Today I received the name of the lady I will be stitching for in my Halloween exchange. I had a couple of designs in mind, but now that I have a name and I have checked out her blog, I know what I will be stitching! My supplies are all ready to go. I will just need to get some materials for finishing. This also has a cool button, but I don't want to give any of the surprise away, so I didn't put that in the photo. Some days it almost feels like Autumn is nearly here--unfortunately today and the next few days will be reminders that it is still summer!! I have a couple of Halloween designs (for larger projects) that I would love to start for myself, but I need to get a few of my exchanges all finished up before I can think of starting something new!
However, I am already planning for projects in 2006! Yes, I know...it is a little early, but I can't help myself!! I have just signed up for Martina's next big mystery--Mystery IX. The theme is French Garden, so how can I pass that up? If you click on the link you can see a photo of the materials--aren't they lovely? And yes, they are going to be expensive. I have ordered them from Needlecraft Corner. Drema is very kindly spacing the various materials out. Each month I will get part of the supplies. Of course I want them all now, but I can't start stitching until Jan. 1, so there is no reason to have them all at the moment. Yet again I am going to try and keep up with the installments. I failed pretty miserably this year with my two montly projects. But exchanges are fun (which I have been spending most of my stitching time on), and they are fairly instantly gratifying. Not only do you finish something reasonably quick, but you also get a surprise in exchange. As for 2006, I have been thinking I would like the work on bigger projects. Here are the things I have in mind to add to Mystery IX (well, at least I can choose from these): Sarah Tatum Quaker reproduction, Victoria Sampler Heirloom Homecoming Sampler, Drawn Thread Souvenir Sampler or Toccata I, Just Nan Common Ground or Silkwood Manor, and there are always my WIPs and UFOs--The Houses of Hawk Run Hollow and And They Sinned!! And all these are in my stash (with the exception of fabric for the VS Sampler). So I don't even need to buy anything new!!!