A Few Things

Took a little time off of blogging in order to get some of those extras done that always pop up this time of year. I'm just about done with all the shopping but still need to do the decorating!! I've never waited this long to put up the tree, but we kept thinking we'd get a small live tree and well, we waited too long and now the trees available are drying up and not looking so good. So we will put up our artificial tree and be happy with it:)

I've been getting a bit done in the stitching department too!! I've gotten two ornies done, but I can only post one of them as I know my sister-in-law checks out my blog every now and then and one of them is for her:)

This is 'Snowbirds' by Country Cottage Needleworks and can be found in the 2013 Christmas Ornie issue of JCS. My mother-in-law loves birds and so this one will go to her.

I have one more ornament I'd like to stitch up for my brother and his wife, but I have a bit more time for that since we aren't getting together until the Saturday after Christmas.

I've also been having lots of fun with the 12 Days of Christmas exchange that was hosted by Chaotic Goddess Swaps. I got a package in the mail from my exchange partner, April Knap of It's Just April,  early last week, but we were to wait until Dec 13th to open our gifts. When I opened the box this is what I saw...

And here are the first few gifts I've opened up...

Fun, Fun!! I love that April's kids drew pictures on my card:) I can't wait to see what else I have in there:) I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of the few things I made to give to her, but part of this exchange required that we all post the results on or around Dec 24th, so I'll put a link to her blog once it's up.

Hope you are all having a very blessed holiday month!!!

Relaxing Sunday Morning

This past Sunday morning I dropped off dd at church and then headed home to a nice quiet house. Hubby had gone to his parent's house to help his nephew work on a truck, so I got some much need alone time to work on some hand-mades.

But alone time is pretty rare here and after a short bit I decided I needed a buddy to share the quiet with...

 

This little guy is named Cloud (it was storming when dd named him and his siblings. They were named Cloud, Thunder and Lightening:). This one is smaller than his siblings as he got sick late this summer and stopped growing for a time. He's all better now and catching up in size pretty quick!!

Cloud doesn't like to sit still!! We aren't suppost to bring cats in the house since we are all allergic to them, but dd and I sometimes like to sneak one in now and then. This one is usually the one we bring in, but since he gets into EVERYTHING, he can only stay in for a short time!!

 

You can see how helpful he was trying to be. :-/

 



 

I was working on some knitting and some stitching. One of the stitched pieces is mostly covered up since it's for an exchange partner. I'm not sure if she checks my blog or not, so I don't want to give too much away. 

Hope you are able to carve some peaceful crafting time into your schedule too:)

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!! 



IHSW - November 2014

IHSW is hosted by Joyce over at Random Ramblings. This stitch along is all about staying home and stitching as much as possible!! :) You can join in any month!!

Coming in a little late with this post:) I did get a little stitching done last weekend, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. Isn't that always the case? At least for me it is, never enough stitching time:)

I decided to work on Prairie Schooler's 'Harvest Time' from book # 93. Last time I posted about this I also posted about the 'Home For Christmas' chart as well. I was wanting to work on both at the same time, however after the cold snap that came through I thought I would stick with an Autumn chart in hopes that the Autumn weather would come back. And it worked!! Well, closer to Autumn weather anyway. Instead of highs in the mid 20's we are getting highs in the mid 40's now. And the weather man is saying that Saturday may get up to 60!! So I'm just going to keep on stitching Autumn charts and see how long we can keep this going!! :0)

Here is the super tiny amount of progress I got done on this...

 

I'm stitching this over one on 28 ct? 32 ct? Not sure, it looks like 28 ct to me, but I found a slip of paper for the Christmas one that said the fabric was 32 ct. And I know I bought the fabric for both at the same time. I'll keep plugging away at it until the next chart catches my eye:) 

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)

WIPocalypse - October 2014

Hosted by Measi at Measi's Musings

Just a quick update on what I'm spending most of my free time on right now (of course I have lots of little things I'm doing too:).

I'm working away at my LOVEQUILTS project. Remember this is what it will be...

 

I only show this to you because it looks nothing like this right now:)

 

And this is where I was before...

 

 And where I am now...

 

Yeah, it's going to take a while!! It's coming along, but super slow and there are SO MANY color changes!! Thankfully there is very little in the way of half stitches or back stitching so that will help quite a bit:)

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!! :)

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:) 

 

Smalls SAL - Aug 2014

The past two days did not go as I had planned them:) I guess it was probably because I actually had a plan that I hoped to follow that it didn't go that way, but here I am and I am now ready to post my Smalls SAL project. For the details on the Smalls SAL, visit Heather at Stitching Lotus blog.

While the Smalls projects do not have to be ornaments, I did decide to do one for this month. I got the stitching part finished a few days ago...

'Silver and Blue' Country Cottage Needleworks 2008 issue of Just CrossStitch Ornie Pre-view

And then got all excited that I would actually have time to finish it into an Ornie!!! So I pulled out some of my fabric...

 

 

And found that I just didn't have what I wanted. I even sent this picture to my SIL (Marianne Meyer of Midnight Stitching) to see what she thought and she agreed that even though the fabrics I had both matched, neither one was Christmas-y. Here is where my plan started falling apart. You see, I thought since I had to go into town on Wednesday to take dd to work at the zoo, that would give me a good excuse to go to the quilting store. But it turned out that she was sick. So I stayed at home for a while in the morning, and then went to town a bit later. I needed to get tags for the vehicles too, which took longer than I expected (doesn't it always?!?!?), so I got home later than planned as well. I DID find a perfect fabric for the Ornie while I was in town though...

 

Once I got home I had some time to work on the Ornie since dd had fallen asleep. I got the Ornie made and decided to play around with the ribbon for a pretty edging, which took a while since I had never done that. It was at that point that I decided I could post this today instead of yesterday. Hubby needed me to help with some things and dd needed me too:) But I did get this done...

 



I'm really excited about how this turned out. I'm not sure I like what I did with the ribbon, but it's good enough for now.

I was going to send this post this morning, but dd ended up being sicker than we thought. She has asthma and most of the time we can treat it at home with no problems, but this wasn't one of those times. We went into the Dr. and she was given a breathing treatment and a steroid shot then ex-rays for her chest. Thankfully there isn't any infection, but the treatment didn't help so they sent her over to the ER. Several treatments later we were sent home. She is still having issues, but not quite as bad. I'm thinking if this doesn't get better overnight we will probably end up back at the Dr's tomorrow.
Hopefully she will get a good night's sleep and be doing better in the morning:)

Now off to do a bit of stitching on the next project. Hope you are all having a wonderful evening (or morning, whichever it may be:)!!

Embroidery Sew Along

A couple weeks ago I joined in with Martina at Sunshine Quilting in this Embroidery Sew Along. The book Patchwork Loves Embroidery by Gail Pan has lots of pretty embroidery projects to work on and I think I've pick out about half of them that I'd like to do!! :0) It was hard to decide which one I wanted to do first, but since I have a few other projects that I am currently working on I decided to choose a pretty easy one.

I am going to start out with the Pretty Bluebird Pincushion. I have all my materials together...

 



 and now I just need to get stitching on it:) This should be a quick and fun project and I'm really looking forward to putting the first stitches into this. Wish me luck on getting it done, the due date on this one is Sept 1st:)

IHSW: Late, Late, Late!!!

After I did some fun sewing for the Friday Night Sew In on Friday night and Saturday morning, the whole weekend got away from me!! Granted that was because we were to start school on Monday and I had a few last min things to get ready for it. Once I got everything ready for school I did have some time for stitching, but not blogging. Trying to get back into the school schedule always takes a little time and adjustment, so this week has, so far, been all about that. But I think we are now getting used to the new schedule and I now finally have some time to blog again:)


I really, really want to get 'America' from Little House Needleworks DONE!! So that is what I worked on for this International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, and I am so very close to having it done:) As in close enough that I'm going to have to argue with myself to NOT work on it while I get a few other projects worked on that have deadlines. :) Funny how when I have all the time in the world to work on a project it stays unfinished, but as soon as I am busy with other things that project is the only thing I want to work with!!

Okay, here is where I am with this now...

 

All I have left are the windows, the poor bird's legs, and a few stars that go along the bottom. I know this piece is patriotic, but as I was stitching the green leaves and the red stripes and dots, I couldn't stop thinking of Christmas!!! ACK, not quite ready for that yet!!

 

Okay off to see what some of you where up to this past weekend:)

End of Week Plans

The last few weeks before school starts have gone by so fast!!! I am usually looking forward to summer coming to an end and getting to my favorite season of Autumn. This year, though, I'm trying to savor every last min of our summer break:)

We had actually planned to start back to school this week, on Monday. However a quick text from some friends saying that they were planning a trip to a pool on Monday quickly changed our plans. Yesterday we also helped out at a local soup kitchen which was nice. It was my first time and I was amazed at how organized they were. We are now going to try and fit one more trip to a pool we've never been to before we get started on school next Monday:)

I also have an exciting crafty weekend coming up!!! Friday is....

I haven't participated in this in several months and I'm really excited to get back to work on some quilting:)

Then, over the weekend is the...

I've not participated in this for a while either, so I should be nice and busy this weekend with lots of fun crafty project:) That is the perfect kind of weekend!!!

What do you have planned for your weekend? Hope you are able to fit in something that makes you smile:)