Lovely Gift From Maria!

Yesterday, I received a beautiful parcel from Spain, it was from Maria!
She noticed me that she has sent out the parcel from Spain to Japan, but told me it will take about two weeks to arrive to Japan, but it took only 6 days to get here!
I was very surprised, how fast it was!


My son loves Mr. postman or express mail man, so every time something arrived to me, he always comes to me and besides me open the parcel together.
This time is also, we opened her parcel together, and we found so beautiful stuffs in there!

She stitched and presented me very beautiful pinkeep, and very beautiful fabric, postcard from her town and the chart from The Sweetheart Tree!
Look at this beautiful stitched pinkeep! She told me that she knew that I love Pink and she loves Green, so she did stitched this pinkeep with these two colours together!
And also knew that I love smalls, so she made a pinkeep for me to add and increase my collection!
How sweet idea it is!

And the back of this pinkeep, she stitched my name!

Very pretty, isn't it! I LOVE IT very much!
The fabric which is printed lovely flowers on the light blue, she gave me for my Tilda works!

Here is a close up photo of pins and ribbon which she used.
She used light green satin ribbon and this colour and pink are very beautifully match!

I just had been drawing for LHN chart before, and I picked up a piece of paper which Maria's name was on.

She really pleased it and in return, she gave me such a wonderful present.

It was just drawing, so I told her not to need sending me anything in return, but she kindly presented me such beautiful stuffs!

Thank you so much Maria! I'd really appreciate for your kindness!
I will definitely treasure them for a long long time!

Happy Surprise - "Naotaro Moriyama"

I have been working on exchange pieces and gifts for friends, so there is no stitching pictures to share yet, today.

A few months ago, an express mail man rung the door bell, but I had no idea what it is, because there was nothing I was expecting, from anyone from any shops.
The mail man handed to me a very thin envelope, and I still had no idea what it is...
But when I saw the receipt of the envelope, I couldn't believe my eyes!!
It was "Naotaro Moriyama"s photo, he is my favourite singer in Japan!

Then that reminds me that I've just entered the draw for his Polaroid picture with his autograph at somewhere online, Yes, that's right! I won it!
I was so happy and was almost going to jump with happiness, although it might sound a bit childish!
I'm still happy to see his photo everyday (it displays on the shelf where my works are), but my husband always tease me and says "He closes his eyes, doesn't he! Poor you, to be honest, this photo is rubbish! lol!"
Actually I thought the same at the first, but even though he closes his eyes, I don't mind, lol

Here is his song titled "Niji (=rainbow)", this is one of my favourite song and this song was made by him and his friend and was dedicated to the Junior high school chorus contest as a set piece.

"Niji" by Naotaro Moriyama

I mailed my HOE freebie exchange piece the end of last month, but I am starting to worry as I haven't been hearing anything from my partner yet.

This is the first time that my parcel has been taking so long time to reach to its destination, I hope it will arrive to her safely and hope to hear from her soon...

By the way, I have just started another turf kit in "Hedgehog" version!
This photo was taken on 13th of June.

I just sowed this morning, and have to cover the soil with foil until it sprouts up.

I don't know how long it will take until it sprouts up, but I'm so looking forward to seeing it grows!

I will report of this Hedgehog and also a Grass Dog from now on!
Please look forward to seeing them!

We Had A Wonderful Day!

As I wrote on the last post, I invited my online friend to my house last Monday!
It was the first met for both of us and also for our children, but we didn't feel it at all, we couldn't stop chatting!


As I also wrote on the last post, I gave her a "Darumachan" tape measure as a small gift.
I felt relief and was glad that she was happy to have it!
And she also brought a small gift to me! She stitched black rose on natural linen and made it into a drawstring bag!
This is absolutely beautiful, isn't this!

She used lace to cover strings, it's a nice idea and also very beautiful!

And she used lavender polka dot fabric for inside.
I love her taste very much, very natural and lovely!

Thank you so much S. for your kind heart!
I'm so happy that we could get along together so well!
Also our children (her daughter and my son) could get along together and they played together very much!
So we could talk and eat (lol) a lot!!

This time we didn't stitch together, but next time when we will be able to meet up, I want to stitch something small together!

Anyway, we could have wonderful time!
Thanks for visited me, S.
I really enjoyed our time, please come over here again whenever you have time!

By the way, here is my Grass Dog, a photo was taken on 11th, June.

Finally I cut his hair, I imagined Hidetoshi Nakata (ex-football player)'s hair style when he was an active player (now he has medium long hair).
But, it doesn't look like him at all!
It's like just an Onigiri (a rice ball), lol

I just started this as half-jokingly, but actually it is becoming quite fun to look after him!
Even though, wipe off his moldy face, it's fun, lol

My friend's daughter liked this dog very much, and also my son does!

Well... His hair grew enough, so I will try another turf kit (hedgehog one) sometime later!

"Darumachan" - Tape Measure Cover

As I wrote on the last post that I can't concentrate on what I have to do, at the moment, I just have made this "Darumachan" tape measure cover, just to change my mind!
And I invited my online friend to my house next Monday, so I will give this to her as a small present.
(A photos is a bit blurry, though...)


I stitched on 28ct linen to fit to the tape measure itself, so the stitched piece shows it a bit rough, though...
This is a freebie © A Word (Japanese blog), isn't it very pretty?!
I added red x green ribbon around the edge and also added strawberry charm the end of the tape!

Here is a photo of backing fabric which I used for this "Darumachan", I thought that this is perfect for this stitched piece.

I used cardboard for inside of this doll's head part, and added cotton inside.
To finish this off was a bit difficult, but it was fun!
I hope my friend will like it!

Here is my Grass Dog, a photo was taken on 7th of June.

Oh no, he is funny, I should cut his hair soon!
I'm thinking a lot how to cut his hair, uhmmm...
I also need to trim his mustache (it's his roots)!

Actually, day by day his face become moldy, and I have to wipe them off... ('~';)
Yes, he is a dirty man! lol

I found some kinds of these funny grass plants online, and am very interested in them!

But I have hedgehog one, too, so would try it first, after this Grass Dog!

Next time, I will be able to show you his (this grass dog) new hair style!
Please look forward to seeing him!

Design : "Darumachan" (freebie) © A Word
Fabric : 28ct DMC linen (white)
Threads : DMC
Finished as : Tape Measure Cover

Thread Holder - "black x white"

I know I must working on exchange pieces, though I can't concentrate on them at all somehow...
And also I have to make and prepare something presents for my stitching friends for our next meeting.
I hope that the member won't be increased than before we met, otherwise I have to make lots of stuffs!! ('~' ;)

By the way, here is a Thread Holder which I made experimentally, hoped this could be the presents for friends, but it was too hard to open the eyelet holes (because there are two pieces of cardbords inside...), and thought I won't be able to make many of these, so I will just keep this for myself. :D

I used black x white gingham check fabric and black rick rack tape for around the edge.
The sample of this chart, it was used red thread, but I used black (DMC#310), this time.
I don't know why but I wanted to stitch in black very much this time!

I like this very much, and I'm quite satisfied how this turned out!
You just need strength when you open the eyelet holes, other than that it's very easy to finish off!

Well... This couldn't be their presents, I have to think about what to make for them...
The deadline is 17th of June... Oops!



Design : Miniatures d'Alphabets "Vent du large"
Fabric : 32ct Belfast Linen (white)
Thread : DMC #310
Finished as : Thread Holder

A Parcel TO my son FROM the UK!

(I took photos again on a sunny day, and replaced them!)

Last week, on the same day I've received my HoE Freebie Exchange, I also have received another parcel from Carol R.
Actually it was not for me, to my son!
Wow, he has received a parcel from the UK, though he is only three years old!
I hope he will remember about this for a long long time!

I've been telling him about my friends, so he already knows about Carol R. he says "aunt Carol", and as he is crazy for cars, he knows what kind of car Carol R. does have! :D


Carol sent him a present for his Birthday!
She knew that my son is crazy for cars, so she has expressly ordered MINIs for my son, as she has own REAL black BMW MINI and my son knew about it!

She added so many goodies, too!
Some children books, Polo Shirt, cards, etc...! Shirt was just perfect for my son, size was just fit for him! Thanks Carol!!

He was SO happy to have them all with him, of course especially MINIs!!

Every night, he goes to bed with toy cars, and sleeps with them, but since he has received MINIs from her, he goes to bed with MINIs every night!

Also since he's got English children's books, I have been reading him books, but...
I can't understand the story at all, even basic words in the books, LOL

Oh my English ability is worth than three years old, LOL!!
I thought I must learn English more and more!!! ('~';)

Carol also sent some things for me as well!
A postcard of her town, her original scissor fob's instruction, a very beautiful keyring with initial "Y".

Thank you so much Carol for your sweet heart!

Your parcel made our day indeed!

We would really appreciate for your kindness and generosity!

He called his grand mother (my mum) and told her that he has received MINIs from Carol in the UK!
I was so happy to heard of it from him, "Carol = MINI" this diagram is in his mind exactly now!

HoE Freebie Exchange FROM Gwen

(I took photos again on a sunny day, and replaced them!)

Last week, I've received a parcel from my HoE (Hooked on Exchange) Freebie Exchange partner Gwen!
I was so excited to open it, and I found wonderful gifts from her!
Here they are, she stitched Workbasket Quaker Animal (Hedgehog) Freebie and made it into a sewing case!
And since I've wrote that I didn't know how to do hemstitch, she gave me an instruction book by Gloria and Pat!
What a thoughtful gift it is! Thank you Gwen!


These days, the weather in Japan (around here) is gloomy all the time, so I couldn't take good photos of her gifts...
But they are so beautiful in the real life!
She stitched it on light blue fabric with over dyed thread, and added scissors and fob and also very fine needles together!


Once this lovely sawing case is opened, the shape become like flower!
Beautiful and a nice idea, isn't it?!
I really love this very much!
I would like to steal this idea from hers and make sewing case in the future!!

She also stitched my initials and her initials and "HoE 2008" on the back of this sewing case!
It will be very nice keepsake forever!

Here is an inside fabric of this sewing case which she used for.
This is beautiful and very suit well for this stitched piece and thread colour!

Thank you so much again, Gwen!
Your exchange made my day indeed!
I'd appreciate for your wonderful gifts, too!

Happy Dance!!! - My First "Tilda"

I had been longing for Tilda's works very much from a long time ago, and have been looking at the blog "Tilda Addict's" for a long time!

But I was not confident to make such lovely stuffs by my hands, so had been hesitating to try it out.

But, I couldn't be patient as just looking at them and finally I tried to make one!
Here is my first "Tilda (snail)"!

Ohhhh, it's so lovely, isn't it!
I'm so happy that I could make one by myself!!!
Although when I asked my son "What's this?", he said "A fox" (lol), but I'm quite satisfied of this result!!

A fox... uhmmm why? lol
I did makeup her face, can you see her cheeks are a little bit pink by brusher?

I used black x white polka dot fabric for her shell, and added woolly lace around the joint part, and also added lace knitting flower on her shell.

Here is the close up photo, it's a bit blurry, though...
I added Lavendar in her shell with cotton, so she smells so nice!

I have never thought that I will be able to make one in short time.
I made this snail while my son was having nap.

Actually I can't understand the instruction in French at all, so it will be hard to make more difficult dolls by myself...
But as this is so lovely, I want to make some more and other types, too (if I can...)!

Ahhhh, can you imagine how I'm happy now?!
I have been smiling all the time since I've finished this! lol
I think I will show this to my husband immediately when he came back from work tonight!!!

Here is my Grass Dog, the photo was taken on 28th.
This time I tied up his long hair with red ribbon, lol
How is he?
Actually his face is getting horrible with roots, now he also grow a mustache!
Oh he became an adult (lol), about two weeks ago he was only a baby, though time flies so fast! :D

I have been thinking how to trim his hair...

Until I decide how to do, I will let his hair grow more and more and will see how it will be!

Buhhh, my son is keep saying "fox, fox----!!!" about my Tilda snail...
I hope he doesn't throw it away or break it...

Small Gift FOR Angela

Thank you everyone for leaving me warm comments, always.
I'd really appreciate for them, indeed!

Today I share another basket lid which I've made for my dear friend Angela.
I have made the same style of basket lid before, though I knew that Angela liked this very much and she LOVES pink (so do I), I have made the same style for her.
(The stitched piece is different from the last one...)


Actually I wanted to send this for her Birthday in Feb. (too late!!), but I wanted to add and make something special for her, but to make it, I needed to sew by sewing machine...
That is what made me lose my nerve and finally I couldn't sent it to her...
I'm so sorry Angela, next time when I pull out sewing machine, I will make one for you!

Here is the inside of the basket.
I used the same fabric as the front, and added pom-pom trim around the edge.
My mum also liked this basket lid, so when she has came here to see us, she has made the same one (but the stitching piece was different...) with me!

As I know that Angela loves pink so much, this time I made a "pink box" for her!
Everything were pink, I added pink ribbons, pink trims and braids, pink fabrics, pink buttons etc... etc...
And I wrapped the box with pink paper!

I've heard that she has received my parcel safely and she loved everything that I've sent her, so I felt very relief and was so happy to heard of it!

By the way, recently I've received lots of e-mails from my old friends and they all are now pregnant!!! OH my! What's going on!
Just 2 months ago, also my old friend (one of the member of our group) have just gave birth to a baby girl, and I promised to stitch something for a sweet baby girl!

BUT! now around me, there are totally five (besides they all are my dear friends!) friends are pregnant!!

Do I need to stitch for all of them, lol?

I should be an "Asura", I need 5 more pairs of hands, otherwise I can't manage everything!!

So I will stop to join in any exchanges for a while after June (except private exchanges or SALs)...
I hope I can present something even small for them to celebrate their new born babies!

By the way, here it is, my grass dog!
I knew that lots of people are looking forward to seeing his photo from their comments, so they might be laughing at him by now! LOL
My little son is also looking forward to seeing him every day, and he is very excited and after that laughing at him!

His hair grow so fast, don't you think?

This photo was taken on 25th, so now his hair is more longer than this photo!! lol
I think I will be able to tie his hair up with ribbon soon, lol

What kind of hair style would you like want me to do for him?

Any requests??
At the moment, I have no idea what to do next, so please give me some ideas of his hair style! :D

Basket lid design : from "De fil en aiguille no.21"
Fabric : 28ct DMC linen (white)
Thread : DMC #3779
Finished as : Basket lid

My 2nd Anniversary!

It's been 2 years since I've started cross stitch.
So this May is my 2nd anniversary!

I'm so happy that I could find such an enjoyable hobby!
Before then I had no particular hobbies at all...


Thanks to cross stitch and blog,
I could "meet" so many wonderful friends!
And it brighten up my life.

Thank you all of my friends and everyone
who visits and leaves comments to this blog!
I'd appreciate for them a lot.

I will do my best for my 3rd year, too!

Happy Happy Yesterday!

Thank you so much for warm and nice comments to my Biscornu on the last post!
I really appreciate for them a lot!

Yesterday, I went out to TOKYO to meet up with my online friends!
Since I still have a small kid, I hadn't been able to gone out alone, but yesterday my husband looked after my son at home, so I could go out and could meet my friends in person!
I really appreciate for my husband.

Anyway, we met at Tokyo with five girls all together, one of them I have met before, but other three girls I hadn't met in person before, so I was a bit nervous at first, but once we met, we couldn't stop chatting and I didn't feel that it was the first met at all!
We went to see the small cross stitch exhibition together in Tokyo!

I'm living in the next Pref. to Tokyo, though actually I had never been there by train, so was very excited and found a funny poster at metro (photo above...).
In Japan, lots of girls do make-up in the train (lol), so this poster notices and says "Please do it at home" (lol).

After we went to the exhibition, we had Indian curry lunch, and went to famous and a long established store of handcraft "Echizenya".
I bought some Permin linens, linen bands, wire hangers, some over dyed threads, ribbons, twisted codes for finishing, etc...

After our shopping, we went out for tea, this time we had Japanese style desserts at "Tsujiri".

I had shaved ice with green tea and condensed milk syrup + three different tastes ice creams on top! It was so yum, but as I was just under the air conditioner, I became feel very chilly at the end!
My friends told me that I was (my hands were) shaking (lol)

Some of my friends brought some gifts and gave them to each one.
Oops, I didn't prepare anything for them!
So I will stitch or make something for them for the next time we meet up!
Here are the gifts that my friends gave me!

Top one is a card case which I can organize my members cards or cash cards etc...
She stitched Prairie Schooler's design for me! It's cute isn't it!
I always wanted a card case because inside of my purse was always messy with lots of cards...

Next one, is a small Biscornu and a lace knitting doiry!
She gave me a red one and this is very pretty in the small tart cup!
Compare to her pretty Biscornu, my Biscornu that I've made (last post) is very big though, about what size is average size as Biscornu??? When I told my Biscornu size to them, everyone laughed a lot! (lol)

And the last one, is a little pin cushion with hand-made pins!
It's so tiny and very pretty!
And bead head pins are so beautiful!

Thank you so much for everyone to took your time to work on them!!
I'd appreciate for them a lot!

We were like high school girls, couldn't stop chatting, though time flies so fast we had to go home...
I had so happy time with them, even though it was the first met to most of them!
We are planning to meet up next month, too.

Next month we will visit one of thems' house, and will do some stitch together!
I'm so looking forward to see them again!

By the way, here is my grass dog (oops, he has no name yet...), this was taken on 22, May.
His hair is growing and growing so fast, now he has quite long hair, lol!

He also had long nose hair (LOL), so I pull it out, because it's too funny to see his face, and I wanted him to be handsome, lol

I'm going to let him hair grow more and more!
I also have different turf growing kit in hedgehog version, so after this dog's hair grew enough, I will try hedge hock one, too!

Please look forward to see his next photo!