feeling like shit

Ever participated in an exchange, stitched something that you love and hope that your recipient loves it too. That feeling of excitement and expectation waiting to hear from the person you stitched for? Every get kicked in the guts for your hard work? Well, I have. And it is going to take some deep breaths for a long time to get over this.
I joined a fob exchange on a BB that I won't name but I'm sure would be obvious if my blog is read. She hates it, thinks that I stitched it for myself and decided to give it to her instead. What to read her whinings? Here it is http://tapestry-of-dreams.blogspot.com/ **EDITED to add that she has now removed her offensive post to me and another exchange stitcher**

Should I let this bother me? Probably not, but having feelings makes it very hard. Guess if you join exchanges for the presents you receive you're bound to be disappointed. Maybe you should think twice about the reasons you join exchanges.

a finish and an exchange received

I finished on the weekend this cute strawberry. It's from the 2006 Just Cross Stitch Xmas ornies issue and is designed by Blackbird Designs and is called Quaker Medallion Strawberry Pinkeep.

I also recieved a fabulous exchage package from Carol at Garden of Stitches ( http://www.carolsxsblog.blogspot.com )
She made for me a cute little fob designed by Stitchy Kitty, their Stitch and Bee Happy fob. She also spoiled me rotten by including some hand dyed threads, hand dyed fabbies and a great pair of blue stork scissors, my very first ones!

What a lucky girl I am.
Thanks for stopping by.

Going through old stash

I was going through some old magazines looking for a project, Merry Cox Needlebook, when I found all sorts of great projects. I found Indigo Rose Sweet Baby Jane Needle purse, a Brightneedle Mama Bird, a cute Drawn Thread and from a 2001 issue of SANQ a strawberry sewing box with smalls. I was quite excited to find this because the accesories are very cool, an attached pincushion, needleroll, scissor sheath and thread roll. The downside is that this issue doesn't carry the chart or instructions for the smalls. Oh well, I might be able to 'fake it' and come up with the charts on my own.

Thanks for the good feelings for Emily. She was back in the water today with no problems.
Thanks for visiting, have a great weekend.

the worst feeling in the world

I know this is my stitchy place. A place filled with happy dances and comforting images of WIPS, finishes... things that bring me joy. Today is not that day. This has nothing to do with stitching and everything to do with my first love, my family. Specifically DD#1. You've seen her in a previous post, all smiles after winning a gold in duet synchro. Last night though there were no smiles and lots of tears and scared faces. Last night, DD was taken by ambulance to the ER stapped to a backboard, her neck immobalized after she hit her neck on the underside of the bulkhead that seperates the pool into lap lanes and synchro pool/dive tank/deep end. She was practicing some of her moves and didn't realize where she was. When she came up to get air, she came out of a tuck into the bottem of the bulkhead hitting the back of her neck. She's lucky. After I got the call from the pool, all I could think of was that she hit her head entering the pool which would have been so much worse.
X-rays showed no fracture, only a large contusion on the base of her skull. Then she was relesed. I never want to see my child strapped to a backboard ever again. The site of her helpless and crying tore at a part of me so deep I didn't even know it was there. She's home now, very sore and tired. But ready to hit the water on Sat. She has a test coming up to move her up to the next level, and nothing is stopping her do that. 'I wish I had broken my arm mom, I can still do synchro with a broken arm. It would be a lot harder with a broken neck' Kids.

THanks you for the comments on the jig dress and kilt. I'm getting ready to do another one for DD#3.
Karen, she's wearing character shoes. She won't compete the jig for a little while so we'll get her jig shoes then. Save my floors for a little while.

Stitching Pics

I have a couple of pics to share. The first is of Heart in Hand's It's Spring. It's not finished into anything yet, but I might make it into a needleroll like BeckySC did. I quite like hers.
The next is of DD#2's jig dress. She looks quite ticked which is fine for the jig, it is "the angry leprachaun' dance. The reason for the look? Ponytails! She hates ponytails *snort*
Last pic is a back view of the kilt and jacket I made for her. The kilt is the Nova Scotia tartan, it has 47 pleats with a total of 5 yards of fabric. Every inch of this kit was stitched by hand, no machine involved at all.
Thanks for stopping by. I love to read comments if you'd like to leave them.

Dragon Dreams Exchange

I participated in an exchange at the Rotation Stitchers BB and recieved the most adorable dust bunny stitched by Missy Ann. You can see all of its cuteness at her blog http://www.deepinsidemissy.com/until I get my pic up. My recevee hasn't got hers yet, so no pic just now.
Thanks so much Missy, I love, love, love it. And everytime DH said " aren't you going to do anything but stitch today?" I just pointed to my sign
Thanks again for visiting, pics coming soon. I promise.

Quick catch-up

Whew, long time no blog.
I did finally get the rest of my birthday stash. A great variety of charts including Sweetheart Tree NR's, an Olde Colonial basket kit, Fancy Works patterns and a bunch more. I also received a stack of chart from Jennifer Aikman-Smith for being a Dragon Spotter. And I just purchased the new Mirabilia Mermaid of Atlantis. DH is a big Stargate fan, so this is for him. Now if I only had time to stitch.
What I have been working on is a jig dress for DD#2. She'll be wearing it tomorrow for her Highland Dance year end show so hopefully I'll have pics. She'll be dancing the hornpipe and a couple of Highland dances as well so I should get pics of those costumes as well, also made by me.
I'm back to working on Mirabilia's Titania, Queen of the Fairies, but I'm getting ready to put her down. Not sure what will be up next.
Thanks for stopping by. All the best