I finished my buttons for the Feeling Stitchy swap and they are going in the mail on time! I am just a little bit amazed that I didn't drop the ball on this.
I am very happy with how they came out. I love the doodle stitching I see on flickr (like
this or
this) and thought I'd try that for these buttons.
A little bit of fabric (didn't make the photo), some floss, sweets, and the buttons, on their way to Sophie in England!
Labels: needlework, swaps
I estimate I am about 2/3 done with this stocking now... As long as I don't put it away again, I can pretty much guarantee it will be ready for Christmas 2010!
Labels: needlework, wip
In addition to making decent progress on my December goals, I am making a dent in the
stocking cross stitch, also. It is so satisfying to see the scene emerge on the blank cloth...
Labels: needlework
It is getting harder and harder to motivate myself to get off the couch and go into my sewing room. When is this fabled nesting supposed to happen? With all the motivation to finish projects and deep clean? Haven't experienced that yet. Instead I've just been propping my feet up and resting my cross stitch frame on my big belly and stitching. Books on my iPhone make this especially enjoyable. I still don't think I'll be finishing this stocking by this Christmas, but maybe I'll surprise myself!
Labels: needlework, wip
For Mother's Day I made my mom these sweet embroidered towels. I can't pass up a chance to make a handmade gift!
Her "main" present is dinner and a movie - tickets are already purchased for Star Trek this afternoon, I can't wait.
The pattern for the towels came from
doe-c-doe who often posts free vintage embroidery patterns.
These are slightly modified to keep the towels simple. I know she'll love them!
S2F2 Update:
1. QBB Quilt Tops (x3)
2. Quilted Pillows
3. Baby Blankies (x2)
4. Flutterby Quilt
5. Wedding Quilt
6. Mother's Day Gifts
one two
Labels: needlework
Well, we survived the flood yesterday, though when we finally ventured out we saw plenty of stranded cars, stuck even after the water receded. I heard we got 6" of rain in about an hour! While the storm raged, I finished putting together the sweet
little elephant for my cousin's new baby.
This is a cousin on Pete's side of the family, and she named her little boy Charlie just like my nephew! David is a family name, the baby's grandfather, Pete's uncle.
It's a little more identical to
Corinne's than I had planned, but I love it. I hope little Charlie, and Charlie's mom and dad, like this little embroidery to commemorate his arrival!
Spring to Finish Update:
Here are my challenge goals:
1. Baby Blankies (x4):
one two three four
2. Quilted Pillows
3. Flutterby Quilt
4. Wedding Commission: 16 of 20 blocks done
5.
Elephant SamplerLabels: needlework, sewing
When I saw this adorable
elephant pattern from
So September I knew I had to get it started for one of the many baby gifts on my list. I'm changing up the color scheme a little and I hope to personalize it with the baby's name and stats when he arrives. So cute!
(And yes, finishing this is now goal #5 on my
Spring to Finish list!)
Labels: needlework, wip
I can't stop making these tiny samplers. I love them! Instant needlework gratification.
Labels: needlework
Here is one of the ways I plan to use the
mini samplers - leave them in their hoops and hang them on the wall!
Labels: needlework
These tiny counted cross stitch samplers are very satisfying. This is a little of what I worked on during the Super Bowl on Sunday!
Labels: needlework
I have never been able to figure out the french knot. Something finally clicked as I was finishing up my little
sampler.
All done - ready for framing.
Labels: needlework
My latest "TV Project" - sweet bunny towels from
this transfer set. The towels are just some I found at the
store - it was a little tricky to stitch on the waffle weave and I'm not sure how useable these actually are, but they're cute!
Labels: needlework
At our annual holiday dinner for one of my organizations we always do an ornament exchange. When I ran across
these star ornaments from last year, I knew I had to try. I think Molly's are cuter, but I still like this one!
Labels: needlework, sewing
I found this neat little trunk at Hobby Lobby a while back. I store my threads in here for current hand stitching projects, under our end table in the living room, so I can grab a little hand-sewing when I find myself on the couch in the evenings.
It's a good plan, and it works sometimes. Maybe my November resolution needs to be no TV without a project...
Labels: needlework
I think I'm obsessed with felt and the blanket stitch. This is the project I've been stitching on at night. It's nice to have something pretty to look forward to when I pay the bills!
Labels: needlework, simple pleasures
I started a new felt project this week... It's nice to have some hand sewing to keep me company during the fall season premieres!
Labels: needlework, simple pleasures
I belatedly realized I was going to be out of town next weekend for the deadline of
Ibby Bee's bookmark swap, so I got my act in gear and finished up my bookmarks.
Felt, ribbon, pretty fabric, embroidery floss... I really like them! Now I just have to find some suitable thrifted books and maybe add a little bonus, and this should be ready to send out today.
More pictures on
flickr.
Labels: needlework, sewing, swaps
My buttons from the
button swap arrived!
They are absolutely precious.
I realized guiltily as I opened the package that I sent mine off with no way to know they were from me. Oops. No cute tag or backing, like these. How clever.
Not sure what to do with them now to be able to maximize admiration of them. Maybe pushpins or magnets, so they don't get tied to a single finished project.
Love them all!
52 Nights Update - (Night 15) I am still anxiously awaiting the return of my mojo. I think I see it lurking on the horizon, but still no crafting lately. Last night was an easy no tech night, though. It was girls' night with my mom and visiting cousin. We did watch a movie, which might seem to break the no-tech rules, but since it was social, girl time, I say it doesn't count!
Labels: 52 nights, needlework, swaps
It seems like so long ago that I signed up for
Michelle's animal-themed
embroidered button swap. At the time, May 10th seemed so far away!
I kept putting off work on my buttons, because I couldn't come up with an idea I was pleased with. I threw away many sketches.
Finally, just last week, I came up with a plan that I liked and set to work getting it in thread!
See all six on flickr.So though I had moments of doubt, times when I thought I might be a dreaded
bad swapper, I got my buttons to Michelle on time. I can't wait to see what I get back!
Also... I redesigned the blog! If you check in a feed reader, be sure to click through to look.
Labels: needlework, swaps
I'm sure you all have foolproof methods for organizing your photos, right? Well, my system is just to stick all my photos in a "Crafts" folder on my computer, and then edit them when I want to do a post. So pictures sometimes get lost... I totally forgot to post these cards I made for my aunt at Christmas!
These were my
annual handmade
cards, though I only made one set for my aunt, my most appreciative recipient! I was inspired by all the cut paper around lately, especially at
Amy's. Isn't this shadow gorgeous?
I haven't done any other papercraft in a while, other than my
heart poster. Instead I'm getting the urge to work with yarn again... I finally couldn't resist
Alicia's adorable
Baby Bella Dress pattern, especially after seeing
Nikki's post on it. Since it's an electronic pattern, I'm calling that a loophole in my "
no new supplies" month! We'll see if this burst of crochet energy goes anywhere...
Labels: needlework, paper craft
I really love to be organized. A place for everything, everything in its place, and all that. I know I've talked about that before! Luckily I don't get too compulsive about it, but when things are in disarray it always nags at me. Alternately,
little organized bits can make me very happy.
Previously I had all my DMC floss shoved in drawers of a little plastic organizer, still with the little paper sleeves they come with. It was hard to tell which colors I already had and definitely hard to find a specific color.
Each evening for a week or so (this took a while!) I wrapped floss onto bobbins... It is so pretty now! I had it ordered by DMC number but since I don't do many projects lately that call things out by number I rearranged it to spectrum order since I think it makes it look so yummy.
And to put it on record somewhere... I am declaring February
"No New Supplies Month". I have so many projects on my list, ideas in my head I want to tackle. When I buy fabric, notions, beads, etc, it's always with some *new* project in mind, so my list is always growing! Here's to making my list shorter instead of longer...
Labels: craft room, needlework
Life has been quite busy these days. All the normal goings-on, plus I'm
training which seems to take up so much time. So often, when I get a free evening, I am not motivated enough to move into my craft room and work on my ever-growing to do list. It is much nicer to crash on the couch and pick up a little hand-stitching.
This is a little kit I picked up in Cambridge for a little crafting while in the UK. I got the
westie bookmark a few days later and ended up working on that instead, so this has become my TV project. It's small, only 4x6", so after a little starch I don't even need a hoop. I have an obsession with also keeping the back neat, maybe because my grandmother always commented on it when she taught me cross stitch when I was little.
I've been wanting to branch out into other types of needlepoint, so I picked up another small kick to try new stitches. This was just too cute to pass up.
(I also used my birthday last week as an excuse to buy
more fabric I've wanted for ages. Pictures when it arrives in the mail...)
Labels: needlework
Why, it's a finished westie bookmark!
You do not understand how hard it is for me to just
finish something. The stitching was done a few weeks ago, true, but things usually sit unfinished even longer than this. It feels so good to have it all the way done!
(And to clarify - the bookmark is marking where my husband is in
HP#7 - I finished it about 10 hours after I got my hands on it!)
Labels: needlework
I know, it's supposed to be WIP Friday, but hey, close enough!
I definitely couldn't go five weeks without crafting, but the knitting project I brought along (
the same plane project, yep, still not done!) got old quickly. I didn't want to buy a lot of supplies I already have at home, so when I saw a cross stitch kit in the gift shop at Edinburgh Castle I knew that was the perfect solution.
It's a small project, in fact I've almost finished since I took this picture, and it's westies and scotties! Perfect!!
Labels: needlework, wip
Check out the cool progress bars I added! The trick will be to actually update them - right now I actually have to modify my Blogger template and republish my journal to change them, which is kind of a pain. There must be a better way to do that... But they're so cool! So I thought I'd add them for now.
Also, I've finally unveiled one of my super secret projects because I decided to take the pressure off myself by not making it a gift... I've been working on the Angel of Freedom off and on for two years now:
It's counted cross stitch on super tiny linen, and it's taking a long time. But so far it's coming out great! Hopefully I'll have it finished by next Christmas!!
Edited to Add: The picture above is from the web, and is what the project will look like complete, not a picture of what I have done so far!!
Labels: needlework, wip
