the year past, the year to come

Coincidentally, both my final exchange to Cathy and my first exchange to Su (for the Seasonal Exchange group) arrived on the same day. So you finally get some stitching photos! I know Chiloe said she likes pictures of Arden even more than of stitching, but not everyone may feel that way.

For Cathy, I tried to make her a collection of smalls. Cathy, like me, has fairly eclectic tastes and I had fun choosing designs willy-nilly from my stash. This final exchange is a kit released by The Sampler Girl last winter (with a lot of extra details on the inside). I also whipped up a wee matching fob so Cathy’s scissors would not get jealous of her needles & pins.

The inside of the needlebook would not be nearly as pretty as it is if it were not for the generosity of Sonya, who sent that wonderful quilt-style cotton, and of Anne, who sent the gorgeous assortment of pins.

For the upcoming year of exchanging with Su, I considered and rejected a number of ideas until I saw the work of a local crafter who makes twig/vine baskets and wreaths. I know that Su likes small things, and I’ve always loved her sense of humor. Although most of the gorgeous exchanges and gifts that she receives are very feminine and elegant, I hoped she would enjoy my spin on things, with a quirky prim look. I have to admit, I really (really) worried that she’d open the box and think, “Oh no! These are so ugly!” but she assures me that she really does like it.

The ornaments are Harvest Bird by Ewe and I and Friends (which kept twisting to the side when I photographed the wreath, thus an additional picture of it), Quaker Snail by Aury (freebie available here), and Plenty and Grace, which contains elements taken from Sampler Folk by Kathy Barrick-Dieter and from Plenty and Grace by Primitive Traditions (from the publication, A Most Noble Pursuit). I had so much fun making this exchange - I’m already looking forward to the winter ornaments!

Thanks for the comments on my short (angry) post yesterday. As for my legality here in the Netherlands, I’ve been legal all along, but the government has been changing laws in an attempt to homogenize the society. Unlike Canada, which is known as a patchwork of different peoples and cultures (a sentiment I’ve always really admired), the Netherlands seems to be going for a rather heavy-handed American ‘melting pot’ effect in which we foreigners must constantly prove our willingness to adapt to the society we’ve chosen to live in. I certainly understand the need to speak the language of the country in which one lives, but I’m weary of being treated literally like a second class citizen. But anyway … it’s over till the next time and the woman who conducted the interview really was very nice.

 

springing up and down!

My (final) seasonal exchange from Nicki has arrived, and she has once again managed to make me say, “WOW, am I ever lucky to have her for a partner!” Nicki stitched the lovely Garden Flowers from Stone and Thread and finished it as a pinkeep for the spring exchange. Isn’t this stunning?

And she always includes the nicest goodies with her exchanges - I swear, she must know my cross stitching tastes at least as well as I do myself - so here is a photo of the whole spread. I really love this chart - it’s not a design I’ve seen before, but it really is “me”. And the linen is such a pretty color … as are the silks! Thank you so much, Nicki!

I’ve changed my blog layout to something more open. We’ve had a lot of gloomy weather here and I think I was beginning to feel claustrophobic, so here’s lots of open space and pale colors for a change. I hope you find it easy on the eyes and soothing on the soul. Thanks for visiting!

it’s back!

I picked Thine Forever up from the framer’s today, and I’m so happy with it! Because my BIL smokes, it was necessary to have a glassed-in frame so I chose the non-reflective glass (which also protects the linen and silk from fading in sunlight) - despite that, there is a tiny bit of glare in this photo over the dark leaf on the left. That’s just glare, not a stain or something! The wedding is Friday, so for once, I’m actually on time.

I’ve been stitching away like mad the past days, but I can’t show it because everything has been for exchanges. How frustrating! So I’m going to cheat ever so slightly and show you a part that doesn’t include any stitching, and I won’t say for which exchange it is intended. I am so pleased with how this project came out that I want to make one for myself ASAP!

Those gorgeous pins are from the scores that Anne sent me, and the lovely lining fabric is from the selection that Sonya sent me.

There’s still one more day to join in on the exciting Think Pink action! Go take a look, and sign up after you’ve clicked for the cure!!!

On a less cheery note, we were called in by Nicky’s teacher yet again. I’ve honestly lost count of how many times we’ve had to have after-school conferences with his teachers due to his behavior. In the beginning, he’s have destructive temper tantrums. That’s thankfully no longer the case, but now the teacher says he’s ‘full of anger’ that he can’t get out and that causes him to deliberately antagonize the other students. It felt pretty clear to me that she considers it something we’re doing wrong at home, but I’m mystified. He never had any problems in daycare, and although he does have a temper at home, it’s not at all anything I consider abnormal. Niek thinks it’s this teacher - she is not much of an authority figure, truth be told, and Nicky doesn’t take her very seriously. He doesn’t have as many problems with his other teacher (although he remains a challenge even with the other teacher). I feel … kind of rotten, to be truthful. I’m sitting here re-reading my copy of Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids but real life is never as clear-cut. I feel like I need some sort of parental supervisor or something.

round and round and faster it goes

I did not fall off the planet - it’s been a bit busy, with Niek not home as often as usual, and to “save” time, I’ve been totally offline for a couple of days. Hopefully, our normal programming will now resume.

There is so much to tell and share that I’ll need at least two posts cover it all (and avoid writing an entry roughly the length of War and Peace). Today I’ll share some stitching and a wonderful gift box from Tanya.

My partner, Wendy Jo, received her squares for the Independence Day exchange at Fair and Square and thank heavens, she liked them. I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted to stitch - I wanted a subject that made me feel very patriotic, but that was neither too primitive nor too fussy. I’m one of those people whose hair stands up whenever I hear The Star Spangled Banner - it makes me feel intensely American - and being from the New England region, I have a special fondness for the Liberty Bell. So here is my square, using a freebie from Erica Michaels and some text from The Star Spangled Banner. I was quite pleased with the result.

I’ve also been working on Thine Forever, but the Monday deadline that I set for myself has passed. I didn’t stitch over the weekend, being quite tied up with the kids, and had no opportunity on Monday, either. I got the turbo needles out yesterday and nearly finished it - I would have, except I didn’t know the maiden name of the bride-to-be so I couldn’t stitch her initials (which meant I couldn’t keep the rest of the text centered till I could figure out the count for that line). I’ll finish it today and take to to the framer tomorrow - that should still be sufficient time to have it ready for the wedding. Sorry for the wonky colors - it’s a very gray day here and my camera is being temperamental.

And now onto the really fun stuff - a box of goodies for Arden! Tanya had apologized for being “late” in sending a gift to Arden - which of course is completely silly of her, as gifts are neither required nor expected, and therefore cannot be late. Yesterday, the mailman brought two packets, one of which was from Tanya, and Max and I had a lot of fun opening it after we put the wee beasties to bed. Arden quickly chose his favorite item from the gifts - a ring with beads inside that make a lovely noise when shaken. Just look at that happy face!

But you really should’ve seen my face when Max and I had unpacked everything! Tanya, you are too generous! Arden now has a wonderful selection of clothing from sizes that fit now, up to 18 months. Thank you!

This morning I had fun dressing him in his little Osh Kosh overalls (I attempted to wear nothing but Osh Kosh overalls when I was a kid - I even had a little denim cap to match). Here he is, right after his breakfast bottle, full of smiles.

And for tomorrow, pictures of our weekend! The younger three kids and myself enjoyed the Goudse Hofstedendagen here in our neighborhood while Max and Niek indulged in some sailing up in Friesland. Stay tuned!

And a contest!

There’s still time to head over to Stitch Pink and enter your name for the drawing of a beautiful M Designs Survivor Tree ornament!

 

 

sunshine and bicycle tires

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—
The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing—                                  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

What a beautiful day it is today! First off, it’s my Daddy’s birthday! Secondly, I finally got my bike repaired so Arden and I have a little more mobility than we’ve recently enjoyed. And thirdly, I received my Fair Squares “Independence Day” exchange from Wendy Jo. What a day!

I had to first unearth my bike and trailer from our shed, and then clean a winter’s worth of spiders and other icky stuff off/out of both and then pump up the tires enough to get me to the bike repair shop where I could get both tires replaced. But it was worth it! Here’s the bike and trailer combo, and then there’s a picture of Arden all fastened into the trailer for his first outing - which he loved!

On the stitching front, Wendy Jo’s squares to me came via rocket express. They’re wonderful - I love Brightneedle! And I will greatly enjoy the selection of overdyed fibers. Thank you so much, Wendy Jo! I hope my squares will reach her as quickly and that she will enjoy the exchange as much as I have.

Also on a stitching note, the burnt umber NPI silk arrived late yesterday for Thine Forever. I didn’t get any stitching done, as it was Max’s first night of the Jeugd Avondvierdaagse, the four-day walking event for area youth, and I was all off-kilter from the resultant schedule changes. But there’s always hope for tonight!

 

weekends pass too quickly

Even when we aren’t actually doing anything, the weekends just fly by. I enjoyed some stitching time, after going without a needle-fix for most of last week, and that was really great. I actually started and completed my Independence Day exchange, even though I couldn’t find a pattern that I really wanted to stitch … and so I “made” my own. I knew what colors I wanted, and I knew what sort of overall look I was going for. Since I can’t show you my squares till they’re received, you’ll simply have to make do with the floss toss that started it all.

The weather was iffy for most of the weekend - it rained all day yesterday, and although we did have periods of sunshine today, it was chilly and often very gray - so the kids spent more time indoors than has been usual (with all the amazing weather we’d had up till now). Rowen and Nicky have discovered computer games. Sigh. Naturally, they play them on my computer, which means I can’t use it for blogging, emailing, browsing, and all the other highly important stuff I depend on to fill my empty hours … LOL! Here’s a shot of them, deeply engrossed in making a zebra jump over holes.

Nicky also seemed to discover his little brother today. Maybe rainy days really are good for something after all! Usually he sort of drifts by Arden without noticing him, but tonight after dinner he got down on the floor and played with him. Eventually, their laughter brought Rowen around, and before too long, Mean Ol’ Mom had to break up the party because it was getting a little too rowdy for baby-type people. ;0

Thank you for your comments about Sara and her wonderful gifts for Arden. I have been so incredibly blessed by the friends in my life …. It’s amazing, the impact we make on one another’s lives, isn’t it? I want to thank you for being a friend, for coming to visit me here and making me a part of your life.

 

a walk in the park, sort of

Over breakfast this morning, the kids asked for picnic lunch after school … since we were without a car anyway, it seemed like a great idea to combine the rather long walk to/from school with a picnic at the park just behind the school grounds. When I picked the kids up, I found Max being hovered over by a persistent Dutch lass who wanted to join in our sunshiney fun. After some effort to track down her phone number to ask her mom’s permission, everything was arranged and we headed off. There’s a big “spiderweb” climbing rack at the park, and before I knew it, both my boys were shimmying up and down it like a couple of monkeys, with their blonde goddess watching from beneath coyly lowered lashes. It was hard to stop laughing long enough to get a picture. Boys!

Rowen didn’t really see the need to impress Max’s friend, so she decided to perform a dance routine for me - which I quite enjoyed!

After awhile, Max and his friend wandered off, and I took this far-off photo because they just looked so young and so old all at the same time. Girls discovered Max nearly two years ago, but it appears that Max has just noticed them back rather recently.

Through all the birds and bees antics, Arden was happy to gaze up into the treetops and smile wetly at me. The very summery weather gave him the perfect opportunity to model an adorable outfit that Helen sent us not long after his birth. And which, to my shame, I’ve not shown a picture of until now. Helen, he’s so cute in this outfit that if he weren’t mine, I’d be tempted to steal him! Thank you so much!

And speaking of mail goodies, this one is much more recent - today’s postal delivery, in fact. You may remember my wee biscornu made for an exchange about a month ago … well, today mine arrived. To my delight, Outi sent me a biscornu of her own (unpublished) design - isn’t it lovely?! She also included some very yummy Dinky Dye’s silk in a gorgeous blend of purples and blues called Blue Mountains. Thank you, Outi!

Tonight when I made dinner, I was very heedful of Anna’s recent kitchen injury - I sliced these potatoes with the utmost of care! No missing body parts to report. I don’t have a mandolin, but use a cheese slicer to get those paper thin slices. It works pretty well.

Some stitching was accomplished today, but precious little. Even if it were not a secret project (which it is), it wouldn’t be enough to warrant a WIP photo. I also didn’t get much done last night on Thine Forever because (1) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was on TV, and (2) my mom called and talked for quite awhile about work woes. Maybe I’ll get more done tonight … cross your fingers.

Volumes three through five in the Gabaldon Outlander series have arrived, and I’ve started Voyager. When do Claire and Jaimie get back together? Do they?? No, don’t tell me!!!

going postal

It would seem that my luck with the post has turned the corner - although Coral in South Africa still hasn’t received the birthday gift I mailed to her ages ago (hopefully her unbirthday gift will fare better), other items have been turning up in different parts of the world in a more timely fashion. Phew!

Cathy received her seasonal exchange/birthday greeting packet. Becasue I goofed and sent her “spring” for two exchanges in a row, this time she got summer and autumn in one. LOL! I’ve stitched part of Song of Solomon from Midsummer Night Designs over one for the wee summer fob, and I’ve stitched a squirrel from The Needle’s Content for the autumn fob. The finishing for the squirrel was suggested by Annemiek, the designer, and without the instructions on her chart, I wouldn’t have been able to figure this out. I’ve seen this finish turning up on some French blogs lately - it must be suddenly in vogue.

Outi’s unbirthday gift has arrived. I was very intimidated about making something for a designer, but we’re both cat lovers so I hoped my little kitty & birdie cushion, done in a prim style, would give her a smile. Luckily, it did. The design is from The Drawn Thread. This was one of the ones I didn’t photograph before sending out, so I’ve stolen Outi’s picture. It was also the only unbirthday gift that Niek really wanted to keep.

Helen’s unbirthday gift arrived and fortunately she liked it as much as I’d hoped. The delicacy of this design by Indigo Rose just said “Helen!” to me. Helen, Su, and their mum Veronica are such talented ladies that I was a little insecure about my finishing, but Helen assures me that her little floss fob is fine.

Chiloe’s unbirthday gift arrived. I wanted to make her something as cheery and bright as I imagine her to be. A Glory Bee design just hollered her name … but I have to admit that this was the design that met with my sewing machine mini-disaster (when I sewed and then cut through part of the design). I saved what could be saved, however, and made what I thought was quite the cute little door hanger from it, and was very pleased by the finished product. Again, this one got away without being photographed, but Chiloe got some nice pictures of it (and I borrowed one!).

Willeke’s was actually the first unbirthday gift to arrive and not only did I fail to photograph it, it was an original design by yours truly so it exists nowhere but in my drafty head. I’d noticed, while doing detective work in everyone’s blogs for the ‘ideal gift’ that Willeke also likes primitive stitchery. So I made her a hanging bird pinkeep. The finish was different-but-similar to that of Rachael’s.

For Rachael’s unbirthday gift, I had to go with a peacock, because I know how much she loves them. That purple linen was just irresistable! The peacock is from Peacocks 2, by The Workbasket. I had fun making a rather silly, colorful, mess of the finishing in hopes that it would make Rachael smile. It did, she tells me.

Although Annemarie had not received her unbirthday gift when we emailed last night, I know it must arrive today because of the reliability of the Dutch post within the country. Annemarie has a thing for mermaids, and I bet she thought I’d make her one - but I decided to veer off the path of predictability this time and instead made her this heart ornament, Friendship Sampler designed by The Needle’s Content. A Dutch design for a Dutch stitcher - now that’s got to be unexpected! LOL! My heart finishing is still not perfect, but … gosh, I sure try to make it perfect! I love this design, btw, and want to make it again to keep!

Yesterday wasn’t much to write home about when it comes to stitching. Niek and I took a peek at a much larger house over in his hometown, and after that appointment it was time to pick the kids up, and I was busy with them for the rest of the day. It is nice to have all the stitchy stuff organized and tidy (except those odd fibers that are still waiting to be put in their rightful place). I’ve enjoyed looking at all the lovely things that you’ve been stitching, though! What an industrious, talented bunch!

chocolate, bread, eggs and smiles

The order of our main Easter components will vary according to which of us you ask.

Our Easter actually begins the night before, when Niek makes one of his special paasstollen (Dutch Easter bread). The bread dough is sweet and contains dried fruits (we like raisins & cranberries in ours) and the center of the bread is filled with almond paste. It’s eaten sliced with butter (not margerine!) spread over it. Delicious!

For the kids, Easter begins in the morning, preferably after the sun has risen. Especially when Mommy was up at 5 am feeding Arden. To stall for time while the Easter Bunny’s special helper hides the eggs, the kids have to get dressed and brush their teeth - and occassionally additional stalling techniques are required before the backdoor closes and I know that our special Agent of Easter has finished his task. LOL. Then we tramp down the stairs, no doubt sounding like a troupe of monkeys and a herd of elephants, and the kids race outside to see who can find the most eggs. Nicky and Rowen are a little competitive, and Nicky takes this egg hunt as a personal challenge. After the eggs have been located, we scramble back inside to see what the Easter Bunny has left … and to stuff as much of it in tiny mouths as possible before Mom or Dad notice. And then, finally, we settle down at the table for a true breakfast feast

The rest of the day is usually spent having fun, begging for more chocolate, squabbling a bit as the sugar high wanes, and begging for more chocolate. This year it’s a little quieter, as Max is with his paternal grandparents for the long weekend. Tomorrow is also a holiday here, and we’ll spend the day with Niek’s Oma, who has been very ill with pneumonia. She’s been home from the hospital for over a week now, but remains weak and disspirited. We’re taking her lunch, as she’s not up to going out for a luncheon. Hopefully a direct dose of great-grandchildren will do much to energize and restore her to her usual disposition.

… and don’t forget stitching!

While Niek slaved over the Easter bread last night ( ) I completed my first-ever biscornu. It’s for an exchange, but now that I’ve finally attempted this finishing method, I know I’ll make more. What a cute little thing it is! The beautiful glass bead on the front was part of my birthday gift from Deb. The tulip shape is just so perfectly suited this ‘greenly growing’ pattern (from the 11/06 issue of TGOSM). I used a simple green glass bead on the back. After I was finished, I saw that there was actually a size requirement of 3 to 4 inches for this exchange - I’m afraid I overlooked that earlier, and mine is a wee 2+ inches, but I’m sending it anyway because it is just so cute. I think it’s much better suited for a pincushion at this size, than it would at a whopping 4 inches anyway.

Edited to add: The group mom at this exchange has contacted me to say that cuteness is not a factor, but size is. My biscornu is about 1/2 inch too small and therefore … unacceptable. While I am happy to keep it, I’m feeling rather frantic about where I’ll find the time to make a replacement and more than a little grumpy about fanatical rule-keeping. Next time, I’ll measure twice and stitch once, to alter a phrase borrowed from my carpenter friends. 

Assuming I get a chance to stitch today, I plan on finishing up a small gift for one more unbirthday gift. I’ve sent out the original dozen, but I’m a big believer in a ‘baker’s dozen’ and had already contacted Jennifer about sending her an unbirthday gift. Both Chiloe and Willeke have received theirs already, but haven’t mentioned it on their blogs, and they are from the group I forgot to photograph before I mailed them out.

Wishing one and all a glorious Easter, filled with tidings of re-birth and renewal, joy and love.

geography and math were never my best subjects

I’ve got to laugh at my mistake in writing “Australia” when I meant “Austria”. I’ve never been to the land down under, though I have seen a fair bit of western Europe. No koalas in Vienna, but what a heavenly chocolate cake. Anyway, it turns out that in addition to getting an F in geography this week (though, really, it was more an error of typing, another subject I did poorly in), I’m also flunking math. I signed up for a biscornu exchange with a group that I heard of via Angela at Patternuts Place and decided to stitch one of the several gorgeous designs by Lady Peripheria that I’ve been saving up (this is the monochromatic version of Sampler Flowers 2). I stitched 1/4 of it using the pattern and then used what I’d stitched as the “pattern” for the remaining 3/4. (Those little sheets of paper are just one more thing to get lost here at Chateau Chaos.) The problem is, I made a counting error in that first section, which was carried through the whole design. I’m not tearing out the lion’s share of the design to correct it, so I will keep this for myself. I actually needed a square design in this size to hold a lovely little potpourri sachet I bought at the World Shop last weekend, so it all works out fine. I’ve started another biscornu using a chart from TGOSM for the exchange.

The first of the unbirthday gifts arrived a couple of days ago - a primitive bird hanging pinkeep I sent to Willeke. She’s been too busy to post a picture, and unfortunately it’s one of those that I didn’t photograph before sending it.  Hopefully she’ll find time to post a picture of it on her blog.

Speaking of stitching, Ink Circles is offering a very cool mystery SAL based on a Celtic illuminated manuscript.  The first installment is up, and I have to say that this one really has my attention. Go take a peek and see what you think.

It’s the long Easter weekend here. The kids got out at noon, after stuffing themselves silly at the school’s Easter Brunch. The apple turnovers I made (tarts are tiny pies, I’ve been advised) were a huge hit in the boys’ classrooms, but less popular in Rowen’s. There were just enough left for us to each have one - and IMHO, they turned out great! I’ll have to make them here at home, as they’re incredibly simple. I have no idea what the kids and I will be doing during the next few days. Our lovely pre-spring weather has turned off cold, rainy, and gray - but we’ll make the best of it. Here’s a priceless picture of Nicky and Rowen enjoying a cuddle (dressed up from some playing they were doing) - you can see the rain-soaked pavement outside the window.

Speaking of kids, guess who’s three (calendar) months old today?! Can you believe how much he’s grown and changed? I can’t!

For reading, I’ve finished Treasure of Khan and found it enjoyable, as always. For the record, I only like the Dirk Pitt novels; the other NUMA novels don’t interest me. I started The Sea, by John Banville, but I doubt I’ll have much time for reading over the next few days.

Thanks for coming to visit me!