I think Spring is going to come!

I don't have any stitching pictures today. DH noticed that I didn't take any pictures this morning, and was surprised. I haven't had much time to stitch this week. So I was feeling a little bit like a slacker this morning, until I noticed a robin in the parking lot at work. Then I noticed another one, and I started counting; I think I saw 9 of them! (It was only a couple of minutes after sun-rise, so I think they were still having breakfast.) Robins are a sure sign of spring around here.

This is not my picture, I couldn't get this close, but this is what American Robins look like.
















This is what I saw this morning, but I do assure you, they are robins.



I went to Joanne Fabric to pick up the pearl color I had run out of earlier this week, only to discover they no longer carry that color. I had to go home and shop on-line. So, while I was shopping I also stopped in and picked up a Colorwash Silk that I was running out of for another project.

Shopping on-line is way too easy! I will share pictures of stash when it comes.

Thank you!

I sent Paula from "The Beauty of Life" a couple of polymer clay tools, since I've decided I'm not interested enough in it to work at getting good. For some reason I thought I would be able to produce beautiful clay things without going through a learning curve. Who knew?

When Paula asked what I wanted in return, I told her how much I loved the smalls she made for her daughter's Christmas sewing basket. I forgot to mention that one item would be a generous gift in exchange for what I had sent her.

Yesterday I received these:



A pincushion, needle-book, and scissors fob, stitched on silk with delicate bullion roses. The packaging was beautiful too, with the silk wrapping tied with a couple of strands of novelty yarns, just beautiful.

I was already feeling guilty, asking for something stitched in the Australian style in return for something I was essentially giving away; after receiving this I feel even guiltier. So Paula, watch your mailbox, but it will be 20 to 45 days from now.

Birthday GITS

I received my birthday temari swap from Rod in Australia on Friday; I think it is absolutely beautiful! It is a simple 8 division with roses, perfect for a birthday present. His is on the way, but he will not be able to open it until April 24; I will show the one I made for him after that.



I almost completed this temari on Saturday, but I ran out of thread. I need about 2 yards of DMC 743 to finish. This is a s6 division masquerading as a combination division, there are 12 pentagons and 8 hexagons. There are three different patterns on the temari, yellow/buttery roses, white flowers, and green leaves arranged in sort of a spiral. I really like this pattern. The execution is not all that I could have hoped for, the polygons are not very regular; that is something I have to work on.



I have a wonderful souvenir of my grandma's crochet "work."

I didn't get to see my grandma too often after her last visit to us in Illinois. I went to Iowa with my daughters when they were in grade-school, so they could meet my aunts and uncles, and see the country-side that had such an effect on me growing up. A couple of years after that my grandma became very weak and started suffering from congestive heart failure. She died from complications from a broken hip, and I was not able to travel to see her, or to go to the funeral, since I was going through chemotherapy at the time.

When my parents returned from the funeral and from settling the estate, my mom gave me the wooden box my grandma had kept her crochet patterns in. They were all jumbled in the box (including the scrap of fabric she used to teach me how to stitch a colonial knot).

When I saw a picture on eBay of a "sample" crochet book I knew I wanted to organize my grandmother's samples into the same type of book. I ended up with over 20 pages of samples!




These two pages are not all of the handkerchief edgings she collected. I can picture her at Ladies' Aid meeting at church, everyone all dressed up, and she would be checking if anyone had a new lace pattern on a hankie. She would study it, and then go home and work up the pattern on a scrap so she could remember it:



I still have a pair of pillowcases with beautiful lace on it from her as well. I don't use them, because I don't want them to wear out, but if I don't use them, who will?



I always feel like a lot of my skill and interest in needlework came from her, as well as from my mom and my other grandma. I'm very grateful for that heritage.

Sharon B asked as her first question last year "who do you admire?" I didn't make a page, but my answer was nearly instantaneous: Grandma! She raised 4 kids alone (she was a widow), and supported them. She lived a productive and happy life. She made beauty in the lives of everyone around her. Miss you grandma!