And More Winter

The last of the blocks in the group I'm sending to Ritva next week is done.  This is from the winter round robin and is Cathy L's.  She had a bunch in these colors with silkies in the middle.  I'm not a fan of silkies, so I get stymied when I see them in blocks.  I'm never sure what to do with them.

And here is what I decided to do.  I pretty much left the silkie alone and added a heart for him to offer.  I hope she likes it.  The holly and the pine boughs took a loooong time.

Golden Brown Kiku

I was making this temari as yet another Christmas gift when my plans were changed.  We are to keep this one, I've been told, because Andreas likes it too much to give it away.  It did turn out pretty well.

It's On The Bag

When I was stitching the kaleidoscope mandala, one person in particular would always stop and remark on how pretty the pattern and the colors were.  So, for Christmas... this is how she got it.  I sent the completed  cross stitch off to Betsy, and she made this wonderful tote out of it!  I love it.  She's got an Etsy shop now, too, and I'm sure if you have something you want made into a tote she'd do it for you.  The following pictures are of the construction.  Oh, and the recipient loves it!

All Made Up

Finished off the little angel ornament.  I think it came out pretty well.

A Bit More Tree

At a temporary stopping point while I wait for thread to be received from Hand Dyed Fibers.  Time to work on something else in the meantime.

Pretty Purple Flowers

In the spring, these trees with purple flowers bloom along the streets.  They're beautiful, even if they have sticky sap.  I have no idea what kind of tree it is.  The leaves look like acacias or locusts, being compound opposite with about 11-15 leaflets.  If you know what they are, please tell me!  In the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

Covered in White

Yay, I actually finished the project I started January 1st of this year!  It's gorgeous too, with beads and a lot of Rhodes stitches.  I liked doing this project and keeping to the schedule I set for it.