What I sent to Vonna for our Christmas Extravaganza Exchange

 Hello again,

I just wanted to pop in here to show you what I sent to Vonna for our Winter / Christmas Exchange. 

My package was extremely late, we had planned on shipping on November 17th but I was in the middle of stitching Jack (who took an extreme amount of time stitching).  Not that Jack was the excuse, he is the scapegoat of my tardy shipping,  but my lack of proper planning is actually the real reason the box went 8 weeks late.  And because I got caught up in stitching Stanley Snowman too.  I stitch very slowly.  I don't have turbo needles and apparently, I am attracted to new and shiny things. OOPSIE.

So, in addition to eleventy-dozen purchased things, I sent Vonna the following stitches (I felt like a heel because they were LATE and I didn't think they were good enough and whatever my overthinking mind came up with to sabotage any effort to make this box happen at the time). 

Lizzie*Kate - Dear Santa
28ct Mushroom Lugana with charted DMC
I finished it on a cutting board that Dave (my husband) made for me

With Thy Needle and Thread - O Christmas Tree Stand-up

(AKA "Stanley") 

32 count cream linen (Zweigart) with charted DMC (white is B5200)

And of course,  if you frequent my IG, Facebook accounts or Vonna's blog
you have seen this:

Theresa Kogut - Jack's Welcome Stand-up

20ct Lt. Blue Linen with DMC #5 Pearl Cotton (my conversion)

Stitched by Joanie and Finished by Vonna

I am quite proud of what I stitched and that I finished my first standup (Stanley).  However, I didn't want to take a chance on finishing Jack because I had such anxiety with finishing Stanley that I thought I would have a heart attack.  Plus, they needed to get to Indiana before the robins returned in the Spring.  So Jack went with "some assembly required".

I know that Vonna loved what I sent to her,  I had nightmares that she wouldn't but all is well.  I am scheming and plotting for next year's box and I have such interesting ideas for finishing what I stitch for her.  I just have to choose what I think I can accomplish before November (cause I am NOT going to be late this time) and not let my anxiety over finishing get the best of me (I am looking at YOU, cording!).

I have been stitching a bunch too and a few things are almost done and ready to be finished.  I have a cool idea for a display piece for one of the pieces I am almost done stitching, Theresa Kogut's Up on the Housetop.  We purchased an X-Tool Laser Engraving machine for Dave's business in the fall of last year.  We are still learning the tool, and I am looking forward to making some awesome displays for my stitching.  

Dave is still in the lapstand biz (Vonna approved!) so check him out on Hobbyhouse Needleworks website.  He has expanded his offering to 3 sizes of lapstands (18" 21" and 23" bases) and 3 different woods (Oak, Cherry, and Walnut).  Plus he is making exotic wood threadwinders (which fly off the shelves).

Cherry Lapstand

Walnut Lapstand

Oak Lapstand

9" Threadwinders (Cut length of thread is 18")

So that's all I have for today.  Thanks for visiting!  Have a wonderful day stitching all the things!

Joanie

The 2025 Christmas Exchange

 Hello, my friends!

Today, I want to share with you the absolute best Christmas exchange!  

My dear friend, Vonna, and I did a HUGH SUPENDOUS CHRISTMAS EXCHANGE !!   

Honestly, I should have posted this a few months ago, but I wanted to share after Vonna got her exchange from me (there is a story behind my very tardy gift).  

The UPS guy had to struggle with that box, it was that big.  Once opened I found so many goodies,  package after package after package, both handmade and purchased, each wrapped as a surprise.  I was completely overwhelmed and speechless as I unwrapped each gift.  After I opened one, and started opening the next, I wondered to myself if they could get any better.  And boy did they ever!

Talk about being spoiled rotten.

I can not express how delighted I became as I opened each gift.  Vonna knows me so well.  Actually, it was easy, she and I share a lot of the same tastes in decorations and in stitching, I knew immediately that each gift that she made was going to be something that I loved (and I did,  every single one of them).  So, here is the stitching that she sent to me.  There were other things in the box too, but the stitching is the STAR of the show.

First of all, she stitched this gorgeous Hands On Design Quilt Ornament:

Exquisitely stitched and finished.

Next, I opened these beautiful Mill Hill beaded Santas:

I have lusted after them when Vonna would show them on her flosstube.  See, I don't have the patience for beading but man, do I ever love the look of them.

Then I opened a Lila Studio Sweater Ornament:

She stitched the dogs like our Murphy!  Oh my,  this ornament was extra special cause we love our girl so much!

And lastly,  the BIG KAHUNA!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?????!!!! She stitched the Prairie Schooler Angel Trio for ME!!

I burst into tears when I unwrapped this gem.  I was so taken back by it.  It is exquisitely stitched and expertly framed in that gorgeous gold frame!  I was and still am blown away by the stitching, by the time she took to stitch it for me cause she is a full time Granny and was prepping for a big surgery.  How she found the time to stitch this,  I will never know.  And to stitch it for me.  I am both grateful and humbled.

Here are some close ups of the angels:

AMAZING, aren't they?

She sent  a beautiful Gourd Nativity handmade by Ellie's future MIL, Mary, that I wanted to mention too.

(I have to tell you that once I opened each gift, I thought, geez Joanie, she is gonna think your box is so lame!  But she certainly assured me that my box was anything but.  WHEW!)

Vonna is such a sweet friend,  even though I have never met her in person, I feel like she lives next door to me.  She says I "get" her.  Honestly,  she "gets" me. We have been internet friends for over 20 years and over that time, our friendship grew from a love of stitching to the point where our friendship is now deep and close.  We share a lot of common things, our faith, our family, our love of country.  She is a REAL person, not someone that puts on a persona or a mask. Vonna is not superficial.  She wrote that we "clicked" and we "stuck".  Good description of us.   I thank God for her everyday.  She is someone that I trust and someone I confide in.  I am blessed to call her my friend. 

We decided to do a 2026 Christmas Extravaganza.  I can't wait to fill another box of goodies for her!