And The Winner Is........

Arizona from Illinois!  Congratulations, Arizona!!! Please email me with your snail mail address so I can mail this out to you. My email is bunnypep at wildblue dot net. Substitute the "at" with an @ and the "dot" with a . Make sure all the letters are connected, no spaces. I think you will really enjoy this book. And thanks to all  of my followers. You humble me, really.

***************************************************************************************

Update on the smocking:

After getting a half a row of featherstitching completed, I ripped it all out. It just was too busy and lost in the print to be worth my effort. I decided to try something I haven't done before and am pleased with the results. I am doing a wave with 3 cables on top and bottom and running the ribbon thru the stitches. I have one row completed and almost the second. I have decided to maybe do some pink bullion flowers. Each of the berries in the print has a pink outline and I thought that would accent the smocking a little more as well. More to come! 

**************************************************************************************

Next in the queue are a couple, actually three projects. I think I will start the bags first, doing them both at the same time, production style. This is the only time I break my two at a time rule, when I am making more than one of the exact same thing. It goes much faster doing each process to each item and with just slightly more time you have two items done! The bag I want to make is one I downloaded off the internet about a year ago. It is a great design, IMO. Unfortunately, I downloaded off a PDF and there is no URL on the printout to refer you all to. If anyone knows whose design this is, please let me know so I can give proper credit. It was a free download offer from somewhere, perhaps a bag site. Your help is really appreciated as whoever designed this bag also gave fabulous directions for drafting the pattern and I would love to share it all with you and give credit where due. Thanks. Here is a photo of the download:

Great little bag, right?

I also have two very close friends having their first grandchildren in the next few months. The first due I know will be a girl and I plan on a little bishop dress for the sweetie to wear in the summer. I think this will be the combo:

I have been looking for a reason to use these variegated threads. They were part of a special DMC variegated collection. They have been aging in the thread drawer with their multicolored sisters and this looks like a perfect oppportunity to split them all up! I may get going as soon as the Cranberry Dress smocking is complete. Gotta have that one hand project going all the time! I don't think I ever told you all how I started doing embroidery on a big scale. I did it here and there as a child but when I was 25 it was far from something I would pick to do. Then one day I made one of the best decisions of my life and just up and quit smoking a pack and a half a day cold turkey. I needed something to do with my hands after my meals and such. Smoking for me was a real hand to mouth oral thing. I went to an embroidery store, got a kit, and then was hooked. I picked up my embroidery at all those moments when I once picked up a butt. I have to tell you, quitting was much easier than I thought. A couple of hints on my method: I told no one. I just kept it to myself and no one even noticed for almost a month. That took a lot of pressure off. Another hint: just do it. And the last, find something wonderful, like embroidery, that you feel is actually rewarding you instantly for your efforts. Oh, one more rule, don't make that wonderful substitution putting food in your mouth. Bless any of you who make the effort. It is soo soo worth it and I have now been weed free for 35 years! You couldn't pay me...................
*************************************************************************************
I am still on the quest for a great boucle for my Chanel jacket. I am just not finding it. Summerset kindly sent me her Vogue Claire Schaeffer pattern to trace off so that will get done soon. I want a boucle that isn't a plaid, isn't pink or pink and black or black and white, which so many are. I would like something with lots of vivid colors. Any hints on where to look would be appreciated. I keep checking Emmaonesock (my original choice of fabric), Fabric.com, and Sawyer Brook. "He who hesitates is last" and that is exactly what happened to my choice. I thought it would be around for a bit, particularly because it was so pricey. But it got scoffed right up. Now I know to get that credit card out the minute I see the next great boucle.  Thanks for any of your efforts in helping me find something colorful and boucle.......Bunny

ETA: Thank you so much to Linda for identifying the source of the handbag pattern. It is from U Handbag and the link is here.  Really appreciate your efforts, Linda.