Bee True

This is the pillow I was working on when I had a little disagreement with the beast. 'I' wanted it to sew through two layers of that trim, but 'it' refused. Once I finally got the needle un-stuck, I continued sewing the rest of the pillow and just skipped over where the braid was double, then went back and hand stitched that part.

The chart/fabric/buttons are from the Stitch Every Day series from Just Another Button Company (not sure if I got it last year or the year before - the copyright date is 2005) Anyway - I picked up the backing fabric at Hobby Lobby the other day without having my piece to match it to - I think I did okay.

It is far from perfect but if you don't look too close, it's not half bad for a rookie.

I will win!

And what, you ask, am I going to win? Well, I do battle with this little baby every time it comes out of the closet but I am going to learn to use it if it kills me or the machine! And I thought I might have killed the machine last night. Got that needle stuck in the down position but good. It wasn't moving at all. After about an hour of man-handling it I finally got the offending needle out - I still don't know why it was stuck or whatever, but I did win that battle and it still sews so all is fair in love and war, huh?



So, what did I sew? I made a new pillow form for the LOVE pillow.


I just wasn't happy with the first one - it needed to be wider so I made a new one and I like it better now.
I also made another pillow but I'll save that one for tomorrow! :)

Yuck

That is about the only way to describe the weather today. I did get out for a bit but only to do those things that had to be done today (like the bank and post office) I would much prefer to stay inside, but I have to get out again to go to the cleaners for hubby's uniforms. (they aren't ready until after 3:00 - I usually got right before they close at 5:30 - maybe he will get home early enough to get them himself today)
I have had a cold all week and haven't done much stitching - takes all my effort just to breathe. I hate having a stuffy nose. I haven't had any fever with it, just a head cold. Anywho - since I need a picture for today I'll show something else I stitched up last weekend when the beast was out of the closet. I prefer to think of myself as early for this year rather than too late for last year.

I probably stitched this somewhere around 1985-86. The copyright date on the book is 1985 and it was a new book when I stitched it. At the time I just turned back the edges and glued it - yes, with hot glue - and had a wooden dowel cut to hang it from. It didn't have anything at the bottom or on the back. About 3-4 years ago I decided it needed some help so I took it apart (and took all those red ribbons off) and washed it. Bought the bell pull hardware and then it sat in a drawer until now. I would always forget about it until time to put it up at the first of December. I came across it the other day while looking for something else (that i still haven't found) and thought I would finish it up while I was sewing. If you look close you can see where it was turned back - it is a little wider that it was before, but that is ok with me. I added quilt batting and a fabric back (you can see it at the top and bottom) You tie peppermint candies with each of the ribbons and take them off to count down the days to Christmas. My kids used to fight over who would be the one to take the candy off so we had to use our 'rotation system' - the same one we used for who got to sit in the front seat of the car for the day. Back then, hubby was working shift work so we used the same system the fire department did - A,B,or C shift. Can't do even and odd when there are more than two! I guess the dh and I can take them off this year - unless the two that are still living here want to do it - ya never know.

Off to make Mexican cornbread for dinner. Hope you are warm where ever you are reading this from.

Oh - almost forgot - Anonymous - the stitched part of the pillow is an ecru/off white color.

another pillow

This one is a Pine Mountain kit. I didn't have the right size pillow form (not the size it says on the package or on the directions) so I made one - I made it square but I think I should have made it more oblong so I think I will take it apart this weekend and make another one. Just not really happy with it at the moment.

Have a great day!

Weekend stitching

I sewed up this little pillow over the weekend. This is one I got at the Houston Quilt Festival. I've had it stitched for a couple of weeks but didn't have the right fabric for the backing. (the fabric it is on is the backing fabric) I thought about getting creative and making a ruffle but decided maybe I better spend a little more time making nice with the beast before I attempt something like that. I like it just fine like it is, so it's all good.

Theresa in Arlington - yes, I used a styrofoam heart form. I just tore strips of fabric (I think I did them 1.5") glued one end on and wrapped until I ran out, then started over until I had the whole thing covered. I used another strip to make the bow/hanger.

Tamy - ummm, I think I will pass on the trade. That little dab of snow was good enough for me! I don't think I would function well where there is too much winter. It is 43* here right now and my hands are like ice! Nope, I'm not a snow bunny! LOL

Friday snow!

We had 'snow' on Friday. Flurries off and on all day. The flurries from one wave would melt before the next wave came by. Mostly it was mixed with sleet but a couple of times there were big huge fat flakes - very pretty from inside the house. I didn't have anywhere to go so I just stayed inside and enjoyed it. Here is a pic of the total accumulation.



Yep - that was it!
While I was 'snowed in' I worked on several projects. Here are two of them. First I made this heart wreath for the front door (I couldn't get a good picture on the door so I had to hang it inside for the pic)



Then I made another pincushion.



Worked on a couple of other things but I won't use all my pics in one post. :)
I also started a new project but don't have enough for a pic yet.

From Sherry

I had lunch with my friend Sherry yesterday and she brought me this cute pillow (it is my Christmas present but she didn't have it finished when we had our sleep over a few weeks ago and this is the first time I've seen her since then)

Not much going on here this morning. It was snowing awhile ago, but there wasn't any accumulation and it has already stopped. It was pretty while it was coming down - big fat flakes. Think I might make a big pot of soup for supper tonight but I guess I better think fast or I won't have time to get it done since most likely I'll have to go to the store for something!

Have a great day!

Pink!

Back before Christmas I spotted these two pink bowls at the antique mall. At the time I didn't think I should buy them because, well I still had Christmas shopping to do and I really didn't think I should be buying stuff I wanted (as opposed to something I needed) Last week I went back in and told myself if they were still there I was going to get them. They weren't where I had seen them so I figured they were gone - I mean, who can resist pink bowls? I looked all around the store without finding anything I 'needed'. Before I left I went back for one more look to see if I had just missed them - they still weren't there but then I looked in another booth and there they were! (I didn't know that vendor had two booths until I found these bowls) The hubster can't figure out why I 'need' more bowls (I don't have a lot of cabinet space in my kitchen) 'because they are pink!' What other reason does a girl need?

More pincushions

While I had the sewing machine out on Sunday I sewed up two more pincushions. These don't have any embroidery on them but I still like them. I used vintage buttons on both of them.




Here is a pic of all three.



Terry in Arlington - the pattern for the cube is one I got online. The link in the previous post should take you there (it worked for me) if it doesn't work for you, send me an email and I'll try sending it that way.

Have a great Tuesday.

All by myself

This weekends project was pincushions. I did the embroidery on this little pincushion and then sewed it up - all by myself! You may remember that the sewing machine (aka - the beast) and I do not get along well. When hubby came downstairs and saw I had the beast out he asked me what I was doing. He reminded me that the beast and I are not on friendly terms. I told him I was going to sew this little thing up if it killed me!

So - what do you think? Not too shabby (if I do say so myself) for a rookie!

Hope you have a great Monday!

Christmas in January!

I had lunch with a (non-blogging) friend on Friday. We always have lunch and exchange Christmas gifts, but some years we just can't get together before Christmas, this was one of those years.



Aren't these little doxie magnets cute? My fridge is just an oversize note keeper so these will see lots of use! The magnets would have been enough but look at these little puffy houses she also gave me.



They are even decorated on the back.



Too cute to save for Christmas ornaments so I hung them on the shutter that is on the wall in my office.



Yep - cute, cute! I might even have to see about making some of those myself.
I've been busy yesterday and today - a couple of things I might be finished with to show tomorrow.
Back to my stitching chair!

Soups on

and cake is in the oven.

Stitch night resumes tonight! We haven't had a stitch night since before Christmas (except for the slumber party) But tonight we are getting back to our regular weekly stitch and gritch. I didn't know baby boy was coming in until he walked in the door a few minutes ago so I probably won't stay too late. I'll be taking the Love pillow with me to stitch on.

If that link works right it will take you to the cake recipe, if not, it was the September 3 post. Here is the 'recipe' for the soup. It doesn't have a name - it is just 'soup' in my little book.

Brown 1 lb ground beef w/half an onion (chopped) drain and put in crock pot along with

1 large can Veg-all

2 cans Spanish rice

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can Ranch-Style Beans

Pour in entire contents of cans - juice and all.

Cook until you are ready to eat! However long it takes your crock pot to heat through - mine cooks pretty fast so 4 hours on low is plenty for mine. Everything is already cooked so you just want it to get hot and give the flavors all time to meld together.

Off to visit with baby boy for a bit before time to go stitching.

What's a girl to do?

Last night I finished the angel piece and still had a little time to stitch. The sensible thing to do would be to pick up the LOVE pillow and work on that but it was in the other room (right where I left it when I took the photo a couple of days ago). Did I get up and go get it? Nope, I picked up this little sampler that was on the footstool by my stitching chair. There it was, all kitted up and just waiting to be stitched. (crappy picture, but it is late so it will have to do)
As you can see, by the time I figured out where I wanted to start and actually put stitches in, I didn't get far. Of course if I wasn't going to work on the LOVE pillow, I could have worked on this WIP (UFO?) that was in the bag right under the sampler. No, I had to start something new! What is a girl to do? It was calling my name - I had to answer!


If I can make it until bedtime, I will have two days in a row with no (headache) meds. While I would much rather say I had two days with no headache, I've pretty much learned to take what I can get (meaning it just wasn't bad enough to take anything which is what I consider a 'good' day these days. After nearly 2 years, I'm not sure if I'll ever see no headache at all again)

Well - enough of that - off to stitch some more on the 'Necessities Sampler'.!

Love

Well, I would love to show you a finished piece, but I am 4 letters short of finishing the one I was working on last night. I got a later start than I thought I would and stitched slower due to a headache. So - I'm going to show a picture of what I worked on at our 'stitching slumber party' a couple of weeks ago.
It is 'Love' by Pine Mountain Designs. It is a pre-made pillow kit so when I finish the stitching all I have to do is put in a pillow form and sew on 3 buttons. I hope to get back to it soon and have it finished in plenty of time for Valentine's Day.
Not much news today so I guess I will head into the kitchen and see what I can round up for dinner.

No dirt!

Well, after playing hooky on Friday and spending the day in Canton (totally worth it - I had a great time with Margo and Vickie!) I had big plans for Saturday and Sunday. I swear I moved all day Saturday but nothing seemed to get accomplished. Sunday I was sidelined by a headache early in the day (resorted to nasal spray which is always a bad sign!) Once that finally backed off I decided to ditch the cleaning plans and just sit and stitch a bit. Instead of going for something that might take a bit of brain power (not something I have a lot of when the headaches hit!) I decided to get out this little cutie I got at the Quilt Festival. It is from a company called The Good Life and I'm loving the fabric it is stitched on - just thick enough for the threads no to show through. It came already printed on the fabric and the thread and needle were included. Easy stitching - I might even finish it tonight, depending on how long it takes me to actually sit down and start stitching. I'm thinking I will make it into a pillow when it is finished. Hummm - don't hold your breath waiting for that post!

Big spender!

Yesterday I went to Canton with Margo and Vickie for an afternoon of power shopping. I didn't buy much but we had a great time! I got a couple of these painted door panels - not sure exactly what I am going to do with them yet, but I'm thinking one of them may end up as a welcome sign on the back deck. I suppose I could make one for the front porch too. I'll have to think on that a bit.
















I also got these two 'pearl' cuff bracelets - they went from this. . .



















to this.















It took some doing to get them to this point - there were all kids of knots and twists holding them together, but now they are ready to go into my bead box and will someday be just the right touch on scissor fob or three!
That was it for me. Even with the $10.00 I spent for dinner, I still had change from my first $20.00 bill!
Margo took several pictures of our day - they are on her blog, so click on over and have a look!

Regular schedule

Well, it is time to get back to a regular schedule. The holidays and time off seemed to go by so fast!

I'm still working on figuring out my new camera - hard to decide if I want to stitch or study the manual, but I ended up stitching quite a bit yesterday so I haven't got to the part about moving images from the camera to the computer yet. I couldn't share a picture of what I was working on yesterday anyway since it is an exchange piece. I will tell you that the piece I was stitching on yesterday is from one of these books.

Maybe tonight I'll figure out how to share a pic from the new camera - if not, maybe I'll take one of the 'slumber party project' with the old camera. (it isn't a finished project yet)

Happy New Year!

Ms. Bear and I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! We hope 2008 is a wonderful year for each of you.