I received two wonderful gifts from WendyJo. One was this beautifully stitched and finished BBD stocking from last year's JCS ornament issue. WendyJo tells me this is her first 'stocking finish' - can you believe it? It's absolutely gorgeous - I love it so much I don't want to put it away but leave it out all year! There was also enclosed a Quaker drinks coaster in my favourite colour blue. This I can leave on display and it's sitting on my desk complete with a hot drink as I type this.

Not only did WendyJo send me the beautiful stocking, she also remembered my birthday and sent this pretty Isabel Bloom ornament called 'Hugs'. I had not heard of Isabel, I understand she passed away in 2001, but her name lives on in her wonderful ornaments and sculptures.

Thank you WendyJo for these lovely gifts and for being such a kind and generous friend!

The draw for the Sew Peaceful chart closes tomorrow at the stroke of midnight (GMT) and will be drawn on New Years Day so there is still time to enter. All you need to do is leave a comment on the original post *here* saying why you would like to win this chart. Please do not forget to leave an email address if your blog is private or locked - there are a few comments already without any means of me contacting the person who left them. I blatantly stole the above picture from Andrea's blog (sorry and thank you Andrea) as her finish of Sew Peaceful is amazing! DRAW NOW CLOSED

I have been stitching these past few days on the Emblem of Love RR which belongs to Deb who chose a bright pink linen with multi-coloured threads. As you know I tend to use more neutral colour fabrics so it is making a change for me to stitch on such a bright colour. Maybe I need more colour in my life! I will continue to stitch on this one until my section is completed and then it's back to Beatrix.

Thank you for visiting

Take care

December 31 is my 2nd blogoversary! So what has happened in the last year? I have had 6,000 profile views with 66,475 visitors to date; I have read 62 books; had 2 surgeries; my first ever Round Robin returned home; a new Round Robin has been started; there have been giveaways both given and won; a few exchanges made; I re-discovered my love for miniature stitching; I've struggled to stitch on Beatrix Potter; I became an official member of the Sisterhood; there was a wedding in June and a July birthday made me realise I am now married to an OAP!! I have met new friends, one of whom I visited in Paris and she made a return visit to me. I started to design again - a few years back I dabbled in designing and even taught these designs but, as my hands got worse, I had to stop. Since my surgeries I am now relatively pain free and, on discovering the Macstitch program, I got the itch to design again. This brings me neatly to my blogoversary giveaway - did you think I had forgotten?

This year my giveaway is an exclusive, limited edition iStitch chart called 'Sew Peaceful'. I designed this chart as a Christmas gift for friends and others who have inspired me with their stitching, their blogs and their generosity. There will be three winners and all you have to do is leave a comment ON THIS POST ONLY saying why you would like to win. The draw is open to everyone but I do ask that if you have no blog, or if your blog is private/locked, please please leave me an email address with your comment. Feel free to advertise this giveaway on your blog but it's not compulsory - if you leave a comment, you have a chance to win. The draw will be held on my blogoversary date - December 31.

To everyone who has visited my blog this year and to all who have left such lovely comments - thank you and please come again.

I will, of course, be posting again before the end of the year. I have birthdays gifts yet to be opened (such restraint); two birthday dinners to attend - a family one and a Stitch-n-Bitch one; my Christmas ornaments are almost finished. Sew Pink and Sew in Love are both close to release. So there will be photos to be shared.

Thanks for visiting

Take care