Finished Birthday Presents

I didn't take the time to update my blog last week as I was in the middle of stitching birthday presents for two great stitching buddies, which put my rotation pieces on the back burner for a couple of weeks! We celebrated the birthdays yesterday and I got the presents completed  in plenty of time - Friday night! But I can also show pictures of these pieces.

They are so different, but I'm pleased with how they turned out. The first was a "cupcake" piece and turned out rather whimsical.

The cupcake design is from Issue 82 of Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch and Bead Weaving called Rose Cupcake. It was a quick and fun stitch. I used glass beaded pins as "candles" on the cupcake! I used fabric that I had in my stash so am not sure what it is called, but it has the opalescent fibers in the fabric, which add a nice touch to the piece. I used the recommended DMC threads.

The next "pin pillow" was from Blackbird Design's A Stitcher's Journey called Tulip House Stitching Companion. Again, I used fabric from my stash so do not know what it is. I used some recommended Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and then substitued colors that I felt would work well in the piece for those colors that I did not have in my stash. I like the way this one turned out, too! I also used the glass headed beads in the piece as the center for some of the small flowers scattered around the design.

While shopping at the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta over Memorial Day weekend, I was able to find several types of laces and ribbons. I know the "trend" for finishing right now includes a lot of rickrack and it looks wonderful - but I guess I'm more of a "lace" girl than a "rickrack" girl. The laces  on both pieces came from my purchases in Albuquerque! The ribbon that I used on the bottom of the cupcake pillow is ribbon that I had in my stash from many years ago.

While at the Sampler Guild of the Rockies Retreat earlier this month, we learned a finishing technique that I really liked - making a little pocket on the back of a finished piece. For the retreat pocket, it was on the back of a flat finished piece; I decided to see how well it would work on the pillows. I thought it turned out great - and sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the backs of these pin pillows!

Yesterday was spent with 6 wonderful friends, including the 2 birthday girls. We ate, we stitched, we enjoyed watching the birthday girls open their presents, we attended the retirement party of one of the girls - did I mention, we ate????? It was just a wonderful day all around - the kind of day that renews the spirit and refreshes the soul. I've been so very fortunate to have wonderful stitching buddies that are very good friends.

During my 2 weeks of "frantic" gift stitching, my 2 rotation pieces saw very little time; although I did get to stitch on both a little bit. But it was so little that I didn't get any progress pictures. This next week I hope to a lot more stitching and have a better update for all of you next week.

While it's not as hot in the Denver area as it has been in many parts of the country, it's still too hot for me!!! I plan to stay in as much as possible and stitch to my heart's content this week ---- well, once I get home from work.

To all of my fellow stitchers in blogland and those who aren't, my thoughts and prayers are especially with those of you Minot, ND and any of you affected by the devastating flooding and severe weather many parts of the country are experiencing. Any of you who need to reach out for a helping hand, a shoulder, or some other sort of respite, are certainly welcome to comment here. I just can't begin to imagine what you are going through and what the immediate future holds for you.

Hug family and friends, stitch and be good to yourselves!

Debby