"Holly" Biscornu And Back To Russia

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers of my blog!

So much has happened since my previous post... My mother broke her hip and I had to go back to Russia to take care of her. From the airport I went straight to hospital and since that time I have not had a proper rest yet. I brought mother home from hospital on the third day after the operation. Mother was in a lot of pain before and after the operation and I spent all the time at mother's bed. Now mother is much better though we still have bad days now and then. The way to recovery at her age is going to be very slow and long…

I want to thank all my friends who have supported my family at this difficult time. I do not know what I would do without you.

I have not been blogging for about 2 months, and have been missing it so much. I am looking forward to reading your blogs and seeing your pretty projects. Since next week I hope I am able to visit your blogs on a more regular basis.

Now I will show you my last creations which I did not have time to post about. I started “Holly” collection way back in November and finished two items: biscornu and bourse before I had to leave for Russia.

Here is “Holly” Biscornu , front:
and its back:

I have long wanted to make a biscornu with some Hardanger . In this design the Hardanger stitches help create delicate frost around the Holly and make the biscornu look so festive.
I had to help my customer to make a bourse (you will see her picture a little later) and I made a "Holly" pattern to match the print which I used for lining the bourse:










If you are interested in buying my designs, please send an e-mail to me. My address is in Profile.
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I also wanted to show my Mary Wigham Sampler. Before I left for Russia it looked like this:
Mary has been such a great companion for me during my long flights and during sleepless nights. This is how it looks now:
The Sampler is stitched on 26 count Evenweave , one over one, with DMC floss.
I've made some changes in the pattern and substituted some floss. I stitched initials of my husband and me , and arranged them in the way the Russian women stitched marriage projects in old times ( birds facing each other, a crown, initials).
Before I left for Russia I finished the third ornament for Find The Cure Auction and mailed the ornaments. Unfortunately, I have not heard if my ornaments reached the destination, I can only hope that they did.
My customers finished some of my designs and I'd like to share their pictures with you.
Brenda from London ( no blog) finished "My Rose Garden" Biscornu and she said she enjoyed working on this project. She's done a great job on the biscornu, hasn't she?
Martina made the "Snowflakes" bourse. You can see more pictures on her blog. She was very creative and made a lovely bourse.
She also asked me to invite the readers of my blog to take part in her PIF. I would take part in it myself, if I had less problems with my mother's health. If you have time, please, visit Martina's blog, a young blogger and a young mother. You might find a good friend there!
Brenda and Martina , thank you very much for your pretty pictures and your pretty work.
Before my rip I got some surprise from my dear friends.
First arrived a package from Olga (UK). She stitched an Angel-Stitcher for me! Olga chose a great pattern for me, it has everything that I love in cross stitch and she finished it so nicely! I just love the ruched edge! The Angel will always sit on my stitching table. Thank you very much for your gift Olga!

The second package was from Mylene, another very pleasant surprise!
I have never seen a more pretty design with Russian dolls Matryoshkas. They are so cheerful, I always smile when look at them. Mylene is so good at making pinkeeps!
I am very happy to have this wonderful gift from you Mylene.
Sorry, no flowers' pictures for you today. I want to show some landscape pictures:
of my home when I left it:
and pictures of my home in Russia when I came here:

I hope you stay safe and warm in these cold winter days.
Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always treasured by me.
Happy Stitching to everyone!

My First Post From Russia

My dear friends and readers of my blog,
I want to thank you for the good wishes you sent to me and my mother. We both appreciate this. I promise to answer all e-mails I got from you in a couple of days.

Well, my trip was rather long, about 40 long hours, with three connection flights. One hour delay due to technical reasons was such "a sweet addition" to all the worries I had. The only entertainment I had during the trip was Mary Wigham's Sampler. Mary behaved very well, no frogs visited us! You can see the progress on the sampler a little below.
My mother is doing much better now, actually she already felt better when she learned that I was coming. :-) We had appointments with some doctors and changed her medications - all these brought some good results. I also want to thank my friends who gave me geat advice on taking care of elderly people.
It took me some time to get my laptop hooked up here. I have to share the Internet with my son that is why I can visit only 2-3 blogs a day.
On the stitching front:I made a birthday gift for one of my friends and colleagues. She visited my blog and among the designs she loved was "Hearts" Sewing Set. I bought a box for her and embellished its top with "Hearts" design which includes some specialty stitches and beads. ( If you do not like specialty stitches and beads, there is always an option to put simple crosses instead).
This design can also be made into an ornament.
If you are interested in buying my designs, please contact me. My e-mail is in my Profile.
* * * * *And here is my progress on M. Wigham's Sampler:I enjoy stitching it very much. And while I am here, so far from home and my stitching room this kind of stitching is just what I can do best. Cross stitch is not so popular in Russia. And though there are many cross stitch stores here they mostly sell charts of pictures and cross stitch kits with Aida.
Two years ago I bought a kit here and when my husband had to leave for home and I had to stay here for some more time to finish our paper work, I stitched this still life twice: the first picture went to my father - I never thought my father would like a cross stitch picture but he did! I stitched one more picture and my friend asked for it. It took me 15 days to stitch them both and every time I intended to present it to my husband but it never happened. Maybe one day I will stitch it again :-)) .I am very late with my TUSAL report - I am so sorry. Here is my new container for this important SAL:I also want to show some pictures which I took during walks in my native town:
This is one of the needlework exhibits in our History museum. I took some more pictures of cross stitch, crochet and needlework exhibits. But maybe it's better to show them in my next post.

The museum also has a rich collection of butterflies, crystals, animals and fish, etc.
Traditionally I finish the post with a flower picture. I took a picture of these wild flowers during a walk in the forest last Friday.

I wonder if you can guess which part of Russia I am from.
Happy stitching to everyone!

"Strawberries, Queens Of Berries" Breadcover and More

Today I'd like to show you some more "Strawberries, Queens Of Berries" designs.
I promissed to show some new finishes for me. They are not new for you, many of you like to stitch these things and some of you are stitching them now.
I made a"Strawberries, Queens Of Berries" Kitchen Set which includes a jar cover, towel and breadcover.
For a long time I've wanted to make a jam jar cover. I remember my grandmother's jars looked so lovely with the white caps on them. My jar cover is a little more complicated than my grandmother's but I used almost the same kind of cord to wrap around the jar neck. :-)


Last year I bought several grab bags and in one of them there was a Charles Craft towel. I can't say that I was happy to see the towel in the grab bag and was thinking how to get rid of it.
The towel a year later:

Well, I love it now!

You can go to Yoyo blog and see her towel with my design. For stitching the tendrils she used Whipped Backstitch which made the tendrils look so real!

And one more piece in "Strawberries" Kitchen Set - a Breadcover. I made designs for two opposite corners:

It took a little longer to stitch and finish the towel and the breadcover because they must have a neat back and must able to withstand multiple washing.
The back is not perfect but very close to it. If you want to see a perfect back, you must go to blogs of Brazilian girls, they are so good at stitching towels!

Now I am working on "Strawberries" design for Charles Craft Huck Towels - the idea of which belongs to Yoyo. "Strawberries" Biscornu will go next.

If you are interested in buying any of my designs, please contact me.

My e-mail is in my Profile.

I stitched a little more on Mary Wigham's sampler. It is my car project and the sampler goes with me wherever we go. Everything I need for stitching is in this basket. In the picture you can also see my palette for the sampler.

I wanted very much to keep White in my Palette, I like White on White but it did not show up on my fabric. I frogged the white motif and restitched it in Antique Mauve, now I am quite happy with the substitution.Some pictures of Lilies, they are blooming in my garden now.
I want to thank everyone who left comments on the previous post.

Special, huge thank you to my friends for their support and understanding. Hugs,

Olenka's Stitches