Friday Finish!

This week I worked on some new stitcheries, both from Kathy Schmitz. When she sent out the newsletter, she showed a fun halloween piece, that was featured in, American Patchwork and Quilting. I had received a few magazines from my friend when we camped together and that issue was one of them.

It was a fun piece, so I decided to use fun colors and I even added glitter paint to the cape and hat. I also antiqued it, so it has that vintage look. I like making prim, but a little whimsey and color for the boys to see, when they visit.

My second piece, I did in simpler colors and kept prim. I enjoy making a few new pieces for fall, to decorate with.  This piece was the offering for the monthly stitch club. She also gave us an extra with a pumpkin to put on a tea towel. I only have a red stripe left, so I guess I need to get more, in different colors.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Hopefully Bill and I can find some new places to explore and see the start of foliage. The temps are dropping, so perfect time for hiking.

The two pieces have more dark spotting, but it doesn't show up in the photo.

Friday Finish!

A new month means a new design from Kathy Schmitz's, One Stitch at a Time club.  Be sure to click on the link, she also has a free pattern this week. I decided to make two smaller pillows to decorate for fall. I like to keep some halloween things out that work for fall, but it is nice to have something less Halloweeny for the rest of fall.

I used tea stained muslin and one piece had a nice streak in it, then I added a bit of walnut to tone down the brightness of the other fabric. For the back I used an orange colored fabric with a fall print, including acorns. I may see if I can find some acorn buttons to add to the corners.

 I am enjoying the nicer weather. Yesterday we went for a walk on the bike path, we start in the middle, which is a nicer section with views of the cove. The trees are turning here, always wonderful to walk along paths in the fall.

And since we got an earlier start, we were able to walk to the end and along the beach. No people around so we could let Bean off leash and let him play on the beach. The sun was in and out and the bay was covered in fog, but so peaceful. I love walking off season, hopefully we can do more hikes this weekend and catch the end of the foliage season.

I wanted to take a photo of the pilings, and was thinking, it would be better if there was a seagull at the end. And just as I walked up to shoot, a seagull came, he made my day;) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

I had a slow week, a bit of sewing a bit at a time, but I was able to finish one project and make two small ones.

I have been working on the stitched pillow for months, and I finally finished it. It is nice to have a large project that I can work on when I am done with one and waiting to get the next, ready. This is a design by Kathy Schmitz in her book, Simple Pleasures in Redwork. I have made a few of the projects from her book and have a few more that I like, a book that has a lot to offer with all types of projects.

I added the border with a reproduction print to match the blue couch. I do wish I had looked at the border before sewing it on, it should have the top and bottom with the longer pieces to balance it out, but it will have to do. It is an odd sized pillow so I cut up an old pillow to fit the size.

Since my hands are still bothering me, I did up some small stitchery pillows. I can't just sit and do nothing, so hopefully my hands will heal soon and I can get more done. At least I will have lots of gifts for this year:)

The angel pillow is a design from the book Heart Warmings by Pieces from my Heart. I reduced the design for a mini pillow. The deer is a design by Robin of  Bird in the Hand Primitives. Robin has a lot of wonderful free designs that she changes with the seasons.

I antiqued these and then added some stuffing and Balsam. I add stuffing to keep the pillows from being too heavy for shipping.

New Fall items!

I received another of my wonderful gifts from the PAFA giveaway. This one was a scarecrow by Laura of Cave Creek Primitives. He is so wonderful, I just love it, she did such a beautiful job on all of the wonderful details. You should also check out her Etsy Store, she has a lot of unique prims at great prices.

I had a burlap piece on the wall, where I placed him and he needed something to fit the season. So, I made a new piece for fall. It is a design by Terri Dogenkolb, of Whimsicals, from her Pumpkin and Spices book. The original was an oval pillow shape, so I added some extra leaves and acorns to fit into a rectangle.

I love how it looks together and the picture does not do, either, any justice, so much better in person. I had to lighten it up a bit, and it took away from the tea stained wools, and left the rest a bit dark.

Halloween Goodies!

I received two more items this week and I wanted to share them with you. I think it is wonderful that these girls gave their time and a creation to support their PAFA Group and I hope you will visit their blogs and see their wonderful creations.

I love bowl fillers and when I saw Valerie's acorns, I knew I had to have them. They are perfect for my trencher on my dining table. Visit her at Yorkie's Primitives to see some wonderful primitive creations that she also sells in her etsy shop.

Carol of Firecracker Kid Primitives had a prize for the giveaway, as well. I have been the lucky winner of her rolling pin shelf and I love it, so I knew I had to have her newest item, a cat eared herb rack. It is so much nicer in person and I need to make some things to hang from it. The kitties on it now, are from my friend Joanne, she knows I love prim kitties. But my kitties love dangly things, so they will go back on the peg rack which is out of the real kitties reach.

I also went through my box of UFO's and found this punch needle, that I had forgotten about. I decided to put some double tape on the back of the folded over weavers cloth, not on the punched area. I learned the hard way to never do that;) Now I have a new piece to enjoy for now and then it can come down and  later I can make it into a permanent piece for next  year. The wonderful cross stitch piece, was made by my friend Sharon. I am truly blessed and hope that I can pay it forward later this year.

Fall Penny Rug

I belong to a wonderful group called woolnrags on yahoo and we had a contest last month.
We had to make something with wool with a nature theme and use a piece of gold wool that was sent to us.
This is the creation I came up with. The squirrels are modeled after an antique cookie cutter shape.
I named the piece "Autumn Flames". When I cut the wool and laid the leaves down, it reminded me of the flaming colors on the trees and the golden flames of a fire. I won second place for this piece. First place went to a beautiful fireplace swag.

I am offering the piece on ebay this week, so if you would like to have this piece for your home, it is available.
You can find me on ebay under kitane or type in PRHG.
One of these days I will figure out how to do the html to give you a direct link.