This morning Karen sent out the names of the ladies we will be making a Christmas ornanment for (on the Stitching Bloggers Bulletin Board). I have....well, I can't tell you yet. Hmmm, does it snow where this person lives? Maybe. So I have pulled out my past JCS Ornament issues as well as some BHG Christmas books that have projects in them. She named a couple of specific likes, and I have found a few designs that may work. I need to look through my charts, though, too. The 2005 edition of JCS should be coming out soon, too, and there may be something good in that as well! Whenever I look through these past issues I always manage to find things I want to stitch as well--it is interesting how tastes change over time. There are some designs I would never have thought to stitch, and now I would love to make them!
I am also going to be starting a mail art project very soon for a friend. I have pulled out a couple of bandings that I might use, and I think I know what design I want to use, so now is a good time to pull out my box of charts! Once I get these ready to go, I will have all my exchange projects under way. It will just be a matter of sitting down to stitch!
This is a little off topic, but I thought I would pass along the title of a good book. I am almost half way through Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It is really good, and I thought I would mention it here as there are many descriptions of the characters doing needlework, and embroidery. It is set in China in the 1800s, and the story is told by Lily. Lily is a traditional young Chinese girl/woman. At seven years of age she has her feet bound (thank heavens this is no longer done--it seems unimaginable!), and prepares for her life as a wife and mother. As is traditional she sews her own shoes and clothes as well as those for her new family before she gets married. You can read the blurb on Amazon,as I am not really describing it very well. But I am enjoying it immensely!