A little bit of Chrfistmas in June

I found just the right place for my newly finished Afghan. It now resides at my best friends home.

Linda, my dearest friend,  just went through a major big time in her life as she She was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer last year and now after two surgeries and several months of chemo she is finally starting to get her life back in order.
As the name of the Afghan says, Home is where the Heart is and her heart is still beating and a survivor of that ugly C word, and it is so good to see her regain her strength and emotional stability again. She is able to get out and work in the garden and even took a cruise ship to Alaska with her daughter in May. I thank God everyday for giving me back my dearest friend.
I love you Linda, my dear Friend.
These Photos were taken at Christmas this past year when her and her daughter Michele came and surprised me with a huge box of beautiful Christmas ornaments for my poor artificial tree that I was so up set about. Let me show you how it all unfolded.
I decided last year that I wasn't going to cut down another tree just to satisfy my desire for the smell and beauty of a freshly cut pine in the home. So I decided to order an artificial tree from a major catalog store. I won't mention the name as I wouldn't want to discredit finger hut for false advertising. heheh
I opened this box that arrived and looked inside and I was so totally devastated at what I was looking at. OMG, this was the ugliest tree that I ever saw, real or fake. I resealed the box and took it back to the post office. They preceded to tell me that it would cost more then the tree it self cost me to ship it back. WHAT ! ! !
Now I was really upset. So I put it back in the car and went home and stewed about my stupidity  with this sad looking artificial tree.
Oh well, It was my mistake and I had to live with it. I took it out of the box and set it up and I still wasn't happy with it. I kept thinking that when I put my ornaments on it all will be well.
 Low and behold at about 6:00 pm there was a knock at the door and there stood Linda and Michele, her daughter, loaded down with beautiful ornaments for my sad looking tree. I have never had a Christmas tree decorating party but I had just taken a Quiche out of the oven so we sat down and ate and then decorated this very sad looking tree. This is the final outcome of that tree. Isn't it beautiful? Almost as beautiful as the ones that decorated it.
A little Christmas in June.

 My dearest friend Linda. She was in her second month of chemo.

 Her daughter Michele and our little girl Phoebe. Always has to be the center of attention, that is Phoebe, of course.

Our beautiful tree looks so very happy now. I was brought to tears at their generosity at such a difficult time in their lives.

 And so now, that artificial tree will always hold precious memories to me and every year that I decorate it, I will be reminded of the love that was shared that Christmas season

And so, Giving this Afghan to Linda is my way of saying that she will always be warm from the love in my heart and my home

A new technique, Swedish Weaving

I just love trying new techniques of sewing, stitching or weaving.

This technique is sort of a cross between stitching and weaving. It is done with a needle but woven into threads of monks or huck clothe. I have been using the natural in color but it comes in a variety of colors.

 I prefer this for the pattern and yarn that I am using. I just discovered this new technique while strolling through the You tube videos.
This is the beginning video that got me hooked so to speak. Take a moment and watch it and you too will get hooked on this easy and quick form of weaving or stitching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkxN1JGCuN4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCdkDmUFz0Y&feature=related
The young women giving the tutorial does such an awesome job that I am sure you will learn everything you need to know to begin your new craft. It certainly was very informative to me.
This is the piece that I am working on now. I will be a little afghan to go with my punch needle piece of the same name. Home is where the heart is.

One of the interesting things about Swedish weaving is that it only shows up on the top side of the fabric. I think that is really unique.  You can sort of see the elevation of the stitching but not the yarn itself.
I have gotten the first color down and now I am working on the second color, green. The last color is a Williamsburg blue, which I think will look great with the other two colors.
This is the pattern that I am using from Ivy Stitching.




I get my Monks cloth from Annies Attic http://www.anniesattic.com/detail.html?prod_id=82956
and the patterns from
 Ivy stitching.http://www.ivystitching.com/
So that is what I am up to these days and if I don't answer your emails or the phone right away, I am wrapped up in my Swedish weaving or

walking my sweet 100lb+ lap puppy, Phoebe. She keeps me exercised to say the least.

My newest Subject for a new punch needle pattern

Doesn't this nice woman have the kindest sweetest face. She will be so much fun to put into a new punch needle. The little Amish boy went to Linda Stubbs at Prairie Flower Farm
http://prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com/ as Linda is the one that took the photo and allowed me to convert it into a pattern for my punch needle. Don't you just love the decoration on the screen door next to the lovely Woman. That is a picture in itself.
I am going to be listing some of my finished punch needle pieces on my selling blog in the next few days. They are ready to be applied to what ever you choose.

I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of the completed Amish boy prior to sending it to Linda so she has promised to take a photo of it and put it up on her blog. I used a little artistic license and added a little stream in it.