More Swap Gifts and Snowstorm…the Day After!

On Tuesday, I received two swap parcels.  You already read about the wonderful goodies that I received from Julz here and now I’d like to share the treasures that Carole sent my way.

Allow me to detract a bit.  A while back, I blogged about a day trip that my friend Nancy (no blog) and I took to Vermont.  Click here for story.  On our way, we stopped at a new quilt shop in Rouses Point, NY.  To make a long story short, Carole…my swap partner in the Secret Santa Christmas Swap…is part owner of the Fibre Junction Quilt Shoppe.  But I didn’t know this until I opened Carole’s parcel and checked out the URL to her blog which she mentioned in the card included with the gifts.

Inside the box, I found a lovely Christmas card, some Lindt chocolates (which have long since disappeared) a pattern for a mini quilt and the coolest turned wooden ornament that Carole’s husband Stephen made for me.  Here’s a closer look.  Isn’t it beautiful?

The rules of the swap were to include a Christmas tree ornament which could be opened upon receipt of the parcel and a hand made Christmas gift that should be wrapped and placed under our trees to be opened on Christmas morning.  Yeah, right!

Well guess what?  I broke the rules because you know what?  I COULDN’T wait til Christmas morning!  I have NO will power!  I could lie and not show you what I got til after Christmas but heck, it’s so gorgeous that I’m betting that you don’t want to wait til after Christmas to see it either…right? 

Are you ready?

Fooled you!  I just decided to prolong the suspense and show you the photos that I took around 7:00 this morning in the front of our house of the aftermath of yesterday’s snowstorm.

The walkway from the driveway to the front door is buried in over a foot of snow.

Mac’s not too sure whether to venture down the steps into the yard below.

We received between 12”-14” of snow but it seems like more than that because of the high winds and the drifting.

This is about 9:00 this morning and the sun is trying to shine.  It sure looks pretty…but now the digging out begins.

Okay…enough snow pictures.  Now it’s on to the “piece de resistance”.  My SSCS gift from Carole.  Are you sure you’re ready?

First the label.

 Then the back.

And now the front!

Can you hear my heart beating?

A  basket quilt done in my favorite vintage colors…cheddar, turkey red and poison green!  Be still my heart!!!

Now wasn’t this worth the wait and breaking the rules for? 

I’m soooo happy.  Two wonderful swap parcels from Carole and Julz…and on the same day!

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥

Snowed In!

It took a while to arrive but it’s here…and with a vengeance!

The first snow storm of the season!

It started snowing at about 6 a.m. and I took the above photos at 3 p.m. looking out into our backyard.  It almost looks like fog but that’s actually the snow gusting around in the high winds.

This is a view from out our front door.  When I opened the door to take the photo, the snow was piled about a foot and a half up the door from the drifting.  My pine boughs sure look Christmas-y now.

We are supposed to receive between 10” to 12” of snow before it’s all over, supposedly around 9 p.m. 

School bus transportation was cancelled and the streets are deserted.  Perhaps we’ll have a white Christmas after all.

But on the the brighter side, I managed to cut out and piece six blocks of a new quilt that I’m working on…and only six more to go!

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥

Santa Arrived Early!

How lucky can a gal be?  Two separate swap parcels arrived on the same day!  Who says there’s no Santa Claus?

The first package that Santa brought came all the way from New Zealand.  In the card that she included, Julz apologized for being a tad late in sending her gifts out but let me say that it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT!   Julz was my secret swap partner in the Stitcher’s Angel Swap.

A virtual sleigh full of goodies and all individually wrapped, each with it’s own tag!

The first package contained two fat quarters of The Floral Collection in Pastel  by Lecien.  Absolutely gorgeous!

Next was the “sweet”est needlebook.  I love needlebooks second only to pincushions of course.

And the inside.

 

Then I opened a journal that Julz covered with the same fabric as the needlebook  and with the same embroidered motif.  It’s new home is right beside my computer.  Also included was a calculator that Mr. Painted Quilt tried to pinch (to no avail) and a pin from a local quilt shop called Sawmillers Quiltery and Crafts.

Then I opened this amazing pincushion with a button down lid that when open, serves as a needle minder as well.  How cool is that?

Next I found a gorgeous scissor fob and a fused cut out in the likeness of Mac, our Westie which is destined to become a pillow.

Thank you soooooo much, Julz for all the wonderful goodies that you sent to me.  I love them all!  And thanks also to Helen for hosting this swap.

And if you think that these gifts were awesome, you’re just going to have to come back in the next little while to see what else Santa delivered.  Isn’t Christmas wonderful?

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥

First Friday Freebie #4

 It’s the First Friday of the month again so it’s time for my fourth FFF (First Friday Freebie).  Do you realize it’s only 21 days until Christmas?  Yikes!  Where have the days gone?

Although Christmas is a short three weeks away, this month’s design can be stitched up relatively quickly and be ready in plenty of time to hang by the chimney awaiting St. Nick’s arrival.

This month’s design is adapted from an painting I did about 6 years ago that appeared in a Japanese decorative painting magazine.  It’s called Christmas Eve.

Just click here to download the PDF file for the photo, line drawing and instructions.  If you’d like to make a larger stocking, please feel free to enlarge the pattern.

If you’d like,  please grab my button  at the top of this post and place it on your sidebar with a link  back here in order for us to share it with those who might not otherwise find their way here.  The button will also serve as a reminder that on the First Friday of each month there will be another new Freebie design to share with you all.

Once again, I must thank my amazing friend Robyn for creating the PDF files for me.  Without her help, I wouldn’t be able to make these designs available for you to enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by and as always…

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥

Gifts from a Special Friend

I just love going to the post office in our small town.  It seems like I always run into someone I know and it’s a great place to catch up on what’s happening in the community…and I don’t mean gossip.  *wink*

Yesterday was no exception because this was waiting for me…

My birthday gift from Julie in Australia! 

I was expecting  a parcel from Julie because she told me when she had posted it but nonetheless, it’s still a joy to find that little white card in the mail box stating that you have a parcel waiting to be picked up inside.

Mr. Painted Quilt was driving as we had run a few errands prior to making the post office our last stop before returning home.  Upon our return, I took my time putting the groceries away and did a few other things just to prolong the anticipation before opening the parcel.  I just wanted the good feelings to last and last.

Not until all my “chores” were done did I decide to take the plunge.

Inside was this beautifully wrapped package tied with a big red bow!

I first opened the card which expressed Julie’s sincere birthday wishes.  Can you see the koala on the front?  If you notice, I was still taking my time to savor every moment before opening the package.

This is the first gift that I found.  A simply awesome candle mat called “Under the Cherry Tree” done in wool…my absolute FAVORITE!  The sheep and the stitches are so tiny and the detail is simply amazing.  It must have taken hours upon hours to stitch this gem.  It now sits in our living room on one of the side tables and that will be it’s permanent place for all to see.

Next was this pincushion from Rosalie Quinlan’s new book…because Julie knows that you can never have too many pincushions!

Then I found this tiny scissor fob attachment x-stitched with the tiniest stitches.  The ‘K’ is for Kaaren and the ‘J’ for Julie to commemorate our friendship. 

And here’s a peek at the other side.  It is now hanging on our Christmas tree…front, center and at eye level!  Gorgeous, huh?

Then I found this Schnibbles pattern called ‘Tuffets’.  These are already on my ‘to do’ list for 2010.

And last but certainly not least…

A pair of “chook” scissors to add to my addiction…I mean collection and a gorgeous scissor sheath.  They took my breath away!

I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world for having met Julie through a swap that she hosted.  I think our husbands breath a sigh of relief that we live so far away from one another because there’s no telling what kind of trouble we’d get into if we were any closer.

Thank you, Julie…and from the bottom of my ♥ 

Your gifts and friendship mean the world to me.

And I just have to end this post with a picture of our Westie, Mac.  He just came back from the doggie beauty shop about an hour ago and I decided that I’d better snap a picture quickly because…being a typical male…he won’t look this clean, neat and tidy in a couple of hours from now.

 Not too bad for an eleven year old, huh?  No, not me…Mac!  *wink*

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥