My mom always says it’s better to give than to receive, and I suppose she’s right. (I think she is just setting up her excuse in advance, for the day she forgets my birthday!)
In an effort to live by the virtues my parents tried to instill in me, I thought I’d test the proverb. And to that end, I’m giving away a brand spanking new embroidery kit and some other delectables, in celebration of turning yet another year older today.
It’s not so bad to turn over another year, in the scheme of things. After all, there’s only one alternative…
There are several reasons I decided to give this particular kit away on my birthday. One, I really like it. Two, I think you will like it, too. Three, it’s time for you to try needlepainting. Four, I have two of them. And five, it’s spring, and in spring, our fancies lightly turn to flowers, despite what Tennyson may have said about love and all that stuff.
You’ll remember that I did a little raving about Tanja Berlin’s hand embroidery kits the other day, right? Well, this is one of ’em, and it’s a good one. It comes with the full book of step-by-step instructions, the design drawn on the fabric, all the necessary threads, and … a needle.
And just to show you how much I like you, I’m also going to include two brand spanking new pairs of 9″ x 9″ Evertite stretcher bars (which will help you tremendously with the project and are the size called for in the instructions – though you could also use a hoop if you wanted) and the T-tool to tighten the stretcher bars.
And I think I’ll just have to throw in a brand spanking new pair of DOVO embroidery scissors, too. The style may vary from those pictured above, but I assure you, they are excellent scissors, no matter what they look like!
All of these fall into the Top-Notch-Embroidery-Stuff category. I’m pretty sure you’ll like them!
However, you have to work for them! Pay attention, because these are The Rules.
1. Leave a comment below, on this blog post (not via e-mail, but on the website on this post).
2. In the comment, you must include your name in a recognizable form. For example, if you’re name is Sue, there are lots of Sues in the world. Sue-from-somewhere or Sue-last-initial will make distinguishing Sues much more feasible.
3. Answer this question in the comment:
If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be? (Um. I probably don’t have to say this, but please keep it publishable… heh heh.)
4. Comments must be in by Tuesday, April 12th, at 5:00 am CST. I’ll draw Tuesday morning, early, and let you know the winner!
The give-away is open to all, no matter where you are in the wide world, but I must mention the fine print: Needle ‘n Thread – and all subsidiaries thereof (I’ve always wanted to say that; there are no subsidiaries) – is not responsible for customs fees or delivery failure due to postal difficulties. International mail will be shipped the most economic way possible.
So Happy My Birthday to You!
I think Mom was right. It is better!
Tuesday, April 12: This Give-Away is now closed, but don’t worry – I suspect there will be others in the near future!
As my birthday has just passed, and today is my wedding anniversary – I can honestly say I’ve love time to relax and enjoy my crafting, no pressures, no deadlines, and DH content in my company doing his own thing – if it’s a material gift – some yummy modern fabrics to inspire me for a personal quilt
What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday! If I could have anything for my birthday, I would like a new Porsche
Happy Birthday Mary
Wishing you many, many more.
I’m pretty easy to please, but you said if I could have ANYTHING! But I’ll still keep it moderate ~lol~ I would love another bathroom in my home. My two grandsons live with me and play sports and someone is ALWAYS in the shower!!
Carol (Birds and Bees)
If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?
My mother asked me this question the other day. My answer to her was a rain check for tuition to another online needlework class. This rose is beautiful and I have wanted to learn thread painting, so I would be thrilled if I won.
My birthday wish would be to have a family gathering with all those I love….kids laughing …running…playing and adults sitting around sharing old times…and plenty of good food….someone capturing photos for the family scrapbooks…
hello mary
yes we can buy a lot of stuff/things we see around us…….or have family/friends give us things as gifts…..
but what i want most is harmony of thought-words -deeds….within my heart and mind……so that whatever i think-say-do…makes me and others around me happy….my family-friends-neighbors-community…..with respect/honor……if all this makes sense……
thank you
kiran seth
Good morning.
I’ll try to participate in this game even my english is so bad.
Happy birthday and thanks to be with us.
The first gift I want it will be health to my daughter and my husband, but when then ask me, I always say : a book, speacially an embroidery one.
So, I wish long life to your blog, so I can have a look to wonderful works.
My hearty wishe to your Birthday dear.
Many many more happy returns of this day.
It was my birthday lastweek.
I want my son and daughter couldbe near me on my birthday. But it is practically impossible because my son is at USA and my daughter is in India.
This time I am happy being with my son at Kansas and not my daughter.
O.K. I am happy.
viji
First, I was surprised to hear it was your birthday today, as mine is also today, and then to have surface embroidery in common what a bonus! The best present I could have at this point is for someone to come clean and get rid of all the acummulation that comes with age! I only want my
sewing and embroidery!
Avis
Wow, you picked a toughie for a contest entry question!
For my birthday, I would love to have a small creative art studio built for me in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington, stocked with materials for needlework, quilting, photography and painting.
Judy T. in NH
Happy Birthday, Mary! Wow, yet another wonderfully generous give-away! If I could have anything I want for my birthday…hmmm, that’s not so easy to decide on! I think it would have to be more time…more time to travel to see my family, more time for the hobbies I love, more time to do everything I don’t have time for now! Again, Happy Birthday, and best wishes for a very special day!
Judy in OKC
At 65 my biggest wish is just to be very healthy and to have a very nice “go to a restaurant” with all my children and grandchildren and everyone have what they wanted without looking at prices! It’s not much but it means a lot when they all get together.
I would be thrilled to win this kit! I did visit Tanja Berlin’s site the other day, and I was very tempted to buy a beginner kit with all the trimmings. Then I decided I should be smart and pay bills first! ; )
If I could have anything for my birthday, I like my sewing room to be neatly organized so that I could find everything when I want it. I’d like this done in the blink of an eye, please! Oh, and it could use a little dusting!
I am Karol Rose from NW Indiana. I would like to be entered in your birthday drawing. Happy Birthday! If I could have anything for my birthday it would be to be able to retire so that I could spend my time with my real passion. Stitching!!
Happy Birthday, Mary! For my birthday, I’d love an all expenses paid month long tip to Africa so I can go on safari. Since that’s not too realistic, this year I’d like my husband to give me a gift certificate to my LNS so that I can take my bag of stitched canvases to be finished. I hope you have a wonderful day!
If I could have ANYTHING for my birthday I guess it would be a long arm quilting machine, unless peace on earth and good will to men was possible.
Happy Birthday Mary. Every day is a birthday gift from you with all the knowledge that you so willing share. I will be glad when you decide to write a book.
I would love an opportunity to win your ” better to give than receive ” give away. I always feel good when I do the same, or share.
Linda in Canada
If I could have anything for my birthday I think it would have to be a Trish Burr embroidery book, I love her work. I find doing needle work very relaxing. I would really love to win this prize as I have been wanting to try thread painting for long time but I am not sure how I would go at it. If I win it will give me the opportunity to try.
Pennelope of Whittlesea Australia
I have decided to try again because I would love to try someone else’s needle painting besides my own and of course I would dearly love to have a pair of those stretchers. I have looked at them and envied all those in America that can own them. We can’t even import them here – too costly – so here’s hoping. But what I would like most in the world for my birthday is a trip to New Zealand to visit my youngest son. I will never see him again but do dream of just getting on a plane and flying there, being cramped up in a seat on an international flight means nothing compared to the joy of seeing him again. So that is my birthday wish.
Jean Cape Town
Hi Mary … HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
I know what you mean about giving is more pleasurable than receiving … however … lol … It’s my birthday next week …& I think I’ve already told you what I’d do if I were to receive any $$’s for my birthday! I’d buy a kit from Berlin or Nordic Needle! Funny that I hadn’t even seen this post until after I left you my comment on FB. See what you’ve done to me since I joined your site?
I’ve never tried needle-painting but have been taking particular note of it of late (esp Helen Stevens)… & think it’s something I might be ok at doing … which is why I decided to buy myself a kit for my birthday.
I’d also be thrilled with the stretcher bars as I haven’t even seen them in the craft shops over here … but then again, I am in a smallish town on the coast of Qld. It’s a stunning place to live, but we do miss out on a lot that city people take for granted. It’s why I usually buy any kits, etc from Country Bumpkin, but have been thinking that it’s just as easy … & even more fun … to buy new & exciting kits .. & especially those little ‘special’ things that we don’t get here … from the US! 🙂
I hope you have some wonderful celebrations for your birthday … & also that this isn’t the year that your Mum forgets to give you a gift! However, me thinks it would be more a case of ‘what’ to give, as opposed to ‘forgetting’ to give! LOL Maybe you need to keep a ‘bridal’ registry at the various craft stores you love the best … lol
Cheers for now,
Wendy … 🙂
If I could have anything for my birthday, what would it be? Well, a needle paining kit of course! I have never needle painted before and would like to try it out.
Kind regards from Ingela T-B in London, UK
p.s. Happy Birthday to you! 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I would love to try my hand at this, my grandma and all her sisters did this kind of embroidery and I thought I would never want to try it, well age does change a lot of things. My birthday wish, an extensive tour of the UK and all the National Trust properties, I just love history, architecture and lovely gardens.
Elga from South Africa
For my ideal (imaginary) birthday I’d like an around-the-world cruise with the specific agenda of needlework. Shore visits inmany different countries to museums, art galleries, fabric and crafts centers, fiber-artist’s workshops, etc. And on the ship, there would be lectures, classes, movies, exhibits all related to needlework, costume, history, etc. Obviously, money and time are very flexable in this fantasy. But wouldn’t it be wonderful!
What a fantastically generous giveaway Mary.
Thank you for offering it ….. and Very Happy Birthday to you. Hope you get whatever you most want for YOUR Birthday 🙂
What would I most want for my Birthday? Do you know, I’m really not sure! When someone I know asked his Mum what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she said ‘World Peace’. Now wouldn’t that make a nice Birthday present? 🙂
However, I think I would like someone to buy me a course at the Royal School of Needlework.
First, may I wish you a very Happy Birthday, may you have many, many more. Your good Mum did a good job bringing you up!
My wish would be for an instant cure for arthritis, so I could know that if and when I reach 80yrs I would still be able to do my embroidery unhindered and without pain.
Wow, what a fantastic giveaway. I think if I could have anything, I think it would be to go on one of Trish Burrs’ courses, the joy from that would last for years
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Pray that you have a most enjoyable day. I really don’t know what I would like for my birthday, other than just for my husband and son to remember me. Normally I buy gifts for others on my birthday, so they can be happy. Its fun to see others get excited when they are handed a gift for no reason.
Wow! Happy Birthday. What a wonderful gift and I would certainly like to be in the drawing for this.
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would wish for a new chair for stitching. I know it sounds silly, but after many years of stitching in my current chair, there’s a certain “butt print” and it’s not as comfortable as it used to be.
Hope you have a wonderful birthday
Hi! I’m writing from southeast Virginia. What would I want for my birthday if I could have anything I want? Well, non-material things, I’d like to see everyone be a little more friendlier to others, not just people they know. Material? I’d love a new house! Not so big… but, large rooms and closets with a handy room just for me and my myriad projects!
Mary,
First of all – Happy Birthday! 🙂 I hope you have a great day.
It took me all of .02 seconds to know exactly what I would ask for if I could have anything for my birthday. I would love to take a stumpwork class from Jane Nicholas. One of her books was my introduction to and the start of my love affair with stumpwork.
Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your stitching and your blog. It truly inspires me. 🙂
Happy stitching,
Cheryl P. in Halifax, NS
Hobbits give gifts on their birthdays. On my birthday, the best gift to me is time. Time to sit and learn needle painting.
this is an amazing offer from an amazing website!
I learn something new with every newsletter and like to follow all the links.I would love to try needlepainting and will cross fingers to win this offer.
Rosemary,
Adelaide,
South Australia.
I would love for someone to give me something in one of the needle arts I do–be it fabric, thread, gift card or even a class I could take. That would tell me they know what I love to do and want me to enjoy it more!
Happy Birthday Mary!
Hi Mary and Happy Birthday!! You are a most generous birthday girl and I have no right to win because I said I don’t like doing kits in your last post about Tania B! I could make an exception for something as pretty as this though! 🙂
If I could have anything for my birthday I’d have someone invent a complete, easy, cheap, one tablet, gauranteed cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis … ’cause that way I’d get more stitching done! 🙂
As you ask for it, I think I’ll like some “soie d’Alger” threads for my birthday, but I never ask anything for my birthday.
Anne Nicolas-Whitney
This message is for my one and only “Embroidery Fairy” (you dear Mary, you are my source of inspiration. I have almost all your messages since I joint your mailing list for future reference).
So for my birthday, I wish I could get . . .
– A Tanja Berlin’s hand embroidery kit,
– A Evertite stretcher bars and to top it off,
– A Doco embroidery scissor.
All of that would be a dream come true . . .
Birthday is in July so if my dream can come true . . . me and my kit will have the best summer vacation.
Love from Francoise (Mafyb)
Bois-des-Filion, Quebec, Canada
Happy Birthday, Mary!
And thank you so much for all you do here online for the Embroidery Universe….
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be another year of what God has so deeply blessed me with: a great marriage, healthy (adult) children, a free country, eyes and hands that still work, fertile soil in the garden, and the time to be creative…
Hmmm…ANYthing I want? Well, after world peace and winning the lottery, there is that Omnigrid template for making a wedding ring quilt which I want to make for my son and his fiancee and I have never been able to give over wanting that Flowers for Elizabeth book you wrote about a while ago. I’d much rather make that than a double wedding ring quilt anyway. ;o) But I would even settle for a live release mousetrap: they are wreaking havoc among my kitchen linens…:o) This lovely kit would be an excellent substitute for all those since I have a much better chance of winning it than I do of getting world peace or a better mousetrap…and my birthday is not too far off and the rose IS my birth flower. Please choose your humble and devoted reader, barbobbi.
Happy Birthday, dear Mary, and never forget you give all your friends here a lovely gift every day when your post your writings about embroidery for us to share!
First of all how generous of you to offer such wonderful gifts. Happy Birthday to you! Cudos to your mom for instilling the gift of giving to you. So you ask, “What would I want for my birthday” (which is next month, btw), well wouldn’t it be wonderful to wish that the whole world would embrace that unselfish gift of giving. Life would be so wonderful!
Happy Birthday Mary!!! Hope all your wishes come true today!! If I could have anything for my birthday it would be to continue to have a healthy, happy & peaceful life for me and all of my family:)
Enjoy your day!!
Natasha W
East Hartford, CT
Oh Mary ! You always surprise me with your generousity and your Mom is quite right saying that is better to give, I try to do this each day in many forms.
About my birthday wish, I would have more time for me and a better health, those last years have been not the best.
If I should choose someting material….the complete range of Soie d’Alger !It’s abitious I know, but fantastic.
Thank you for giving us the possibilty to run for this lovely stuff, a big hug,
Francesca V. – Rome
P.S.
The most important !!! WISH YOU A FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY !!!
one more conversation and cup of coffee with my mama……..
Ah, birthdaysm they are a good way to celebrae the uniqueness of you. They aren’t very important for counting except for things like 16 (driver’s license), 18 (voting)and or eligiblity for retirement. Since the best things in life aren’t things I like joy, health, peace, and more stitching time.
Enjoy your special day.
Happy Birthday Mary!!!
If I could have anything….. I would choose A Long arm quilting machine and frame setup!
I can easily answer the question about what I would like for my birthday because I turn 40 next week and have given this a lot of thought! I would like (am getting, are you listening husband?) a fancy pod coffee maker.
And a happy birthday to you Mary!
Happy Birthday!!! I hope it’s your best ever so far. May your birthday be wonder-filled and blessed in some unexpected way! Thank you for being so generous to us on your birthday.
As for a what I would wish for my birthday, a safe,secure job for my husband. He works for a really mean man to put it nicely and doesn’t know from day to day if he will have a job at all. So, a safe and secure job for Mike.
But what about you, what if YOU could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?
Hello, Mary
Vivian M from Florida here!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! May you have many more springs filled with prosperity and happiness (you are a spring baby).
I hope you have a very nice day today. Hopefully your family will spoil you and take you out to a nice dinner, and you get to eat some really yummy cake.
Now, to answer the question, if I could have anything for my birthday… hmm.. that’s a toughie. I guess I would want to have my Economics degree finished (I am an Economics major) and just to be whimsical, let’s throw in the role of Juliet in Romeo et Juliette from Gounod (I am an operatic soprano).
Have a wonderful day and enjoy your birthday!
A big happy birthday to you Mary.I would so Love to win the stitchery as I am teaching myself all forms of embroidery. Some are easy some are not so easy but my long and short is definitly improving heaps.
Cheers Lyn!
Oh my gosh!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MARY CORBET!!!!
Every post you show your generosity!
I must say that the Evertit stretcher bars is on my wish dream list… I have another wish list more real if you know what I mean and it has two things: a seat frame hoop and the book “Guida a Ricamo Sfilatto” or any other about Ricamo Sfilatto… I’m saving for those two things but every ady is more difficult…specially because the shippings which are too high
Have a great birthday Mary! Whising you good health and happiness for years, days, hours to come. From my deep heart!
xx
Meri
Mary,
Many happy returns of the day!
Again you are generously sharing with us, with a high-quality gift. I’m about to start an online blackwork class with Tanya Berlin. And I “invested” in some Evertites for a canvas course last year – very nice.
Your question made me think: the most memorable gifts have been the unexpected, “just perfect” choices that show that someone knows me. An autographed chart from a favorite designer, a stuffed peacock (a hand puppet), a cape in “my” colors, a decorative egg for my collection, the time my husband guided me to see the Tiffany mural “The Dream Garden”.
And yes, it has also been wonderful to give. We should all be so lucky as to receive an extravagant gift, and to enjoy the pleasure of giving extravagantly as well. It’s a way to hear and say “You are very special to me”.
I have stitched lots of gifts. A dream gift would be something stitched or crafted for me, especially something I can use – not just hang on a wall.
Here’s hoping your birthday includes some special celebrating.
–JoanneP
Hola mi nombre es Marisol Sanchez, soy de España.
Algo para mi cumpleaños: una caja de musica con una bailarina.
Muchos besos.
I am in love of the Elizabeth de Lisle cross stitch kits. Initially there were 9 of them, and I have stitched only one. I own the pattern of another, but in love all the kits. It would be nice to stitch them all, but it is too much money and time. Maybe I haven’t got enough free wall surface too… 🙁
First I would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday. That is an awesome giveaway, I would love to learn this.
As far as if I could have any thing for my birthday, I really can’t say what that would be.I can’t think of anything that I really do want. I have a wonderful husband, two children and grandchildren.
Thanks
P.S. I for got to tell you what I would get you if I could get you anything. I would buy you Biltmore,(or some place like that, we can have it moved to KS if you like) With several rooms filled with beautifully displayed historic embroidered pieces and several other rooms filled with all the embroidery supplies your heart could desire. All neatly organized with servants to do all the work and lots of IRL friends and family to share that happy life!
Hi,
My name is Ediana, so if I win – and I have no luck with these things – it will be easy to identify me 🙂
On my birthday I want to win is the largest collection of embroidery threads, all kinds, in all possible colors, and impossible colors too 🙂
Well .. it’s your birthday and I do not know what you’d like to win.
What I can give you is to say….. thank you!
I read your blog every day. I’m always amazed with his didactic, clearly explain your generosity. Of course, the perfection of your work.
So happy birthday! Health, peace, many friends, a wonderful day for you.
Ediana
Happy Birthday Mary! I look forward to reading your posts. I enjoy your expertise and your humor, those alone are a wonderful gift, birthday or not. I have learned so much from you. What I would like for my birthday (which is actually this month as well 4/27)is more time to put in to practice all this new knowledge. I think a yummy kit from Tanya Berlin would make me put aside some less important things, and sit down and SEW! What a treat that would be!
Happy Birthday! You share a birthday with my grandson. It’s a wonderful day for a birthday. I’d love to be entered in the drawing. I’m always up to earning a new trchnique
Happy Birthday! Twenty-nine is a wonderful age!!
The only thing better than a Tanya Berlin kit is taking a class with Tanya. Have you ever had that good fortune? I have learned so much from just watching her stitch! She is a wonderful teacher and an amazing artist. But maybe even better is winning your birthday present; I have done many of Tanya’s designs but have shied away from needlepainting but if I win, well no more miss-scardey-pants- I am in! And, the frames and scissors are just like frosting on the cake. Thanks a lot and have a wonderful birthday!
I would love for my birthday, someone to come in and strip out my sewing room and then create a new one. With lots of cupboards, work areas and all in White.
Happy Birthday.
Sally M from Milton Keynes
… and for my birthday I would like a DQ Ice Cream cake!
Happy birthday! You give to us with every post, your comments, your recommendations, your thoughts, and your experiences and it is very appreciated. If I could have anything for my birthday, I think at this point it would be a week long retreat somewhere quiet, where I could concentrate on things for myself; learning, reading, meditating, relaxing, and definitely doing some stitching!
Pour mon anniversaire dans quelques jours( j`aurai 60ans le 17 avril) Oh! que j`aimerais avoir du TEMPS….Du temps pour faire tous les projets de broderie, de quilting, de couture ect..qui trottent dans ma tête. J`aimerais avoir encore 60ans pour entreprendre et maîtriser toutes ces merveilleuses techniques.
Ooops . . . Silly I-pad . . . I meant to say new technique.
I would love to receive a studio makeover as a birthday present. My studio is in needs of some reorganizing and new furniture.
Happy Birthday Mary!
What an awesome giveaway! I would just love this. I think for my birthday the only I would want is time to work on my passion – fiber arts. No housework, no chores, nothing, but working away and making good progress. Oh and if that could last at least a month that would be good too.
Happy Birthday, Mary. I signed up for your blog because I hope to get back into needlework one of these days. This giveaway looks like everything needed to do that. I’d love to win it. Thank you for all your wonderful posts. I’ve downloaded and saved all your free designs. Sigh, maybe someday.
Happy returns of the Day,
I have so much fun on your website. I use the videos all the time and enjoy reading your writing. I would, of course, love to win the prizes you offer. There is no place to buy such things where I live. I have often wondered about working with the stretcher bars. If I could have anything I want for my birthday, I suppose it would be more time to stitch. I make quite a bit of time for it now.
Happy Birthday to you.
Mary:
Happy Birthday! Spring babies are the best (mine were). I have to say, your blog brightens my day. I read it every morning when I get to school, before the day starts (I get there pretty early, when the building is quiet and I can work!) so I’d have to say I’d want more time….to stitch, to garden, to go visit aforementioned children, scattered from Kansas to India…. Yup, more time for life would be my wish! Thanks so much for your wonderful blog (and those great give-aways!)
Hello Mary,
One again, you are more than generous. What a lovely gift. As I am a little older than most,(mid 60`s) I do not ask for much for my birthday which irks my hubby to no end, but this giveaway is up my alley. I like to receive threads etc and accessories for quilting. I sure hope I win this one.Thank You.
France
I would love to have this kit of course, but if I could have anything in the world for my birthday, it would be enough money to buy a wonderful house and live my retirement in ease after a long life of work and enough money, of course, to ease my children’s lives as well. We are not in terrible shape, but it would be nice just not to have to worry so that I could do what I wanted, whether it be creative work, volunteer work or just enjoying my family
Linda Jimenez
Happy Birthday! Wishing you many many more. Thank you for the lovely giveaway. If I could have anything – I would want my kids all home for the same week from college/grad school ! That would be fun!
Happy Birthday Mary. I couldn’t find where you listed your age – did I miss it??? I don’t really need anything for my birthday – I have happy, healthy, grown children and loving family – what more could I want. Well maybe some warmer weather here in Northern Ontario, Canada; spring seems to have taken her own vacation somewhere else. It would be so wonderful to win this and give it to my son for his birthday which is April 12th and if he doesn’t want it I will offer to keep if for him lol!! Love your site. Thank you for helping me learn to be more creative.
Irene in the frozen north!!!
I hope your birthday is wonderful. thank you for the beautiful stitching giveaway. I would love for my birthday a new cello!
G’day Mary, And a really special day to you. May you always feel so generous on your birthday and have lots and lots more too! And may your warm and fuzzy birthday giveaway feeling last all year.
I went all through Tanja Berlin’s site from your link recently. Delightful.
My answer to the competition question is –
My Brother. 13 yrs today. It’s okay. Lots of blessings to count and things to chuckle over, mostly.
Laughing and crying are akin to each other. They both bring tears and relief and block up your nose!
Pass the tissues please, I think I’m going to…to…I’m sorry, to…SNEEZE!
Thanks for this amazing oportunity Mary,
Cheers, Kath from Oz
My ultimate birthday present would be to travel in a submarine to the bottom of the ocean, accompanied by Jacques Cousteau and David Attenborough. I think the deep ocean is the most fascinating place on earth, it’s like an alien world right here on Earth.
This ties in with my favorite passtime: watching nature documentaries while knitting or embroidering 🙂
Happy Birthday Mary. Don’t think of it as getting another year older – just another year better! I was actually talking to my kids the other day and telling them how much I would like a couple of sets of evertite frames this year for my birthday (which is not until August, but I like to start dropping hints eartly). This wonderful giveaway would certainly fulfill that wish, with work to practice on as well. Needlepainting is one of my favourite tecniques and I’m taking a correspondence course with Trish Burr right now. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity.
Carol A
I’d love to have a chance to go back in time and get a “do-over” for certain parts of my life. Since that is not possible, I’d settle for winning this wonderful give away. Have a happy birthday, Mary. Your letters brighten my day and expand my skills.
My ultimate birthday present would be to travel to the bottom of the ocean with Jacques Cousteau and David Attenborough. The deep ocean fascinates me, it’s like an alien world right here on earth!
It ties in with my favorite after-work activity: watching nature documentaries while embroidering or knitting 🙂
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would have to say I want a full pottery studio (dream big I always say!), or at the very least, an actual studio space. In the meantime, this kit would be lovely to have! Thanks for offering the chance to win.
Happy Birthday, Mary! It’s your birthday, and we get presents?! You are awesome!! And what a present!! I think for my birthday, I would love a really good reference book on crewel work and a small kit to start with! I have always been facinated with it. And a maid to clean my house so i could have more time to stitch!!
By the way, your video tutorials are fantastic!! They helped me learn bullion knots! (I just could not figure those babies out!) Diagrams are all well and good, but I tried at various times over the course of a month to get it right! So I sat down with my iPad and UTube, and followed along with you! You have been my saviour many times! My own stitching fairy! LOL!
Thanks again for the birthday giveaway chance! And I hope your birthday is wonderful!
Melissa J. in SW Ontario, Canada
Happy Birthday Mary!! You are always such a generous person, and I also believe, it is wonderful to be able to give and share what we have. As for a birthday- I would love to have dear family and friends from near and far gather together for a wonderful sunny day- topped off, of course, with a gooey birthday cake!
I would love to have a reorganized, clean house! I have been working on this for awhile, not making much progress, but if it were done, I know I would be sooo much more creative and productive!
As a matter of fact, today IS my birthday – so this is an easy question. I have taken the day off from work and given myself the gift of time. I will stitch today and enjoy every minute of it guilt free! I will spend time with my grown sons and time with my girlfriends. I will dream about the new crewel kit that I’m just sure I’m going to win 😉
But mostly I will be thankful for the many gifts I have been given in this life. Your blog is one of them.
My birthday is coming up and my family will be in Europe. Besides having them with me, I would love to have a full day to embroider and watch movies. I am a big fan of the Normanday kits…maybe they will bring me one home. Thanks for giving us a chance to win such a wonderful package.
Tammi Holman
PS Happy Birthday, Mary! I hope your day brings many Blessings!
I would love a day with Tania Berlin. I have been to her website many times and love her work. I live to far away to travel to her and have often dreamed of doing one of her kits.maybe next time she is in Australia I will get to her.
Happy Birthday, Mary! I hope you have a wonderful year filled with happiness! Thank you so much for all you have taught us with this website, you are very much appreciated.
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a trip to the northeast to see my parents, sister and nephew. I haven’t seen them in years and would love to. That means I probably should make that happen soon.
For my birthday, I would love to take a ballet cless. And if that doesn’t work out, a goofy hat.
Thank you,
Olivia H.
Happy Birthday to you!
Such a generous soul to give these amazing gifts!
I want to go to Ireland! I have Irish roots and want to see the Emerald Isle while I still have the health to do it!
Jane
A very happy birthday to you. Mine is in 3 weeks and what I would love is the time to complete all my UFOS! On a more practical note, I’d love phone calls from my children. In as much as I’m known as the Card Lady, my habit didn’t rub off on my children and they seldom acknowledge birthdays. Gee, a card from my hubby would be nice too.
Materialistically, a pair of miniature duckbill scissors would be great for heirloom sewing.
Happy Birthday Mary!! Wishing you many more!
My perfect birthday present this year would be funds enough to allow me to take the granddaughter on a little Spring Break next week when she is out of school. But, we’ll still be having fun here at home! Sending hugs and best wishes!
Kathy Shaw
http://www.shawkl.com
If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, it would be the ablility to retire, so that I could stitch my ever-increasing stash!
Happy Birthday!
For my birthday I’d love a holiday at home with my husband. Some free time to sew!
Many,many happy returns of the day,Mary .Hope you get lots of wishes and gifts and let the smile remain on your face throughout today and for the coming days.
My B’day wish?? If you ask me I wouldn’t be able to answer immediately…coz there are lots of things I want – embroidery books,kits,threads etc etc…but I am not desperate for those,if I get them I’ll be happy.But I’ll never ask for them specifically.I’ll probably say “give me whatever you feel like” .If God were to give me a wish,then I would ask for a healthy long life to my husband and little girl and if possible me too 🙂
If the jeannie popped out of the bottle to grant me a birthday wish, I think it would have to be time and money to just sit and create.
Thank you for such a fun and informative AND educational web site
First, Happy Birthday! Second, thank you for everything, you are a great teacher and obviously daughter and friend!
Third, almost three years ago, while on dialysis, was told could not get a kidney transplant because of antibodies. The next day (!) I was called by the hospital that a donor was available and was transplanted the next day!Happy Birthday to me!! so thankful, happy, yes scared! and relieved! the best Birthday Present ever!
Hugs
Hi Mary, Happy Birthday.
If I could have anything at all for my birthday, I would like my son-in-law to be cancer free. He has kidney cancer. And I think his 11 year old son needs to have his father around for a great many more years.
I have wish lists, mostly on needlework sites and book sites for needlework books! Retirement is coming and I will not spend as freely – so bday is perfect! But, my kids never get it! Honestly? My true wish is to spend a relaxing day at home with my entire family. You know, everyone just relaxing, dinner maybe a movie and lay around and I can stitch and talk with them! That’s my favorite time – stitching, talking with my kids and husband, and stitching! Always have to have something in my arthritic hands! There it is!
I would like an organizer to come in and help me organize my craft supplies once and for all. I would love to find that second ball of yarn so I can finish that scarf I’ve been knitting for several months. Additional room and baskets and bins would also be nice.
Happy Birthday, and thank you so much for all you do and put into Needle ‘n Thread, it’s really one of my most favorite sites to visit.
My birthday….gosh, I’d really like to win the lottery but I’d take that on any day of the year! While I still love gifts and always will, my favorite birthdays over the past few years have been the ones where I get to be Queen For A Day. I love to look forward to: no alarm clocks, personal pampering, favorite movies, favorite foods, the house stays clean, no errands to run, and my hair and outfit stay terrific looking all day long (in my mind at least).
Happy Birthday Mary
My fantasy wish would be a trip to Europe. My realistic wish is the thread color card of Au ver a Soie. Thank you for having this give away! I hope you have a very blessed and happy day!
Renetta from Taos NM
Wow, how generous! Happy birthday Mary. May you grow old gracefully, and happy too! Well, a spanking new car would be a good alternative. But would love to win one of the embroidery kits on offer! Love your blog.
Happy Birthday Month to US, as I too have a birthday in April the 22nd!
If I could choose anything for my Birthday it would be a full day of CREATIVITY with the chatter of loved ones around me or perhaps spending the day teaching someone else my love of CREATING!!!
Hope you plan the day celebrating you!!!!
Thank You for sharing all that you do!
Happy Birthday, Mary.
A long time dream of mine is to go an a trip to Rome, Italy. Especially, I want to see liturgical embroidery, in museums, in churches, in shops, anywhere there are embroidered vestments and linens. Then, I would find some extraordinary patterns that I could bring home and spend the rest of my life making exquisite embroideries. I guess that’s a little bit more than a one-time birthday present.
My ideal birthday gift would be a long weekend somewhere. Ideally it would be camping, however my birthday is in January and there isn’t much camping you can do in New York in January! If I can’t go camping, I would like to go to a nice secluded cabin or B&B somewhere.
The wild rose kit reminds me of my Dessert Rose dishes….love it! Would go together wonderfully.
For my birthday–my wish would be to go to England and take a class on Durham quilting.
Happy Birthday, I love birthdays. So wishing all the best. If Ihave a chance at winning, maybe it could be something that would be finished by my birthday in the Fall. That would be so cool.Thanks for doing these giveaways, Tanya wersinger, south carolina
My son just asked me if I had three wishes what would they be…I answered immediately and this goes for what I would wish for if it was my birthday, that my son have a happy & long life. My other wishes were that I have a healthy and long life (it is pretty happy as it is) and lastly, to retire to a wee cottage on the coast of Ireland to look out to the sea, time to write and embroider to my heart’s content.
I wish everyone who has posted, happy and long lives and may their wishes all come true.
All Best,
Robin O.
Woodstock, NY
Good Health and eyesight to keep stitching 🙂
Happy Birthday, good health and eyesight to you on this lovely spring day. Pat in SNJ
Happy Birthday!!
To answer your question will be kind of hard. The only thing I can think of would be to have my Mother back. She passed away April 13 of last year after a 2 year battle with colon cancer. She was my best and only friend as I take being a loner to the extreme (I wouldn’t leave my house if it wasn’t necessary sometimes). She was my cheerleader when I decided to get into cross stitch designing. I have two brothers and, unfortunately, we are not close, so my “internet stitchy friends” have become my extended family. Some, I am very close to, but have never met.
Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful birthday!!
Happy Birthday! Mary, your site is an addiction to me! I’m a member of a medieval reenactment group and tell everyone of my friends about it – thanks for such a wonderful resource! Now about your question: If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be? Well, that’s easy – I’ve always wanted my own bookstore/craftshop where I could foster both a love of reading and have classes on many different crafts! Maybe someday I’ll win the lottery and do it, until then I’ll keep learning and practicing. Thanks and have a great birthday!
Happy Birthday! June is my 10 year anniversary of having breast cancer. Because of that, I am just happy to be alive. Every Birthday, every spring, every day is a gift. For my Birthday I would want to come up with a plan of how I could put together a class on embroidery for other survivors so that they, too could enjoy needlework as much as I do. For my anniversary year all my finished projects will be donated for auctions for cancer research!
Hello Mary,
“Wish you Many More Happy Returns of the Day”
My wish is to have embroidery stuff or flowers for my birthday. since my family do not know much about embroidery materials they always gift me flowers along with some more gifts.
My birthday is in this month. If i could win this gift i will be happiest..:)
Thank you Mary for such a noble thought
Happy Birthday Mary of Kansas!
For my birthday I would like a day all by myself on an island in the sun. I would like to be joined for dinner by my DH and children and then spend the rest of the week together on the island. No bickering allowed.
Hi,
I think you are showing a great example by giving a gift on your birthday. I presume it is a way a thanking God for the life He gave.
Regards,
Anju George
a Very Happy Birthday to you ( first things first!)
My own birthday is in November, what would be really nice would be to travel to a nice, sunny location for some relaxing holidays with my boyfriend – oh, wouldn’t that be just great…
But somewhat nearer in the future, I would just love to receive this beautiful gift you are giving away! Thank you for your generosity and your great website.
Have a wonderful day
WOW! What a nice giveaway..! I love it! Happy Birthday and many more. If I could pick anything for my birthday it would be a shopping spree at my local fabric shop with lots of money to spend of coarse.LOL Thank you for this chance to win a beautiful kit.
Hello Mary,
“Wish you Many More Happy Returns of the Day”
My wish is to have embroidery stuff or flowers for my birthday. since my family do not know much about embroidery materials they always gift me flowers along with some more gifts.
My birthday is in this month. If i could win this gift i will be happiest..:)
Thank you Mary for such a noble thought..
Lakshmi Sadala
Congratulations and many happy returns of the day…lovely sunny day in Aberdeen, hoping it is with you also.
For my birthday, I would like a house elf…so that I could escape noticing all the dust bunnies and friends and enjoy doing what I want to do. Since the house elf would be doing such a great job, I would even have time to change my sewing room from a depository for all kinds of junk into the wonderful workroom it should be. It would be an oasis of calm and rational organisation, a library for my books, shelves for all my vintage fabrics, laces, linens…a place for all my canvas, background fabrics and boxes of interesting threads, beads and findings… and a workbench for my latest passion…silversmithing!!And not to forget…my computer and printer to keep in touch with the world.
Oh what unutterable JOY!! Wishing you a happy, happy day.
The perfect birthday gift would be an extended trip to Europe, though not in December (my birth month). I have to say, though, that this give-away would be a most welcome treat. Thanks for this opportunity!
Happy Birthday to you dear Mary, Happy Birthday to you. (sung to music)
What would be my wish? I wanted an IPad for my birthday and for Christmas. Can’t afford one so I’m still wishing. But I love anything needlework. I don’t have stretcher bars or sharper scissors, so that would be a blessing!
Happy Birthday Mary!
My answer would be… I wish for in the whole world….
To continue to be happy, healthy, have a roof over my head, food on the table and a little money in my pocket.
OR
Win the lottery… I’m not greedy…. LOL….
Either would be OK with me.
My husband died suddenly one week into his retirement. My birthday wish is to have him back with me, our children, and grandchildren!
Just wanted to wish you a very Happy Birthday! Hope it’s a splendid one.
Happy Birthday Mary 🙂 I hope you have a lovely day and remember, there are no calories in birthday cake 🙂
When my husband asks what I want for my birthday, I usually tell him I’d like a gift card from this fabric store, or that embroidery site – you get the idea. He says, a gift card is not a present! I reply with ‘It certainly is, in fact it’s a double present. Not only do I get to buy things I love, I get to shop!!!’ 🙂
But truthfully, if I could have anything at all for my birthday – i’d want my kids and grandkids living near me. It’s been 6 yrs since we all lived in the same town, and I miss them so much. Visits are nice, but not the same.
Thank you for giving on your birthday 🙂
Happy Birthday Mary. May you have many more.
Don’t you know you give to us everyday? The writing and inspiration you provide is a gift to us. But if you want to give away the kit and extras, I’d love to be the recipient.
If I could have absolutely anything for my birthday – no boundaries? I’d probably want a beach house – one with plenty of bedrooms where our boys would always come with their families for fun, relaxation, and good times with family – creating special memories.
If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday I think I would want enough money for my family and I to move. We have been wanting to for a while now. We live in a two bedroom rental and don’t have enough room for both kids, much less everything we own. We have had to pay for a storage unit for the last six years. I figured it up and for the price we pay and the amount of time we have paid, we could have bought a couple of yard barns to store our stuff in already. 🙁 We can’t afford one though LOL. Anyway, that is my choice for what I would want, the money to move to a bigger house so my daughter would have her own room instead of having to sleep on a roll away bed in the living room.
Thanks for giving us a chance to win such wonderful things!
Happy Birthday!
I really appreciate your blog and read it regularly. I have never needlepainted and this kit looks like an ideal way to try it out. Not too intimidating! ~Mark
What a great birthday gift you are giving. What a beautiful gesture. My name is Mary J/ Jersey to most.
This is an absolutely beautiful thing to do and I know anyone that wins will be so pleased.
For my birthday I would love to be able to embroidery like you and most here in this group. I am new to embroidery and am loving it.
I don’t post much (only to ask questions) but I read and try new things as they come up.
Mary Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. May it be the best one ever.
God Bless
Jersey
For my birthday I would like to be able to travel to Europe and see some of the history, see what fabric and needlework they do there and just explore.
After a new kitchen,I would love a new sewing machine. My dad taught me to embroider more than 50 years ago. I still have it.
A very happy birthday Mary. May you have a wonderful day and may the year ahead be the best one yet. I have found that the more I give, (either by physically helping or otherwise) I seem to get so much more in return. I am an avid hand crafter. I do alot of hand embroidery and always looking for something new to learn and make.
Beautiful kit and what a neat way to celebrate your birthday! If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday it would be a trip to Australia and New Zealand to meet all of the wonderful stitchers that I have read about, and visit all of the great shops that I have seen in magazines such as Inspirations. And just to explore the countries!
Happy birthday! My birthday’s not for several months but I’d love a new leather purse. Have a lovely day!
Julie F (from Chicago)
Happiest Birthday Wishes Mary! I hope you have a wonderful day!
If I could have anything on my birthday, I would want my whole family to come together for a nice meal and just spending time together. Of course, STASH is always great too.
Mary – What a wonderful and generous idea! My ultimate birthday gift would be a complete course of study at the Royal School of Needlework. I believe in dreaming big. I could tuck my hubby away in my room and we could explore Great Britain during off-times when my eyes had crossed from stitching!
I have been blessed in this life with a good husband; a son who is successfully making his way in the world and a daughter who now seems to have found her path as well. I hope everyone else who enters is equally blessed.
If I could get anything for my birthday it would be 3 things, besides world peace, I would be selfish and ask for a 1)kindle or an ipad 5; 2)elan lap frame for stitching; 3)a sewing machine.
Happy Birthday Mary! I too am an April baby born on Good Friday many years ago on April 11. My wish is for a new light for needlework.
Happy Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be that all my family was gathered around me with love! Hope you get everything you desire on your birthday too!
Happy Birthday.
What a nice set, the only thing missing is the stitcher 🙂
For my birthday I would love to get a whole stash of silk embroidery threads and ribbon. And I love your birthday giveaway – Alberta’s provincial flower is the wild rose and they are one of my favourite flowers – they bloom early, smell wonderful, and you can make yummy jelly from the hips
Happy Birthday, Mary! I hope you have the best of days.
For my birthday (the Ides of March), the perfect gift would be my son home safe and sound from deployment, continued health for my family, and a visit from my mom who lives too far away. I just hope I can find that pair of ruby slippers before my next birthday….
What a nice way to celebrate your birthday and honor you mom too. If I could do anything for my birthday…(silly, I know)…I would like to be to live the day as Scarlet O’Hara (before the way). Be the belle of the ball in a fine southern plantation. Yeah, I know it is corny. But short of that, my wish would be to stay home in my pajamas and stitch all day. Ahhh, to dare to dream. Thanks for the chance at the give-a-way. Have a very blessed birthday! Sharon M from West, Texas (yes, the town is West…not the direction).
Happy Birthday Mary!!
Thank you for this opportunity to win the kit and stretcher bars!
I think my ideal birthday gift would be a two week course at the Royal School of Needle work!
and all the supplies to go with it and my Husband going with me!! Taht would be a dream come true!!
Happy Birthday Mary, have a wonderful day and tell your mom I said thanks too!
A very Happy Birthday, Mary!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a six week vacation to the mountains.
What a lovely giveaway, gorgeous pattern.
Happy anniversary!
Your site inspired me to start to embroider again after 35 years from high school. I searched all informations and found too many to learn… So just started to traditional embroidery. Girls teased me of ordering treads, hoops, needles, books, fabrics. Needlepainting is one of my high interest which I never learned in highschool (in early 70′). I’d like to have a chance to see needlepainting before my girls tease me of ordering needlepainting things even I don’t know well.
Manny manny happiness to you!
Once upon a time………..
If I could have anything (this would mean I have shaken the money tree that I obviously found ) for my birthday it would be the most organized space for all my things that would include a wall of nails for each spool of thread to display itself and show its color to make me happy every day. Of course it would have to be set in a way that fading would never occur……nor dust! And all of my machines would be Brand New! Up to Date! And my projects would be never behind and on this day I would just be finishing my very favorite of all UFO……..and we lived happily ever after. ahhhhh. Now that would indeed be such a birthday now wouldnd’t it? Chris Beresford, the tale spinner, the dreamer and wanna be winner. Happy, happy birthday to YOU!
Thanks for the try on such a nice treat.
Happy Birthday Mary.
I sure enjoy reading your blog. I have been reading for about a year and half and you always have interesting things to talk about.
I wish most for good health but if it was for a crafty thing, then it would be for a really good light that would help me to see better while stitching.
Happy birthday, Mary!
If I could have anything for my birthday….it might be my own personal Jeeves to cook dinner and prepare bag lunches each day for my family. I really dislike cooking, grocery shopping, and most any kitchen activity more involved than making a pot of coffee. Not cooking would also leave me more time for needlework. 🙂
Dear Mary,
Happy Birthday! And I think your mother’s one very smart woman. It is very pleasurable to give. Thank you for listening to her.
As for the what would I want for my birthday – well, this year I already received nearly everything I wanted. The last item on my wish list is one of them fancy DVD players that streams internet to connect to the television in my room. Right now I have to connect my laptop and it’s a pain to moving things around all the time like this.
But other than that, I’ve been given so much this year, that I want for nothing.
Happy Day! For my birthday, I would love to have a reunion of ALL of my friends and family.
Happy birthday dear Aries sister. My birthday was yesterday- 7 April. FOr my birthday I asked for and got TIME.
Time to help me with things I can’t do myself. So dear daughter is coming over tomorrow and work in my yard. I have a wonderful daughter.
PS: I have lusted over Dovo scissors for a very long time. YOur give away is totally awesome. Thank you birthday sister.
Janice MIller
Happy B’day and many more happy ones to come.
My B’day wish is to have enough money to pay off all our bills so I could move back to my hometown to be with my parents, kids and the joy of my life – my granddaughter Kayclynn.
Debbie in MO
Happy Birthday.
For my birthday I would like my health especially my eyesight and to be arthritis free so I can continue stitching. To have more time would be an incredible bonus _ I will have to live to be about 200 to complete all the projects I want to finish!
Susan M. Queensland, Australia
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
I love needle painting
and crocheting too!
What would i like for my birthday? Well, I’m trying to put together the pictures for a needle painted quilt that I plan to make using a Mexican rayon floss. Problem is, I am having trouble finding flower pictures that turn me on. I would just love some transfers that are detailed enough for the project I have in mind. I already have the blocks cut,and am just waiting for the right inspiration!
Happy Birthday Mary! I hope you have many years to come.
My wish for my birthday is to have more time to do all the wonderful things that I want (embroiderying, sewing, dyeing).
Greetings from Argentina!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a day sitting in a comfy chair, surrounded by friends and family, eating cakes, drinking milk and taking naps! My birthday is Monday and that’s what I plan to do!
Dear Mary, Happy Birthday to you! Thank you for your kindness in giving us this wonderful blog and for mentioning how your Mom has guided you in your life. If I could have a wish for my birthday, it would be to be able to be with my mom that day but sadly she passed away several years ago. My mom taught me and my sisters the fine art of needlework. We all still love to pick up a needle and create!
Happy birthday, Mary! Enjoy your day! And thanks for sharing it with the rest of us.
“If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?”
You mean besides peace on earth and full bellies for all, with each person on their own small patch of land with a shading tree overhead? Okay, so I dream (along with Isaiah) . . .
A beautiful piece to work on and the time, and peace (pun intended) to actually work on it! A simple thing, but the gift of time and something lovely to fill it with would be so wonderful!
Happy Birthday, Mary!
As for the kit – Pretty! I’d love for this to end up in my house. It seems odd to me that the Iowa state flower is now usually found only along railroad tracks or gravel roads and often sprayed as a weed.
For my birthday? A cleaning service. Or the big lottery win. The Dear Sweet Child to see the value of studying in school. To stay healthy enough to keep on his behind about the inportance of school, even if he dosn’t go on to college (can you tell we had school conferences last night?). You to keep writing this blog for a loooooooong time!
Gail in Iowa
Hi Mary,
That for the great work you do on your site. It is the only one I read faithfully EVERY day.
If I could have anything for my birthday (besides of course loved ones who have passed), it would be a fantastic array of threads to fill a room. I love color, of any sort, it is like food to me. I remember being in Morocco a few years ago. We went into a little shop, and it almost took my breath away. There it was, every wall, top to bottom FILLED with tiny spools of every color of silk thread you could imagine. I could have spent hours in that shop. Hugs!
Hi Mary,
If I could have anything, I would want my own little part of the house, for my crafting. That way I would have to take things out and put them away all the time. It would be heaven.
Many happy returns of the day! I’m always saying “There’s only one alternative to getting older.” I’m glad to see someone else has adopted that aphorism!
Please count me in for the giveaway. If I limit myself to strictly material things that someone might reasonably decide to give me, I suppose what I’d want most for my birthday this year is some round cake cooling racks of various sizes. Exciting, eh?
Hi Mary,
The Rose pattern would definitely be enough for
a birthday gift, plus all the additional items,
“wow”.
One thing I do wish for everyday, is that my
daughter find a decent job; she has been looking for at least two years, this would truly be a great birthday gift.
Thanks again Mary for sharing……….
Teri
Happy Birthday Mary. The one thing I would love most for my birthday wish would be to have my mom and dad back for that day. They’ve both been gone for some time now and I’d just love to give them both another hug and kiss and let them know how much I still miss them.
Happy Birthday, Mary! Thanks for being such a giver….and just the type things all us stitchers love!
As I’m presently endeavoring to add threadpainting to my embroidery experience, your gift would be a real treat for me. I would love to take a trip “downunder” one day….see Australia and New Zealand….and participate in “Beating Around the Bush”.
Thanks for the generous give-away!
Happy Birthday Mary and thanks for offering us a chance to shae in your birthday presents.
Sudukc’s perfect birthday would be a day(more like a week-end)at the lake on a screened in porch (in case of rain and to keep the bugs out) overlooking the water with stitching friends and family close by to clebrate with me. I would not have to do anything but sip iced tea, eat (angel food cake with ooie-gooey white icing for desert), stitch and visit with a nap thrown in for the late night hours I’m going to be keeping.
I would love to be able to eat at my favorite restaurant, which has been closed for a very long time.
And have flourless chocolate cake and take a nap and fly a kite and get a letter from a foreign land and play with kittens and read three chapters of a good book and know that everyone I care about is safe and well.
Happy Birthday Mary!! Wishing you love ‘n laughter, sunshine ‘n smiles for many, many years to come!
If I could have anything, I would choose an all expense paid week in Vegas with $$ to gamble! But in my real life, I always ask for gift cards to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, JoAnn’s, etc.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Happy Birthday! Since I work full time and take care of my mother with Alzheimer’s, I would love a day without responsibility. A day to meditate, relax, and to do what I want to do – just because I can.
Have a great day!
Happy birthday! God grant you many years in health and happiness!
Thank you for your tremendous generosity! I can’t believe you’re giving away all of that!
Your question is a difficult one. The first thing which popped into my mind was world peace, but I know that wouldn’t sound genuine to anyone who doesn’t know me. If I were to be more selfish, I would wish for good health for my mother. She’s only 68, but she already has a pacemaker, suffers from congenital heart failure (which is currently under control), has horrible arthritis, and severe depression. I can still see the person she was, in there trying so hard to get out, but I can’t save her. Reading through some of the responses, I’m happy to see that there are still so many people who value the truly important things and I’m proud to be part of this online community. Ali in CT
If I could have anything I want for my birthday or any day, it would be to win this fabulous giveaway! What a dream it is. I cannot even imagine opening that package with all of the goodies. Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Mary!
Well my ideal gift would be some peonies for our new garden. I just love them. Hope you have fun celebrating your birthday. Kind regards Clare
Happy Birthday! First I want to say how much I enjoy your website and look forward to the newsletter I receive each day! Thank you so much for this important work that you do! For my birthday I would like to be able to afford to have the time and the money to work on what I love the most ~ needlework and sewing! Have a great day! God bless.
That rose is so beautiful! Hm… I know what I want this year for my birthday. We’re moving to Moldova in September, and I want my stuff! It usually takes two to six weeks to get your stuff once you move, and in the meantime you’re living on borrowed, minimal things from the embassy. I’d love to just get my things so I can get settled in my new home come October first.
well Happy Birthday! 29 is always fun again! Love your post, your blog, and how that brain of yours works…quite fun! I think for my next birthday I would absolutely HANDS DOWN want a little vacation with my hubby. The last 5 years have been sorta tight here with 2 kids in college ( both graduating in may!YEAH!!!!) and our awful economy here in MI. So…here’s to a better 2012 …and fingers crossed I get my wish lol..have a great day!
I would love to have an antique tea cart for my dining room.
Gail R. from MI
This is my birthday month, too! Last week I became an octogenarian, and I still have so much stitching to do that I intend to last quite a few more years! Indeed, my fervent birthday wish has three parts: (1) finish all the things in my stash; (2) add new things to my stash; and (3) finish all the newly-added things as well. Stitching is something I took up seriously after I retired from an academic career 13 years ago, and it is my passion!
I love your posts, Mary, and I wish you the very best.
Lee in Gaithersburg
PARTY TIME!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY!!! Hoping that you had a good time.. I thank GOD for blessing you with yet another year filled with laughter and fun and of course stitching.. 🙂
The only thing that i wish for is to have my family close.. My mom, my dad and my sis… they are so far away.. I MISS THEM..
SOKU
MN
Hello Mary and Happy Birthday to the birthday girl!
If I could have anything for my birthday, what would it be? World Peace. (no, I’m not Gracie Lou Freebush from the movie Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock ) But world peace sure would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?
Thanks for thinking of others on your day Mary. May the good Lord bless you with many more.
BrendaD from Wilmington, Ohio
Dear Mary,
Happy birthday! I hope you the kind of day that makes you wish the next birthday comes really fast! 🙂
Answering your question – because, of course I want all those gifts! – what I really want for my birthday is jewelry. Which I might get for myself! But since that is quite expensive, I think I will be pretty happy with the new coming Trish Burr book, with supplies to try one of the projects… so we could say that if it’s not a shiny rock, at least it has some shiny threads involved! 😀
Happy Your Birthday Mary! Giving is a wonderful feeling…agreed. My name is Linda, in blog land I go by SewLindaAnn and I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve been starting to learn embroidery with a blog doing a Retro Nine Patch and I love it. For my b’day, if I could have “anything” it would be a fully loaded sewing machine. One of those work horses that cost the same as a car.
Dear Mary,
May God bless you on your birthday and on this new year that begins for you.
Yes, when one gives, one receives doubly–the joy of gratitude for being able to do so, and the joy of seeing the other person’s happiness.
For my birthday (October), I wish good overall health, especially that my arthritic hands stop getting worse so that I can continue to do all the things I love with them, including embroidery. (Actually, I still need them to make a living as I work at a computer all day!)
If I won the gift, I would embroider it for my mother-in-law who used to sew and embroider beautiful things by hand and no longer can. She also loves roses. (My own Mom died in 2004.)
Thank you for your generosity of spirit–you give us something beautiful every day!
Doris Hernandez Huston – Florida
Happy B’day!! I got a wonderful compost bin for Christmas and now realize I need another one; one to collect in and one that’s cooking. So, that’s what I want. I hope you get everything you want. LI Lawyer Jane
Happy Birthday! All I ever want for my birthday is one entire guilt-free day of doing nothing. I never manage to give it to myself, despite the cooperation of my family. May you be more sucessful than me!
I think for my birthday I would most like to have one perfect moment! You see, I am a cancer patient, and just having a birthday is really gift enough for me. But to have that one perfect moment in time sounds like heaven! I don’t know what I will do with that one perfect moment, maybe some stitching or reading; maybe a walk on a lovely Spring day; maybe a romp with the dogs. I don’t know, but because it is that one perfect moment in time, whatever I choose to do will be – perfect.
Happy, Happy Birthday.
If I could have anything as a present it would be the gift of time-more time to do what I wanted to do-STTITCH!
Happy Birthday Mary,
I think you Mom was on to something. When my children were little, I used to have them pick out a toy that they really wanted for Christmas and then we would give it away to charity. At first, they were upset but as the years went by they really enjoyed and now they all have a generous spirit. Enjoy your birthday.
Kristy
Happy Birthday!!
For my birthday, I’d love a vacation with my husband. I would be great for just the two of us to get away.
For my birthday I would like to have a reunion of all my good friends, some wine and lots of laughter.
Hello Mary and Happy Birthday!
My fantasy birthday gift would be a cabin in the mountains where it would be cool and quiet and I could go there to stitch, knit and paint.
Have a wonderful birthday!
Jan B.
May your special day be filled with love and chocolate, Mary! I do so enjoy receiving your frequent email updates with all the beautiful embroidery photos. I actually learn a lot just reading them!
Now, if it were MY birthday, I think I would wish for a week off work to just be creative. I like both quilting and embroidering, but never seem to have enough hours in the day to enjoy them.
To win the lottery and buy homes for Habitat for Humanity. Ot better yet to stitch and eat chocolate.
Happy Birthday! I have a big milestone birthday this year and I have several other friends turning the same age as me. We are having little celebrations all year long together. My birthday wish would be for me and my husband to take a year off work, have all the bills paid and the house taken care of for us and to do nothing but travel for an entire year. We love seeing new places and meeting fabulous people. It’s so much fun to learn about other cultures. I would have to take at least “some” of my stitchy stuff, of course.
Happy Birthday! I hope you are spoiled rotten by your family and loved ones ^_^
That looks like an awesome giveaway. Thank you so much for the opportunity! Coincidentally I’ve just started trying to do needlepainting. It’s a slow process, but I love the way that embroidery is an instant-feedback learning, and even the mess-ups look pretty 🙂
If I could get anything at all for my birthday it would be to spend more time with my man who is 1600km away. It’s temporary, but I miss him.
Thank you for your amazing website and all the time and effort you put into it.
Tessa from Stellenbosch, RSA
Happy birthday Mary,wishing you Health and Happiness and may your needle keep showing us the beautiful things that we could do.I wish for everybody to treasure what they have and to help others obtain it.
Happy Birthday, and many more! Thanks for the chance to win this kit. I was on her website and loved this, and the pansy as they are perfect for a beginner like me! 😉
Hope you have a great one….and mother was right, it really is better to give than receive.;
Desi
For my birthday I’d like a shiny new 85mm 1.4 lens. Or an iPad. Gadgets are my love-language.
Or an embroidery kit. ; )
If I could have ANYTHING….it would have to be a cabin in the mountains with a big porch where I would sit for hours enjoying the view and mountain air and stitch!!! My birthday is April 18th…maybe I will at least have some new stitching projects!!
Hi! Happy birthday!! For my birthday, hmmm… it’s a toss-up. Either a new Nikon camera.. like the D3000 or something amazing like that to replace my D60, orrrrr, on the emotional side, a trip back to Brazil to see friends I haven’t seen in more than six years!
And.. my name is Erica from Visalia 🙂
Happy Birthday, Mary and thank you for all the work you do.
I have to say, this year, if some magical being came to me and said I could have anything I wanted, just one thing, I’d be torn. I don’t know if it would be for my father back, alive and healthy, or if it would be for my son to find his way in the world.
Now if we’re talking *realistic*, I want my house cleaned and all maintenance thingies done, you know, upgraded to practically new. mmmm, I suppose that isn’t realistic, either. So how about a ball or two of Handmaiden Casbah sock yarn or a gift certificate at either my lys or lns.
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be…..the ability to start a version of the Royal School of Needlework here in the US. Taking courses at The RSN was one of the greatest experiences I had while living in the UK. In the US we haven’t got a consolidated entity like that and I would love to get one started. Of course, I would have to be voted Queen first! Happy Birthday – I LOVE this site and blog.
Audrey
Happy birthday,Mary!!!
For my birthday I would like to take a class of japanese bunka.It’s a dream so far because I live in Brazil and here we no have teachers of this technique,so I guess I’ll keep dreaming and maybe one day I can achieve that dream.
Kisses
Valquiria
happy birthday Mary …
i would like to have to see my mother on my birthday … she stays quite far from my place that i get to see her once in 2 yrs …. hmmm..
royce david
Only found you a few weeks ago, but I’m loving it. Look forward to your e-mail each day. Good birthday wishes to you. For myself, health for my friends and for me 50 hours in a day just for stitching.
Birthdays are in the air. Mine was last month, a sister’s was this past Tuesday, and my mother’s, if she were still living, is today.
Since I have past the age of Medicare eligibility, my biggest birthday wish is to live another year free of health problems and often in the company of family and friends. However, on a more tangible note, if I could have anything I wanted this year, it would be this kit from Tanya Berlin. You see, I just joined our Embroidery Guild this past December and am a complete novice, but already I have become familiar with the name Tanya Berlin. She, apparently, talked to our small group some years back. After reading your recent post, I know one of her kits is a good place to start and since I am an avid gardener, this one is especially appealing.
Have a great fun-filled day!
Happy Birthday Mary! I found you through your post on Madam Samm’s blog. I’m so excited because I was going to make a wall hanging for my daughter for her new home and have been driving myself crazy with trying to figure out a cross stitch pattern for the center – to be surrounded by a quilted area. Virtual head slap – of course embroidery! It’s so much more versatile.
My birthday present would be a new sewing machine and shelf/drawer set for my new sewing/craft room I’ll have when the daughter moves out again. (Man I’m going to miss her!)
happy birthday. Lovely kit and so generous of you.
What I would like most for my birthday… my mother is 92 and her health is starting to fail although she is still able to get around and has all her mental abilities. I would like to have her here for at least 1 more of my birthdays. I will miss her so much after she dies and I need at least 1 more with her. I would also like to finsh her diary quilt (shh it is secret) while she can still appreciate it. Only 54 more appliqued roses in the border to go before I can get it quilted.
Cynthia Balin
Happy birthday!
I always tell my children that I want a little peace and quiet for my b-day. LOL Other than that, I ask for stitching supplies and time to use them. 🙂
Happy birthday Mary!!
I hope you’ll have a wonderful day filled with sunshine like it is on this side of the pond!
What I would like to have for my birthday….
Gosh, loads of things!
I would like the DMC embroidery stand I’ve got my eye on. I would like the entire collection of Appleton wool. I would like a new car, instead of the crappy one I got now, haha! Most of all I would like a baby… My husband and I have been trying for some time, but no luck yet. Oh well, as my mommy says; good things come to those who wait!
Love,
Gwen Kok, Dordrecht, the Netherlands.
Wow Mary, this is some giveaway! You are so generous. But before I tell you what I would like for my birthday, let me wish you all the best for today and the year to come.
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would love a big party with my children and grand children here in Mauritius (my son is in Cape Town and my daughter and her little family are in Lyon in France) so you see it is not so easy for me to organize a get together.
Hi, Mary. That is a very generous gift you are giving away for your birthday. I hope that you have a special day with your family. So, Happy Birthday to You!!
I would like to have a day on the Oregon Coast, sunny with no wind to just wander down the sand, exploring and absording all the beauty that Nature offers.
Sandi in Arizona, a long way from Oregon
Happy Birthday. What a wonderful giveaway you’re offering.
I would love a birthday gift of travel–probably to England and Italy.
Happy Birthday Mary!! Wow…if you were just giving away one of those things this giveaway would still be amazing! I love your birthday!! For my birthday, I would love for my children and grandchildren to come and visit and for everyone to get along!! (That last part is important.) You give so much to others Mary, and I hope very good things are coming your way this year. My dad always said “you may be older than you’ve ever been, but you’re younger than you’ll ever be again”. Enjoy.
Happy Birthday to you!! Such a lovely thing you are doing for your birthday.
As for my birthday, aside from being with my family (all of them), I am easy: anything flowers. Paints to paint flowers, thread to embroider them, or the real thing to plant in my garden.
Best Wishes, Mary. Hope you have a wonderful day!!
What a give-a-way! Wow!! It sounds just about what I would like to receive on my birthday. The only thing better would be a new sewing machine but that’s not going to happen any year soon.
Dovo scissors!!!!! Wow!!
Enjoy,
Linda Adam
Ontario, Canada
Happy Birthday from a fellow April birthday person!
My ultimate birthday gift would not be a trip or sewing items or lessons. It would be a week of uninterrupted stitching time in my “mom cave.” When everything is said and done, it’s really time to lay hands on needle and thread that we crave, isn’t it? Utter bliss!
Happy birthday to you!
Anything I wanted? All the time in the world!
Happy Birthday Mary and may you have many,many more. I once knew a lady that had a mother much like yours.She always told her daughter that giving on her birthday was much better than receiving.So that’s what she did and it gave her great joy.
Now as to what I’d like for my birthday? Of course good health, lots of love(giving as well as receiving), the ability to keep laughing through everything that life brings. And…. I would like to be able to have the sewing, embroidering and needle point room of my dreams to accomadate my physical needs.
Have a great birthday Mary.
Lessons! I would want embroidery lessons, one on one for my all time bestest gift ever. Wishing you a very happy anniversary of your natal day. Hope the day is smooth as glass for you. Thank you so very much for your time and effort with this very informative and sometimes amusing site.
Alice
The Loon
Blessed Angel Day! Thank you for giving the gift of your knowledge to us every day, we really appreciate you tutorials.
I love a slate frame trestle or stand for my birthday.
My wishes to you for a wonderful day.
Maria Van Fleet
It’s Susan Farmer, living in “exile” in south Georgia.
For my birthday I want That Job that I’ve applied for so that I’ll only be 200 miles away from the rest of my family instead of 400 miles.
And it will mean more time to stitch, too.
Happy Birthday! Gee, I can’t really think of any one thing. I’ll say a day all to myself just to stitch.
Dear Mary,
Happy Birthday! I would love to go back to Germany in May. Thank you for your generosity.
Best,
Camille
Have a wonderful birthday!! I’ve taken classes with Tanja Berlin. She’s wonderful. If I could have anything in the world, it would be to win a lottery so I could spend the rest of my life stitching and travelling (and shopping to add to my stash).
Grovenore
Lacombe, AB
FIRST: Happy Birthday…may you be blessed with a wonderful year of beautiful things.
SECOND: To answer the question if I could have anything for my birthday what would I want. A trip to Holland to see the Family ten Boom museum with the secret room. Last year our pastor challenged us to read a biography during the year…I chose “The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom, not realizing it was a story about a remarkable woman who at the age of 50 made a big difference…perfect book for me to read since I had just turned 50 that January. It was during WWII time and she was a Dutch Christian Holocust survivior. Her book gave me the inspiration to continue to learn new things every day and to always help others.
Thank you for giving me the chance to win something that would be new for me to learn.
Have a WONDERFUL Birthday and a GREAT weekend.
For my birthday I would like my grandson and granddaughter home to celebrate with me. They are currently in South Korea where their father is stationed with the Navy.
Happy Birthday.
Oh, I would love to get for my birthday a lifetime of craft supplies! WHOO HOO
Thanks for offering a chance to win…
Kim 🙂
Hi Mary,
Happy birthday Mary. I wish you to good health, and long life. Since I subscribed to your newsletter, I find many tips and it seems you never stop. I its much appreciate. I am learning the bunka embroidery, and this summer I will start to learn the nui-dô japanese embroidery.
What I will like for my birthday: Peace in this world, and enough money to share with people who needs it the most.
Richard
Dear Mary,
This is a very generous act. Thank you for this wonderful kindness to all of us who regularly visit your website. You have tremendously helped me learn more about hand embroidery than any of the other websites available.
My birthday is coming near, April 27th. I don’t have anything particular that I want, but I have something that I desire to be able to do and then give away. I would like to be skillful enough to do Altar Linens, ( purificators, lavabo towels, etc. ) About 2 days ago, I gave our Deacon 4 pcs. of Baptismal Towels, made of white linen with a white shell embroidery. He liked it and I think he would use it during the Baptismal rites. However, I am still unsure if my skills are good enough to donate Altar or Communion Linens as these are to be used by the priest during Mass. But with your tutorial skills, and with God’s grace, I know somehow I’ll get there.
Hi Mary hope I am lucky this time I would love to do this type of embroidery pity I don’t live down the street from you in fact that might not be a goreat birthday wish.
Hope you have a great day and the sunshines on you for years to come.
Regards
Auntie B from Yorkshire, England
One of the best birthday gifts you have is that your mother is still alive. My mom died years ago.
For my gift, I would dearly love to stay home from work and just stitch. I try the 15 minute thing, but I am still months behind. You have motivated me so much in my sewing.
Happy Birthday!! Thanks for all the help you give us.
Louise B.
If I could have anything for my birthday, I want a house in Japan (one of those traditional ones) because I’m going to leave here very soon. I’ve lived in Japan for three years and it’s become my home-even though I’m going back to America, I’m not ready to leave and it would be nice to have a place to come back to.
Happy Birthday!
For my birthday, I guess this time I would like to have more room in my tiny house so I could keep all six kittens my cat had on Tuesday, instead of having to choose just one.
Have a wonderful Birthday! It really is a beautiful kit.
This is the kit that has finally tempted me to try needlepainting . I have been a ‘counted thread only’ gal while lusting after your work. If I could have anything? A trip back to England to see my family. If I haven`t mentioned it lately, I love your blog. I am trying to resist ordering your ’15 minute’ project…How big is it, and how big would it be stitched over 2 on …say…40 ct linen?
ttfn mj
Hi there Mary,
To a fellow April baby Happy Birthday.
Your Birthday is rather poignant for me……………..it would be my georgeous Mum’s Birthday today, its one of my other sisters Birthday today- yes born on her Mum’s birthday; how special is that?? Also, my twins husband, Dr.Clive Newman, yes you’ve guessed it, its his Birthday too!!
Me and my twin, well we celebrate our joint Birthday on the 28th April.
So, what would I love to have for my Birthday……………Besides being re-united with our beautiful daughter, who is currently living with my twinsister back in England, for reasons of education……….well,I would love this giveaway. I would have the opportunity to receive these wonderful goodies and learn so much, as embroidery isn’t my main “thing2 but I am always promising to do more. Its so difficult for me to get more “into it” as I cant visit shops here in Turkey and source items and actually ask questions and get help along the way.
Do so hope that you had a fabulous day Mary. I will raise a glass of the red stuff, to you, Dr Clive and I am sure my Mum is having a high old time in heaven, enjoying a G&T up there!!
Happy Birthday to you! What a nice thing to do for your birthday. Very thoughtful.
If I had to choose something special for my birthday, it would be just one thing! I’d love to be able to fly out to see my MOM and spend a couple of weeks with her, just the two of us. She is getting older each yr. and we have never had some quality “us” time since I grew up. I moved away and can’t afford to fly out there very often. She is in Calif. and I’m in Nebraska….long way!
So that would be the gift I pray for!
Great giveaway!
hugs, Sue K
Happy Birthday to you! My most desired birthday wish has always been to have a family portrait of my immediate family. It seems like our lives are so busy and we all live a bit of distance from each other. We have not had a family portrait since my youngest son was a year old. Now he is 32 years old, married and has a one year old daughter. Thank you for your wonderful notes about embroidery work. You have inspired me to be bold enough to try embroidery and needlepoint. I love it!
Happy Birthday, Mary! Mine is later this month, too. A perfect birthday “gift” would be a grand tea party for all my friends ala late Victorian Era complete with costumes, a cook, maids, and a butler!! Lawn tennis anyone?!!
Happy Birthday Mary. I love your blog and read it daily as you post it. If I could have anything on my birthday I would want all of my family, everyone of them to have a personal relationship with God. I would be happy and at peace then. Love the giveaway and would really like to try my hand at thread painting.
Thanks Mary!!!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be more time with my Gramdma. She was a wonderful
person,and taught me so much. I would like to show
her what crafts I have continued with over the years. I miss her. Thank you Mary, for such a wonderful website.
Kathy Cooke
Hello Mary,
happy birthday to you. I wish you anything for your birthday that you’d like to have :). For me there’s probably a lot of things. But to keep it in the stitching or crafting area – I’d love to have my very own room where I could keep all the threads, fabrics, tools and my sewing machine. The place where I could close myself and sew or embroider with peace. Now all this stuff is scattered around the house and when I finally find the place to sit down I also need to gather everything back. So, my own little studio is the dream I have, hopefully it’s the one that can come true.
Hi Mary, happy birthday!
What a generous give-away!
For my birthday, I would love a gift certificate for a helicopter ride! Our local airport gives them, and I have never been in a helicopter… it’s an item on my bucket list.
Jane
Wishing you a very happy Birthday, What a fantastic giveaway, it’s just what I’d wish for for my birthday. really though I would wish for my health to be better, so I could spend more time learning embroidery and sewing.
Love your website. I’ve told many friends about you and all that you give to us your readers. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be for good health and well being for me and my family. Thanks again and Blessings to you and yours.
Wish you a very Happy Birthday Mary!
My wish is to have a floor stand for my embroidery hoops for my birthday. Or a food mixer. And I wish that everyone who commented on this post gets at least a part of his birthday wish and gifts.
Tünde from Slovakia
Dear Mary,
A very very happy Birthday to you! I hope those around you bring as much pleasure to you as you do to us.
For my birthday, I wish for another happy year of marriage and for my two best stitching buddies and I to continue our amazing friendship. Oh oh, and if I could push my luck, I’d wish to go to Beating Around the Bush !
Happy Birthday Mary
Your Mum is right…It is better to give than recieve. It is a wonderful feeling, warms the heart, shows love and thoughtfulness.
My wish for my birthday would be a pampered day at a Spa, out to dinner and not having to lift a finger for anything. Do dreams come true?
Thankyou for allowing us to enter into your Birthday giveaway.
Happy Wonderful Day
Bonnie Walker
A Very Happy Birthday to you! The giveaway is lovely, it includes items I have never used before, stretcher bars and a kit that is actually informative.
I guess I am lucky not to have any real needs in my life. So when asked, “What do you want for your birthday?”….I would have to answer, “Nothing and I am thankful for that.”
Deb
Happy Birthday ! !
Lately I’ve been wishing for a week on a warm quiet beach…
Many happy returns and what a fantastic give-away. If I could have anything I want I would be over the moon to receive a ticket to Australia so I could visit the Country Bumpkin storel. Over the years I have collected all the Classic Inspiration magazines and I would love to be able to see the real thing.
Happy Birthday to you ♥.
For my birthday I would love to receive a gift certificate from everyone to an online needlework store (with no expiration date so I can keep changing my mind)
Rita E in AZ
Happy birthday! Bon anniversaire!
Ma chère Mary, c’est à ton tour de te laisser parler d’amour! (Dear Mary, it’s your turn to let you talk about love.)
I wish, for my birthday, a trip in France with you to see the Bayeux Tapestry and a visit in Vendée to meet the embroiderer Nicole Renard and see her work: The Gospel of St John and the Apocalypse embroidered on 170 meters of linen.
Your message is a gift everyday, all the year. Thank you. Louise from Québec
Happy Birthday Mary! Hope you are enjoying “your” day. It is very foggy here in Kansas after last night’s rain. My birthday wish would be to simply spend the day stitching away with lots of chocolate cake breaks! The pattern is beautiful, but I would probable re-gift it to my Mom in Iowa, whose state flower is the Wild Rose, and whose birthday is in May. I definitely would enjoy the other parts of the give-aways!
Happy Birthday from Germany – Mary!!!
If I had a wish come true, I’d wish for all my creative friends from all over the world to be together, make new friends and we all have one day of pure happiness and joy. Lots of hugs from Germany
Happy Birthday, Mary. What a wonderful present for us. I treasure your blog and have learned so much from it.
My birthday wish is that the surgery my dog is having on Monday go well and fix her pain.
Happy Birthday Mary!!
Of course I’d wish for the usual happy, healthy family & friends, and plenty of time & money to stitch whatever I want. But my ultimate dream is a trip to Italy & the Greek Isles.
Thank you to everyone who participates in your blog & for all the information & tips shared!
Have a terrific Birthday & a wonderful year!
Debbie in WA
For my 69th birthday next week, the best present would be to spend the day stitching with my mother. She taught me to embroider when I was a child and I still have that piece which she framed and hung in my bedroom as a birthday surprise. Our dining room window was covered with a huge climbing rose bush covered in pink blooms exactly like the one in your contest and Mom loved it so much, she bought dishes in the Desert Rose pattern by Franciscan to match. Years later she surprised me for another birthday with a large platter in that pattern as a momento since the original dishes were long gone. She stitched all her 80 years and many friends and family members now own her lovely works. I would be thrilled to honor her memory by completing this lovely design.
Thank you for touching me life with your wonderful blog. This one today is a gift of wonderful memories!!
Annie
P.S. I forgot to say it is my birthday on April 9th. Hey ho – there goes another year.
My birthday just passed but for NEXT year I want some more hours in my day. Hours to stitch, of course. And having very dexterous fingers would help, too!
Mary C.
What would I like for my birthday… how about the kit and goodies you are giving away. I really would like to try it (the kit and stretcher bars) never used either on. But other than that how about my husband actually make an effort for my birthday, or Christmas… our anniversary anything… yep today is feel sorry for one self here in my little corner of the world. So I am going to take your words to heart and worry more about giving than receiving. I hope you receive as much joy as you give. Thank you for all you do and give with this website. God bless
Have a very Happy Birthday Mary, and thanks for the Giveaway chance. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be one more day with my Dad to tell him how much I love and miss him. He went to Heaven in 2003 and I still appreciate evrything he ever taught me. Best Wishes on your special day!
Audrey Davis
I Pray you have a Happy Birthday, and many more, I enjoy your website and read it every day.
My wish is for every one to be blessed with Love and Hope. I love the kit because I grow and love roses. If I could I would spend a weekend setting under a tree in a rose garden, doing my needlework. The colors, and sweet smell of the rose, can mmove your thoughts into timeless joy. the wild rose will bring joy into the house. Have a great new year and thanks once again, Noilene from Fort Worth, Texas
Hi Mary–Happy Birthday! Your generosity is beyond belief! Thanks for the great giveaway.
“If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?”
Hmmm…it varies…some of the things that come to mind today are:
An MG sports car
A dinner made for me and my husband by Jamie Oliver (a British chef)
Dinner with Harrison Ford (no hubby here 🙂 )
A trip back to Australia with my husband
An opportunity to see sea turtles hatching
Carol S.
Happy Birthday Mary!
What a splendid way to celebrate your birthday! I would love to win this prize – I’ve only tried needlepainting once, but loved it and definately want to do more.
Now, if I could have anything for my birthday, it would have to be more time/energy/resources to spend doing my needlework. (Notice how I linked that all into one “word”!) Thank you for this exciting opportunity!
MaryF in California
My birthday isn’t for 6 months, but I would like a bicycle, a tablet computer, and a trip to Europe please. Happy birthday to you!
Happy, Happy Birthday!!
My wish would be to have a wonderful trip to Hawaii some day 🙂
Thanks for a very generous giveaway!
Hi!
Gina H. from Industry, PA checking in. : D
Since today’s my birthday too (really!), I have to say that the best birthday gift would be this lovely Wild Rose embroidery kit. I discovered embroidery somewhat late in life, and I have yet to try ‘needle painting’. No time like a birthday to try something new!
P.s. Did you know that Buddha’s birthday is also celebrated on April 8th?
Cheers,
Gina
Happy Birthday Mary! Enjoy your day and year to come!
My ultimate birthday gift would be attending the Black Bear Field Study Course put on by the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, MN with Dr Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield.
Linda ~ Roseville, MN
Happy Birthday! God Grant you many years!
I think that if I could have anything for my birthday it would probably be the ability to have a whole day with nothing to do spend with my sister and mother (and father!)just sitting around doing embroidery, sewing, knitting, and crocheting. Those are the sort of days which don’t happen too often anymore.
Thank you for all the amazing things you have on your website. My sister and I have found a new love for ecclesiastical embroidery and your site has been both inspirational and information. Thank you and have a wonderful birthday!
Today, April 8th is my birthday, too and I’m celebrating it by visiting my daughter in Chicago. I would love those Evertite stretcher bars. It brings a promise of a new project, which is exciting for me.
Happy Birthday and many thanks for your post, Mary
From Lori Z in Los Angeles.
PS – Maybe I’ll try giving something away today and we can compare notes.
Happy Birthday ! It’s so kind to you to offer us a chance to win the kit and goodies ! What I would like to have for my birthday… Some english lessons !! (I’m french !) Sometimes it’s hard to read an english blog or book about embroideries ! I’m new in needlepainting and your site is a very good source of informations for me !! A learn a lot with you !
Thank you so much !!
Armelle H.
Hello Mary,I join with all the folk who have wished you a happy birthday, the old addage of it being better to give than recieve has a happy way of being like a boomerang and I do hope this is true for you.My wish for my future birthdays would be to keep a reasonable level of eyesight and use of my hands,as an avid needlepainter and teacher of this form of embroidery, which gives me such pleasure and stimulation.I don’t know how you find the time to send out a message each day but I read them with interest, thank you. Blessings from Jennivee in South Africa.
I want something that you can’t buy in the store. I want to spend the day with my favorite sister. Show her what I’ve been working on and laugh and hug her. You see I lost my sister almost 2 years ago. She was my best friend and such a kind and giving person. Her birthday is on Wednesday and I’m missing her so much. Pam Gonzalez, Bloomington, IL. Thank you. You do such lovely work and have been a bright spot in my life looking at all your beautiful work.
Happy Birthday, Mary. My birthday is in 26 days and I bet I won’t get the perfect birthday present.
What’s I’d love for a birthday present is a trip to London to take a week’s worth of embroidery classes at the Royal School of Needlework. I’d also, of course, visit the museums to see the historical needlework. This would be an awesome birthday present.
I would also be very pleased to receive Tanja Berlin’s embroidery kit and accessories. It would be wonderful – just not awesome.
Thanks.
Judy
Happy Birthday, Mary!
May you have many more. Thank you for sharing tips and ideas with us.
If I could have anything I wanted it would be to have enough money to “adopt” a worthy family to help and support. More selfishly I would like a year,at leaast, of maid service so that I could just stitch my heart out.
Pat J. Louisville, KY
For my birthday I would wish for an area dedicated to crafting- a room would be nice, a closet would do- so that all the supplies would be in one place.
Have a very Happy Birthday, Mary!
Best wishes on your special day!
Barbara L
Happy Birthday!
My wish would be for lots of energy, a clear head and limitless resources so I could study every type of needlework from the masters: tapestry weaving, liturgical embroidery, intricate bead work, textile restoration. The list could go on. And, of course, a small farm for my studio with chickens, a lamb or two, some cows, lots of barn cats…
Hi Mary & you’ve heard this already…but Happy Birthday!!! 🙂
I would love an iPad for my birthday so I can look at all the inspiration I’ve collected anywhere I happen to be working, plus read blogs, etc. in bed!
What a wonderful giveaway…I’d love any one of these items.
Have a great day.
-Cindy Baxter…in Bonny Doon
Happy Birthday Mary, April is a birthday month for several of my family including my sister and we always love the spring birthdays for the start of cook out..this is a wonderful giveaway and you are an inspiration with all your projects and patterns and information I am so glad that I found your site. If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, I think (other than my loved ones here with me) I would wish for a place to take classes in different needleworks, I like to learn new things but it is sometimes hard to find someone who can help when you can’t get it from a book….have a great blessed birthday
Happy birthday!
Wild roses are special to me. And I’ve recently decided I want to take up embroidery so this lovely giveways feels ju so right for me! 😉
What I want for my birthday is easy: a job! All the other things I want like beads, yarns, goldwork and ribbon embroidery starter kits, how-to books etc. Well, I could always buy that later with the money I earn. A job is the one thing I truly miss having and would wish for more than anything else right now.
Happy, happy birthday Mary! What a beautiful way to celebrate your birthday, by giving away this package of beautiful gifts! Your Mama taught you well ;). If I could have a birthday wish, it would be for my husband to be well again. And also for my arthritis to go away so that learning to embroider would be a bit easier for me. I also wouldn’t mind meeting the ladies who’ve entered this contest – they all seem so interesting and charming! May you have as wonderful a birthday as you richly deserve. Thank you for coming into my e-mail every day and teaching me something new and making me laugh too!
Happy birthday!
My birthday was last month and I got what I wanted: a whole day alone with my wonderful husband!
Thank goodness for generous grandparents!
Marie
Best of Birthday Wishes to you! I greatly enjoy opening up my email each day to see what you have in store for us. My birthday wish would be to have one day in which I felt nothing but complete happiness – no worries, regrets, negative thoughts, etc. Just complete peace with myself and others. Happy positive thoughts all day long. Not a care in the world And it would be helpful if I just happen to be in Key West that day – lol. Again, best wishes!
Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy your day! I’ve had my mother on my mind the past few months…she passed on back in 1989 when I was only 31 years old. So I didn’t have her for nearly long enough. We didn’t get along all that well when I was growing up. I guess a lot of daughters can say that about their mom’s. I have been wishing I could have just one more day with her to tell her how much I miss her and how sorry I am about all the past hurts. She was a seamstress and I never cared anything about sewing until just recently. She always wanted me to learn to sew while she was alive. Anyway, I took up quilting just last year and I’m sure that’s why I have had her on my mind so much because I know she would be so proud of me for taking an interest in sewing. I would love to be able to have her pass on her talent to me now. I used to do embroidery when I was a teenager and while I was in college. I have been wanting to get back into that also and I just love the newsletters you send out. They have been very inspiring to me. Thanks for all you do for us out in cyberspace. Hope you have a lovely day! kim bradshaw in Texas
If I could do anything for my birthday, I would go to my family’s cabin and spend all day in my night gown stiching.
Happy Birthday Mary.
If I could have anything for my Birthday it would be a day with my three grandchildren and hear their laughter. I know it sounds corny but they live back east and I live in Montana and even though I get to see video’s of them it’s just not the same. Who can resist the laughter of children.
My embroidery needs much improvement, I watched my mother as a girl but she died before I could really learn the craft and now I am teaching myself. Its a lovely journey I must say.
Linda from Montana who is happy that today the Sun is shining since mother nature has been very stingy this year so far.
Happy Birthyday Mary!!! Wow your genorosity is inspiring and I definitely hope you take time out to pamper and indulge yourself.
If I were granted a birthday wish it would be to get the Needlework System 4 Stand. Ever since you did your review, I have been coveting it. A fellow stitcher almost talked me into go with a very pretty wooden stand that had the look of heirloom furniture to it. But I keep remembering your excellent review, so I am holding out for the Needlework System 4. If only my birthday fairy would realize that this is what I want!
Kathy K ~ Trenton, FL
Mary, I haven’t done my birthdays for many years, I prefer to spend them in solitude, however, if someone wants to really give me something it would be someting to do with hand embroidery!!!
Mary, you have been giving away lots (according to me, since I found your website); you have given free designs, hand embroidery instruction with pictures (which are the best for me). Thanks.
Dear Marymentor:
Happy Birthday to you…happy birthday to youuuuu! My ultimate birthday gift would be to live a long long life keeping all my faculties and body parts functional…..and to use that time to somehow make a contribution to this beautiful world of ours, in appreciation for what the Maker has given us !
Judy in Pittsburgh
Happy Birthday Mary!!!!! If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a trip to Italy!!!!
Happy Birthday Mary! You are such a generous person and I hope all your wishes come true. My birthday wish came early when I won the Silhouette a few weeks back so don’t include me in this drawing. I just couldn’t pass up the chance to wish you a wonderful birthday.
Celeste
I love flowers!!!! If I could have anything for my birthday, it would have to be, able to buy a house for my daughter and her family so they could move down here by us and I can be close to my grandsons, to hold them in my arms all the time, instead of once a year. Happy birthday Mary and Lord bless ya.
Oh wow you are too generous! Thank you!
I would absolutely love to take a trip around the world with my mother. Hey, if I’m dreaming, why stop after only one country? 🙂
Happy birthday!!!
-Zombie Leah
Ooh, what a lovely giveaway! If I did win I would definitely review that kit for my new blog, no question about it!
And now, what would lil’ ole Liz from Todmorden want for her birthday? Only a month away, let me think… I think what I really, really want is a few yards of that lovely Legacy linen twill you talk about so often on this blog. It looks like such gorgeous stuff, and just recently someone gave me some real silk threads so I’m itching to try them – I just need a fabric worthy of them!
Happy Birthday!
I have so many things that I would like — I’m redoing my house — but I guess the ultimate would be to go to Lyon, France, and its surroundings. I’m writing a book — I have no idea if it will be published — and the last third takes place in this location, EVEN THOUGH I’ve never been. I’d love to add some realism to my writing.
Thank you so much for your generosity in this giveaway, in other giveaways, and in all your shared knowledge. You have inspired me in so many ways!
May Lipe – Madison, MS
Happy Birthday to you Mary and God bless you!!
My best birthday gift would be a dinner with all of my family sharing the meal in good health with lots of laughter topped off with a delicious homemade from scratch carrot cake.
Hey Mary, Have a great day! For my birthday I am secretly hoping for an iPad – but if there no limits … I would love to go on a cooking school vacation. One of those one week deals where we would spend our days learning something new we could use for the rest of our lives! 🙂 Secondly, only because my hubby wouldn’t enjoy it as much, would be an embroidery/quilting retreat.
Happy Birthday Mary.
My birthday wish would be to spend the day with my entire family. My mom has Alzheimers and I would love for her to remember who we all are and share all our family stories once again.
Caroline in Reston VA
A very happy birthday, Mary! What a lovely and generous gift you’re offering.
My birthday wish would be for the people, animals, plants, land, and water in Japan to be healed.
Something from Anthropologie! I’m always drooling over their catalogues.
Happy, happy birthday!
I’m a low maintenance birthday gal– as long as chocolate cake makes an appearance somewhere during the day, I’m over the moon. But my super ideal birthday gift would be a shopping spree at my LYS. Hey, if you’re going to dream, dream big! 🙂
Mary,
Firstly, I want to wish for you a happy and healthy bithday. Many more years to give your readers the pleasure of having you in our lives every day.
If it was my birthday, I would wish for my beautiful daughter and son in-law to have the baby that they desparately wish for and also to be able financely to retire and have as much time as I want to read, embroider and knit.
Belle Gallay, April 8,2011 11:59am
I want more time. That would be the most wonderful birthday gift. Time for my creative persuits! some how the day is gone when I’m getting ready to do something I want to do. that’s my fantasy gift.
Happy Birthday Mary,
I hope that you day is wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed getting your emails each day. It really is the one that I look for first in the mountain of stuff that hits my inbox.
The thing that I would like for my birthday is to spend the day with my children and grandchildren and the rest of my family. They don’t live close and I never see them on my birthday.
Debby Parker, Kalispell, MT
Happy Birthday! My mother would buy me presents on her birthday when I was little…the most memorable was a bicycle. For my birthday I would love to get a build-your-own-dollhouse kit for me and my three daughters. I got one as a child for christmas one year and spent many wonderful hours with my mother putting it together. I would love to share that kind of memory with my own children.
First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Hmmmm…Either fabric, paint, or thread! Or a shopping spree for all 3 maybe ;o)
Happy Birthday, Mary!
I would just love to spend a birthday with my mom and be pampered by her. Or.. spend her birthday with her and be the one to pamper her!
Sharyn P
Happy birthday to you. I love your site and have been reading your blog regularly. My ultimate birthday gift would be one of those hi-tech sewing/embroidery machine. I love both hand embroidery and machine embroidery. Thank you for this wonderful giveaway.
The best present I could hope for would be a day without pain, but then I’d be outdoors gardening and not stitching and listening to audio books. The best present I have ever received was just over a year ago when we rescued a 6 year old Shih Tzu we call Bea. She is so full of love and brings joy and laughter to every day.
Have a wonderful Birthday Mary, and thank you for your wonderful blog and website, you provide so much valuable information.
Lisa – Gilford, Ontario
Well I just had my birthday in late March so for my next birthday I want to have changed my location and vocation. It is time for a MAJOR change in my life and am looking forward to my new business venture. HAPPY BIRTHDAY To you Mary!
Hi Mary, and Happy Birthday!
Well, as for my birthday wish, I have two:
If there were a magic wand gift, it would be for magical bits of time added to my days, unaccounted for, to use for a bit of embroidery, a good book, a visit with family here or long gone … ah, well …
A more attainable, but still dreamy gift: A travel trip around the world, designed with embroidery classes and stops along the way, to see and learn different forms of embroidery. Oh, and it would come with extra tickets for my daughter, son-in-law and little grandson to come visit me on my trip so I wouldn’t miss them to much 🙂
Mary, again your teaching, spirit and generosity are a wonderful treat in our days …
THANK YOU!
Cathy R D in Pennsylvania
Happy birthday Mary! I’m sure other things will come to mind before my actual birthday in September, but if I were to be asked right now, it would be for my workroom to be finished all organized (and purged) so I can get on with working in it. It’s close, but there seems to be always something else to do.
Happy Birthday – Enjoy your day!!
For my birthday I would love to go Antigua. I have seen many pictures and it’s a beautiful little island. I would love to visit and learn the history. Of course stitching supplies to work on any of my many projects is also a great gift!!
Happy Birthday!!! What a beautiful kit to giveaway!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be to travel to France, Italy, Portugal & Ireland.
Thank you Mary and have a fabulous day!!
Happy Birthday, Mary! I hope you get your wish for your birthday. In fact I hope you get a 10-fold reward for your generosity!
If I had one wish for my birthday and it could be anything, I’d wish for an end to war and hunger in the world. If I wished for something for myself, it would be to have the ability to stop working so I could stay home and stitch any time I wanted to or, beter yet, to travel the world over, taking classes – now that would be a great wish come true!.
Happy Birthday Mary and have a wonderful year ahead.
If I could have something that I have wanted for my birthday, I would want to take a needlework course at the RSN, UK or alternatively be able to attend the BATB at Australia.
Doing that will give me a chance to travel as well.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY! I knew you reminded me of someone – my sister, who is also having a b-day. Hope yours is the BEST ever!!!
I really love your projects and print them out to work on as I can. That rooster is AWESOME!! I would want all the silk threads to paint him for my b-day. I printed the pattern out yesterday and read most of your instructions for stitching him. I’ve named him DoodleBoy. I wonder if all stitchers are that goofy – ha! I enjoy your daily e-mails very much!
Missy Palmer – Grand Junction, CO
For my birthday I would love to have a picnic at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve with all the flowers in full bloom.
Hi Mary, Happy Birthday! This is my Mom’s birthday too.
To answer your question,what I’d really like is a replacement for my original engagement ring, which belonged to my husband’s stepmom, who died of cancer a long time before I met him. We will be married 20 years and I’ve always wanted to have a ring of “my own”. But as that’s not possible,this wonderful selection of goodies would be high on my wish list. I’ve been wanting to learn needle painting and really would just like to return to any kind of surface embroidery but the cost for all the goodies, like you have here, is prohibitive.
When I read along about all of items included I could have drooled! I didn’t enter your last giveaway because I didn’t think I could make enough use of it. This is another story! Thank you for doimg this for us and being a ray of stitchery sunshine everyday.
Susie H in Minnesota
Happy Birthday Mary, I really hope you have a great birthday.
I would want what I have, a good space to craft, My husband, My son to be happy and healthy. I have all those things so anything else is a bonus. I have asked for a sewing machine this year. I will have 3, but I really love the new Singers. If I don’t get it, I will still be so very happy for the things I love and for the people in it.
For my birthday? A local LNS carrying all the lines and colors of silk threads!
Thanks for all the info you provide us!
Happy Birthday!
What I would like for my birthday is a trip to ANG National seminar for a week. Its been a few years since I have been to one – seems the kids schedules always conflict and the cost just can’t be justified for just myself……I loved the two I have been to and would love to go again.
O Mary … I generally don’t enter giveaways but this time how can I not … I’m the Sue you mention! And my dream perfect birthday gift would be a needlework set just like this! Sound’s corny I know but truly, I would love it! I have never tried needle painting and am keen to have a go – what better tutor than to learn from an enthusiast such as you are on an embroidery you have shared with me? Now, wouldn’t that be a super memory project? PS I learn SO MUCH from your daily post … thankyou! Cheers, SueL, Australia
Wish u a happiest birthday!
My birthday falls on june. My dream gift would be to have this wonderful giveaway from u…bye, take care,
with lots of love..
usha
Happy birthday! I am a huge fan of your site. I read it every day. I get so many good Ideas and love all the new things you show. You are doing things I cant even emagin I will ever be able to do. I have yet not tried needle painting but have been going to the blog you recomended and have been trying to get enough egg money together to get me a kit. I hope I get lucky and get to try this one. I guess if I had a wish of anything I could get for my birthday is new knees my arthritis has taken so much away from me by way of gardening I am now living my garden dreams with quits and stichery for the most part.
A blessed birthday to you – Ad Multos Annos! I thank you for the wonderful website and all of the help it gives to our fledgling sewing guild for the Institute of Christ the King, especially the mitering instructions for the pall. My birthday is still months away, but I would thoroughly enjoy another trip to Rome and the time to explore the ancient city.
I think at this time for my birthday this month (it is this month) I would like a stash of gold and silk threads.
PS April is a good birthday month. I hope you enjoy yours.
Happy Birthday Mary,
We share a first name and believe it or not I have two sisters that do too! I’ve never tried the painting part before but it looks lovely. I’d like to go somewhere with my kids and grandkids all together. That’s my wish! Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Mary
Happy Birthday and I love your blog. I look forward to it every day. For my birthday I want to win the lottery and send it to Japan to help them with all their problems.
Mary
je vous souhaite un très très joyeux anniversaire entouré de votre famille et de vos amis.
votre Mamana raison :il ya plus de plaisir à donner qu’à recevoir .et vous devez avoir de la joie tous les jours en nous faisant partager vos talents de brodeuse et aujourd’hui particulièrement avec ce superbe “giveaway”.
Si j’avais quelque chose à demander pour mon anniversaire ce serait un organisateur de temps qui priviligierait le temps pour ce que j’aime:du temps à passer avec mes petites filles ,du temps à broder ,du temps à lire et du temps à ne rien faire…
Dear Mary, I wish you the best ever Birthday today with all the time and energy to stitch to your heart’s content for the coming year!
What an awesome gift you have put together for a lucky winner! Thank you so much for all the hard work and generosity you pour into your blog. It gives us great joy!
I have many wishes but my “stitching wish” would be to take part in the Royal School of Needlework … it will not happen, but it’s nice to be dreaming 🙂
Since I have never won anything in my life I’m wishing whom ever will win this wonderful gift from you will really enjoy stitching it out.
It’s a beautiful design! and I love-love roses.
Good luck to everyone and hope all your wishes will come true.
Suzanna K.
Have a very happy Birthday.Let see i wish i could redo my kitchen and bathroom.I really enjoy your site i receive so much information and ideas. Thank you so much for sharing. God Bless you and all your families.
Found the comment area, FINALLY>
One, I look forward to your daily comments and lessons in the various stitch techniques.
2. My birthday wish is to have a Birthday Party. I have given parties and Surprise parties for family and friends, but have NEVER been on the receiving end of a party.
Would love a party before my time is up…I’ll be 73 this year.
Dee in Havertown, Pa,
Happy Birthday, Mary! May you have a wonderful day, a prosperous year with many more to come!
If I could have anything in the world for my Birthday Gift, I’d have to wish for the opportunity to learn, in person, from an accomplished stitcher. Maybe someday to attend the Royal School of Needlework (is there anything simular in the US?)
Thank you, Mary, for the chance to win such a wonderfully full give-away!
Happy Birthday, Mary!
My name is Tatiana Abdikeeva. I live in California and I started embroidering just several months ago. I find inspiration in all your letters! Every day my morning starts with reading letters and I read yours with a big pleasure.
My biggest desire – I wish to be happy and I wish to make happy people around me.
There are many ways for it. My husband, my family make me happy, my hobbies (embroidery, climbing, tango dancing), my friends.
And I really happy when I do something good for people, when I inspire them (as you inspire us in your letters) and do something miracle what they are not expected.
The more people happy around me the more happy I am.
Happy Birthday to you, Mary, and many more! What a great time of year this is. Your daily messages are your gift to us – anything else is just the frosting on the cake. Thank you for them.
My birthday wish would be to visit Sicily in the spring. My mother always said she would want to go there in May. Maybe some day I’ll make that trip for her.
Buon compleanno, Mary!
Sandie F.
Happy Birthday!! Fabulous Giveaway!!
I would like any thing stitch related!!
Hi,
Happy Birthday,
If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday ,it would be a plane ticket to see my grandkids in California. I miss them dearly…
Happy Birthday to you. Hope you enjoy your birthday day.
On my birthday, I would go for a walk in the woods with my best friend, and listen to the spring, operatic antics of the birds. I love birds and flowers, and want to embroider every one that I hear and see! Then I would go back home, and sew or embroider for awhile, and then cook a leisurely dinner, and share it with my friend. I am new to embroidery, but after trying out some of the stitches, I am hooked. And I am really enjoying the peacefulness that embroidery is bringing to my life. It is really fun trying a new stitch, and watching it become alive with some colorful thread. It is a little like magic-when it works out, after a little practice, that is!! So, that is what I would do on my birthday. Thanks for the opportunity to win this generous giveaway.
Happy Birthday Mary!
For my birthday (which is next week) I would love an all expense paid trip to England to go to the RSN class at Hampton Court on interpreting illuminated letters into embroidery that will be happening later this year.
Cheers!
Marque
Happy Birthday Mary!!!!
What a lovely soul to share so much on your own special day.
The kit is beautiful.
My ultimate gift would be to have a special place all my own in which to stitch and design…organized, neat and still beautiful and a bit fanciful.
Marlon, OH
If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?
Well my birthday is this Monday, so we’ll see if I get it – I want to go to the beach for the day!
Mary,
Happy Birthday! I love birthdays no matter how many. It’s better to have one than the alternative.
If I coulod have anything I wanted without money being the object, I would love to have a new house with an eceptionally large sewing room complete with built in cabinets, huge freestanding counters and work areas for my sewing machines. I want a large tv, stereo surround sound, and a sitting area to relax with my hand sewing. Large windows, floor to ceiling for lots of natural light and looking out into the back yard so I can watch nature. Also include a large mirror, a fitting area, and a desk for sketching and planning. Plenty of storage for fabrics and projects. A place of refuge and creativity. Heaven.
Happy Birthday to you! My mother also had that saying! I think all moms say that to instill the virtue of generosity in their children.
That is a lovely kit and such a generous giveaway. Have a fabulous birthday!
MGM
If I could have anything in the world for my birthday it would be that on every news channel and in every newspaper there would be nothing but peace and happiness reported!
Happy Birthday, Mary! You’ve inspired me to start thinking of something similar that I could do for my birthday in November. Your generosity is astonishing and I hope I can come up with something equally astonishing for my giveaway.
Linda, from Mill Creek, WA
Wow, anything in the world for my birthday? My ultimate wish would be to be able to stay home and sew and not have to go to work! However, I am not going to wish for this too hard since we are slow at work and it might come true soon:) So I am just going to wish for a little more sewing time!
Happy Birthday, Mary! If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday I would appreciate having my family take time to clean the basement so I can finish my home studio remodeling. I have plenty of stuff, but no dedicated space to call my own. Thanks for asking, Debbie in O’Fallon, IL
Happy Birthday Mary!
My birthday is New Year’s Day. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a day that I could sit and watch the parades on tv while stitching. Every year I plan to do just that. Every year something more important comes about.
May your generosity return to you at least ten-fold. Thank you.
Shirley
Well, since the wish catalog is wide open, I’d like homes large enough for each of my sisters to live comfortably and one for me big enough for me to have a fully furnished and accessorized craft room. How’s that for extravagant!
Hi Mary
What a wonderful kit you are giving away. For my birthday I would love to receive all of the threads and canvas for one of the projects that I have put aside to do.
Thanks again for a wonderful give-away.
Joan from Richmond BC
Dear Mary i wish you a happy birthday.
Hoppy Birdy Yay to YOU!!! 🙂 May it be bright, fantastic and filled with joys!
Now on to the fantasy! 🙂
For my birthday, I want a miraculously re-done house–done MY way, with a new set of skylights, another couple of rooms for hobby use,plenty of cat and critter space….oh, and a housekeeper-masseur! 🙂 An efficient and kind one that won’t arrange things to suit them, but to suit me.
And while we’re dreaming, there’s going to be an awful lot of competition for that lottery…. 🙂 🙂
Happy Birthday Mary and may all your Easter eggs be embroidered!
Thank you Mary for this wonderful gift – not just the roses kit, but your gift of stitching talent. Thanks for sharing with us. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a trip to Denmark to meet my father’s family. I have several remarkable pieces of crewel work that were given to me by my Danish aunt. She is long gone but maybe the talent has been carried on?
Mary, Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a great one!! My birthday wish would be to spend one more birthday with my mom….I was born on her 22nd birthday….she passed away in 2001. I would love to sit & stitch with her one more time. I already have the wonderful gift of good health, great family and lots of blessings.
Rhonda D. in southeast Missouri
For all of our birthdays (and every day), I wish us “enough”. Enough to feel wealthy in all the important ways, but not so much that it’s a burden to keep track of.
To be perfectly greedy, my ultimate birthday gift would be a full course of study at the Royal School of Needlework…mostly crewel embroidery (sigh!)…and for your birthday, you can come with me and be my stitching mentor. Here: grab your camera and pack your clothes and favorite scissors. I’ve got mine! Hampton Court Palace here we come!
Happy Birthday! I hope you are enjoying the warm Kansas weather – it is slowly making its way north to me.
My birthday is coming up soon and I am asking for a SodaStream. I love carbonated water and having my own source would be really nice, and also cheaper and less wasteful than buying bottles. I suppose I also need to ask for space to store it, though.
Happy Birthday Mary! I love this kit you are giving away and thank you for the opportunity to win it! If I could have anything for my birthday I would like to take a cruise to St. Petersburg Russia to see the artifacts in the Winter Palace. And you can come with me! lol
The one thing I always ask for on my birthday is a day free from any interruption with my husband. He is a busy ER doctor at a small local hospital & a free day is rare. As his wife I have had to learn to accept that other people’s emergencies will always come before our personal life. It may sound silly or sentimental but all I want on my birthday is his time. It is more rare than expensive jewels and more precious to me than anything else in my life.
Happy Birthday and many more to you. I really enjoy your emails and projects. My best birthday would be a trip around the world with my husband and money to do whatever I wanted in any of the locations and also to purchase whatever I wanted to bring back. You said to dream big.
I guess my dream birthday would be to go to HOLLAND.but the main problem is I don,t fly, but I would make an exception for that.
Dear Mary
I wish you a very happy and blessed birthday, I hope you have a lovely day.
Thank you so much for your wonderful website @ needle & thread and all the effort you put into giving us enthusiasts such informative information on all elements of embroidery, as an elderly beginner I appreciate your efforts.
I would love to win your free gift embroidery pattern, scissors and frames. Ultimately my birthday present would be a month’s tutorial on different aspects of embroidery from you here in London in my flat. but second best would be a NS4 stand.
thank you again
Anita Simmance
Happy Birthday Mary…
As giving away is the best birthday celebration for you; to be able to give away is a dream for me to be a part of a beautiful birthday…and will do it the day i will start earning…): … but for now i love to celebrate my birthday with friends and family, home made meal and visiting temple… and yes its the best day of the year to celebrate no matter what!!!…
Mary, thank you for your Website, I learned so much.
For my birthday, I would like many blessings of good health on everyone. I would also like a day to finish an embroidery project.LOL
Many Blessings, Miriam
Happy Birthday to me = one of the trips to Britain (as advertised in Inspirations) that has an itinery any stitcher would be thrilled to participate in.
Happy Birthday Mary!
For my birthday I wish that everyone who wrote a comment,that their wishes will come true.
Thanks Mary for taking the time to share your passion on a daily bases.
Happy Birthday!! I thoroughly enjoy your blog posts. You’ve broadened my perspective on needlework considerably. On my birthday, my one wish is to be with the people I love – my dear husband, my son and my daughter and their spouses, and my precious grandchildren.
Hi Mary,
I wrote you a little birthday song:
Happy Birthday, Mary!
Your presents are very
Generous beyond measure
You’re a gift that I treasure.
———
I hope you enjoy your day! You’ve certainly brightened mine.
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a year’s sabattical for travel and creativity.
Cheers,
Jen from Timberlea
Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!
I would have to say that at the moment I would like to receive a gift certificate to a needlework shop. I am new to embroidery, so I don’t quite know what I would get, but I am sure I would find something. Oh, embroidery classes would be wonderful as well.
Thanks for the give away, and thanks for the website! Its been a great resource for me!
Happy Birthday! For my birthday, I would like everyone in the world to have the same amount of empathy, so the super-rich just couldn’t bear being so rich while others are working hard and struggling just to make ends meet. This might sound unselfish but it’s not, these people drive me crazy. 🙂
Many happy returns on your birthday, Mary. My fondest wish is to attend Beating Around the Bush in April of 2012 in Australia. It would be a chance to meet and take classes from some of the greatest embroidery teachers around ….Dreams are fun, aren’t they?
Many more Happy Birthdays–
I would wish that young women would learn to appreciate handwork, and take the time to learn it. A tweek is a stitch
Rosemary Patton
Oh, for my Birthday. I would love someone to come and clean and organize my sewing room. I would be able to accomplish so much more, if I could find what I was looking for.
Mary Sawyer
Happy Birthday Mary. May your year to come afford you many happy hours of stitching. My birthday was last month and I’m at the age when I have practically everything I could want. But I guess, if you could work it out with the weight fairies, I’d like to be a size 8 again.
Happy Birthday Mary!
You are so wonderful not only do you gift us almost daily with your blog and creativity. Now your offering to give us an awesome gift of lovely stitching supplies.
My birthday wish would be to travel to Italy or England and visit places like the V&A to take in all those wonderful stitched pieces of history!
love and blessing to you
co
Hello Mary
Best wishes for a great and wonderful birthday. Thanks so much for all the help/ideas that you impart through your website. It is so kind and generous of you to give away on your birthday when it should be the other way around. I wish you all the very best in your future NeedlenThread endeavours.
As for your giveaway it’s most welcome cause any craft item coming from you is immensely useful in a needlewoman’s world.
Thanks once again
Best wishes
Dorothy
Hi Mary. I hope you have a wonderful Birthday. You deserve it. Thank you for such a generous giveaway.
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be better health.
Happy Birthday to YOU and many more!!!
I love your newsletter. I’m new to your site. The videos of stitches has been very helpful. I just had a birthday and my ultimate gift would be the gift of TIME to finish all the projects that I’m interested in stitching. Did I mention I have a very LARGE stash.
Dear Mary: Blessings on your special day. It is always lovely to hear that the bond between mother and daughter is a strong one. I was 24 when my mother died and the loss was immense. She and I were “best friends” and I loved her dearly. She died suddenly after heart surgery in 1973. Today the risk is almost negligable but in those days it was not. I would wish to have my mother back for just a moment to say everything I never got a chance to. Hugs.Alice
My wish for my birthday would be to have my mother’s mind back with me. She and my grandmother were my teachers who taught me the love of handwork. I’ve done almost all venues and love them all. Mothers mind is lost to dementia or worse, no longer able to do together what she loved so much. This new technique would be fun to learn show her what I was learning. Her response would be a beautiful smile. I love your website and have shared it with all my friends. Keep on keeping on! Gt from Tx.
Happy Birthday Mary!
For my birthday I would love to have all the fabric, thread, and time I need to make all the quilts and embroidery projects I have planned…plus some extra! I know I’ll come up with more ideas by the time July rolls around! lol!
I have you & your website to thank for a lot the wonderful embroidery ideas I already have.
~Sherri
Happy Birthday and many happy returns!
I have been so greatly blessed that it is hard to think of something realistic to ask for. However, I would love to have a day off. I love my children but caring for them is intense and leaves me with less time than I would like for peaceful tea drinking and stitching. I’m already getting the best present in a visit from my brother and sister-in-law.
Happ birthday, Mary and may God bless you and reward you gratly for the service you provide on your site. I just found your site 2 weeks ago and I can’t believe the volume and quality of your services!!!
The ultimate birthday gift for me would be to be in heaven with our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the natural level, I would love the time, talent, and supplies to make a goldworked vestment set like what used to be made for our priests to wear at the Altar of Sacrifice.
Happy Birthday to you, glad you are offering a give away. I would love to have for my birthday a new house with enough room for my horses. I just found your blog and have not had a chance to get through everything. Signed up for your newsletter.
http://cbrirish.blogspot.com/
here is my blog but I do mostly quilting now. A little embroidery. I was an embroider fiend when I was younger. Did all the hummels in crewel and tons of others. I loved doing Bunka, Japanese embroidery. Better go and not write a book.
cathy
Happiest of birthdays! For MY birthday, I would like enough money to pay off my parents’ house so they won’t have to worry about it anymore. That would make me happier than anything else right now. 🙂
If I could have any thing for my birthday I would ask to go to either of two retreats. Victoria Samplers retreat in Canada or Williamsburg in November. If I just couldn’t get to them I would love to go to a class with Rae Iverson.
In addition to world peace, I would wish for a healtier body. At the approaching age of 74 (my birthday is in April too), my actions are now limited by my old body, which I had not expected. Not that I thought I would swim the English Channel at 74, but at least have the old body operate at a higher level than it currently is.
I would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday and many more. I read your blog everyday and enjoy it thoroughly. Lots of tips and tricks to embroidery and stitching.
My Birthday is next month.
My Birthday wish is for a Table computer, a trip to Europe and to wish everyone lots of peace and love.
The giveaway is very generous.
Sheryl C. – Colorado Springs, CO
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Hope you have a great birthday,
I love your give a ways but to me you give every day in your help and advise.
So thanks you very much, I have learn so much from you.
Happy birthday Mary! Have a nice day, a nice week, a nice year…
For my birthday, i would love to have all my loveones around me, in a beautiful afternoon. Just take the time to be together. a perfect day. And I hope this is what you get.
Mandreel@gmail.com
The beautiful needlepainting kit and the fantastic tools which accompany it are exactly the right thing to celebrate the spring! As a winter birthday girl, I love receiving roses on the Big Day because, in addition to celebrating a birthday, they are a harbinger of what is yet to come in the year! Happy birthday to you, Mary! Thank you so very much for your generosity!
JJofGolden
Happy Birthday to You! Hope you have a wonderful birthday day.
For my birthday, I would want to go on walk into the woods with my best friend, and listen to the birds sing their sweet, operatic, spring songs. I love the birds, and flowers too, and want to embroider them all. Well, not them, but their images, anyway! I would come home, inspired, and do a little embroidery or sewing for awhile, and then make a leisurely dinner, and share it with my friend. I am new to embroidery, but I have been having fun learning the stitches, and practicing them. I am finding it is a peaceful thing to do, and it is so inspiring to work with the colors of the floss, and watch them turn into a pretty image. Or should I say, as I practice, and aspire to making pretty images! Thank you for the opportunity to receive this wonderful “birthday” gift!
Happy Birthday Mary! Wishing you light and love on this day..
How nice of you to ask what I would want… so many things:
Laughter
Time
Energy
And a good design to get stitchy with!
(Not that Im greedy!)<3
Well, Happy Birthday, Mary. I just had a birthday too, and this would be a great birthday gift–for both of us, if your Mom is right, and I think she is. I guess I could be magnanimous and high minded and say the best gift would be World Peace, and it would, but on a personal level, and just for fun, a trip to Hawaii, all expenses paid, or better yet, my very own island. On a practical level, this kit would make a perfectly lovely birthday gift.
Happy birthday, Mary!
If I could have anything for my birthday I think I would wish to wake up and suddenly be good at embroidery so I could make beautiful things like you do! My own efforts are… not as nice. Failing that, I would accept a weekend at a cabin in the woods, somewhere quiet, with birds. (My birthday is in early May, a good time for that.)
Jennie – in Pittsburgh
If I could have absolutely anything for my birthday, it would be a completely, fully stocked needlework shop within 5/10 miles of my house! Right now, the closest one is several hours away. But if that is too much to ask, I could settle for a brand new Lexus SUV – red!
Thanks for a lovely give-away. I’d love to have it…
Happy birthday Mary and thank you again for your very enjoyable daily newsletter. A fantastic generous give away as usual.
What I always want most for my birthday and nearly always get, is to have all my children and grandchildren here to help me celebrate.
Thank you
Karen Lowrie
Many more returns for you. I came upon your blog late last year & I really enjoy it. All the designs you are creating. I’m in a small town in S.E. Az. so alot of the things you do I can dream about trying some day.
A very happy Birthday to you. Your giveaway looks wonderful, I have been looking for the Dovo scissors. If I could have anything for my birthday I would have one bedroom remodeled for sewing/needlework/crafting and the money to go to classes two times per month. Gail Davis, Roseville, CA.
I’m so proud of you taking the time off from your birthday to write to us and celebrate with us. Thank you and I hope you have plenty of time to fulfill one of your birthday wishes as well.
If I could wave a magic wand and get what I’d like for my birthday, I think it would be fun to have a whole week of free time to stitch with my stitching friends from around the world. There are so many of us sharing our experience, ideas and projects but we rarely get to meet. What a great time we could have together.
Happy Birthday Mary! I hope your day is filled with brightly thread painted wishes.
If I could have anything for my birthday…it would be to be able to take classes at Ecole LeSage Embroidery school in France. That would be a sweet birthday indeed!
Thanks for all your wonderful posts and information that you share. I look forward to reading your blog every day. I always learn something new (embroideried eggs…Turkish embroidery) and try to incorporate it into my work.
Dear Mary, many happy returns.
I found your website a while ago, and look forward to your daily musings and embroidery projects.
For my birthday I would love to take a comprehensive design course. I am an experienced embroiderer but would like to design more of my own pieces. I have tried many times but am never truly satisfied with the finished piece.
Have a great day
Best wishes
Barbara
Hope you have the best and happiest birthday ever and many, many more.
Now, for my wish for my birthday if I had a choice, I would wish for the health and happiness of my children and grandchildren. Grant me that wish and all would be well in my little world.
Happy Birthday to you!
I would like a nice quiet birthday at home alone, with all the doors locked, and the entire day to play my Irish harp, work on some calligraphy and embroidery. That’s because of my horrendous birthday this past year when the cat landed on my head at 1:30 in the morning, leaving me claw marks and a black eye, my son didn’t show up to take me to lunch so after lunch, I went out to run errands. First I went to the mailboxes to get my mail, tripped on something, flew through the air and landed on my left knee and arm, but kept going and whacked my head on the sidewalk. The neighbors came out to help and said I was bleeding — my sunglass nose piece has dug a hold in the left side of my nose, so I now had matching black eyes. I went ahead with my errands and when I got home, the phone was ringing and my son wanted to know what time I wanted to go out to dinner — he said I had wanted to go out to dinner to begin with so that’s why he hadn’t shown up for lunch.
That birthday was just a bit too exciting and adventurous for my taste, hence the quiet, leave me alone, go away birthday wish. I told all my friends so everyone I knew got to enjoy my birthday immensely — they were laughing so hard they had tears streaming. I definitely don’t want to try to outdo myself for the next one.
Hello and a very happy birthday to you
All I want is exactly what you’re giving away
because yes i’ts time to do stitch painting!
Thank you for your generosity in teaching!
I always look forward to your e-mails!
Dayan Cameron
P.O. Box 248
Tres Piedras
New Mexico
87577
A very Happy Birthday to you, Mary.
For my birthday, I would wish for a new kitchen. I know it sounds odd, but I have been waiting for over 40 years for my husband (a contractor) to remodel my approximately 75 year old kitchen.
What a sweet way to celebrate your birthday! Maybe you will start a new trend
Happy, happy, happy!
May you always have that lovely spirit that comes through on your blog. It’s a joy to read and very often makes me smile.
As to your question of what we, (your readers) would want for our birthdays, (besides World Peace) I think I’d want enough time to do everything I want to do in needlearts. I embroider and crochet and do needlepoint, but I’d like to learn knitting and quilting but haven’t been able to make time for them yet…
Oh well, omething to look forward to. From Napa, Happy Birthday!
E
Happy, Happy Birthday Mary! And many more blessings.
Being allergic to many flowers, the only way I can really enjoy them is through my stitching…and this rose is beautiful.
I thoroughly enjoy your daily newsletter and have learned much.
I really haven’t any birthday wishes for myself as I am richly blessed in many ways.
Norma H. in VA
Happy Birthday Mary!
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be to finally have my PhD Thesis finished. I’ve been working on it for many, many years now and I’ve struggled with personal issues. To have it completed and submitted would be the best thing ever!
What a sweet way to celebrate you birthday – maybe you will start a new trend!
My mom has Alzheimer’s and has hardly spoken a word for the last couple of years. If I could have anything, I would like an afternoon with her, in which she and I could visit like we used to, to laugh and reminisce and say I love you.
Happy Birthday Mary! Thank you for this beautiful give away.
For my birthday I would love my family to all be together, we are scattered all over right now and I miss them all a lot!!
I hope for my usual gift of $$$ from my favorite clothing store April Cornell
Winning this give way would be a birthday gift in itself.
Thank you, melissaatthecape@yahoo.com
Happy Birthday Mary! I hope you have a wonderful day! For my birthday wish it would be to get an e-mail from my daughter saying she is coming home from Japan! I am so very worried about her. I feel like I have received a sweet gift in that I finally meet my sons new girlfriend. Not only is she beautiful inside and out, she loves needlework! Doesn’t get much better than that. Thank you for this generous giveaway!
Buon compleanno Mary e cento di questi giorni!
Next week is also my birthday and I wish…. a Tanya Berlin kit! I begun long and short stitch thanks your tutorial and your help and now I am fond of it!
Ciao
Manuela M. – Italy
Happy Birthday!
I would love to visit Europe for my birthday.
Dawn C
Southcoast, MA
Haooy Birthday, Mary
I enjoy your website,especailly the eggs you showed recently.You always show us something new and interesting. You asked what I’d like for mybday if I could have anything, a bday party with all of my family and friends to enjoy. It’s the time to laugh and talk, to catch up with each other. Everyone’s so busy these days we don’t take the time to just enjoy each other’s company like we should. May you have a blessed day with famil and loved ones, Victoria LM
Happy new year, Mary!
I would like for my birthday is for people to stop discriminating against my son based on his disability – autism. Failing that some embroidery stuff might help me reduce my stress!
Janet Watt
happy birthday Mary!
if i could have anything for my birthday it would be that my son comes home safe from iraq where he is currently posted. that my daughter would deliver a healthy baby boy in july without complications. and that i would be able to finish his little baby blanket out of inspirations issue #66 “the goldfish”. it is MY first try at needle painting and i am doing it on a heavy wool blanket and during the summer and in texas! what was i thinking of?
Happy Birthday!
At the moment I would settle for being able to wander into and around town for my birthday this year! To add to that, I would love it if the various crafting shops in town could be back up and running by then.
Happy Birthday Mary, mine was on the 6th and despite living in England I have never been to the Royal School of Needlework, so if I could have had anything I wanted for my birthday it would be a course on goldwork or needle painting technique at the RSN.
Happy Birthday Mary,
I enjoy you emails, especially the embroidered eggs. You always have some new ideas or a new prespective. You asked what I like for my bday, I’d like a bday party with all my family and friends.We’re all so scattered it’s hard to get together like we used to.
Have a blessed day with your family and friends, Victoria LM
Wait wait wait… It’s YOUR birthday, today, too?!!! We’re twins!!! I knew it. 🙂
If I could have anything for my birthday I’d have tickets north to the Adventure in Crazy Quilting that started yesterday so I could meet Sharon B… But that obviously didn’t happen, so I’ll take dinner with my husband instead.
HUGS and Happy Birthday to both of us!!!
Happy birthday Mary,and may you receive more than you give away – such generosity!
As for myself, I wish I could wake up on my birthday and find that my country´s economic problems had been sorted out :)) Not much time left – 2 weeks!
Keep up your lovely blog – always inspiring.
I wish you a very Happy Birthday, with many great memories.
It would be great to win this, since I just celebrated a special birthday myself.
Congratulations on your lovely blog.
Happy birthday!
hmm.. I’d want a room to be added onto my house so I’d have a place to keep all my kits and supplies.
If I could have anything at all for my birthday it would be to sit with my mother in a gentle Autumn sun and ask her all those things I should have asked while she was alive.
Wishing you a wonderful and blessed birthday Mary.
Happy Birthday Mary!
Spring is the best time to have a birthday as it is a time of new growth and hope! Plus my three children all have spring births! I love your blog, I have learned so much! Thank you many times. If I could have anything for my birthday I think I would adore to be at a stitching retreat somewhere…of course you would be one of the fabulous and kind instructors! That would be the best. Thanks so much again, and cheers to YOU. 🙂
Catherine
Hi,
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would have… a trekking trip through the Himalayas. Dreaming big, I know.
Alina B from New Haven, CT
Happy Birthday Mary!
If the Birthday Fairy would double the hours in my days, I would be estatic to have more time for all the needle projects that I want to complete.
Thank your Mother for the wonderful gift that she has given to all of us, You!
Celebrate!
Happy birthday, Mary. I have been reading your newsletter for a while now and enjoy it so much.
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a complete makeover of my craft room so I could find things when I need them — and not have to go out and buy more.
Dolores Still, Poulsbo, WA
Happy Birthday May you have a very happy healthy year and always. If I could have anything for my birthday. I would want all my family and friends around me and world peace. I would love to win this Kit and these supplies. I have always wanted to work with quality materials. I am afraid of taking the chance buying a pricey kit so I would love to see what one was like before I buy. Thank you for all the wonderful information all year.
If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be? An organized house is what I would want for my birthday, which was yesterday. 🙂
I will repeat my b-day wishes for you, Mary. And since someone, or maybe it is more than one someone, has already wished for the kit for their b-day, maybe I should just go for broke and wish that my eyesight would not keep worsening. I’m determined to keep stitching until no more light filters in. I would love to try needle painting and that rose is just so lovely.
Hope your day was all you’d hoped for.
Happy birthday to you. I enjoy reading your posts. It is also very generous of you to offer up such a wonderful present to us. If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday I would want for my husband to regain his health. I’d give anything for that and maybe rewind to the start of this year so I could maybe change a few things around the world. Even our little place in the world has been the receipt of mother nature gone mad.
Happy Birthday Mary but more important, MANY HAPPY RETURNS.
I have to confess if I won I would give the ‘prize’ to my sister who is still suffering in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake in Christchurch (New Zealand) Nothing more peacefull than sitting with a needle and thread for a busy Pastors wife. However I’m afraid I would just have to keep the scissors as they have been on my hope list for so long.
Cheers for a great day.
RobynK
When I saw your reference to Tanja Berlin’s website I went to it immediately and ordered the robin kit. I’m probably not experienced enough to do it but I am going to try because it is so beautiful.
If I could have anything I wanted on my birthday (as in material possessions)it would be the top of the line Bernina sewing machine. I’ve dreamed if having it for years but as it costs the equivalent of a used car, it will have to wait.
I read your blog everyday and am inspired by your work and creativity and your self-discipline to do all you do with a full-time job, the blog and the needlework. I certainly hope you don’t have a spotless house because that would make us all feel really bad!
Betsey
The most wonderful gift I could receive from someone would be a scissors — I love them and never get enough. What a wonderful surprise and affirmation it wuld be for someone to gift me with yet another pair of scissors. Any kind would do!
Take Joy, Marlene in Western North Carolina
Oh my gosh, The wild rose is my favourite flower. It reminds me of summer adventures as a kid, at my grandma’s house, at the park. It is our provincial flower and grows everywhere wild. You mow it down and it still grows. It’s like how the smell of apple pie reminds you of your grandma – this flower is that for me. And yes, it might be time to try needlepainting. If you insist.
For my Birthday. I would ask for the perfect day. Quietness, sunshine, coffee, creating something, laughing with friends, lots of hugs from kids. Sounds doable, right?
Happy Birthday Mary, mine is the 30th of April. I have not taken the plunge into needlepainting as of yet and would love the Rose kit for my first project. I so enjoy your emails! For my birthday wish I would like another 25 yrs. of wedded bliss with my husband, he’s 72 and I’m going to be 67, first marriage for both of us. Hey, don’t snicker my aunt and uncle lived to be 97 and 101 respectively and his mom lived to be 96 so we do have some longevity on our side. Many more birthdays to you Mary!
Happy, Happy Birthday Mary!
What a wonderful give-away! Needle painting is something I’d really love to learn. So for my Birthday, I’d ask for the gift of time to work on the projects I never have time for. Also I’d be thrilled if our unfinished house would magically be finished—I keep hoping one of those DIY shows will bump into my husband at the home store and ask if we’d like to participate in one of those shows where they come in and help the hopeless homeowners finish their home renovations!
Dorothy in Illinois
Oh! Happy Birthday to you!
I am just beginning to brave doing ecclesiastic emnbroidery and desiring to also attempt Orthodx Icon embroidery.
This wonderful kit by Tanja Berlin is the tool I need to get me started on needle painting step by step.
Mary,thank you for the instructional and inspiring work that you do for us.
Linda on the hill
Happy Birthday!!! For my birthday…hmm…I’d love to have a craft room all decorated in lovely pinks and blues, oh and all the organizational tools I could ever need! That would be so awesome. Right now I have a corner in our livingroom. It makes crafting difficult, but I work with it. 😉
Loralynn in Michigan
Happy Birthday! Love your blog & website.
I would love to be able to take my kids & grandkids on a Disneyland vacation for my birthday! Fun!
Diana K
Sioux Falls, SD
Lorraine from East Greenbush would like to comment on the generosity of Mary Corbet. WOW! what a giveaway. If I could have anything I wanted,of course,it would be good health. BUT, in my wants, not needs, I might dream of a room chock full of yarn, notions, a slate frame and the excellent gifts from Mary to boot.
Happy Birthday Mary
My birthday wish is to attend 2011 EGA national seminar in Naples, FL & take the Goldwork Or Nue peacock feather class. Would you believe?? Another fabulous Tanja Berlin design!!
Happy Birthday, Mary! I’ve just located your blog through your post on Stash Manicure. I think I’ll spend many happy hours here.
For my birthday wish, I’d like a trip to England. A specific trip – the one where you stay in a different castle each night. A side trip to Ireland would be great, too, and seeing all the quilting/stitchery stuff over there would be nice.
Thanks for hosting a giveaway – it all looks great!
Kathy at Troublesome Creek Quilts
I think I would like your mother. She has taught you well. Maybe we should all give someone a gift on our birthdays. I can’t think of a better gift than to win the gift you have put together but I know that is not what you want. My perfect gift is to be with my family. Laughing and enjoying my grandchildren and their parents. Of course I should have time to do some embroidery or smocking during the day. Diane P
Anything? My husband and I have been through some rough years together – so I’d wish for a return of our “first love” – a bit of the sweetness and innocence and joy in each other that we used to have. Other than that? Time with my newlywed daughter and son-in-law who live on a different continent.
Dawn in Australia
Happy Birthday Mary from me as well.
Id like to be able to get around the city again without seeing all the destruction.And like Sonya be able to again visit all the needlework shops that have gone for good.
Maybe a dose of internet shopping instead with a bottomless creditcard , of course..;)
Regards
Phillipa
from The still beautiful but damaged Christchurch city..NZ
A Very Merry Birthday to you, Mary!!
Hmmm… well, if it were my birthday, I’d love to receive a large gift certificate to either The Stitchery or Nordic Needle. I drool over the catalogues whenever they show up … a kid in a candy store. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win such wonderful prizes!
Christy C. in Illinois
OH MY…..This giveaway is awsome !!!The thing I’d most love to get on my birthday(July 28) Is a dvd of all your tuts on video and a print out all of your printed tuts.. I would think I’d died and gone to Heaven !!! This would help cause I can’t stay on the ‘puter very long. And Happy Birthday to you, you little stinker. hehehehe Eileene aka noiseynana
If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be? A lifetime subscription for free fabric and thread from all the leading manufacturers. OK – something more realistic is a quiet day with my mother and CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CAKE baked by someone else.
Happy Birthday Mary! I enjoyed your post on Stash Manicure. Thanks for such a lovely givaway. Marcia W. in Florida, USA
Happy Birthday, Mary!
I hope you’re having a wonderful day! Birthday gift, first choice, would probably be going out to lunch with my girlfriends because free time spent laughing with them is precious to me, and add in food and it’s a win-win! 😉
May your gift return to you a thousand-fold! You have a fun idea. Take care, and many blessings to you in this next year ahead.
Happy birthday to a fellow April baby. If I were lucky enough to win any gift certificate, I would use the certificate to to buy needlework supplies for the stitchers who lost their needle work supplies by the floods in Australia and the earth quakes in Japan.
Happy Birthday Mary! If I could have anything for my birthday I would have my pre-baby figure back and the energy to enjoy it. Since exercising my way back into it would cut into the little sewing time I have after work, I think I would settle for something like your lovely giveaway. I have always wanted to threadpaint and try stretcher bars. Thanks!
Happy, Happy Birthday (my little rabbit foot is thumping), Mary! Many wonderful returns to you – you bring such joy to so many of us!
If I could have anything I wanted in the world for my birthday, I would want my two children with me to celebrate it(…..in Paris….in a nice restaurant….and a week at Ecole LeSage…)
I hope you get everything you want and that you are just exactly where you want to be for YOUR birthday! Jeannie from Lubbock
Happy Birthday Mary!
I hope you have lots of time today to do what you want with whomever you want!
My birthday is next month and I’d like the gift of time. Free time to be exact, there just never seems to be enough to do any of the things one would like to do.
All the best!
Jeanine in Canada
Pretty nerdy, but what I’d like for my b’day is to be well, and all my friends to be well enough to be with me on the day (half of them had to cancel on my 40th b’day, tho they were with me in heart).
This is a bit ‘out there’ but I know you already know about my stoopid health. 🙂
Happy happy birthday to you Mary and what a lovely generous way to share it with your friends.
For my birthday, my all time wish would be for all of my children and grand children to be able to come together from all over the country to celebrate with me, because as each year goes by, I realize how precious time with them is.
May this be your best year yet.
maggie in Maine
On my birthday last year my daughter took me to Libertys in London for the day; we had a brilliant day but what made it extra special for me was the Haberdashery section, and of course the embroidery section specifically. I saw a wall hanging cross stitch called The Tree of Life, it was beautiful. The cost was prohibitive being almost £300, but it is something I will save for! I hope you had a wonderful birthday Mary!
Happy Birthday Mary – Hope you had a great day. And, thanks for being so generous. It is my birthday is on Monday – April 11th. My wish is for time to practice my stitching and to be able to try new techniques.
Donna W from Baraboo
Hey, happy birthday!
If I could have anything it’d have to be some chickens! I have wanted a small backyard flock for a couple years now and, though it’s actually legal here in my town, I can’t because I live with my sister and she said no.
Alex (I’m probably the only one who said chickens so you could use that).
Happy Birthday Mary!
I loved seeing your post on Stash Manicure. It was kind of strange seeing the needlework part of my blog world crossover to my quilting blog world, but it enforces my resolve to have my 2 interests work together in a project.
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be jobs for my 2 children. My daughter is graduating from Wellesley and my son is finishing up a computer certification course, both of them in May. If they had jobs, I would have more disposable income to spend on fabric and threads.
If I could have anything for my upcoming May birthday it would be an antique Adam and Eve sampler.
Hope you have a great day! And thank you for the time you take to teach. If I could have anything for my birthday I would want a horse and a place to ride everyday. What girl doesn’t want a pony for her birthday? Guess I just never grew out of that phase.
Thanks again! Melissa from Troutdale
Happy Birthday Mary.
Would like to spend my birthday with my family and friends. Working on my latest needlework project while celebrating
If I could have anything in the world it would uninterupted time to read a book, stitch a design without the “Mum where is?” or “Can you just?………………..just when you get to the interesting part!!!
To Mabel in comment 30 and others who wonder if they are good enough to stitch altar linens:
I will share my discovery from attending seminary. If you have the skill to stitch, it is a gift given to you by God and yes it is good enough. Even if you know others that may have better skill, they may not offer to share their gift in such a significant way. Just as children bring joy when they share in worship, you put the glow on God’s face as in glorify God when you share your gifts and talents during worship. You do not need to be a professional leader, but share from your heart. If all of our stitches and sermons for that matter must be perfect, we’d be waiting for the Sermon on the Mount. Do what you can and know you are loved. Debbie
Happy Birthday Mary!
For my birthday I think it would be fun to have a stitch-in and just get to stitch all day long! Then, for dinner, have my kids surprise me with a birthday cake…and of course the grandkids too. That would be one fabulous day!!! All my favorite things in one place at one time!
Mary in Nebraska
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY !!!
My name is Leslie O’Neil Peters from Cape Cod Ma.
U.S.A. For my special birthday I would receive an
invitation for a five year trip around the world with my husband. We would easily afford this trip and be guided along a variety of routes, experiencing many cultures, people, and adventure !
that was fun THANK YOU , Leslie
I will have to say a cure for cancer or world peace would be the ideal birthday present for anyone. Failing that a needlework trip to England to attend a class at the royal needlework school
Happy Birthday!
If I could have any birthday wish I would like my daughter to be more comfortable at school.
Emma D
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would like a year long cruise (with my sweet husband) around the world where I could discover embroidery, knitting and different needle arts from all over. We would also stop at vineyards for sweetie.
And a rabbit.
Thanks for your give-away, and Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday–hope you have a year filled with joy, good health, and time enough to write your delightfully, interesting emails. I’ve learned so much about the embroidery that I’ve been doing for 60+ years from you. Thank you. Probably the best birthday present for me would be a grandchild within the next year or so–I hope.
Happy, Happy Birthday!
A fabulous birthday present for me would be having my 50+-year-old house remodeled! In this “new” house, my art room would NOT share space with “left-brain, office-y” stuff! NO bills, medical records, or income tax returns allowed! Why not dream BIG!?
Until that day, however, I’d be tickled pink to win your generous giveaway – thanks SO much!
Happy Birthday Mary,
I found your blog about six months ago and look forward to coming home from work and checking for your email. My Grandmother showed me how to embroider many years ago but you have opened a whole new world to me. I have learned so much-thank you, thank you. If I could have anything for my birthday I think I would like to take you to lunch! It’s the least I could do for you after all you do for me.
Paula in Iowa
Hi Mary. Happy Birthday.
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be for my children to help me plant flowers in the garden all day. I would love for them to enjoy and appreciate it as much as I do. If only it would warm up around here…..
What a fabulous birthday giveaway for us-thank you.
for my birthday, I think I would love for my honey to make me dinner for the both of us. I do all the cooking which I enjoy, but on my own birthday would like it if someone else did the cooking.
Kathy inozarks
Happy birthday Mary, I read your website every day and it never fails to inspired me. Thank you for the work you do in putting it together for us. My birthday wish= someone to work in my garden a full day every week of the year. I’ve been working outside today, and it was lovely weather, but oh there is so much more I would like to do than I have the strength for.
First, Happy Birthday and thanks for your wonderful post which is a gift to us all each day. If I could have a birthday wish, it would be to return to my 30’s so that I could have a shot at learning all I’d still like to know how to do. I might even give those stitched eggs a try!
I would like to replace most of the furniture I have in my sewing/embroidery room. I would buy strong shelving units for my books and magazines; a unit with drawers for my crochet cotton and yarn; a new wardrobe for cotton floss, silks, gold threads and kits with a nice space for storing large canvases and frames; a large desk for my Juki sewing machine, serger, laptop, printer and still have room for a desktop ironing board; and last, but not least, a good filing cabinet for patterns and instructions would be on my list. It would all arrive on my birthday and what a lovely time I would have putting everything away and discovering needlework treasures I forgot I had.
If I could have anything for my birthday (in view of what is going on in Washington tonight) I would like our Congressman to stop basing their decisions on what it will do to their re-election and concentrate on what is in the best interest for our country and to work together toward this goal.
Happy birthday, Mary. I love your newsletter; thank you for helping me be better at my needlework.
Hi Mary, Happy birthday and many happy returns to you. I love your newsletter and look forward to reading it every day. What a wonderful generous giveaway and one which I would love to win on my birthday next Tuesday!
As for my perfect birthday present I’d love to join the County Bumpkin’s beating around the bush tour to meet their inspirational designers, however, it’s 12,000miles from the UK, and a bit short notice for this year, so I’ll have to just keep on wishing!
I hope all your birthday dreams come true.
kind regards,
Happy b-day-hope your day is filled with cupcakes!
If I could have anything, and defy the laws of physics and the world as we know it, I would have my grandmother, Divina, be back for a day so that I can show her some of the things that I have made and get her critique and advice. She was an artist in everything that she did, but was so humble that that idea would have never occurred to her.
Mary, Happy birthday…I just celebrated mine too. If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be to spend it with my family. I have 2 sisters left who live in NC & Iowa & we get together just once a year but it would be nice to see them more often. Thanks again for such a nice giveaway! Sheila from Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Mary, just to wish a very Happy Birthday and many more to come. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe and well all the years of your life.
I hope you had a wonderful day full of blessings.
Best wishes,
Marva
Happy Birthday. May your generosity be returned ten-fold!
I’ve been skimming through the comments and everyone wants lovely things for their birthdays. I’ll take some of each, please. LOL! OK then, just one thing – a week long stitching retreat with a little quilting, a little embroidery and some doll making. In a lovely warm place on the beach somewhere! (Kansas has had too much winter!)
Happy Birthday Mary and thanks for putting together such a nice give away and sharing so much on your wonderfully inspiring blog.
My one wish for would be some real progress or cure for pancreatic cancer and all the other forms of cancer so many are forced to face.
Thanks, Suzanne
Happy Birthday, I am so glad I found your blog and enjoy your e-mail letter every day. I haven’t tried needle painting. I love the differnt things that you have shown and wish I would have found it sooner.
What I would love for my birthday is a day where someone would take care of me for the day. I have been a primary caregiver for the last twelve of my spouse and still work. My embroidery is my relaxation. Again, hope you have had a wonderful day. Shirley K St.Joseph, Missouri
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Mary
Happy Birthday to you
And many more . . .
My birthday is the 25th. I have been following your blog for months. I do redwork embroidery and I’m making an embroidered quilt right now. But I’d sure love to learn thread painting with the Wild Rose kit. I guess that’s what I want for my birthday – to win this giveaway. Besides I’m a Wild Rose (my name is Sharon)
Happy Birthday Mary. Hope you have a great day. I guess if I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, it would be classes at the Japanese Embroidery Center. I have always wanted to learn this type of embroidery and the individual instruction sounds wonderful. Maybe someday. Any way, that’s my dream. Hope all of yours come true. Thank you.
Sara Wisdom
I have just found your site through Stash Manicure and also have just recently started embroidering again after quite a few years absence. I think this kit is beautiful. Happy birthday to you! If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a brand spanking new sewing machine. One that has a lot of bells and whistles.
I am new to this site, but really enjoy all the beautiful needlework.
Happy birthday Mary! I love your giveaway (so generous) and adore Tanja Berlin, having taken one of her classes. My birthday, falling not long after Christmas, has often been a stretch for those who feel they should buy ‘another gift’! Nevertheless, my birthdays have always been a joy if I have been able to have my immediate family around me. We came to Canada in 1974 and I have not had a birthday with all my extended family around – that is what I would wish for my birthday!
Love your blog and learn so much.
Happy Birthday Mary! I love your idea,giving to others! The thing I have always wanted to do, is greet the early sunshine with a friend, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee with a lite breakfast. Then to continue with working on any sewing projects we each may have.
Oh Mary,
You always come up with great give-aways. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a set of trestle frames like those at the royal school of needlework. Or, since I’m a great fan of Evan Burroughs, a set of trestles from evertite.
And Mary I hope you have a wonderful birthday.
Elaine from WV
Happy Birthday Mary, love your site. If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be all my family home at once. I have a new great grandson I’ve never seen.Two I’ve seen once and a Granddaughter I haven’t seen since she came home after serving 2 tours in Iraq. But before they came, I would really like some help cleaning my house before they got here. We all have dreams don’t we? May yours come true.
Happy Birthday Mary, and I must say I love your blog, tips, etc. Secondary to your recommendations I just purchased the Dublin Craft Lite and their lighted goose neck small portable magnifier, both of which are fantastic! If I could have anything for my Birthday, it would be a trip to see the Pyramids in Egypt and the Taj Mahal in India, one day I will see both sight’s 🙂 I hope your enjoyed your special day, keep stitching.
Sheena James, Westlake, OH
Dear Mary,
Many happy returns for your birthday Mary.
I love looking at your emails and especially your needlework. Next weekend we are travelling to Victoria, Aust for the naming day for our second grand-daughter. We are so excited as we have only watched her progress via photos on Facebook. This happy little family live in Western Australia so we are all travelling a long way for this event. Also present will be another grand daughter – just 2 yrs old – and we have not seen her since she was 1 week old so you can see it is a special weekend for us.
I wish you a pleasant day and hope your family spoil you on your special day.
Kindest regards from Ros in Adelaide, Sth Aust
What I would love to have (if it were my birthday), is a set each of 4mm and 7mm silk ribbons in every color made.
Mary! You are so FUNNY. Every time I visit your blog, I leave with a smile. The subsidiaries comment made me laugh out loud.
Happy Birthday to you. I’d sing, but I’d scare everyone else away.
For my birthday? I really can’t think of anything. I’ve always wanted to try one of Tanja Berlin’s goldwork kits, or maybe an Alison Cole kit. That would probably fit me. But I think it’s better not to think “What do I want” or to expect much because it’s a sure recipe for disappointment! I’m not too big on birthday celebrations anymore! I hit 40 last year and don’t have my own family. Past the birthday excitement stage. One day, though, I’ll buy my own birthday present. I’ll take a trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. I’ve always wanted to go to that part of Canada.
I hope you have had a very happy day and that the next year sees all your dreams come true! Thanks for doing the give-away, even if I don’t win.
Emmie McB
Vancouver!
Happy birthday, Mary! Thank you for so generously sharing your craft. I’ve learned so much from your site. You’ve really been a help and an inspiration to me, and I’m sure to many others.
If I could have one impossible thing for my birthday, it would be more hours in a day. But failing that, it’d be an Oxford English dictionary– and a dedicated library to host all 22 volumes!
Happy Birthday, Mary. May you enjoy many more. Love your site and your newsletters. Your give-aways are so generous. If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be to have one skein of every embroidery thread and the time and skills to use them.
Fran from Red Oak, TX
Hello Mary
What a wonderful giveaway, and what a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday!
What wouild I like most in the world? Easy – for my son to be here with me. He died 12 years ago, a week before his 22nd birthday. The anniversary of that date was last Tuesday, and it would have been his 34th birthday this coming Tuesday.
Every birthday since that awful day I’ve wished for the same thing, and this year will be no different. I know it can never happen, but I can’t think of anything I would want more than that.
Maureen (in the UK)
Happy Birthday! May the floss be with you!
For my birthday I would like SILK. Lots and lots of silk…and stronger glasses!
Happy Birthday Mary!!!! and Many, Many More!
Something nice you may never have heard of doing before – send your Mother Flowers on YOUR birthday to say Thank You! When I did it my Mother was very surprised!
Your website just gets better and better! What I would like for my Birthday – #1 would be to find a house close to (but not too close) ((I wouldn’t do that to them – yet anyway)).
#2 or more would be to be able to visit with friends in person – either having them come here and getting to go visit in the cities where they live.
On down the list – I would desperately love to learn to embroider and do it well and learning to needle paint is at the top of that. It is so beautiful. Have a fabulous Birthday and celebrate!!!!
Happy birthday! Tomorrow is my sweetie’s birthday and I would love to make this for him!
For my birthday – I would love a collection of Threadworx floss and perle cotton – yum!
Hi Mary! Happy Birthday, and many more! What a generous way to celebrate! If I could have anything my heart desired materialy, I’d wish for a picture-perfect sewing room with all my crafts organized by type: embroidery, sewing, card-making, tole painting, etc. If I could have anything I wanted unselfishly, it would be for my entire extended family to get together in one place (NOT at a funeral!) and catch up with each other!
I would love to have a lifetime collection of silk threads and a needlework tour of Italy.
Happy birthday!
I’m just getting back into embroidery after many years away, so would love to restart in grand style! For my birthday, well, hmm. A scooter? But maybe at 55 I’m too old for one? (I don’t feel that old, though.) What I really want is to be with my family, and that’s pretty much a sure thing so it’s all good.
Happy Happy Birthday! What would I like besides the world peace and the end to hunger? The complete collection of Au Ver a Soie, Soie d’Alger! I just love that stuff!
Dear Mary,
What a marvellous and generous idea. The kit looks gorgeous and I would like to work it.
A perfect gift for me would be a course at The Royal School of Needlework.
Rose from Ontario.
Happy Birthday. I love your newletter and look forward to every evening when I come home from work. I have learned quite a lot from your essays and explanations. I did your long and short sampler. If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, it would have to be more time to do my craft projects. Since, I’m not likely to have anyone volunteer to cover my living expenses so that I can embroider whatever I choose, I would want my 2nd best idea. I would love to have a variety of specialty flosses and/or ribbon. I’ve managed to collect some DMC but I don’t have much if any silk, overdyed, wool, flower,and other kinds of flosses. While we are wishing . . How about a nice craft room to house it all!
Happy birthday, Mary!! You’re already giving a lot just by writing your blog…!
Hi ya Mary! Happy Birthday to you!
I am Michelle From Huntington Beach, California. You have an amazing sight and whenever I go to google to research embroidery and stitches I always end up here on your site!
Let’s see, my birthday is right before Christmas and am used to getting robbed. lol Last year I bought my own cake and stayed home by myself. I think I would love for someone else to get the cake this year.
Thanks Mary, cheers!
If you could have anything for my birthday, what would it be?
It would be to live another year to create my needlework art I love to do so much, so I can share it with others.
Well, Happy Birthday to you. I would love to win. If I could have anything for my Birthday it would be to have all my children and grand children around me for the big day.
Mary, let me begin by saying Happy Birthday to you! Now, if I could have anything for my birthday ……. about 30 years ago I was in Charleston, SC at a place called The Thomas Elfe Workshop. They had the most wonderful furniture! I saw this piece, and I’ve never seen one even remotely like it again, that was a needlework table. It was like a side table that you would place next to your comfy chair and the top lifted up and there were places to stash all your embroidery needs. It was WONDERFUL and I’ve been kicking myself for ALL OF THOSE 30 YEARS FOR NOT HAVING BOUGHT IT RIGHT THEN AND THERE because I certainly want one of those. So, if I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, it would be one of those lovely little tables. Oh and now I am coveting those Dovo scissors……
Have a wonderful Birthday! I would like one day to work on my embroidery without any interruptions. I broke my shoulder/upper arm in Nov. and wanting to get back to embroidery work with the latest book from Helen Stevens.
For my birthday? This year I got a phone call saying I’d been accepted to my dream job, so that was already fulfilled! Next year I might like a KitchenAid stand mixer in copper: how I do adore the color. Embroidery-wise, I’d like some way of finally organizing my floss and thread, like a set of Annie’s Keepers. Anything better than the tupperware box where all the threads just get thrown in and tangled.
Hope you have a good birthday yourself! <3
First off, I’ll spare you any singing and just Wish you a Happy Birthday!!! I hope you got what you wanted!
As for answering what I would want for my birthday… well simply put… a day where no one bothers me and I can do what I want, when I want, and how ever I want to do it. 🙂 Last time I got that break I sat and did a wood burning project of some hand drawn roses. 🙂 Can’t remember how long ago that was… but still dream of having that day again. 🙂
Happy Birthay again! Here is a flower for you instead of singing 😉 —-‘–,–(@
What a nice idea to give gifts on your birthday, at least then you don’t end up receiving strange presents! For my birthday I would love a sleep-in and then a few hours of peace to do some embroidery! Oh well, we can all dream can’t we!
I am so grateful for you and your website Mary. I would like for my birthday to enjoy and appreciate God, others and myself in every moment!
Lori H from Colorado
Mary, if life was truly a matter of wishing and I could wish for anything… then as corny as this may sound it would be my sincere wish that
human beings would be kinder to other human beings, to other living creatures and more respectful of Mother Earth; that we would learn to enjoy the beauty around us and be thankful for the creativity and resourcefulness we all have and that we all could learn to live in harmony with each other and our surroundings.
You are grouping three of my favorite things together in this giveaway and IF I win it then I will be giving them all to my mother as a ‘thank
you’ for all that she has taught me….
Dear Mary,Happy Birthday! May you have many hours of joyful stitching in the year ahead.I have been reading your daily posts for some time and have drooled over your give-aways, but not entered. This one however was too much to resist. As a result of your encouragement I am in the middle of my first project using silk threads. Wow! They are just gorgeous to use. Everything that you promised and more. If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be to have all the family together at my daughter’s wedding. Sadly it looks as though one of her brothers isn’t able to make it. But I live in hope.
Happy Birthday Mary!!! Ours are not far apart; mine’s April 9th. Continued good health is the most important gift for me!
wish u a very happy birthday mary!wow..it is a wonderful giveaway..I love ur site..it is very useful for many of us who loves hand embroidery….if it could have anything special for my birthday it could be celebrating with one of my dearest bloggerfriend..though I didnt see her face yet…but share most of the things.
Dear Mary,
Happy Birthday! the rose is lovely, I love the giveaway and…..my birthday wish would be for a whole truck load of every color of every thread in silk, cotton and wool and it would be heaven. Also, the scissors are cool, as I still do not have any embroidery scissors….
of all things. All the best to you.
Hi Mary. Happy Birthday! Thinking about what I’d like for my birthday is easy as it’s on Monday. I dropped hints some time ago that I’d really like a System 4 needlework stand that I read about on Needle ‘n Thread and I think I just might be getting one. Your goody bag giveaway is quite excellent. I also read about Evertite stretcher bars here and have recently tried them. They are excellent and I shall now have to collect lots more sizes, including 9″. Happy stitching!
Tina C. in Melbourne, Australia
A very happy birthday Mary.
As usual your generosity just amazes me. Your daily email is the high point of each day, I really look forward to it popping up on my screen.
I’m greedy but the thing(s) I would like on my birthday – I just lust after a good stretcher bar kit, I haven’t tracked one down in Australia, otherwise a good EMBROIDERY KIT in thread painting
Cheers, Kim.
I wish you a very happy birthday.
As I live in Queensland Aus. Most of our state has been flooded and so I wish our fantastic state has no more disasters for this year.
But I would also love is silk threads and more an more silk threads.
Happy birthday to you! A beautiful birthday gift??? Have embroidery lessons by a great stitcher!
Happy Birthday Mary! 🙂
My birthday was just a couple of months ago, and my wish was gift cards from Amazon (or any book in my wish list). This year I especially wanted craft books.
Have a great weekend.
Ingrid from Norway
My birthday wish? I would have loved to be as wise as i am now about myself and about life at the young age of 18. Many say they don’t have regrets but I have to be honest and say I do! As there is much that I could-a, would-a, should-a done… With that level of hinds sight it would be most interesting to see how my life and relationships would have been enriched today. Saying “no” when I should have said yes and vice versa. Bold instead of shy and shy when I was bold, wiser rather than naive and choosing the paths that would be fulfilling the desires of my heart today even though they were not the desires of my heart then. And most of all… Choosing God at an earlier age as my focus rather than holding tight to falsehoods like “more is better” and “it’s all about me”! What a waste of time and energy. Oh how eliminating the frivolousness in my life then would have changed the outcome of so much. I believe life for others would have been much sweeter not to mention my own.
So in closing, do I have regrets? Well sure. If I could choose a birthday present this would be it however, know this my dear, in my old age I’ve come to realize that life is too brief and should be lived with deep hearted intent. Therefore, the key is to realize that regret can cause the heart to change for the better if you stay “teachable” and then teach others from experience!
Happy birthday to you and thank you for sharing it with us in this generous and thoughtful way. As you are learning, your mom is right! So continue to teach it to others. Birthdays are fun but it IS most enjoyable to give than to receive!
Hello Mary and I hope that your birthday was fun.
If I couldn’t have my Mum back (she died in 1998 and was someone who loved life) I would like to be given 2 rescue donkeys and a dog. Why? I just love them.
Being greedy (well it would be my birthday) I would like to be let loose in a needlework shop for an hour or two, like the one I recently visited in Australia.
Happy Birthday Mary. What a wonderful giveaway. I’ve just put it on my blog for all to see.
If I could have anything for my Birthday it would be to go up in a Hot Air Balloon again. I done this some years ago and just loved it.
I would also like more stitching hours in my lifetime to complete everything in my stash.
Hi Mary, ♪♫ ♪♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mary ♪♫ ♪♫
“If you could have anything for your birthday, what would it be?” A Canon EOS 1000D Digital SLR camera, with 2 lenses, a EF 135mm Zoom lens and a Macro 100mm lens as extras. Oh and a separate flash wouldn’t go a miss.
Marian (NZ)
hi mary,
wish u a happy happy birthday,thats realy a wonderful thought on ur birthday as a giveaway,and yeah ur mom is right,better to give than receive,hmm yet for the answer to ur question i would like to receive lots and lots of differnt colour wool threads to start new projects for crewel work.am loving it rhese days. Adian a oyius bday.
from nilima, india.
Happy Birthday Mary! Hope you had a terrific day. The one thing I would love more than anything is more time to do all the projects I want to do. I know, wishful thinking!!
I love your 15 minute project, it shows me that you can get something done if you just devote 15 minutes here and there!
Hope you are having a terrific weekend!
I would love a long, long holiday on a tropical island somewhere – plenty of stitching time, of course HAppy birthday to YOU!
I hope you had a Happy Birthday Mary! Lots of people were/are thinking about you. You’re such a joy in our lives. You give to us everyday via your website! I love that it is so search-able… I can find any info I need on your site. And I would love to see what needle painting is all about!
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be to have my son and his family (2 grand-kids ages 1 & 3)visit me from Colorado. I haven’t seen them since June. But I always have you!
Claudia from NJ
Many happy returns Mary, I would love some new glasses for my birthday! I have been putting it off and putting it off , but the lens fell out yesterday and it is my birthday in a couple of weeks so I might treat myself.
Happy Birthday, Thank you for your generous give-away – my wish for my birthday is that my younger sister just diaganosed with bowel cancer will make a full recovery.
JennyP
Happy Birthday to you, Mary, and wish you many more of them! My birthday is not until the end of next month, and I’m afraid I’m a far more selfish soul! I know what I would like, and I have been wishing for it these past two years. I teach a few hours a week at a local school and I’ve been wanting to set up a needlework club. Unfortunately, the students are not interested, and therefore, the management isn’t. I wish, oh, how I wish, there would be students wanting to learn needlework in the new academic year! That would make a rollicking (though belated) birthday present!
Happy Bithday Mary.Love your site. I have learned a lot from it.As a birthday present . first, blessings for my family, then more books for left handed persons (like me). Also an easy way to mirror -image crochet patterns. Thanks, Lillian from PR
Happy Birthday! Having just returned from caring for my Mother and Sister on their birthdays, yes my sister has an April’s fool birthday, I would only wish for good health and peace for our loved ones! I did not have a chance to keep up with your blog while I was gone and look forward to a Diet Coke and stitching.
Terrie R.
Happy birthday :)oooo for my birthday I would love to have a stitching retreat where I would be able to learn new techniques along with my friends as well … are you free January ??..lol happy stitching love mouse xxxx
Happy Birthday Mary! I recently discovered your site and what a wonderful resource!
What I would really like for my birthday is a surprise party with all of my family and friends. Never had one. Receiving gifts is nice, but it’s family and friends who really make life worth living and give you lasting memories.
I think it’s beautiful, and I want it, please. For my birthday, I would really love to have a complete set of wool threads, but I can’t remember the name of the brand. (I know, I’m bad.) I follow your site religiously.
Amber from Toledo, Ohio
Dear Mary
Sorry I got this wrong the first time! I would luv to win the birthday kit etc and in the meantime for my birthday treat I would like some one to one lessons on a new embroidery technique that I have never tried before or one that needs improvement. That may sound dull to some but then I am a stitchaholic and it is something that is so relaxing for me.
Luv
Eleanor Roome
x
Well, Happy Birthday girl!
You give to all of us every day with your humor and joy and expertise. Thank you for that.
I turned 64 this year, and am 11 years into a kidney transplant. My wish, which no one ever gives me, is more time. Time in the day to enjoy and to spend on all the projects I want to do; time in my life to watch the grandkids grow. So I cherish the time I have and welcome every birthday that comes around.
Enjoy your day!
Nancy
Happy Birthday Mary. I have two wishes. My first wish is(the important one) My daughter has been ill for a very long time and her birthday is in a few week. My wish is that her health improves and stays improve forever and that she has many, many more healthy birthdays. My second wish – I am a long time stitcher and would rather stitch than do anything else. I would love to be able to spend lovely days stitching with my friends
I am the person in the prior messeage who has 2 wishes and I forgot to give you my name. OOPs I’ sorry. My name is Arlene Harris and I’m from the sunny state of Florida
Hi Mary, I enjoy your blog every day. Have you ever tried stitching on tulle to make lace?
I’m Jane in Canada and if I could, I would change the date of my birthday. It’s Jan 4 and I’m so tired of the festive season by then that I could care less. As a child, I received a lot of big gifts at Christmas that doubled for my b-day gift as well. And I still do. And last but not least, my older brother and I would share our b-day cake on Jan 5 because his b-day was Jan 6. My Mum was very frugal so she’d stick flags with our names on them into the last of the fruit cakes she baked every year. I still laugh when I picture that.
Regards, Jane
Hello Mary. I do hope you enjoy your special day.
For my birthday I would love a Time Turner – the magical hourglass used by Hermione in The Prisoner of Azkaban to wind the clock back a little way. In my world I’m always trying to squeeze in time that just doesn’t exist. I can’t resist more work on a project first thing in the morning knowing I’ll have to put it down when it’s getting interesting but the clock says I’m going to be late for work. I then get to work on time, stressed from the rush and wishing I was back home sewing.
I don’t want to be greedy – a block of just twenty four hours to call off as and when required would be a fantastic indulgence.
Best Wishes
Lynne Humphrey St Albans UK
Happy Birthday Mary! Wishing you many more… My birthday is coming up in May and I will be one of the baby boomers turning 65. My wish is to have the chance to see my grandchildren grow up and have great lives…they are 17 and 10 and I love them dearly!!!
WELL MARY A GIFT IS ALWAYS WELCOMED BIRTHDAY OR NO BIRTHDAY. AS AM AN ARDENT EMBROIDERER SOMETHING RELATED TO THREAD WORK WILL BE MOST APPRICIATED.
Happy Birthday
Aside from seeing my family more and having independent wealth I would like to take an embroidery vacation with classes and instruction and a great shop to find all the things you talk about on your site in a beautiful setting. I could finish the project there and come home relaxed with beautiful piece. Perfect!
What a beautiful embroidery kit. One of my goals upon retirement in a few weeks is to spend more time doing needlework and teaching my granddaughter to embroider.
My birthday wish would be for all 4 of my children and 11 grandchildren to be able to visit at the same time.
Dear Mary,
Happy Birthday to you. I love your blog and look forward to it each day. Its been a while since I tried needle painting and would love to win this kit. I’m a novice at needle paiting, so your giveaway is truly a wonderful gift for anyone interested in it.
As for my b’day wish, I’ve been battling some health problems for the last 10 yrs and I hope this year will be the end of it all. I also hope to become a mother this year, something that has not happened for the last 10years!
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
Ramya from CA
Happy Birthday, Mary!
What a generous gift! Thank you for the chance.
If I could have anything for my birthday, I would wish to have all my family gathered together. I’d truly like nothing better. I hope you get to enjoy time with yours!
Lauri with Spring Fever
Belated Birthday Wishes Mary! (oops! didn’t have time to get on the puter yesterday…worked on a quilt top for my almost one-year-old granddaughter). My one birthday wish would be to travel to Vermont and see the beautiful covered bridges there.
I’d like to give my friends a party for my birthday, so to have the materials to do this. A crafting party, with wools, and yarns, and cottons and silks, and material and…. ALCOHOL! 🙂
Dear Mary,
What a great idea! If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a big, new animal shelter for my hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico. It would be a no-kill shelter with a free neuter spay program.
You can tell I’m an animal lover. I’m also an ethical vegan. A vegan diet is a great idea for us devoted stitchers physically because we sit for long inactive periods and most vegans are quite slim and kind.
Elaine in New Mexico
Marty from TX2AZ
I would love this. For my birthday, I would love to win something. I enter and enter, but have yet to win. I have friends who are lucky, Wait, I would like to start being really luckly for my birthday. Is that 2 wishes? Thank you for all you do and I am glad you did finish blackwork fish. I really like him.
Dear Mary,
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day! And how lovely of you to give something away on your birthday. This giveaway is glorious!
If I could have anything for my birthday what would it be? Right now, I am dreaming of a trip to Florence, Italy or my very own cozy craft room!
Thanks again for your wonderful site Mary !
Hi, Mary!
I wanted to wish you a HaPPy Birthday and let you know how much I enjoy your blog/newsletter/embroidery instructions! What a great time to have a birthday…Spring, my favorite season! Well, I would like to win the prize because I’ve bought all kinds of things involving embroidering, but haven’t been able to get started and this might be exactly what I need to begin. I’ve always wanted to embroider and hook rugs since I was a teen and now since I’m a grandma it would be fitting let alone help with something to do when bored!
Well I hope you enjoy your special day and have lots of fun! Your Humble
Student/Friend,
Sherri V.
from Ohio
Happy Birthday! How lovely of you to give gifts for your birthday.
For my birthday I’d like all my kids together, and perhaps a gift certificate for art supplies. 🙂
Dear Mary,
Birthday Wish
A generous and greatful heart,
A family close and dear,
Needle ‘N Thread and Mary Corbet,
For another year!
If I could have anyting for my birthday it would be a trip to France. I have always wanted to tour the famous historic sites in Paris and other cities. I love the eras described in the Three Musketeers, Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo. I am especially intrigued by the era surrounding the French Revolution of 1789. While I rest between sight seeing excursions I would love to be stitching the gorgeous birthday gift you are so generously offering. Happy Birthday!
Karen
Happy Birthday Mary. I’ve already had mine this year but I have finished all my crewel and embroidery projects so I would wish for this kit-it looks fun and I think needlepainting would be just up my alley!
Happy Birthday!! If I could have anything I wanted ,it would be a free pass to go all over the world ,so I could visit my family and friends .It has been more than ten years since I have seen my sister and my dear friends .And now my children are also spread all over the world !! Ha ha ha !I am very happy for them ,but they are missed!!
i got this exact kit from my fiance for my birthday last week!!..guess i’ll skip this time and wish everyone else good luck:)
hope you had a wonderful birthday 🙂
Happy Birthday to you from Great Falls, Montana.
As my birthday is coming up on May Day, I am wanting NO SNOW with a sunny Spring day to get out and about with my kids, maybe do lunch and a movie. I want to hear the birds singing in the trees and see if flowers are really going to pop their heads up here.
I hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Alice Faye (WonderlandShoppe)
Happy Birthday to you! My dream gift would be a room of my own to organize all of my sewing, knitting, embroidery, and other crafty things. Thanks for all the wonderful tutorials!
Thanks so much for your inspiring and very helpful website! I just found you the other day and already love your site!
If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, it would be security to have a job as long as I wanted so I could earn enough to retire in style and be able to afford any materials I want for all my hobbies (sewing, crafts, etc)
You say its your birthday, well happy birthday to ya! Couldn’t resist :-).
Oh, what would I want for my birthday? Hummm…money to travel with.
Thanks for the chance, Mary. And I hope you had a wonderful birthday.
I love your newsletter. What wonderful projects you do. I could be selfish, and wish for something for myself, but your mother is right, giving to others is so rewarding. My birthday would be perfect if you were able to grant the wish of everyone that left a comment.
Wishing you a great birthday, Mary! What a super giveaway!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a day devoted to stitching, family and friends without another care in the world. Followed, of course, by dinner out – no prep and no dishes! And the icing on the cake – a full collection of Au Ver a Soie…
Wishing you a great birthday, Mary! What a super giveaway!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a day devoted to stitching, family and friends without another care in the world. Followed, of course, by dinner out – no prep and no dishes! And the icing on the cake – a full collection of Au Ver a Soie…
Marian in Sunny California
Happy birthday, Mary!
My birthday is about a month away, so I’ve been thinking a little bit (a lot!) about what I would like. Honestly, if I could have anything, it would be to buy a large house. Our condo is lovely, but I want a garden and a craft room. 😉
Hi Mary, Happy Birthday – love your website. My Ultimate birthday present would be a Tanja Berlin embroidery kit, an Evertite Stretcher bar and a pair of Dovo embroidery scissors – I would think I’d died and gone to heaven if I was to receive these.
Cheers Lyn D
Hi Mary!
I hope you had a good birthday! Giving away is fun especially when you know that the gift will be appriciated, and it sure will. I would love to get this gift and turn it into a gift when I have done the embroidery as good as I can. Please, pick me! That would make my day and I would grab more time for stitching. (Two boys with wills of their own tend to get my attention. 🙂 )
Hi Mary, I look forward to your newsletter arriving in my inbox. I am a novice soaking up every morsel like a sponge. Thank you for sharing so much information in such a great way. I checked out Tanja Berlin’s website and am amazed how beautiful even the beginner kits are. Wow! If I could do one of those myself that would be terrific. For my birthday I would love to have someone come into my home and organize my sewing space. Thanks for being so generous on your birthday and I hope you did something fun for yourself.
Carol in Mesquite
Dear Mary,
Happy, happy birthday! If I could have anything in the world for a birthday present, it would be the gift of good health and time. Time to cherish with family and friends, time to read every novel written (and understand them them all!) and time to sit and stitch in the sun by the lake with a soft breeze blowing as the waves lap unto shore.
from, Ruth Ann in London, Ontario
Yes, your mother is right, it is better to give than to receive. On my birthday I would like to give/teach some embroidery techniques to some friends who have expressed a desire to learn. I will also give some of my pieces to my family members. It is time for me to give back. Thanks Mary for such an inspiring idea!!
Happy birthday Mary (I would sing, but I’m told on good authority that you REALLY don’t want me to!!). Another fun giveaway too. To answer your question about what I would want for my birthday – I would like a repeat of what I got from one of my friends last year. She took me out for a day of ‘experiences’ – we visited several interesting shops I’d never been to and she treated me to lunch at a lovely tea room. It didn’t cost her much, but what a wonderful day I had!
Many Happy Returns Mary!
I hope you have a wonderful birthday week!
Thanks very much for the generous giveaway 🙂
I love wild roses, as they always remind me of my Grandmother’s wildflower garden in summer. As for your question, I love surprises anytime, but especially for my birthday! I’ve never tried needlepainting, but would like to, so please enter me in the draw! Best wishes!
A very Happy Birthday to you, Mary! It’s soooo generous to give something to someone else on your birthday! My birthday wish would be that my dear husband would get well and we could travel together once more. He used to go to a few seminars with me, but due to his health and the economy, seminars and stitching events are a thing of the past for me. Oh to dream though. I look forward to your daily newsletters…always something to look forward to. Thanks for everything you’ve taught us. I’d love the giveaway….always the nicest stitching treasures! I used Evertite just about all the time, and I am a scissor fanatic! Thanks for your giving spirit, Mary, and for making many of us fellow stitchers so happy (and more informed!!)
Happy Birthday, Mary! What a wonderful, giving person you are to share gifts on your birthday. If I could have anything it would be continued health, a visit from my son & grandchildren, a large gift certificate to Tanja Berlin’s web site and a well organized and supplied craft room. Well, you did say anything…;-)
Happy Birthday Mary…. I love your web site. I have learned so much from you. It would be wonderful to win the embroidery kit. it is so very nice.
Hi Mary,
It was my Birthday on March 30th and oddly enough my husband needed an idea so I said I’d like a Tanya Berlin kit because I admire her work so much. I had the pleasure several years ago of taking her course “Etui Boxes” She’s a great teacher. Of course, I’d be happy with any of the gifts you’re giving.
For my birthday, I would love time. Time to work on all the lovely projects that exist (both in my stash and yet to be added to it).
Happy Birthday Mary!
My birthdayo wish would be to have the house to myself for the day put some music on and spend the day doing embroidery have a light dinner and end the evening painting something beautiful and peacful simple as it may be that would be heaven to me
Peace Love and happiness to all
Bernadette G in Albuquerque New Mexico
Happy Birthday to the woman who”s email has inspired so many of us. My dream has been to take the trip on the Trans-Siberian train from Bejing to St.Petersburg, but I have already been gifted with stitching friends who are a joy to be with and this is something that I can enjoy every day of the year.
I rarely win anything – about the only thing of any value was a very fancy electric powered bicycle which I can’t use bacause I have a pnhysical disability! Something like your offer would be much more useful and appropriate, so everything I can cross is crossed.
Now, as to what I would like for my birthday, there has been a long-standing family joke that I want a 9-carat diamond. Why, I don’t know, but there it is. (Actually a one-carat stone would do nicely …………)
Christina F in Victoria, Australia
Ooooh, like Angelina, time would be lovely!! But otherwise, something special, like silks, or a new kit. I still need confidence in needlepainting type of embroidery, I admire Mary’s works of art, such fine stitching (no I’m not being teacher’s pet! your stitches (and when enlarged) are so even).
cheers
Julie in Australia
For my birthday I would love a sewing cabinet for my sewing machine. I used to do embroidery with my Grandma. I remember staying with her one week when my mom was sick and she and I embroidered and small dresser scarf with blue birds on it. I found that scarf a few months back after unpacking from a move. My Grandma has been with the Lord for 21 years. I still miss her.
Hi Mary!
For my birthday I would love a housekeeping fairy to take care of the chores so I could work on a couple of the projects I have on the go. I really enjoy your site and when I have a problem you seem to have the solution I need on the day I am searching! Thank you for all the information and help and for everything you so kindly share with me and your other very devoted fans.
Deety from Canada
Hi Mary,
Happy Birthday! and thank you for being generous and sharing with your fans! I have been pondering what I would ask for on my birthday. A friend of mine has a birthday about the same time, and for the past few years we have celebrated by taking a day or weekend trip somewhere close by. I think I would ask for a bigger trip….my dream is to go to Macchu Pichu! (Got to get in shape first or won’t make the climb, though!) Besides, a long trip would give me lots of stitching time!
Happy Birthday, Mary! What a generous birthday gift for us.:) If we’re talking about tangible stuff, a nice fat gift certificate to Amazon would do it for me. I’ve got a nice list of needlework and quilting books I’m waiting to order.
Happy Birthday Mary,
Love your web site, thank you for your Birthday give away.
I would love one day to visit Paris, for the fashion, fabrics, sewing bits and pieces and of course the Eiffel Tower.:)
Ah, what would I choose for my birthday? Patience? Purpose? Self-control? I think I’ll go with all of the above. (As I have no self-control and am greedy.) 🙂
happy birthday mary !!!
i had commented before … but for some reason it is not seen here ….
i would love to meet my mom on my birthday ..
she stays in another country and we get to see each other once in 2 yrs
thaNK YOU FOR THE FABULOUS GIVEAWAY
For my birthday I would love a guarantee of good eye sight for life so I can be sure that I will be able to at least try and complete everything in my stash.
Hi Mary,
Wish you a very happy birthday! May you have a wonderful day and many more birthdays ahead.. You are a true inspiration for a lot of us out here! Your giveaways are always lovely.
On my birthday, I would love to have some memorable time with my family.
And your mom is really right. The happiness which giving “gives” is way way more than recieveing. Am also trying to have it etched in my children. Hope I would succeed.
Regards,
Preethy
Truly, if I could have anything, I would ask for time as well but even more I would ask for a world trip to visit each country to take a workshop or two and to have an embroidery kit or project or threads and so on which represents the best the country has to offer. Of course the workshops would be with fun and helpful teachers who could pass on something of their skill to me.
You did say I could ask for anything right?
For my birthday I’d love a trip to Paris, to be inspired by beautiful children’s clothes and to shop for fabrics, laces, ribbons, and threads. In lieu of that, winning this give-away would be pretty fabulous too. What a treasure trove! Thank you Mary and Happy Birthday!
Hi Mary,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
For my birthday I would like a week. A day to tidy and organise my sewing space, a day to plan a couple of projects (including time to wander through craft shops) and a couple of days to just sit and sew, without interruption or having to stop to cook and bath children etc.
Cherilynne (from Melbourne)
My name is Jenny P. For my birthday I would love to take some classes with Tanya Berlin. I live in Brisbane, Australia, and have only just become aware of her kits, thanks to your website. The chance of doing classes with someone of her calibre would be an unimaginable luxury.
Happy Birthday Mary, so nice of you to give away such wonderful items.
For my birthday I would like to have a lovely dress, not a saree or salwar-suit that is common here but something quite different. It need not be expensive as simple things can also be very pretty.
Thanks for allowing me to participate, it would be great to get something nice from you.
Smita – India
Happy Birthday Mary!
My wish would be to have my mom and dad back with me for one day so I could share my new retired life with them and so they could see their grown-up grandson with his beautiful wife. Family IS the most important part of life.
Many thanks for letting me wish and for your generous gift of sharing your knowledge and love of needle work.
Sue M. from North Carolina
The better part of me would like that woman above to be able to see her mother more often. The worse part of me could use a day with a professional clutter consultant, or a sympathetic and ENERGETIC person to visit for a couple of hours twice a week until I did something about this mess that I live in.
And yet I would love a needlepainting kit.
Thanks for your blog; it’s fun and useful even for more informal embroiderers like I am.
Mary I love your emails and I have a folder that I keep all of them in as your e-mails are wonderful and full of wonderful tips..My ultimate birthday wish is for me to get all my UFO’s finished in my life time or before and to to be able to needle work everyday for at least three hours or more.
Thanks for the great website and tips.
LaRaine from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
A very happy birthday to you Mary! How kind of you to give us the gift!
My wish is just a daydream, but I would love robotic eyes that could adjust to any light situation and fabric thread count so I could get rid of glasses, magnifiers and extra bright light to enjoy my needlework.
Thank you also for your wonderful blog. I’ve learned so much from you.
Joan in NJ
Happy Birthday Mary!
Thank you for your beautifull website and all your posts.
My wish would be to have a lot of time for doing beautifull things ang giving them away for my friends.
Beata from Lithuania
Happy Birthday Mary: For my birthday I would want a sunny, 70 degree day to do nothing but stitch with my best friends. My kids would bring me cold beverages all day without complaint and we could just laugh and be free of all responsibilities and stress! That’s it. Nothing fancy. –Susan M. Staunton, VA
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a fab day!
I would love to have my very own genie lamp with unlimited wishes … and if that can’t be, then winning the above would be great!
amehdiyah-uae
Happy Birthday Mary from one Mary to another!
Like so many of your other readers, I would like to spend the entire day delving into my projects. I would like to finish the day eating cupcakes with my family!
You have a great website!
Mary Cohen
Happy Birthday~I would love nothing more than to have my family around and enjoy a day together, Like a picnic in a park, or at a beach. Family, relaxing, and stitching. Nothing more.
Heya! I’m Aizia L and for my birthday I want a pair of Birkenstock sandals!
Happy Birthday to you! Thank you for your blog. I just recently found it and enjoy it very much.
One of my earliest memories is of my mother teaching me basic outline emboridery on flower sack tea towels. I first had to learn how to hem them on her old Kenmore sewing machine I just recently picked embroidery up again and love it! I won’t say how long its been but I am now a grandmother of seven. It is so relaxing and brings back long lost memories of a much missed mother. I have been working in glass for the last few years and it feels so nice to have fabric, thread and needle in my hands. A day relaxing with my embroidery and a good audio book or movie in my favorite chair is a my wish. Gwen from Texas
Mary, for my birthday I want to be at a stitching retreat in a warm area and to be able to stay for a week! No husband, no children, no meals to make and NO DISHES or LAUNDRY!!!!!!! just to be able to spend time with others who love needlework just as much as I do, and STITCH UNTIL MY EYES CROSS!!!! I know I would have to come down from the high and back to reality eventually, but you did say what we wished for
Cathy S in Michigan
Hi Mary,
First of all, wishing you Many Many Happy returns of your day and wishing many more years of happy stitching 🙂
It’s been a long while since I commented on your posts. I regret for not being able to devote time for my embroidery interests, and I wish I could get infected with the enthusiasm and dedication you put in your needle work.
I never had specific wishes for my birthdays, but I would love if my parents or husband give me a surprise gift, however small it may be.
I’m posting today not because I want to participate in the draw but on your birthday I wish to express my thoughts, the sheer happiness I get out of simply reading your blogs, my heartfelt thanks for inspiring beginners like me… I resolve I’ll start today on an embroidery kit that has been sleeping in my closet for almost a year now.
happy birthday mary .
a great way to celebrate birthday .
my sis told me that you are conducting another giveaway … and here i am ….
i would like to have lots of yarns and threads as gift for my birthday …. at least for time being i am crazy about all that .
Happy Birthday Mary,
I had mine on January 17 and turned 73.
I would love the time to finish “ALL” the cross stitch patterns I have collected and be able to walk better [hips are hurting to walk far] I would be blessed.
I will celebrate my birthday this summer when I get out on my 250 Honda Scooter and just enjoy!
Would love the flower project as have never tried those kind before.
Keep well and God Bless
Betty
Happy Birthday Mary! My birthday wish is spending the day with my grandchildren in SC.
I really enjoy your website and have learned so much. Thank you for your generosity with all you do.
A Very Happy Birthday to you, Mary. Hope your day is filled with happiness!
If I could have anything in the world for my birthday it would be to have more time for creative projects and for my hands not to go numb when I stitch for more than a half hour.
Marcia R in Portland OR
Happy Birthday Mary! Many. many, healthy more birthdays!!! Thanks again for another nice giveaway.
What would I want for my birthday? This Wild Rose kit. My mother’s name is RoseMarie and at 87 she still lives by herself, drives and can still run circles around me. I would love to make this piece for her.
I hope you have a GREAT day.
Colleen Lim
O H I O
Happy Birthday! May you be blessed with many more!! 🙂 Love your site. I have been accused of drooling over the beautiful work and lovely projects!
As a gift for my birthday I would love to sit in the early Spring sunshine with a slight breeze and just listen to the birds singing and the trees swaying. I wouldn’t even mind hearing the grass grow! As a bonus working on a new embroidery project would be a supreme decadence! 🙂
Blessings, Jen B
Happy Birthday Mary!!
Thankyou for your giving nature. Not just this give away. Your whole site is dedicated to this art, and I just love it! After searching for a small pulled thread pattern I could start with, I was having trouble finding anything I liked, and I found your link to this lovely whitework, pulled thread sampler, I love it, and for my birthday, I would love to have the house clean and lovely and spend the day working on it, without grubby paws either…small children, and cats alike, lol!!
Have a great Birthday Mary, I hope you get to do what you love on your special day too!!
All the best,
Charlie M
Hi Mary, my wish for my birthday would be to have my family celebrating with me. My family means the world to me and would not have to be a fancy party, but a pot luck type lunch with everyone would be my biggest wish.
Happy Birthday Mary!
What I’d like for my birthday is my partner to agree to move back to Australia with me so I can be there to watch my grandchildren grow up. My children never knew their grandparents and I want their children to know me.
Thanks for you website and your most generous gift offer.
Petra
Happy birthday!
For my birthday I always like to have all my kids, their spouses and grandkids come for a visit and a barbecue and if they bring a box of chocolate that makes the day even better!
Cathy L in Iowa
Happy Birthday Mary and thank you for sharing your talent with us.
On my next birthday I will be 77 and my wish is
to go to the beach and roast weiners and just sit there until sundown listening to the waves whoosh ashore.
Alva
Ah, I just had my birthday and while I didn’t travel, have miracle workers clean my house, complete all those projects I’ve fancied doing, I did indeed get to spend it with family. As we get older I think I appreciate those times the most. To extend my birthday wishes I truly would want to be able to teach (to reach!!) my current sewing club students enough for them to want to continue with sewing and needle crafts. to get excited about what they’re doing, accept the work that goes along with completing anything and to be proud of themselves and what they’ve accomplished already. I’ve developed a new passion for the long lost art within me that my Mother and Grandmother taught me – I would truly appreciate an Embroidery Kit. Maybe my passion would be contagious to my girls!!!!!
Happy Birthday Mary with bundles of blessings and joy to you. Thank you for all you share, teach and….the wonderful giveaways. If I could have anything for my birthday it would be to have my parents back with me. I miss them so much and wish they could share watching my children and grandchildren grow up. Thank you, Jan.
Happy Birthday, Mary!
My birthday wish for my selfish side – big lottery win, or a cleaning service. For my thankful side – for the family to not have any major catastrophies. For the Mom side – for the Dear Child to do his homework.
This is a very pretty design. It would be right at home here in Iowa, where it is the state flower.
What a lovely giveaway – you’re right, it’s definitely time to try some needle painting!
My first birthday wish seemed to be along the lines of more embroidery and spinning supplies – maybe even a spinning wheel …But then I thought about my husband and the fact that we haven’t had a holiday in a while. So maybe I’d share my wish with him and vote for a weekend in a hotel in the city with Opera tickets.
Cat from Australia
I love all the wonderful information you share with us all. I use to do a lot of embroidery years ago and would love to start again. You have inspired me! For my birthday the most wonderful gift would be to be with my family who lives 18 hours away. That would make me, Karen of Serious Whimsy seriously HAPPY! PS Happy Birthday Mary. Are you merry!
Happy Birthday, Mary. I just discovered your website and it is truly candy for the eyes!! For my birthday, I would first wish for a sunny day and then would like to climb a mountain, stand on top and marvel at the miles and miles I could see. I hope your birthday wish comes true, whatever it may be. Bonnie
Hi Mary,
Happy Birthday! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. If I had a birthday wish I’d love to go out to lunch with my girlfriends. I hope you get to do something like that too! Have a great one! ( You may find a duplicate email from the other day in your spam. I wrote in, but it didn’t appear so I think the computer ate it.)
Happy Birthday Mary,
I just recently found your website and love it. You are such an inspiration to so many of us and I hope we can pass that on to our friends and families.
For my birthday I wish for beautiful sunny weather, beautiful flowers and uninterupted time to sew.
Hi Mary,
Wishing you a VERY happy birthday — and many more to come as well! I love your attitude of giving — your Mother taught you well. I would love to be the very lucky person to win the gift package you are giving away in honor of your special day. If I could have anything I wanted for my birthday, I would like to be able to retire – NOW. That way I would be able to move closer to my grandchildren so I could be a part of their daily lives. I would also have more time to do all of the things I love — stitching, quilting, sewing, paper crafts and last but certainly not least — reading. I have too many project on my drawing board and not nearly enough time to get to all of them. Thanks again for your super gift to one lucky person — hope it’s me??
Many happy happy returns of the day Mary. I would like a family day all together for my birthday and what I would give away (give back)is all the stuff my children have left at my house as they moved out one by one. Ha ha. Big hugs for a special birthday girl. – Ros – Townsville Australia
Happy Birthday! What a nice gift to give away! I would love to have my own craft room cottage out back in the yard, or, a really nice rose embroidery kit with frame and cute scissors!! : )
Hi Mary,
I hope you had a fantastic birthday. Thank you for sharing your knowledge I enjoy sitting in front of my computer each morning and reading your informative posts. You’ve definitely inspired me and my wish list is ever-growing! Keep up the great work 🙂
For my birthday, I would love to participate in a Stumpwork class with Jane Nicholas.
Best wishes, Sue L from New Zealand
A very Happy Birthday , Mary. May you enjoy every moment.
My birthday wish would be that all my children and grandchildren have a secure and happy live going forward.
Happy Birthday to you!
I love reading your blog and enjoy all the wonderful things you present! Thank you for that. For my birthday, I would love to have the day with the entire family….laughing, talking…looking at all of our old pictures…just fun with no particular clock around.
Belated Happy Birthday Mary…hope you had a great day…as you are enjoying your b’day by giving away…i am wishing to be able to give away one day but practically not doing it until i start earning…but anyway till then my ideal b’day celebration is spending entire day with friends and family with home made food, in fact mom made food and visiting temple…this is the only day of the year that can’t go wrong no matter what….afterall its my birthday…
For my birthday I would like — space. I don’t have a dedicated sewing room, and since I’m primarily a seamstress, it’s difficult working on the couch. So a sewing room all for my very own, please!
And a very happy birthday to you!
Anna in Portland
Just returned from the International Quilt Show in Ohio. So many talented needle artists. Amazing!!! Sitting in the garden among the spring blooms, with a cup of herbal tea, and a great needlework project. What could be better on ones birthday? Happy Birthday Mary.
A very happy birthday Mary. Nice of you to give things away on yours…what would I like if I could have anything for mine? Well. I would prefer this…
http://www.miniusa.com/#/learn/FACTS_FEATURES_SPECS/Top_Features-m
but in a pinch I would take this… http://www.babylock.com/quilting/symphony/
Hope yours was a good one.
Zuzu
Happy birthday, what a lovely idea. I would love to habe better skills so I could try all those beautiful designs you give us and I treasure.
And many more!
For my birthday? It would be grand if my Dad had a place to grow his roses; he always had the beautiful, old-fashioned kind that smelled so wonderful!
Mo! in Boulder Creek (although I’ll bet you don’t get too many of that spelling 😉
Happy Birthday, Mary!
My birthday is in September, and my wish would be to go out to dinner to my favorite Italian restaurant with my husband, my Mom, and my Dad, all of us healthy and happy.
Thank you for the opportunity to win such a neat package and for sponsoring the best ever site.
Happy, Blessed Birthday to you Mary!
If I had one wish for my birthday it would be for my daughter to be well and healthy enough to go out into the world and live a beautiful life. She is 21 and has yet been unable to do the things that she wants because of her many surgeries and lengthy recoveries. Seeing her happy would be my greatest gift.
I am fairly new at embroidery. Your website and daily emails have been so helpful. I look forward to them everyday. Thank you so much!
First of all a very happy birthday Mary to you and I hope all your dreams and wishes do come true. Now as to your very generous birthday gift from you to one of us, my dream is to be able to stitch like you and most of all to be able to needle paint, I keep trying and I think I am improving. so as you make your birthday wish make one for me as well please. 🙂
Happy Birthday!
For my birthday, I would love to have a weekend with girl friends stitching, and laughing, and relaxing. And maybe a spa treatment thrown in as well!
I hope you get everything you want!
Colleen S. New Gloucester Maine
Happy birthday, Mary!
For my birthday, I would love to have my thesis completed. It would certainly free up more time for me to embroider!
Have a great day!
Linda Z in Hong Kong
Hi Mary. I love your blog and read you every day.
I hope you had a wonderful birthday. My Idea of birthday heaven would be to go shopping with a like minded friend and come home loaded with goodies so that I could spent the next year stitching to my hearts content ready to do it all again next year.
Pam Paice
Hampshire UK
Happy Birthday Mary!
I would wish for one whole day in the company of other stitchers- people who read your web site for example. We could sit together, talk about our passion, stitch, share ideas, frustrations and solutions. Eat a delicious lunch and just enjoy the company of others who share our love of embroidery.
Thank you for your generosity of time and this lovely give-away!
Kathy from The Unbroken Thread
Hi Mary,
Happy Birthday Mary and many more to a very special lady. Thank you for this exciting birthday giveaway. This is truly a wonderful PIF that you are offering to your daily blog readers. One of the items on my bucket list is to learn needlepainting and winning this kit would certainly be helpful. My birthday dream would be to spend the entire day helping others either at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or the local Food Bank. Many good wishes for a very Happy Birthday.
Susan R aka ncstitcher2000 🙂
Hi Mary, I hope that you had a great birthday.
There are so many things a girl could wish for her birthday. Any one of the three items in your give-away would be a fabulous gift on their own. I got to thinking about all of the kits, materials, books and courses that I’m tempted by and then I realised what I would have, if I could have anything at all, would me more time for embroidery, so I can do some of the things I alreay have 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity to win such a generous give-away.
Happy Birthday Mary,
For my birthday I would like to have my family members around and enjoy my day with them. It will be fun to have a get together and birthday celebrations.
Very kind of you to organize this give away
Hope you too have lots of fun
Sue from Wisconsin
First a very Happy & Holy birthday to you Mary.
Second, for my birthday I would love to have all my “chicks in my nest for just one day”.
I have 8 children and we have not all been together under one roof for over 10 years. Before I die, I wish that would happen.
If that is not possible, I would so enjoy working on that beautiful emroidery. God bless!
For my upcoming birthday I would be thrilled with having a personal bike trainer. You see, when I get on a bicycle I like to go really fast. But with short Hobbit legs like mine it takes extra effort. So to have someone coach me to be the best bicyclist I can be be would make my little legs and big spirit thankful. Thank you for the giveaway on YOUR birthday. Happy Birthday Mary!
Happy Birthday Mary!! Thank you for your generousity may you be blest with many more birthdays and love on your special day.
As a gift for my birthday I would love to be able to attend a “Beating around the Bush” embroidery convention organised by Country Bumpkin, Adelaide, Sth Australia. It would be wonderful to just be able to immerse myself in the world of embroidery without all the concerns of daily life and be so refreshing and relaxing.
Berenice from Brisbane Qld Australia
Happy 21st birthday (again) Mary !!!
I would, like all the great thinkers of the world and all the Miss Worlds ( and Miss Congenality ), wish for World Peace for my birthday !!!!
This of course would have to start at home ….. No more “Mammy can you just drop your embroidery Again and get me ….. ( any one of thousands of household objects )” ! … stopping all wars, etc. would be a great byproduct of this wish !!
Helen L in Ireland … New to needlework and loving your site.
Happy Birthday to you! Hope your special day is fabulous.
For my birthday I would love to be in great health and retire from my job, where I would be able to devote the day to creating, stitching and still be able to afford all the new goodies that are constantly being offered.
A very Happy Birthday Mary! I am relatively new to your site-a friend sent to me. Thank you for sharing your fabulous work, ideas and patterns!
My birthday wish would be for better health and to share my special day with my family. Everyone is so spread out that it is hard for us to get together.
Honey Zoerkler, Philadelphia, PA
You can never have too many birthday wishes. That is the fun part of birthdays. A wise mother is the grounding we all need. And a beginning, learning something new, is a symbol of hope, as are flowers. These are the gifts i wish for you and for each of us on our birthdays.
And because birthdays tend to bring out the child in us, at least in me, i can also say, like a child, “I want that!” I’d like that kit to take with me as i enter into a new and perhaps daunting phase of life.
Hi Mary
happy Birthday!
My wish for my birthday would be to be the lucky winner of this kit, as my birthday is tomorrow, and it would make a really fantastic gift for me to work on this spring.
Have a day full of happines and blessings.For my birthday I always wish for my family to be with me
Happy Birthday, Mary! I’d like a long trip to India to take embroidery classes. I know about Mridula’s School of Embroidery, but I’m sure there’s plenty more! It’d be a real adventure.
Happy Birthday to you Mary what a wonderful surprise to find that your birthday is in the same month as mine, Yeah Aries. Any way for my birthday wish I would just love to be able to swap ideas with lots of other embroiders and needle craft folks. Learn there tips and tricks, also share a few of mine, sharing is so much fun!!! Happy Birthday once again and thank you for your wonderful webpage.
Hi Mary,
This is a great give-away. The thing I would like most for my birthday? – I would love to learn to do goldwork, so I would love one of the basic books on goldwork techniques and enough materials to actually do a project.
Thank you for taking the time and making the effort to keep this blog fresh and interesting.
Kathy Pennington
It is your birthday and you are the one that is giving. A true celebration of a birthday – I wish you many more as I wonder what is next going to greet me before I go to bed – I am in a Australia so your words wish me good night as well. Happy Birthday. Susan in South Australia
Happy Happy Birthday! I wish my daughter Hannah at enbrouderie would get her birthday wish to go to India to study embroidery because then I could go to!
Happy birhtday, Mary!
My embroidery guild has had the pleasure of having Tanya Berlin as a workshop leader on a couple of occassions. She is a very good teacher and I always learn a lot in her classes. Now, as to what I would like for my birthday…..I would like some time to stitch without other committments and I would like to travel and see new place. So I think a stitching cruise to somewhere like Alaska would combine those things and be an adventure in itself.
Hope you have a wonderful birthday.
Janet C.
Happy Birthday, Mary! For my birthday, I would like to spend time with family and friends. Thanks for the informative website. Cheers.
Happy B’Day !!
Your B’day falls on my wedding anniversary 🙂
Regards,
-Viji Sunil
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And thank you. For my birthday I would like both my children and their families to visit me
Bobbi in Maryland, USA
Mary,
Happy anniversary of your appearance on earth, and many happy returns of the day! Thank you so much for thinking of us on your special day.
If I could wish for anything on my birthday it would be an end to the U.S. military’s involvement in overseas conflict. Barring that, I would wish that my son could be with me that day (he’s preparing for a tour of duty in Afghanistan and won’t be here for my b-day this year).
Thank you again for sharing this day with us!
Hi there Mary,
Love your happy emails in my inbox!
My 50th birthday is in a couple weeks and I would choose a trip to Colorado to visit our grown daughters!
Thanks for all the great give-a ways you do.
Vickie
Happy and healthy birthday to you and many more. Love to see what you have been doing and to “learn” so much more. Thank you.
My birthday with would be for this world of ours to be at peace and to respect the beautify that we have been given.
Happy birthday, Mary! I love keeping up with your blog and look forward to reading it each morning as I nurse our 5 month old. I also have a 4 year old so time is in short supply these days. The best birthday gift would be a day to myself with no responsibilities for another human being (no meals to make, dishes to pick up, diapers to change) so that I could make progress on a couple of the handwork projects I have going. And I’d like to be able to take a nap ;).
First, the Happiest of Birthday’s to you Mary. And, thank you for your enormous efforts and creativity!
My wish would be to have all my five granddaughters around me, and even our lone little boy, doing handwork together. There would be a large fire and home made cookies and milk. We would all be quietly talking and sharing our thoughts and love and building another of many warm memories together.
Best wishes to you and all your viewers for peace and good health. Mary J, Portland, Oregon, April 11, 2011
For my birthday I think I would love to take my mom on a trip where ever she wanted to go.
Happy Birthday to me and Happy Birthday to you Mary!
Happy Birthday.
I would wish to spend time with my step-children, and the one grandchild. I love them very much and really consider them my children not steps. They all live in another state, are busy and I am missing the daily hum drum with them.
First happy birthday to you and thank you for your terrific blog. I have learned so much from you and to think that it is free in this day and age is wonderful. For my birthday I would like to have my family all gathered in one place instead of all over the country. I hope you get what you want for your birthday.
Suzanne S.
Happy Birthday, Mary, and thank you not only for your sharing of stitching knowledge but for your grand sense of humor as well. My birthday wish is the same as my daily prayer, that my family stays happy, healthy, safe and in God’s Light always.
Hi Mary ,Belated happy birthday …..I hope you have enjoyed your special day.
My wish for my birthday would be …
At night when it’s 12 o’clock & I will be in sleep ,my hubby would wake me up & say “happy birthday & I love you ” & then he take me to another room which would be decorated with some candles & flower( roses )& then in the dim light of candle & sweet sent of roses he give me a big hug & a kiss , we would spent that night in romantic way , & next day he would take a leave & spent that day with me ……
This wish is for all of my birthdays….
I love to celebrate my birthday with my loving hubby…..
Thanks
At the moment I am coveting a Horn cutting table to replace the slab of pine board and Ikea trestles that takes up most of the floorspace in my sewing room.
Tat or some tardis technology so it was bigger on the inside than on the outside!
Hello,
What I would wish for my birthday….World peace of course! On a more realistic note what I like best for my birthday is to share some time with family and friends. To share a good cake and lots of hugs. Nothing is better than that.
Bunny Goodman
First Happy Birthday to you. I just found your lovely site and am excited about learning all this again.
If I could have anything for my birthday I wish I could have millions of dollars so I could give it all away to people. That would make me very happy.
Happy Birthday! My birthday was on the 6th–so I had always felt a connection. Astrological as well as stitching-ical.
I think what I would like for my birthday is to have about 5 hours to stitch every day. Six would even be better.
Happy Birthday Mary! It’s birthday month at my house too, but for the children. I always look forward to your daily email.
I would wish for more TIME for my birthday. Too many people I’d like to hug and speak to, too many ideas, not enough time to complete them all.
Hi Mary, Happy, happy birthday. I am a relatively new member to your site, and I find that I am addicted. You have so much information, I spend entirely too much time devouring all you have to offer. I am passionate about embroidery of all kinds, so for my birthday I would ask for a Visual Mate light and magnifier. I refuse to let my eyesight slow down my stitching if al all possible! For an unrealistic gift, I would ask to be able to make my family happy. Somehow I feel that that is my job, though the older my children get, the harder that is to accomplish! Some things are out of my control, which is hard to accept. Best wishes to you for the coming year.
Janice
I would love a trip to the Textile Museum in San Jose CA for my birthday. Too bad my husband doesn’t follow Mary’s blog to get birthday hints!
Hi Mary. Happy Birthday to you! Hope you’ll celebrate in a fun way.
Of course if I could have one wish, it would be for another lifetime of stitching. Seems like not enough time left to accomplish everything!
Gayle
Have a great birthday. Wishes also for a happy healthy year! Sue
Happy Birthday, Mary! Thanks for giving us this opportunity. Quite generous of you. Let’s see, for my birthday, I think I would like to spend it in a warm (my birthday is in December–it’s always a cold birthday) theme park with my family. Thanks again for the opportunity. 🙂
Happy Birthday fellow Aries! My husband gave me some lovely earrings for my birthday and I thought I should have asked for embroidery supplies instead! If I could have anything I would like the wherewithal to create an organized sewing room. The dining room table gets old.
It’s my birthday today, too. What a nice thoughtful gift you are giving. On my birthday I wish for everyone to be a little kinder to other people. Maybe smile a little more. You have a very nice website and I’m glad it was recommended to me.
Hi there & Happy Birthday-What I wish for my birthday? A partial day of rest-which would include time to myself while the hubby and kids would be elsewhere. Then as early afternoon arrives, I would love a b-day lunch with family and friends. Topping the night off, would be a trip down memory lane of telling my kids a little bit about me when I was young, and what my dreams and hopes were and are. Thanks a bunch!
Mary,
I have been meaning to write and tell you how much I enjoy getting your daily blog post in my inbox. I especially enjoy the tips I get for hand embroidery.
As far as what I would want for my birthday, it would be to be a less selfish person.
Have a happy birthday and thanks again for all the wonderful posts.
Valerie
For my birthday, I would like the time to finish the things that are optional and the motivation to finish the things that are necessary. In the material world I would love one of those large sewing machines that do the quilting for me or at least a table frame for hand-quilting.
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be a huge family reunion with all my extended family from all over the country.
Jonnie H
Happy belated birthday, Mary, and thank you for all the wonderful tips and new sites you share with us loyal stitchers. For my birthday I would be most delighted to travel to Europe to observe firsthand some of the historic textiles and embroidery techniques that you describe as you educate all your online fans. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to actually take a class at the Royal School of Needlework?!
Wishing you a year filled with exciting projects and the time to complete them!
Happy birthday to you. I wish for my birthday to be with my children and grand children that’s all I want. There are the most important part of my life. And also peace in the world.
Diane D in Quebec
I wish could be the owner of an LNS! A life-long fantasy, but hey, we’re wishing, right? :>)
Flowers, always flowers, and lots of color. Scented or floss, bead or painted. Flowers just make you feel good.
Happy Birthday, and thank you for your wonderful blog!
Tanya’s work is beautiful and I would love to have this group of wonderful equipment. For my birthday, I would like to add to my needlework library: there are so many terrific books out there. Of course, more projects and the supplies to stitch them are always welcome as well.
Dear Mary, happy birthday and may you be granted many more years! I celebrate the day you came into the world, sharing your gifts with all of us–so glad to have found you several weeks ago. As a book editor, I peruse many websites weekly, and I have to say, in the field, yours is the most pleasing to the eye, professional but warm, very accessible, generous (all those stitch tutorials!), inspiring, and humble (because you share with us others who inspire you or have products we need). The fact that you are giving gifts on your birthday proves my point! Of course, I would love to win the gifts you’ve put together, but here’s the truth: even if I don’t, your website is a weekly gift in and of itself. What I would want for my birthday? The gift of daily gratitude. Best regards, CC
Happy belated Birthday Mary! I hope it was wonderful. My own birthday was last Thursday the 7th, so we missed being birthday sisters by one day. 🙂
For me, if I could ask for anything for my birthday, it would be a monthlong (or longer) trip to Europe/UK to visit the various textile and costume museums so I could finally see in person, & photograph many of the historical items I’ve only been able to see in books. That would just be wonderful.
Instead, I got an iPhone to enjoy, which at least helps me to carry my database of stash info for both embroidery and sewing.
I would like to start by saying that I really enjoy your blog. I’ve done Cross Stitch, Crochet, and some simple embroidery. I would like to explore more complex embroidery at this point.
So – what I would like for my birthday – A table or floor stand for my stretcher bars (I need my hands free in order to improve my stitching), a pattern of medium difficulty in order to learn by, and a decent book of embroidery principles and techniques. That way I would be able to use ALL the items immediately!
Happy Birthday Mary!
My fantasy wish is a trip for the summer to Europe! My realistic wish is for the Access Commodities Thread Color card sample for Soie d’Alger.
Renetta from Taos NM
Happy Birthday Mary.
Thanks for the great website, I have learned so much! My birthday wish is for one thing, continued good health for myselk and those I care about. As a 4 year ovarian cancer survivor I’ve learned that good health gives you ture freedom.
After all of those selfless wishes above, my wish seems very selfish but I wish that the impending operation on my foot, where lots of metal will be forever implanted will be successful and I will be able to walk normally again.
Happy B’day to you MC and your daily email is always my best treat of the day.
Finally, don’t know if you get the Showtime cable channel but the new series on the Popes in the 15th century (purportedly true) has some of the most wonderful embroidered vestments ever. I am sure it is all machine done but they are apparently based on the real deal which were all hand embroidered.
Hi Mary-
Happy Birthday!
I had to think about this question for a while. I’m fortunate in that I have pretty much what I need. I finally figured out that what I could use most is a couple of sessions with a home organizer and two months of maid service. Keeping the house organized is really difficult for me and trying to keep up with my mess takes away stitching time.
Feliz Cumpleaños Mary! Have a great day.
My birthday wish is for more time for my sewing projects…hahaha! As you all know there is never enough time to do it all.
By the way,Mary, love your site. Keep up the great wook.
Happy Birthday, Mary! Hope you’ll have a ton more to follow. Thanks for all the info.
I’d wish for a genie & 3 wishes, so I could wish for my family’s happiness, a peaceful world, & a loooong, healthy life. Does that make it 4? Make that just a genie with lots of wishes!
I’d love to be entered in your giveaway. I have one of Tania’s kit (the lace sampler), but I’ve never tried needlepainting.
I just had my birthday last week and got the best gift ever. A coupon book from my teenage daughter with coupons for things such as “A Day of No Complaining”, “Free Car Wash”, “Be Nice to my Brother Day”. Could you ask for anything better?!!
Hola, Mary! Happy belated birthday! Thank you for offering this giveaway. To quote from the movie “Steel Magnolias”, you were brought up right 🙂
What would I like for my birthday…an afternoon stitching with some of the lovely linen you’ve mentioned before. I live outside of Caracas and there is very little selection of linen to work with right now. And of course, I’d want my family and friends over for cake later. Can’t think of anything better.
Happy Birthday Mary!
Thank you for your website and blog. I have been loving it all. You are a great teacher.
My birthday wish for myself would be healthcare for all Americans.
I wish you many more birthdays to come and good health and prosperity.
With loving admiration,
Donna Allen PCBeach
Happy birthday, Mary! Have a joyful day and wonderful year!
This time your question is very difficult. Mine birthday is after few weeks and I hear it very often. I do not know, what I want. I do not need anything, but I want a lot: some courses in RSN (but they are too expensive), some needle painting, crewelwork kits (I am still learning to stitch), some books about stitching (but my best stitching book was printed at about 1937 – I do not understand German, but it is so clear). So I have many wishes, but the most important one to spend that day with my family and without thinking about work and other not so interesting things.
Happy Birthday!!!
Since my birthday is the day before 9-11 and I had struggled with my birthday the day before and was feeling kinda glum and then watched with the rest of the nation the events that unfolded I then made a promise to myself to always be very thankful & celebrate that I get to have one more birthday. So enjoy and celebrate each day.
If I could have a birthday wish it would be for more time to finish and start all those projects just floating in my head and best of all the money to buy the supplies. But just spending time with friends and family and doing what I enjoy (needlework) is the best birthday present ever.
Much happiness on your special day.
Happy Birthday! Can I wish for a new job? Just got down-sized (for the 3rd time in four years!). Cannot express how much I hate job-hunting…a new needlework kit would sure brighten the day!
Happy Birthday. My wish for my birthday would be to win one of your great giveaways, then I could send you back a photo of the finished project for your birthday. Win win situation. Heres hoping.
I hope you have many more happy birthdays. For my birthday in June I would love to get a trip to Australia to sit and sew at Country Bumpkin with Sue Connor and all the ladies that publish Inspiration magazine.
Happy Birthday! I like to take my closest friends out to dinner for my birthday. For me, the best birthday present is replaying some of their friendship with appreciation.
Happy Birthday Mary,
Hope you had a great time on your special day. For my birthday I would like to have a magnifier and light, just like the one you have written about on your blog.
It will help me not only in Embroidery but also in other crafts that I like to do.
Jenny — PA
Happy Birthday Mary, a friend posted the link to your site so I thought I’d check it out.
Everything looks so beautiful and encourages me to explore a new form of art. I remember my Mother embroidarying and how beautiful the pillow cases would look. Thanks for a beautiful site and again Happy Birthday!
Brenda
Happy Birthday Mary and many more. For my Birthday I would like to have enough money to help any body that really needed help. That would make me happy. Thank you for this giveaway for your Birthday.
Hi Mary!
I feel like we receive a gift every time we open one of your newsletters. Thanks for starting my days so well!
What would I like for my birthday? Easy. Time without interruptions (even from my sweet husband) to do what I want to. Second would be the proper supplies and equipment to try my hand at goldwork. Sparklies, bling and color! What could be better?!
Thanks, amry!
Helen B of CO
If I could have anything for my birthday it would be good health for another year. Need to keep healthy to keep stitching. Thanks for the great giveaway.
A belated happy birthday Mary. I hope you had a wonderful day.
I am just starting to spread my stitching wings, so to speak, so my wish would be for some fabulous threads and/or patterns to take my stitching to the next level.
Happy Birthday, Mary! Dear girl, your posts are already a gift to the stitching world . . . but that kit is the same type of rose that grows in my back yard, and they were SO pretty last week (starting to fade a little now). Yes, I can tell you what would be a super-fantastic birthday gift: To have my husband’s really severe digestive troubles cured! (And not because illness makes him grumpy about my fabric-stash, either – he isn’t; I’m lucky there.) Or to have the debt from starting our business paid off, which relief from stress would go a long way towards helping him.
Hi Mary and Happy Birthday! I actually found Tanya Berlin’s website before I discovered your blog. Her kits are wonderful. I would LOVE to win the Wild Rose kit.
If I could have ANYTHING for my birthday, I would take a trip to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. The fiber arts of the Andes have always fascinated me.
Pam, the Austin Plant Lady
Happy Birthday to you!
For my wish, I was going to say “world peace”, but someone beat me to it. I guess a lot of us would have liked to have been Miss America!
What I wish for each birthday is just a bright, beautiful day – lunch with girlfriends and dinner with my husband – lots of laughter and love!
Happy Birthday to you!!
My birthday has already passed, but a birthday gift that I would really lie would be some kind of a stable job market out there. I graduated from my undergraduate degree last May, and I’ve had such a hard time finding a job; I’ve been working retail at a jewelry store, but my hours have just been cut to an incredibly uncomfortable amount, and other jobs choices just don’t seem to be there. It’s really discouraging, not just for me, but for my friends who’ve already graduated like I have, and those that are either in the midst of a degree or starting to figure out what to do. If there could be more jobs, think a lot of people wouldn’t feel like college is just a waste of time.
That and having the extra money to buy all the crafting supplies I need is a pretty nice added bonus 😉
Happy Birthday~ What a fun way to share the fun of birthday surprises!
I discovered your site a month or so ago while looking up information on slat frames. I’m rediscovering my love of needle work (I love to make small pieces- some might say tiny). Wow- what a great resource you are!!
Last November, while visiting New Orleans for the first time I discovered Garden District Needlework Shop on Magazine St. My husband was amused at how delighted I was to find it.
The place is huge and packed with yarn, thread, and books galore. All I could think about is how much my mother would enjoy this place. Because she is the source and inspiration of all my handiwork, I would love to spend my birthday there with her (and some saved up cash to spend).
Kim in Tallahassee
Happy Birthday To You! for my birthday I would like to be off my oxygen so I can move around the house better.
First of all – Happy Birthday to you and thank you for your wonderful web site.
Now for my wish – you did say “anything”
I’d wish for a sewing spot with a huge over stuffed chair – a magnifier with a 12″ x 12″ lens and maybe 4 times magnification. Is that a big enough wish ?
Again – Happy Birthday Month to you !
Happy Birthday to you. That is a very generous giveaway! Wow! If I could get one thing for my birthday it would be a fully stocked art studio. Hehehe, I don’t want much do I. LOL I am off now to take a look around you site.
Happy Birthday! I really enjoy your site. I like to sit and embroider but I always do my own thing on the fabric. I come to your site to stare at the very intricate and cool methods which I really need to try! 🙂
My wish for my birthday is to own our home which we all love so much … sigh. Thanks for your site!
opsss, :(, I forgot to send comment to you…By the way, I wish you always happy, healthy and lucky. For my own, I just need to have health! Because I’m in sickness, so health is my only dream at this time. When I’m healthy, I can do anything I want, sewing, stiching and so on ( I like handmade things, such as felt, card and cross stich …). The most wealthytreasure is health, so keep it tightly 😉 😡
Happy Birthday Mary! If I could have anyTHING for my birthday I would choose an authentic original William Morris tapestry – possibly Woodpecker, or one of the animal tapestries. Inspiration aplenty!
Happy Birthday!! It was my birthday this month as well 🙂 (but I KNOW neither of us has aged a day!! **snicker**)
The best gift is being surrounded by those that I love and that love me so dearly! I have that on a daily basis and really couldn’t ask for much more (except of course MORE THREAD!!)
Abundant Blessings,
Sandi Ratliff
Hi Mary and Happy Birthday
My birthday wish would be to have all my children together for the day. I have 1 boy and 4 girls. I have not seen one of my daughters for 2 years. It would be so great to have them all together and give them all a hug.
I am new to your web site and newsletter and am thoroughtly enjoying both. I have done quite a lot of cross stitch but am encouraged to try new stitches and threads. Thank you for all the suggestions and links that you include in your newsletter.
Again Happy Birthday
Hi Mary – I have just discovered your website and am in awe – I am an embroiderer who has also been seduced by lace making and paper craft.
The one birthday pressie that I would love would be to have a housekeeper/cook/gardener so I have moire time for all my crafts!!
Happy Birthday
Maxine D (NZ)
Happy Birthday Mary! Thanks for such a wonderful site.
If I could have anything for my birthday I would pray to the Lord that I should always be able to (in all circumstances) remember Him & help others in doing so.B’cos this is the thing that everybody needs the most esp in todays world.
Pat S.
Happy Birthday Mary,
For my birthday I would like to be able to
see my sons and their families more often, since they live at a great distance. But,
of course, more stitching time every day would
be great.
I forgot to answer the question. I would like an extra room in my house to do my needlework and store my stash.
Hope your birthday is very special. Hope the next year is full of love, health and time to stitch.
Oh I wanted to add this but pressed enter, delete that and keep this:Happy Birthday Dear Mary, my birthday wish will be having a peaceful family life with nothing to disrupt it and being with my loved ones. Wishing good health too.
Hopefully my initials and email will make it easy for you to spot me if I win 😉
A very happy birthday to you. My birthday wish would be a gift card for a lovely needlework site. I would love having samples of beautiful yarns and threads to use in my needlework. Most I will never have the opportunity to try.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy the Spring weather. Thanks to you for all the wonderful techniques I have learned.
Happy Birthday, Mary, from Maria H in WA!!!!
Wow! You want to give one of us a gift because it’s YOUR birthday! Well, mine is next month so it would be perfect!
If I could have anything for my birthday, it would be a huge warehouse with an endless supply of every kind of floss so I could pick out just the right color and fiber for the project I was working on.
Happy Birthday Mary,
Wow, I would love to get these items, so generous of you 🙂
For my birthday if I could have anything, I would very much like to have a good art studio with the materials that I need in it 😀
Grace S.
Hi Mary
First of all i want to say Happy Birthday and thank you for giving me the opportunity to WIN your giveaway! I really hope i do coz i have always wanted to try needle painting i think it is incredible, but the thing i want most for my birthday is a full equipped embroidery room but to start small an embroidery kit, stretcher bars and loverly embroidery scissors and thread.
Thank you once again.
How wonderful Mary to give away such lovely embroidery items. Have a great birthday!
For my birthday, I would like to go to some beautiful place and relax there with my partner.