Little pumpkins and a birthday present

Me and my friends had a girls' weekend a bit more than a week ago. Or should I say women's weekend since we are all already over 30. :D We have a tight group of five and we all have a birthday in autumn so we decided to celebrate us all at the same time with good food, a lot of talking and some wine. We decided not to buy any presents. I wanted to crochet a few pumpkins so I gave the others one each as an "autumn gift". :)

Here are the little pumpkins on my friends' hands:

My birthday was on 9th of September and on that same day a package arrived from Japan. Michiko had sent me a birthday gift and it's perfect! She had made the cutest little sheep for me herself and she also sent some Japanese Misuya needles, actually a LOT of Misuya needles. :) Those needles are the best there is for cross stitching. They came in a beautiful little wooden box. Thank you Michiko! You made me really happy! :)

I had bad luck with Stitching Bloggers' Birthday Club since the woman who was to send me a present has vanished from the blog world and Edgar hasn't been able to get in touch with her at all. So I didn't receive a birthday gift but Edgar was so kind and promised that I'll get something Angel Stitched later. He really is very kind and doesn't wan't anyone to feel sad or left out.

And I think I haven't told you all what a I got from my husband. I got a tattoo! :) Well I haven't got it yet but he's paying it when I go and get it. Can you guess what I'll get? I'll post a pic when it's done. :)

My "Memories of Summer" postcard to CindyF

Cindy commented on my last post that she had received the card I sent her so I'll show you the picture of it. I stitched Anne les Petites Croix chart "Clin d'oeil d'été" (I have no idea what that means, except été=summer, but the chart is pretty :D). I like it's warm summer day feeling.



And Cindy I think the ruffled edge on your card is great so it proofs that sometimes "accidents" make us even more creative and the result is even better. :) Thank you again for the happy and pretty summer card.

"Memories of Summer" postcard from CindyF

I got a stitched postcard from CindyF. We took part in Pretty Exchange blog's "Memories of Summer" exchange. I like this pretty card and it has a fun ribbon around it. :) My stitched postcard is still on it's way so pics coming later.

So here's the card from Cindy:

Stitched Christmas Card exchange

I signed in to a Stitched Christmas Card exchange at Pretty Exchanges. Rules are that you stitch a Christmas card, both sizes, everything must be stitched, also the text. If you're interested, go to the Pretty Exchanges blog and sign in! :)

I took part in "Memories of Summer" stitched postcard exchange at the same blog and there are pictures of very pretty cards sent all over the world. Mine is on it's way so no pics yet and I haven't received one yet. I'm quite excited about what kind of card I'll get. :)

My miniature garden

I saw a couple of miniature gardens in the internet and they looked cute. I decided to make on myself. I had this planter at our front yard and I dug the wilted summer flowers away and planted a heather and an ornamental kale (which looks like a miniature tree). I left some room in the front for the decorations. I made a little bench from twigs and added small carrots, a watering can, a showel and a rake decorations and this is how it looks like. I wonder how long it will be there before some rascal nicks/wrecks something. :)

I sent these to Kirsi

I stitched my "Autumn set" exchange to Kirsi. She likes orange so I got the idea for colourway from it. I stitched a notebook cover and a bookmark. The chart is Herbst Herzen from Kissy Cross. I used DMC's Color Variations thread number 4126 and Polstitches Designs' fabric "Fallen Leaves", 28ct Lugana. The bookmark I stitched one over one thread and the notebook cover two over two. As the other pair I made two pumpkins. The first one I crocheted, the pattern is from Learn to Crochet, there's a written version and a video. I found the video very usefull since the English crochet terms are not so familiar to me. I sew the other pumpkin with a pattern I found from Schlosser Design.

Here is a picture of them all:


Detail from the notebook cover (colours are a bit off in this pic):


And here are the pumpkins:


I am quite happy the way these turned out. It's always a little thrilling when making something I've never tried before. And since I tend to make the last bits at the eleventh hour there isn't a lot of time to change plans if something goes wrong! :D

I'm glad that I can show something I've made. I've been making secret things like these and the ones I've made for Christmas have to be kept even longer! :D

Gorgeous "Autumn set" exchange

Today I received an "Autumn set" exchange from Tuula. Oh how happy I am right now! I love all the things she sent me! She stitched me a notebook and a bookmark. Both are really beautiful! I like those little roses she has stitched on both. The exchange rules said there should be on pair of stitched things that are somehow related to each other and another pair of something else and those two things have to have something in common with each other so the second pair Tuula sent me was a great chart from Isa Vautier called "Tomates Gardees" (there's a birdhouse too!) and threads for it. I have been drooling over that chart at Violarium. :) I also got a little bonus outside the exchange. It's a mini kuksa. Kuksa is a traditional Lappish wooden cup. It's made in Kolari, near Tuula's summer cottage. Thank you Tuula so much! :)