A quick quickie (at least, that was the plan)

Oof, has it really been two weeks?  It's amazing how time flies by and how quickly things change.  If you read my very first blog post, Life's given me lemons, so I'm starting a new blog, you'll know that my position was cut.  Fast forward just under four months from the day I was sent home and my lemonade is now much sweeter.  I have a new job.  It's in the same government department, but in a completely different directorate and with very different responsibilities.  My new coworkers have really gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and wanted, which I really needed.  I'm looking forward to the challenge!

Now on to the pics I promised you two plus weeks ago.  

Please meet Emerald Mermaid, stitched on Karen's 2013 Large Stitch Mirabilia Round Robin.

Karen's theme is mermaids and, self-admitted RR addict that she is, she came up with an absolutely amazing layout.  She designed the algae and the shells herself, and instead of the usual square boxes, she charted the mermaids to give them softer edges, so that they look like they're swimming through the beautiful, shiny water.  Her fabric, Polstitches' Mythical Mermaid on opalescent linen, is perfection itself.  I also simply adore the mermaid she stitched, South Seas Mermaid.  She's now on my rather long to-stitch-at-some-point list.  You can see more of this beady beauty on Karen's blog, My Stitchy Ramblings.  Karen is also having a giveaway to celebrate reaching the big 1-0-0 in followers.  If you're not already a follower, you should be.  She's all about the drool; she has an amazing fabrics tab and her Friday hunks...  Yum!

My stitching mojo has been AWOL for a few weeks and with my being sick, I've barely stitched anything in a month, so there's not much to show right now.  I did finally fix my Chatelaine Beaded Tile -- I was off by two beads in one of the corners and it showed, but that's about all.  I also made a very, very small start on my first Joan Elliott, Snowdrop  Fairy.  I'm hoping that now that life is getting back to normal, my mojo will come back.  Especially since I'm trying a "finish one, start one" way of managing my WIPs and there are two projects I will want to start very soon.  The first part Chatelaine's Zen Garden is coming out on April 1, and I really love the new Mirabilia, Siren and the Shipwreck, which was released last month.  The latter is on its way, but it usually takes a couple of weeks for me to get things from the States.  It so happens I have the perfect fabric for it, too, which I'm head over heels in love with.

This is Spring Glade by Sunny Dyes/Youthful Hands Needlework.  I love all of my 100+ pieces of hand dyed fabric, but I'm really IN love with this one and I can't wait to stitch on it.  I was not able to get a really good photo of this fabric, but this is close, if a little bit dark.  The base seems to be a very light blue, and it's mottled with different shades of blues, aquas, greens, lilacs and purples.  Siren and the Shipwreck will look amazing on it and I really, really can't wait!

I was planning on a quickie post, but, well, guess that's beyond me :)   Until the next time, which will hopefully be in less than two weeks, happy stitching everyone!

Julie

Fabric Giveaway Winners

I've finally done the deed!  We have three new fabric owners, no thanks to Bart the Pomeranian.  Sigh.  He rolled over to get his belly rubbed and wouldn't get back up, no matter what I said or did.  I would have broken out the treats, but I think "Grandma" gave him a few too many while we were there, as he feels a little hefty when I pick him up.  Sigh.  So with one hand rubbing Bart's round little belly, I picked the following three names.

Susan, who sounds like an enabler extraordinaire and my kind of gal, won piece #1, the fat eighth hand dyed Newcastle linen, for her stash.  I almost feel like sending her some carrots for her eyes.

Winner #2, for the almost square piece of dark grey Aida, is Ariadne from Greece, whose second entry is the one that did it.

And the most popular piece of fabric was the only piece that wasn't hand dyed, the fat eight of yellow 32 count Belfast linen.  Terri is our lucky winner there.

Congratulations to the winners!  I've already e-mailed everyone for your addresses so that I can send you your fabric when I finally venture out later this week.  I can't wait to see what you will be stitching on these pieces, when eventually you do :)

And thank you everyone for your warm wishes.  They really mean a lot.  I'm doing better every day, although I'm still not back to my usual routine.  But as soon as I hit the Publish button on this entry, I'm powering off my laptop and finally stitching, after more than two weeks.  And tomorrow, I'll be taking photos when it's light out again and, apparently, taking lots of walks with a chubby little someone.

Happy stitching everyone!

Julie