Friday at last!

I have such a feeling of accomplishment today. Somehow I managed to reach today even though it meant sleeping 2-4 hours per day over a week, working double work hours for the last few weeks etc. The last two days, the end client (a famous lawyers firm) was constantly making changes in the 40 pages agreements I was translating and they were driving me nuts but hey, they are paying good money and I like legal, so in a way I enjoyed working on this. I am going to allow myself two week-end days of sleeping, stitching and (sigh) cleaning the flat. My brain is fried. Then on Monday I will start the next intense 12 days of work - more intense that ever, on 180 pages of heavy finances and accounting. The challenge is to be able to finish it in time for the 26th, which at this moment I can't even imagine. Not my cup of tea :( and the volume is enormous. I'll fight it! :)

I did a lot of stitching recently but I want to do the finishing first before I show them. Some Prairie Schooler ornaments for gifties, a set of napkins with a freebie pattern adapted, and I made progress on The Blessing (Examplars...):

I'm waiting for a refill of several colors to arrive but I'm now trying to work the details which colors I have.

I mentioned some weeks ago that Stitchesnthings were selling some shop models. I couldn't afford many at that time - the nicest ones sold out fast, but I got these two. I absolutely fell in love with this punchneedle Blackbirds Designs piece and I could not let it go. I am unsure of the fabric but it looks like 48 ct at least. Tin, tiny, tiny!!! Fabulous work. I don't do punchneedle, somehow it doesn't tempt me, but I admire some beautiful projects I see. So, this is the first punchneedle piece I own and hopefully it's not the last, though I haven;t seen many samplers done in this technique. For 15 usd finished and framed, what a bargain it was! I looooove the frame. The colors are brighter and cleared in real, a genuine gem.

The other piece is that one. It even has the year written on the back: 1994. What, 1994? It looks like new! I always wanted to stitch that piece, even bought the leaflet, but I am delighted to have it done and already framed. I might change the frame one day, it is too dark black for my taste but for the time being, it stays that way on my wall! :)

Talking about techniques other than cross stitching, I so admire needle felting. See this beauty . How I wish I was tempted a little bit more to try it! I'd looooove to have this squirrel and its nuts on my shelves but what, I don't think I am gifted for that technique. I know I already posted it here but that's an excellent occasion to remind everyone on the work Rainymoon does. I find her projects absolutely amazing and check on her blog regularly to see the new arrivals!

Late birthday gifties...

When I finally returned to Warsaw in September, I was so surprised to bring from the post office several unexpected birthday gifts! I left for Norway just two days after my b-day so many parcels didn't reach me. What a delight it was to see and open many envelopes that I didn't know were waiting for me! I'll post more of them over the next days...

Here is what Mary Kathryn sent me - and she said nothing about it! She sent me a chart from my wishlist - and she chose one of my absolute favorites! I can't wait to stitch it. Alas, it required overdyes in colors I ran out of, but I already ordered them. This is going to be stitched and *framed* NOW! As I wrote to her, I have a special thing for samplers with one or more houses, with a garden, with a girl/couple/dog/cat and birds in it. They remind me so much of the house in Norway, of my stays with H. And this chart, it also has a lettering that strikes a particular chord in me, it says what I say in my heart each time H. leaves and I know it will be several weeks before we see each other again. Thank you again, Mary K!