Gilded Dragonfly Finis and a great mail day :-)

Gilded Dragonfly Scissor Purse designed by Just Nan

28 count cream linen

Recommended AVAS silks

I finished the work on my Gilded Dragonfly Scissor Purse yesterday and even got the scissor fob done! I changed my scissor fob a bit, I used the Renaissance Gold metallic cord for the scissor loop rather than the green silk the pattern recommended. I filled it with emery and I love how it turned out. I love it when something that has been hanging around forever is done! Especially when it cost a fortune to buy it.

As far as the finishing for the scissor case goes, it turned out ok and I'm hanging onto the instructions in case I want to use this technique again. The lining did turn out nice and smooth using the sewing machine method. But to those of you who still need to finish their piece two tips. First the directions say to cut 1/2 salvage at the turning point on the scissor case and the rest of it trimmed to 1/4 of an inch. Don't forget to do this! Especially if you use silk lining like I did. I forgot to do this and the silk shredded so much from the stress of turning it right side out I didn't think I would be able to close off the opening. But I manged and you really can't tell how much I needed to adjust the silk. Second, put the snap on the body of the case on before you stitch it all together. The directions say to do this after you stitch the case closed (this part is by hand) and I don't know about you but my hands and fingers just aren't that small and I had a devil of a time getting the snap in once it was closed. I tried twice and both times it came out a little off center. Also make sure it's in right place before you sew it on. I didn't close the top of the case over to test it's position before I put mine on and it's too high so I had to either stitch it in for the third time or put the second piece of the snap on the needle holder wool. I put mine on the wool. I now have three Just Nan treasures and they look so cute together.

The mail came very late yesterday. In my stack were two packages with international postage on them. I'm not expecting anything so I was quite surprised. The first package was from Karen V in the UK. A while ago, I sent her some rings to make some floss holders and she stitched me a thank you. And what a thank you it is! :-) She made me one of her wonderful travel bags for stitching and the prettiest Quaker pinkeep in my favorite shade of blue. And she even tossed in a nice piece of Purely Primitive because it's my favorite linen to stitch on. I am quite overwhelmed by her generosity.

Karen's blog was the first I ever read a couple of years ago. I had just gotten back into cross stitch after an almost twenty year gap and she had just finished up An Open Heart by The Drawn Thread and posted a photo of it on the Legacy Embroiderers Guild Board that I had just joined. I didn't know anything about Drawn Thread and I did an internet search for the chart and for Drawn Thread and one of the websites that came up was Karen's blog. Her work has been an inspiration for me for quite a long time now. And to be the proud owner of some of her work is a real trill. :-) If I were a stitching stalker, I would stalk Karen for sure. :-) The next time I make one of my infrequent trips to the UK, I'm going to ask her to tea.

My second package was from Anna in Belgium. Remember the Stitching Blogger's Birthday Group I joined last year? Well it was my birthday package! Anna said on the card that it was a replacement for a gift that never arrived. Late or not, it is much appreciated. I was feeling pretty miserable when I thought my partner didn't bother with a gift. Anna sent along a beautiful piece of linen, some fibers, chocolate (yummy) and a chart from my wish list, Inspiration by Rosewood Manor as well as a few finishing items. Thanks so much Anna!

My vacation is already half over! How times flies when you are having fun at home. What's on tap for today? I'm going to work on an exchange piece, clean out my craft cabinet - yesterday I needed something and had to go through five boxes to find it so it's long overdue! And I think I want to find a new book by Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser called Master Your Metabolism. I love that show and the push I get from it every week to keep to my diet is enormous. This book sounds very interesting, it's all about how hormones effect your metabolism and I need all the help I can get - I'm at the 50 pound gone mark now and just have around 8 pounds to go. I've started to buy new clothes and they are all smalls - imagine that, me in a size 6! :-)