Exchange and a Swap arrive & Musical Movies

I heard from Karen that the Winter House exchange I sent has arrived - and that everything made it. Here is a snap of the package that I sent -

The Pyn Keepe I made combines two patterns - an LHN border and the center part from PS. I really liked the way it turned out and so did Karen - I was getting worried as it took this about 3 weeks to arrive - and me being such a worry wart I started to get nervous at about a week - but it got there safe and sound!! It was the last Exchange from the SBEBB and what a super place that was to make great stitchy friends and exchange some really wonderful stitched things!! Thank you again Becky!!!! Last night I worked on an exchange - stitching is done and now all I have to do is the construction of the piece and getting it out next Tuesday.

I also received and package from a swap I did on Swap Bot - called "Home Grown Swap" basically it was to send something from your home town that is made in that town. My package was some really wonderful chocolates from Joseph Schmidt made right here in SF. The package I got was from Philadelphia - and included some apple butter - (which I just adore!!!!!!) an free trade espresso bar of chocolate and some "Peanut Chews" I had never heard of.


Let me say here and now - these are the bomb!!!! If you like peanuts and chocolate and chewy - you will just love these things. My partner says that they are unknown outside of SE PA. So it would be a regional delicacy - just super good!!!!

Last night it was Bio-pic night on TCM and they showed some whoppers!! Starting off the evening with "Night and Day" - 1946 - starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith. This is the very fictionalized story of Cole Porters life - but like with most of these bio-pic movies the are pretty far fetched stories but the music is just great!! This was followed by "Rhapsody in Blue" - 1945 starring Robert Alda, Joan Leslie and once again Alexis Smith. This flick at least had some kernels of truth but was once again a fictionalized story this time about Grorge Gershwin. The next on the bill was "Three Little Words" -1950 - starring Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera Ellen and Arlene Dahl at her stunning best!!! This flick was about the songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby - wonderful songs and all three pictures were fun and very watchable!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

Last night was kind'a busy - but first.......

....let me say how nice it was to have all the affirmations in the comment area and all the positive emails I got about what I wrote yesterday. I was so afraid that I might have been in the minority with my feelings towards exchanging and exchanges in general. I wasn't trying to stir up a bees nest or poke a bear or anything - goodness knows if I wanted to be controversial I could write about a million other things here to get things stirred up...... but it comes right down to the majority of stitchers out there understand that it is the wonderful stitched piece of art made with love and giving that is the important thing - and our skill levels are all over the place - but I think everyone does their absolute best!!! All anyone has to do is to look back through the snaps on any of the exchange blogs to see all the beautiful stitching and finishing going on out there - (as for me I am still terrified to try to finish a biscornu).

Now on to my busy little evening.

First up I finished Valerie' RR so that I can get that in the mail tomorrow - Here is snap -

It was a dream to stitch as the silks are like butter - Valerie chose Belle Soie - Creme de Menthe (and you know how I love me some Belle Soie) and the golden colour is Birch Bark by Gloriana and is also just lovely to stitch with. This is done on a 36 ct linen. For some reason I anticipated having trouble stitching on such small count linen - but not a bit of any problem for the whole section. On to Rowyn in the morning.

Yesterday the mails brought a wonderful exchange from Wendy Jo - it was the Valentines Exchange from the HOE. Here is snap of the lovely package she sent -


Wendy Jo used a pattern from the 2003 JCS Ornament issue called "A Needle worker's Pocket." She finished it as a Pyn Keepe - I just love it!!! Already it is sitting out on the stand in our living room looking quite festive for the upcoming Holiday. Included in the package was a great piece of fabric for finishing some over dyed floss' and a delicious piece of dark chocolate. Such a lovely package - Thank you so much Wendy Jo!!!!!!

The evening started off with another exchange I am in - with Swap Bot - it is a home made candy/cookie exchange. For my partner I wanted to try making something new so I decided to make chocolate covered cherries. On Monday evening I covered the cherries with fondant and then last night I dipped them in chocolate - and here is a snap.....



Those suckers turned out really nice IMHO! - I also made some Haystack Noodle Cookies to go along with the cherries - I have made the cookies before and they always turn out - how could even I screw up a no-bake cookie!!! These goodies will be packed up and in the mail in the morning - a nice thing for Valentines Day - the recipe says to let them sit around for a week or so to "cure" - but I tried one (just to make sure they weren't terrible) and it tasted really nice to me already!

I forgot to say a great big THANK YOU to Carol R as she has nominated me for a "Fabulous Blog Award." That was so kind of her - she is such a sweet person!! I am supposed to pass on the Award to 5 of my favorite Blogs - so here goes...

Michele
Coni
Kathryn
Margie
Sherry

I read through dozens of Blogs all the time - and these are just 5 of the many dear people that take the time and energy to write and post about their stitching lives - thank you so very much for sharing!!!!

There you go another day in the life of edgar!

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Take care, and do come again!!!
edgar