Friday Finishes!

This week I worked on two pieces. I am trying to take it easy, but I cannot just sit and do nothing, so I made a few small projects, one still needs finishing and one is part of a BOM.

I love to do needle felting, though I am still making mistakes and it is not something that you can just take apart so I leave the mistakes and learn from them. I wanted to do a scenery, so I drew up a doodle to work from.

I use a wool felt for the back and then I felt onto that. I was planning on making an eyeglass case but it came out larger, so now I need to decide what to make with it. It is 7" x 5", but I will lose a half inch on the sides when I sew a backing to it. I usually put a lining in it, so that makes it stronger for holding things and with the wool back, it makes a nice cushion for phones and glasses.

Not the best photo, the details are raised and I added some stitching for fun. I do wish I could have made the seagulls smaller, they are a bit over powering. I also need to do the backgrounds first, then add the design so I can have more control over the movement of the fibers and not have to fit them around the items.

The stitchery is part of a BOM by Suzy's Sitcom, this is the third block, so I am all caught up and ready for next month's BOM. Next I need to decide on how I want to sash them or maybe make then with a double border to make it larger, not really sure how big it will be, but I would like to make it lap size.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have rain tomorrow but a nice day on Sunday, so I am trying to decide where to go for a fun adventure.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had some decent weather this weekend, not warm but not cold, not sunny, but the rain was on and off, so we took a few drives and got out when the rain stopped. It was nice getting out, even if we couldn't go for any long walks.

One fun place to go is the coast, we can stop at the shop and hunt for bargains and use their bathroom, then hit the beach. It was cooler so we just got out to enjoy some fresh air and watch the ferry come in.

While we were there, the seagulls were watching the tide for food, hoping something got washed in. I think they are all getting lazy since people are always throwing food to them from the take out they eat on the beach.

This guy was getting back up on his perch after an unsuccessful attempt at something he saw.

One bad thing was, the winds this month, knocked down the wind turbine. I really hate it, it is ugly and noisy, but they are putting a new one up.

Sunday was another overcast day so we went to the forts on the island. Of course it started raining the  minute we left. Luckily it was on and off and we got to walk around the forts. This time Bean got to come and he was thrilled.

It is a nice place to walk and enjoy views, but it is also getting older and crumbling and the kids have decided it is a great place to display graffiti.

We walked along the top of the forts, but there is also a middle level and a lower level. I cannot imagine what it was like to have to live in there, but you can see the kids still get in, even with the fences.

Since it was starting to rain, we drove to the other spots to just sit and enjoy the views, but we got a break and no one was on the beach, so it was a good time to let Bean get some fun time without a leash. The rest of the day we drove around the other side and to the lighthouse, but just for the drive and views. It was nice to get out, even in the rain.

And to end the weekend, the kids came over. My son was working on his plumbing and blew a pipe, so they all needed showers, lol. But it was nice to see them and the kids.

Alex and my son, hard to get a photo of them, they don't get posing;)

Nick knows where I keep his flute, this was my first and he always wants me to play mine while he plays, gets a bit noisy, but fun. Someday his fingers will reach the holes and I can teach him songs. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

Not a lot done this week, mostly resting or more like, saving my energy to do what cleaning and cooking I can, so not as much crafting. I have been reading tutorials on watercolor pencils, I would like to express my creative side in paints and work on new designs that way. And of course, dreaming of warmer weather.

I finished another stitchery from Suzy's Sitcom, called Words To Live By. It is a fun stitchery to do, and lots of stitching, but mine is reduced in size, so it takes me longer to make smaller stitches and not mess up too much;) I am also using 3 strands of floss to make the design show better and be stronger in a quilt.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we have one partially nice day, so hopefully I can get out for a short walk before the rains come.

I took a phone photo, so not the best quality shot.

Stitcheries and Scenery!

This week I received a newsletter and noticed a free stitchery. I realized that it is a monthly stitchery and each one has an inspirational saying. I missed two, but was able to still get them, so if you are interested, you can get all of them still, to catch up.

This is the latest one, I worked backwards. I think it will make a nice gift and I am doing mine in a smaller version for either a wall hanging or lap quilt. I left some extra, my blocks will be around 5" and maybe a red floral print for sashing. You can find the designs at Suzy's Sitcom.

My latest fall has put me in more pain, so I can only do so much. Today it is mostly rest. This weekend I really had to get out of the house so we drove to the light house. It was a bit windy and cool, but it felt so nice to get out in the fresh air and walk around the circle.

I took a close up, wide angle of the light tower. We ran into a man who liked to talk and told us about his dad who ran the lighthouse at one time.

Lots of people like to bike in the area, too many hills for me. You do not want to be going by, when the fog horns go off.

On the way back we passed one of the many farms and I saw a scene, I had to stop and get a shot of. The goats were all trying to get at the hay pile, but I couldn't get close up, lots of wire fencing and a large dog who was guarding them. I would love to live on a  farm like this, they are on the salt water inlets and have amazing views of the bays on both sides.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and an amazing week.

Friday Finishes!

This week I made a new piece and made another bunny. The new one is an idea I got from an old postcard. I wanted to try something more 3D, so I used varying heights to have the bunny coming out of the egg.

It is hard to see in a photo, but you can get an idea that there is depth and in person, the bunny is hooked much higher so he sticks out of the egg. I made a few mistakes, and things I would do differently. Right now my arm is killing me and to add to that, I slipped on the snow when I was kicking Bean's ball and slipped, resulting in a slam to the back. So, I am resting for tonight and will see how I feel tomorrow, I don't think I can take one more injury, I am sore enough, lol.

If I feel better, I may do another bunny egg. Not sure if people would be interested in a pattern for this one, but I thought it was a good way to learn about doing depth in a piece.

I also made a larger bunny, they are so fun to make, wish I could make a lot more. I realized I need to rest my arm more or it will never heal, but it is so hard to just sit still;) This one is my favorite, I will keep him for me. I added a bow tie and wood buttons from an old jacket. Flower button are also a fun way to embellish him.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Looks like more snow coming our way, so no long outings this weekend.

The Ugly Angel: Free Pattern!

I wanted to try an angel and I found a wonderful pattern by CatNap Primitives. She also has a free bunny and other wonderful patterns are reasonable prices. It is a freebie offered on her site, at Patternmart.  If you click on the main menu for patterns, click on free and you will find a lot of other free patterns. I like the idea of making my own but I wanted to try some simple dolls and techniques to get some practice in, it's been a while since I have made dolls.

The original pattern is for a tree top angel, but I wanted to make it for spring, so I changed it up a bit. Then I decided to make a satchel bag to hold flowers, but I made a mess of that. I plan on making a calico one to replace it. It was fun to make, but I definitely need practice on my stitched mouths. I think it would be fun to make them as gifts and customize them, to fit the personality and tastes of the person who receives them, so I will have to work on some of my own ideas. I do have doll patterns and a doll clothing book so I can do different styles.

Another mistake I made is, I forgot, if you wet the piece first, do not saturate it with stain, it tends to pull up in blobs. I was able to tone it down a bit by rinsing it back out.

Tomorrow we are getting a storm. It was a blizzard, then a storm, then it went from 15" down to 6" in our area, so I am not complaining. But, we all know weather has a mind of it's own, so we shall see how bad it gets. Of course I had to get out for supplies, crafting ones, lol. Today we got food items so we are all set. I hope everyone stays safe and warm if you are in the storm's path.

New Bunny Pattern!

This week I was in the mood to make something new and fun, so I made up some Bunnies. I got such a great response from them on Facebook and requests for a pattern, that I made one. I wanted to make something I could use up my scraps on and the quilted bunny uses lots of different colors and the second bunny uses white and brown shades. I also did each one differently and added how I did them in the directions.

I hope you like the new bunnies, they are 5" tall and I antiqued them. If you are interested in making your own, you can order the pattern with the link on the left column.

I had so much fun making them, so I gave myself a rest day, they are hard on my arm. Today I made another one that is 6" tall. I did it in the crazy quilt style, but on this I made a different nose, a raised, punched version. I think I could make a lot more if my arm wasn't hurting and a lot of people want me to make them some, so maybe next week. These are great to make for yourself or shows and make extra for your friends.

I hope you all have a nice weekend. We had snow today and cold all weekend, so maybe a ride. My son's birthday was this week so we are having them over for dinner on Sunday.

Monday Work and Wanderings!

The fun thing about a new month is a new design from Kathy, from her One Stitch at a Time Club. This month was a fun spring design and it was something nice that I could work on this weekend and finish today.

I Colored in the bee black and yellow with my art markers, I like the touch of color. I also added the saying. I think this would be a fun inspirational piece for someone who needs a lift, during a bad time. I also added some lavender so I can use it as a sachet, as well.

My flash was acting up, so I had a hard time getting a good shot.

I also realized that I forgot something on my new bunny piece. I forgot his whiskers. I wanted to add them last, so the good thing was, I could add them on with a needle. They are not permanent, but I like how it gives it a 3D look.

Saturday Bill was sick again, so we stayed home and he rested. On Sunday I wanted to get out so we took a ride to Connecticut, so we could enjoy the views from the car, it was cold out. We sat for awhile and watched the boats coming and going, the ferry coming in and a fishing boat, going out.

As we drove out, I noticed the college, it is an extension of UConn for Marine studies. The grounds are beautiful and they have a lot of beautiful old stone buildings, so we drove in and took a look around.

This is the Branford House Mansion, now it is used for weddings and other venues and you are allowed to walk around the grounds. The bad thing is, the geese leave messes all over, so you have to watch where you walk, lol. You can see the moon, up above.

There is also a small lighthouse on the grounds and the perfect place to enjoy the views of Long Island sound. It was nice to get out and nice to see something new, I will definitely go back when it is warmer. I couldn't get great photos since my fingers were freezing. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Catch of the Day! New Pattern.

This week I worked on a new pattern, I had in the works. I had to wear a wrist and elbow brace so that helped, but I think my punching suffered a bit and I really need to rest my arm this weekend, so light stitching for me.

The finished piece is 6" x 5 1/4" and it was a fun piece to do. The pattern is done in punch needle, but my patterns can be done in rug hooking, stitchery or appliqué, as well. You can order the pattern with the link to the left or visit my ecrater store. As a bonus, anyone who orders a pattern this weekend, can pick a free pattern of their choice, of equal or lesser value. Just let me know on the order form in the comment section, which pattern you would like.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We have cold weather coming in, so no walks, maybe a nice ride and we can enjoy the views from the car.