I'm trying to keep on top of my (overdone!) deadline stitching, and so far it's going okay. I finished the first of Sam's quilt squares and have started the second one. I've finished the stitching of the first exchange I'm doing and started the second one. I've also started a piece that will be a Christmas gift ... the chart was so cute I simply had to start it now! I've also received the fabric for the additional two Hurricane Katrina quilt squares I'll be doing. And I've recieved some stash and made "friends" at a couple of new-to-me ONSs that I can recommend. Lastly, this morning, I daringly live-trapped the little brother or sister of the spider in my last post and released it outside. No, I'm not trying out for a spot on one of those Fear Factor TV shows ... Niek's been away on business and there is no one else here to rid the house of scary spiders. (Both spider and I survived the experience none the worse for wear, for any spider fans out there.)

I also want to explain that I've had to change the format of my blog to show only the most current post. Something is wonky with my template (I think) and my blog wasn't loading for most people (myself included). If you'd like to see past posts, just click on month you want to see in the Archives. For some reason, this method works a lot faster.

Okay, on to the pictures! (No spiders this time, so you can proceed without being worried of any ugly surprises!) Here is the first of Sam's squares. His theme is extreme sports, so I made this up myself, using some elements from my Jeanette Crews OmniBook. As usual, it's on 18 ct ivory aida using DMC. I used some of the DMC color variations, which is colorfast.

And here are my current WIPs - Sam's next quilt square and one of my other exchanges. I just realized that I haven't taken a picture of my MA exchange, but you aren't really missing much. I need to pay more attention to that one, and soon! The teensy bunny (or the brown blob, depending on your interpretation) is stitched over one on 36 ct Porcelain Silkweaver using Vikki Clayton silks. Good thing we've had some sunny weather to stitch by!



Edited to include pictures from Photobucket account. Blogger's still being a pain.

For SEX experiences, I've recently received an order from Violarium, after spotting their ad in The Gift of Stitching, and in addition to the choice of different designers, great service, and reasonable shipping rates, they are FAST!! I also received an order from 123 Stitch, which isn't my first order from them, but when Joanne accidently forgot to include a skein of floss, she sent out a replacement the same day - and was considerate enough to not only enclose it in plastic, but to also put it in a bubble-pack envelope (all at her own cost). That's great service! And I can't leave without mentioning once again how very, very happy I am with my Monthly Bits from Stitching Bits and Bobs - the shipping is free, and the selection is always fantastic. Bobbie also includes a current freebie chart or two, which is always terribly exciting for me since I can't get freebies over here. A hearty thank you to these wonderful businesswomen who literally keep me in stitches!



What I'm reading: The Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse.