Thank You Gifts Mailing Today...

Thank You Gifts

This was my dilemma...Create something nice to say, "thank you" to everyone who contributed their idea for Jenny Janome's name. Criteria: must be useful for anyone (not everyone sews or does needlework); needs to fit into a First Class postage envelope (mailing twenty of anything can get a little pricey); nice enough to be appreciated by the recipient; and unique to Brynwood Needleworks.

It took a little thinking on my part, but while I was reading a book Granddaughter #1 loaned me, inspiration struck. I'd make bookmarks for everyone. I chose cork fabric as the base, added some of my favorite printed twill tapes from Lillalotta, and then one of my Brynwood acorns from a custom tape Anna (Lillalotta) created just for me.

Thank You Gifts

Of course, I added one of my labels on the back, so each recipient would remember from where they got their bookmark. I'm pretty happy with my results, and I hope they will be appreciated by each of the participants, as much as I appreciated them taking the time to share their idea for a name for my newest sewing machine.

Winner's Thank You Gift

 

I made a new Grab & Go Crossbody Bag for Laura, who submitted the winning name...Jenny Janome! She's in England, so I made her bag using navy blue cork on the back and strap, and my favorite Union Jack fabric for the front. 

 

It's only about 1/2" smaller than my usual bag size, but there is still plenty of room inside for a cell phone and just about anything else she may want to carry. Think she'll like it? (I hope so!)

 

Thanks again to all who submitted a name. I hope you'll remember my gratitude every time you use your gifts.

What A Wonderful World...

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Yesterday, when I least expected it, a package arrived in the mail from one of my Wisconsin friends, Kathy. It came with a beautiful card, a handwritten note (don't you love those?) and a wool pincushion created by her own hands.

Kathy used to come into my Wisconsin needlework shop (Stitches) years ago, and like me, she misses having the shop in Fond du Lac. I miss it because of the daily contact I had with so many talented and lovely people - and the friendships that were nurtured over our handwork. She told me she misses it, too - especially at this time of year, when the needlework bug bites her to create something new in counted thread. Those were fine days, my friend.

About the time I was closing Stitches and moving to the next creative phase in my life, Kathy was opening a beautiful shop (which I frequented), selling hand-dyed wools, beautiful threads and patterns to make items just like this pincushion. She purchased many of my shop fixtures (counters, cash register, etc.) for her new venture.

The note began with her condolences on the loss of our good dogs, but it wasn't a sad message. Rather, it was full of kind thoughts and reminiscences of good times we shared. Her dogs loved chasing rabbits, hence, the bunny-themed pincushion for me. So sweet!

All of your comments this week have made me smile, and I think Kathy's gift was the icing on the love-fest cake that we all shared together. You know how I adore pincushions and this will be a treasured addition to my collection. I hope that I'll be able to see Kathy sometime soon, so that I can tell her in person just how well-timed and appreciated her gift is.

Thank you, Kathy and all of my friends. I thank God for you in my life.

Super Bowl Sunday...

Today, I was able to check one item off my "Lofty Goals for 2010" list on my left sidebar. Handsome and I tackled (get it? "tackled" - yeah, sometimes I just crack myself up!)...sorry, we tackled the last of my stuff cluttering up the garage so that it can be converted into his drum room. It's going to be really cool when it's all done! Harleys and drums...the best! I'll show you photos when it's all done, I promise.

By the time the pre-game started, we were thoroughly tired of work - ready to relax and watch the game. We really didn't care who won. We were just hoping for a good game. Dinner was no big deal. We don't do huge game spreads for just the two of us, but I did work a little sandwich magic I wanted to tell you about.

I slow-cooked a pork roast with onions, and shredded the meat after it had simmered for about 6 hours. I added Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce and kept it warm as I did the rest of my prep - making my version of homemade creamy coleslaw.

I use crispy lettuce instead of cabbage (along with shredded carrots, sliced onions, mayo, sour cream, a little sugar, balsamic vinegar and a little dry salsa seasoning from Tastefully Yours). It makes for a light, crisp coleslaw with a fresh flavor and I'm just a little proud of the fact that I developed the recipe all on my "ownsome".

I heated up some ciabatta bread and cut it in half, put the barbecued pork inside the bread and then topped the pork with my coleslaw concoction. I served steak fries on the side and dinner was "just enough". If you're looking at my photo, you'll see mayo (Duke's Mayonnaise) on the side. Cat's out of the bag...I dip my fries in mayonnaise. I still get funny looks from the kids for that, and they accused me of turning Handsome "over to the dark side" the first time they saw him doing the same thing! Try it some time. It's good!

So, that was our Super Bowl Sunday. Today, I'll be finishing more valentines, making sure Kes gets to the vet to have an "old lady wart" removed from her head (it's been bleeding intermittently so it's gotta go), and working with my beaded shawl.

Don't forget my Sweetheart Valentines Giveaway and my 200th Follower Giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, please join the awesome group of individuals who follow my musings so you can join in the giveaway fun! You can find my giveaway buttons on my left sidebar, along with a few other great giveaways offered by other bloggers. If you go to their sites, please tell them where you heard about them.

To those of you who have recently signed up as Brynwood friends, I'm looking forward to getting to know you, and you getting to know me better in 2010. I have lots of fun things planned for this year and hope you'll continue to check in and see what's going on. It may take me a while, but I promise to stop by your blogs, or if you don't have one, to send you a message to say "hi".

I love reading your comments. Your feedback is really valuable to me. Otherwise, it's just sort of like talking to yourself...and I can do that any day of the week! Thanks for stopping by, and always, thanks for letting me know you were here. Good luck to all of you in the drawings. I wish I could give each and every one of you a gift to let you know how much you all mean to me.

TWO more important things for you today...My friend, Dawn at The Feathered Nest is celebrating her THIRD "blogiversary", and she's having a wonderful giveaway. Click on her button on the left to go and enter. Please tell her Donna at Brynwood said "hi".
See you there!

You have to go and visit Lisa at Tarnished and Tattered, too! She's celebrating her 200th follower just like I am, and she's got some pretty incredible and beautiful items in her giveaway. Tell her Donna said "hi" when you get there!

Be sure to check out all the great giveaway buttons on my left sidebar. Each of these women has selected beautiful giveaway gifts. There's still time to enter their drawings for a chance to win, if you haven't already!

A Few Words From Kes...

No need to panic. Mom asked me to write her post today because she's on drugs right now. We got in the car Sunday morning and headed to the emergency room because she didn't want another uncomfortable day, and it was obvious she was headed in that direction.

I didn't get to go inside with her, but Dad said she got three shots while she was in there. Turns out it wasn't that butt nerve thing going on, but a muscle spasm of some kind. (Obviously the "bad" kind, if you ask me!) She got one shot for pain, one for inflammation and one so she wouldn't throw up from the other two. Now I'm not surprised that she slept all day. Well, actually, so did I and I didn't even have to get a shot! It's just my usual doggie "Eat, sleep and let me out" schedule. Kind of nice spending the day in bed with Mom.

She asked me to tell you that she's feeling better, but wanted to have my help with your message today. So, here it is! My very first post! Are you proud of me? I know Mom is. I know she'll be feeling much better tomorrow and will be back to check my spelling and punctuation. (That's just a little quirk of hers.) Til then, I'll be sticking close to her and making sure she doesn't drool all over her pillow.

She said "Thank you" to everyone who left messages yesterday. You guys are all pretty cool!

The Tale of The Monster Mitten...

I try to show my human side in my musings with you - especially when it comes to my crafting. Be it sewing, needlework, or as in this case, knitting, it's important to me to "keep it real" with you in what I do and how I do it.

A couple of days ago, I went into that voluminous stash to choose something lovely for a pair of mittens to make for my Christmas list. I found a beautiful, ivory- colored alpaca silk dk yarn by Debbie Bliss. Pretty, soft and perfect for my purposes....and I had the requisite four balls. Good to go!

I need to tell you that I've made these mittens more than a few times, so it's not a new pattern for me. I needed two sets of knitting needles. Size 7 would be used for casting on the mitten and knitting up the ribbed cuff. Then, I would switch to size 9 needles for the body of the mitts.

Knit, knit, knit, knit, knit thumb, knit, knit, knit, knit to end. Sew up. Slip on. What, the....? I just started to laugh. How could I have screwed up to this extent? I always knit a gauge swatch, but hadn't this time because I'd done them before. But, I guess I should go back and cover that step now! Grab the size 9s because they were the critical size. Again...What, the...?

Now I knew my error. Size 7 needles - two of 'em - check! Size 9 needles - two of 'em - awww crap! I had one size 9 needle and one size 10 1/2! Well, heck yeah, that would knock the size of my mitten into the next species...like Sasquatch size! See? I'm figuring you should be able to hear the beaver slap to my forehead from where you're sitting reading this!

As it's already sewn together (perfectly matching seams, I might add) at this point...I placed it off to the side and knit up another mitten (in what should be the correct side with the correct needles). Ahhhhhhhh, that's better! See the Monster Mitten on the left and the normal mitten on the right. (FYI - I only embellish one mitten so the recipient can keep left and right straight once they start wearing them.)

So, at this point, you're curious, right? What did she do with the monster mitten? Rip it out? Toss it? Yeah, I know I could rip it out and use it to start a matching scarf, but inspiration hit me (much better than that beaver slap!). As I usually make a little bag of some sort to place my mittens (or socks) into, I already have the perfect pouch!

Well...what do you think? Genius? Yeah, I know. I think so, too! (insert an evil giggle here) Heck, I could even add a cute little felt head and a broomstick in the thumb to look like a little snowman, but then the recipient might think she'd received a one-armed, mutant, snow thingy. I think I'll just leave it like this with the cute, completed mittens inside - and maybe a little chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate, anyway?

I can't tell you how much fun I'm having reading your comments and visiting all the blogs of my giveaway participants. I'm trying to get to everyone to leave a message for you. If you left an email for me in your message, I'm assuming you don't have a blog (yet). I don't want you to think you've got a stalker if I write to you, so I'll wait until the end of the contest to say thanks. If you want me to write to you at your edress, please let me know! I'm happy to oblige. I'd love to thank you for visiting, and get to know you better.

I hope you're enjoying exploring Brynwood Needleworks. There's a lot to see and hear while you're visiting. Feel free to comment on any little thing! Thanks again, my friends. I know you're all commenting on my generosity, but believe me - you all return it to me ten-fold and I'm grateful beyond measure for each and every one of you!

** If you're new around here, you can always click on my images to enlarge them.

I'd Like You To Meet Bobby...

I have a vintage photograph of a family member to share with you today. His name is Bobby. He's a sweet boy, to be sure. You're free to use his image for your art, and I'd love to see what you create if you use it. (If you click on his photograph, you'll get a larger image to download.)

Thank you for all the wonderful comments you've left on my blog the past few days about my quilts. I'm so glad you like them. Your feedback means so much to me.

I'll be writing my 200th Post in a couple of days. Can you even believe it? It's true that "time sure flies when you're having fun". You'll want to be sure to visit again to see what I'm offering for my 200th Post Giveaway! See you tomorrow.

Canadian Acorns...

Remember my request for acorns? Monday, I received a package from Canada! It was from Margaret B., of The French Bear blog. I couldn't wait to open it! This is what was inside...

Such pretty packages! I was tickled already.
At that point, I was still just looking at the beautiful trinkets
on the wrapping! Then, I opened each of the packages!

Can you even believe the generosity of sweet Margaret?
I knew she's talented with a needle and thread, but, Oh, My!
Here, look closer and I'll show you what I mean...

A fabulous, gorgeous (did I say fabulous?) acorn needle book
and matching acorns pincushions! All handcrafted by Margaret B.,
her very own self! And can you see the acorn stamp off to the side?
I can't wait to use it. And, as if that weren't enough...

There were two acorn place card holders
(which I'll be using in the studio to hold the cards
Margaret included in the packages), and two large
wooden acorns, which are already taking up residence
among the big bowlful of Brenda's East Texas acorns.

The antique photo cards are beautiful in their own rite,
and I'm going to keep them out where I can look at them.
They make me smile.

Dear Margaret, you'll be receiving a proper thank you in the mail very soon, but I want to publicly thank you for your creativity, your ingenuity (I never expected these acorns!), and your incredible generosity. If you had been in my home when I opened this package, you would have heard my exclamations as I opened each package. You would have seen the tears in my eyes that you would have gifted me with these delightful acorns...and the work of your own two hands. I love everything. Tthank you very, very much, my friend.