Pumpkins in March

While others are planting their pumpkin seeds for harvesting in the fall I have managed to produce pumpkins in March. I must be a creative gardener!(LOL)

'Pumpkin Patch' by Prairie Schooler
stitched 2/2 & 1/2 on 32 ct platinum lugana
with the suggested DMC floss">

In preparation for our trip to the US I started this project on March 6 (yes friends 2009) and had completed the small design in the top left hand corner as well as the top border before leaving home.

As all of my SP friends know I spent my Wednesday stitching hours gabbing and probably managed to stitch about five letters all day. After leaving Las Vegas I did manage to stitch a wee bit more.

Since the pattern requires only full stitches and is small enough to handle in small spaces I decided that this would be my travel piece and once we got home I put it away. However, I kept on thinking about it and how I really wanted to keep on stitching on this fun piece and within the next few days I picked it up again. My goodness - cross-stitching is my hobby (or should I say obsession?) and I should be stitching what I want, when I want. Don't you agree?

This past Saturday evening I put in the last stitch and I feel very satisfied with the finished piece.

I made one small change and that is one I would certainly advise anyone still starting this pattern to make. Rather than stitch the earth at the bottom of the pattern 2/2 I opted for 1/2 which makes the pumpkins a little more prominent.

Have a good week everyone and stay tuned as my next finish should be coming up within the week.

Thank you Alberta!!

What a wonderful surprise to be awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by my friend and SAL buddy Alberta. Thank you so much Berta - I feel honored.

The award guideline stipulates that I must now pass this award on to eight others.

As you can see in my sidebar I follow many wonderful and creative blogs. Actually you all deserve this award and I just don't know how I will be able to choose only eight of you. As this is a global community I have tried to pick people from different parts of the world. Here goes.

It is my extreme pleasure to pass the Kreativ Blogger Award on to:

Heidi
Helen
Juls
Karin
Lili
Lillie
Melissa
Wendy

The rules are as follows:

1. Copy the Kreativ Blogger Award on your blog.

2. Create a link to the blogger who has nominated you.

3. Nominate 8 other bloggers.

4. Create a link to these bloggers on your blog.

5. Leave a comment on their blog advising them that you have sent them an award.

Dutch Beast visits Las Vegas

They say that the older one gets the faster time flies by but this is just ridiculous - my last post was was written nearly two months ago!!! The time has been well spent though - enjoying our children and catching up with old friends.

I've also done some stitching - concentrating mainly on 'Dutch Beast' by Ink Circles which I received from DH last year for my birthday.

This is such a great pattern and so much fun to stitch. The small designs on a sampler give a wonderful quick finishing satisfaction without the problem of finish/finishing each one. I have a looooooong way to go but as of today this is what it looks like.

Early this month DH attended a conference in Las Vegas and this 'Dutch Beast' (LOL) got to go along. We stayed next door to our own house which was rather strange but on the other hand it was great to see that our tenants are taking good care of our house.

Luckily one of the conference days was on a Wednesday, which is stitching day at Stitcher's Paradise, and it was so wonderful to see everyone again and even meet some new stitchers. They are such a great bunch of women and were so welcoming for this long lost stitching buddy.

Before 8:00 am B picked me up and after driving her granddaughter to school we stopped for coffee before the stitching day began. Brenda had offered to make my lunch and anyone who knows her will be jealous of the yummy salad from B's Deli. It was soooo good.

To celebrate all the wonderful times we have spent eating and chatting together I stitched a pattern from 'Dutch Beast' for her and made it into a scissor fob. Here we are eating pizza and drinking wine.

Then it was on to stitching and chatting. I had brought along 'Pumpkin Patch' by Prairie Schooler to stitch so I wouldn't have to spend my time counting rather than talking. I'll show my progress in a future post. To celebrate the March birthdays and my visit Jul's had made a delicious raisin cake from her grandmother's recipe - thanks Julie, is there any cake you can't bake to perfection?

At the end of the stitching day I went home with Adele and had a wonderful visit with her and her husband. I have never met anyone who stitches like Adele and it was so great to see her latest finishes which she also mats and frames - beautiful!!! DH picked me up there after the convention and the four of us spent some more time visiting.

When Adele and I first discovered 'Dutch Beast' we got such a kick out of Don Quixote fighting the windmill and laughed out loud at the bird pooping on his head. You guessed it, I stitched it for her to celebrate our friendship and finished it into a pinkeep.

Both pieces are stitched 1/1 on 25 ct lugana with DMC floss. They were such fun to stitch and I am so very happy that both of these dear friends liked what I stitched for them.