Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Let's celebrate!

I feel like celebrating tonight!  Why, you may ask.

One reason is that last month while I was in England teaching, I had the second anniversary of my blog. Thank you for all your notes and support over the last two years.  I have had so much fun!

Another reason to celebrate is because I just put in the last stitch on A Quaker Worke Box.  Now I need to find lining fabric and  get the assembly and directions done, so it will be a while before I have anything to show you.

And third, today is my birthday--well at least for another hour.  Just when I was beginning to feel a bit old, little Haiden told me he thought I was 2 years old.  (I don't know if that is good or bad.)

I thought that I would celebrate with another give-away.  You may remember that I have one more set of the distressed box sets for Miss Trenner's Needlework Academy so that will be my give-away.


If you are interested in a chance to win the boxes, leave a comment on today's post and tell me which is your favorite With My Needle project and why?  Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner.

The contest will end on Wednesday, June 15th at 6pm (EST).  I'll announce the winner sometime on Thursday, and the winner will have until 12 noon (EST) Monday to claim the prize.  Good luck. 

Comment Notes
Thanks for your notes.  They mean so much to me.

Laurie, as of now I don't have any plans to reproduce the elephant sampler, but one never knows. High on my priority list is to get the sampler conserved and put in a proper frame. The frame it is currently in is so atrocious that I cropped it out of the photo.

70 comments:

CalamityJr said...

Oh, this is easy! A Child's Prayer is my favorite for two reasons - the words of the prayer are as beautiful as the design, and my name really isn't CalamityJr (surprised?); it's Mary Jane!

Laurie in Iowa said...

Happy Birthday Ellen. I'd love to be entered in your giveaway. My favorite project was the Bunnies in the Garden. The reason it's my favorite is because I've finished the project.

Mindi said...

Bunnies in the Garden! I just love the soft colors and cute whimsy of that set. Happy birthday and thank you for doing such a wonderful thing.

Jubama said...

happy birthday Ellen !!! I prefer "the treasures sewing case because i love sheeps and house !(sorry for my english i'm french!)
Have a good day !

Jules said...

I have to say that even though I have not yet stitched them, I really like the way the Quaker Turtles look. Would love to see some Quaker Frogs, lol!

Happy Birthday, Congratulations on the Blogoversary!

Unknown said...

I made a huge, glaring typo in my original message so erased and am starting the message afresh. Ellen ~ I am wishing you a very happy birthday! I think the hours have passed a tad - but nonetheless ENJOY! Would love to be included in your drawing ~ I do love that project! Now go blow out the 3 candles (each one representing a decade ;-)
~Carrie

wasiuta5 said...

HappY BirthdaY ElleN!!! HappY AnniversarY on your blog too! I would love to be entered into your drawing. My favorite with my Needle chart is Quaker Samplings I. I love the way the alphabet surrounds the motifs on three sides. I think he draws your eye more into the motifs.

Thank you!

Susan W.
(wasiuta5@centurytel.net)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! Happy Blogiversary! Here's to better health & hurray for a giveaway! My favorite project of yours is the Needleworkers Sampler Huswife. It's a beautiful design & I enjoyed the class enormously.
Katherine in Austin
stitchkat@gmail.com

Rebecca said...

Happy Belated Birthday to you, Ellen. I hope that you recieved may lovely gifts. The gift that you are drawing for is certainly wonderful. I would be so happy to win it.
My favorite design is "Long may she wave". It is my favorite due to you having come to my guilds' location to teach a class and this is what you taught. It was a wonderful day getting to know you a little bit better and even more so now since I have started bloggin.
You may reach me at: mrebec4@hotmail.com if need be.

Barb said...

Hi Ellen, Hope you had a wonderful day!! So far, my favorite design is "Emblem of Love." I had so much fun putting all my family's initials in the design. It was an anniversary gift for my husband. I hope the next year is a great one for you.
Thanks for your wonderful designs.
Barb S.
primpair@hotmail.com

Sandra said...

It goes without saying that I would love to win one of the Mrs Trenner box sets, so please include my name. My favourite project so far has been Flowers for Lily, as I stitched it with my dear friend Chrissie and I'm happy with the assembly which is more than I can say about lots of other things. I have a feeling Mrs Waddelow WILL become my favourite, when I get her started.

vivi said...

Happy Birthday Ellen.

My favorite is of course Emblem of Love, which I hope to finish, but your freebie Peaceful Willows with the saying "Remember me" is very close to my heart, I stitched it while sitting at my Dad's bedside at the hospital.

carmesina said...

Feliz Aniversario para una de mis diseñadoras favoritas , espero que siga siendo tan productiva y nos muestres esas cosas tan bonitas.
desde Denia-Alicante-España

Mouse said...

Happyyy birthday to youuu .... if you were near by I would whisk you to the lavender tea rooms for a cream tea to celebrate :) ooo my favourite design mmmmmmdoes it have to be one ???*sigh ok let me go and peruse .. well it is a very hard choice this early in the morning but it would be a token of friendship as I would stitch this for my friends as a Christmas present :) love mouse xxxxx

Sheila said...

Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Although it is hard to choose, my favourite design of yours is Cherished Workes... I just love it.
Please add me to your generous draw.

karamino said...

My favorite is My Treasures Sewing Case because it reminds me about my home. Happy Birthday Ellen!

Bertie said...

Happy Birthday Ellen:)) Oh who would not want to win this fabulous project. My favorite WNM project was Bunnies in the Garden, mainly because I love smalls:)) Am also stitching the Quaker Pocket which I like and that's got smalls too.
You know children always tell the truth lol.
Hugs

Anonymous said...

It is so hard to decide on a favourite project, esoecially after seeing so many beauties finished at your class at Fobbles. I am going to choose a Needleworker's Sampler Huswife which I am working on now. I am really enjoying the speciality stitches. Happy belated birthday. Irene xxx

Solstitches said...

Happy birthday to you Ellen!
Oh my, what a fabulous prize you are offering in your giveaway. I would love to enter the draw please.
Now, as to which of your designs is my favourite it would have to be Maidens of the Sea as I adore anything with mermaids on it and really enjoyed stitching it.
I'm currently stitching Cherished Workes. An oldie but goody that I have loved for a very long time and am only now getting round to stitching. Perhaps once it is finished it will become my new favourite?

Margaret

Jonette said...

A Needleworker's Sampler is my favorite. Hope you had a very Happy Birthday!

Margaret said...

Happy belated birthday, Ellen! Gosh, it's hard to say what my favorite piece is. But it's probably your teaching piece that I hope to take someday, Fruit of the Vine. Or Agnes Scott.

Nancy said...

Happy Birthday Ellen! I hope your day was a very special one!

JillMN said...

My favorite would have to be the Ackworth Friendship Book. My group of stitching buds stitched squares for each other and we did the finishing together! Great memories!
Happy Birthday and Blogoversary!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! and Happy Blogaversary! I pick "Quaker Samplings" as my favorite design. Thank you for the giveaway!

stormybrew57 said...

Happy Birthday! Its so easy for me to pick my favorite because i love maidens of the sea. Someday I would love to stitch it. Please enter me in your contest. Thank You, Beth N. (stormybrew57@aol.com)

Deborah said...

Hope you had a wonderful birthday! I think my favorite piece so far is Maidens of the Sea. I live near the ocean and love all things that have to do with the water. The colors in it are lovely. sammi916@comcast.net

natalysneedle said...

Happy Birthday! I would love a chance to enter your giveaway. I love many of your designs but the one dearest to me are the Quaker Turtles. My oldest son loves turtles and this design is dear to my heart because it reminds me of him.

Becky said...

My favorite piece has been the hornbook project. It is proudly displayed on an antique shelf in my stitching room or in my "queendom" as my husband calls it!

Teresa said...

Oh so many nice projects hard to pick. I did just purchase Quaker Turtles and can't wait to start it. I also have Fair Maidens Etui ready to start also.
Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches

Terri said...

Happy birthday!!! I hope it was a great one! If I have to pick only 1 favorite, I think it would be Quaker Turtles. I've seen these stitched up and they are so cute!!!

tpatterson1961@gmail.com

Sweet Sue said...

Oh Ellen, wishing you a sweet Happy Birthday, hope you did something special just for you:) With so many wonderful designs it's hard to be picky, always favored Tokens of Friendship & Love and Mrs. W. Hussif. Good to have you back, hope you have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ellen,
Happy birthday! I would love an opportunity to win your giveaway. My favorite projects have been Quaker Turtles and Maidens of the Sea.

Melissa

Sampler Fran said...

A belated Happy Birthday, Ellen! And congratulations on your Blog anniversary, too.

I love ALL of your designs, but my favorite is still the Quaker Turtles.

Thomasina said...

Happy Birthday and Congratulations on two years with blogging. It is definetly a time for celebration.

I still love your Quaker Hornbook as my favorite. I have had so many compliments on it and everyone asks who the designer is. Which of course I point out your website and blog.
Can't wait to see this new piece you are working on.

Happy stitching,
Thomasina

Mama Joan said...

Happy Blogoversary Ellen. I don't know which one is my favorite. My latest finish was the Friendship book and I have at least 8-10 more of your designs kitted up and ready to stitch. Too many choices to choose just one:)

Kathy said...

Happy birthday a day late. :) Also Happy Blogaversary!
One of my favorites is Beauty and Grace. I adore birds and swans are my favs. I also love the Blue House needle primer.
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.

Angela said...

Happy Birthday! I'd love to be entered in your give away. My favorite project is Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif. When I showed it completed to a friend she fell head over heals and called it a work of art. I may have to make a second one to give to her!

Angela

Britta said...

Happy Birthday Ellen, remember that age is only a number LOL!
Would love to be entered into your give away, but its really hard to choose just one of your projects as a favourite....

Bunnies in the Garden makes me smile and feel happy every time I look at it, and the Achworth friendship book is just so good for the memories............
Hugs
Britta

Mayté Bermúdez-García said...

Happy, happy birthday Ellen!! So far the WMN project that i have enjoyed most is the "Where the Stitchers Gathers". I love the colors and the design.

Carmen Sutton said...

Happy Birthday! I loved looking at all of your pictures from England what a wonderful time you must have had. My favorite pattern of yours is Quaker Turtles. How nice of you to share on your birthday, please enter me in your drawing!

Catherine said...

Happy Birthday! I would love to be entered in your giveaway! I can't really say that I have a "favorite" as I love so many of your designs!!! Hope that counts!

Marie said...

My favorite With My Needle Project??? That's almost too hard to answer, I love them all. Since I must select just one it would have to be My Treasures Sewing Case. I loved stitching/finishing the design, it is beautiful BUT I stitched it for a beautiful friend whose friendship I truly treasure!

I hope that you had a wonderful birthday!

Elizabeth Ashmore said...

Happy Birthday, Ellen. It's hard to believe your blog is only two years old. I must have been reading it from the beginning.

My favorite designis the quaker turtles! They were a challenge (a pleasant one) to put together, and I receive many many compliments on them, even from non stitchers. Plus they are just so darned cute!

Just Me and My shadow said...

Congratulations on all three of your reasons to celebrate Ellen. What a very generous giveaway and I would certainly love to be in the draw as well. I really enjoyed stitching Flowers for Sarah and just love the little mattress style pin cushion and tiny scissor fob that go with it. I love the way it came together.

Phyllis said...

My Treasures Sewing Case is my favorite design.I love how it turned out.

Robin said...

Happy Birthday to you! And now the not so fair part! To have to pick just one.....Alphabet Samplings because I love alphabets and it is such a unique finishing. Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif is a favorite because it is in my stash waiting for me to do. Adorning my Heart and Emblems of Love samplers both - I love the colors and the traditional and quaker motifs. But maybe my favorite but just a bit, it the Petit Sampling Etui which I confess to stitching but have not attempted the finishing yet! Shame on me! What a pretty piece packed away in my storage box!

lisa said...

Happy Belated Birthday to you.
My favorite design has to be the Quaker Turtles- they are just so cute it's hard not to love them!

Vicki - Texas said...

I hope you had a wonderful birthday--
My favorite is Quaker 3 sampler! I am stitching Mrs. Waddelow right now. Love it also! Vicki

Julie H said...

Happy Birthday Ellen! Hope you had a great day! I would love to be entered for your drawing-- my favorite one of your designs is the Alpahbet Samplings book. It was so much fun to stitch & so elegant when assembled.

Natalia said...

Happy belated B-Day !!!! I love so many of your pieces, but the one I love right now is A Fair Maiden's Etui. Thanks for your beautiful give away.

woolwoman said...

Happy belated birthday Ellen - Sorry I missed your day but the sentiment is all the same. I won't enter for the box giveaway b/c I bought the set and I LOVE them! How could one pick just one favorite WNE project - I know I couldn't! Can't wait to see the Quaker work box. Have a wonderful weekend Mel

Helen said...

When this you see is one of my favorites that you have designed. Keep up the good work.
Helen in Michigan

Giovanna said...

Belated Best Wishes for your birthday - I hope you had a very happy day.

Thank you for offering this draw. My favourite of your designs is Cherished Works Sewing Case - such a peaceful scene.

Ann B from Charlotte, NC said...

There are too many to choose from!! but I think my choice would have to be either Cherished Workes or the Rose Garden Sewing Bag, because those were the first two of your designs I stitched.

And I have enjoyed having and using them ever since

Ann

krayolakris said...

Happy 2nd Birthday Ellen! Love that! My favorite design, and it's difficult to choose, is Quaker Turtles. They are adorable & just such a different project.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Happy 2nd Blogiversary! Happy Birthday as well.

Emblem of Love. Why? A friend stitched it and it is just gorgeous!

Judy said...

Congratulations on all your reasons to celebrate! Loved your posts on the trip to England, hope to make it there one day.
Looking forward to seeing "A Quaker Worke Box.
My favorite design is A Fair Maiden's Etui", I love the colors and it is so dainty.
Would love to be entered in your giveaway. Judysacre@aol.com

Diana said...

Happy Bithday! My favorite chart is Quaker Samplings because I like charts with quaker motifs and alphabets. They are also the perfect size for me. diana.h@comcast.net

GerriG said...

At present my favorites are Quaker Samplings. I recently finished both I and II as a gift for two good friends. I love all things Quaker!
Please enter me in your fabulous giveaway.
Thank you,
Gerrigraves@cox.net

Marian said...

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to England, it's my birthplace and I would love to go back for another holiday. I'm delighted that you have discovered Lady Grey tea, I prefer this to Earl Grey as it is not as sweet.

My favourite With My Needle article to stitch?? Gosh, that is a hard question. I would want to try everything as I like the 'antique' look of everything.

Marian - sherwood_forest_maiden@yahoo.com

Lyn said...

My favorite is "Quaker Turtles" (this was a tough choice!) I picked up the pattern because it was an unusal and useful use of quaker motifs. Also, the turtles reminded me of a gift my brother gave me over 40 ago when he went to college and I was a little girl...a small turtle filled with sand, with the name of his university on it. It'd be about the size of the pincusion turtle, and I kept it for many years.

m said...

Happy birthday!
It is the first time I see your blog, and you have so many beautifull projetcs that I can't choose a favorite one for the moment. I suscribe to your blogletter right now !

Usefularts said...

The Ackworth Frienship Book has to be my favorite because I was very fortunate to attend the first Ackworth Seminar. We all received this lovely chart from you and I have stitched it, including initials of friends. This little book brings back lovely memories of good times and good friends. I really enjoyed reading about your recent trip to the Lake District too.
Happy Stitching, Pat

LisaB said...

Whew! I just got back from vacation and am so glad I am able to post this before the contest deadline. My favorite is the "Ackworth Friendship Book". I looked at it in an embroidery store and it took me a whole 30 seconds to decide whether or not to buy it.

Allyson said...

Belated happy birthday, Ellen. I am finding it very hard to choose just one favourite. I love Miss Trenner and would pick her, though Mrs Waddelow is fab too! I just love the designs that have several pieces to them, it makes them so interesting to do (though harder on the finishing, which I'm not good at).
Allyson
allyson.disney@bt.com

Cathy Lloyd said...

Hi Ellen, I'd also love to be entered into the contest drawing. My favorite project of yours was the A Needleworker's Sampler Huswife. Loved stitching that project and it hangs in my house where I see it every day!

Holly said...

I would love to be entered into your contest. What a wonderful giveaway! My favorite project project is Long May She Wave. Our family is a very patriotic one. My dad, granddad and several uncles served in the military. Thank you for such wonderful and beautiful designs. You are a very talented artist!

Ellen said...

The deadline for leaving your comments for the giveaway has come.

Thank you to all who left a comment.

anna s. said...

So sorry to read the winners are not claiming this beautiful piece. Please count me in! I'd be most honored to win one of your artwork :)

anna s. said...

Sorry, forgot to add, my favorite chart is Maidens of the Sea, I am ready to start working on it. It makes me all dreamy and I plan to hang it framed in our future new bathroom.