Giveaway Winners!

I loved reading all of your summer plans. I think a lot of us are staying closer to home this summer.
I have been finding new places to walk in my area and today I found a new one, right in the next town.
I never even knew it was there and I am glad I found it. It is an area that was preserved by the Audubon society.

We crossed lots of wooden bridges and streams.



We walked around a large pond. One lone goose and in the distance, a piece of wood that looks like a seagull, lol.
I won't mention that I walked up the hill to visit an old graveyard and on the way back around, I just missed walking on a 4 foot water snake, ugh. Talk about making me jump, lol.



The pond ends at a small falls. One path led out and we took the long one, up into the woods and around fields and stone walls. I still wanted to walk, so we took the trail on the other side of the road, which was mostly woods and a few streams, but it gave me a good walk for today.



And now for what you are waiting for, the winners of the giveaway!
The winner of the Americana quilt set is......... Terry!
And because I had a lucky week and won another prize, I will be giving two winners, a choice of a free epattern from my ecrater site.

Winner # 1 is number one, Gayle!
Winner # 2 is Erin of Erin Tame Designs!

Thank you everyone for playing along and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Terry, please email me your address so I can send your package and Gayle and Erin, pick any pattern from my ecrater site and email me with your choice and I will get it right to you.

Stitchery: My Dolly and Me!

I think I am on a stitchery binge, lol.
I find it relaxing and something that can be made quickly.
I wanted to try some on floral fabric and I like how it gives it an antique look.
I also worked on my dog, which has now become a pillow for casey, since I didn't want to go crazy with it.
I also started a project from the new primitive magazine, so will have those to show you, soon.

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway if you haven't already. It will end on Saturday night at 9 pm and I will be announcing the winner after 10pm.

Creations and Gifts!

Today I was in the mood to try machine quilting. I found this wonderful dog pattern at Angie's Bits and Pieces. I thought it would be a fun one to practice on and I will be adding other items as I go along. I didn't do too bad for my first try at following the edge with my star foot. I am thinking that this might be a good piece to donate to our local shelter for their auction. When I found Moki, they took care of all the shots and spaying, for free, so I like to help them out with the auction.



A new friend, Chris Wheeler sent me this wonderful fabric postcard for Easter. I love how she used paper with scripture in the background. I have always wanted to try them myself and she was sweet enough to send me some precuts to make my own. This will be great for practicing my machine skills with, as well. Chris also has some wonderful contests, so be sure to visit her blog.



And I thought I would show you my win from Minick and Simpson. I won a jelly roll of their new fabric line, American Banner Rose. It isn't even out yet, so was thrilled to have won. I am thinking of making two smaller quilts with it. One from the new magazine, Primitive Quilts and Projects and maybe an americana one.



And another blogging friend is sending me one of her art panels. Fannie Narte does such beautiful work with her fabric paintings, I just love the designs. I want to make a purse or tote, so this will go into something I can use for my things when I go to classes someday. Visit her blog and you will be inspired. The panel's name is, "Surround yourself with Magic".
And if you haven't already, don't forget to leave a comment for my Giveaway!

Primitive Americana Giveaway!

Well, I decided on the giveaway prizes, as you can tell by the title.
I really love this piece and hope you will too. It is made from a design by Tiffany of Primitive Blessings. You will also get a pillow with a Primitive Blessings design and a quarter yard of whimsicals prim americana fabric to make your own summer piece.

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your plans are for this summer vacation.
I am so sick of winter and cold, and so ready for getting out again.
I want to go camping on a lake, in the mountains and paddle and bike and relax.
No shopping or driving around, just having fun outside.
Though, with the gas prices, I may be doing that close to home;)

Leave a comment on this posting only, and I will draw a winner on April 30th.
First place winner will receive the stitchery, pillow and fabric, and the second place winner can have their choice of one of my epatterns.

I want to wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Easter day.

Goofs and Giveaway!

I had one of those days, I got a lot done, but not without the help of my furry buddies and a lot of mess ups.

First I cut up some more hexagons. This way I have plenty to work on, to get some progress done this weekend.
Of course Izzy had to check them out.



Then I got the idea to make an apple core runner for my dining bureau. I have a large penny rug on it now, but the cats get all over it and i need something clean I can put on, to set the dishes on. But my first try, I jammed the threads at the beginning. The second, I sewed two together nicely, then realized one core was backwards, so I tried one more and got it right. But, it made me realize that I need to take my time and it is too much to get done for Easter. Soooo, I decided to make a quickie runner. I got some nice fabric from my friend Kelley, perfect for a table cloth. I sewed two pieces together and planned on doing a blanket stitch with my machine, but then I changed my mind and went fancier. Machine sewing a design, takes a long time, lol. I have never done this before and I made a mess, but it will have to be good enough. At least I can put the dishes down on a clean runner.



This is a close up, you can see my bad stitching, guess I need to show it to my pfaff lady and have her explain to me, how to do it right;) I really need lessons, lol. The good thing is that the material is still good, so later I can take off the edges and still use the material in another project.



And then I got a start on Easter cleaning. I cannot vacuum without Casey wanting a clean up for himself. He likes to be vacuumed and playing ball while I clean. As I vacuum he throws the ball at me and if I ignore him, he will put it on the vacuum. I think it is the noise that gets him going, he is definitely a bit odd;)

And this is my 500th post! And I think it is time for a double giveaway! First prize will be a handmade item from me and the second winner will receive a free epattern. But, I will make you wait till saturday to find out what the prize will be. That will be the official contest day! I haven't quite decided, but I have a few ideas;) So make sure to come back Saturday and leave a comment!

Hippies and Hens!

First I have a link for the little apple girl. I remembered where I found her so here is a link to the coloring page.

Also, I am only one post away from 500 posts! I guess I am going to have to have a giveaway this weekend to celebrate.
I truly appreciate my visitors and your comments.

Today I worked a bit on my hippie piece. The last time I added a kitty, had to have one in my world;)
Today I added the words and the flower. The concert we saw was Aerosmith and Dream on is their first song and I do love that one. My notes look a bit wonky, lol. I had cut the pieces, so all of the new things are freehand. Now I need to add a face and some ruffles for a collar and sleeves. Not that I ever wore things like that, lol. The funky colors I am using are some precuts that I ordered years ago. Will never do that without knowing what fabrics I am actually getting.

On the new pieces, I started using the regular weight wonder under. It is much easier to sew by hand, but it is harder to peel the paper off. I like being able to iron on the pieces instead of pinning them.



Then I finished off a little pillow. I used my new Spring Chicken design. As you can see, it is not good to stitch while watching a good movie, I was not paying attention to my stitching;)

Rooster Stitchery Mat!

I finished my mat today, one project at a time.
I found the pattern for the rooster at NeedleCrafter.
There are a lot of wonderful stitchery patterns that you can use for free and they make great gifts too.
After I added the border, I realized there was empty space, so even after I cut it down a little, it just had to be filled with more stitchery;) I used designs that I found on another free site, Broderie d' antan. It is in french, but you can find a library of designs and the site is updated, regularly with new ones.

I was going to make it into a hot pad, for a gift, but it was too pretty to get spills on.
So, I made it into a table mat, so it can be used that way or hung on a wall. Now if I can just part with it;)

Moki Mischief!

Nothing finished today. I had a new stitchery and made the border too far out, so empty space.
I have this thing about empty space, I have to fill it, lol. I decided to crop two sides down to make it smaller, but it still had empty space. So, I said heck with it and added some more stitchery in the edges and I really like how it looks. Hopefully it will be all done by tomorrow.

In the meantime it is moki time. Moki is just goofy, with his long skinny legs, his movements are comical.
Another of his favorite things is an open window. I really don't think he gets it or maybe because he spent a lot of time staring in our basement windows before he moved in. Here is is, Hi Mom, look at me, look.



Not sure what he thought he was going to do in this one, maybe close the window so Dora couldn't get him. She has been in her mood today, moki can't blink without her attacking him. And as I sit here I can hear the familiar sounds of doors being opened.

Apple Basket Girl Mini Quilt!

I know I said I wouldn't start anything new, but was bored and not in the mood to finish anything at the moment and stitching is so fun and relaxing. And, I actually finish the mini pieces. I found this design on the web, not sure were and no copyright. I have been doing searches for illustrations and sometimes I find fun things to do. Most items I find, have a copyright on the page, so I can use that, but some have none, so I need to remember if they don't, save the address so I can share it with all of you.

I used some scrap logs, that my friend Kelley gave me, for the border, then black around that, which i use as a binding.
I did a simple stitch around the borders and antiqued it with walnut ink. I hope you enjoy my new piece.

Giveaway Winner!

Well, I was working on the new pattern and it is almost ready, but I had problems with size and layout to get it on a single page. I also have the punch needle piece for sale, so if you are interested, I will be taking serious offers.
And I am tired, it has been a long day, so I will have it ready tomorrow. And I know you are all waiting for the winner of my giveaway;)

But, I am mean and I will make you look at photos first, lol.
I found a new pattern that was just fun and cute and had to make some pillows out of it.
I think this pattern was from a digital stamp site, but I could not find it and I did not keep a copy.
I added a little wool bunny to cover up the back slit.



When I was putting the pillows together, I found a piece of blue homespun, just big enough to make another prim bunny.



And now for the winner of the free Epattern. The winner is....... Mosaic Magpie!
Congratulations! You can get the new Spring chicks pattern or pick from my patterns on my ecrater site.
Email me with your choice. Thank you all for entering and commenting and I will make this a regular giveaway when I come out with a new pattern.

Sunday's Stroll!

Blessings come in the little things and for me, in the nature and beauty around me.
Today we went for a walk at Rome Point, a great place for me to get some exercise and to enjoy a beautiful day.

It is still cool enough for the seals to be in the bay. They come out when the tide is down, to sit on the rocks, but it was still high when we went. There was enough room for two seals to enjoy some fun in the sun.



I wish I could get a better close up, but I have to use full zoom to see them. In the summer when we paddle, they are gone.



After we go to the point, we walk the path that goes around the inner cove and into the woods. The area used to be a farm, so there are stone walls and remnants of old buildings scattered about the grounds. We took a new path and I found a tree spirit;)



And on another path we explored, we walked through areas of huge rocks that were shaped by the glaciers. And then we entered a bramble area and were delighted with a family of deer. I don't think they were used to people walking on these paths, and disappeared into the thicker areas. I hope you enjoyed a walk with me today.

New Punch Needle: Spring Chicks

I finished my piece finally. Yesterday I did a good walk, cooked and cleaned, then crashed, lol.
All those colds took a lot out of me, so It will take awhile to get my strength back up.

For the Kitty fans, yes Dora is that smart, although that is not the kind of smart I call her;)
And I have seriously thought about locking them up in one room, but that will never happen, they will figure out how to open doors next. At night they party hearty and I wake up to things on the floors and the rugs here and there.

This new piece is based on an antique rug. I wanted to do it in similar colors which were very basic and plain, which was common when woman used what scraps they had. But you would always see a bright color mixed in, such as red. No lighting can get the real look of this piece. I used mixed colors and my own hand dyed floss for the grass area and everything is off color. It is very prim and the colors are more muted and blend in more, like you would see on an old faded rug. I also decided not to add a border on this one, I like the simple look and think it is a great piece to hang on a kitchen cupboard.

I will be working up the pattern on Monday and the winner of the giveaway can have this or any other pattern from my selection on ecrater. This piece will be for sale, just not sure when. I also changed my ebay name, decided it was time. I am now WoolensailsPrims. I hope you enjoy this new piece and I think it would look beautiful as a stitchery too. I also forgot to reverse my design, the chicken was supposed to be looking the other way;)

Kitty Kapers

Today I got my machine back. It will be so nice to sew with a nice smooth machine again, and I can get back to my art pieces.
A good thing was, I mentioned that I rug hook, to the owner of the store. She just got a kit and has no idea what to do, so I am going to teach her how to hook and she is going to give me free lessons on my machine, so that will be nice.

I finished my new piece, but this time I antiqued it first to see how it looked before I stitch it up. Just in case I want to make any changes, I still can tomorrow.

As usual the cats keep me amused or annoyed, depending on how you look at it;)

Dora does things to annoy me, I can tell by the look on her face and that big smirk, lol.
Today it was opening drawers and making a ladder, then opening the cupboard to get in.
I usually spend the night closing doors and cupboards, no idea why she does it, other then to annoy me and her way of saying, that is what you get for letting Moki live here.



I got rid of the fountain since they weren't that interested in it, so I am back to using the faucets again. Not only does moki like to drink from it, but he takes a bath too. He sticks his head into the water and lets it run all over him, then he cleans himself. I feel like the mother of triplets, if one isn't wanting my attention, another is;)

Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway below!

Bunnies and eggs, freebies and Giveaway!

I have been busy making and finishing up some small projects.
My machine is supposed to be done by midweek, so I sure hope it is ready tomorrow.

I also reached 200 followers today! I truly appreciate all of the comments I receive and try to answer questions when I can.
Tonight I started on a new punched piece, based on an antique rug. So, since we have hit 200 followers, time for another giveaway. Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a name to win my new pattern. I am thinking it would make a fun stitchery too, so a good pattern for quilters too. The contest will end on Monday, April 10 and I will announce the winner on Monday night. Once I finish the punched piece, I will post a reveal. Or if the pattern is not your thing, you can choose from any of my epatterns.

First I will show you a new freebie I found. It is from an Australian craft site and they have some wonderful free patterns. I could not find the actual pattern, so here is the link to the PDF File. I made mine into a stitchery pillow, but it was for punch needle.



I also made another egg, loved the little girl with the eggs in the apron. But, I forgot where I got it. There was no copyright on the printout.



Then I decided to use my bunny pattern and redo it into a cutout bunny. I used my cheater fabric and quilted it with batting, then sewed a whipstitch on the outside edge. I added a little extra stuffing when I got to the bottom to fill them out some more.



Then I decided to try some with my old sewing machine, that was not fun, lol. No needle down, so I had to stop and crank it down and turn and as you can see, lost a lot of shape, so they are definitely prim;) The new soft stuffing I got definitely makes the stain set in weird ways, but it gives it a true aged look sometimes. With these I used a watered down solution of tsukineko ink and brushed it on, to soak them, then I added extra spray after.

Gees Bend Quilt!

Sometimes I get lucky and this is one of those times, that I am so glad I did.
I entered a contest at We Love Quilting for my choice of a Gees Bend Quilt Kit.
I have always loved the Gees Bend quilts and was totally thrilled to have won a kit to make my own.
Not only did Chris send me the kit, but I also received a beautiful tote with a Gees Bend design on it and lots of pens and key chains. What a wonderful box to get on a rainy day:)

I love the blue shades, they are so much nicer in person, really rich and deep shades.



Here is the pattern I will be making, though we know, I tend to put my own touches in sometimes, so we shall see how it turns out;) I can't wait to get my machine back, so I can start on it. Also, be sure to visit Chris' blog, she is running a new contest for a box of goodies and I am sure it will be filled with wonderful quilting items.

Finally a touch of Spring and a Freebie

I really needed to get out of the house and it finally got warm enough to go for a walk, a whole 53 degrees, lol.
We wanted to walk to the point to see the seals, but so did everyone else, so kept driving and decided to go to Pettaquamsscutt Rock. It is a historical site that originally belonged to the indians. It is a bit of a steep climb for someone who has had bronchitis all winter, but well worth it, once I got my lungs working again;) The views are spectacular, reaching out to the bay.



On the backside of the rock, it is old grounds and stone walls. You can just imagine what it must have been like when the indian had their camp there.



The front side of the rocks are used by rock climbers. The cliff is 50 feet high, so great for beginners. Though even that is way too high for me to climb straight up;)



Since the walk wasn't as long as we expected, we decided to go over to the URI bay campus. This is an extension of the main college for oceanographic studies. Their research vessel, the Endeavor, was at the dock.



Looking in the opposite direction, you can see the inner bay with the Jamestown bridge.



Past the boat area, the bay opens up to the ocean. You could see the rain bands coming down from the clouds.



And as stated, a freebie that I wanted to share with you. I was browsing and found an online copy of one of Yoko Saito's books. It is a large file, but well worth the wait. It has the most wonderful patterns for quilts, purses and seasonal wall hangings. You won't be disappointed.