I am happy to announce that, thanks to the kind assistance of my dear friend Lee Albrecht, some of my silk ribbon embroidery pendants, along with many other gorgeous finished embroideries and embroidery kits with Lee's beautiful designs, will be available for purchase at the 7th Brazil Patchwork Show, at Shoping Frei Caneca in São Paulo, April 08 - 11.

Along with the ongoing projects, like the Reticello sampler we are embroidering with Lee Albrecht (new motifs added during Christmas),





new projects and new challenges have already started. On January 3rd I received my January Trim and Treasure Club package from Flights of Fancy Boutique and it inspired me to start my first crazy quilted purse. I pieced it today to fit a vintage sew on purse frame I've had for some months now, waiting for me to make a new purse for it. Sorry, the photo is not the best, but it's the best I could take on such a cloudy afternoon. Since the photo was taken, I sewed on the laces and trims and it already looks very pretty, if I may say so myself :)


Another thing that I am really happy about is that my Fabulous First Timer's round robin block arrived home today and it is GORGEOUS! Many thanks and congratulations to the wonderful and talented group of ladies that participated in FFT 17!
Now you would like to see a picture of this block, wouldn't you? Believe me, I tried to take one. But I will have to wait for the sun to come out and try again then, to do the block justice.

This year I am participating in another crazy quilting round robin, this time with another group. My pink and purple blocks are ready to be sent out and I am really looking forward to this new adventure.

And the TSAT 2012 (Take a Stitch Tuesday) challenge with Sharon Boggon has already started on Tuesday. The first stitch of the year is fly stitch, my favorite for embroidering leaves. Now I better thread my needle to catch up on this challenge :)

Happy stitching!

Another buttonhole stitch flower, almost the same as the previous one, but made using a slightly different technique, and with 4 additional little arches:

If I look at my calendar, it is crystal clear that Christmas is more than two weeks away. But the boxful of presents that arrived from Lee Albrecht states otherwise:


A gorgeous box embroidered by Lee herself, two more oh, so beautiful handmade boxes, handmade soap (with a heavenly scent, by the way), cute muffin pincushion and pins, Lee's gorgeous kits (I can see a small change in my stitching plans soon, as the lavender kit keeps whispering to me), her Matrioshka  thread keep, Japanese embroidery book, yummy sweets (they didn't make it to the photo shoot, sorry)... oh, my... breathtaking... and most precious all, kindness and friendship...

When Lee Albrecht asked me to take part in the exhibition "Maos que bordam pelo mundo" (Embroidering Hands Around the World) she is hosting within the Campinas Patchwork Show in Brazil, I didn't think twice before saying yes.
Amikor Lee Albrecht megkért, hogy készítsek valamit a "Hímző kezek a világban" című kiállítására, ami a Campinas-i Patchwork Show keretén belül került bemutatásra, rögtön igent mondtam.

Then, as I started thinking about what I should make and being a bit overwhelmed by my desire to create something perfect and unique, I thought that maybe I was too quick to say yes... Saying yes... Yes! A ring bearer's pillow! And this is how this pillow was born:
De amikor elkezdtem gondolkozni azon, hogy mit is készíthetnék ami egyedi is, tökéletes is legyen, elbizonytalanodtam és megfordult a fejemben, hogy talán túl hamar mondtam igent... Igent mondani... Igen! Egy gyűrűpárna! És így született ő:


From all the pieces I have ever made, this is the one that is closest to my heart. It is not perfect, and now I know that it doesn't have to be. Because it was made with love and when it was off on it's journey to Brazil, a piece of my heart travelled with it. And I believe that this piece of heart is what gives real beauty and value to any handmade creation.
Az összes eddigi munkám közül ez a párna áll legközelebb a szívemhez. Nem tökéletes, de ma már tudom, hogy nem is kell annak lennie. Mert szeretettel készült és amikor elindult hosszú útjára, a szívem egy kis csücskét is magával vitte. És hiszem, hogy minden kézzel készült alkotásnak ez a "szív csücsök" adja igazi szépségét és értékét.

Lee had the great idea to frame the pillow for the exhibition, and look what a beautiful frame Joao, the framer Lee works with, has made:
Amikor megérkezett hozzá, Lee bekereteztette a párnát és nézzétek, milyen gyönyörű munkát végzett a keretezője, Joao:


And here it is at the show, surrounded by so many wonderful embroideries:
És íme, a kiállításon, rengeteg csodálatos hímzés társaságában:



The plan was that I would personally attend the exhibition, but unfortunately life got in the way of this trip, so Lee was so kind as to dry the bouquet of roses I have sent for her birthday and use them as a table decoration next to my pillow and also included a few other little details, making me virtually present... Now isn't that (too) the kindest, sweetest gesture?
Az eredeti terv az volt, hogy személyesen is részt veszek a kiállításon, és annak ellenére, hogy ebbe az utazásba "kicsit" beleszólt az Élet, Lee kedves segítségével, virtuálisan mégis ott lehetek, mert asztali díszként ott van, például, a rózsacsokor amit születésnapjára kapott tőlünk. 

The story of this ring bearer's pillow is far from being over, but for now I know that my little piece of heart is in a good place, in kind and caring hands...
A kis párna története még nem ért véget, de egyelőre tudom, hogy jó helyen, szerető, gondos kezekben van...

For more photos of the event, please visit Lee's blog at http://leealbrecht.blogspot.com/

with Lee Albrecht in her International Embroidery Exchange Project.

This wonderful Italian embroidery technique was introduced to me by Lee Albrecht. Passionate about embroidery, about learning and teaching it even beyond the walls of her embroidery school, she has invited several embroiderers from different countries to learn Reticello, within the "Lee Albrecht International Embroidery Exchange Project".
As you can see, I was happy to accept the invitation, here is my progress so far on Lee's Reticello sampler:


And this is only the beginning, the technique is fascinating!
Thank you, Lee!

I would like to share my happiness with all of you, my dear readers. As some of you might have already read in Lee Albrecht's kind post, the three pillows designed by her brought us the third prize in the 11th Annual Cross Stitch Exhibition and Contest in Budapest.
Szeretném megosztani az örömömet minden kedves olvasómmal. Lee Albrecht kedves post-jában már olvashattátok, hogy az általa tervezett három párnával harmadik helyezést értünk el a budapesti  XI. Keresztszemes Kiállításon.





It is not just the photos and the joy that I would like to share. Just like last year, I am giving away a part of my prize:
Nem csak az örömömet és a fotókat szeretném megosztani Veletek, hanem, akárcsak tavaly, a nyereményemet is:


If you would like to win the Rosa - Botanical cross stitch kit by Lanarte, all you have to do is leave a comment to this post until August 31st.
Ha szeretnétek megnyerni a Lanarte, Rosa - Botanical keresztszemes készletet, csupán egy megjegyzést kell hagynotok ennél a bejegyzésnél Augusztus 31-ig.

Edit:
And this is not all: the winner of this giveaway will also receive the kit for one of these gorgeous pillows:  "Rosas Coral", a gift generously offered by Lee Albrecht!
És ez nem minden, a játék nyertese még egy ajándékban fog részesülni: Lee Albrecht jóvoltából egy "Rosas Coral" párna készletének is a tulajdonosa lesz!


Thank you and good luck, Everyone!
Köszönöm és sok szerencsét kívánok minden kedves jelentkezőnek!


PS: For more eye candy from the exhibition, please visit my Picasa album.
UI: A kiállításról még rengeteg fotót találhattok a Picasa albumomban.

I am happy to present the finished version of my three gorgeous pillows designed by Lee Albrecht.
Sikerült végre végleges formájába ölteni a három gyönyörű, Lee Albrecht által tervezett párnámat.