We have a Winner(s)!

Well, it's my birthday and as I promised, I picked 2 winners for the Christmas kit and the Simple Treasures kit to celebrate.  I listed everyone who had entered for each particular kit, gave everyone a number then used a random number generator to pick my winners.  So without any further ado, drum roll please, the winner of the Christmas kit is Stitchinrose and the winner of the Simple Treasures kit is Mii Stitch.  So congratulations to my two winners and I'll be getting in touch with you in the next day or so to get your addresses for mailing.  And thanks so much to all who participated in my little drawing.  Happy birthday to me!

Blog Hop #8 - My Favorite Project

 It's that time again.  Time for another Blog Hop from Stitching the Night Away.  It's a good one too.  

What has been your favorite project to stitch? (either finished or in progress)

I had to think about this one a little bit.  I've done a lot of different projects in the 30 some years that I've been stitching.  My tastes have changed a lot in that time.  Some of the stuff I stitched in the 80's is so elementary that I wouldn't look twice at it today.  I've loved a lot of designers that are no longer my favorites.  I currently really love designers like Michael Powell, Margaret Sherry, Lizzie Kate.  I have a few that have been my consistent favorites like Prairie Schooler.  But one company always consistently delighted me.  Color Charts.  I loved most of what they published.  I still have all of the charts I bought from them.  I may not have stitched them all but I still have them.  So when I thought about what my favorite project to stitch was I knew right away which one it was.  It was Portholes to Paradise by Color Charts.  It was stitched on navy blue aida and I called the technique I used on it stitching by Braille "oh, that feels like a hole, I think I'll stick a needle through it".  I used 3 strands (which I never do) and the stitches look a little bulky.  The chart was so well-used that it fell apart half way through stitching it.    Despite all these complaints, I still loved stitching on it and I still love it even today.  It's about 25 years old and it could probably use being framed again (okay, it absolutely needs to be framed again but there's not enough fabric on the edges to do it), but when all is said and done, it's still my all-time favorite project I've ever stitched.

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

A Giveaway!

I realized a couple of days ago that I had missed my 5 year blogversary (is there such a word?).  I had fully intended to have a giveaway in celebration of that momentous occasion.  But with all the goings here trying to get Sherrie moved (again! 3rd time, long story) and kitty sitting, I let it slide by.  So since my birthday is next week, I decided to have a giveaway in honor of both occasions.  I'm going to giveaway the two kits shown here.  One is a lovely seaside treasure kit and the other is a Christmas kit which could easily be done in time for Christmas.  It even has a mat and will fit into a standard 8x10" frame.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  No extra steps are needed.  You can even tell your friends about it.  Just tell me in your comment which kit you would like.  I'll pick the winners next Thursday (September 20) on my birthday.  Oh, by the way, the kitten is NOT included in the giveaway.  Oops, I almost forgot.  Don't forget to add your email in the comment.