RAK’s and Stuff…

This post is a bit overdue in some instances but I do have an excuse, albeit a lame one, in that I’ve been working hard on finishing up my swap commitments and FFF (First Friday Freebies) projects.

I know I have said this before and forgive me if I sound like a broken record (now that’s dating me isn’t it?) but I’ve been so blessed since I started blogging with the many friends I’ve made from around this great world we live in…which, BTW, has gotten a lot smaller as a result.

One of the first gals who visited my blog was Carrie P.  Carrie made me feel so welcome back then and continues to even now with her friendship and very giving and sharing nature.   I think the blogging world knows of my ongoing ♥ affair with wool and pincushions, and look what arrived in my post box a while back…

An amazing woolen hat pincushion that Carrie made for me!

Then not too long ago, I blogged about how I ♥ x-stitch samplers and that the only way that I was ever going to own one was to make one myself.  I read what I could find on line about teaching oneself to x-stitch, and I did manage to make two small and not too detailed samplers which I ♥ to death. 

Well I guess Vikki read about my love of samplers, and to my utter surprise, these arrived!

Two fat quarters with a different sampler design on each and some coordinating DMC floss!  I know exactly what I’m going to make with them…but you’ll have to wait a bit.

 Not too long ago, I blogged about a LQS having a 40% off sale and I was able to pick up some awesome Lydia Quigley fabric.  Now how surprised do you think I was when Lorraine,  who distributes Lydia’s patterns under the Rabbit Factory banner, sent me this…

One of Lydia’s patterns that I don’t already have in my collection!

A while back,  Stephanie asked me if I would like to become one of her ‘Supreme Sewers’.  Without hesitation, I most humbly acquiesced.  She sent me her written instructions and my job was to make a bag from those instructions.

My project was Stephanie’s Prickly Pear design.   Here’s the bag I made, following her instructions to a tee.

A few days ago, a package arrived from Stephanie with these inside…

Two of her published Prickly Pear pattern packets,  two Flea Market Fancy fat quarters and some vintage rick rack!

 A short while ago, Jenny and I agreed to a private swap.  Coincidently, as I was making Stephanie’s Prickly Pear  bag, I knew that it was destined to be one of my swap gifts for Jenny.  So as my bag was winging it’s way to Australia, this was on it’s way to me…

One of Jenny’s bags made especially for me! 

Look at the stitching!

I can’t wait til next summer to use my new bag!

And now I’d like to tell you about Bonnie.  A while ago, Bonnie asked me for my snail mail address saying that she had a little something that she’d like to send to me.  Cool!  We all love surprises, don’t we?

In the interim, Bonnie decided to have a surprise giveaway on her blog for her regular visitors.  Completely unannounced, Bonnie did the computerized random selection thing on one of her posts, and I was the winner of her surprise giveaway. 

So just yesterday, these wonderful goodies arrived in my post box.

An incredible Halloween tote made by Bonnie herself, a bundle of fall fat quarters, a fall quilt pattern and a memo pad, along with a beautiful card. 

In the card, Bonnie explained that she came across these painting books which she never got around to using and thought that I might like them.  What Bonnie didn’t know is that one of the authors is a personal friend of mine who I met while travel teaching and doing the decorative painting convention circuit.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As I mentioned above, I feel that am truly blessed to have had the pleasure of ‘meeting’ you all .  Even though I have written to each of you individually, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly  thank you all again in order that I might share your gifts and talents with everyone who reads this.

Thank you again my FRIENDS! 

And as always…

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥