Sunday stitching

It seems like Sundays are my days for stitching and finishing.
I sat down today and in between laundry, watching TV and taking care of my mother & husband, I stitched and finished this.
Last week's ornaments were soft and feminine. This one is bright and bold. The fabric is a dyed Jobelin (28ct of course) called Pink Raspberry. I stitched it with Hyacinth GAST and used the 2007 Breast Cancer Awareness pattern (center of it).
In the very middle, instead of the flowers, I put a sterling silver ribbon charm.

The back of the ornament is finished in some pink ribbon fabric and the edging is just perfect for Oscar night. It is made in a ladder design with rhinestones every 1/4 inch or so. I tried to take a pic but the rhinestones gave off too much glare, much like the dresses some are wearing tonight! LOL.
Many of you have asked where I get the backing fabric I am using. It is from Allyndayle Awareness Fabrics at www.allyndayle.com They are wonderful to work with!
I have also decided to try and stitch some ornaments in honor of some special people. This one is for my friend Ashley's mom who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer right now. She works for a wonderful group, the Girl Scouts of America and she gives so much of herself to others. She recently lost her dad while having to deal with this disease. So maybe while she takes care of herself, this will brighten her day!
Thanks again to all!

Some sweet ornaments from a friend

My EGA friend Judy stitched these two sweet ornaments. One is in purple and has some clear beads on it. When it catches the light it looks just like it has diamonds on it. The other is pink and has beads also. I believe (and I could be wrong with the name of the stitch) it has some queen stitches on it. Both are just so nice and I really appreciate her stitching these.
I went to my monthly EGA meeting tonight and found that many of my friends there follow my blog and also are participating in this project. From the bottom of my heart, I say thanks to all who want to be a part of saving lives!

2 finishes

I have finished two ornaments. They were stitched on a pink fabric from Silkweavers using Wildflowers thread. I used my crop-a-dile (boy have I been using that thing) to add some pink ribbon eyelets and some circle eyelets.
I finished it as a flat pin keep and put some pink and white lace trim around it. I added a small picture frame to one at the bottom and a little charm that says "Love much" to the other.
I think the additions would look better if it had been made as a diamond instead of a square, but I am quite pleased with them.
I finished them with some pink ribbon fabric.
Hope you like them!

A new ornament

I received this beautiful ornament from Janet of http://crossstitchbibs.blogspot.com along with two bookmarks and another ornament. I "helped" her a little by doing the finish on her ornaments. The first one I have posted earlier.
Here is a picture of the other ornament that I just finished and a picture of her bookmarks. I put some lace trim with pearls around the edges and then put gold cording as a hanger. I used my crop-a-dile and put in some pink ribbon eyelets to hold the gold cording. The back is finished with pink ribbon fabric.
I think Janet did a great job stitching this and it will be a nice addition to the tree. Thanks Janet!

A little fussing

How is it that you can stitch a pattern and it stitch up so beautifully and so easily and then you stitch the same pattern, using the same fabric (same exact cut), and same thread and it be the biggest PITA?
I stitched that cute little ornie I showed in my last post and then I stitched it again. OMG! It liked to have driven me crazy. I had to frog not once, not twice, but three times. And each time it was about 1/4 to 1/3 of the outside border. The last frogging I did was just as I thought I was through and was attaching the beads and noticed on the right corner I was 1 (yes 1) thread off. I started to leave it, but then I thought, this project is important. And it is important that I do my best work.
So rip, rip, rip I went.
But it is done. And they are both beautiful. I am going to finish them in the next day or two and I will post pics. You can try to guess which one was the PITA.

A finish

I have finished stitching the ornament I started yesterday. I think it is quite beautiful if I do say so myself.
I had enough fabric on the scroll frame that I started another one just like this. They stitch up really fast.
If I finish stitching the one I started today this weekend, then first part of next week I will put everything together. I will post pics when I finish, but for right now here is one that I took of my finished stitching.

A new project

I have started stitching another ornament. It is the middle section of the Breast Cancer Awareness 2007 pattern. I am stitching it on hand dyed pink fabric. It will be finished as a flat fold ornament with the back being made of the pink fabric with flowers and pink ribbons I am showing with it.
I am going to make it into a diamond shape of sorts and am going to use my crop-a-dile to put an eyelet in the bottom corner and then attach a locket to it. That way if someone wants to put a picture of someone who has cancer in the locket and hang it on the tree they can.
We shall see how it all works out.
Thanks so much for caring so much to help!

A new contest

My friend Cindy, from http://www.bubbacandance.com is making a great offer. She will send the winner of this contest the Lizzie Kate "Peace, Love and a Cure" pattern and the fabric to stitch it (your choice of aida or linen) for the stitching for cure project. I will throw in the threads for it. Even though it won't make an ornament, we can auction it off to raise money.
So if you are interested, here is the contest: Question: How much money do I want to raise with this project to help cancer patients? Post your answer and I will draw from all the correct responses. (Hint: you can find the answer in the Friday, Oct. 24th post titled new addy for this blog).
I will draw a name on Valentine's Day.
Good luck.

Another Award From A Friend

I was blessed to be given an award by CarolynNC
Thank you very much! It always amazes me when one of my talented friends and bloggers thinks my blog deserves an award.
So here it goes. I have to name 5 people I think are deserving of this award.

Golden Angels because she is so kind and uplifting!

Olenka because her beautiful designs inspire us to create!

Susan because she makes me want to at least attempt to try some of her wonderful recipes!

Elisa because you have shown us that a single mom can be a GREAT mom!

Marian because you are just so darn cute!

Now you need to post this on your blog and award 5 people you think are deserving!

New ornament has arrived

My friend Janet of http://crossstitchbibs.blogspot.com stitched this beautiful angel. And my one of my other friends, Beverly, made it into a hanging pillow ornament. Both did beautiful work. Bev stitches some beautiful pillows on EBay. She is known as kyla1dog so check her out. I have also stitched some things and had her make them into pillows and she does a great job, so if your sewing skills are the best, get with her. Her prices are great also.
Janet has made another ornament and 2 bookmarks for the project.
Thanks to both of you for a great job.

Another ornament from me

I have stitched another blackwork cancer ornament. This time in teal for ovarian cancer. I am not as fond of this ornament as I was the other one, but at least it is done. I used the same trim around it as I did the other. I coffee dyed the trim also like I had done before.
I do not know why this pattern gives me fits. It is not a difficult pattern. Just straight forward backstitching. But I have done more cussing on these two ornaments than I have done on any stitching in a long, long time.
And it is a diamond shape. For the life of me, when I go to finish it with my backboard, I cannot seem to get it straight. It is just a square turned on it's side but it gives me nothing but absolute problems.
And I have committed to myself to do one more of these blackwork ornaments in pink. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ribbon colors

While I have said that we need to keep pretty much to the purple and pink colors for general cancer awareness and for breast cancer, some people are stitching in honor of family and friends who have had or still have certain kinds of cancer.
Thanks to a newcomer, Sue, I have posted a list on the right side of this blog of ribbon colors and their meanings.
If you feel the need to stitch an ornament in a color relating to the cancer that has affected you or your loved ones, please do so. It will be a very meaningful addition.
Thanks.

Two new ornaments

I have received these two new ornaments from Riona. They are quite beautiful and my photos just don't do them justice.
Thank you so much Riona. I love the way you finished both of them! Great job!

New ornament

I received an ornament from Cindy. It can be seen on her blog, http://cindyshobbies.blogspot.com
By the way, while you are there, check out the note about her being mentioned in a magazine. Pretty cool!
Thanks Cindy!

I have won an award!

My friend Cindy gave me the great honor of awarding me this blog award. Thank you Cindy! Your blog puts mine to shame.
I am supposed to list 5 of my addictions and name 5 bloggers who I think are "Fabby".
So here are my 5 addictions:
1. My sweet, dear husband James
2. Criminal Minds (I must watch it EVERY Weds.)
3. Cross stitching
4. Pedicures & Manicures
5. Changing my hair color every time the wind changes!

Now here are the 5 people I have nominated:

Janet

Penny

Andrea

Kathy

Rene

Now, you must do the same on your blog, winners!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an ornament

After much debating on how to finish my first ornament for this project, I decided to let the stitching stand for itself. I made it into a flat hanging ornament and for the trim I coffee-dyed some simple lacy trim. I used my Crop-a-Dile and put an eyelet in the corner to hang the ornament by. Then I simply thread some of the same beads I used on the ornament to make a hanger for it.
I am quite pleased with this and think it will be a nice addition to the tree.

Finally I stitched an ornament

After receiving several ornaments from others and hearing that new ornaments were on the way, I decided since I was the one that started this project, I had better get busy and stitch one myself.
The top picture is the blackwork ornament that shows the work I did last night and the bottom pic is showing the completed stitching. I did this on 28 count Cashel linen with Wildflower thread.
OMG! I hate to admit it but I did some serious cussing last night. I could not count for some reason and kept getting off track. Mr. Frog and ALL of his froggie friends came to visit me. At one point I thought about throwing the whole piece out the front door.
So I after 3 hours (seriously 3 hours to get that little bit done) I put it down and went to bed. With lots of alcohol. I muttered to myself "I love to stitch, I love to stitch".
Then I got up this morning and what do you know, Mr. Frog took his entourage and left my house. It was a dream stitching this. I loved watching it all come together. And the beads are so pretty on this.
I am going to finish this as a flat ornament and use my new, handy dandy Crop-A-Dile to put an eyelet in to hang it. The backing is some fabric with purple ribbons on it.
I have committed to myself to do 2 more of these in this pattern, one in pink and one in turquoise for ovarian cancer. Then onto the other patterns.
Remember, we love to stitch, we love to stitch...

An ornament from the other side of the world

I received this ornament from Margaret Stedman from New Zealand.
It is so pretty and my photos just don't do it justice. It is stitched on fabric that has metallic threads woven through it. It is finished as a pin keep with pink and white pins on it and a beautiful bow on the top. Just too pretty for words or pictures. Thank you so much Margaret!
I have started (actually started, ripped out, started again, ripped out and started again) my first ornament. I am doing the blackwork ornie and the first thread I used didn't show up enough, so I am now using some Wildflowers in a really pretty purple color. Won't be as pretty as Margaret's but at least I am contributing finally.
Keep up the great work!

Blackwork instructions

When I went to do my first ornament, the Cancer Awareness Blackwork pattern, I realized I hadn't done blackwork in a long while. I searched and found this site that has great blackwork instructions. She has an e-mail version of a blackwork instruction manual for $15, but I found the free instructions, including the You Tube demo did wonders for my memory.
I am going to stitch several of these, with the just the design on the front and the word hope on the back. I think they will be lovely.
I have included the link for the blackwork instructions on the right side of my blog along with the pattern links.
Thanks again for everything.

Finishing techniques

I have added a site to my ornament patterns listing on the right side of my blog. It is a finishing site. Once you get to the site, if you scroll down you will find several links to finish ornaments with. Hope this helps!