More birthday gifts came in the mail for me yesterday!
McKenna Ryan's quilt pattern "Morning Mews." Plus all the wonderful fabrics to create this beautiful kitty quilt.
The bonus? The kitty looks very similar to my crazy kitty, Klawd... :)
Thank you, both, Anne Marieke and Margit for choosing such an "appropriate" pattern for me.
With all the special presents from my "far away" friends, this year's birthday is turning out to be very special indeed.
Look at the wonderful gifts I received from Isabelle for my birthday (a little early, as my birthday is not until next week). A great chart with a beautiful heart as well as some antique floss. But the best part is the pouch she made for me. Perfect stitching - perfect finishing. Thank you, Isabelle! I love them all!
Did you think I got lost in the desert? ;) Nah! Just no stitching was getting accomplished the last few days. But now I can say that there is a little more progress on my desert landscapes. Some more cacti, lots and lots of beads, and ......drum roll, please.......
I decided. I filled in the background. Added more branches to the tree...and yes, I did the lightening. But not as charted. I wanted a more subtle lightening, as if it were off in the background a bit more than originally charted.
Look: 
and here (although a bit blurry):
I am starting to feel like Wiley Coyote...;) spending so much time in the desert here lately.
My latest progress:
Lots and lots of different cacti in the next part of my Desert Landscapes Mandala (Chatelaine Designs). Lots of color changes...Let's just say, lots of green color changes. The spines remain to be stitched on the cactus near the corner with the orange flowers.
I did add all the beads around the inner perimeter of Part 1. I am waiting for my bead order to arrive to complete the outer bead border on Part 1.
Only one more section left to finish filling in with the squash flower. I'll do all the backstitching on the cacti after that is done. Loving the shape of this one.
No decision on my lightening, just yet.
Funny little shape right now, isn't it? Those green areas (according to Martina's directions) are cacti. The lower right hand one does have the backstitching, which shows the little spines for the cactus. Those empty areas will be filled with "squash flowers." My desert is beginning to bloom. :)
