Nov Mega Monthly Challenge - Part 2

Mega Mini Month Madness is now being hosted by Justine at Justine's Cross Stitch. It's all about getting some 'smalls' done in time for the Christmas holiday.

I'm not doing so well getting these posted, but I have been getting some stitching done on them. I even have a FINISH to show off this time!! :)

 

This is a freebie from Little House Needleworks that can be found on her blog HERE. It was a really quick and fun stitch and will be sent off for an exchange with a 'Winter' theme. And yes, I know I said just yesterday that I was sticking to Autumn themed stitching to encourage warmer temps, but this was already done when I said that, and I can't be trusted when it comes to stitching!! :)

 

I think I can get the next Ornie done in time for a post early next week and I have still yet to see if I can wash out the dye from the stocking Ornie, I need to get it over with and try!!

 

Tonight is Friday Night Sew In, so I'm off to gather together what I'm going to sew on:) I think I know just the project!! 



Mega Mini Month Madness

The Mega Mini Month Madness SAL was originally hosted by "Pull the Other Thread' and has been taken over by Justine at Justine's Cross Stitch for the month of November. It is a SAL for small items that will hopefully help us get ready for the holidays:)

I forgot to post on this last week!! I got a bit sidetracked and more than a little frustrated with one of my projects. As you can see in the following picture, my progress on 'Christmas Stocking' from Plum Street Samplers (2013 issue of JCS Ornaments) has gone backwards. Just after I posted the last time (last month) I noticed that the spacing seemed a little off and when I checked, sure enough, I was off by 3 stitches. I thought about ignoring it, but I wanted it to be right, so I pulled all the stitching out under the house. Then my next and biggest problem showed itself. The red and the green floss bled a little onto the fabric. I think I can dab it out, but I was frustrated and I haven't even tried yet.

 

But I did get a little work done on 'Snowbirds' from Country Cottage Needleworks (also found in the 2013 issue of JCS Ornie mag) and I started a new project called '7 Pines' from Little House Needleworks. This is a freebie from her blog found HERE. It will be for an exchange I'm in.

 

So even with the setback/frustration thing, I did make some progress and am still having a lot of fun with this challenge:) Hoping to have another update on this later this week!! 

WIPocalypse - November 2014

 

WIPocalyspe is a monthly challenge to get work (any amount!!) done on our stitching:) It is hosted by Measi over at Measi's Musings. You are welcome to jump in and join along at any time.

A little late on this posting. I've been busy, busy stitching and knitting away. And that really is the best kind of 'busy'!! I've been in an Autumn/Holidays mode this past couple of weeks between working on a scarf to keep myself warm and working on ornaments for myself and as gifts. So I decided to switch gears for a bigger project(s) as well and I pulled out some older charts to work on.

 

These are both from Prairie Schooler and I think I started both of them back in 2011!! Yikes,  I guess it's time to work on them again:) 

Hoping to make some good progress on both of these this month as well as get a couple gifts worked on. It's that time of year for frantic stitching!! I enjoy it though, so I guess it's not too much of an inconvenience. :0)

Embroidery Sew Along - Part ???

For the past 2 months I've been following along with other bloggers stitching and sewing from the book - Patchwork Loves Embroidery by Gail Pan. Martina at Sunshine Quilting hosted this sew-along and it was lots of fun. Not only are the patterns and ideas in this book beautiful and easy to follow along with (really, the instructions are really well thought out), the group of ladies in this sew-along were very inspirational with their talent and super encouraging as well. Thank you, Martina, so much for putting this together for us!!!

With that said, umm, I just couldn't keep up!! I did the stitching pretty well, but the sewing tripped me up every time. I guess it could have something to do with my LOVE of hand stitching and my not-quite hate of sewing:) I'm getting better at it and these projects really did help me learn some new sewing skills:)

So this is what I FINALLY got done....



Secrets and Dreams journal cover

I got a *bit* better at sewing on the binding on this one, but I still have wonky ends. The last end I sewed in was the best, so it looks like I still need to practice this part:)

The other problem I was having was drawing the wavy lines that was quilted on the front of this. I just couldn't get nice, even waves. So I went to the quilting store, to Hobby Lobby and to Walmart looking for a stencil to use, but I couldn't find one. I did find some blank stencil sheets though, and after printing some wavy line templates from the internet, I made my own:)

Here are the three projects that I completed...

And here is the stitching for the next project I want to do...

This sew-along is done, but Martina is planning on doing another sew-along including any pattern by Gail Pan in 2015, and I think I will join along with that as well. I have a couple more patterns in this book that I want still make:) Until then, I plan to keep going with the one above at a much slower pace. The stitching above is a panel for a bag and I'm hoping to have it done mid Nov. I'm planning on using the bag (that will have no zippers, buttons or Velcro) as my knitting bag. I'm super excited about getting it done:)

Mega Mini - Post 4

These days and weeks are just rushing by here lately!!! I was doing so well with this challenge that first week or two, but WOW, just so much running around has really cut into my stitching time - well that and my new found knitting addiction!! Maybe you can't really call it an addiction if you haven't even finished your first project yet? My book pile from the library speaks more of dreaming of knitting and less actual knitting:)

 

This is the last week of the Mega Mini Monthly Madness challenge put on by 'Pull the Other Thread'. And like I said, the first week or so went so well, but has slowed to almost a stand still. Here is the progress I've had this past week...

'A Christmas Stocking' from Plum Street Samplers and
'Snowbirds' from Country Cottage Designs
Both found in JCS Christmas Ornie Issue 2013

I have one other project/challenge to finish up by tomorrow and then ALL my attention will be on these two (even if it means hiding the knitting project!!). I will be back on Halloween to show these off, hopefully all finished.

Mega Mini - Post 3

Well, I just about fell off the face of the (on-line) world this past week!! I missed several postings that I had planned to do, but I needed the break and it was worth it:) Now I'm back and have a little catching up to do. I'll start with the Mega Mini Month Madness hosted by 'Pull the Other Thread'.

Last time I posted I had finished the bunny from Brittercup Designs and had a bit of progress on Snowbirds from Country Cottage Needleworks, but I was still waiting to get some supplies for 'A Christmas Stocking' from Plum Street Samplers. I haven't gotten much more done since then, but I did get the supplies I needed, and got them from my (not so) local needlework shop!! I like shopping in the actual store when I can, but I don't get there very often, so this was a treat for me:) And I did get a start on the Plum Street design as well...

I just love stitching on 36 ct fabric!! Loving how this is turning out so far:)

Hoping to have another up-date later this week!!

Mega Mini - Week 2

The Mega Mini Month Madness is hosted by Pull the Other Thread.


It looks like I just might make all my goals for this challenge!! This is what I've gotten done so far...

I finished the BritterCup Bunny. I showed it to my dd and she said it should have been brown like one of her rabbits!! ACK!! I told her she'd live;) And then I got a start on Snowbirds from County Cottage Needleworks.

I still haven't gotten the supplies I need for the third project, but am hoping to make it into 'TOWN' (ie not the small town I live closest too, but the bigger town an hour away that has a needlework shop:) tomorrow and be able to pick stuff up. Otherwise I will need to order it soon so I can get that one done too. At this rate I may have time for a fourth project!! *Fingers Crossed*  :0)

Mega Mini SAL - Week 1

The Mega Mini Month Madness is hosted by 'Pull the Other Thread'.  I'm so excited to get started on this SAL!! Hoping that this can help get me ahead a little on Christmas gifts, which is always nice:)

So here are the projects I have picked out so far...

 

The first is 'Bunnies Galore' from Brittercup Designs. For this one I am just doing the small Ornie project. I switched fabric to just a 32ct plain white linen and sub'd with some threads I already had. (and sorry, but I faced the project upside down for this pic!!) I was able to make a small start on this one this morning. This project will be a gift for my dd who has a couple Holland Lop rabbits.

 

This one is 'Snowbirds' by Country Cottage Designs found in the 2013 JCS Ornie mag. I will be using the fabric shown just below the picture. It's much darker than in model used, but it's what I have and I think it will turn out very nice. This Ornie will be for my mil who loves birds:)

And this one will be for me!! This is from Plum Street Samplers and is called 'A Christmas Stocking'. It can also be found in the 2013 JCS Ornie issue. I don't have any of the supplies for this one yet, so I will be making an order soon:)

If I can get all of these done I will choose other projects, but I'm just hopeful I can get these done!! :)

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!!!

Sew Along Anyone?

You all know that I love to cross stitch. You've seen the many, many project that I have started and the few that I have actually finished:) You may even know that I really enjoy to crochet and that I have recently started learning to knit. Last year I even started learning to do other kinds of embroidery. I really find any kind of hand to fabric/thread/yarn very relaxing and enjoyable. But like many of you, I never seem to have as much free time to work on these things as I would like:) So challenges and stitch-alongs gives me a bit of an excuse to push me to spend a little more time doing what I love to do.

I was reading though my blog list and came across a (another!!) sew-along that I am going to give a try!! Martina from Sunshine Quilting found this book.....

and would like to do several of the projects in it and decided that a sew along would be a fun way to encourage herself and others to get the projects done. After looking through the sample pages, I decided to buy it as well and it is simply beautiful!! There are quite a few project in it that I would also like to make for myself or others for gifts. The projects are nice and simple but are all very pretty. So I have joined in the sew-along, and there is still time for you to join in too if you would like. Just head over to Sunshine Quilting and leave a comment before Aug 17th.

January - NewFo

I'm really excited to be part of Barbara's of Cat Patches' NewFo Challenge. This is a quilting challenge, or rather, it is a challenge to start a quilt or quilting project. For more info, follow the link and JOIN IN!!!

As most of you know, I love to cross stitch, I really like to crochet as well. What you might not know is that while I LOVE the idea of making quilts, I really don't like to sew. Hand sewing is fine, machine sewing..... not so much. I can do quilt tops if I have to on a machine, but I don't enjoy it. Straight line sewing doesn't give me too many problems, I just never have the urge to get that machine out and get started. BUT I do still want to quilt, so I joined the NewFo Challenge anyway!! Hopefully this will give me the motivation to push through and get more experience which might make things more enjoyable. And I can always hand-quilt if needed:)

If you follow my blog you will know that I've been super busy this month stitching a couple blocks for LoveQuilts and so most of my time this month went to that. I was going to go to the fabric store on Wednesday to pick up a few pieces of fabric for this project so that I could get a start on it yesterday, but then I fell and sprained my ankle (which must not have been nearly as bad as the dr said because it is already feeling better- not great, but better). I was able to pick up the fabric yesterday, but was all worn out last night, so I've only had a little time today to work on this, but I'm glad I got it to this point:)

So here is my progress so far...

Step 1- Go through my pathetic and small stash of fabric. CHECK - I will really need to work on this stash:)

Step  2- Go to the fabric store and ogle and drool over the pretty fabrics. Then get a bit overwhelmed over what I should buy, but end up choosing a couple. One that I really liked, one that my dd really liked. I also bought batting and some ribbon:) CHECK

Step 3 - Set all fabrics together and decide what I want to use. CHECK

Step 4 -  Cut strips of the fabric and the batting. CHECK

That's about as far as I got. I may have some time later this evening to get those strips sewn together. I am making a Valentine's Mug Rug - or a mug mat or large coaster, whatever you want to call them. My inspiration came from HERE which I originally found on Pinterest (of course, where else would I find 'my' creativity?!?!?).

My plan is to sew the strips together, then cut them and sew them back together, maybe at an angle to make it look a bit like a crazy quilt, but I'm not sure about that yet. I did decide that I LOVE this fabric...

So it will be the backing and will make the 'rugs' reversible. I will be making two and giving one of these to my mom for her birthday which is Feb 18th, so the Valentine's theme works too:) The other I will keep for myself!!

Next month shouldn't be quite so busy with my crafty time, so I'm hoping to get started on my next 'quilting' project earlier in the month. Either way, I have already added fabric to my collection, so it's already a win-win!!