Planning Ahead…

I have been very uninspired about making Christmas presents. It seems that every other year this happens. One year it will be gangbusters sewing, the next…not so much.

I am however, planning ahead. I have a project I want to work on in January…when I can’t feel guilty for not using my crafting time to make presents.

I have found the cutest little free block of the month here at “With Needle and Thread.” Here are just a couple of images of the blocks:

 

Aren’t these darling? And since I apparently have a purse fetish (you should see how many I’ve made!) this will make the best little wall hanging for my sewing area! I’ll print them out as is (minus the dotted lines) and embroider all the details. I also plan to use only fabrics from my stash…I have way too much fabric!!!

So what do you think? Anybody want to join me?

Where Oh Where…

…has my crafting mojo gone?

Oh where, oh where can it be?

With my yarn and threads and material galore,

Oh where, oh where can it be?

Do you ever get into a crafting “funk?” I don’t seem to want to finish anything I have started. I don’t seem to want to start anything new. Nothing really seems to be inspiring me. I guess it must just be that time of the year…or maybe the month…for the last couple of months!

It’s not that I haven’t been seeing some darling free projects online. There are lots of those. Here are a few I have found recently (just click on the picture to be taken to their site):

I also have a couple of lovely stumpwork books by Jane Nichols that I received for Christmas:

AND a kit to go with the above book:

So it’s not that there aren’t enough projects to keep me busy…I just don’t seem to have the energy. I think I just need a break…a vacation… How about a European tour…that would be fun. Or maybe a trip to the South Seas where it’s warm and blue and sandy beaches galore. I wanna be like one of those famous people who, when asked, say “I’m going to Disney World!”

Since none of those lovely things are going to happen anytime soon, I think I just need to add a bit of springtime here in my northern climate. I believe I will start with Paulette’s felt strawberries. Hopefully I’ll have some done to show you tomorrow!

Peace Out!

There’s A New Kid In Town…

well…a new BOM anyways! It starts on October 1st and ends on November 26th. There will be 9 free embroidery patterns in all. Won’t you join in? All you have to do is click on the link in my side bar. Here is a little sneak peek at a few of the designs we will be doing:

…I hear jingle bells…do you???

Much Ado About Nothing...

I haven't been posting much lately because, well, frankly, I haven't been completing anything.

Last weekend Spartan received his Masters Diploma from Lawrence Technological Institute. He is now officially a Structural Engineer.

Runner and Boy Genius had the last concert of the year. As soon as I get my video camera uploaded, I will show you some of the pieces the Symphony band played. These kids are absolutely amazing! One song in particular called "Traffic" was cool beyond belief! That should be up in the next day or two.

Here are pictures of what is on my hoop/sewing table/craft tables:

This is one of the blocks from Jenny over at ELEFANTZ. If you want to get the first three blocks then you better hurry! They will be coming down soon!

This is a purse that I have cut out, but haven't yet sewn together. I don't know why...

This is a table runner I am doing along with Cindy from Quilt Campus . It is English paper piecing, therefore completely hand sewn. I think I like making the hex's more than I like sewing them all together. I just love to see the rainbow of colors stacked all neatly together.

This is a baby quilt that I am making for Baby Girl's teacher who just had a baby girl (...gee...I bet you couldn't tell...being pink and all...) I had to find more material for the border. I'll post a better picture when I get it done.

Have you seen the new issue of Haute Handbags? Normally I wouldn't spend $15 on a magazine, but there are some really cute bags in here! One in particular I am pretty excited about (or as excited as I get lately) making. I just have to find the right pair of Baby Girl's old jeans to use. (Being a pack rat comes in handy sometimes!)

This is the front of the purse.


This is the back of the purse.

These are some of the goodies I am tentatively planning on using for this project.

close up.

Sorry for the crappy pictures...a photographer I'm not.

So...what's on you work table?

Mom, No Lookie...

I finally finished my Mother's Day present!

You would have thought I was a little kid (well, maybe not when you consider the language I was using). Heavy sighs, mild explatives, throwing of material, broken machine needles...stronger explatives (good thing Baby Girl was in bed :O )

At any rate, I am pleased with the final outcome. Now I wish I had written down how I did the (frustrating) tea cozy. I definately want to make one for myself that will match my tea pot! Trust me, this one will go with my Mom's!

On to the wonderfully professional pictures I always take ;P

Tea pot cozy, coasters and napkins

On another note Jenny over at Elefantz is offering a romatic, lovely BOM called Shabby Roses. That is my next project (to add to the other umpteen dozen projects). I already have my material picked out! Can't wait to get started! You can just click on the picture in my sidebar to check it out!

Finally! Blogger has been being a butt-head and wouldn't let me upload pictures for the last couple of days!

This is the most recent block in the Once Upon A Time BOM. It is Snow White and Rose Red. I decided to use ribbon roses instead of just embroidering them. They are my first attempt at ribbon embroidery. Not bad considering I just used the cheap-y ribbon that you get for $.99 a spool.

I am trying to decide what to do now. I'm kind of in a slump. I can't seem to make up my mind on anything! I just flit from possibility to possibility. I have new material I could make...something with. I have new floss I could embroider...something with. Or, I could just go take a nap. I think I am in the pre-spring, pre-warm weather dumps. Oh, did I mention that I'm 44 and I seem to have A LOT of the perimenopause symptoms? White hair multiplying like rabbits, forgetful, moody, forgetful, tired ALL the time, forgetful, can't sleep at night, forgetful...whine, whine, bitch, bitch, complain, complain...sorry, it's one of those days.

Did I mention forgetful???

A Mushroom, A Couple of Birds and A Hairy Finish!

I take bad pictures since I still haven't figured out how to use my digital camera to its best advantage, so, I played with my new images in my PaintShop Pro program (that I love!) and made them all look fancier!

First I have a darling little wool felt mushroom house that I finished a couple of weeks ago. I got the pattern from the little house by the sea. I love the way it turned out! If you like to work with felt you should really check out her wonderful pattern! I took a series of pictures of the embroidery I did on it. We start at the front door and work our way clockwise around the "house."


Next up I have the second completed applique block from the BOM offered over at Bunny Hill Designs. I think it turned out really cute! I fused the applique's on then did a blanked stitch in coordinating floss around them. But where is the first block you say? ('cause I know you totally noticed that I haven't posted the first one yet) Well, I haven't quite made that one yet. No one ever said I liked to do things in the proper order!!

(lace was just added in my photo editing program)

Last, but not least, are a couple more pictures of Baby Girls hair. The first one I did yesterday. Just kinda "made it up" on the fly (not that anyone ever makes up anything new!). I was doing her hair the way I usually do it, just pulling the front back in a band, when I decided to put it in a twisted pony. Why stop there I thought, so I kept gathering new sections and twisting them through until we had a complete pony tail/twisted braid thingy. (Just in case you didn't know, "thingy" is a technical term that I frequently use)


Today I went here and used a modified version of her heart ponytail. I like Baby Girl's hair down and softer around her face so that is what prompted me to do it this way. I think it turned out really cute! In case you can't tell, my Daughter is loving all the new do's! 'Course, what girl doesn't!!

Once Upon A Time...

One of the BOM's I have been doing is the Once Upon A Time embroidery BOM from Bea at Capricorn Quilts. Her images are charming to say the least! I have finished both January's and Febuary's blocks and love how they have turned out!
Rapunzel:

The Frog King (or Iron Henry)


I have a couple other things in the works that I will be able to share with you soon.

Veranda Views BOM

This is my first embroidery block done for the Veranda Views BOM from Willowberry Designs. I really like the way it turned out. I chose my own colors based on some material I have that I will probably use to finish it...that is if I don't use it for something else by the time we get around to finishing the whole quilt. If you haven't joined in on this one, you should it was a relaxing piece to stitch.

Mystery Quilt Progress and a Tag

I have been wanting to get started on Helen's Mystery Quilt ever since the first installment was posted Sunday night (Monday in Aussie land!) I had set a restriction on myself, however, of cleaning up my sewing area. Well, I can never do anything easy. I won't bore you with ALL the details, but suffice it to say I filled a couple of trash bags! One thing I haven't liked is that I just didn't have enough room to work. Soooo, I took the fold up table we weren't using, slapped it on top of my much too small sewing table and voila! I have a sewing corner! It's not perfect. The table wobbles a little when I sew too fast (note to self: slow down!). Other than that I am pretty happy with it.

Here is my progress on the Mystery Quilt:

It went together very easily. I just had a little confusion in her instructions where she will say something like 10 x 6 7/8' squares. What she means is (10) 6 7/8' squares not a square (rectangle) that is 10' x 6 7/8'. Other than that the instructions were very clear.

I was tagged by Patty over at Pip Stitch to post the 4th photo in the 4th folder on my computer. So, shhh...don't tell my boys (Baby Girl wouldn't mind) but here is a picture of my younger three hamming it up on Halloween.

I am looking foward to starting on another one of the many BOM's I want to do. What are you working on?

BOM ~ Block of the Month Goodness

There are some totally awesome FREE BOM's and free quilt alongs going on right now!

First up is "The Great Summer Holiday Mystery" quilt being hosted by Helen from Hugs from Helen. I picked up my materials yesterday:

The second is a BOM I am planning to do and is being hosted by Ellie at Ellie's Quiltplace . She has started us off with a snowman that you can either embroider or applique.

And last, but certainly not least is a 9 month long embroidery BOM offered by Gail from Gail Pan Designs.

These ladies are incredibly generous with their talents and patterns! I am really looking forward to making these up! Check out their sites and join in!