Look what I got in the mail...

This year (2010) has been a very different year for me in regards to my stitching. 

In January 2010 I joined an online Forum called "Craftbubble" or "CB" for short.  Upon joining CB a whole new world opened up!  I have never been one for online doings but now I have discovered that having online friends that have the same interests as I do is just so good!  It is really nice to be able to talk cross stitch and not have the other person's eyes glaze over!  (not that I can see my virtual friends when I "talk" to them - but I know their eyes aren't glazing over - their eyes will be sparkling with anticipation and love for our craft!!!).  Along with joining CB I also joined an Aussie crafting forum called "Chatterfox" which is managed by the Fox Collection.

So what has this got to do with the title of this blog do I hear you say.. well, since joining the online forums I have heard about Round Robins and stitching exchanges, and I have drooled over some of the beautiful pieces of stitching that have been swapped between these very talented people.

And I have now done both!!! 

I took part in the Chatterfox Christmas RR and have posted photos of what I stitched in a previous blog.  That was great fun and I so want to do another one!  I would like to participate in a CB RR, but with CB being a UK based forum I was concerned that postage to and from the UK could be a problem, but with Chatterfox being based in Australia sending to and from each member of the RR was so much easier - especially as nearly half of us were WA based!!! :-)  (All those abbeviations and acronyms in this paragragh...)

Oops, gone off the beaten track again.....

Anyway, back to what I received in the mail!  I did finally join a stitching exchange on CB - it was the Crazy for Kitty's Christmas Exchange.  I stitched the little white cat - picture in previous blog for Catdragon (Alison) in the UK and sent that off a couple of weeks ago with a surfing Koala bear christmas tree ornament.  Catdragon stitched and sent her package to me and it arrived safe and sound a week ago.  Then I just had to wait unil the unveiling day on Monday 13th December, and...

this is what I received in the mail

Crazy for Kittys Christmas Exchange
parcel received from Catdragon (Alison)

 Alison stitched and crafted a gorgeous card, a kitty key ring and a sweet kitty saying (which is hanging up in the kitchen as I write!)

Royal "Kitty" Seal of Approval from Oscar!

Thank you Catdragon (Alison) for your lovely parcel - it was a real delight opening up my package this week.

Yep, joining the online forums this year has certainly changed my stitching habits.  It has made me stitch to a deadline and finish something.  But more importantly it has given me my stitching mo-jo back which had started to wither away slightly - mainly because I was only doing big projects and when I was struggling I would put them away and not do anything else until I found them again!  I hadn't realised that I needed a bit variety in my stitching - after all "variety is the spice of life"!!!

So until next time,

Round Robin has come home

After many months away my Chatterfox Christmas Round Robin has come home.  It is simply gorgeous.  The six other ladies that stitched on my RR have done such a beautiful job.  It has been such fun doing this RR and I am going to miss the monthly parcels coming to the post box.

Thank you to Brenda, Helen, Luella, Andi, Yvonne & Kirsty for stitching on my RR and for letting me stitch on yours.  I look forward to our next RR.

Chatterfox Christmas Round Robin 2010

'Til next time,

Christmas Stitching Round Robin Style

We may be still 2 months away from Christmas, but I have already started my Christmas stitching.  Some online friends and I have been partaking in a Round Robin (RR) over the last few months and now as October comes to an end so does our Round Robin.  It has been very exciting waiting for the parcel to arrive each month.  Now I am just waiting for my RR to come home.

The design I chose to start off my RR was "Christmas Chickadee" by Valerie Pfieffer. I found the design in Issue 118 of The World of Cross Stitch.

 

April 2010

Christmas Chickadee





May 2010

stitched angel for Yvonne

June 2010
stitched for Helen





July 2010
stitched for Andi

August 2010

stitched for Luella



 



September 2010
stitched for Kirsty

(design by Carrol Nielsen)



October 2010

stitched for Brenda

(design Joan Elliott)



This Round Robin has been a lot of fun to do and I am looking forward to getting my finished RR back from Yvonne.  I will post a picture of the completed RR once received.