Surprise Exchange FOR Domy (1)

My French friend Domy and I had been talking about to Exchange something each other, from a long time ago, then finally the day our Exchange has come!
About a week ago, I've sent out the parcel to France, then she has got it a few days ago!!So I post some photos what I've made for her!

Here it is! This is our "Surprise Exchange", from me TO Domy!
I've dyed the white DMC linen with coffee, can you see some light marbles on it? I really love the result of this dye, but I think it may still smell coffee sometime, though! (lol)
I've finished this as a board, it's like big pinkeep, LOL
Because I had to send this by air-mail, the board was light and tough so I thought it would suit well for sending to foreign country.

Then as for the backing fabbie, I used this beautiful flower fabric for the back. I thought she would like this kind of fabbie!

Actually, this design is made full of BS and French-knots, cross stitch part was a little bit...
So was a bit hard for me to stitch along and finished, but French-knots berries are really cute, don't you think?! I think they make a beautiful accent for the whole design.

I'm so glad to hear that Domy was really excited and happy to received this Exchange thing!

I only have seen her face on some photos, so I imagined a lot what kind of design, colour and taste she would love, and moreover this time was "Surprise Exchange", so I was really hesitated to decide the design and finishing.
But after I finished this work, I realised that it is really fun to choose and decide design as imagining a partner!
Actually, I haven't been received her parcel yet, it will reach me maybe tomorrow! It's exciting, isn't it?! The moment to open the parcel always make my heart beat and make me smile really hope the parcel isn't lost a way...





From : De fil en aiguille HORS-SERIE [TOUT ROUGE]

Gifts from Hong Kong!

Yesterday, I've got a surprise gift from Littlehands in Hong Kong!
When I was having nap with my son, my mom called me and woke me up to showed a parcel from Hong Kong!
I was soooooooooo surprised and was sooooo happy!
Soon I opened the parcel and so many lovely things came into my eyes!

I think she must be very busy, but she made some things for me.She made a "Rubber Stamp" of mine, it's really lovely, isn't it?! We've met on the net (blog) so she doesn't know how I look, but she imagined how I look like, and made this lovely stamp! Actually I'm not pretty like her on the stamp, but I will try to be pretty like her as much as I can, LOL


She added a beautiful 32ct hand dyed fabric, it's really beautiful!
Thanks a lot!!

Littlehands, look at this photo!
My son liked "colourfull pinches" you gave me, and he was playing to pinch his cloth!
Actually he seems very happy! LOL
Now they are his favourite!!

By the way, thank you so much for being a nice friend to me!
Your letter and this lovely gifts made my day!

多謝、小手！吻吻、抱抱、LOL

Cicadas @_@;

During "Obon (*Bon Festival)", my relatives are gathering at my mum's house.
On a very very hot day, I have took 5 kids out to the near shrine, to catch cicadas...
Actually I hate insects, so it was a bit of ordeal to me, LOL


But I am a mum of a boy, surely I would have to catch them with my son in the near future, so this time I tried to be brave, as a practice for the near future! LOL

Kids were really good, captured soooooo many cicadas with a net!!Well, I have been really busy and tired looking after 5 active kids these 3 days... huh

*Obon (Bon Festival / Festival of Souls) ..... A Buddhist festivalfor welcoming home the souls of departedancestors and for holding memorial services.

* Flowers (1) *

When I've been to "Flower Festival" last week end with my son,
unfortunately, I couldn't take photos of beautiful sunflower fields.
So have taken some photos of field flowers, instead!
Enjoy the photos!

To France!

Finally, I've sent out the parcel to my friend Domy in France!
We have been talking about our "Surprise Exchange" for a long time, but I really have to say "Sorry" that's because I was so busy looking after 2 years old boy, and for other 2 exchanges, I haven't been able to manage it at all...
But this time, finally I could make it and finally sent it out to her!! Yeah!

We both sent our parcels out on the same day (on Monday)!
It sounds exciting, doesn't it?!
I really hope she'll like what I have made for her!!
The parcel will reach to me (and to her) after about 4 days, so this weekend would be really fun for both of us!!

Fingers crossed xx

Hardanger - * Heart Ornament *

My second Hardanger work is "Heart Ornament" here!
This time, was used beads, cross stitch etc... it was really fun to stitch along!

I'm a real beginner, but I'm so happy that I could make such a beautiful thing like this!
I'm quite satisfied of this result!
It's beautiful in the green, isn't it?!

I'm not intend to be a professer of Hardanger (of course, lol ), I just wanted to learn and to know how to make the small things in Hardanger like this things.
I mean I was just curious!

But I think they are really nice to be small gifts for friends!
I've learnet only two styles at the moment, so want to learn a little more about this!

By the way, I really like this beautiful and elegant ornamnent, although it doesn't suit my life style at all, LOL!

[note] "Heart Ornament" Kit : from Fairy Needle (Japanese)

TOO HOT everyday...

My another sweety`s favourite place is...
Under the oak tree in my garden.
I love this her sleepy face so much!

It has been 14 years, since she has came here,
she has been making us always be happy!
Thanks for being here with us...

Too Belated Mother's Day

When I've made a tote bag for my friend's birthday (the last post), actually I've made totally five same style bags at the same time! LOL
Because I'm really not good at sewing machine, so once I finished to make one, I didn't want to do the same process from the first again!

This for my mother, I wanted to stitch beautiful CEDER HILL's bouquet design for "Mother's day", but couldn't make time to stitch for her, so this is really belated "Mother's Day" gift.
Too late, though! LOL

I stitched her Initial with DMC #814 on purplish-gray linen (which my friend Domy gave me before).









Here are some photos of the leather handle (dark brown one) and fabrics which I used for her bag.

She knew that I was making bags, but she didn't know that I'm also making a bag for her, so when I gave this to her, she was so surprised and seemed really happy!

I'm really glad that she is so happy to get this as a surprised present!

I will show you some other bags' photos later again! LOL






From : "Charted Monograms for Needlepoint and Cross-Stitch"

Happy Birthday to Littlehands

Today, I've got an e-mail that my parcel has safely arrived to the recipient, so I put some photos what I've made for my friend!

It was my friend Littlehands's Birthday, and so I've sent her a book (about handmade stamps) which she has been crazy now!
And I have also made her a tote bag as a birthday present!

When I imagined her a lot, suddenly "Blue" has came up into my mind, so I decided to use blue fabbies for her bag!
I added her Initial on the center of this bag with laces.
And also added lace like as a tag on the side of bag.


I got an e-mail and knew that she is so happy to received my birthday present and she loves them all a lot! So I am also very happy to hear that, it made me smile and feel relief!!



Inside the bag, I used blue stripe fabric and added anchor appliques on the back seams of leather handles.


Littlehands, your comments always make me happy and cheer me up! Thanks always, and Let's keep in touch!



From : "Charted Monograms for Needlepoint and Cross-Stitch"

* Lavendar Sachet * from S.

I've got a really lovely "Lavendar Sachet" from my friend S. as a summer greeting gift!
She is a really talented lady and I like her taste very much!

She has made this with Linen Band, very cute!
I love rabbit, so I was so happy when I saw this design!

Thanks S.!

Initial Stitch

I have been stitching some Initials nowadays...

It's a secret what they will be yet...

From : "Charted Monograms for Needlepoint and Cross-Stitch"

Sunflower Festival!

Yesterday, my son and I have been to "Sunflower Festival" !It was so hot and was about 34 degree outside, so I was really tired from before I've gone out...But thought! So many sunflowers might make us be cheerful and be happy!
BUT!!! What we've seen after one and a half hours drove was...


What's this???
"WHITE RADISH SPROUTS???" LOL


It couldn't be a "Festival" ...
Most of sunflowers were raised their faces down, because the typhoon has came through about 2 days ago...
OOPS, I have totally forgotten about it! BAD timing, isn't it!

So many people came to see huge sunflower fields, but everyone seemed really disappointed...
In the return way, I've found some beautiful sunflowers are there on the side of the road, so have taken the photo!
That's the one has shown on the top of this post I also have taken some field flowers' photos, so will post them some other time!

"GOYA" Squash Dyed

People might laugh at me, as I have been dying fabrics with food like experiments, LOL
But it's quite fun to find something to dye and think how colour it will be?

Then this time I've tested with "GOYA" Squash.
Is there "GOYA" in your countries too? It's a kind of squash, but it tastes really really bitter!
But it's famous that's good for health, so I have been trying to make it juices and have it every day.

By the way, the photo below is the "GOYA" juice's colour when I've tested to dye fabric this time.

Then the result is... the first photo!
It turned out really light yellow green, I've tried to dye more darker so have tried boil more, but this colour was the limit, I think.

Why have I been trying to dye fabrics?It's because we can't buy easily to get Hand Dyed Fabrics for cross stitch in Japan.
Of course we can order from overseas online, but it takes time to receive and once when I have ordered, the fabric colours were really different with them which I have seen on the PC.

And moreover, to dye fabrics with myself is actually really fun, LOL!

Mum's Work (2) - "Rien ne sert de courir..."

Here is the 2nd works of my mum!
She has chosen the design from Echevette again, I think she likes Echevette a lot!
It had been a few weeks, since she has finished this stitch, but we couldn't find the suitable frame for this stitch...

Then, I realized that I've bought a small basket for something to make, then when I sized it was just fitted!!
I like crafting, so I asked her to let me make the lid with her stitch, like this!
How is it? I added linen lace around the lid to hide the juncture, lol

Here are the photos of the fabric which I used for the back of the lid.
Very lovely flower fabbie suits this basket, I think.


I thought it's a nice idea to make stitched lid of the basket, and so I'm going to buy the same baskets (bigger size, I prefer) and will do the same as hers to make my own sewing box, some other time!




[note] Free Chart "Rien ne sert de courir... @ " Echevette

Enjoy your Holiday!

It's the summer holiday season, isn't it?
Enjoying your holiday with your family or friends!
I hope you all are having really nice and
fun time at somewhere wonderful!!

As for me... I have no plan to go anywhere, LOL
Just looking after 2 years old active boy everyday!
Hope someday in the future, we all will be able to
enjoy rich & cool summer holiday! lol