Igolochkoy

Every so often I get a hankering for igolochkoy. It's an amazing dish made from dried beetle shells, horseradish and fermented brussell sprouts. It's great with ketchup. Nah, just kidding...igolochkoy is just the fancy pants Russian way to say punch needle embroidery.
I usually have a punch needle project going at any given time because it takes me forever to complete them. They begin as travel projects and it's anybody's guess as to when I finally finish them. They get tossed aside and forgotten once the vacation is over and rediscovered months later in my sewing room under a pile of other abandoned projects.
Anyway, I completed my most recent forgotten punch needle project over the weekend and I thought I'd share it on my blog. Ha! Like people actually read my blog. I know for a fact that my dearest loveliest mama is my one and only reader. So I'll just go ahead and address this post to her directly.
Hi Mom! How's the house search going? Make sure you get a house with a huge sewing room so that we have plenty of space to play when I come visit. Adrian says he will build you another water feature if you have room in your new backyard. Here's the my latest punch needle project: I started it last summer on a camping trip. It was when Sandra (my sister) came to visit and we went to Crescent Lake. Sandra started a punch needle project too which I know for a fact that she hasn't finished. She ran off with my Cameo punch needle tool and now it's lost forever in the wilds of Alaska. Mom, will you tell her to give it back?Here's a few other punch needle projects that I've done over the years...This one I started when Adrian and I were staying on Molokai one winter. The hibiscus flowers were blooming and there was a lime tree right outside our door.
I made this next one an a road trip one summer from Minnesota to Oregon. It was Adrian, Sandra and I on this journey. We camped along the way and got to experience a herd of bison take over our campsite in North Dakota.The heart reminds me to always love my sister even though she turns into Senorita Cranky Pants after a sweaty three day car ride. Being rudely denied a bathroom by an over zealous camp hostess at the John Day Recreation Area did not help the situation one bit.
I made this next project while I was in a neck brace and recuperating from a broken neck. Mom, when you came out to stay with us it was a life saver. Adrian always says what a relief it was to have someone help him change my diapers. HA! Just kidding, I didn't need diapers. But I certainly know how very lucky I am to not be in a wheelchair right now. DMC had just come out with their variegated embroidery floss. I love that stuff for punch needlework.
I've already shared this one, but here it is again. I made this one on another trip to Molokai. My sister Sandra was with us and she wanted it badly (she loves turtles). I gave it to her to remember the trip by and to ease the horrors of the mutant tropical rodent that was living in the kitchen of our rental house. I really liked this one, it was my first all original punch needle design, so made myself a replica. The one I have is way better that the one Sandra has. Anyway Mom, call me when you get back from Boise.
Love,
Pammie