My Apologies

I know it's been a LONG time since I've updated this Blog and I apologize.  Last year I started out being pregnant and then a few months ago I was diagnosed with cancer for the second time :o(  As you can see, life got out of hand.

It's only fair though that I update you as to what has been, or hasn't been, going on.  Usually I let all of you know how we did as a group after the auction is complete but unfortunately I've emailed Jean a handful of times and have gotten no response :o(  I've very unhappy about this because you all worked so hard and it would be nice to know how we did.

Because of my current situation, I will not be handling the group for this year's auction.  It's not a huge amount of work but what little time I do have, I want to spend it with my family.  I know that you understand :o)  I AM opening it up to anyone who wants to take over temporarily.  Someone has already shown interest but I don't want to say who just yet just in case she changes her mind.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle things? If you do, please leave a comment or email me directly.  Any help would be greatly appreciated :o)

So in closing, I want to thank all of you again for your beautiful donations that you sent in last year.  It meant a lot to ME that you took the time to share you talent to raise money for such an important cause.  I send out a cyber {{{{HUG}}}} to each of you :o)

The Attic's 2011 Silent Auction Newsletter Part II

Is now up! Check it out at the Attic's website :o) Everyone's items look great!

The Attic's 2011 Silent Auction Newsletter Part I...

. . . Christy posted to our Web site last night, and here's the link: http://www.atticneedlework.com/index.html If that doesn't work for you, try the link in the signature block below OR copy and paste it into your Web browser.

In addition to photos and descriptions, including the Minimum Opening Bids (MOBs) for Items 1 through 80 as established by our Committee of Volunteers as well as information about the organization where we send our dollars raised (BCRF), on page 1 of Part I you will find information about placing bids from afar. As it suggests, if you see an item that you really want (and believe me, there are a number of those ~ and more to come in Parts II, III, and IV to follow), consider placing a "Buy it Now" type of bid, high enough to discourage other bidders from bidding on/winning your item(s).

Page 4 features photos and details about our 2011 Opportunity Ticket Item, an exquisite quilt, "Pretty Dresses," created and donated by Nancy Pritoni of Medfield, Massachusetts. Each opportunity ticket is $10, limited to 150 tickets, to enhance your "opportunity" to win this beautiful donation.

If you have any questions about the bidding procedure, any of the items that you are interested in, or anything else, please e-mail or phone on our toll-free number (1.888.942.8842). Also, although we prefer to receive checks payable to BCRF in payment for the items, we must have your name, phone number, and credit card information on file in order to accept your bid.

Parts II, III, and IV will be forthcoming in the next several days.

Thank you for helping to make our 2011 BCRF Benefit a success. I believe that you will be amazed at the incredible needlework donated from all over the world. A special thank-you to Cathey of Nova Scotia, a 10-year breast cancer survivor, who has the past few years organized a large group of donations through her blog, Pumpkin Patch & Co Breast Fund ~ and to the Orange Coast Sampler Guild, whose members have donated to our BCRF Benefit for probably a decade now (I've lost count) ~ and to the Cyberstitchers EGA group for designating our Benefit as one of their Outreach Programs for the past number of years.

Enjoy the viewing ~ and the bidding! Good luck! I hope you win your favorite treasure(s). There are lots!

Jean Lea

HANGING PINCUSHION OR SACHET

Here is a small and simple donation for a huge cause, but every little bit helps, right?!  I chose to make a hanging pincushion.  It could be hung on a sewing machine, the light switch on a lamp next to your favorite needlework station, or wherever you would like it.

Thanks again for allowing me to participate Pumpkin.

Smiles....

Lack Of Participation

Hi Everyone!

Shame on me! First I want to apologize for my lack of participation the latter part of this year. As most of you know, we're expecting our first child and it was quite unexpected ;o) It has changed our priorities so I haven't been around as much as I should be.

I 'finally' got my two donations in the mail at the end of October. I just hope and pray that they make it there in time! Not too much longer now. The auction takes place on November 19 and time is going by f-a-s-t! If you want to make a bid, please contact Jean at the Attic and see how you go about it.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the pictures of the donations :o) We've had a wonderful group of women this year that generously donated their time and talent. I've just seen one fantastic finish after another! I can't thank you enough. I hope you know how much this means to me and Jean has been over the moon with our participation.

I will be keeping track of how well we do and I'll post our grand total as soon after the auction that I can. If you want to know how well your items did personally, you can email me privately and I'll let you know. I won't post the list on this Blog because I don't want anyone to feel badly. To me, every little bit helps!

As for next year, I will have to see how things go. I really hate the thought of giving this project up but my life will be completely different come April! I might see if anyone wants to help moderate so maybe keep that in the back of your mind ;o)

Five Ornies Sent

I sent my five ornies off last week.  I hope they will brighten someone's holiday. 

The top 3 are from Britian's Cross Stitcher magazine and the bottom two are from a card kit I got a long time ago.  I'm very critical of my own finishing techniques and think you all did a much better finishing job than I did.

My mom is celebrating her 12th year cancer free! 

Happy Stitchin!
Pam in IL

I Just made it !!

I sent a little mason jar snowman with some buttons inside today.

I forgot to take a photo so I will show you the one I made for myself.

 I think the pink works wonderfully for this endeavor 

Next year I am going to start my project a little sooner !!!

Take Care

Patty C

So little time...

... but here's what has arrived in time for the Silent Auction...!

Fa La La
Plum Pudding NeedleArt

Reindeer
Aury

And this sweet little breadbasket I made with the fabric called
"Inspiration"
by
Henry Glass

Sent to Mesa!

I finally sent off my stitched pieces to Mesa yesterday! I just couldn't get to it any sooner... One is the 15-sided Biscornu, one is a pinkeep and one is a hanging pillow. I can't wait to see all the projects! Thanks for letting me join this blog!

Hugs, Maggee

They're on their way!

Nutcracker is one of 5 from Cross Stitch & Country Crafts Nov/Dec 1989

Holiday Spirit, designed by Robin Shappell of Samplerbird Stitchery © 2010

Both projects were fun to stitch up and were a nice re-introduction to stitching after months (it seems) of quilting!  I now look forward to seeing all the auction contributions being photographed and posting.  It's such a heart warming project.  Thanks Cathey for promoting breast cancer awareness and the need for research funding.

Hi every one :) just letting you know I sent my little ornament pillows off to the attic needlework shop on Friday :) 
The design was a freebie from itsdaffycats blog  it was a lovely quick stitch ... I stitched them on 28 count honeysuckle pink evenweave  using colours from my stash  and made them into little pillows with some quilting fabric from my stash pile and some matching ribbons :)
hope you like :)
love mouse xxxxx

Newsletter

Congrats on the blog being mentioned in the Attic Needlework Newsletter!!

http://www.atticneedlework.com/Newsletters/2011/20111013_Newsletter-web.pdf

An Autumn Pixie

Hi everyone!  I finally tried my hand at making a Tilda doll and was happy with the results.  I plan to send this little lady to the auction.  I hope she gets lots of bids.

There are more pics on my blog if you want to take a look.  :o)  I am still trying to get a stitched piece ready to go but don't know if I will get it done in time.  I also have a couple of wallets to send as well as the Stitcher's Tote A Long I made some time ago.

My last piece for the Auction

Hello everyone! I decided to enter this 15-sided biscornu into the auction. I was stitching it for an exchange, but a little voice told me one night that it should go to the Auction instead, so voila! The colors are a bit off, but it is stitched on a medium pink linen, with two varieties of DMC pink thread and mauve-y pink glass beads. Maybe they will take a better picture for the auction! It is a free pattern from Kathrin's blog.




Now on to finishing the other two and getting them in the mail!! This has been fun!


Hugs!


Maggee

stitchingdevotee.blogspot.com

Faith and Joy

Hi everyone! Just put the finishing touches on my contributions to the auction yesterday and hope to pop them in the mail tomorrow... This year, I decided to stitch two donations--sure hope they bring in lots of money for breast cancer research.


First up, is a freebie called "Joyeux Noel" by L'r de Rien which you can find right here. I used white DMC and a 28 ct. dusty pink evenweave and finished it off with a white beaded edge and little bow hanger.


My other contribution is from Little House Needleworks and is simply called: "Faith." The sentiment on this one "Faith is being sure of what we hope for" really brought to mind anyone struggling with a disease or difficult situation. I used a putty colored 32 ct. Jobelan and Crescent Colours and the fabric shown in the background to back it. I was so excited to find it as the colors were a perfect accent for the fibers used in the stitching. This one is finished into a pinkeep with a white satin ruched ribbon and little pearly pins placed along the perimeter.

So, that's it for another year--I so enjoy doing this, Cathey! Thanks for organizing it for us each year...

SWEET LITTLE BERRIES

Sweet Little Berries completed this morning . . .

Sweet Little Berries by Little House Needleworks

stitched on 28~count Cream Cashel Linen with suggested Crescent Colours


My normal pillow finish! with dotty burgundy fabric panels each end and back to match the strawberries at the top.  The seeds on the strawberries were meant to be french knots but they looked so irregular when I had done them I unpicked them and put matching seed beads on instead!

Hope everyone else is busy putting their ideas to fruition.

Thanks for looking
Jane
xxx

Less Than Two Months Left!

How is everyone making out with their donations? I see that quite a few have finished and have even mailed them out! I have to say that I'm guilty in that my donations are still here :oS I must get myself organized!

I want to congratulate Nia because her donations were featured in this week's Attic Newsletter! Hope is absolutely gorgeous :o)

I do have one request from those that are participating...if you have finished your donation, can you please email me privately? I want to be able to get an idea of where we stand so far. Thanks!

A BIRD OF HAPPINESS

Hi everyone from a very wet, windy and gloomy UK!

I've just finished another stitchy item for the forthcoming auction ~ this is 'Happiness', a design from Brooke's Books Publishing . . . .

I stitched this little cutie on 28~count Sand Carolina Linen with the listed DMC conversions, added beads for the flowers, a silver 'made with love' charm at the bottom and the backing fabric is a pale pink and white as shown in the picture.

I hope this contribution will indeed bring 'happiness' into someone's very important life.

xxx

If anyone is interested in the chart, I am more than happy to send it on to you, just leave a comment over at my blog and if there's more than one person interested I'll pick a name next week.

I have two finished ornaments!

Here are two ornaments that I am contributing to the auction this year. This was a  lot of fun.

The first ornament is a freebie design by Veeandco.  The pattern is Never-Ending Hope Ornament. You can find this on her sidebar. This was stitched on 28 count fabric with DMC threads.

The second ornament is a freebie design by Sharon of  It's Daffycat. The pattern is  Jinglebell Reindeer. This was stitched on 18 count fabric and using DMC threads.


Hugs,
Carolyn

BUNNY PILLOW

My first contribution to this wonderful cause . . .

Printemps des Lapins by Danybrod

stitched on Sand 28count Linen with suggested DMC threads

I hope it will be okay, there have been some wonderful stitched gifts posted so far ~ my finishing abilities are somewhat limited but I have enjoyed stitching these bunnies and hope someone else will like them too.