Embroidery Sew Along - Part 3

SAL at SunshineQuilting

I didn't do so great this time. I didn't even get all the embroidery done for this week!! But this is what I did get started. This one is to be a pocket folder with this adorable stitching on the front. I LOVE this one:)

Hopefully I will be able to get this one and another one done for the next posting!!! I already know which one I'm wanting to do next... :)

I went and did it again!!

Joined another SAL, that is:) This one is hosted by Pull the Other Thread and is called Mega Mini Month Madness. It's goal is to light a fire under us to get some smalls done in time for Christmas. I am going to focus on a couple ornies to give away and a small project for a Christmas gift for my dd. The rules are that we have to post an update 5 times in the month of October and keep the projects small.

This is just what I need to get a couple of little gifts done BEFORE Dec!!! That way maybe I won't be so rushed right up to gift giving time:) Maybe this is just what you need too? You can still join in, but hurry, the deadline is TODAY!!!

Some Baking Going On!!

Over the last few years since I went (mostly) gluten free to help combat my R.A. symptoms, I've spent very little time baking. Obviously if I can't eat the goodies then the draw to baking them is somewhat diminished. The past couple weeks has been a happy change for my poor family who has had to do with store-bought bread and other goodies:) It started a couple weeks ago when I decided to can some hot-pepper jelly. We had lots and lots of extra serrano peppers from the garden and I didn't want them all to go to waste so hot-pepper jelly it had to become!! Recipe found at Food.com.

*Note about recipe: The amount of pectin called for seems like too much. My jelly turned out very thick with no wiggle to it. I think I'll use a bit less next time and see how it works, but the flavor was excellent!!

 

We like to eat it with cream cheese and crackers, or just on some bread. I also have a recipe from one of my hubbies (many, many) grilling cookbooks that is wonderful!! It calls for melting the hot-pepper jelly with some white wine and basil and letting it boil until it thickens a bit. Then grilling pork chops and pouring the sauce over the pork chops when serving. YUM!! Sweet, spicy, and perfect:)

Well, since I was already in the kitchen I decided to make some bread as well. It's been several years since I've made homemade bread and I decided to look for a new recipe. I found it at All Recipes    and it turned out really good.

 

This past week a family from our 4-H group gifted us with some apples from their orchard (they have around 100 apple trees!!) and a bunch of garlic too!!! What to do with all those apples? Cinnamon Apple Bread!!! I did taste a little bit of this one and it is really good. It didn't hold together for me very well and I'm wondering if I should have swirled the cinnamon topping in a bit better, but it was delicious:)  Recipe found at The Happier Homemaker.

And then I made some regular bread again as well. Same recipe as above, but I used 1 cup less white flour and 1 cup more whole wheat flour. We haven't cut into these yet, but they look great!!

 

 

So, any baking going on at your house?

 

 



Happy Autumn!!

Cross-Eyed Cricket - Gentle Harvest #30

Hope you are enjoying some pleasant Autumn weather (or beautiful Spring weather if you are on the other side of the equator:)

IHSW - Sept 2014

To find out more about IHSW, visit Joyce at Random Ramblings

 

I had a wonderful weekend for stitching. I only left to do a little shopping on Sunday and had most of the housework done as well, so other than to catch up on some sleep, I was able to relax and get a bit of stitching done:)

 

About a month and a half ago I posted this project as a new start...

 

 

This is for a LoveQuilt project and I had meant to start it right away, but I didn't!! 

 

So this is what I worked on this weekend. Friday evening and Saturday I was working right along, but I just couldn't get into in on Sunday. There are a lot of color changes in there!! I am 'rewarding' myself with one strand of the blue curtain stitching for every three or so color changes I do on the dog. It's the only way I could keep myself going:) I am going to have to put a lot of effort to get this one done in time, but I still have a couple months so I think I'll be okay:) 

 

FNSI - A Little Progress

For more info or to join in, visit Wendy at Sugarlane Quilts

 

Yesterday evening really got away from me, but I did find some quiet time this morning to get a bit of sewing done. Not a lot of progress this time, but a little is a little!!

Last month I spent much of my Friday night cutting all the gray and the white fabric up, but that work set me up to just get right into sewing this month, so 'Yea, Me'!!

I ended up with 6 more squares done all in the gray fabric...

 

And here are the three colors I have worked on so far....

Next time I need to decide on what fabric will come next or if I will just stick with the three blocks I have. I have a fabric that has the green, blue and gray in it, however it isn't as bold of a print as the others and I think it might get lost in the design. I'm thinking it'll make a good binding and backing for this quilt though, so it won't get wasted. I will need to do a little shopping and see if I can find anything else that I like:)

Embroidery SAL - Part 2

 

Clearly it is taking me longer than our 2 weeks between each project!! I'm not getting hung up on the embroidery part, but rather putting the project together. I'm really not great at sewing (stitching, yes, but I tend to need a bit more time with the machine!!), and it takes a while for me to the sewing part done. Hopefully with some more practice I will get better!!

 

Even though there are several things on this that I either changed, or did as it said, but really need some practice on to make it better (like sewing on the binding:), I am really happy with how it turned out.

 

I made the needlebook...

 

I made a couple changes since I didn't have all the materials that they called for. I didn't have cream colored ric-rac so I used some lace I had coffee stained for another project a while back. I also didn't have any batting so I used a piece of cheep white felt that I had, it worked perfect!! And I used some old buttons that I had cut off my grandmother's clothing years ago after she passed away. The goal was to make quilts for all her children (my mom and aunts and uncles) with the material from her clothing. I only ended up making 1 1/2 quilts before I stopped, but it was great for working through the sadness of losing her:)

 

Now I'm off to see what projects everyone else made. If you want to see too, visit Martina over at SunshineQuilting!! 



WIPocalypse for Sept 2014

Don't know what WIPocalypse is? Just click this button!!

I not only got some stitching done to show off for this month's WIPocalypse, but I have a FINISH!!! Okay, so I only had just a little stitching left to do on it, and it's been in my WIP pile for several years now, but a finish it is!!!

'America' from Little House Needleworks

I can finally check this one off my list!! That feels so good, but also kinda feels like I need to start a new one!! :) Hope to get this one framed rather quickly. I have just the place for it in my kitchen.

Off to check what others have gotten done:)

Embroidery SAL - Part 1

Well, this is a bit late, but it's better late than never:)  I really had a lot of fun with this project (except those darn satin stitches!!!). It's nice to switch gears and do something a little different every now and then.  

Here are pics of my project for part 1 of this SAL...

 

 The red fabric is what I used as a backing for it.

The only thing I wish I had done different is to make all the roses red instead of pink. I'm not much of a pink kind of girl:) But over-all I just love it!! And the instructions were very easy to follow, which is a big help.

If you want to join in too, just visit Martina over at Sunshinequilting and see what this is all about!!