesterday at the Jingle Bell Run in Fort Worth. Not as a participant but as a radio operator. I've done no Christmas shopping. The only thing on my list is the traditional calendar for my DD. The extended family has thankfully given up giving gifts to each other. We either already have everything we want or need, or the needs far exceed a simple token present.