Monday Stitcheries!

With the holiday weekend, I didn't have time to do too many things in the sewing room, so I made up a couple of small stitcheries that I can add to my Christmas box.

They are designs from the Kindred Spirit Christmas book. I didn't finish them off since I just finished them today, but I love the tree piece for a balsam pillow, so I will probably make the pillow, but wait till next year to stuff it so I can use fresh balsam. I think it would be fun to get more prim buttons and maybe try some mini bells instead of the bright buttons. The angel may become a mini quilt. I like the idea of making mini's that I can fit in a small envelope and send as a gift.

No walnut stain on these, the backing is tea stained muslin, so I will probably leave these alone.

Yesterday we had my son and Nick for dinner. I was not feeling great so I took it easy and used all my energy for Nick, but it wore me out. Today was a rest day, just watching tv and a little simple stitching.

I took Nick to the playground and we even went down the slide a few times, though a kids slide is not made for a ladies rear;) He loved his knapsack filled with goodies, especially the flower lollipops. Sadly he started getting a fever before he left and tonight he is worse so my Son is taking him to the emergency room to be safe. I sure hope my sweet little guy is ok. They are leaving early tomorrow morning, so not sure how this will effect that.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

Another week come and gone, seems time flies by lately and there is never enough time in the day to get it all done. I was able to make a new piece from a free design by Cheri Saffiote. You can get some of her designs and share pieces made from her patterns on her Facebook Page.

This week I made A Tiskat a Tasket. The original pattern is a stitchery pillow but I wanted to do the baskets in wool. Of course I add to change a few other items and the type of stitchery and then I went with a new saying on mine. I love doing patterns that you can change up to fit your own likes.

This is going on my wall for a spring piece, love how it came out.

I also finished Nick's photo album. The booklet might be a card holder, not really sure but the slots are smaller. I liked it because it was real leather, so soft and thin enough to put in his bag and only three dollars. Here are a few photos, great idea for a child's picture book, especially for Grandparents who are far away.

I decided to use my card stock for the photos, it was easier and stiff enough to fit in the slots.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Easter with their family. I am still trying to figure out dinner, Bill is coughing again, so I may go simple and do shish kabobs. I took a photo of Danielle's gravesite. We got her a Hydrangea bush for Easter and planted it next to the stone, leaving room for growth. I used that to make up a photo for her page and thought I would share it here.

May this Easter bring Joy and Blessings to you and your families.

Monday Finish and Fun!

I never seem to get much done on the weekend, I work better when I am by myself but I managed to get some stitching done and finish today. This was the last block for the free Garden Blocks by Theodore Cleave, but she added two new ones that fit with the pieces. I will see what I have so far and how they look together and what size I have, then I can decide if I want to add more to the quilt.

Another idea I had was to make two quilts with at least four blocks each, so the next step is to try them out and see what versions look best. I am using tea stained muslin for the backgrounds.

We got to spend a little time with Nick this weekend while his dad was getting a few things done. He always puts a smile on my face and he and Bean are becoming best friends. Nick has finally got the hang of throwing and Bean was enjoying some extra play time.

This week I will be doing photos of Nick and the family and reducing them to fit in a mini booklet I found. I thought it was a fun activity to add to his backpack with photos he can go through and photos of us to see while he is away. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

This week I worked on a rabbit quilt from a free design by Cheri Saffioti. She is offering her old designs and free ones on her Facebook page, Quilts by Cheri.  She gave us the bunny with basket and then I change it up a bit, and added the saying and extras. The chicks I added when I saw another guest who did hers with two chicks and loved that idea.

The saying is something I came up with when I saw a quote by Martin Luther King, I took the first line and added the rest to fit my piece. This is the finished quilt, walnut stained after I finished it.

Here is what the piece looked like, before I stained it. It is easier to see the details and colors in this one. I always prefer the stained piece, that is more my style. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, looks like we may get snow again.

Monday Finish!

Another weekend that didn't work out as planned, but I think if life went too smoothly, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, lol. Thank you for all your well wishes, I had to cut back on one med when I realized that was making me sicker, so today I am feeling more human.

Saturday I felt horrid from the shot and my body just hurt. I decided to get out and do some shopping, love 25% coupons, was able to buy some battings and other items I like to stock up on, on sale and with the coupon, so couldn't miss out on that. Then I went downhill and couldn't make it to the shower.

Sunday I was a bit better and it was beautiful out and rain was coming today, so I had to get out. We decided to go to the lighthouse and walk around. The fresh sea air was just what I needed, it really made me feel better. The bad thing is, I walked around the full loop and that was too much, so I crashed, lol. While the meds are killing off the lyme, I get weaker and my muscles tend to spasm and tighten up, but well worth it.

Bean loved being at the ocean, Bean loves being anywhere where there are people and dogs. He is like a kid, wants to say hi to everyone and their furry companions. It was a good day for dog people, some just wanted to pet Bean and others had dogs that loved Bean too, so good socializing and maybe some day he will meet people without trying to maul them to death.

Today I finished my Kitty piece. The design is by Cheri Saffiote and she is offering it free, as well as other older patterns, on her Facebook page. This week she did a rabbit and I have that all ready to sew, next.

I wish I could have gotten a better photo but it is raining out. The piece is not crooked, it is darker and all crinkled up from being in the dryer, love how it came out and it will go in my sewing room.

And another photo of the ocean. Jamestown is an island between the mainland and Newport, I never tire of going there or just sitting and enjoying the views. The tide was going out so the seagulls were feasting on the rocks.

Friday Finish!

Well, as usual my week didn't go as planned, but I got one thing finished. Our nice, first week of spring ended up with a tick, so I am back on lyme treatment and they gave me a tetanus shot since it was embedded in my skin.

I was going to make the quilt and my machine decided to give me problems and I finally gave up, so I may just make that one into a charity quilt and do tumblers from the blocks I have and add more to them. I doubt she would take it with her since she plans on filling her suitcase with diapers, they are expensive over there. Nick got new bunk beds, so I can work on quilts for his beds and a matching, larger one for when they come home. Luckily I bought some starter clothes and a car seat, so I have gifts to give them tomorrow.

I finished the second block in Buttermilk Basin's 2016 BOM, I am loving this one and I can't wait for the next one and finishing it. It is going to be a wonderful quilt to have for next Christmas. You can find the free block under Mystery BOM.

Another freebie this week is offered by Theodora Cleaves. She is offering her Paris Ladies for free. They would be fun to stitch or do in appliqué and a great idea for gifts by customizing them to your friends likes and personalities.

On fridays I like to post a photo and a saying to my daughter's Facebook page. I found an old photo of me with the kids, one Easter. I am not sure why I am so serious and Billy looks like he is ready to pop, lol.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, I plan on getting out and enjoying the nice weather, hopefully no ticks this time.

Monday This and That!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend, I didn't get a lot done, but I did find some material to use with the baby quilt and today I cut some blocks and laid it out to get an idea of how it looks and what I want to do. I doubt I will get it done in time, but I also may not give it to them. I found out that she is leaving at the end of the month, having the baby in Malaysia and not coming back until September.

So, Grandma is not happy and disappointed that we will not be there for the baby's birth or see Nicholas for 5 months. She plans on having another shower and getting what she needs to use, there, so she won't be taking anything. I can't see giving her a quilt that will sit at home, so I may wait and until the right time or donate it for a raffle or charity. I can decide after it is made and see how it comes out.

I am not sure if I should do some small boats or enlarge the boat and maybe add some shadow seagulls. First I will do the blocks and top, then decide on how to set the appliqué on top. I am also thinking of adding a strip of solid around the design, then varying strips of the other fabrics in the same colors next, then another solid strip. That is the plan, but I may change my mind as I go along.

This is the layout of the base, the borders will give it just enough to make a large baby quilt. I may trip a bit off the top and bottom of the blue so the shading is there, but a little narrower for that space. I will also redo the blocks so they are laying in the right direction.

We had my son and Nick for dinner Sunday night. I was going through his old photos to do a birthday card and it brings back so many good memories. This is a photo of him when were were camping at the state park. He was playing in the camp and a bird landed on his finger, he was always a sweet soul.

This is my son now, he took a selfie of himself and Nick, father and son, time sure flys by.

Of course Grandma and Nick played while the guys did their thing. I always get little gifts from the bargain racks to give him when he visits and he told me to get the camera, so not sure if he wanted me to take a photo or he thinks he has a camera too, lol. I am going to miss the joy that he brings when he is here, it will be a long 5 months.

Friday ( un) Finishes!

This week I have been working on and off, on different projects. One is a new punch needle design that I am working on, today I finished the main design, now I just have to add a border. It is always nice to see a piece in a photo, then I can decided what I do and don't like about it and of course, it always looks better when I antique it;) I think the hands need more definition, but overall I am happy with the piece.

A bit late for Valentines, but I was inspired by an antique fraktur and wanted to make this piece.

Another thing I have coming up is, my son's birthday. We gifted him money to pay for some things for his house and a loan to do the rest, so no big present, but I wanted to give him a little something. I found a nice frame and made up photos of Nicholas to hang in his office, he can change the photos when the new baby comes, but I liked the idea of doing 3 of Nick, just being a boy and having fun. The photos are 5" x 7", so today I learned how to adjust my photo sizes in photoshop;)

I always found some beach frames for my new room. Someday I will use the room, but for now, I am happy just decorating it and making things for it. I found a nice barn wood frame and a large beach themed framed for multiple photos. I will put pictures of all of the family with beach themes. I put one of Nick's photos in the white frame, he just makes me smile, so it is a perfect photo to put in that room.

I had to buy some extra fabric to do the baby quilt, now if I can just get it made. One more week till the shower so if nothing goes wrong, I can have it done, I work well under pressure;)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, filled with family and new memories.