And now for something a little different.

Earlier this summer I saw this post on Helen’s blog (you really should check it out, she does the prettiest things). Her mother had sent her this adorable shoe pin cushion. I thought of my mom and her passion for collecting miniature shoes. She LOVES tiny shoes of all shapes and styles. She has a glass cabinet and two shelves are full of these pretty things. Whenever I go to the US, I try to buy her some. Her favorites are made by ‘Just The Right Shoe’ and are beautiful! I bought her 3 when I visited New York City in 2002 and I bought her 2 when I visited Florida last year. And friends and family know of this passion of hers and buy some for her whenever they can find them. My favorite of her collection is one that I bought her while in NYC. Click this link for a picture. It just fits her so well, being a seamstress and all :o) So, when I saw this post on Helen’s blog I knew I just had to make my mom something like that. Especially since my mother sews a lot and can always use cute pin cushions! So here is what I came up with. (you can click it for a bigger view)

Cute isn’t it? Now I am going to bake some muffins and invite my mom over for afternoon snacks at my house and surprise her with it :o)

2007 JCS Ornament Issue

Have you stitchers gotten your copy yet? I got mine on Wednesday and I have finished two projects from it already. And have at least 3 more that I would like to do, hopefully soon. Karítas is still sick. I am taking her to the doctor again later today. She has a slight fever and it goes up and down and then she has this horrible cold. She is coughing like an old sailor! It is terrible to hear her. She is such a good baby though, that even though she is sick, she still plays and is just adorable. So that gives me some time to stitch.

 Pattern: Tipsy Tree by Charland Designs
Fabric: 28ct Lugana – Summer Khaki
Threads: WDW
Mill Hill beads

 Pattern: Santa by Knotted Tree Needle Art
Fabric: 28ct Lugana – Summer Khaki
Threads: DMC
Minn Hill beads

The other ornaments I would like to do are:
Noel Christmas Bellpull by The Sweetheart Tree
Christmas Tree 2007 by Jeanette Douglas Designs
Sweet Baby by Shepherd’s Bush
Winter Love by SamSarah Design Studio
Jingles the Penguin by The Stitchworks

Now I just need to find the time to do them 😉
I spent a bunch of money over at Vikki Clayton’s site yesterday. Have you all seen her new buttons and pinkeep pins? I just couldn’t resist the bees and the ladybugs! Adorable!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Grateful Hearts Exchange from Chizue in Japan!

I just got home after taking my daughter to the doctor. My little Karítas is sick Nothing serious, just a cold and a fever. The doc said she would be fine in a couple of days. I hope he is right, I need to get back to work and she needs to feel better.
When I got home I checked to see if there was any mail for me and to my surprise I got a package all the way from Japan! Japan to Iceland, what a trip! I opened it and it was the Grateful Hearts Exchange from Chizue.
She made me this beautiful pinkeep with Drawn Thread’s ‘Linen & Lace’ design on it. It is so delicate and beautiful. And the finishing is just perfect! I love the ribbon she used on the edges.

She also sent me a cute card, some Green Tea and amazing fabrics. I love the prints! And look at the two cute origami birds. So delicate and beautiful!

Thanks for such an amazing exchange Chizue! I am very fascinated with Japan and would love to visit the country sometime. And my favorite food is sushi 😉

Lusting after new stash!

Honestly! I am going mad! Where is my money tree?

Just Nan’s Christmas Workshop – absolutely stunning, and I love the finishing!
Mirabilia’s 2007 Christmas Tree – so pretty!
Country Cottage Needleworks Daisy – very cute!
Maysons De Maryse Stitching Tray – I absolutely adore this one!

A weekend away.

I spent the weekend with my stitching group ‘Allt í Kross’ in a summer house in the south part of the country. It was a great weekend and lots of stitching was done. We had good food, wonderful laughs and off course lots of stitching. I didn’t bring my camera but the girls took a lot of pictures and when they are online I will link to them.

I managed to finish  pieces and made a nice progress on my Fairy Grandmother that I haven’t stitched on for a long time. I have missed stitching on her. The third piece is not pictured since it is for an exchange so I can’t share a picture until it is sent off and in the new owners hands :o)

First up is a biscornu that I finished this weekend. This is another one for my friend Brenda.

Pattern: Freebie found here.
Fabric: 28ct Lugana in pale green that I once got in a grab bag from Silkweaver.
Thread: DMC Variations #4045
I have stitched this one before in red. (click for picture)

And another biscornu, also for Brenda.

Pattern: Freebie found here. (.pdf file)
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Linen ‘Clay’ from Silkweaver.
Thread: WDW Independence
Beads from Mill Hill
I have done this one before in other colors. (click for picture)

And here is my progress on Fairy Grandmother:

Pattern: Fairy Grandmother by Lavender & Lace
Fabric: A Silkweaver Solo
Threads: DMC

I had such a fantastic time away. I really needed to get away and spend time with friends. Last week my younger daughter Karítas was jumping on the sofa and fell and hit her head on the sofa table. As I rushed to go and get her something happened in my back and I was completely stuck, I couldn’t move! I have been recovering from that all last week and am feeling a lot better, but I am still sore. I am going to sleep on my heat blanket tonight so that I will be able to go to work tomorrow since I didn’t got to work at all last week, except for Monday. Karítas got two stitches in her forehead. The stitches were removed today and she is doing great. It was so scary when she fell. I am not squeamish at all when it comes to blood, but it is always hard to see your baby bleed
Anyway, it is getting late and I am going to get into bed and read a little. I am almost finished with ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ so exciting!

Wonderful treat!

I got home about an hour ago from work. Karítas has started Play School (oh time sure passes fast!) and is adjusting very well. She was there from 8.30 this morning until I picked her up at two in the afternoon, I got to leave work 2 hours early. She greeted me with smiles :o) I am so happy that she is doing so well there. Then we went and picked Sumarrós up from school and headed home. When I got home I checked to see if there was any mail and lo and behold! I got a package all the way from Malaysia.

I had admired Aniza’s finish of Elizabeth Designs ‘Dragonfly’ into a scissor pocket and earlier Terri’s finish of the same chart into a biscornu, and really wanted that pattern. Aniza so kindly offered to send me this chart and I was amazed when I opened the package that she had also included a postcard from Malaysia and samples of her overdyed threads! They are beautiful!

Thank you so very much Aniza! I am so thankful!

Fall exchange received

I got an e-mail from Emily in Australia informing me that she got the exchange I sent her for the Fall themed exchange in the LJ Exchange Community. And she says she loves it and I am so glad that she does. I had a lot of fun making this one and am sure that I will make this again at some point.

Front:

Back:

Whole exchange:

I made her a scissor pocket. Design by The Cat’s Whisker called Alyssum Scissor Pocket. I used one of the new DMC Variatons floss but I can’t tell you which one since I lost the little paper piece from the skein. It is stitched on 32ct Vintage Pear Linen from Silkweavers. I included scissors and also sent some charms and buttons, Vicki Clayton silks, a piece of Chocolate colored evenweave and some ribbon.I am glad you like your exchange Emily! Enjoy!

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I started working again yesterday after my 2 weeks on vacation. Things are very busy but I will be back soon with more updates. I am working on the Grateful Hearts exchange for the SBEBB and I am in love with what I am stitching. I just hope the finishing will go smoothly also. I am also working on a couple of biscornus for Brenda.

Oh, one more thing. Is anyone doing the new Mystery Sampler from Papillion Creations featured in The Gift Of Stitching Magazine? I can’t decide if I am going to do it or not. I really want to splurge on the Dinky Dye’s silks for this project, but I can’t afford it until who knows when I want to do it on 40ct Linen I think. I also want to do the smalls chatelaine. So many projects, so little time!

And I ordered the JCS ornament 2007 issue yesterday! This is probably the magazine that I anticipate the most. I just love it. Have you ordered your copy yet? Are you going to?

Another fob and an exchange!

First. I just went and got the mail and there was an exchange in there for me. This is from Emily in Australia who was my partner for the Fall/Halloween themed exchange over at the XStitch Exchange community on LJ. I choose Fall since Halloween is not celebrated here in Iceland.
Somehow Emily found out how to spell Fall in Icelandic – Haust. And she designed this one herself! I am very happy to have gotten such a nice exchange! I have e-mailed Emily personally but if you read this also, thank you so much!

Next. I got a request through my blog to make a scissor fob for a girl named Berglind. She wanted it in blue colors and she wanted her letter B to be included in the design. I choose to do ‘B – is for buttons’ by Brooke Nolan, a freebie from her Stitchers Alphabet series. I think it turned out really cute.

Fabric: 36ct Cream Edinborough Linen
Floss: DMC
Pattern found here.
Modifications – no beads were used.

Snow Scissor Fob.

I finished the scissor fob I have been working on lately. It took me a lot longer since I was working on many other things at the same time, including a Fall themed exchange that I finished on Friday and mailed off to Australia today. I hope it makes it over there in good time, I am always worried about sending things such a far distance.

Anyway, here is the scissor fob all finished up:

And the back:

Sumarrós stayed home from school today. She had a fever yesterday and has a slight cold. I think she will be able to go to school tomorrow though. We have spent the day watching movies and I have been stitching. I asked her if she didn’t want to stitch but she didn’t feel like it. I understand her perfectly, usually when I am sick myself, I don’t feel like stitching at all.

Well I am off to make some banana bread!

Gift certificate used!

For my birthday, my friend Ásdís from my Icelandic stitching group Allt í kross gave me a gift certificate to 123stitch.com
I have been thinking about what to get over the last couple of days and this morning I placed my order. Here is what I got:

Curly Q Ewe by Little House Needleworks
Morning Berries by Little House Needleworks
Nature’s Beauty by Little House Needleworks
Forget-me-knots by Indigo Rose
Peek A Boo Pin Cushion by Indigo Rose

Thank you so much Ásdís! I can’t wait to get my goodies!